Disclaimer: Ha ha ha no. I wish though...

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AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG GHHHHHHHHH! Stupid laptop! I'm sorry, but the only reason why I haven't published in forever is because my laptop finally hit the dust. So I'm having to use my dinky old desktop and the school's computers.

"You did WHAT?!" Reiko screamed at me. I sighed, wishing I was anywhere but here. "You can't really expect me to be happy that I'm leaving you by yourself, becoming something that you hate!" He yelled and I cut him off, "I've lived fine for four years before I met you. And besides I don't hate the shinobi, I just mistrust them." Reiko narrowed his green eyes and I sighed again, I knew what was coming. "So you'll mistrust me? Is that what you're saying?" Reiko growled. I rolled my eyes, "No! You'll be the only one I do trust if you become a leaf ninja!" "You're doing this for selfish reasons?" He hissed and I glared. That kid was really started to get on my nerves, "I've been watching you Reiko, you need human companionship." He geastured wildly at me, "And what are you? A jackass?!" All my emotions drained away, "No I'm the Tiger Demon. You are going to be a shinobi and that's final." Reiko's eyes filled with tears, "What about you?" His chin trembled, another sign that my little brother wasn't cut out for my type of life, "I'll get by. Come on, We're going to see the Hokage."

The Yondaime Hokage circled Reiko, inspecting my brother while his furture team stood across the room from me. I stood with my back to the window, ready to escape at the slightest threat. The Hokage stopped in front of a very sullen Reiko, "Your sister says that she wishes you to be a shinobi, but I can't force you. Do you want to be a shinobi?" He asked. Reiko swallowed and glanced at me, I kept my gaze flat determined not to show Reiko how much I hated leaving him. Reiko looked back at the Hokage, "I would like to be a ninja..." He trailed off and the blonde got the hint, "But?" He probed. Reiko glanced at me agian before turning back to the Yondaime Hokage, "My sister, she has no one but me." I refused to meet the Hokage's blue gaze. I was almost tempted to just abandon Reiko, but that could make him hate me. I didn't want that. "Is this true, Tora?" The Hokage asked me, I wordlessly nodded then looked up at him, "Unlike Reiko, I can survive." The Hokage glanced at the genin team spread out across from me. I studied Reiko's future team, unlike the first genin team I met here these kids seemed unaffected by my presense. Good hopefully I could still visit Reiko without them interfering.

Reiko looked down at his feet, but not before I could see the hurt in his eyes. "Alright, I'll try to be a shinobi." I could barely hear his voice, but the pain lacing it broke my heart. Like I had done all my life I buried my feelings deep within my heart and locked my heart away. I took a deep breath and I was expressionless once again. "Good luck." I told my brother and jumped out of the window before anyone could stop me. I landed on my feet then rolled so I didn't break any bones. The villagers around me gasped in surprise at my sudden appearance, but I ignored them. I ran down the street, dodging anyone who got in my way. Someone with a heavy load stepped in my way and I used my speed to run the wall to avoid him. I cut through alleys and blindly jumped over fences until I came to a place I thought I never would visit again. My childhood home.

The house was abandoned, cobwebs hung sagging to any surface while dust coated the floors and old furniture in an inch thick layer. Sunlight filtered through the dirt clogged air casting a dingy glow to everything. I gulped and glanced around, everything was attached to a horrible memory. There was the spot where my father carved my face, I could still see the dark spot of my blood. And that cracked vase sitting harmlessly on a decorative shelf had been thrown at me. There was the chair that broke my arm. That picture used to be framed, until my father had hit me with it, causing the glass to break and cut me. I walked farther into the desolate house, looking at every place where my father had chased my childhood youth away. That stain on the floor was from when my father had cut the inside of my elbow, causing blood to gush out at an alarming rate. There was the broken pieces of a statue and the crater on the wall from where it hit, barely missing me. Something clinked against my foot, causing me to glance down. Empty glass bottles, some shattered, were piled carelessly to one side. Whether my father had thrown them there or if someone who had looted the house for valuables did so, I didn't know. I bent down and picked one up. dried liquid hung to the insides, creating a dirty film that colored the glass a murky brownish grey.

I set the bottle back down gently, as if afraid that my father would come in roaring for me to stay away from his stuff. This place had caused me nothing but pain and despair, but I was oddly happy to be back surrounded by it's cracked walls. This house had watched my father abuse me endlessly, but it had guarded me against reality, keeping my scarred face away from the scrutiny of the world. It was like that old friend who constantly hurt you, but would never betray you and who always listened to your pain without judgment. I touched the rough walls, glad that this house still stood telling it's tale of my childhood to anyone who cared to see.

I stayed at the house that night, knowing that Reiko would most likely be out looking for me to give me a piece of his mind. I sat with my knees drawn to my chest, watching dust motes float through the air. I refused to sleep in this house, not after all the things that happened here. I may have made my peace with this place, but I would never feel completely safe in it. The sun dipped down in the sky and disappeared, leaving me in darkness.

My eyes were beginning to feel heavy when a sudden clatter and a garbled laugh startled me. Who in the world would come near here? This house was avoided almost as much as I was cursed at. Slurred voices accompanied by the sound of glass breaking and loud laughter. Drunks. Of course they wouldn't avoid this place. I should have realized that they would be here, those bottles were evidence enough, but I was too stupid to realize that. Now I would face the consequences of my mistake. I stood shakily, my legs had fallen asleep. I took a step, hoping to escape before they found me, and my still weak legs gave out from underneath me. My hand shot out to catch myself but rammed into the edge of a side table, making the thing topple over the vase on it shattering. Silence descended on the dreary night.

A flash of something out of the corner of my eye and searing pain stabbed at my ribs. I bit my lip to smother the scream rising from my throat, muffling it to a groan. Dark figures stumbled towards me, "Wha' you doin' here?" One of them, a man by the sound of his voice, slurred. I scooted farther away, hand clutching my bloodied side. The speaker stepped on my hand, I closed my eyes again the pain, "I asssked, wha' ya doin' here?" He leered crouching over me, putting even more weight on my hand. A shaft of watery moonlight cut across his face, letting me see my attacker. His face was flushed from the drink, and his teeth were yellow and crooked. Greasy hair hung in straggled clumps around his head, I couldn't tell the color of his eyes in the dark.

He shifted forward making my bones grind uncomfortably against each other. I still didn't answer. "Na goin' ta talk, huh? Ma'be if we cut ya, then wha'?" I nearly laughed; cutting me wasn't an option of torture. My father ruled that out a long time ago. When the drunk realized that his threat didn't bother me, he changed tactics, "How 'bout breakin' a few bones? Yer fingers are real thin, don' take much ta snap 'em." Still wouldn't work, my father made sure of that too. If there was anything my father did for me, it was raise my pain tolerance higher than normal. The man grabbed my throat, cutting off my air. "Ya strong, aren't ya? How 'bout we just use ya?" My heart stopped for a second, that wasn't something that I could resist.

Adrenaline pulsed through me. Untrained as I was, I could still land a good strong kick when I wanted to, and I did. The man doubled over, groaning and I wasted no time in jumping out the nearest window, my arms covering my face, its glass cutting my skin as it shattered. Shouts filled the house behind me. I stumbled down the deserted street, trying to find my footing, but my entire legs were still numb. I made it maybe ten steps away from the deserted house when my knees hit the ground. Pounding feet behind me; but I was too tired to care now, all I wanted to do was lay down and close my eyes…

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Well this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I'm lazy so I'm cutting it off here since my readers are getting impatient... can't blame me though!