A/N: Hello there! I have finally decided to write an actual story. I hope you like it and that it's not too long. It will be a while before I update, so for those of you who actually like it, I am sorry and please be patient. Thank you.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto or any related stuff blah blah blah. I do own Kiri though. She is my original character :D
My name is Kiri. I am the youngest daughter of the former Kazekage, the leader of the Land of Wind. My father was a horrible and treacherous man; he is the one to blame for me not knowing my late mother. Of course, country and military must come first. Heh. Just thinking that makes me laugh. It's exactly the kind of thing he would say. He had attempted--in vain, I might add--to create a demon that would flatten all other countries' defences. Had he not learned from his previous trial-and-error?
Flashback
"Temari-nee?"
The sand-haired girl looked down at her sister, whom she was putting to bed, "Yes?"
"Why does everyone hate niisan so much?"
She was unsure of what to say for a minute.
"Well," she began, adjusting the little girl's blankets, "Gaara…is not human."
"What do you mean? Of course he is! He's just like us!" protested the younger.
Temari sighed.
"You'll understand when you're older. Now get some sleep." She said softly.
End Flashback
My sister wasn't quite sure what to say to me back then, but how do you tell your little sister that her brother is some monstrous demon? She was right though, I did understand, but not until much later.
Flashback
"Miss Kiri! Please stop!" the servant called after the girl.
"I wanna see them before they leave!" the running twelve-year old replied.
She continued down the deserted streets of Suna, farther away from her caretaker. The sun was peeking over the horizon as her bare feet slapped along the dirt road towards her siblings. At last she spotted them on the outskirts of the town.
"Onee-chan!" she called as she approached them.
The elder sibling turned around, and was shocked to see her lavender-haired sister sprinting in their direction. Kankuro saw her just as she caught up to them.
"Kiri, what are you doing here?" he inquired.
"I…came to…see you…before you…left…for…the exams…" she panted, clutching her side and her cheeks flushed.
Temari shook her head, "You shouldn't have come. You should be at home."
"But I…"
"Why aren't we leaving?" a cold voice demanded. Gaara stepped forward.
Kiri's face lit up, "Niisan! Good luck!" She smiled.
He shifted his icy gaze to her.
"Luck?" he scoffed, "Luck is for fools."
Her face saddened a bit. He continued.
"You're wasting our time with your pointless mumblings, go home!" he spat.
She flinched at his sudden outburst.
"But…but…niisan…" she started to walk forward.
"I said go home!!"
Without warning, Kiri was thrown against the side of a building. The sand gathered itself together. Before any of them had a chance to react, Gaara grasped his younger sister with the death sand and squeezed. She cried out as she felt the extreme pressure.
"Gaara stop!" Kankuro charged at him in an attempt to prevent any more harm coming to Kiri, but was thrust back by more sand. Temari went to him, knowing she couldn't stop Gaara even if she tried.
Kiri gritted her teeth, "W-why are you doing this, niisan?"
If possible, his eyes got colder.
"Because I can."
"What's going on here?"
Gaara lost his focus as he saw Baki, his sensei, and his sand fell. Kiri crumpled to the ground.
"Nothing. Just taking care of a pest." He began to walk into the desert and stopped to look back at the others, "We should go."
Knowing Gaara wouldn't appreciate them helping Kiri, and because they saw her caretaker headed for them, the other two siblings got up and began to follow, along with Baki. They glanced at Kiri, gave her a look of apology mixed with sorrow.
"Miss! Miss Kiri!" the older woman was at her side.
The girl weakly looked up, blood trailing thinly from her mouth. They were gone. Her eyes watered. Why? She thought, why?
End FlashbackAfter that, I asked incessant questions. No one had ever told me about the Shukaku, maybe they thought I would never have to know about it. I had escaped my big brother's attack mostly unharmed; he hadn't had a chance to do much damage. Two broken ribs was all I got, the blood came from biting my tongue. I was lucky. I was also scared.
It's true, I had never really spent time with Gaara, and I had always regarded him as my strong big brother who would protect me, even though we are only ten months apart. Only when we were really little did I ever see him. Even then, I was oblivious to his mysterious powers, and mine as well.
My father had already seen the problem Gaara posed, and so, he kept me away from the world, locked in the cellar of our home, in some effort to control my abilities or for some other reason his mind came up with. For a long time, that was all I knew, a large dark room with a bed, desk and lavatory. I only ever saw my caretaker who brought me food and taught me how to read and write and such. I was never taught ninja arts. I wanted to though, after hearing stories from Temari and Kankuro on those dark nights when they would sneak me outside. It sounded like so much fun. Sometimes on those trips, I would also catch a glimpse of Gaara, but he would disappear quickly after being seen. Most of the time though, I was in solitude.
To amuse myself during those long periods alone, I often pretended I was a princess locked away in a deep dark dungeon, awaiting her rescuer. My fantasy faded as I got older, but the bleak dungeon did not. After Gaara's attack, it became even drearier. Father was not at all happy when he found out about my escapade and was quick to punish me with a few blows. I barricaded myself in my pleasant cell and refused to come out, even when my siblings returned. Temari and Kankuro assured me that Gaara had changed, but I didn't believe them. They told me our father was dead, but I was disbelieving. I was terrified. Somehow they managed to force me to open the door for food, but I rarely ate any of it. I finally realized all of those years of isolation, hatred, and the newfound terror, and it took its toll on me; I became a skeletal figure, my already pale skin whitened, I was filthy and I even stopped dreaming, something I had once loved to do. I thought no one loved me, no one cared, I was such a fool back then, but these things are hard on you when you're young. A few months later, I finally found someone to talk to who understood me and who had always been by my side…
FlashbackA small, pale figure sat huddled in the corner of the dark, dank underground room. Her eyes were listless as they stared into the blackness lit only by a single candle.
"…Kiri…Kiri…"
She ignored the foggy voice, she had heard it several times over, but knew it was just her mind.
"…Kiri…Kiri…"
She blinked as a mouse ran by.
"Kiri…Kiri!!"
She jolted at the cry. The candle blew out, extinguished by the non-existent wind. Surrounded in darkness, the voice repeating, more persistent, shadows flickering where there was no light, a breeze blowing when it could not get in, it dawned on her that she was finally going mad. She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her head, whimpering, willing it away.
"Kiri…"
The voice was becoming clearer.
"Kiri…open…your eyes…"
She was afraid, but curiosity made her open her eyes. The sight before her took her breath away. No longer was she in the room beneath her house, but, instead, sitting in front of a huge, sealed cage. Behind those gates were the eyes, the eyes of a sweet, innocent woman, yet these were also the eyes of a cold-blooded killer. These eyes belonged to one of the most powerful, destructive force ever known to any of the ninja villages. These eyes able to cause so much damage, yet able to love so much.
"Kiri…" the voice rang out again. This time Kiri knew she wasn't insane.
"You must…help me…"
"W-who…w-what…?" the girl was unable to speak, from both shock and her unused voice.
"Release me…and I…will explain everything…"
Kiri was unsure of what to do; was this someone else come to hurt her? But there was something in this stranger's eyes, something that told her she could be trusted. She stood up and apprehensively moved forward, inching closer to the gates. Suddenly, as she reached her hand to open them, they flew open and the eyes disappeared. Power surged through her, a huge gust of wind burst through the opening, forcing Kiri back and her eyes closed. She landed roughly on the cold stone floor of her room. She winced at the dull pain as she sat up and gasped when she saw the beautiful creature before her.
Sitting peacefully, with the eyes of the one locked in the cage, was a dog. Of course, this dog wasn't like the ones you normally see. For one, she was big, at least five feet at the shoulder. Her ivory coat was soft and smooth as if she had just been groomed by the most doting trainer, and she resembled a husky, or another similar breed. However, the most notable difference was her tail, or rather, tails. Five gorgeous silken tails fanned out behind her, making her look more regal than anything.
Her eyes on Kiri, she spoke, "Thank you, Kiri." Her voice was clearer than before, soft and elegant.
The girl just stared.
The dog sighed, "I suppose you must be confused, though it's about time you acknowledged my presence."
Silence.
She sighed again, "Had you been trained in the ninja arts you may have been aware of me sooner. No matter," her ears pricked up, "I shall make the proper introductions. I am Gobi." She stepped forward.
Kiri flinched.
Gobi's eyes softened, "My dear, I won't hurt you. There is no need to be frightened."
She strode gracefully over to the girl and enveloped her tails around her comfortingly. They were cool, soft, as if they were made from the finest silk. Any tension Kiri had evaporated and she let herself be held. It was as if she was being held by her mother for the first time, she felt safe and calmed. Gobi turned to face the girl and Kiri looked into those sweet and dangerous eyes. There it was again, that feeling of reassurance and trust.
"Now, before anything else is explained, why don't we go upstairs to the light, hmm?" she nuzzled Kiri gently, who had stiffened, "Don't worry, nothing's going to harm you, not while I'm around."
With that, she sauntered over to the door and lifted up the wooden bar that secured it shut. It creaked open slightly, revealing a bright beam of light. Shielding her eyes from the dazzle, Kiri slowly stood up and went over to the open door. She could smell Temari's cooking and when she opened it further, she could see the chef herself. All of a sudden, she was overwhelmed with a mix of loneliness and joy at seeing her sister again.
"Onee-chan…" her hoarse voice whispered, and, her eyes brimming with tears, she ran up the stairs.
Gobi followed noiselessly, jumping into her, like a shadow that was never seen.
