Hey everyone! This is my first full length story posted on Fan Fiction. I would love reviews and critics as I am aspiring to be a writer on the side of my career path. Not only that, but I feel that as a writer my job is to entertain my readers, to wow them, and to give them something the absolutely can't put down. I can't do that if I don't get reviews, now can I?

Also, I would like to say that Kazu is my character. However, I do NOT own anything Naruto associated.

I hope you enjoy my story and please review!

The quiet calm of the bedroom was ruined as the woman opened the door. She was panting as she scanned her daughter's room for the intruder. Her fear-induced self gave out a sigh of relief. He wasn't here. Yet. Her daughter could still make it out.

She moved over to her sleeping daughter. Her daughter's blonde hair fanned out around her head in a halo. Her full petal-like lips were slightly open. She was reluctant to wake her daughter. In doing so, she would pull her into a world of hate, revenge, and sorrow. It was a world no one should have to go through, yet her daughter was about to plunge head first into it.

Her husband's scream woke her from her musings. He was telling her to run, to take their daughter and run. But, she knew that she wasn't going to make it out. It was too late for her, but not her daughter. Her daughter had a chance.

Reaching out, she shook her daughter gently. The girl in the bed groaned and moved to her side, away from the hand disturbing her sleep. Her mother shook her daughter's body more forcefully.

"Kazu, wake up honey." Her hand stayed on her daughter's shoulder as she rolled onto her back again. Her eyes opened to reveal crystal blue orbs glazed with sleep. As she blinked, she took in her mother's worried state. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she glanced around the room. Finding nothing wrong, Kazu's gaze landed back on her mother's.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Her mother pulled her up and out of the bed. She shoved two swords into Kazu's arms and turned her shoulders towards her window.

"Come on honey. Hurry up…I need you to take the swords and run to the hokage's office. Don't stop for anyone okay?" Kazu glanced worriedly back at her mother. A loud thud was heard. Both women looked at Kazu's bedroom door. Suddenly, her mother pushed her harshly towards the window.

"No time for questions Kazu. Do as you're told and go!" Her mother practically yelled. Slightly taken back, Kazu nodded. She hadn't disobeyed her parents before, and she wasn't about to start now. She jumped out of the window. As her feet landed out on the ground, she heard her mother scream.

Kazu's eyes immediately looked back through her window. After all, curiosity killed the cat. And in this situation, Kazu was the preverbal cat.

The site that greeted her was one Kazu would never be able to escape. A man held her mother's head in his hands. Her neck looked awkward. It looked wrong.

The man had long black hair, yellow snake like eyes, and a purple rope around his waist. He wore a white shirt that was open and white pants. Before the man could look up, Kazu took off at a sprint. She heard a thud behind her. She tried not to think about what the thud entailed as she ran. For all she knew, it was an illusion. It had to be an illusion, right?

As she skidded around another building taking a sharp turn towards the Hokage building, she heard a whistle before shooting pain in her shoulder. She stumbled and almost dropped the swords she held. Pushing herself faster, she secured the swords to her back being mindful of the kuni extruding from it. Another kuni whizzed past her shoulder and cut her cheek. Wincing, she glanced behind her. The man was behind her. His face held a crazed smirk. He was toying with her! Toying! Taking another turn, she didn't notice the swords on her back begin to mold into her chakra, disappearing.

Kazu slid to a halt as the man landed in-front of her and her way to the Hokage's building. She narrowed her eyes at the man before her. What could her want with her? Her parents, the leaders of her clan, were back at her house.

"Well, it looks like there is only one Hotoya left," He said while advancing toward Kazu, "Now, you either join me or die like the rest of your clan." Kazu's eyes widened as she backed away. Die? Did he just say die? Her mother and father are dead? How can that be? Turning, she ran from the man behind her and his words. Her parents can't be dead. They can't be.

She ran blindly through the village just narrowly escaping the man after her. She tried to jump over a bench, but her foot clipped it causing her to fall to the ground. Pushing herself up, she rolled away from the kuni that were thrown at her. Glancing around, she spotted help. An ANBU member was walking towards the Hokage's building.

"Help," Kazu's voice was just a whisper. Pushing herself up, she tried to call out for help. This time it was louder. The ANBU turned to see Kazu running towards him with the man running up behind her. Pulling out a kuni, he flash stepped in-front off the girl while calling his team for backup. The girl stood behind him panting and holding her shoulder in pain. The man stopped running and sized up the ANBU blocking him from his prey.

"Little girl, if you come back with me, I won't kill you. You are quite strong. I could use you." He said. Every time he said the 's' sound, it was drawn out like the hissing of a snake. As he said this, his gaze was on the girl. The ANBU crouched into a defensive pose.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you anymore," the ANBU said softly to Kazu, "I suggest you leave her alone and leave." As the ANBU said this, other ANBU made themselves known. They had begun surrounding the man.

"I'll be back. You can count on that little girl." Kazu slumped forward. Her eyes drooped as she started to lose consciousness. The pain was just too unbearable for her.

You did good daughter. You've made me proud. Remember, I love you and I'm always with you.

Daddy…

1 Year later

A man stood in a living room, frustrated. His orange hair was spiked every which way and his green eyes glared at the stairs. She should have been down by then. They had a place to be, and she was causing them to be late.

"Kazu Korasaki, get down here NOW!" He yelled while grabbing his ANBU mask. Walking over to the door, he waited for a response from the girl he had saved the year before.

"Hold on, Ichigo! I'm almost ready! Where are we going anyway?" He heard as he watched his now adopted daughter rush down the stairs. Her hands were busy pulling her hair into a high ponytail. She wore a red tank top, black shorts, and black ninja shoes. Her kuni pouch was attached to her right leg. A Swiss army knife was hidden in her left shoe.

"It's a secret. Now, come on. We are going to be late." He grabbed my wrist and said, "Finally!" They disappeared and reappeared to outside a door within a hallway. The door had a number on it. Kazu's eyes widened before she angrily turned to Ichigo angrily.

"Oh, HELL NO! I thought we talked about this! I'm NOT going to the academy! Let me go! I'm not going in there!" Kazu yelled as she began to pull away from Ichigo. However, Ichigo opened the door and pulled Kazu through. Once they were inside, Kazu ripped her wrist from Ichigo's hand.

"Asshole." She said under her breath. She rubbed her wrist and began to size up the class just like they were doing to her. She noted that a couple of boys had hearts in their eyes while the girls just glared at her. This was just what she needed to be in: a class where no one really cares to become a ninja. Kazu inwardly rolled her eyes.

"You must be the new student." Kazu turned towards the voice to see a guy that looked like the teacher. Kazu glared at Ichigo before turning back to the teacher.

"Yes I am. But, I'm not happy about it." She again glared at Ichigo. He laughed nervously, rubbed the back of his neck, and then he poofed away.

"Well, I'm Iruka your teacher. Why don't you introduce yourself?" The teacher said to Kazu. Kazu nodded as she gazed back around the class room. Her gazed hardened as she saw a boy who looked like a younger version of her father, her real father not her adopted father. He had black hair, dark eyes. It was a reminder she didn't want, but now she had to deal with it every day until she graduated.

"My name is Kazu Korasaki. I like music and I hate know-it-alls. Also, my hobbies are fighting and listening to music." Kazu shifted her weight from one foot to another.

"Thank you Kazu, I don't know how much you know so just try your best, okay?" said Iruka. Kazu nodded. She was further along in her training than these losers were. If she tried her best she would probably seriously injure one of them. And Ichigo had banded that.

"You may sit next to Sasuke. Sasuke raise your hand." Iruka said. Kazu looked towards the class to await the raised hand. Her jaw clenched slightly as she saw that it was the boy that looked like a younger version of her father. Kazu began walking up the stair like set up of the room.

As she walked by a long haired blonde girl, the blonde girl grabbed her arm. Halting in her trek towards Sasuke, she looked down at the girl with raised eyebrows.

"Don't you think about taking my Sasuke. Got that?" Kazu's eyebrows rose a little more. Where all the girls in here just concerned about guys? Kazu's blue orbs narrowed. She pulled her arm out of the girl's grasp and noted that it was weak.

"Look, girl. I'm not here to check out some guy, okay? I'm here to learn how to be a ninja. So, this Sasuke can be all yours." Kazu replied before walking the rest of the way to her seat. She studied the guy next to her. Their eyes locked for a second before he 'Hn'ed and looked away. Kazu fallowed his example. Placing her hand underneath her chin, she tried not to fall asleep.