It seems that I was able to finish this chapter ahead of schedule, so here it is... Thanks sooo much for your reviews!... Please continue sending them in. They're a really big help and encourage me a lot... I'm really happy that you like the story... Ok, now we're gonna find out what's going to happen to our little Akari...
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto...
Akari's POV
I was just reminiscing... my eyes closed... I felt at peace for a moment... until...
Akki started growling...
I opened my eyes quickly, standing up. Akki hopped off, standing beside me, his teeth barred as he snarled...
In front of me was a group of kids. They looked at me with mixed emotions...
Anger...
Hate...
Disgust...
Their eyes reminded me of the looks I got from a lot of people back home...
"What do you want..." I growled...
These kids were like what?... eight to ten years old?...
I may look like a five year old, but I'm really almost twelve...
"Nothing really..." the oldest of the group smirked.
They formed a circle around me... I was wishing that I had the set of kunai that Takeshi-san had given to me right about now...
"We were just wondering why you're hanging out with that monster..." the "leader" continued...
"Monster?!... You guys are idiots to believe everything you hear..." I snapped at them... I had taken enough beatings back home. I wasn't going to take any more... No...especially from these kids...
"What did you say demon?..." a cocky girl in the group asked, angry... She looked about nine... and was two heads taller than me...
"You believe everything your parents tell you, even if you haven't even seen anything that can prove it..." I continued, "...That's just plain stupid..."
"The guy's a freak!... have you seen what he can do with his sand?!... It's not human!..." the girl argued.
"Yeah! I heard that he even has a demon inside of him!..." a younger boy added.
"You really are bakas..." I said, my tone cold...
Their "leader" growled shoved me against the poles of the swings. I hit my shoulder on the pole kinda hard, causing the box of pocky I was holding to fall to the ground.
I ignored the pain and just looked at them, making my espression as cold as I could...
"Tch... You're calling Gaara a demon despite not being able to prove it... he never did anything to you, and yet you treat him like an outcast... Even if I spent just one day getting to know him, he never hurt me... he's kind and he's a great friend!... the things that you people are doing to him... it's cruel and inhuman!..." I shouted at them. My eyes getting sharper and more serious with every word...
"From what I've seen... I'd say that you're the demons!..." I finished...
The entire group looked shocked at what I said... then suddenly, they started laughing... their voices cruel...
"If you think like that, then that proves it!..." one girl said...
"Yeah..."
"You're definitely a demon!... Just like him..."
He stepped forward, crushing the box of pocky underneath his foot...
Their leader grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, raising me up in the air...
Akki wouldn't allow it... he leapt and bit down hard on the boy's leg...
He cried out in pain as he dropped me... and I knelt on the ground, choking...
He looked down, furious, hitting Akki hard...
Akki yelped in pain, making him drop and skid on the sand...
he still stood up again and growled in front of me defensively as I caught my breath...
"That's it!... Get her!..." The leader exclaimed, clutching his bleeding leg...
They lunged toward me, and I moved as fast as I could.
I grabbed Akki and held him close to me as I jumped back a few feet...
I set him down gently on the sand, getting in a fighting stance...
I didn't like hurting other people... but if I had to... then I would...
I dodged their punches easily and slid past, behind them. I kicked one of them hard enough to knock them down...
'Darn this small body!... If I was taller, I could knock them out with a head shot!...' I cursed inwardly as I continued to dodge and hit them... even Akki managed to bite a couple of them here and there...
most of them went down, but they wouldn't stay down!... they got up and kept coming...
Akki tried to make another leap for one of them, but he was ready... He did a catch and throw... he had grabbed Akki before his fangs could reach him and flung him hard against the swing... really hard...
Akki yelped in pain, dropping to the sand, limp...
"Akki!!..." I yelled. Distracted by the yelp...
because of that, one of them managed to land a punch in my stomach...
The blow sent me skidding a few feet back. I clutched my stomach, breathing hard...
Another hit me on my side, again and again...
If only I was my original size, I would be able to beat these guys easily... not like this...
The boy who hurt Akki was walking towards him...
"I'll show you, you little mut!..." he said, placing his foot on Akki's stomach, slowly pressing down.
"NO!!" I screamed, ignoring the pain that was rippling through my body...
I ran forward, using my head and my shoulders to ram down those blocking my way.
I pulled back my hand, it was balled so tight that my knuckles turned white... adrenaline was rushing through my veins...
"Aaaah!!" I yelled angrily, hitting the boy squarely on his face, knocking him down before he could crush Akki's ribs...
I picked Akki up and held him protectively in my arms...
"No one bullies me or my family..." I growled, my brown hair shading my eyes...
Normal POV
Akki's bell gave a soft ring as Akari's hair seemed to flow around her face... blown by an unseen force...
She slowly lifted her head...
Although her face was partly shadowed, a pair of deep green eyes could be seen instead of Akari's reddish brown ones...
The group of bullies shook with fear...
but before anything could happen...
"Akari-chan!!" a voice said.
The group turned around, seeing Gaara...
It was too much for them, they ran away screaming, "Monsters!!..."
Gaara's eyes widened in fear at what he saw...
Akari was sprawled on the ground, her clothes tattered and dirty, and her body battered...
Akki lay limp beside her...
"Someone! Please open the door!!..." Gaara cried frantically, banging on a door.
It opened to reveal a shocked man with dirty blond hair...
"Uncle Yashamaru! Please help her!..." Gaara pleaded, his eyes filled with tears...
Akari was on his back, while Akki lay on the ground beside him...
Oh no!! does this mean that Takeshi is going to find out about Akari and Gaara's friendship?... what do you think is gonna happen next? Please send in your reviews... thanks...