Adults can be very mean, just like children...Kiku knew that. She had, on few occassions, seen the way they all treated Gaara. They cursed him, wished him dead, and ran away...leaving him alone to ponder their words. They couldn't hurt him physically, but Kiku knew from experience with her mother and sister that certain words hurt worse than any blow administered to the body.

In those times when she'd see them yelling at him and running away she had wanted to help. She wanted to chase after them and beat some sense into their thick skulls to tell them he wasn't bad at all... but she never dared. She was never much of a fighter, and was afraid of being hurt. So, in those times, she would do what little that she could to try and cheer him up. She just tried to be a good friend, a person he could go to in order to recieve a kind word, someone he could rely on...but she could never tell if he understood just how much he meant to her.

When her own mother had been the one to cause that sad faraway look in his eyes she'd been unable to do anything. She hated it.

It had been three weeks since Kiku's mother had caught her with Gaara, and in those three weeks she'd been very "busy", locked into her room from the outside.

Three weeks spent reliving that moment over and over again, knowing she should have tried standing up to her mother...so at least Gaara could have seen that she didn't agree with her. Kiku knew it must have hurt him very badly and the thought kept her in a near constant state of tears.

Kiku's sister thought she was a crybaby and commented on it each time she brought her younger sister food. Kiku refused to eat most of it.

Now it was only two more days until her sixth birthday and she could hear her mother running around downstairs from her current spot on the floor. It sounded like this year was going to be a bigger party than usual, and Kiku wondered why. She knew her mother believed she didn't deserve it. She had made that very clear.

The sound of her door opening caused the little girl to jump to her feet and she turned to see her sister storm into her room. Kimi glared at Kiku and pushed her backwards so she hit into her bed before tossing an apple beside her...her only snack for the day.

"I hate you!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Kiku. "Why is the Kazekage coming to your 6th birthday? I'm eight and he never came to mine...even when father was in the council!" She growled and pulled at her wavy brown hair in frustration.

"It's so not fair! I'm the pretty one, the smart one, the good one...I'm the one that's gonna marry someone rich and powerful...so why is it that you're the one he's visiting! You're not worth anything to this village. We're not allowed to be ninja 'cause mother said so...and you're too clumsy and ugly to ever make a good bride for anyone important! I don't get it! Why you!"

Kimi slammed her open hand harshly across her sister's face and stormed out of the room, the door locking shut again.

Kiku raised a hand to her cheek and felt her tears already falling down them.

Again, she thought of the impact words had. The sting of her sister's slap was already fading, but the sting of her words...Kiku knew they'd last a long time.

She truly felt worthless. She was only a small child and she already felt useless. She couldn't help her friend and she didn't understand anything that was going on anymore.

Kiku wondered, just like her sister, why the Kazekage had decided to go to her party. She figured she wouldn't know until she saw him.