A/N: Alrighty this has been with me for a while and I can't not post it. I'm curious if there is any interest in it. It has been a while since I have seen Naruto so I will try my best!
Disclaimer: For my planned starting point in the Naruto world, all characters have been aged up to a more appropriate age. As this is a GaaraxOC fiction, I didn't want him to be too young so his age, along with others in his group, will be around 18-20. Some of the story will diverge slightly from cannon as there is an OC as the main protagonist but obviously you knew xD please enjoy! Sorry that this prologue is so short, I promise following chapters will not be :)
Sniffing and wiping the snot from his nose, the small blonde boy made his way to his lonely house. The cold sleet bit at his bruised face and caused his tears to fall harder. He felt so alone and unloved. All he wanted was a friend but hardly anyone in the village would talk to him.
Still looking down as he trudged home, Naruto Uzumaki slammed into a solid body. His rump hit the ground.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he cried. Looking up he realized that he had never seen the woman standing before him. She stared down at him. Naruto stared back into her eyes. He had never seen golden eyes before.
"What's wrong little fox?" the raven headed woman asked softly, kneeling on one knee to be eye level with the small child. Naruto sniffed again and latched onto her leg, "No one wants to be my friend!"
She sighed and grumbled, "I'm too old for this."
With a watery smile, Naruto replied, "You don't look old, lady." Ruffling his hair, she returned his smile, "I'm older than I look but thank you." After a pause she continued speaking, "I'll be your friend Naruto."
"Really?" the blonde was ecstatic, "You will?"
"But you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything!" Naruto agreed, blue eyes shining brightly.
"Never give up on your dreams and always believe in yourself, even when times seem tough. I will always be your friend even if I am not with you. And I will always believe in you."
"You're leaving?" tears welled up in his eyes. He just made a friend and they were already going to leave him.
"Naruto how old are you?" she asked as she swept him into her arms and carried him to his little house. When he answered with a quite 'six I think' she chuckled. Putting him down in the dinky chair at his table she pulled some food out of his kitchen and fired up his stove.
"Little fox, it is a hard lesson to learn but sometimes friends have to leave you. That doesn't mean that they are not your friend anymore."
The blonde was quiet except for the small hiccupping sobs coming from him. The young woman let him process as she prepared a meal that would last him about a week. She stored most of it and handed him a bowl.
"Here," she said with a smile, "It's called ramen."
Never one to miss out on food, Naruto reached for the chopsticks and slurped. Tears forgotten, he beamed at her, "It's so yummy!"
"Whas urf namf," he asked after a few moments, mouth still full of noodles.
"Reiko."
Swallowing his food, he answered, "That's a pretty name." Naruto went back to his food. The silence was only broken by the slurping and gulping from the young boy at the table. When he finished, he slowed suddenly and put the bowl down gently.
"You promise you'll always be my friend, even if you leave? Will I see you again?"
Messing with the blonde hair again, she answered, "I promise."
"As long as I believe in myself!" Naruto interrupted, "You'll come back?"
"Always little fox."
Reiko hummed to herself as she leapt tree to tree during her escape from Konoha. Sniffing the air, she growled under her breath and slid to a stop upon a tree branch.
"Kakashi Hatake."
"Reiko, you were told to stay away from Konoha. Leave now half-breed."
"Such harsh words Kakashi," Reiko said, examining her claws instead of the shinobi that appeared before her, "I was simply visiting my father's vessel."
"Stay away from Naruto," the shinobi ordered, shifting into a defense position.
Frowning, she shrugged, "No one else seems to want to take care of him. Someone should. Stop glaring at me like that, you know nothing. The only thing you know is that your village elders declared that a half demon such as myself could not be trusted. Why don't you check and make sure Naruto is alright instead of chasing me when I am clearly on my way out of Konoha?"
Kakashi was pointedly ignoring her. When he took a step towards her, Reiko's eyes flashed, bleeding red and taking over the usual warm gold. Golden chakra swirled around her warningly.
"Back off Kakashi."
Seeing his hesitation, she pulled back her demonic chakra. Giving the shinobi a wink, Reiko disappeared from his sight. As she bounded away she could hear Kakashi cursing as he turned back towards Konoha.
"Stupid shinobi," she muttered as she moved through the trees and left Konoha behind.
Returning to the village, Kakashi peeked in on Naruto to assure himself that the half demon was telling the truth. The blonde was slurping happily at hot noodles, surprising the jounin. He had never seen the jinchuriki so at peace and content. Perhaps there was something to Reiko's words.
Thirteen Years Later
"We're going to Suna?" Naruto asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "We'll get to see Gaara!"
Tsunade resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the blonde's enthusiasm. "The kazekage sent us a request for some Leaf shinobi. He said he wanted a fresh look on a situation," she grunted. The hokage hated the vague request but for Gaara to ask for something he must need the assistance. She handed Kakashi a scroll, "Give this to the kazekage." Looking at the trio before her, Tsunade continued, "You leave today. Kakashi, a word before you leave."
"I will meet you both at the gate in an hour," Kakashi promised the two.
Naruto and Sakura left the office, exchanging curious looks with each other. Once the door shut completely and she was sure that they could no longer hear them, Tsunade leveled Kakashi with a serious look.
"She has been spotted on the outskirts of Suna. I don't think Gaara is even aware of her presence but you must protect Naruto from her releasing the seal. Understood?"
Kakashi hesitated, "Lady Tsunade is that really what Reiko wants? She could have done that years ago when she infiltrated the village to see Naruto. Why would she wait?"
Raising a fine eyebrow, Tsunade was curious, "Reiko has already seen Naruto before? I was never told. Interesting. Keep an eye on her if she appears but no need for aggressive measures until you determine her goal. Now be off with you! I imagine Naruto has already convinced Sakura to leave with him. Better catch up."
Reiko whistled as she got dressed after her bath in the nearby spring. As lovely as actual baths were, she wasn't really allowed in villages without the permission of a kage so cold water was usually the only option which was a big reason why she was so close to Suna. The warm air dried her quickly. She slipped into compression shorts followed by a pair of loose black pants. After binding her breasts with a wrap and slipping a large cream shirt on, Reiko pulled her dark hair back into a loose braid and tied it off.
Blinking, the half demon tilted her head and sniffed the air. Reiko laughed.
"And to think they didn't even warn me that they'd be visiting." She sat down, leaning against a tree trunk and crossed her legs. Patiently, Reiko waited for the arrival of the leaf shinobi that were inevitably on a path right to her.
When the three entered her little clearing, she could hear the exasperated sigh escape Kakashi's lips. The elder shinobi watched her with a sharp eye but to Reiko's surprise did not attack.
"Hey lady! It's dangerous to be alone out here!" Naruto exclaimed, earning an eyeroll from Kakashi and a whack on the head from the kunoichi.
"Long time no see, little fox," Reiko answered, not moving from her spot against the tree, "Have you forgotten me already?"
Kakashi sighed again, "Reiko he's not going to remember you from meeting you once over a decade ago."
Reiko blinked, "A decade? Has it really been that long?" A frown marred her expression as she muttered, "I've never been good with time."
"It's been thirteen years since you were last in Konoha," Kakashi reminded her gently with all the patience of a man who had been Naruto's teacher.
Before Reiko could reply, Naruto interrupted, "You're the lady who made me ramen for the first time!"
"That's right Naruto," she graced him with a soft smile, "I'm surprised you remember."
The pink haired kunoichi scoffed, "Of course Naruto would remember who introduced him to ramen."
"Sakura!" the blonde whined.
Ignoring his two companions, Kakashi eyed the half-demon, "Reiko why are you so close to Suna?"
She shrugged. Standing from her seated position against the tree, Reiko stretched languidly, "Its warm here. Perfect for sleeping outside."
"You should come with us," Naruto offered with a large grin, "You shouldn't be by yourself."
Reiko raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. As the senior shinobi of the group, he had final say even if Naruto offered. The jounin looked uncertain and she had an idea as to why.
"Naruto, I don't think that I would be welcome in Suna."
"Gaara and I are, why wouldn't you be? You aren't a jinchuriki."
"You have been invited by the kazekage, naturally you are welcomed no matter what."
Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets and broke the silence that had reigned with Naruto unable to find an answer that would satisfy Reiko, "Though I don't know how your presence will be welcomed, I find that I agree with Naruto. It's not safe even out here from the vague report from the kazekage. As for him, I doubt he even knows about you. He didn't have a passing of knowledge from the previous kage. He doesn't seem like the type to deny you sanctuary because of what you are. You'll come with us."
Resigned, she nodded in agreement. Kakashi was different since she saw him thirteen years ago as he was trying to blindly remove her from Konoha. Perhaps it was extended interaction with Naruto. It would be difficult for someone to hate a half-demon when they clearly had no issue with a jinchuriki, though the circumstances of existence were quite different.
"Now that we've spent way too much time here, can we go to Suna? I'd like to sleep in a bed tonight," Sakura grumbled.
When they reached the gate of Suna, Reiko shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. She had never entered a village with others having knowledge of her presence. It was how she survived for so long. The guards gave her odd looks and turned to Kakashi, "The order from the kazekage stated three shinobi, not four."
Kakashi gave them a good-natured smile, "There was a slight change in plans that occurred too late to inform the kazekage."
"Gaara won't mind," Naruto added, earning a nod from the guards.
As they were led to the kazekage, Kakashi fell back to walk next to her.
"You've changed since I last saw you," she said quietly, feeling uncomfortable with the walls around her.
"You haven't," the jounin said pleasantly, "But I'm not surprised. Your heritage prevents you from aging and you've had no reason to change. Though I'm surprised you didn't come see Naruto again."
"You made it pretty clear that I wasn't allowed in Konoha. I doubt I'll be anymore welcome here."
Hands behind his head as he strolled, Kakashi answered, "Gaara will probably surprise you then."
"I doubt it," she muttered darkly, "No one has yet."
Kakashi watched Reiko out of the corner of his eye as they walked. She was just as he remembered, not having aged a day from when he saw her thirteen years ago. Her face was pale and smooth, no wrinkles or age lines at all. With high cheekbones and a delicate nose, Reiko was what some could be considered a beauty though the jounin was sure that no one had ever pursued the half demon in such a way. Golden eyes gave her an exotic look though the coldness in them probably pushed most away from her. The hand she was dealt had her keeping people at a distance, something Kakashi could understand.
"Kakashi if you keep staring at me I'm going to kick you," she threatened, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He put his hands up defensively, "Now now Reiko, that's not very nice. And certainly, wouldn't leave a good impression."
"Good impressions don't matter, people judge based on their own biased opinions."
"For someone so cheerful you sure have a bleak outlook on others."
Reiko was still glaring at Kakashi when they entered the kazekage's office. Her gaze shifted from him to the young man behind the desk, surprised. He was young for a kage between eighteen and twenty. His messy red hair was complimented with interesting teal colored eyes. A kanji adorned his forehead.
"Who is this?"
She frowned, the kage's deep voice sent shivers up her spine. Odd. She shifted uncomfortably.
"This is Reiko," Kakashi introduced her simply without elaborating further.
The redhead waited patiently then sighed when Kakashi remained silent, "Why is she here?" The jounin replied, "We found her outside of Suna alone. She's an old acquaintance of mine." The kazekage stared at her thoughtfully before nodding and introducing himself as Gaara. Reiko bowed mockingly, earning an elbow from Kakashi. Gaara sighed, "I'd like to speak with you later but for now I need to speak with the shinobi of Konoha. Temari will take you to a room."
Shooed by the shinobi in the room, Reiko ran into a slender blonde kunoichi that appeared to be waiting for her.
"My name is Temari, Gaara is my younger brother," she introduced herself as they weaved through the halls and came to a stop in front of a plain door in a long hallway, "Here's your room for the duration of your stay. Let me know if you need anything." With that, the blonde disappeared down the hall.
Reiko pushed the door open. Inside was a simple bed, a desk, and two doors. Checking them, she discovered that one led to a small closet and another to a bathroom. While the accommodations were nice, Reiko was excited about the bed more than anything else. Plopping down, the half demon laid back on the bed with every intention to wait for the kazekage patiently only to doze off comfortably.
A/N: I posted this earlier but I hated how short it was so here's a longer chapter :) Please enjoy and tell me what you think! Should I continue or nah? More Gaara Reiko interaction in the next chapter, I promise ;)