Chapter four: Better life

"Hello,"

"And welcome to our humble village,"

Two guards at the gate greeted the young girl and she returned their smiles. She didn't say a word just marched past the two guys and entered the village. It seemed more natural, livelier after years spent at the Academy. People looked happy and cheerful even though she understood that it might just be on the outside the atmosphere around them seemed true.

Amalia inhaled the freshness, trying to capture even the tiniest bits of changes around her.

"This is great," she said to herself her brain quickly forming a plan of what to do next.

"Are you talking to yourself?" a blonde head suddenly appeared in front of her making Amalia gasp. She stared at the boy; he looked the same age as her. "Hey little girl are you lost?"

Amalia furrowed her eyebrows.

"I am not a little girl!" she retorted.

"Oh, really? What are you 8, 9?" the blonde boy beamed. Amalia fumed.

"I am 12!"

"Oh?" the boy stopped moving for once. "Just like me then."

Amalia turned away haughtily. She picked up her bag and started walking away to what it seemed like the tower of the village's Hokage.

"Hey, wait up!"

The boy quickly ran after her and caught up. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I am going to be the next Hokage." His pose seemed ridiculous and Amalia couldn't help but chuckle.

"I am happy for you from the bottom of my heart."

"You are a snappy one. How come?"

Amalia didn't stop walking nor did she look at the boy. "I might as well be. Life I guess."

Naruto sent her a confused look from what Amalia deducted that the blonde was slightly slow.

"I want to live here." She finally said.

"That's easy then, all you have to do is talk to the old man and…"

"What?"

Naruto stared at her as she stopped abruptly.

"He will let you stay."

Amalia thought for a moment. "Can you take me to…that old man?"

"Of course! Believe it!"

The room was silent. Two people looked at each other neither talking. They were enclosed in their own thoughts yet didn't want to let each other know what they were thinking. At last the adult smiled and placed his hands on the table. His kind stare relaxed the girl a little, but she knew she couldn't completely calm down until their meeting was over.

"So, young lady, why do you want to live in our village?" he asked calmly and quietly but loud enough for her to hear.

"I want to because…because…" Amalia bit her lower lip and looked down. She didn't want to lie, but she knew she couldn't say the truth either. "I want to start a new life."

"You are so young and you already want to start a new life, something must have happened…"

"Nothing happened." She rushed to reply. "My parents, they passed away, I didn't want to stay home any longer." She mumbled.

The old Hokage fell silent again. He was studying the girl carefully and for a fraction of a second she thought that he saw right through her lies. But whatever he thought he kept it to himself. His eyes closed and a smile crossed his lips.

"I understand." He finally stood up and gave her his hand. "Welcome to our village Miss Amalia Eda."

Sai walked up the stairs making his way to the office of Amalia's father. The boy knew what that man wanted from him but unfortunately even for himself he could not help.

"Came on." A cruel and angry voice barked. The boy entered and closed the door.

He stood near the wall with his back straight and looking at nowhere. The man studied the boy in front of him carefully as if weighting up the chances of him lying, but he quickly pushed away that thought. The students in the Academy were too perfect.

"So, number…" the man searched in the papers, "Number eleven." It wasn't even a code name, but a number. He was one of many. "What can you tell me about the location of my daughter?"

Sai didn't reply for a couple of minutes.

"Nothing. I don't know anything." Sai replied with a straight face.

"That's impossible." The man smashed his hands on the table and stood up. "You two were close! If you don't know then who does?"

"I don't know." Another monotone answer.

The man glared at Sai, but didn't say a word. "You may leave." He said coldly. Sai bowed and turned around. His hand reached for the handle when a cold voice stopped him.

"What did she call you?" he asked. Sai looked at him without any emotion on his face, but the man understood that the boy was unsure of what to answer. "What did she name you?"

"Sai."

"Like the cat."

Sai bowed once more and exited the room. *Why did both of them compare me to a cat?* he wondered as he walked away.

"A ninja Academy, huh?" Amalia mumbled to herself as she looked at the leaflet given to her by the Hokage. She sat in her new small apartment. It didn't have much furniture: a bed, a wardrobe and a writing table. "Should I apply to it?" the girl said loudly once again. Of course Amalia had the basics covered already, so getting in wouldn't be a problem. Not only. She was much more advanced than most of the people thought.

Being a daughter of tyrant had its own ups.

Amalia preferred not to think about the problems for a while. Her fingers interlocked before she raised a hand and took off her glasses.

Even without those spectacles she could see a small leather notebook that was once given to her by Sai. Small fingers outlined its shape. Amalia's heart ached and eyes watered. She shook her head vigorously. She grabbed the item and threw it inside the wardrobe. "No more."

It's time for a new beginning. It's time for a better life.