Chapter 1

I ran as fast as I could, weaving in and out of ally ways and people's yards. Trying to dodge crowds going the opposite way, I finally ran into a dark ally way and hid behind someone's trash can panting hard quietly giggling to my self.

"I think I lost him." just at that moment I heard some voices from the crowd behind me.

"It's that demon child!"

"Don't look at him"

"Get away from me"

I held my breath, there could only be one person that people in this village would call a demon child…Gaara. The one I was running and hiding from…that must mean he found me. With my breath still held, I slowly looked from behind my hiding place and saw him coming towards me I quickly withdrew my head. Breath still held my eyes watched his shadow against the wall that was the soul reason why I was not running away. His shadow showed me that he was getting closer and closer to me. My lungs started to hurt and my heart was pounding, I had to breathe again or I might faint…but if I did…he would find me. His footsteps grow louder, I could hear him breathing, and I could sense him right behind me. I had to breathe…I was feeling light headed…but if he found me…I didn't care anymore I had to breathe. I let out a deep breath and started breathing heavily, at that moment his hand grabbed my shoulder…my heart stopped. I couldn't scream, I couldn't breath, he lowered his head next to my ear and said in an out of breath voice.

"Got you." he started laughing hard.

"Only because you got me corned," I was still breathing heavily. "If this wasn't a dead end ally I would still be winning"

"Well too bad, it was a dead end…and now your it." he smiled triumphantly. "Now turn around and count to 50...and remember no cheating"

I looked up at the sky to check the time, we still had an hour of play left. "Fine I'll count, go hide" I turned around, closed my eyes, and started to count out loud "1, 2, 3, 4..." I could hear Gaara running off to find a hiding place of his own. "23, 24, 25..." I couldn't hear, smell, or sense him anymore…but I still had some numbers to go. "47, 48, 49, 50. READY OR NOT HERE I COME" the classic lines of hide-and-go-seek. I opened my eyes and looked around, by this time the people in the crowd where back on their way to where ever they were going, meaning that Gaara was long gone. I glanced back up at the sky, and then I ran off to the park looking for any sign of my only friend.

As I ran though the crowd I glanced at some people that didn't look like they were from this village, one was an old pale man with long black hair who was accompanied by a young blue haired girl who was about my age, maybe a little older, they looked like they were walking to Gaara's house, or the Kazekage's office, as the adults call it. A few minutes later, I saw a girl in a hooded black cloak with half her face covered by her hair walking quickly but not seeming to be heading anywhere in particular.

By the time I made it to the park, the sun was getting low, "I need to find him soon or I loose for the day." I said to myself as I scanned the park.

"Hey Kailah" a familiar voice called my name, I looked around and saw a girl about a year and a half older than me waving for me to come over.

"Hey Kenya" I called back, as I ran toward my older sister. "What's up?"

"Nothing really, where's your little friend Gaara?" she asked looking around.

"Hiding…we're playing hide-and-go-seek, and I'm it." I said with a smile looking up at her.

"Oh? That's a new game, where did you learn that?" she asked with a questioning look. "How do you play?"

"Gaara and I were bored and trying to think of a game to play that would also help us with our ninja skills…in hide-and-go-seek you have to find the other person while they hide somewhere hence the name hide-and-go-seek." I explained the game to my sister that Gaara and I had made up just a few hours ago with a smile.

"Sounds pretty good for developing ninja skills…may I have permission to share it with my friends in the academy?"

"Sure, why not? That will help Suna have better graduates right?"

Kenya smiled at me, "yea probably, plus it will be fun for free time"

I looked up at the sky, "Kenya it's getting late…I have to go find Gaara before the sun sets or I loose. Do you think I can go to his house tonight? Or do mother and father want me home?"

"Not sure…come home first and ask them, I don't think I have the right to give you permission to spend the night at his house"

"Ok, I have to find him first though. Bye-bye Kenya" I ran off waving to my sister. 'Hmm where should I look for him now? I know how about the swings' I sped up a little and ran to the swing set. I slowed down to a walk when I realized that some kids my age where playing a game with a leather ball, I watched them with a bit of longing before I turned my gaze to the swing…'there he is…just where I thought he would be' then I realized he was looking at the kids with the same longing I just was. My gaze was cased down to the ground, 'time to catch him…before the kids realize he's watching them…' I snuck up behind him not even noticed, I put my hand on his shoulder and in the same way he did to me whispered in his ear

"Got ya"

He looked up at me as if he was just woken up from a bad dream, he smiled and said "you win…for today. I'll win tomorrow"

I sat down on the swing next to him, "you wish…you can't beat a Biatha at a game so much like hunting for prey." I smiled at him. He smiled back. I looked up on last time at the sky 'time to go home' I thought "Gaara it's time to go home," I stood up from the swing. "You want to come with me?"

"Sure, lets go," he stood up. "Race you" and he shot off running at full speed.

"Hey that's cheating!" I yelled after him as I started to run. I caught up to him in a few minutes and we both slowed down to a walk laughing. "I told you…you can't beat me"

"Yea but its still fun to try" he replayed laughing.

"Yea I guess so. I hope my parents let me come over tonight, I'm still in the mood to play."

"Me too." we started laughing again, and this time I started running. Of course, I ran right into that blue haired girl I saw earlier, the old man was nowhere to be seen, but the hooded girl was just a few yards off watching the whole thing.

I gasped. "I'm so sorry I wasn't looking at where I was going. Here let me help you up" I offered my hand to the girl, she looked at it as if I was going to pull it away just before she would have the chance to grab it. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing" she said with hate in her eyes as she helped herself up. I looked at Gaara in confusion and he gave me the same look back.

"I'm really sorry I ran into you…I wasn't looking where I was going" she just continued to look at me as if I was laying to her, and I meant to push her down.

"Its true, she didn't mean to." Gaara was trying to help this girl understand but she didn't seem to lighten up at all. The hooded girl was still just standing there watching us, she was making me a bit nerves.

"Why should I believe you two? How should I know that you didn't do it all on purpose?" she was glaring at us with so much hatred that I couldn't help but flinch.

"how about you take the word of a witness…she didn't mean to." the girl with the hooded cloak said, I didn't even realize it but she was right next to Gaara and me, I looked up at her almost in surprise because I didn't even notice her move off the wall, then in the sky right about her head I saw something flying around…then it started circling downward toward us.

"Riden," I said aloud.

"What?" asked both the blue haired girl and the hooded one. I raised my arm in the air and called his name again, the owl quickened his downward spiral and landed on my arm.

"Kailah what are you doing out this late your father's starting to get worried…" he looked around. "Who are these two girls?…friends?" Riden asked me while looking at the two of them.

"No not really, it was an accident…tell father I'll be home as soon as I settle it." the two girls looked at me as if I was mad…they must not know I'm a biatha.

"What did you do?"

"I was just running and I accidentally ran into this girl," I pointed to her with my head. "And as I was explaining to her that it was an accident she didn't believe me so this girl" I indicated the other one. "Came over to help explain that it was just an accident, and that's when you showed up." the two girls where looking at me with even more confusion.

"Alright, you get things smoothed out…come home as soon as you can. Also, your father wants you home tonight…so no going to Gaara's ok?"

"Yes sir" Riden bowed, spread his wings, and then took off.

"Gaara I can't spend the night at your house tonight…sorry."

"Its ok maybe tomorrow night."

"Yea, maybe…ok so where were we? Oh yea…I'm really sorry I didn't mean to run into you." I continued.

"whatever" the blue haired girl rolled her eyes then in a single bound jumped up to a near by roof and ran off.

"Hmm someone that young being able to jump like that…she must already be training to be a ninja," the hooded girl said to her self. Then she turned to Gaara and me "well you two seem to be an interesting group…maybe we'll meet again later. My names Chisa." she gave us a friendly smile and walked away.

"Bye thanks for the help." Gaara and I called after.

I turned to Gaara, "I'll see you tomorrow Gaara."

"Yea…have a good night sleep."

"You t-…thanks I will." I turned around and ran off towards my house waving to Gaara until we couldn't see each other.