Orchid Pov

I woke up with my head on someone's chest, stretching I looked up. "Wha..." That was not Lily's hair, oh yeah that's right, Gaara. I snuggled back up into the blanket intending to go back to sleep when I heard a knock on the door. Sighing, I started to move to answer it when I heard Yashamaru get it, my body went rigid as I heard the voice that sounded like Gaara's father... oh fuck, fuck, fuck.

I buried myself into Gaara, I was scared. My five year old mentality kicking into full swing at the aura that man was putting off.

My whimpering had woken Gaara up "Orchid? What's wrong." I just pointed, he followed my hand and instantly he was also on edge as well. "Oh, I see. I won't let him hurt you." I just nodded feeling so pathetic that I was hiding behind a damn four old but my instincts were telling me to hide, to give him the chance to protect me. I didn't know why it seemed like a bad idea and a good one at the same time. The Kazekage looked to us and spoke up.

"Orchid. You will be coming with me. You are going to be joining the other five year olds in the Nin-Corps." His voice was frigid he was clearly already not having a good day. Great, because I want in a total panic now.

"No! I don't wanna go with you. I know what that is like, I don't wanna be cold and bitter like you!" I was hyperventilating now, and I had long since startled Lily awake.

"You. Will. Come. Or I will throw you and your little friend there into T&I as spies."

I just stared at him, thinking back to what I knew of the man from before, he was dead serious. I steeled myself for what came next as I hugged Gaara from behind, whispering in his ear.

"I cannot do that to her Gaara, I cannot take both of your friends away from you. Thank you for being such a good friend to me. Protect her for me, you're all she has until I return. I will see you again one day... and never forget what he did, what he was willing to do." I said as I stalked over to the new most hated person in my life, glaring at him venomously through my tears, he smirked down at me. The shift in my posture had Lily dragging Gaara to the opposite side of the room as a deep growl echoed from my chest and around the now silent room. Smug ass bastard... like hell had he won.

Fuck scared, I was pissed. He tried to put his hand on my shoulder. I bared my teeth at him the growl getting louder, he just give me a bitter look and kept moving his hand in my direction only to recoil when I snarled and snapped my jaws at the offending limb. What did I care if I looked like a wild animal, he deserved it.

"I said I would go, I never said you could touch me." I stalked out the door, but not before I heard what he had said to Gaara about going against him again. This man was intent on making me his tool, a weapon. This was exactly why I had not wanted to show what I could do, oh well it had been my idea my own fault. Well you know what they say, weapons are enemies even to their owners or some shit like that.

Damn I hated being stuck as a five year old sometimes... I do so love my potty mouth and the reactions it gets. However I cannot stand out too much more so I will need to be more reserved. Seen, not heard.

Normal pov: with Lily

Lily sighed "That was too close." She stated to the shocked room around her.

"You, don't seem, upset. Why?" Asked a shaken and confused Gaara, tears running down his face as he thought of his father taking away his friend. A part of him felt like he had failed her already.

"Gaara stop." At his look of surprise she continued "It's not your fault. Now to answer your question. Uhh... well I am glad he seems to have plans for her cause at least that way I know he needs her alive and she did that to protect her friends, her precious people. As far as her outburst, I am used to those it used to happen all the time with the man who beat us... Hey, what did she say to you Gaara?"

"Uh, well. She told me to protect you for her." I smiled at that, sounds like her alright. "That I was all you had now, and that she would try and find us again. She told me not to forget what he was willing to do. Lily I don't understand, what did she mean?"

"Gaara, I know what you are and so did she," at his look of horror I quickly added "Shhh, easy Gaara, does it look like we cared, you are not a demon. You are a boy who is scared and starved for friendship and rejected by your village. Your father, knowing what you have gone through, despite everything... was willing to take away your only friends and have them... her and I... tortured for information if she had not done as he asked. Blackmail.

"But why?"

"Because he wants a weapon that he thinks could be stronger than you, in case you ever turn on him. He would not have cared which one of us he had gotten his hands on, and very well may have been planning on both of us.

"If he had wanted you both why would he settle for just one?" asked a slightly irritated Yashamaru, having to ask something like that was embarrassing enough for one like him.

"Fact is you, Gaara, defied him in favor of her. He simply saw fit to remove the problem. So in fact her actions and yours prevented him from taking us both from you. Do you understand a little better now?" She asked soothingly as she wiped a tear from his eye, and he nodded hugging her tightly. As if he believed that if he let go she might vanish too.

Yashamaru spoke up "Your information gathering skills are quite well developed. Where did you learn that?"

She simply glared at the man who she felt was responsible for this fiasco, "My mothers ex-remember. I had no choice but to learn what he wanted before he asked or I would be getting us both into trouble. She did the same for me." She yawned and Gaara pulled her to his room, he didn't know what to think right now. They curled up on his bed and went back to sleep, smiling at the feeling of a warm blanket being laid over them.

"I promise..." said a sleepy red head.

Orchid

Meanwhile on the other side of town a black haired girl was now being pushed through her paces, doing laps around the arenas. Temari hot on her heels as the instructor hurled kunai at them randomly. It was adapt or die now, none of that touchy feely coddle me crap they showed in Leaf. Unpredictable and brutal just like the desert they called home.

"Hi, I'm Temari you must be new here. Watch it!"

The girls quickly ducked a barrage of kunai only to see another round right behind it, Orchid grabbed the blondes shoulder and shoved herself up further into the air, forcing the blonde down as the dangerous projectiles passed harmlessly between them.

"Thanks" they said at the same time before giggling to each other.

"My name is Orchid, and yes I am new here."

Both girls soon hit the ground running, each taking different routes over or around the terrain obstacles on the track as the instructor scratched noted onto his scoring board.

"The Kazekage is my father! He requested me, said I was to join the ranks and prove myself. Isn't he so amazing!" Boasted the young Temari.

"I was forced to join, he said if I didn't do as he said, he would hurt my family. So no, I don't think he's amazing. I think he is a monster and I hate him. Honestly I think it's mutual."

It continued like this till noon, Fight, talk girl stuff, argue over something, fight some more, giggle over something cute, Argue again. When they were allowed to stop for a fifteen minute water break, as a reward for their hard work, Temari dumped the bucket of water and promptly blamed Orchid. Who glared as she was hauled off to solitary for the first time.

The next day sensei trained them in hand to hand forcing them to spar together using full contact. Temari, having more practice in this subject, naturally kicked Orchid's ass hard, fast and repeatedly. By the end of the class, Temari was giving her tips as she worked her new friend into the ground. A new but fragile friendship starting to bloom between them.

Another water break and some bread later, had the two five year olds alternating between target practice and chakra control exercises after laps. Orchid excelled in this while Temari it seemed was hopeless.

Last drill of the week was nin-jutsu, which for the moment was limited to meditation, theory and hand sign practice.

By the end, both girls were so tired they would have slept on nails, and as such retired to their bunks after the nightly meal. Each bidding the other good night, only to begin again the next dawn...