Falling.
Kiri's eyes dared flutter open as she fell from the second story. As the ground drew closer, a strong gust of wind suddenly thrust her sideways and she landed in the thick foliage of a tree. She tumbled down the branches, crying out in pain as she crashed down onto the ground, covered in scratches and scrapes from the tough bark.
She lifted herself off the ground slowly, trembling, and glanced back at the window she'd come from, then turned and ran.
She ran until her legs and lungs burned and only slowed when she reached the hill overlooking her home. She collapsed on the dirt road, her arms trembling as they supported her weight. Her eyes rose to the house below, where it was guarded as ANBU investigators filled the area.
She bit her lip and carefully crawled inside of a large shrub as she eyed the house.
"I can't even go home..." She hugged her arms close to her as the chill of the spring night settled into her bones. "And it's so cold..."
Kiri looked around as the small valley below and her eyes rested on another house, and the barn nearby. Without being seen, she crawled over the dust, rock, and stiff grasses until she reached the barn. She cracked open the door, slipped inside, and immediately the warmth enveloped her.
She let out a small sigh and looked around to find a stack of hay, then crawled inside until she was cushioned on all sides. She fell into a dreamless sleep as soon as her eyes closed.
Kiri kept to the shadowed half of the alley and peered into the trash as her stomach rumbled loudly. She reached inside and pulled out a half-eaten sandwich wrapped up in its original wrapping. She scrunched her face at the smell, swatting away the flies as she hungrily unwrapped it and brought it to her mouth.
A piercing yowl echoed in the alley and a feral cat leapt at the girl, hissing and scratching furiously until Kiri dropped her meal and the cat ran to it, pulling at a corner of the bread to nibble at it ravenously.
Kiri trembled at the bleeding scratches over herself and then gritted her teeth, clenching her teeth. She rushed at the animal with a yell, grabbing a fragment of brick and striking the cat. It swatted in defense, but the girl landed a heavy blow on its head. It crumpled to the ground with a pained mewl and bled out. Kiri grabbed the sandwich from the ground and devoured it in only a few bites, turning her back on the dying animal.
Still hungry, she clutched at her stomach and looked around, then tugged on the horseblanket she'd stolen and covered herself with it like a cloak, stepping out of the alley and walking as inconspicuously as she could to the general store.
She slipped inside without the clerk glancing up from his newspaper. Kiri took a small shopping bag and began to fill it as quietly as possible with juice boxes, fruit, and chips. She stopped moving several times to listen and look around, to be sure that no one had spotted her. She reached for a candy bar and took it, as the clerk stood in the aisle with his hands on his hips.
"Hey, you!"
She gulped and slowly brought the candy close to hold it to her chest and kept her back to him.
"Hey!" He took a step toward her with his eyes furrowed. "Where are your parents?! Are you stealing?!"
Kiri's eyes narrowed and she bolted, running around to the other aisle to loop around. He blocked the path of the door, his arms and legs outstretched as he glared.
"Oh no you don't! No one steals from my shop!" His eyes widened and he looked at her more closely. "Y-You're that Ueno girl! The one who killed Gou and attacked K!"
Kiri clenched her jaw at the names. "I didn't!"
The man reached out, trying to grab the phone from the wall. "You just stay right there, little miss. You're a wanted girl."
Kiri grabbed the brick fragment in her pocket and held it tightly, took aim, and then threw it expertly at the sprinkler on the fire alarm. The brick hit its mark and the alarms erupted in the shop and the sprinklers activated and rained down heavily.
"W-What?!" The man blinked in surprise and covered his head. While he was distracted, she ran under his legs and out of the store, racing as fast as her feet could carry her until she disappeared in a narrow alley, hiding between the dumpster and wall until the man had passed, cursing.
After waiting several minutes, she slipped out from the other end of the alley and made her way back to the barn and nestled into the mound of blankets and hay she'd made for herself in the loft. Letting out a deep breath, she took a peach from the bag and took a large bite of it. She ate it quickly and settled down into the pile for a nap as the horses rustled in their stalls below.
Kiri stood in the stream with her pants rolled up as she watched the water intently. In her hand she gripped a handmade spear, then stabbed at the water suddenly. When she lifted the spear out of the water, a fat fish wriggled helplessly on the end.
Kiri grinned and stepped over to the shore to put the fish into a bucket, counting her catch before she stepped out of the water and tugged the bucket over to a small fire she had lit. She skewered each of the fish and rested them over the flames. She let out a short sigh and rested under the tree nearby, nestling into the moss and closing her eyes as the summer heat of midday lulled her into a light sleep.
When her eyes opened again, the area was filled with the smell of cooked fish and she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and moved the fish from the fire. Once cooled, she bit directly into one fish, spitting out bone and scale as she chewed and swallowing what remained.
She worked her way through two fish and leaned back as she picked the scales from her teeth and watched the clouds drifting by.
"I wish I could float away like that, too..."
She reached up behind her ear to touch the small braid concealed there and touched the ribbon woven in with it, then, her arm dropped to her side and her stomach twisted into knots.
"I miss you... mom."
Kiri sat under a tree and held her arms closer to ward away the cold. Her spot in the barn's loft had been lost that morning when the farmer had discovered her and chased her off, and the bitter chill of winter still hung in the air, though spring was only a few weeks away.
She rubbed her nose and buried her face in her arms, shivering as a cold breeze passed over her.
"What's this?" A man's voice came from behind and Kiri turned quickly turned to see two men approaching down the road.
"Looks like a kid." The second man eyed her suspiciously and slowed his pace. "All alone?"
The first man looked around, then chuckled. "Seems like."
They drew closer and Kiri stood and stepped back. "S-Stay away!"
"Oh? Spunky little girl." The first man chuckled and bent to look at her. "Whatcha doin' out here? You like freezing your little ass off?"
She remained quiet, and the second man laughed. "An orphan, huh?" He put his hands on his hips. "So were we, a long time ago."
"Wait a second..." The first man took a step closer and squinted, then laughed loudly. "Isn't this the girl that's wanted for murder, supposedly?"
"You're right." The second man squatted from a distance and pointed at her. "The one who killed her father, poisoned those guards, and attacked K."
Kiri's eyes narrowed at the name and she balled her hands into fists. "I didn't! He tried to kill me!"
"Right..." The second man snorted. "As if K's ever been one to lie."
Her eyes widened. "H-He's... alive?"
"Oh, yeah, sweetheart." The first man reached behind his back and nodded. "And he made sure to tell us all about how violent you were."
"Yeah, but she doesn't look wild at all." The second man shrugged. "But... isn't there some kind of reward the Raikage's offering for anyone who finds her?"
"Yeah... there is." The first man chuckled. "One thousand, I think."
"One grand?" The second stroked his chin. "That's not much... we could get three if we sold her on the black market."
"True..." The first man scratched his head. "But, if we bring her to the Raikage and get on his good side, he might be willing to wipe our records clean in exchange for the girl."
"Well, that's a good option, too." The second crossed his arms. "We can decide what to do later." He pulled a pair of short swords from behind and smirked. "First, we've gotta catch the little bugger first."
The first man drew his own shortsword with a smirk. "Piece of cake."
Kiri backed away from them slowly, and then quickly ran from them. The followed her closely and swung their blades at her. She yelped and fell to the ground with her arms covering her head to dodge their attack. With a laugh, they pinned her to the ground with their feet.
"Not too bright, are you?" The second man sneered down at her. "We could have done this the easy way."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her off the ground with a jerk.
"No! Leave me alone!" She struggled again his grip. "Let go!"
"Hmm.. I don't think so, kid." The first man pointed his sword at her. "Nothing personal, but we like money, and you're worth some."
She pulled against the man's grip with a grunt and clenched her jaw. "Let go!"
"Stubborn, ain't she?" The first man laughed and lowered his sword.
Kiri glared and lunged forward, biting the man's hand as hard as she could, breaking the skin and drawing blood. He cursed and loosened his grip on her, and she reached for a dagger on his hip. She promptly plunged it into his gut, pulling it out to slash at his inner thigh.
Thick blood spurted out and he screamed loudly and clutched his leg and fell to his knee.
"Damn it!"
"H-How?!" The first man glared at the child and gripped his sword tightly. "You're just a kid!"
Kiri held the dagger up her victim's neck and stared up at the other man. "Leave me alone, or I'll kill him."
The man glared and sputtered as his vision blurred. "Damn you...!" He pressed down on his wound and cursed again. "She hit the vital spot..."
Kiri stared at the first man, who hadn't moved. "One..." She warned.
"Go ahead." He laughed. "He'll bleed out in a minute anyway, and then I won't have to split the pay."
Kiri's eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed. "You're a monster..."
"Ironic, coming from you." He chuckled and watched his friend collapse to the ground. "Now, come nice and quietly and I promise I won't hurt you."
"No!"
He lunged at her, his sword slicing her side before she could move out of its way. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Red blood spilled from the wound and onto the frost-covered ground.
He stepped closer, and pressed the tip of the blade to her chest. "It's over, little girl. Just submit."
Her eyes watered and spilled over. "No..." She bit her lip and sobbed. "Why does this always happen?"
Hatred burned and spread like fire through her body and she gritted her teeth.
"Well, guess I have to settle for only one grand." He knelt and gripped her shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure the Raikage will have someone patch you up after the hand-off. You won't die."
Kiri trembled and turned slowly to look at him. Sparks started on her arms, growing larger and covered her whole body. Gripping the dagger, and screamed and lunged at him.
"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me!"
His eyes widened as the lightning surged and struck him and was channeled into a bright column of lightning from the tip of her blade. She stuck it deep into his chest and he screamed as his body convulsed. His skin charred and he fell forward, smoking and unmoving.
The lightning dissipated and Kiri panted and fell to her knees, crying as she looked at the bodies and dropped the knife.
"Why..." She sobbed and stared at the blood on her hands, then winced in pain at the large gash in her side. "Why do people only hurt me? I didn't do anything wrong."
The soft sound of footsteps widened her eyes and she turned to see two figures with white masks and black cloaks approaching her.
"Oh no! More?!" Kiri backed away, one hand covering her wound and the other reaching for the Kunai, which was just out of reach.
"Easy, now." The masked woman held up her hands to the girl and spoke gently. "We're not going to hurt you."
Kiri froze in place, sniffing and trembling as she looked up at them. "W-Who are you?!"
The woman slowly knelt down to her eye level and removed her mask to reveal her face. Her smile was reflected in her deep brown eyes and she mindfully kept her distance from the girl.
"We're Shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village."
Kiri blinked and looked between the woman and man, with her eyes falling back on the woman. "But... that's really far, isn't it? What are you doing here?"
"We had a mission nearby." The woman explained gently. "We had just completed it and begun to return home when we heard a commotion and decided to investigate." She paused and her smile faltered. "We saw those men attack you, and we were about to intervene, but you took care of them all by yourself."
Kiri bit her lip and glanced back at the bodies. "They... they were deciding who they were selling me to... I was so scared... people are always trying to hurt me."
The woman's eyes widened slightly and she frowned. "Damn bastards." She muttered under her breath. "People these days have no decency whatsoever."
The man looked around, acting as a lookout to be sure that they weren't seen.
Kiri flinched and clutched her wound with both hands and groaned quietly in pain. The woman moved closer, pressing her lips together as she examined the wound.
"Oh, you poor thing. That's a terrible wound." She looked up at the cliff nearby to a figure hidden in the rock. "Muji! Get down here! This girl needs treatment!"
A Ninja came into view as his invisibility wore off and he leapt down, landing beside the woman as he took out his medical kit.
"Let me see..." He reached out to move Kiri's hands from the wounds and she flinched away from his touch.
The woman's expression softened and she met Kiri's eyes. "There's no need to be afraid of him. Muji is very gentle, and an excellent Medical Ninja. You'll be feeling better in no time at all."
Kiri hesitantly removed her hands to expose the wound and the man whistled quietly from beneath his mask. "Quite a nasty scratch, there, little miss." He plucked an antiseptic from his kit and a cloth and looked at her. "Please lie down. I'll be done shortly."
Kiri bit her lip and remained standing, then the woman placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, I promise. Just do as he says."
She guided Kiri to lay down and Muji carefully lifted her shirt to expose the area and began to clean the wound. Kiri winced from the sting of the solution and the woman held her hand.
"You're doing great." She smiled reassuringly, looking from Muji as he worked to the girl's face. "What's your name?"
"K-Kiri." She answered, wincing again as Muji muttered an apology.
"Nice to meet you, Kiri." The woman gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm Yayoi. This is Muji," She motioned to the Medical Ninja with a nod of her head, then did the same for the third member. "-and this is my husband, Zenzo."
Each of the men nodded in acknowledgement as they were introduced and Kiri looked back at Yayoi.
"What kind of mission were you doing that made you come here?" Kiri asked, wincing once more.
"That's classified." Zenzo answered gruffly and Yayoi rolled her eyes.
"The details are, Zenz." Yayoi smiled at Kiri. "We were sent to hunt down a very dangerous criminal who had fled the country and come all the way here."
Kiri's eyes fell on the bodies. "So... you kill bad people?"
Yayoi nodded. "That's the general idea of it."
"But..." Kiri thought, speaking slowly. "If you kill people, even if they're bad... does that make you bad, too?"
Yayoi blinked, and then laughed to herself. "I sure hope not. I don't like the idea of being a bad guy."
Kiri turned her gaze away and stared at a small cloud above her. "...They say I'm bad, because I killed a bad guy before."
Yayoi watched the girl's expression shift. "Is that why those men were trying to kidnap you?"
Kiri nodded slowly. "Everyone says I'm bad, because I killed him..." She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "But he was hurting my mom... and he killed her. He would have killed me, too, if..."
She choked on a sob as fresh tears escaped her eyes.
"Kiri." The woman gave her hand another squeeze, and the girl slowly turned to meet her eyes. "Killing in cold blood is bad, yes. But what you did... you stopped a terrible person from hurting others. That's a very good thing, and a very brave thing."
Kiri's eyes widened. "I'm... brave?"
Yayoi nodded as her smiled returned. "Yes. Most kids your age would have run, or cried while paralyzed in fear. But you were able to act, and put an end to someone very dangerous. In Konoha, you'd be called a hero."
"H-Hero?" Kiri's lip quivered. "But... I killed him... and other people, too..."
"Was it in self-defense?" Yayoi asked softly.
After a moment, the girl nodded. "People always find me. They always try to hurt me."
"Then, they're the ones who are bad, and not you."
Kiri bit her lip and remained quiet as Muji began to heal the wound and a warm, tingling sensation emanated from his hands. Once he was finished, he carefully wrapped her torso in bandages and sat back.
"There. All done." He looked at the girl, speaking in a flat tone.
Yayoi helped Kiri to sit up slowly and wiped some frost and dirt from her hair. "Kiri, where do you live? Do you have any family? We can bring you back home before we have to leave."
Kiri's eyes fell on the ground and she shook her head.
The woman frowned. "No relatives? No home?" She let out a short breath and met Kiri's eyes. "...How long have you been on your own for, exactly?"
Kiri bit her lip. "Since the spring."
"Last spring?" Yayoi furrowed her brows. "You've been... surviving out here on your own for almost a year now?"
Kiri nodded and Yayoi glanced up at Zenzo, who met her eyes.
"Zenz..."
The man put his hand on his hip and looked at his wife. "That's not part of our mission."
"Well, we can't just leave her here by herself, either." Yayoi looked back at Kiri. "You're, what? Five?" Before she was answered, she looked at her husband. "If we leave her out here, we're no better off than those men who attacked her."
Zenzo let out a long sigh and then shook his head slowly. "If that's what you want to do, I'll support it."
Yayoi broke into a grin and turned to the girl. "Kiri, how would you like to come back with us?"
Kiri blinked. "Me... go with you? Why?"
"Well..." Yayoi moved a strand of hair out of her face. "You don't have a home or anyone to care for you, and we have such a big home... it's a waste for all those rooms to be empty."
"You... want me to live with you?" Kiri stared up at her, and she nodded again.
"Yes, but only if you wanted to. You'd have plenty of food, a roof over your head, you could go to school and make friends, and you'd have a surrogate family. We have a son and daughter, though they're much older than you, so you wouldn't have anyone your age at home to play with, but you wouldn't have to be alone anymore, and we would gain a new daughter. What do you say?"
Kiri looked between the Ninja, then at the corpses of her attackers. After a moment, she nodded.
"I hate it here." Kiri scowled bitterly and eyed the landscape. "I hate the people here, too. I want to go with you."
"Great!" Yayoi beamed and gently kissed the top of her head. "I promise, we'll take good care of you, Kiri."
"We should leave as soon as possible." Zenzo fixed his gaze at the distance. "There is a group coming this way."
"Alright." Yayoi helped Kiri stand and met her eyes. "It's a bit of a long journey, but don't be scared, alright? We'll travel by ship for a while. Have you ever seen the sea?"
The girl shook her head. "No, but I heard it's really big."
"Very." Yayoi smiled and retrieved a warm blanket from her backpack and wrapped Kiri inside. "There. Nice and cozy?"
Kiri nodded and Yayoi replaced her mask, then scooped Kiri into her arms. The three Shinobi flickered and reappeared at the stop of the cliff, just in time to avoid being seen by the travelers as they went down the road, not noticing the bodies off to the side.
"Do you have anything that you'd like to get before we go?" Yayoi asked in a quiet voice, and Kiri shook her head. "Alright. We're off now. Just hold tightly and don't worry about a thing. I won't let anything happen to you."
Kiri began to nod off as the ship's rocking lulled her into another nap and she blinked her eyes slowly. "How much longer? It feels like forever that we've been on this boat."
Yayoi laughed quietly and stroked the girl's hair as she lay her head in the woman's lap. "Only another day now. Then, we'll have about a day and a half of travel before we reach Konoha."
Kiri yawned slowly and Zenzo, who sat off to the side, watched her with his mask off to the side.
"What is it like there?" Kiri asked sleepily.
"Well..." Yayoi looked up in thought for a moment. "There are many, many forests, that seem to go on forever. It looks like such a beautiful sea of green if you're high enough. The forests are full of life and the village feels relaxed and peaceful. I like falling asleep to the sounds of the crickets and cicada. The Academy is excellent, and there will be plenty of kids your age for you to make friends with."
She looked down at Kiri, who was already asleep, and smiled. "You'll like it there, I know."
Zenzo moved quietly to sit at his wife's other side, putting an arm around her.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He asked in a low voice.
"I think so." Yayoi stroked the girl's hair slowly. "I think she's a good fit for our family."
"Your mother isn't going to like this."
Yayoi laughed quietly under her breath. "There isn't much my mother actually likes, though."
Zenzo looked down at the girl and he sighed. "I suppose you're right." The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "And, bothering your mother is only another benefit."
"I'd forgotten how great kids are at this age." Yayoi leaned back and closed her eyes. "Why did ours have to grow up?"
"She'll grow, too." Zenzo chuckled.
"Shh. Let her be little for a while."
"You know..." Zenzo looked at the girl. "I always wanted another daughter."
Yayoi cracked her eye opened and kissed his cheek. "I know, you big softie."
"We're back!" Zenzo's voice boomed through the house and he kept his hand on Kiri's shoulder gently as she looked around.
"Yuuta, Yuuri, come here!" Yayoi put a hand on her hip as they removed their shoes and stepped deeper in the home.
A moment later, a set of footsteps sounded down the stairs and another came from the kitchen. Kiri looked between the strangers, keeping quiet as she watched them both carefully.
"Yuuta," Zenzo patted Kiri's shoulder softly and looked at his son. "This is Kiri. From now on, she's going to be part of our family."
The eighteen-year old girl at the bottom of the stairs scowled deeply and crossed her arms, first looking between her parents, and then narrowing her eyes at the five-year-old between them. "This is a joke, right?"
Yayoi shot an identical scowl at her daughter. "This is most certainly not a joke. Kiri has no one to care for her and nowhere to go."
"And?" Yuuri kept her eyes fixed on the child, who only glared back. "Since when did we start doing charity work? This is our house— it's not an orphanage."
"Yuuri..." Zenzo shot his daughter a look, who then went quiet, though she continued to glare. He looked between his children. "Kiri is part of our family now; I expect you to treat her as such. If I learn that either of you has mistreated her, you'll be put on probation from your ANBU duties until further notice."
Yuuri's eyes widened. "W-What?! That's outrageous! She's just some dirty brat who belongs in an alley somewhere!"
"Silence!" Yayoi snapped and took a step toward her daughter; whose features were nearly identical. "You are a capable Ninja and an adult now— I expect better from you."
Zenzo's eyes rested on Yuuri. "You're going to treat her like any other member of this family, and you're going to set a good example for her as well."
A scoff came from behind Yuuta, where an older woman with piercing, dark eyes stood as she leaned against her cane and looked over the child.
"I'm disappointed in you, Yayoi." The woman tsked. "Bringing in a stray child like this. Our family has no room for weaklings."
"Mother." Yayoi rested a hand on her hip. "Kiri has been living on her own for a year now, sustaining herself. Not only that, but she has natural skill and is more than capable in a fight. She's not weak, by any means."
"Hmph." Fuyu looked at the child again. "I suppose if she genuinely impressed you, I'll allow her to stay. However, I expect she pull her own weight."
"You forget that you aren't the head of the family anymore." Zenzo reminded the woman in a low voice, causing her to scoff once more.
"If your charity case causes our family any disturbance or she embarrasses our name by being weak, you'll change your minds." Fuyu sneered at the child and left, her cane and slight limp interrupting the rhythm of her steps.
Yuuri rolled her eyes and looked at Kiri again. "I suppose I can give her a chance. If grandmother doesn't approve of her, though, I don't either." She turned and went up the stairs again, leaving them alone.
Yuuta stepped closer to Kiri, then knelt in front of her and smiled at her, holding out a hand. "Hey there, Kiri. I'm Yuuta. It's nice to meet you."
Kiri flinched instinctively at his hand as it drew nearer and he pulled his hand immediately back with a slight frown.
"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you." He smiled again, more broadly, and pointed to himself. "From now on, I'm your big brother, okay? If you need anything, just come to me anytime, alright? No matter what it is, even if some kid is bullying your or if you want help reaching someplace high. I'm here if you need me."
Kiri's eyes widened slightly. "But... you don't know me." Her eyes wandered and she looked away. "I'm just some random kid... you don't have to be nice to me."
Yuuta shook his head, then gently reached out to take her hand. "You're not some random kid... you're my sister now. It's my job and my pleasure to look out for you."
Kiri stared down at his hand on hers, then gently squeezed it. "...Thanks. I'll try to be a good sister and not bother you."
"Just be yourself." Yuuta chuckled. "Why don't I show you to your room? And then I'll take you on a tour of the house. When we're all done, I'll even treat you to ice cream. Would you like that?"
Kiri's mouth gaped and she smiled. "Ice cream? Really?!"
Yuuta laughed. "You like ice cream?"
Kiri blushed faintly and shook her head quickly. "I've never had any before." She admitted in a whisper. "But I've always wanted some."
Yuuta smiled and patted her shoulder. "It's settled then. Once I show you around, I'll get you the biggest Sundae in Konoha."
Yayoi laughed quietly and looked at her son. "I'm sure Kiri would appreciate a nice bath and some fresh clothes first." She knelt beside Kiri and held out her hand to the girl. "You can bathe and relax while I get your room ready. How does that sound?"
Kiri nodded quickly, unable to contain a smile. "I'd like that."
"And then I'll get you the biggest Sundae in Konoha!" Yuuta grinned. "With extra toppings to celebrate my new sister."