As one may have figured by now, Kari was no ordinary person. No one in their right mind would walk outside in a bikini and no other clothing and be completely barefoot, and look so damn carefree about it.

This was because Kari wasn't ordinary. She was a mermaid.

Many years ago, Kari was born in the Pacific Ocean, the daughter of the royal advisor to King Poseidon. The youngest of thirteen, her father didn't wish to have another daughter, since the girls outranked the boys. So he disowned the girl. Her brother Kyle took care of her. Kari was also born with a rare gene in merfolk, meaning she could step on land and be human. Not many were born with this, and as her life grew complicated, this trait would come in handy.

It started when she met Kankuro, who was a young boy then. The two became instant friends, to the point that he would wait for her arrival at the beach Suna had. It was during this time she met his mother, Karura, who was pregnant with Gaara, and his father. The father, Kari had to admit, scared the shit out of her. It was when she uncovered what he had planned for his wife that Kari's troubles began.

First, the Kazekage kept Kankuro away from the young mermaid by busying him hard with training. To equally shut her up on what was to happen, he planned a raid on the merpeople living nearby, including Kari, her mother, and siblings. In a single night, he poisoned them. Kari's mother flung her out of the water in time and Kari saw who was responsible for their deaths as she looked on horrified.

She ran and never looked back.

Until many years later.

Kari eventually did return to Suna after a few years away. By then, she was older and wiser. She had fled to the Land of Mists, trained under the infamous Kisame Hoshigaki. She had exceeded her sensei's wildest dreams, even before he became part of the organization called the Akatsuki. Kisame taught her many water Justus, molding her into a ninja. When she returned, she was reunited with Kankuro, which at first was a stressful one. But the two set aside differences and actually fell in love.

At the moment, Kari was his fiancée. But this was a secret between them and his sister, Temari, who loved Kari like a sister. She walked down the dusty streets of the village getting things for Kankuro and the two guests. Unfortunately, this left both the girl and tiger unguarded.

Sand began to slowly creep in the room Kali was in. The red head teen, who was around her age, stood in the doorway, his green eyes gazing at her. The sand began to wrap around her when suddenly it stopped. He saw that her eyes were open and a hand had reached up slowly capturing the sand into her palm, not taking it.

But rather, she was talking to it!

Who are you? Although you are sand, I sense you're another livin' person.

My name is Shukaku, mortal. I am the One-Tail. How are you, a puny girl, able to stop this? What are you doing to me, woman?

I…ain't doin' nothin'. I just have a way with animals, Shukaku.

Hmm…you're no ordinary human, are you?

I'm not even human.

What are you then?

A mutant. My people were massacred in front of my eyes not long ago.

No wonder I sense your sadness. I won't harm you, girl. In return…talk to me more. This boy is such a dolt, he bores me…only his need for blood satisfies me.

Blood…enough has been spilled for now.

You still want peace after all that's been done to you? You're more likely the stupid one. You should vent your rage on those who hurt you.

That would make me just like them…I ain't that low.

Shukaku was quiet for the longest time. Yet his sand slowly began to move into the gourd on Gaara's back. Kali watched this realizing she struck a chord in this sand demon. Now she found herself staring into the cold green eyes of the boy standing at her bedside. Her own blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"How did you stop me?" he said softly, yet coldly.

"That's between me and Shukaku," she said in a flat voice. "Ask him."

He raised his brow. "You know I could kill you?"

"You would've done it already," she snapped.

Gaara raised a hand suddenly to her when it was stopped by the sand. He lowered it as he turned on his heel and walked off without another word. Kali stuck her tongue out behind his back. "Fucker," she muttered as she settled her head back on the pillow and looked at Kamara, who was staring toward Gaara. "What is it, boy?" She slowly petted him.

Kamara just shook his head and put it down on his paws.

Kali stared at the tiger. "You act like you know that bozo," she said. "Or Shukaku one." She saw his ears perk at the name Shukaku. "Oh, you do know him?" she asked as she petted his head. "He must've been a friend of yours." The only answer was a big sigh from the 350 pound animal and nothing more.

Kankuro ran in and looked relieved to see no one was hurt. He looked over at Kali. "Did he hurt you?" he demanded.

"He tried," she responded. "But I stopped it."

"Odd…that's never-" He paused. "You know Japanese?"

"Yeah," she answered. "My dad…" She looked down a moment. "He taught it to me," she said quietly. She looked away.

"So it is true…you're the survivor," he said walking to her and sat down. "Can I have your name?"

"Kalista. I go by Kali," she said. "My tiger is Kamara."

"I'm Kankuro," he said.

Kali stared at him. "Uh…never met a guy wearin' makeup before except if they're gay," she said bluntly. She heard laughter in the doorway and looked seeing a blue haired girl walking up to them.

"I assure you, he's not," she answered her arms around Kankuro's neck. "My name's Kari Oak."

Kali reintroduced herself and Kamara, seeing Kari hesitate. "He's good," she said. "He ain't like wild or nothin', he's more an overgrown housecat."

Kankuro gave a dry laugh. "Kari isn't fond of cats," he said. "No offence to Kamara though."

"Oh." Kali nodded her head. "Who was that screwball with the sand and Shukaku?"

"That would be my younger brother, Gaara," Kankuro said.

"Is he always that…weird?"

"He's more deadly than weird. It's best you stay your distance," he said.

"So where exactly am I?"

Kari looked at Kankuro, who did the same to her. She moved to sit in his lap as he held her close, the two deciding to tell Kali all they could seeing she looked perplexed. "Yes, ninja's are real," she said.

Kankuro chuckled. "So…would you like to be one?" he asked.

Kali looked thoughtful. "I….wanted to be a doctor," she said after a moment.

"There's medical nins," Kari said. "We're running short on a few. I'm sure we can arrange something."

Kali nodded her head. "Okay," she said.

Kankuro nodded. "But first, you get better," he said. "My sister Temari is fixing you some food to eat. And if Gaara comes back, whatever you do, don't piss him off. It could be the last thing you ever do." He patted Kari's leg to make her stand up.

Kali watched the couple leave. "Ninjas…who would've thought?" She snorted a chuckle as she leaned back. "I'm safe here…" She looked outside the window.

That night, Kali was plagued with nightmares again as she panted sitting up a hand to her head. Her healing ability had helped her heal a good bit, but she saw her hands still bandaged. That would never heal, she knew sadly. She sighed and laid back down a moment. She then saw another person in the doorway, a man this time bearing resemblance to Gaara and Kankuro. He was flanked by two guards and his eyes stared coldly at her.

She felt like if looks could kill, she'd be in a coffin right now.

The man turned and left the room without a word. She nervously watched him leave as she pulled her blankets over her head shaking a bit in fear. He brought more fear to her than Gaara did. Her mind then drifted to the red head a moment as she thought of him and Shukaku. How did he get that beast inside him? Why was he so cold and distant? She didn't know this yet. How could she, she was a stranger, a foreigner, an immigrant…

Home wrecker suddenly came to her head as she frowned. No, she couldn't call herself that. She sighed and settled a bit as her eyes closed to sleep, not once noticing in the darkness of her room on a stool in the corner, sat Gaara watching over her. He had slipped in when she was deep asleep and wasn't about to let her know he was there. This strange girl seemed to intrigue him.

And yet frustrate him at the same time.

Women had that habit…he just didn't realize it was this bad.

Tomorrow however…he would venture to Konoha. And he would take her with him.