1.

At a tender age of eight Yuuki lost someone close to her. She had lost her father, the person she had always admired and loved dearly. One moment it felt like it was yesterday, her father would ruffle her hair and grinned broadly. To everyone else, it was a sadden predicament, but was to expected most shinobi who had families would perish in missions. The academy student muddled over her thoughts, holding the dog tags that belonged to her father. She had stubbornly refused to mourn over her father's death; it just didn't seem to make sense. Her father was sent to a mission, a mission that should have been simple. A mission that shouldn't have killed him. She still frowned over it, sitting up in her bed now sitting crossed legged she wore the cool metal necklace hiding in her clothing has good luck charm. Yuuki moved over towards the built pigeon puppet that she had made days in advanced prior to show off to her father. A small smile slowly trickled through her lips, although she probably would never get the chance to do such a thing anymore. The pigeon slowly started to move, moving exactly a bird would have done, even with the added voice box sounding has if a pigeon was cooing.

"Pretty cool huh?" She murmured softly blinking back the tears; she made the bird flutter around before landing on her shoulder. Yuuki departed from her room, heading almost entirely out of her house, she nearly made to the door, where she spotted her mother hunched over still in her bouts of grief. Her mother beautiful has she was, a poison expert in various type of herbal poisons. Grief was not a pretty sight for her; Tsua was her mother's name. The med-nin hugged herself miserable in her grief; she glanced up noticing her daughter watching her closely with the same familiar teal hues which made her involuntarily flinch.

"There is no point of crying over spoiled milk no?" Yuuki softly said with a slight smile. "Dad would have complained himself half to death if he knew you were still crying."

Tsua blinked for a moment, before chuckling in response. "Yes, yes he would have." She smoothed the edge of her clothing with her hand. Straighten her back while raising her head to try to regain the dignity she had previously lost when her beloved died. Her sharp pale lavender gaze scanned her daughter for any sign of distress, which surprised her that there was no such thing of the emotion, or visible sign of it.

Yuuki felt her mother's gaze, she withstood it. Having a healer for a mother came with its perks. Having a poisoner has a mother, now it was risky since each meal could have been her last, once she had found that she had approached each meal with extra caution watching her mother eat first before she did. The academy student smiled although she was plotted to head out the house and wander around the streets until she had to come back home.

"Heading somewhere?"

"Just going to the training grounds and hang around there."

"Very well." Tsua said smiling promptly rising up now, dusting off her clothing and started to walk to the kitchen just to start cleaning.

Yuuki resumed her walk to the training grounds; she slipped on her shoes before she headed out the door into the outside world. The world outside was always the same, she didn't seem to mind it all. It was quiet, peaceful and blistering hot. In an instant she considered heading back inside and waited for the midmorning sun to change to the setting sun. But she didn't want to linger at home, so that sent her off walking into the sunlight.

Sunagakure was mostly if anything sand stone built structures which only provided to look like adobe building only versatile for a climate such has this. There were a few lingering souls, mostly sluggish shinobi who had probably had the night watch which Yuuki could share a small amount of sympathy for. She had sat through one entire night vigil with her mother; she had managed to persuade her to stay up the entire night although she had refused not to allow one tear to trickle down her face. Not a single one.

The student kept walking down the street; she was primarily doing such a thing since she was bored out of her mind. She had to do something, something that could occupy her mind, besides staying in her room with every single theory that could have made more sense of her father's death. She kicked up sand with her feet, on her way to the training ground; she came to a sudden stop. What made her stop, which made her heart lurch slightly painfully but not fearfully.

The fourth kazekage's son. Gaara. If anyone had a taste of injustice it was this boy, from the moment of his birth there was nothing but cold delivered hatred for the boy only given by the kazekage himself. The boy unknowingly had a monster, a tailed beast dwelling deep within him. Mostly all avoided the child like the plague only a selective few drew near to the child, which was mostly the ANBU who were at standby.

The small child was swinging by himself, his toe digging into the sand. Yuuki felt her heart lurch again painfully; she looked to her left and right. She couldn't detect chakra; she would at her damned nature to attempt to do something so reckless. The girl walked over towards the child, she moved her pigeon on her shoulder, making it soar into the air before landing right in front of the now startled child.

Yuuki watched the sand move in the child's startled nature. That had instantly taken her interest almost quickly; she tilted her head towards the sand, still moving her puppet entertaining the small child, watching the bubbling laughter slowly trickle out of Gaara. The pigeon soared high, before twirling around a spiral movement, before descending down again. Gaara giggled with delight, clapping his petite hands with his enjoyment.

"What is your name?" Yuuki asked already knowing it just wanting to hear the child say it.

"G-Gaara..?" The boy stammered turning adorably shy. Yuuki felt her heart clench with adorableness, and she fought hard of not turning into her pigeon cooing like mad.

"Ohayo Gaara-kun I'm Asai Yuuki." Grinned Yuuki.

"O-ohayo..." The boy blushed now which was now really causing damage to Yuuki's heart.

So cute!

"What'cha doing all by yourself Gaara-kun?" Yuuki asked now sitting down crossed legged in front of the child. She watched the surprise widen in his aquamarine eyes, she grinned boyishly.

Gaara blinked his eyes carefully, pondering on how he was going to respond to that question, Yuuki allowed the child to take his time in answering her. The boy slowly chewed his bottom lip nervously and sadly. "No one wants to play with me."

"Not even your siblings?"

"They are too busy." He murmured softly looking dejected.

"It's decided then I'm your playmate for the day!" Yuuki announced out loud by clapping her hands together, her pigeon jumped at the movement. Yuuki grinned at the bewildered and shocked face of Gaara which made the sands in the surrounding area jolt.

"You really mean it Yuuki-san?" Gaara asked curiously with his eyes sparkling like gems. This boy was doing damage to her heart, and if he dared learned how to pout, Yuuki would surrender everything to protect his innocence.

"Ehh don't call me San. I am not old; just call me Yuuki- Onesan." Yuuki nodded rubbing the back of her head with a hand.

Pulling herself onto her legs, the student smiled held her hand out for Gaara to place his own. Gaara glanced at her hand, and then at her before gingerly placing his petite hand into her actually larger one. Yuuki smiled a trusting smile, and gingerly held the smaller hand in fear of her harming it if she squeezed too tightly. She pulled the boy upwards and started to walk with her pigeon circling around them above, Gaara kept his eyes trained on the bird.

Yuuki was glad that gaara's eyes were trained on the bird, for she was earning looks for doing what she was doing now. She could hear the distinct murmuring of civilians watching them walk by, it irritated her. Gaara was a child like every other child despite been a weapon of war. In her own opinion Sunagakure didn't need a secret weapon; the terrain was already a deadly killer. Not everyone could last in the desert, without the proper essentials to promote actually managing it alive. She had half the mind of glaring at them, half the mind. But she didn't for the sake of the adorable child who was watching the pigeon pull tricks into the air.

That was when she saw a certain silver headed person, the exact same age as her. Intense amount of mild place aggression was aimed at the silverette. Yuuki could hear her blood pound. She summoned up the courage and shouted "Ne silver idiot!" Gaara jolted in alarm, with the sand rising with him. The silverette whipped his head in neck breaking speed.

"Who said that?!"

Yuuki's eyes glinted with mischief. She kept her facial expression clear; Gaara stared at her in wonder. The silverette huffs a sigh looking for the voice that had insulted him.

"Ne I have never seen such a messy mop of hair. Is this the heir of the Kagami clan?"

Gaara felt his mouth drop; he was gaping at how she was bluntly insulting the silverette who was just right in front of them. The silverette finally sourced the voice to Yuuki and scowled at her. "Got anything better to do besides insult me?"

"Mmh besides playing with my Otōto." Yuuki slyly winked at Gaara has she said it.

"Otōto? Since when did you have a little brother?" Makoto glared at her not believing a second of it. He looked at the kid, and blinking swearing the kid looked familiar, before it dawned on him. He spluttered or promptly blanched has he did, depending on which reaction came first. "That's the fourth kazekage's son!"

"So?"

"So?! You aren't supposed to be with him?!" Makoto hissed stamping his foot down.

Yuuki's eyes narrowed at Makoto, so he was like all the rest. Terrified over a child, a child who didn't ask to be a treacherous weapon. "Does it matter? If the kazekage as a problem with it, he can address me personally. I'll be happy to voice my opinion." She said coldly and defiant. She squeezed Gaara's hand warmly, although the child looked saddened by what Makoto said.

"Gaara-kun needs a friend. I can't stand watching him go by every single day without a friend. He's human just like the rest of us! So what he has a tailed beast in him! A demon I don't care, he deserves a friend!" Yuuki snapped at Makoto with her eyes glinting like daggers. She could feel Gaara move closer towards her with his eyes wide, translucent tears were about to run down his already large eyes.

"Woah whoa don't cry. Shh don't cry." Yuuki soothed softly petting the boy's hair with her hand, she glared at Makoto. Makoto huffed and looked at little dejected himself, he made Gaara cry. How low was he to make a little kid cry?

"Tch that is an all-time low for you Makoto-kun." Chuckled a voice softly.

Makoto whirled right back around and glared at the voice that spoke up. Mizuna, another person in her class smirked slightly leaning against the wall. The ravenette was amused in such a way. Yuuki groaned and ruffled Gaara's hair with her hand. She looked at the smirking male with more disgust at him. "What do you want? Don't you have scrolls to copy?" She growled.

"Relax Akai Kumo. I just walked into this." Mizuna said raising his hands in defense.

Akai Kumo, a nickname she learned to take into long stride and pride for. But at this moment she wanted to hurl the scathing glares at the both of them.

" I don't need the both of you to bark me down because I'm been friends with Gaara-kun. You outta be ashamed of yourself, been mortified over a kid, who has nothing to do with what happened to him." Yuuki still growled at both of them.

Gaara rubbed his eyes with a fist, and sniffled slightly. He still looked upset but felt happy. Someone was actually fighting for him, someone who wasn't afraid of who he was. "Yuuki-Onesan are we still going to play?" He asked rising his aquamarine eyes towards Yuuki who looked down at him, and smiled warmly at him.

"Hai we are going to play. I don't think you want to have these two has an audience." Yuuki said. Her mere words brought looks of protest from both Mizuna and Makoto. The two boys were offended by Yuuki's implied insult. Yuuki smirked at the both of them, she was aware of them was aware of the insult she threw at them.

Yuuki continued to lead the boy to the training grounds, which of course she was now flanked by Makoto and Mizuna. Her eyebrow couldn't rise any higher before it was lost into her hair line. Gaara was puzzled, why they are following her when she had bluntly insulted them just moments before. The femme chuckled softly, seeming to understand their reason without them even stating why. She glanced at Makoto who shifted his gaze, and then at Mizuna who grunted in arrogance. "So I guess we have an audience no Gaara-kun?"

The training ground, for the lack of better terms was mostly a barren patch of sand. Sand that was flanked by structures. The temperature had already rising to a smoldering hot and heat mirages were starting to play tricks on the children. The moment Yuuki and company arrived at the training area, she came to a stop. She turned to her new additional party, with a questioning look.

" I don't have anything better to do." Said Mizuna.

"Trying to get out of a training session with Dou-san." Said Makoto frowning.

"You could have said that first you idiots," Yuuki seethed at them both, which made them both jump. "But oh no you had to go on and say that Gaara-kun is a threat!" She yelled at them.

Gaara wasn't used to having so much attention, and softly blushed. He fidgeted adorably, and had a small smile. Yuuki felt her heart sing, it was too adorable for her to handle, she almost cooed. Her pigeon once more soared into the air, which Gaara took off following the pigeon with gales of child-filled laughter.

"Why are you doing this?" Makoto asked shifting his eyes towards Yuuki who was watching the small child hopping up and down trying to catch the pigeon who went in a teasing dipping downwards before rising again.

"He deserves happiness, and love. I have a feeling that will not happen for a long long time." Yuuki murmured softly with a small tender smile.

"Considering that Kazekage-sama has already written his fate, I doubt the boy will achieve it until the 'kage is dead." Mizuna said shaking his head even he smiled warmly at the laughter of Gaara.

"I would do anything to protect this child for himself, or even his father. Even if it kills me." Yuuki vowed with a fierce amount of determination.

Mizuna and Makoto glanced at one another and shrugged. "You are crazy but what you are saying is true. The only way to do that is to be his personal guard. The path to that is going to be difficult."

"It's worth the cause!" Said Yuuki burning the sight to memory.