Chikadhukanai

For quite a while, I didn't catch so much of a glimpse of Tsukimono Kara. I listened out as I passed by people, just in case I could find something out about her.

She intrigued me.

I didn't meet her again until I joined the academy. Chiyo-baabaa made a huge fuss, going on about how I would become a great shinobi just like my parents.

Seeing as I was now in the academy and not wandering the streets most of the time, Chiyo-baabaa usually worked late. Not that I minded, actually it was rather nice having time on my own, just me and my puppets.

But one day, while I lay awake in the still, dark night, I heard Baabaa come home.

"Shh! Careful you clumsy idiot or you'll wake Sasori!" I heard Chiyo-baabaa snap.

"Sumimasen-neechan!" I heard her brother reply. His voice lowered slightly, but as my uncle was, he didn't do a great job of keeping his voice down.

"Did you hear all that fuss going on about Tsukimono Kara?

My eyes widened, I lay perfectly still, desperate to catch every word.

"What did you expect with her record!" Chiyo-baabaa said irritably. She must have had a long day again. "Most of us were for kicking her out! But instead they're taking a risk saying she could be a good weapon and it would keep her out of trouble!"

"Come on Onee-chan! She's just a scrap of a kid!" he reasoned.

"She's grief we don't need!" Chiyo-baabaa stormed. "Now if you don't mind I am going to bed!"

I heard the front door close, and baabaa shuffle past my door on the way to her own room, muttering about 'useless authoritive people'.

I watched as the winds blew fiercely outside. I'd never seen such a bad sandstorm. The wind whipped the glass on the window, the window barely withstanding the blow.

Well I guess there's no school today.

I sighed to myself as I folded my arms resting my head on the top as I leaned on the windowsill. Chiyo-baabaa had already gone to work early this morning and wasn't due back until late anyway. Not that she'd be coming back at all tonight if this storm kept up.

I gazed outside boredly, barely able to keep my eyes open. I was tired, bored and lonely.

Plus I'd been altering my puppets and wasn't in the mood to finish them off now. So I couldn't play with them either.

I noticed a shadow in the sand. Had it uprooted a tree of sorts? Or maybe demolished a house? No the shadow's far too small for that. As there was a break in the sand I saw the shadow tumble backwards, smacking into the still stubbornly rooted tree.

Since when do shadow's stumble?

Then it hit me. Kami-sama someone was outside in that storm! Are they completely insane?! They'll get killed. There was a bang that made me jump out my skin.

Cloth?

KARA?!

I ran to my front door. I put my hand on the handle. I must be insane...

Pulling my scarf tightly around me to shield me as much as possible I opened the door and ran outside.

Using chakra to stick myself firmly to the ground I ran over to her.

"Kara? Kara!" I said shaking her. She had a bruise forming over her right eye where she had supposedly smacked into the tree. I picked her up, turned tail and ran straight back in doors, the door slamming behind me.

I layed her down on the sofa and returned to attempting to shake her awake.

"Kara-san? Kara-san wake up" I said. Her eyelashes fluttered and she grimaced, putting her hand to her head.

"Itai..." she hissed. After smacking into a tree it's not surprising she has a headache.

"Anou... Kara?" I asked. She jumped out her skin, sitting up in surprise and her head collided with mine. I put a hand to my now throbbing forehead.

Ouch...

I sighed, reaching over and placed a hand on her rapidly swelling bump. She opened an eye, then the other snapped open.

"S-Sasori-sama?" she cried in a hoarse whisper. I'm surprised she actually knew my name. I was rather quiet in the academy, didn't really have friends. I kept to myself, although the odd girl came over and attempted to talk to me now and then. Not that I paid any attention to them. I simply ignored them and carried on with whatever I was doing.

My hand glowed with a greenish chakra. Baabaa had taught me basic medical ninjutsu saying that it was important and could come in handy. Well now it was.

My hand touched her forehead and almost immediately the swelling went down and the purplish green surrounding it disappeared.

"Is that better?" I questioned. She blushed with embarrassment.

"Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Sasori-sama!" she cried bowing with every word, coming close to smacking her head again, this time on the floor.

She was very, very quiet in the academy. No friends whatsoever. Never spoke to anyone, except when spoken to, or to apologise for messing up, which she did rather a lot. Never had I come across a girl so clumsy. The amount of times she walked into things...

"A-a-anou... S-sasori-sama?" she stuttered nervously.

"Mmm?" I replied, to show I was listening. She placed her hand on my head. Her hand glowed green and I felt the bump on my head disappear.

"Arigatou" I said smiling. She blushed darker.

"W-well I really should b-be g-g-going. I m-mean b-b-bad luck and all" she said quickly turning and making a bee line for the door.

"You really should stay"

She froze, slowly turning her head to face me.

"Oro?" she asked confused.

"It's a very vicious storm, it's not safe out there" I said, motioning towards the window, which just so happened to have a broken branch thrown at it that very moment. But still, the window held.

"I'll be perfectly-" she began.

"I would appreciate company" I said, a smile tugging at my lips.