Chapter 2: Raccoon

Yuu swung quietly back and forth on the swings, they creaked with each swing, Yuu sighed and tightened his grip on the chains.

Yuu was a short boy for his age, short smooth tomato red hair, and pale blue-greenish eyes that always had a gentle air to them. At twelve years he was extremely quiet, well maybe not as quiet as Kiyoshi… Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi was the closet thing Yuu had ever had to a friend, or even a father.

Yuu thought back, far back… when he first met Kiyoshi.

Yuu was five then, Kiyoshi was around ten, Yuu back then was picked on by older children for still carrying around a teddy bear, they shoved him to the ground and one started to hold his (Yuu's) bear over his head. Yuu (as usual) started to sob silently as the boys began to laugh.

Then a cold demanding voice cut their laughter short, "Picking on someone two feet shorter than you again? Huh, Uzi?"

They stopped laughing at once and Yuu raised his head, "Kiyoshi…." Muttered some of the boys.

Uzi dropped the bear, "Go to hell, this has nothing to do with you"

The boy known as Kiyoshi had a strange appearance; he wore a pair of black baggy pants that almost covered his matching black sandals, his white socks always seemed to be pure of any dirt, and he wore a black jacket with a hood that was currently was over his head, covering his hair and casting a shadow over his eyes.

"How long this time?" Kiyoshi asked

Uzi took a step back and his eyes seemed to look past Kiyoshi, his mind reminding him of a horrible memory.

"What will it be this time? Your mother drowning? Finding your father hung in your closet? Then again-" Kiyoshi disappeared. Only to reappear behind Uzi whispering in his ear, "Then again you recently gained a baby sister, maybe you'll find a rat has chewed off her face…"

"You wouldn't be anything without those eyes of yours!" Uzi screamed turning around to face Kiyoshi.

Yuu merely looked puzzled, "What's with this guy?"

Kiyoshi laughed a cold laugh that sounded like a gust of cold wind on a winter night.

That's when Kiyoshi lowered his hood; Yuu had a gasp escape from his mouth.

Unlike his clothing, Kiyoshi's hair was pure white, like freshly fallen snow, but what was more disturbing were his eyes, like a river that was frozen over, no mercy in those eyes.

Uzi threw a punch only for Kiyoshi to catch it, Kiyoshi closed his eyes and seemed to focus, Yuu knew Uzi was going to scream before he did, Yuu clamped his hands over his own ears and screwed his eyes shut. Kiyoshi said something that Yuu couldn't make out through his hands, but he couldn't block out Uzi's screaming. Something thumped next to Yuu.

Yuu opened his eyes slowly, Uzi was on the ground not moving Yuu was shaking and started to inch away, when he winced in pain, he had sprained his ankle when he fell to the ground, unintentionally he let out a silent scream.

Kiyoshi noticed, he bent down to Yuu and grabbed his collar looking into his eyes, "Give me a reason to not regret saving you"

Yuu stared into his eyes and let a small smile appear on his face, "You wouldn't hurt me".

Kiyoshi tightened his grip, "Why not?"

Yuu smiles, "Your eyes are too kind, for a boy who hurts little children" he murmured before passing out.

An hour later

Yuu woke up in his room, he blinked as he got up from his bed, he sat on his mattress thinking about what happened, that's when he noticed some clothes on the floor, on top of them sat his bear.

Smiling, Yuu hugged his bear and started to change.

When he was done he observed himself in the mirror, he seemed similar to somebody…

The clothes consisted of long baggy black pants that covered his black sandals and white socks; on his chest he wore a hooded blood-red jacket, a shade bit darker than his hair.

He walked out of his room and out onto the streets, soon a couple of familiars started to follow him, Yuu stuck his hands into the pocket of his jacket and his fingers caught the edge of a piece of paper, he took it out, but before he could read it a boy snatched it out of his hands laughing.

He held it over Yuu's head and began to read it out loud to his friends, "Your boyfriend give you those clothes?"

To the reader,

The child known as Yuu is at this time, the apprentice of Kiyoshi (No Surname, Orphan).

There for he is under his protection, anybody found harassing this boy will punished as the boy's sensei sees fit.

Signed,

Kiyoshi (No Surname, Orphan)

Yuu was never bullied again.

Author's note: Next chapter is about Kiyoshi, please review.