She sat at the park, alone and cold. Not wanting to leave just yet. She wanted to wait until the last possible minute till she had to return to that wretched place called home.

Imari was seventeen and had a curfew of ten. She didn't see why she even had a curfew, it wasn't like her parents gave a damn about her. Hell they could care less if she was alive or dead.

But she knew that if she complained or came home a minute late the beatings would be ten times worse then they were anyways.

At first Imari thought she did something to deserve the beatings but as time went on she realized they did it just because they could. Sometimes she wished that it was for something she did instead of for nothing at all.

All she could do was be out of the house as much as possible. She would leave as soon as she got up and return by ten.

Normally she would spend the whole day at the park and watch all the happy family's that went there and wish she were apart of their family.

Imari didn't even have friends that could be called family. Everyone in this town hated her, and she didn't know why. She never did anything wrong and was always polite. But none the less people still hated her.

All the kids at her school laughed at her and called her names. She would even hear the teachers make fun of her. So she dropped out when she was sixteen, even though she actually really enjoyed school.

She sighed when she looked at her watch and noticed that it was ten till ten. Better start heading home she thought to herself.

Slowly she got up from her bench and made her way home. When she arrived at her house, she was surprised to find it quite. Normally the television and the radio were on and her parents were fighting. But not tonight there wasn't a sound coming from the house at all.

Unsure of what was going on Imari stepped into the house. She looked around almost expecting her parents to come around the corner and start beating her. When they didn't, she became a little worried.

She waited at the door for a few minutes more before making her way to the kitchen to see if they were in there.

When she opened the door she saw her mother and father sitting at the table across from a man she had never seen before.

She looked from her parents to the man and then to the corner of the kitchen because she heard a sound. She was startled to see two boys sitting there.

One had raven black hair and piercing black eyes, while the other had blond hair and blue eyes.

Cautiously she made her way over to her parents. All the while she continued to stare at the strangers.

Once by the side of her parents, she gave them a questioning look. Her mother was the first to speak. She gestured to the man across the table and said. "This is Hatake Kakashi, he is from the village of Konoha. And the two boys are his students."

Imari still unsure about what was going on stood patiently and quietly waiting for someone to tell her exactly what was going on.

After a few moments of silence Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Imari, we are here because we will be taking you to Konoha with us."

What? Why Imari finally said.

Kakashi looked at her and told her that he couldn't tell her much she would have to wait to hear the whole story from the Hokage Tsunade.

He then looked at her parents and said there is something that they can tell you though.

I looked at them and waited. My father was the one to speak this time. He sighed and looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Imari, we are not your real parents. We knew your real parents and took you in after they left.

Hearing that they weren't my real parents and that my real parents left me sent a sharp pain through my heart. I didn't know what to do or say. I was frozen with fear, sadness and hatred.

Why did they lie to me all these years I thought and why did my real parents leave me with these monsters? Did they hate me that much when I was born?

Again I heard the man named Kakashi clear his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked at him hoping he would tell me more but he didn't. All he said was go pack your things we will be leaving for Konoha early in the morning.

I nodded my head still to shocked to say anything and turned around to go to my room and pack.

As I walked up to my room, I was still baffled by the recent events. More and more questions flooded my mind. Like who were my real parents? Why did they abandon me? Why were those guys taking me to Konoha? Was I being put in foster care? Was I in some kind of trouble?

But from what I could tell I wasn't going to get any answers until I was in Konoha and talking to the Hokage.

This day has turned from very uneventful and boring to very interesting and slightly terrifying.

Packing my things didn't take long, considering I didn't have much to take. I was able to throw everything into my backpack. I had grabbed a few pairs of clothes a hair brush, shampoo and conditioner, and the little bit of make-up that I owned.

After I finished packing I went back down stairs. Everyone was in the same place that they had been before.

Kakashi was the first to notice my return. He looked at me and the asked, "Are you already finished". I nodded my head to show that I was.

"Alright" he said clapping his hands together. Since you are done we will begin our journey to Konoha. He looked at me again and said, "We will be walking there and it is a three day trip."

Oh, I thought to myself good thing I packed light.

As we turned to leave my parents stood up and came over to us. My father looked at me and said we could give you one last beating to remember us by if you want you little whore.

Then my mother turned to the guys and asked, "Are you sure you want to bring this little slut to your village with you? She might be a problem you never know with her."

As soon as she stopped talking I saw my father raise his hand to strike me. I closed my eyes and prepared for the blow but it never came. Slowly I opened my eyes to see that the boy with black hair was holding my fathers arm stopping him from hitting me. Then I looked to the sides of me and saw that Kakashi and the other boy were on either side of me, shielding me from my parents.

Then Kakashi growled out to my parents, "That wont be necessary, we will be leaving now!" I felt someone take my arm and turn me to the door. I didn't realize that the person who had grabbed me was the boy with black hair until we made it out of my house and to the street.

I shook his hand off my shoulder and then turned to stare at the three guys, and they stared back. I looked at Kakashi and asked, "Is there really nothing you can tell me?" he shook his head, and then said at least about you. I can tell you about us though.

"Ok" Imari agreed.

Well Kakashi began, you know my name but most people around your age say Kakashi sensei. Oh I thought to myself remember that next time you address him. Then Kakashi sensei pointed to the two boys. First he pointed at the blond and said that is Uzumaki Naruto. Then he pointed at the raven haired boy and said that is Uchiha Sasuke.

Hello Imari-Chan, the boy named Naruto yelled. Sasuke just raised a hand and said hn.

Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "Come on teme be a little more enthusiastic."

Sasuke glared at Naruto and said, "I told you not to call me teme, dobe."

Naruto faked a hurt look and returned his attention back to Imari, and began bombarding her with questions. Like what do you like to do for fun? Won't you miss your friends here? What kind of hobbies do you have?

He didn't leave enough room in between questions for her to answer so she patiently waited until he was finished before she answered.

When he was done she began by saying she never really did anything fun. Then she told him she had no friends here and that everyone in town hated her and she didn't know why. As for hobbies she said she liked to read and write.

Kakashi and Sasuke just listened as Naruto and Imari talked. They only really spoke up when they thought Naruto was about to say something he shouldn't.

When Imari looked at her watch she noticed they had already been walking for two hours. They had left her house at midnight and now it was two in the morning. She didn't want to make them stop but she was tired, hungry and thirsty.

She turned to Kakashi sensei and asked if they could take a break and eat since she was really hungry.

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement and yelled out to the boys what they were doing. He told the boys to go get some fire wood and build a fire while he set up camp. He had decided they would just stay the rest of the night there.

While the boys were gone Kakashi asked Imari if she was alright. She said she was fine just really hungry and thirsty. They were silent for a few minutes then he asked her how often her parents beat her. She told him at least every night. Generally they would beat her when ever they saw her, even if it was in front of other people.

"Oh" was all that Kakashi said. Neither realized that the two boys had heard all of their conversation.

Naruto and Sasuke

Why do you think they beat her so much teme? She seems like a really nice girl. Do you think all the things they said about her before we left were true?

"Hn" was Sasuke's reply at first but then said, "No, I think they just wanted us to leave her so they could keep their slave". Naruto looked at Sasuke and said I think your right teme.

"Hn, of course I'm right dobe".

Well anyways I think Imari-Chan's cute, what do you think?

"Eh she's ok" Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "I've seen better". I just don't understand why she dies her hair black and white?

Yeah I don't either Naruto voiced, but it does look good on her I must say. We'll have to ask her about it sometime.

"Tch, what ever I really don't care she's just another annoying girl anyways!" Lets go back now I think their done talking.

"Okay" Naruto said.

Everyone

"Well" Kakashi said once he saw the boys walking towards them. "I think tonight we will eat some ramen how does that sound everyone. Imari and Sasuke nodded their heads while Naruto jumped around singing some song that sounded like he just made up about ramen.

Sasuke nudged Imari's arm and said, "If you hadn't realized he" pointing to Naruto "loves his ramen".

Imari giggled and nodded her head.

Once the food was done everyone dove into their food, but stopped and watched Imari as she ate. She ate as if she had been starved, but the guys didn't know that she actually had until Naruto asked, "Imari, when was the last time you ate?"

"Ummmmm" she stopped eating for a minute and thought, then replied "About three days ago."

"What" all the boys said together! "Why haven't you eaten?"

Well you see she began. My parents hated me so they wouldn't feed me very often and since the whole town hated me there was no way I could earn money to but my own food. So for awhile I took to eating out of garbage cans behind food joints until they caught on a few days ago and started keeping their trash inside so I couldn't get it.

They sat there in silence after hearing that. Then to everyone's surprise Naruto got up went over to Imari and handed her his bowl of ramen and said, "Here you need this more then I do".

Imari was shocked by his niceness and Kakashi and Sasuke were blown away by this. Neither of them had ever seen Naruto share his ramen let alone give it away.

Thanks Naruto, Imari said as she stood to give him a hug.

Naruto simply said, "No problem, what are friends for".

Again Naruto shocked her. She looked at him her eyes big and said, "Were friends?

Naruto laughed and said, "Of course Imari-Chan, I don't see why you didn't have any friends in your old town, but I would be happy to be your first friend. And don't worry all of mine and teme's friends will love you and want to be your friend as well. Isn't that right teme?"

"Hn" replied Sasuke.

"Don't mind him" Naruto said, "He's like that with everyone, but he'll warm up sooner or later.

At that Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Well its time to sleep we need to rest for our journey tomorrow

Imari you'll be sharing a tent with Sasuke, and Naruto you'll be sharing one with me. At that with some complaints from Naruto everyone began setting up their tents and getting ready for bed.