Kaida stood in the playground as other children pushed past her. They headed to the swings and slides, to play with their friends, and enjoy the innocence that came with childhood.

Kaida always considered herself separate from the other children. She was young, but her destiny had been planned out for her from the beginning. Eventually, she would be admitted to the ruthless ninja academy down the road, and if she was good she would be given a private tutor like her older brother. However, she would be nothing more than the family pawn to be used in marriages and political deals. She was the youngest, and the one with the least worth.

Maybe she could become a medic nin. She remembered walking in on her mother, and seeing the blood that covered her hands. They said it was a terminal illness, there was nothing a medic nin in Suna could do. Kaida tried however, she tried with every fiber in her being.

It translated into school too. She would bring a first aid kit to help the kids who got a bit careless in playing. She liked what she did despite the stares and whispers she got. She knew what she was doing was right and that's all that mattered.

Often when she bandaged wounds now it was because of a reason far more sinister than simple cuts and bruises caused from rough housing. Kids would often come running from the direction of the Kazekage's side of Suna in terror. She would have to calm them down before they hyperventilated. She was a medic in training not a psychiatrist!

Eventually she went from annoyed to infuriated very quickly. Who did this monster kid think he was anyways? Hurting people was not nice, even her dad said so. If her dad said it, then it had to be true. After all, when she hit that Hanako kid at school she had been sorely punished. He just didn't take his medicine right was all. You don't swallow itching paste. Stupid boy.

Her vexation drove her to march straight up to the rooftop that the monster kid had last been spotted, and proceed to scream shrilly at the top of her lungs. After running out of breath for four times, a mop of unruly red hair peaked out from the edge of the roof.

"H-hello."

Stopping midway through her fifth holler, she opened her yellow eyes. "You there kid. What's your name?"

The boy looked owlish, as though seeing some other animate being was enough to send him into shock.

That's it. Let the insults fly. "Listen here carrot top, I ain't got all day."

The boy looked at her with curiosity. "Gaara", he murmured.

"You're too quiet to be that kid-monster. Where's your friend kid? Oh wait Gaara, excuse me." Kaida stated bluntly.

The Gaara kid merely widened his eyes and shook his head. His silence started to grate on her nerves.

"Look here Mr. Colorful, I have a great right hook and I'm not afraid to use it."

For once, the person you were threatening didn't look remotely scared. He just looked...sad. His eyes drooped, and was that a stuffed bear she saw perched beside him? Poor kid. Didn't he know he could get beat up for dragging that around?

"Sorry." Kaida spoke gruffly since giving out apologies wasn't really her thing. "You're totally welcome to come down you know. I'm really quite nice." You aimed what hopefully passed as a honest smile his way.

"I've never met a nice person before." Those words shocked her, her smile was now gone. Gaara didn't notice however since he was floating down on what appeared to be a cloud of sand.

"Wow that's awesome!" Kaida exclaimed before she could think. Wait, wasn't sand always in the wounds she had to bandage? Didn't the other kids complain because wounds caused by salty sand stung?

Wasn't that the smell of blood?

"So you are the one who's been hurting everyone."

Gaara looked ashamed for the most part. Kaida couldn't tell if it was because he'd been found out, or because he was feeling guilty.

"They never want to talk to me. I'll always be the monster." He had sat down while talking and drew his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth. He looked so hurt, so broken and confused. Kaida could do nothing but stare.

"Here's their ball back. They left it here last time." He softly rolled a blue striped ball towards her. It stopped at her feet.

Looking between the ball and the boy, she made a decision that was all hers. She had never been one to listen to others anyways.

"Your bear, it has a booboo." She stated.

Gaara looked more like a puppy now; his head was cocked to the side in utter confusion. "What's a 'booboo'?"

"A booboo is a wound, just a small one though." She replied in earnest. She walked closer to him. "Can I see him?"

Still looking shocked (or maybe it was merely the stark black circles surrounding his eyes) he handed the teddy bear to her.

She sat down, and got out her bandages. She never was good with sewing, but it didn't matter. Her bandages were pretty, not those ugly ones, but colorful ones with stars and rainbows. Who wouldn't love them?

She gently wrapped the one with stars around the leg of the bear. It was disturbing, the way the boy just kept watch without blinking. She managed to get the tear wrapped rather snugly, tied, and then cut off the excess. No more stuffing coming out of you little bear!

Smiling proudly, she held up her handiwork. "See look! He's all better! What's his name?"

Gaara tentatively smiled. 'That smile', she thought 'can light up a room.'

"I haven't picked out a name. I have some more at home, so I don't have a special one."

Oh, well that hit her straight in the ego. This kid was obviously spoiled. She never had toys except the occasional ones her brothers and sisters left around the house. Even then, she was harshly scolded for daring to play with them. Rather, she liked her collection of kunais. Now that provided for some real fun.

"Well that bandage I put on it was special. You better give 'em a name now." She crossed her arms in a self affirmative position.

"Ok...how about..." Gaara looked confused again.

"Look, I'll help you out. How about Miki?"

Gaara looked at her curiously. "Why happy? Does healing my bear make you happy?"

"Has anyone told you that you ask the weirdest questions?"

"No, but they do call me a monster. Am I a monster?"

Kaida couldn't think of a retort. She knew that everyone in the village thought he was a monster. It seemed to her that he was a confused boy who didn't know his place in the world. Well, neither did she.

She hugged Gaara fiercely. "Your loneliness is the monster, not you. I'm lonely too. Want to get rid of our monsters together?"

Gaara's arms which had been hanging uselessly by his side, grasped her to him.

"Want to be friends?" She squeaked out. He was stronger than he let on.

"That means I won't be a monster from now on?" He asked.

"Yep. You'll be...*wheeze*...an awesome carrot...*cough*...top."

He released her, and looked vividly at her with aquamarine eyes. "I've always wanted a friend."