I'm gonna start using italics for dreams along with the rest of my usual uses for it. I hope this will make it easier on you readers!
"Look, Dada! I drew you a picture!" a smaller Kumiko held up a picture, running towards a tall gray haired man.
The picture depicted Kumiko and holding hands with her Dada up in a starry sky with the moon smiling next to them. In the top right corner an elderly woman was smiling down at them.
"It's very nice Kumi-chan," Kumiko's father frowned, "But where is Mama?"
Kumiko made a disgusted face, "Mother doesn't need to be there, Dada; it only needs to be me and you."
"Kumi-chan, that's not a very nice thing to say, your Mama is the one who gave birth to you." He grimaced while ruffling Kumiko's hair.
"It's true though," Kumiko grumbled, "Mother doesn't care about me."
A sigh escaped from Kumiko's father, a pained expression crossed his face. Kumiko squeezed her father and nuzzled close to him, closing her eyes. She blinked when she heard the front door slam, then stretched.
"Ozai, honey, I'm home!" A woman's voice erupted from the hallway, and the click-clack of her clogs against the floor followed closely.
Kumiko's father took in a breath to yell and she looked up at him pleadingly. He glanced at her apologetically and continued, "I'm out back!"
More click-clacks followed her father's yell and Kumiko contained a sniffle of despair. Her father lifted her off of his lap and stood, leaning against a wooden post waiting for his wife.
The back door slid open noisily and Kumiko's mother exploded onto the scene dressed in an elaborate kimono, her long black hair flowing behind her. The woman ran to Kumiko's father, Ozai.
"Oh, Ozai, my love! I missed you so much while I was out!" her mother embraced Ozai.
"And I, you, Miharu." He whispered lovingly.
Kumiko leapt off the porch and headed for the woods.
"Wait," Ozai cried, "Where are you off to, Kumi-chan, it's almost dinner time!"
"Yes, we wouldn't want you to miss the meal!" Miharu laughed fakely.
"I'm not that hungry, Dada." Kumiko replied, ignoring her mother.
She sped into the woods, without waiting for an answer. The trees were a blur around her, not from incredible speed, but from the tears that clouded her eyes. Everything came to a sudden stop as Kumiko hit the ground, hard. Kumiko sniffled, then stood; wiping the dirt from her bleeding knees. Her eyes dried as she examined her surroundings.
Kumiko had gone farther than she'd expected, she was completely immersed in trees and, looking back, she was unable to see the house. Leaves of gold, copper and auburn fell all around her; it was a scene of rustic beauty. The soft gurgling of water told her that a stream was close by. She followed the sound to find a pebble strewn stream only a couple feet deep, Kumiko let her feet gingerly dangle in the water. It was serene, so peaceful, but the peace of the forest was broken by the pitiful mewling of a cat. Kumiko hopped to her feet to search for the poor creature.
It didn't take long to find the thing; the orange tabby's mewls led Kumiko straight to it. By the stump of an old oak the thing lay, it's stomach cut open and bleeding furiously. Its mewls were so filled with pain that Kumiko whimpered in pity. Kumiko knelt down hoping to comfort the tabby, but upon noticing her the cat hissed and spat ferociously.
"Eek!" Kumiko released a stout cry of fear.
The cat began hacking, coughing up blood.
"You should put it out of its misery." a man in an orange mask suggested.
"Is-is it really in that much pain?" Kumiko asked.
"More than you can imagine." Kumiko caught a glint of red from an eye hole in the mask.
"But won't it get better?" she suggested hopefully.
"No, it will only get worse," the man replied, "Here."
The man held out a kunai.
"Kill it," he added, "Before it suffers anymore."
Kumiko hesitated before accepting the kunai and plunging it into the tabby's chest.
Kumiko woke with her head resting on Deidara's lap. His robe was wet with a pool of drool.
What was Tobi-kun doing there, thought Kumiko, I don't remember him being there before...
"Huh?" Kumiko mumbled sleepily.
"Eh? So you're awake now, mmmm?" Deidara asked.
"Oh, yeah, m-hm. I guess I am." Kumiko yawned.
"Well, we better get going then, Ku." Deidara stated nudge Kumiko.
She got up groggily and stifled a yawn.
"Hm? Mission, right?" she asked.
"That's right, Ku! We can walk today, I think we're far enough ahead." he replied.
"How can you be so energetic after sleeping?" Kumiko demanded enviously.
"Hm? I didn't sleep a wink Ku." Deidara shrugged.
"What! But aren't you tired Dei-chan!"
"Meh, I don't need much sleep." he replied awkwardly.
"Wow, Dei-chan! I need at least, like, eight hours of sleep every night! You must be like a super shinobi who's made of stone of something! Right Dei-chan? How much did you train? You must've trained for-for-for- FOREVER!" Kumiko babbled on as her and Deidara traveled along the path heading east to the rising sun.
Note to self, thought Deidara, Kumiko goes from groggy to energetic in the blink of an eye during the mornings.
Sorry there weern't as many Kumiko and Deidara moments in this chapter, Yuti-chan, I had to get some more of Kumiko's past in. Please review!
