Kiku thought it was a perfect day. The sun was out, bathing Suna in it's brilliant light, but the gentle breezes kept the village reasonably cool. It was a busy day and people rushed through the streets a little ways away from where she and Gaara played. Nobody bothered them while the two ran and giggled and played with their toys.

Eventually both children settled down after playing around their sandcastle, and Kiku sat on the sand, smiling and panting from the constant running. Gaara sat beside her and tilted his face up to the sky. Kiku did the same, and the two of them watched a few clouds and the occasional bird pass by them from up in the sky.

Kiku soon found herself looking away from the sky and staring at Gaara. She blushed a pale pink, watching the way the sunlight shone off his hair, her gaze slowly drifting to the pale aqua of his eyes. He turned his head to look back at her and smiled causing her to smile back nervously and look down.

"Are you ok, Kiku-chan?" He asked, a little worried at his friend's odd behavior.

She nodded and looked him in the eye again. She wanted to tell him about her crush...she really did. She hated keeping it to herself, but for some reason it was always so hard for her to say. He was her best friend and she shared everything with him. He never judged her or made her feel bad, but she was worried about what he'd think of her if she told. Normally Kiku just ignored it, but it was becoming harder to do so when she was around him.

'Maybe you should just say it Kiku...just say it...go ahead...do it...you can do it...' she silently willed herself, little hands balling into fists.

"Gaara-kun...I...Ummm...I like...I really like..." she couldn't get it out and she looked back down, closing her eyes.

"Huh? What is it?" Gaara scooted closer and tilted his head to try and see her face.

Her head jerked up to look at him and she opened her mouth, hoping she could say it.

"Gaara-kun... I really like y-"

"Kiku!"

Before she could finish, the loud sound behind her caused her mouth to shut closed. Kiku's stomach suddenly felt knotted, and she wanted to run away.

She knew that voice.

It was the very voice she heard each day, telling her what to do. The voice that gave Kiku her punishments.

Kiku knew she'd found her...her mother.

"Get away from my daughter you horrid little creature!" The voice screamed, obviously directed at Gaara.

Gaara's eyes opened wide and his lip trembled as he quickly got to his feet and took a step back, Kuma tightly held to his chest. Kiku stood up and looked behind her.

There Kiku's mother stood, her long purple hair flowing elegantly behind her while her blue eyes glared at the two of them with the most intense look Kiku had seen on her ever before.

"M-mother..."

"Kiku...Don't you dare say a word to me right now...you lying little twit!" she spat, her gaze going from her daughter and then back to Gaara. "Just come over here now before...before that...thing...tries to kill you. How could you possibly associate with that monster?"

'He's not a monster...' she thought, 'He's sweet and kind and fun...'

The thoughts ran through Kiku's head but she couldn't say them. Her mother had her too terrified to speak.

Instead Kiku slowly made her way towards her mother, her little body shook and Akane-chan dangled loosely from her hand as she did. No matter what, she could not defy this woman.

When Kiku got close enough her mother grabbed her arm harshly, pulling her child behind her. She pointed a finger at Gaara and his gaze flickered between Kiku and her.

"My daughter wants nothing to do with a jinchuuriki! Never come near her again you monster!" She demanded.

Kiku looked at Gaara,watching the shock and sadness washing over his face. She tried to say something, but her words seemed to catch in her throat.

She felt completely numb as her mother started to pull her back home. Kiku's gaze stayed on Gaara, watching tears fall from his eyes before he turned and ran away, sand swirling around him in a chaotic frenzy that eventually dissapeared from her sight.

Only when he was gone did the tears begin to fall fiercely down her cheeks, choked sobs ringing out for all to hear.