Kiku poked her head around the corner of the hall way. The cost was clear. She silently ran toward the room at the end of the hall. She gently cracked it. She tried not to giggled seeing her childhood friend. He was leaning back in his chair eyes closed. She smirked and threw the door open and ran in and jumped unto his lap. "GAARA!!"

He jumped slightly in shock. He glared at her. "Kikuyu Linoko Torakume what are you doing here?"

She failed her arms wildly. "Gaara!! I said for you to never call me by my full name!!"

He rolled his eyes. "Why are you here Kiku?"

"That's better." She said fixing herself so her back was facing him. She leaned back unto his chest and put her feet on his Kazekage desk. "I'm here because I wanted to visit you Gaa"

He scoffed. "So you think you can just barge in here while I'm working?!"

"Yep! And don't tell me to leave. Birku and Jeko will probably be here soon to get me anyway so I'm gonna spend as much time with you as possible"

"So nothing I was will make you leave?" He said slightly annoyed.

"Yep! Oh and I already knocked out the guards so they can't make me leave either"

"You knocked out the royal guards?!?!"

"Yes I did.....Uh....Gaara do you remember what today is?"

He went silent trying to remember. Then he froze realizing the date. "May ninth the anniversary...."

"Of my parents death."

"Kiku.....I...."

"It's okay I know you didn't mean to. It was an accident and I don't blame you"

Flashback

Fourteen years ago Gaara and Kiku were at her house. They were coloring pictures when Kiku's dad came in from work, drunk. He stumbled over to them and patted her head. "Hello little Kiku."

She smiled. "Hi daddy!"

He glared at Gaara. "Hey Mikoyan! Why is that 'thing' here again?"

Kiku's mother came in. "Shuio don't start anything."

He scoffed. "He isn't anything but a monster. And you," He said pointing at Kiku. "I told you to stay away from him!" He hit Kiku and caused her to fall on the ground.

The four year old Gaara stood up. "Leave Kiku alone!"

"You can't tell me what to do. I'm the adult and your the monster child" he said kicking Kiku in the ribs. She screamed in pain. This happened every time Shuio came home drunk and Gaara was there. He never approved of Kiku and Gaara's friendship, and he always took his anger out on Kiku and Mikoyan.

Gaara clenched his fist. "I said leave her alone."

Sand started to wrap around Shuio. He screamed "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

The sand moved up and wrapped around his throat and choked him. Gaara glared at him. "I'm sick and tired of seeing you hurting Kiku! Die!"

The sand squeezed harder and blood began to trickle down Shuio's neck. The sand went into the newly made wounds and made its way to Shuio's heart. Gaara clenched his fist tighter and sand sand completely destroyed his heart.

Mikoyan came in and screamed at the bloody mess. Gaara shifted his glared from Shuio's dead body to her. "And you. You allowed him to harm your only child?!"

What appeared to be kunai made out of sand flew towards her and stabbed her in the heart.

Gaara calmed the sand and used it to pick up Kiku. She had passed out from the injuries Shuio had caused her. He walked toward the door and went to his house, sand and Kiku following.

End Flashback

The now eighteen Gaara bit his lip. His gaze shifted to the now also eighteen and quite busty Kiku on his lap. Her long silky black hair was let down and her bangs were covering her left eye. He could just barely see her golden colored eyes through them.

"Kiku....I really am sorry."

"Don't be....." She let a few tears fall. "I-I know you were protecting me. And I thank you for that."

In a blur of blonde and brown Kiku's two teammates, Birku and Jeko, came in. They kneeled in front of Gaara's desk.

"We apologize Kazekage-sama" Birku said.

"We shouldn't have let her out of our sight. It won't happen again." Jeko said.

Gaara frowned. "See to it that it doesn't"

Kiku sighed and got off Gaara's lap. "Alright baka one and baka two. Let's go."

They nodded and headed toward the exit. Kiku smiled "Bye Gaara see ya later!" She said waving and followed them.