Disclaimer: "Naruto" belongs to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. I receive no monetary benefit from this work.


She stood atop the cliff, wind whipping her waist-length black hair back from her face. Cold, angluar golden-brown eyes pierced the darkness of the forest, waiting until the wildlife came in to focus, and she was able to pick out the movements of her target.

Pale fingers quitely pulled a shuriken from the holster on her left thigh, and held it, ready to strike. She prepared to launch it...

When a hand caught her wrist, causing her to gasp loudly and drop her weapon in surprise.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, Yuki-chan." a voice whispered helpfully. She nodded once.

"Yes, Father."

"Then try it again." Orochimaru commanded.

The tiny girl nodded before closing her eyes.

Uzumaki Yuki's eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright in bed again as rain pounded on the roof of the house. Thunder boomed outside, and Yuki hugged the blanket tigther around herself, shivering.

Why does rain always take me back...? she wondered as the feeling of blood covering her hands and her hair sticking to her face, wet with rain, penetrated her conciousness. She shook at the sounds of the thunder, images of a man being brutally murdered right before her eyes, her screaming until her throat was raw, and two men dragging her away from the corpse flooded her mind.

The light suddenly came on in her room.

"Hey, Yuki... you okay?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine." she muttered, shivering involuntarily as the thunder boomed outside.

"Alright, if you say so... sure you don't want some tea or something?"

Geez, what is his deal?! she thought before answering. "No, I'll be fine till the morning. But thanks anyway."

"Okay..."

The lights went out, and Yuki sighed into the pillow.

Of all the people in this Godforsaken village I couldve been forced to live with, why this dipstick?!


Author's Note: Alright, so this is my first fic for Naruto. Thank you for reading... and, you know... that "Submit Review" button is begging to be clicked... xD