"Stop it! Stop it!" Kiku screamed out, falling to the ground as the girl behind her shoved her forward. She hit the ground hard and tried to push herself back up, but a sudden harsh pressure on her back kept her from moving.

A boy a few years older knelt down in front of her. Kiku saw something gleaming in his hands and her eyes opened wide when she saw it was a pair of scissors.

Tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed. "W-Why are you guys doing this?"

Kiku really didn't understand. She was just going to the store like her mother had asked when two kids suddenly tackled her by the playground. They'd spent several minutes just tossing her and shoving her between them...and making fun of everything they could about her. Kiku couldn't understand why.

She had no idea who they were, but they knew her somehow...or at least they knew what family she came from.

"Ayako! Can you shut the Hayama girl up already? It's annoying to hear her cry!" The boy yelled at the girl, casting a glare in Kiku's direction.

"Why don't you figure something out? It's hard enough holding her down, Ryuji! You're lucky I'm even helping you!" The girl yelled back, and the pressure on top of Kiku increased.

"Please stop! I didn't do anything to you! I just wanted to go to the store!" she yelled out and tried to squirm away from Ayako. She held Kiku firmly in place.

"Just shut up Hayama-san! You and your stupid sister need to learn your place! You may have been important once, but your attitudes need to be brought down. You have no important ties to this village anymore!"

The boy, Ryuji, grabbed one of Kiku's pigtails and tugged it harshly. The small girl whimpered in pain.

"Your dad isn't part of the council anymore. You don't even have a dad anymore. You're not ninjas...you're nothing! Nothing but spoiled brats that treat everyone else like trash!"

Ryuji took his scissors and went to cut the pigtail off. Kiku squirmed more and he cut it in half, accidentally slashing at her left cheek in the process. The thin red line along the pale skin of her cheek stung and she struggled harder.

"Please stop this. I'm sorry if Kimi was mean to you! Just leave me alone...please! I don't even know who you are!"

Kiku hated her sister so much. She had seen Kimi treating other children badly before...but she treated her younger sister the same so she rarely payed attention. It was just how Kimi was. Their mother raised Kimi with the thought that she was perfect and would make a picture perfect bride for some rich man who would support her so she'd never have to work at anything but looking pretty. Kimi figured anyone who wasn't richer than their family wasn't worth the time, just like their mother thought. So she treated most everyone in the village pretty poorly. Kiku figured her sister must have made fun of these two pretty badly.

Kiku felt she should have known Kimi would make enemies with her attitude, but she never thought anyone would take their anger out on the younger sister who had nothing to do with her.

"Ryuji! Stop! I think you actually hurt her!"

"So? What do you care? We both agreed on this."

"I know...but I thought we were going after Kimi first! I don't even know how old this brat is...but she looks small." She paused and Kiku felt her shift on top of her. "Just cut the other one and hurry up then!"

She thrashed around and screamed when he grabbed her other pigtail. The little girl shut her eyes when he pulled it hard.

Suddenly he let go and screams filled her ears. The weight on her back dissapeared and Kiku's eyes opened to see Ryuji completely surrounded by sand. Ayako was running away, but a thin line of sand wound around her leg, pulling her to the ground. Kiku looked to her left and saw Gaara.

He glared at the screaming bullies and his extended hand slowly started to ball into a fist. They screamed louder and Kiku knew he was hurting them.

"Stop! Stop!" Ryuji yelled out, but Gaara didn't waver. His hand only closed tighter.

Kiku slowly stood up and looked to her friend.

"Gaara-kun...let them go...please." She walked towards him and reached for his arm. She didn't want them to get hurt any more. He got them away from her already and she knew that was enough help.

Gaara looked at Kiku and didn't move. "You're bleeding, Kiku-chan. They hurt you..."

She nodded but gently pushed his arm down.

"Thank you for helping me...but please let them go."

After a few moments, the sand fell and the two ran away, screaming. The word "monster" reached Kiku's ears and her hands balled into fists. Part of her had wanted Gaara to crush them, but another part didn't want him to add more reason for the villagers to dislike him...especially if it was all her fault.

Gaara ignored them and gently pulled Kiku towards his house.

"Yashamaru will make you all better." He said, looking at the bleeding scratch on his friend's cheek and the light trickle of blood coming from it.

Kiku nodded and followed close behind him, holding back tears. She reached at the cut pigtail and bit her lip. She had finally learned to like her hair and now this.

Gaara sensed Kiku's unhappiness as they reached his house and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Don't be upset, Kiku-chan. Nobody will hurt you again...and everything will go back to normal."

She was silent as the two of them went to see Yashamaru and Gaara explained what happened.

Kiku was bandaged up and Yashamaru offered to walk her home to tell her mother that she were alright. Kiku accepted and turned to say goodbye to Gaara. Yashamaru suggested it would be best for him to stay behind.

Without thinking Kiku wrapped her arms around Gaara's neck. He was shocked at first but soon returned the hug. He was warm and Kiku smiled just slightly before she slowly released him to head back home. Kiku never mentioned it...but in that moment all her unhappiness was suddenly washed away. She knew that so long as he was there for her everything would be alright