Beta: Yeah, no. Still searching for one.

"Funny how the best day of your life can turn into your worst in just a split second"

"Rise and shine princesses!" Amaya cried out as she threw kunai at the sleeping twins, who groaned as they rolled to dodge it with practiced ease.

"C'mon breakfast is ready, and you got your sealing lesson to look forward to after that." She chirped, making no attempt whatsoever to hide her grin at her children's disheveled appearance as they dragged themselves to get ready.

Breakfast was quickly scarfed down as they prepared for the lesson. Amaya did not appreciate tardiness, as shown in past experiences.

"Name the two basic seals that every beginner starts with" Amaya barked.

"The two basic seals are the storage seal and the explosive seal." Kaida responded promptly.

"Why is that, Karin?"

"Because it provides the basis for almost all the seals possible."

"Good. Why is it still important to practice calligraphy?"

Kaida internally smiled as she replied with "Cuz if you mess up on one kanji in the sealing up, you will blow your heads off!"

"Correct, young grasshoppers," Amaya grinned.

After the lesson, they finally got to their favorite part of the day: taijutsu spars.

They started off with some stretching, faces crinkling into drowsy yawns as they contently listened to their joints pop. Each of them slowly made their way to the center of the training field behind their house, as they sank into a defensive stance.

"Don't use Tofu, Kaida. That's cheating." Karin laid out the only rule. When Kaida had first gotten her spear, she had fussed about picking out a suitable name for it, finally settling on 'Tofu-chan.'

Kaida agreed, before shouting out "Let's begin!"

Karin started by swinging her fist at Kaida's side, who dodged before lashing out a kick. They continued to exchange blows, some missing because the other dodged. It mostly consisted of dodging while trying to beat the other person up. For some odd reason, they both enjoyed it, grinning whenever the other's blow missed their head by a hairsbreadth.

Kaida swept her legs at Karin's legs, fully expecting her to dodge. When she didn't, and she was thrown of her feet, Kaida's eyes widened in surprise.

"What's wrong? You looked a little distracted there." She questioned, helping Karin get up as she dusted of her clothes. Karin frowned as she tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't know, I've been-" Her dazed eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Kaida-nee." The unusually serious tone had Kaida quickly sobering up. She fixed her sister with a questioning gaze.

"There's a large group of people coming this way." Karin's eyes narrowed in concentration, "They'll be here in ten minutes."

Kaida's head shot up as she too felt the signatures pop into her radar. Her eyes glazed a bit as she honed onto the signatures, silently assessing them. 'Five, ten, twenty...' Her eyes widened in fear.

'Forty-five signatures coming our way.'

Why? She racked her brain for all the possible information she had on Kiri. Their bloody graduation exam? No, Karin and her were still too young to enter their Academy, or whatever they called it in Kiri. Wasn't, wasn't their a rebellion or revolution in Kiri? And Zabuza was part of it, was Haku there? Her musing were halted with the last thought.

Haku. SnowIceBloodFearPurgeKekkeiGenkaiDeathMobHateHate

Memories came flooding in as Kaida's advanced mind quickly put together all the pieces to form an answer. If the bloodline purge in Kiri was happening right now, then her family was in danger. If she remembered right, the Uzumaki were persecuted for their sealing skills, and their chakra chains were also feared in the battlefield. Of course, their distinctive red hair also made them easy targets.

Targets.

Shit.

"Karin, we need to get kaa-san and tou-san." Kaida barked, adrenaline coursing through her veins. When Karin was still frozen in place, shell shocked at the danger, Kaida pushed Karin, an edge of panic in her voice. "Hurry, there's not much time!"

They scrambled toward their home, every once in a while stumbling over, as they finally reached the entrance. Kaida slammed open the door, her chakra flaring in distress, as she cried out for her parents.

"Kaa-san! Tou-san! There's a large group of people heading here! Karin said that they'll be here in ten minutes!"

Heads swiveled to their direction as their parents assessed their distraught forms.

"Already? Damn it!" Haruki cursed, before quickly snapping into action. He rushed towards the children as Amaya disappeared into a room, quickly coming back out with a few scrolls which she tucked into some hidden pocket of hers. She nodded to Haruki, who turned to the twins with a grim face.

"We need to leave now, don't bother to pick up your things." Haruki instructed, his tone leaving no room for arguments. They both nodded, eyes wide with fear.

They rushed out of the house and into the surrounding forest, the atmosphere tense as they headed deeper into the trees.

"Karin, I need you to update us on the group's progress." Amaya commanded, "Karin, ready your weapon."

"Hai!" their reply came in a chorus.

"They'll reach us in six minutes." Karin concentrated on the signatures, "Twenty of them broke off and are heading to the village."

They pushed their pace even more, hearts rapidly beating as adrenaline continued to course through them.

"4 minutes left." Karin's voice held a slight edge of panic now.

"Amaya." Haruki fixed her with a resigned gaze as he paused at a branch.

"I need you to take the kids and run. I'll lead the group away from you guys while you escape." He softly pleaded, shocking the family.

"Are you insane? You promised that we would get through this together. No one gets left behind!" Amaya insisted, her words filled with outrage.

"They will reach us at this rate if there's no bait to occupy them with. This way, at least you can live with the children." He reasoned.

"But-!"

"Amaya, darling." He interrupted, cupping her cheek as he looked at his wife tenderly, "Please."

She glared at him for a moment, before relenting as she roughly pulled him into one final kiss.

"You better come back alive or I'll come after you and drag you back." She ordered, tears beginning to leak out.

Haruki smiled, before replying, "Of course." He turned to the stunned twins.

"Both of you, I'm so proud of you two." Haruki murmured, bringing his heartbroken children in a tight embrace. He choked out his final words as he brushed their hair away from their faces. He wiped away their tears before standing up and sprinting toward the chasing group.

"No matter what, I will always love you two. Take care of each other."

"Tou-san.." Kaida hiccuped, reluctantly turning away as her mother pulled her away to continue their desperate escape.

I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I should have remembered, should have prepared better.

After a few hours of sprinting to a place where even Karin couldn't sense anyone anymore, they arrived at a marsh.

They approached a large tree, where Amaya brushed aside some bush to reveal a small hollow within it's roots.

"I need you two to stay here and conceal your chakra." Amaya ordered, her stern gaze instantly commanding respect. "I'm going to go help your father, and no, you will not be coming along."

"Do not leave this place until I come back. The code phrase will be 'A woman's desire can pass even through rock' Ask this of anyone who comes, even if they look like me."She quickly covered the hollow back with the bush, pausing at Karin's trembling words.

"Kaa-san, you'll come back right?"

The plead had Amaya flinching slightly, before she replied "Of course dear." Amaya purposefully didn't pay attention to any of the what if's that lurked in her mind. She turned around after sparing her shivering children one last glance before heading back towards their burning village.

Kaida and Karin watched her retreating figure with wide eyes. Once it disappeared from their sensing range, the tears began to flow.

"...Kaida-nee, what's going to happen to us?" The whimper was barely heard, but Kaida caught her usage of the honorific. Karin never used honorifics with her unless she was overcome with emotions.

"I don't know, all we can do now is wait." She replied, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. So, they huddled together, shivering as they both didn't acknowledge each others tears.

Two days had passed, with no sign of either of their parents. Kaida, after assessing her sister's hungry state, decided to leave the tree in search of food. Once she slipped out of the hollow, Karin stirred from her sleep, rubbing her bleary eyes as she asked where she was going.

"I'm going to search for some food." Kaida planned to see if she could forage anything from the surrounding marshes, if not, then she was going to head for the village.

After hours of searching, she only came up with a few handfuls of cattails, which she promptly washed and split between Karin and her. They immediately stripped the leaves from the flower spikes with seasoned hands and munched on them, ignoring the bland taste with practiced ease. Kaida mentally thanked her father for forcing them to go along with his camping trips, before stopping at the sudden pang in her chest at the thought.

When their stomachs still rumbled after the meager meal, Kaida stood up, telling Karin to stay while she scavenged for more food in the probably destroyed village. Karin, of course, refused.

"We can't split up now" Not after we lost our family

Kaida just glanced at Karin's determined and haunted eyes before sighing and continued walking. There was no use in trying to talk Karin out of this when she was in this stubborn state. She had better luck in trying to convince a brick wall. There was also a slight desire to have company, after the loss of her parents, though she would never admit it.

Behind her back, Karin grinned at her victory before following Kaida. They marched on for hours, bodies tense in high alert for danger. Every rustle caused them to flinch as Karin inched closer to Kaida, who was fingering her spear. The lack of wildlife chatter was noticeable as they made their way through the dense foliage.

Relief was etched in their faces when they emerged out of the forest, though it was quickly wiped off at the sight of the former village.

Smoke billowed out from the ruins, still hot from the smoldering ashes. The stench of burnt flesh overwhealmed their senses as they gagged, retching with their eyes watering. After taking a moment to compose themselves, they hesitantly approached the wreckage, flinching every time they encountered a dark red stain.

A muffled cry pierced the silence, making Kaida whip around, her spear quickly extending as she faced Karin. Her grip loosened as she followed Karin's horrified gaze and shaking finger pointing at something on the ground. She peered at the object,which was partially covered by a fallen roof, and immediately regretted it.

It was a severely burned corpse, it's face twisted in a silent pained scream as it's arm reached out for something in the distance. Kaida hurriedly covered her sister's eyes as they both scurried away from the site. She recognized it as the lady who had managed the turnip stall, back when she had visited the village for the first time.

They could only last for a few minutes longer in the scorched remains before they gave up the search for food and their parents.

"Kaida-nee, I don't think they're here. I can't sense them at anywhere." None of them mentioned the thought that only the living produced chakra signatures.

"...fine. Let's head back." Kaida relented, squashing down all thoughts of wherearetheysaidyouwouldn'tleaveus and headed back towards their hiding place.

The trip back was uneventful, and it was much to her relief when the familiar clearing appeared. The twins both slumped heavily against the tree as the weight of what they just witnessed took their toll. The images of all the corpse they've encountered and the burning remains of their former village distracted them so much, that they missed the quiet footsteps padding towards them.

"What are we gonna do now?" Karin asked dully, blank eyes staring listlessly into the trees.

"Now, my dear, now you two can come with us." The low voice came behind the two, startling them as they both sprang to their feet and backed away. Kaida immediately brought out her spear and they both slipped into defensive crouches.

"Now, now no need to be so hostile." The man chuckled, dark eyes flashing with amusement. "Especially when you can't escape."

Kaida was about to retort when a muffled yelp caught her attention. She turned to find Karin struggling in another man's arms, her arms thrashing around in futility against the man''s burly arms.

"Nee-san!" Her terrified eyes had tears leaking from the corners as she reached for her sister.

"Don't touch her you son of a-!"Kaida's eyes burned with fury as she gritted her teeth.

"Ah, ah, ah. Let go of your weapon first, hime, and we won't hurt you two too much." Bastard #1 crooned, his grin widening to almost inhumane lengths.

Bastard #2 pulled out a knife, pressing it to Karin's throat, causing her to instantly still out of fear.

Kaida gritted her teeth when she looked at Karin, who was watching with wide, pleading eyes. She wasn't sure if Karin was pleading for her to run away or save her. Lowering her head, her expressions were indistinguishable in the shadows as she reluctantly loosened her grip on her weapon.

It clattered on the ground as both men smiled in triumph.

"Wise choice, kid." Bastard #1 and #2 both chuckled as they tied the twin's hands. As they worked, they crowed about their 'new catch' while the girls' faces mirrored their despair.

"These two look like they could be from that village, the one destroyed in the purge"

"Ya know, that red hair of theirs," Bastard #2 fingered Kaida's hair, chuckling as she flinched from his touch. "Almost remind ya of those damned sealing people, What were they called again? The-"

"The Uzumaki? Yeah, those cockroaches just won't die out." Out of their sight, the siblings both shook in anger at their words. The burning fury was soon replaced by cold dread as the two men continued.

"We could sell them for a lot then."

The men continued their conversation as they roughly yanked the now shackled twins along.

The entire march to kami-knows-where passed in a blur, as the twins robotically walked along, all hope having been crushed long ago. They dully looked up when the two men stopped at a small port, where a creaking ship was docked.

The men strode up to the vessel, calling out for someone to come take the girls. Kaida barely noticed the exchange of money as she gripped Karin's hands.

The men left while they were once again yanked into the ship, where despaired sobbing echoed throughout the halls. They silenced when the captain roared at them to "Shut up all of you, 'fore I shut you up myself!"

The twins were shoved into a cell, where another shackled slave was slumped against the wall. He/she did not bother to glance at the newcomers, instead continuing to stare listlessly into the ground before him. The screeching of the cell door slamming shut resounded through the walls.

Kaida stood in front of Karin protectively as she observed the other occupant of the cell.

"Where are we?"

The person finally glanced at her, giving her a few words that confirmed her suspicions, a slight pitying gleam in his otherwise blank eyes.

"You are now slaves. This is a trading ship that transport cargo for the human trafficking business."

Amaya, her body bruised and bloody, trudged towards the hollow where she had left her children. Blood leaked out of her lips as she called out for her children, wincing at the pain in her throat.

When no one replied, she dragged herself closer to the tree, pausing when her foot bumped into something. Her insides clenched in fear as she picked up the object, recognizing as Kaida's spear, which had lied forgotten in the dirt. She tucked it into her pocket, as she straightened up, her pain having been forgotten.

She'll be damned before she would lose anymore of her family.

Author's Note

Finally, we're here. If you read the previous chapters, I've added slight hints, which was my weak attempt at foreshadowing. So yeah, this is my interpretation on what little we know of Karin's past. With a few changes, of course. School ended, so that means I'll have more time to write, so longer chapters. Now, for some shameless advertising. I wrote an oneshot on the spur of the moment, called Just like Hide and Seek. If any of you could check it out then woohoo! There's poll on my profile to see if anyone wants me to continue it.

This was meant to be longer, but the internet went wacky and I lost about a quarter of it before I could save the thing. Words can not describe how annoyed I was at that moment. Hours of work just, gone.

Thanks to all those who reviewed, Shayde F. Revelle, kani-leek-lover, Llyrica, Your own random stalker, shugokage, and guest reviewer alice.

alice: Uh, I don't understand French, at least, that's what I think it is. However, I still appreciate your comment!

kani-leek-lover: It's almost as if you could read my thoughts on what's going to happen next in this story... O_o

Reviews will be welcomed with open arms, as it will help me improve my writing.

To check the writing progress on the next chapter, check my profile.