Good grief that took a minute... It feels a little rushed to me, but now I actually have Chi's story planned out. (Just had to get it to that part)

Staring out the window seemed to be the only activity Chiyou could do to occupy herself. She blinked slowly as she watched the villagers, the migraine that had developed behind her eye two days ago had not yet ebbed. No one had come to visit since her romp around town, and with her head pounding she didn't want to leave. She let out a sigh as she watched a young blond boy running down the road.

Pushing away from the window, she strolled to the open door. Her head protested the movement and she absentmindedly rubbed her eye. She closed the door and climbed back into the bed, hoping she could sleep for the rest of the day.

She tossed and turned until the sun had set. Her room was dark, and she rolled over to look out the window. Her eyes caught the movement of the shadow just outside the window. She shot up, head pounding but she ignored it. Her vision focusing, she saw nothing there. She went to the window and timidly looked around. Nothing. She took a shaky breath, thinking about what happened at Hijiri Temple, and leaned against the wall as she slid down to the floor.

XXXXXXX

He stood on a cliff overlooking the village when his agent found him.

"She has not left the room," the agent bowed.

"And you're sure it was healed completely?"

"Positive, sir,"

"Very well. Tell no one. Dismissed."

The agent bowed his head and left quickly.

From a nearby tree, a pair of dark eyes watched the exchange. "Shit."

XXXXXXXX

Weeks passed and Chiyou had forgotten about the shadow. She was spending less and less time in her room, and some of the villagers would greet her as she passed by. She was settling into a comfortable routine.

One afternoon as she was staring out the window there was a knock at her door. She turned to see Itachi standing in the doorway. She smiled and walked over. He was silent as he led her down the hall and out of the building.

She followed quietly, staring up at his back as they walked. It took her a while before she realized they were not on their normal route through the market, they were no longer in the town at all. She stopped and looked around at the trees surrounding them.

"Where-" she started.

Itachi turned and met her wide eyes. He blinked slowly and sighed. She watched as he knelt in front of her.

"Forgive me," he whispered.

"What?"

His dark eyes turned blood red and her mind went fuzzy. His words echoing in her head as the world faded away.

Cereza rubbed her temples as another patient was brought in. She had been the unofficial medic for longer than she liked, and she was getting very tired of seeing so many injured and dying; there was always one more.

She took a deep breath and winced at the sharp mix of smells that assaulted her nose. She wanted fresh air, to leave this hut that smelled like medicine and blood and death. She grit her teeth and prayed that this person would be the last.

Later as she was washing her hands, she heard the songbirds singing outside. She froze and glared out the window, just now realizing that it was morning. She had been working all night. She turned on her heel and stormed out the doors, ignoring the looks she was getting as she practically ran back to her room. Though she dreaded what the next day would bring, exhaustion was winning this fight, and she was desperate to do anything to keep her out of that horrid medical room. She stayed in her room until the next morning.

Recently, she had been allowed to leave her room with some sort of escort. The guards would shadow her when she went for a walk, treating her more as an irritation than anything else. The one to walk her to the medical hut was usually Madara. If it wasn't Madara, it was his younger brother, Izuna. She was cautious around Izuna and had no idea how to start conversation with this jaded person. She could practically feel the anger and resentment coming from him, and had thought to herself, more than once, that maybe his face was frozen in a sneer.

The midday sun was blazing overhead, heating the ground even in the shade. Cereza felt sweat beading on her forehead and neck, but she couldn't bring herself to return to the room. She looked up into the tree she was under. The leaves were rustling gently, but she would swear there was no moving air.

"I would kill for a light breeze," she muttered to herself.

She sighed and continued strolling around the compound, her faithful guard keeping up a few meters behind her. The sound of chatter stole her attention and she moved toward it. Four kids were playing in the gardens behind one of the huts. One girl met her eye and smiled, one tooth missing. Cereza found herself grinning as the girl stood and ran to her, hands full of various weeds and flowers. She knelt down to the girl's level to receive a presented flower. She slid the flower behind her ear and pet the girl's head softly. She reached for the other flowers and winked at the girl, before quickly weaving them into a circlet to crown the child. The girl beamed at her then ran off to show the others.

Cereza giggled to herself and continued her walk, the boredom quickly returning. She waved at people as she passed by, but never stopped her listless wandering. She breathed a deep sigh and cursed the summer months and the heat.

A loud thud sounded nearby. Worry set on her face, she rounded the corner to find two men in a training match, Madara and some kid she didn't know. Madara danced around the boy's attacks, showing no signs of exertion, while the boy looked completely out of energy and patience. Madara's hair was pulled up again, Cereza noticed, probably due to the heat.

"Control your anger," Madara said calmly. "You are getting sloppy."

The boy's fist clenched and he launched at Madara, who sidestepped easily and knocked the boy to the ground.

He looked down at the boy for a moment. "That's enough for today," he ordered, and the boy walked away, his head down.

"You could have gone easier on him," Cereza said as she approached.

Madara turned to her and sneered, "that was easy."

She crossed her arms, while they had settled into an uneasy friendship, they still didn't see eye to eye.

"I could train you, as well," he said, "then you could aid the fallen on the battlefield."

"I don't care for the senseless slaughter of others," she turned to leave.

"What are you looking for?"

She paused and cast him a questioning look.

"You have been around the compound at least 10 times in the last week," he explained cooly. "What are you hoping to find?"

"I don't…" she began, "I don't like being cooped up."

His face softened slightly as he waited for her to continue.

"I haven't stayed in just one place in a long time," she smiled bitterly. She shook her head and sighed. "I used to know a trail that led to this lake. It was so clear, the fish could be seen near the bottom. When the light caught on the ripples it looked magical. Like starlight."

A few moments passed as she was gazing into the distance. She pulled herself out of her reverie and glanced at him, certain he would call her foolish or redirect the conversation.

"Would you like to walk?"

Her eyes shot to his, shocked. He simply stared back, and for a moment she thought she had imagined it.

"There is a pathway through the forest just south of here," he said finally.

"Really?" she asked softly.

He arched a brow at her. After a moment, the shock wore away and she broke into a bright smile and nodded excitedly.

She followed him out to the gate, where he informed the guard that they would return soon. Then he led her through the trees to a well worn path. She was practically bouncing as they walked deeper into the forest. She breathed deeply as she glanced around at the scenery.

She noticed his eyes on her and she turned to him with a smile. He remained silent and looked ahead.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Where would you like to go?" He seemed uninterested in both the conversation and the surroundings.

"I don't know this area," she retorted.

He sighed and turned slightly to the left of the path.

She followed diligently and smiled again, "Anywhere is fine. Honestly, I am just happy to be out," she took another deep breath. She let out a soft laugh, and he glanced at her over his shoulder. "I got lost once," she explained. "We almost had to spend the night in a tree."

"We?"

"Me... and my sister,"

He paused and faced her, "you have siblings?"

"A younger sister. She and I snuck out one day, went into the woods to find the latest creature she believed lived near the mountain. While we were running around all day I got turned around and couldn't remember how to get back. By the time the sun was setting she was practically in tears, saying that I shouldn't mess with her just because we didn't find anything, and that she was hungry." She laughed fondly. "I only found the way back because I saw the lights from the village. I got in so much trouble."

"You sound close," he whispered and continued walking.

"For as long as I can remember it was the two of us. We did everything together,"

"Then why were you out here alone?"

The smile fell from her face and she sighed, staring at her feet as they walked.

If he wanted to continue talking, he didn't act on it, and they walked on in silence.

The sound of rushing water snapped her out of her silence, "Is that?"

He didn't answer as he led her out of the trees. She stood staring at a glistening river. She looked at him with a grin, but faltered as she saw the uneasy tick work in his jaw as he stared at the opposite bank. The look vanished as he turned to her, and she cast her gaze to the river again.

Her smile returned as she slipped her sandals off and waded into the water. She sighed happily as the chill attacked her toes. She moved to a large rock and sat down, kicking her feet in the slow moving shallows. She leaned forward and scooped up some water for a drink.

"It's beautiful here," she hummed.

"I found it when I was young," he said from beside her.

She turned to look at him standing in the water. ...On the water. She scrunched her nose at the water rushing around his feet.

"How are you doing that?" she finally squeaked out.

He arched a brow quizzically, "can you not?"

"Of course not!" she shot up, hands in the air. She had to practically crane her neck to look him in the eye, the water giving him an extra height advantage.

He smirked down at her, "would you like me to teach you?"

"I can't just... walk on water!" she growled at him gesturing down to their feet.

The smug look on his face caused her to glare at him. Defiantly she reached down and touched the water beside her feet, turning the surrounding surface to ice so she could step up on that. He stared at the ice in confusion. His eyes widened slightly and he bent down. She stepped back slightly, moving her feet away from his reach. His hand dipped into the water and pulled up a flat stone. He straightened and turned the stone in his hand a few times. He tightened his hold on it and launched it downstream. Cereza watched as it skipped over the water.

She turned back to him, eyes sparkling. "Can you teach me that?" she chirped.

His eyes widened slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He reached down for another flattened stone, and handed it to her.

The sun was dipping in the sky and he was still showing her how to skip a stone, gently correcting her when she failed. Finally, she let a rock fly, three skips and it sunk again.

"This is hopeless," she groaned.

He cast a stone, she counted at least ten skips. She pursed her lips and reached down, but instead of another stone, she splashed him with a wave of water. She smirked as the water dripped down his face. His eyes narrowed and he threw the last rock at her feet, shattering the ice she was standing on. Her eyes widened as she fell back, landing on her butt. She sat waist deep in cold water, and she stared up at him, her mouth hanging open.

His brow arched as he smirked down at her. She really hated that look. She kicked her leg into the air sending water with it. He mirrored the action, kicking water into her face. She stood and kicked more water at him, with a laugh.

The sky was orange when they returned to the gate, soaking wet and a grin on Cereza's face. When they reached her room they had received more than a few questioning glances.

She giggled as she opened the door and turned to him.

"Thank you. For today. I had a lot of fun," she said.

He inclined his head and walked away, leaving a trail of water droplets in his wake.

Cereza thought back to the shimmering water, a soft smile still on her lips, and found herself looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.

Chiyou blinked her eyes back into focus. She could feel panic rising in her gut as she found more and more unfamiliar surroundings. She sought out any kind of path through the trees, and she heard the whisper of running water. She moved expectantly toward the sound. The sunset made the water glow orange as it cut through the forest. Suddenly very thirsty, she knelt at the bank to drink.

A whisper echoed in the back of her mind 'Stay away. It is not safe.'

She tried desperately to remember how she had ended up in the forest, or near a river, but her mind was in a haze. 'Do not return to this village.' She recognized that voice, but she couldn't remember where from. What village was it talking about? She once again looked to her surroundings. There was no sign of anyone nearby, and no sign of anyone having been around recently.

'It's not safe.' It continued to echo in her mind as she began to follow the river.

The sun had set hours ago, and Chiyou was settled into the hollow of a nearby tree. She listened to the sounds of the forest and yawned. Come morning she would resume her search, the river was bound to run through or near some sort of town or village. 'Do not return to this village.' Her eyes drifted closed, her last thought that she might be better avoiding people for a while.

XXXXXXXXX

Chiyou tied her long, unruly hair into a knot on top of her head, and climbed into the large elm. Nestled on her shoulder, the baby squirrel's claws dug into her skin. When she was just a branch away from its nest she set it gently on the bark, and nudged it toward it's siblings. Dropping to the ground and gathering her things she began the trek home.

She had found the woodland she now called home almost six years ago. It was just outside of a local trade hub, in which a stranger collecting supplies was not uncommon. She was able to come and go as she pleased. However, she lived more as the wild animals did, raiding garbages and stealing scraps. Occasionally, she could find an odd job to do to earn her an honest meal, but those were few and far between. Most of her time was spent among the trees, away from prying eyes, where she was able to disappear if she so desired.

Some people had pointed out to her that a girl her age should not be out on her own, "goodness, you can't be more than 13," they would say to her. She would, then, retreat to her woodland sanctuary, an abandoned cottage that she found. The roof had holes in it and it wasn't very warm, but it was home for her.

She emptied her bag onto the table. Two books, a small batch of fruit, and a raggedy shirt were all she managed to swipe today, and she would have to wait until the next crowd of travelers came through to try again.

She had taught herself to read some words and letters from the townsfolk, but she still was not completely literate. So when she saw the art book, she had to have it. The other book also had mostly pictures in it, and she had to work to snatch it from the man who carried it. He had almost caught her twice. But she was small and it was easy to dissolve into a crowd.

The fruit she picked up from the market, the stalls were changing out the produce, getting rid of what had gone bad. The forest had plenty of edible vegetation, but the market would get boxes of fruits and vegetables Chiyou had never seen before.

As she munched on the fruit she opened the book she had taken from the traveler. Picture of people on each page. She wondered what the words below the pictures said, it looked to be some sort of classification system, like what the merchants at the market did with their wares. Sorting them into certain areas of the stands.

She paused as one page caught her attention. A young man with pale skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. Under his picture she recognized some of the letters.

"U-chi-ha," she sounded out. It sounded familiar, and she absently wiped at her eye. She looked back at the picture, staring at the dark eyes.

She blinked and swore they turned red.

'Do not return to this village. Stay away. It is not safe.' She gasped and dropped the book. It made a soft thud as it hit the floor.

She took a shaky breath, eyes wide. "I-Itachi," she whispered.