Hello, sorry for this chapter being so short, but they will be getting longer soon.

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"D-don't come near us, bakemono!"

A five-and-a-half-year-old Rini watched silently, hidden by the wall, as the village children backed away from a small boy. His blue-green eyes widened sorrowfully as they backed away, hatred and fear dancing in their eyes. The much loved teddy in his arms contorted as he clutched it tight to his chest. Crimson hair spilled around his face, hiding his eyes.

"Go away, demon!" a small girl yelled, turning to run.

The boy tipped his head up. With the darkened eyes revealed, Rini could see the confusion, pain and hatred in the gaze. He lifted a pale hand, causing sand to leapt up around him, shooting out to wrap around the fleeing children. Rini held back a startled gasp, he hadn't even formed seals. The children held captive by the sand screamed in fear, their eyes wide with terror. His eyes hardened and he clenched his fist. The sand constricted, crushing the arms and legs of the group. They screamed in pain.

Rini stumbled forwards, terrified but unable to run. She watched in horror as blood leaked across the ground, pooling around the group. Their screams died and turned into sobs and whimpers. The boy lifted his hand again. The blood soaked sand coursed forward, wrapping around their waists and chests.

'I'm gonna be a kunoichi,' Rini thought shakily, 'I can't be scared if I'm gonna be a kunoichi.'

Her body trembled as she fought to keep the rising fear down. She tried to stay in that spot, but her feet moved of their own accord, forcing her backwards. Rini felt as if someone were controlling her body, pulling her back from the boy. Suddenly, she fell backwards, her foot had slipped in the sand. The sound made the boy jerk his head over at her, his eyes narrowed as they registered the fear in hers.

The sand binding the other children loosened and those who had broken or crushed arms ran away, screaming as each step jarred their abused bones. Those with damaged legs tried to drag themselves away. The boy noticed this and snapped his head back around, dragging those who were not too far away back towards him, their terrified screams echoing across the otherwise empty yard.

The red-headed boy walked towards her, sand swirling towards her. Rini shut her eyes and waited for the crushing pressure of the sand to encase her. She felt the tiny grains surging across her skin and clothes like water, it tightened its grip slightly, just enough to change her breathing pattern, but the painful, crushing blow never came.

She opened her wide blue eyes cautiously and saw the boy standing over her, his eyes wide in confusion. She couldn't help but think that the large eyes were pretty, such a pretty colour, and the setting sun stained his hair with orange and golden yellow.

Why was he not hurting her, like he had the other children?

She looked up, now more curious and confused than scared. His eyes hardened as he clenched his fist, like he had to crush the other children's arms and legs. But the sand didn't move. Rini looked at the reddish mass now wrapped firmly around her body. Then up at the boy. He looked distressed. His eyes narrowed a fraction, and Rini could sense the immense chakra he was pumping into the sand, trying to get it to crush her. But as he clenched his fist again, the sand shuddered and pulled back, rather than crushing her.

He opened his mouth to speak to her, but was interrupted.

"Gaara-sama!" A man ran towards the boy, honey-brown hair flying back as he pelted across the yard. "Stop!"

'Gaara-sama?' Rini thought in surprise, 'He's the Kazekage's son?'

"They called me 'bakemono' again!" his large, formerly murderous, green-blue eyes were filled with tears.

'But why?' Rini frowned, beginning to walk away, feeling as though she were intruding on a private scene if she stayed. 'He's got that weird thing with the sand… but that could be a Kekkei Genkai.'

You've read, now please review!

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