Chapter 1:
I walk down the barren streets of Sunagakure, my home, but I don't find it very appealing at all. My parents are dead, I just know it, and I am forced to live with my step mother who hates my guts. Heh, life sucks really. I spend most of my time alone and no one could really care about approaching me.
I am currently 6 years old, and have a habit of twirling twigs around in my fingers professionally. It's just a skill I've picked up. It so happens that I am twirling one right now. I sometimes impress myself at my skill. "Maybe I could use this skill and become an awesome shinobi one day." I mutter to myself.
"Hey.. That's pretty cool." Says a boy about my age as he comes over to me. I gasp and accidentally drop the twig. I look at the boy. "Uh, sorry about that." He says. I become all tensed up and nervous. "Huh? Are you alright? You're kinda all, shaky." He says.
"Uh.. S-sorry.. I'm Ayama." I stutter, and give a quick nervous bow.
"Oh, nice to meet ya, I'm Baki." He says and holds his hand out.
"Say, wanna be friends?" He asks. I blink a few times to make sure I really heard that correctly.
"Really?" I ask. "Heh, sure." He replies. I lose my timidness and shake his hand. My first friend.
"Y'know, I've seen you around, but never with anyone else.. Do you have any other friends?" He asks.
"Uh.. No, not really." I reply.
"Oh.. Heh, well I'm glad I'm your first friend. You're my first friend too." He says.
"Huh? Me?" I ask.
"Yeah, I don't get out much, too much stuff at home." he says. A faint smile comes across my face.
"Baki-san, we could become best friends." I suggest. He grins and nods.
"Yeah!"
For the rest of that afternoon Baki and I talked and played catch together. Until step mom, Hideka found me, and looked very pissed. "Who's that?" Baki whispers into my ear.
"... My step mom." I whisper back. The tall crooked-like woman that stood before us clenched her fists.
"I told you to get some bread! Can't you even do that? Pathetic girl!" She gushes. Baki had a look of concern towards me. I look down. "Get your ass home now." She hisses.
".. Yes.." I mumble and droop past her. I stop and turn to Baki. "Um.. Goodbye." I say.
"Uh, yeah, bye." He says.
"What are you doing? Keep walking!" Hideka gushes, almost hitting me.
Once we arrive back to my house I run to my room and hide away. Hideka locked my bedroom door so I couldn't get out. It was my punishment for having fun. 'Maybe I'm just meant to live a solemn life..' I sigh and look out my window. "Baki-san.."
It wasn't too long later that I got comfortable in my bed and got an early night's rest.
Once morning came I figured out that my door was still locked. "She wants me dead." I grumble. "Well I don't care. I hate her." I get dressed and brush my hair then grab a hairpin and pick the lock. Yet another one of my skills that I picked up. I quietly sneak past Hideka's bedroom door and go into the kitchen to get some breakfast. I had to feed myself otherwise I'd starve to death. I have a small bowl of cereal.
After that I sneak out and go to find my new friend, no, best friend, Baki. Coincidentally enough, I found him in the same place as I met him yesterday. "Baki-san!" I call.
"Huh? Oh! Ayama-san!" He calls back and runs up to me. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine.. Do I not seem alright?" I ask.
"No, I meant with your step mom.. She seems kinda scary." He says.
"Oh, that.. Yeeeaaahhh.. I hate her." I reply.
"No offense, but I'd probably hate her too." He says.
"None taken." I reply with a slight snigger. Baki has really given me some self-confidence. "So what do you wanna do today?" I ask.
"Hm.. Dunno, what do you want to do?" He asks.
"I don't know, that's why I asked you." I chuckle. He smirks.
"Hey, maybe you could come over my place." He suggests.
"Yeah, alright." I reply.
"Back so soon Baki?" Asks his mom.
"Yup, and this is my friend, Ayama!" Baki replies, introducing me. His mom smiles sweetly and crouches down to my height (I'm short).
"Well, nice to meet you, Ayama-san. It's nice to see Baki has a friend." She says.
"Yeah, and Baki is my first friend too!" I exclaim.
"Oh, well even better." She says. "Hm, it is early, have you had breakfast Ayama?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, you two have fun. I'm going to visit Kazekage-sama for a mission." She says. Baki huffs.
"You're always going on missions." He complains.
"Oh don't worry, you'll be doing the same thing once you become a shinobi like me." She says and pats him on the head.
"Wow, you're a shinobi?" I ask, utterly amazed.
"Sure am, what about your parents? Are they ninjas?" She asks.
".. My parents are dead." I say. She gasps.
"Oh.. Then who do you live with dear?" She asks.
"My step mom."
"Gee, I'm really sorry to hear that."
"I never knew that." Baki says.
"Hn.. It's fine, I can't really remember them anyway." I say.
"Well, you have a home here if you like Ayama-san." She says, patting me on the head. I smile.
"Thanks."
".. Hey Ayama! Come check this out!" Baki says, pulling my arm. His mom smiles and leaves.
Baki shows me a ninjutsu scroll. "What does it do?" I ask.
"Apparently you read it and you can do an awesome ninjutsu!" He exclaims.
"Ninjutsu? Really!" I ask.
"Yeah! I think dad said the jutsu is called Blade of Wind." He says.
"I've heard of that!" I say. "Isn't that when the user emits chakra to their fingertips and turns it into an invisible sword?"
"Yeah! I'm learning it now." He says.
"Really? You gotta show me!" I say.
"Yup! Come, I'll show ya!" He says, and yet again, grabs my arm and pulls me along with him outside.
"I will slice through those training posts." Baki declares confidently. I raise a hand to my mouth.
"Uh, but wont you get in trouble for wrecking public property?" I ask.
"Oh, the worst I would get is a lecture." He chuckles.
"And as for you Ayama, your punishment will be much worse." Hideka gushes as she found us. I bite my lip.