1. First encounter….Dun…

" oh no, I'm gonna be late!" I shouted to myself in hopes of remembering to not get sidetracked, but running across rooftops kinda feels like flying.

And in that moment I imagined myself flying over the village of the hidden sand and waving to all the random peoples below. It is also in that thought of flying that caused my downfall,

literally. As in falling down, through air, screaming, really fast due to gravity. I'm not a bird. I do not have awesome gravity defiance skills.

"aahhhh!"

when I started to think of flying, as awesome as that thought is, I tripped and fell over the edge of the roof, a strait freefall to the rather painful feeling street below. stupid street.

"ow-owww" only I could land feet first……and twist my ankle.

At the feet of two random drunk ninja… why must things like this always happen to me? Why again? Once is odd, multiple times? Is Fate trying to tell me something? Am I suppose to have some sort of epiphany here?

" what the hell kind 'o sneak attack was that?" random drunk ninja one said to his friend, at least that's what I think he said, he was slurring his words do to drunkenness so I couldn't really tell. Random drunk ninja two kicked my leg.

"oww, what the hell was that for you idiot?" I groaned, he had kicked my wounded leg, why couldn't I land at the feet of some kind, gentle old lady who would help me and make me cookies?…mmm cookies, I want cookies. For some reason I never get my cookie…

" Ish that any way to talk to a man? Is that any way to talk to a ninja, a defender of Suna?" his words were slurred as well, I think I may have laughed at the way he talked or something because for some reason he got all mad and kicked me again before grabbing my long sand colored hair and yanking me to my feet. Note to self: cut hair so random people don't pull it and rip my scalp off. Ripping of the scalp hurts thank you very much.

I groaned as I was made to stand on my injured foot and due to the fact that drunk ninja two was pulling my hair. Maybe I should avoid drunk people, they tend to be violent and moronic.

" you mishie, need to learn some manners"

Hehe, Mishie. Sounds funny. okay now I am thinking he might have a lisp because his S's are all messed up. He proceeded to drag me back towards the inn he was most likely thrown out of, his buddy tried to help by pushing me forward causing my hair to get yanked again. No fair with the 2 on 1.

No fair with the everyone beating me up today, even the street was mean, it could have made itself softer. How it would make itself softer, I don't know but that isn't my problem, it's the streets problem. Street should talk to someone about that.

I stepped on my injured foot with my other foot and tripped myself ( a hidden skill no one expects so shhh!), falling to the ground again now that random ninja guy two had let go of my hair.

I looked up and saw why. I kinda wished I didn't.

I looked up and saw random drunk ninja guys floating above the ground all wrapped in sand one second and then squish…yes squish, with blood squirting out of the now compressed sand and everything. The squish sound will now forever bring back memories of the moment I swear it will, but I didn't have time for that right now because now I was floating above the ground all wrapped in sand.

I looked down the street and saw three peoples, with headbands….ninja peoples.

On the right was a girl with a giant fan, on the left was a guy with face makeup(…no comment) and in the middle was a redhead with a gourd on his back.

My ice blue eyes met startling green ones as me and the redhead stared at each other. Such pretty green eyes… His stare was kinda scary…more of a glare and it kinda made me feel very small and intimidated, I don't like being intimidated, because his eyes told me he was most likely going to kill me. For some reason he reminded me of something…. An old forgotten memory…..

(hehe que flashback)

… you be careful when you go out okay? My mother said to five year old me.

"I will mommy I promise!" five year old memory me replied, I was cute when I was five…

"avoid strangers, dark alleys and…. There is one person that if you see him you should run away…. His name is……."

Gaara. That was his name…. Demon Gaara. A murderer since he was born is what everyone says, they say upon birth he killed his own mother. I kinda find it odd I have never run into him before, I mean, c'mon SunaGakure isn't that big! Hmm, so many people Killed, like I was about to be. Wait a second, I don't want to die! I struggled sorta hopelessly because while I was having my flashback the sand compressed a little. I was having trouble breathing and my chest hurt, I could taste blood in the back of my mouth and I felt my nose bleeding. Not a good situation for unlucky me….I wonder if I'm still cute like the five year old me? Oh wait, dire situation here…..

I WANT TO BE FREE!

I screamed the thought in my head because I couldn't get enough air into my lungs to actually say the words. I think the sand loosened a little bit because I could breathe a bit better now and the pressure on my chest lessened. Those intent green eyes that I was staring at seemed to widen just tiniest fraction and then the sand tightened once more, a little harder, before crumbling away completely. I gasped and grabbed my ankle(the injured one) because, yet again, I managed to land on it as I hit the ground once more.

" sorry foot, I'll make it up to you somehow " I whispered to my poor abused limb.

"who are you?" the girl with the giant fan asked because all three of them were now standing right in front of me. odd. I didn't even hear them approach. Probably because they are quiet like good ninjas and I was busy try to cheer my up my foot.

"uh… Kukichi Kyoki…?"

my reply came out as more of a question due to my momentary shock of being addressed by the people who had nearly killed me.

"hn"

this response was from the Demon Gaara. Maybe he doesn't speak? Maybe if he did it might be a childish voice and that would ruin his aura of killing intent? Or maybe something was wrong with his voice and he sounded funny?

While I was busy trying to comfort myself with maybe's the murderous trio disappeared. Murderous trio…

Back at the inn, guess what happened? I was late of course! And boss wasn't happy…. See I work at this inn run by boss and his wife, but I also live here…in the empty storeroom…. No comfy inn rooms for their best employee(and only employee) no…. I sleep on a cot in the back room were no one will discover me. does that mean I'm a servant? Anyway back to boss not being happy.

" you're LATE! This is the third time this WEEK! You're a lazy, inconsiderate whelp who has no respect for the food and shelter we give you! I out of the goodness of my heart allow you to stay here as long as you work and this is how you repay me? Outrageous!…." he goes on and on about this for a few more hours… does he know how late it is? Does he even know that this is the first time I've been late since the last time I was late?…. I let him rant then I go to my room/storeroom and go to bed feeling rather unloved….poor me….. Poor foot…..poor cookielessness…