Rika's eyes opened. The sky was the a shade of lavender. Early morning dew blanketed the earth around her. It even soaked her face. She sniffled a bit. She lifted from the ground. Rika was happy her father covered her with a blanket, it was freezing. Her feet were unsteady underneath her as she stood. She pulled the cloth tighter around her small frame.
" Morning." Kakashi smiled at her from underneath his mask.
" Morning." She smiled back. Her head turned from the man quickly at a sound. Their was a rustle in the bushes. She readied herself to throw a kunai.
Something shot through the rustling bush. It was a flash of brown. Rika hit her mark dead on. The rabbit fell to the ground. " Just a rabbit." she looked a little unhappy. " Well, at least we now have breakfast." Kakahshi said showing his smile yet again from beneath the strange mask.
Sasuke and Neji woke up from all the commotion.
Rika and Kakashi turned to look at them. Both Sasuke and Neji were slightly confused at the sight. A white haired ninja sat on the ground next to a tree leaned towards a short yet bulky figure. Stranger still was the dead rabbit next to where they slept.
" Rabbit?" Neji asked.
" No, breakfast." Sasuke corrected as he pieced together the situation.
They ate in silence. It would be the last day before they reached Suna. It wouldn't take long to get their either, only a few hours if everything goes right.
When everyone was finished they cleaned the sight, grabbed their bags, and headed off into the rising sun.
It only took an hour in the dessert to get attacked. Rika was a little happy. Finally some action! One enemy for each one of them!
The ninja she was up against was a big man. His arms were bigger then her head, and his head was smaller then her arms. He looked awkward being that large. His black shirt just enhanced the look of his muscles. He wore a face mask slightly like Kakashi's, but it just covered the bottom of his fave. His weapon of choice was an odd type of mace. This was fine for Rika because her mother's choice of weapon was a giant battle axe. The mace would be child's play.
The battle began with a cry from the large man. Rika tried desperately not to laugh, but his voiced sounded like Sai-sensei's so much to her. It lacked a certain human quality, therefore she came to the conclusion that the cry was a failure and he should be punished for his lack of correctness for himself. He waved the mace at her, she jumped in the air and grabbed the spiked ball. She forced her legs down onto the man's arm. She heard a slight crack. He either has really thick bones, or he is using some type of jutsu. I put a lot of chakra in that blow. she thought to herself as she ducked under the man's arm. She ran through his legs, twirled around just in time to make fist to fist contact with the man's large hand. Another crack rang in the air, but this time it belonged to her. She jumped back quickly, and held her hand to her chest. She squinted a little from the pain. " End it! Hurry!" she heard her father yell behind her. Sasuke was starting to wonder if his daughter's opponent might be a little too much for her. When Sakura finds out about Rika's hand she is going to kill me, I really hope Itachi is in Suna. Sasuke thought as he pulled out his sword to stab his own emissary. She didn't have to be told twice. She knew if battles were dragged out unnecessary injury will occur. Not would, will.
Rika pulled her own sword out. She focused her volatile chakra through the sword. It was becoming tangible. Lightening shot out of the blade like blades of long, blue grass waving in a storm. She looked the man straight in the eyes. Something flickered for a moment. Fear? That was fear, but why?
Because I'm here.
She understood now. The man could see Him, but how? Oh well, it doesn't matter. she thought. She sprinted to the man. Her sword raised and ready to puncture. The blade was rammed into the over sized man's over sized chest. She felt his heart stop from the electricity.
A gasp escaped her mouth.
The man collapsed and fell to the ground. The girl thought she was ready for this. All through the academy they tell you to be fearless, and that you will have to kill. But the academy forgot to teach her how to deal with it. She did not know how to handle this.
She was now wide eyed as she looked down upon the bleeding corpse. She had just killed someone. With her own hands, she ended the life of another human being. How could she do that? What gave her the right? He was dead. Because of what she did. He would no longer see the people he cared for. He would no longer be able to even think of the people he-
A hand came over the child's eyes. Tears threatened their way as she felt the sting in her eyes.
" This is what a shinobi does." Sasuke sighed, he did not want to have this talk with his little girl alone. "We kill to protect what needs to be protected." he was behind her. With his hand over the girl's eyes, he shielded her from the sight of her first kill. Steps approached them. It was more then the other two.
" Hey! We've been waiting for you four!" Temari called in the distance.
They all turned except Rika. Temari looked at the corpse then back at Sasuke. She sighed and walked to the small child. Sasuke eyed the woman suspiciously. She tapped the child's arm. Rika slipped under Sasuke's hand to see the tall, blonde woman. Temari held her arms out. Rika slammed into the woman.
" This is how the life you chose is." She patted Rika's head as she soothed the shocked child.
" I know." was Rika's only response.
Temari looked up at Sasuke who looked down at her and mouthed " Thank you." Temari winked back. She knew they would talk later.
" Come, we gotta go!" Kankuro yelled.
Rika turned to him, and away from the corpse. She ran to the man who held his hand out. She slapped it in response. The man smiled.
" Lets go." Rika said to the crowd, and with that they sprinted the last few miles to Suna.
I just found out how to do this! Wow I fell stupid. Anyways, yea Rika can't handle death. Not up close and personal anyways. Not after what happened...but we will get to that in another chapter.
Please review! Please!