A/N: I apologize ahead of time if you guys don't like this chapter, but i needed to do some time skippage so I did. Things will get more interesting soon, you'll see. Please read and review.

-Fayre-

I groaned as I sat up. I felt sand fall from my shoulders and looked down to see my body surrounded by it.

'Just how long was I out?'

I wondered.

'Hey Raja, what happened?'

I asked my demon, but didn't get a response.

'Raja? You there?'

I asked, then images flashed through my mind. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered that Raja had been taken from me.

'That's right, I'm on my own now.'

I thought as I stood up. I slowly made my way in the direction I knew the nearest town was in. I needed to find out who those people were and why they did what they did to me. That, and where I could find them. I was going to make them pay for what they did to me. They were going to pay for what they did. They took Raja away from me. The one constant person that had been in my life since birth.

I stumbled down the streets of the village, ignoring the curious stares I got from the villagers. I headed for the bar and sat down.

"What can I get ya?"

The bartender asked and I looked up to see a boy about seventeen with short black hair cut close to his head, wearing glasses looking at me as he cleaned a glass. I flinched when I saw the glasses and images of the boy with glasses that finished the jutsu flashed through my mind.

"Hey, are you alright?"

He asked, bringing me back to reality.

"Yeah. Can I have something to eat?"

I asked and he nodded before heading into the back only to come out a few minutes later with a bowl ramen.

"Here you go."

He said sitting it on the bar in front of me. I nodded my thanks before digging in. When I finished he looked at me expectantly.

"What?"

I asked after a while.

"You gonna pay for that or what?"

He asked and I blanked.

'Shit, do I even have any money left?'

I wondered as I checked my pockets coming up empty.

'Fuck.'

"Look, we don't give out freebies around here."

He said glaring at me.

"I don't have any money, but I'll pay you back. Got anything you need to be done around here? Leaky roof? Squeaky floors? Crates that need to be moved? Anything?"

I asked and he looked at me surprised before pointing to the back room.

"Yeah. We just got a new shipment of booze that needs to be unloaded. You can do that, but be careful. The backroom is kind of a mess. And don't steal anything."

He said as I headed into the backroom. I growled at him, but he didn't hear me. I looked around at the backroom.

'He hadn't been kidding.'

I thought with a frown. Things were hanging off haphazardly from shelves, the floor was covered in broken bottles, crates, and dead leaves from who knows where. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere.

'There is no way I'll be able to unload the shipment with this room looking like this.'

I thought with a sigh.

'I might as well get started.'

I thought as I rolled up my sleeves.

THREE HOURS LATER

-Gale-

I waved at the last of the bar patrons as they stumbled out the door. I sighed as I headed towards the back room. I hadn't been able to check up on that girl since the bar got so busy. I opened the door and my mouth dropped. Everything was so clean. The shelves were organized, bottles of booze were lining one wall while crates were against another. The broken bottles had been cleaned up, the dust and cobwebs were gone and I saw that the new shipment was put up as well. I saw the girl from earlier curled up in the far corner fast asleep. I made my way over to her. Her shoulder length black hair covered part of her face, she looked so innocent.

I reached forward to wake her up to thank her, but stumbled back when a wall of sand suddenly blocked my hand.

"What the hell!"

I yelled and the girl stirred. She opened her eyes and looked around. Finally, she turned her turquoise colored eyes at me. Her eyes narrowed at me and I could have sworn I heard her growl at me.

"Don't look at me like that. I was just trying to wake you up to say thanks."

I said as I straightened back up. Her eyes widened before she stood up.

"I cleaned up your back room and unloaded your shipment. My bill's been paid for, I'm outta here."

She said as she walked past me towards the door.

"Hey!"

I said and she froze, but didn't turn around.

"If you need a place to stay you can stay in the room above here. It's empty."

I said and she turned to look at me.

"Why help me out?"

She asked and I shrugged.

"Seems like you could use it."

I said and she turned back around.

"Thanks."

She said before walking out of the room. I heard the door close after her and sighed.

'Just who is that girl?'

I wondered as I went back into the bar.

FOUR YEARS LATER

-Fayre-

"Gale!"

I called and he turned to look at me.

"They're at it again."

I said and heard him curse before he grabbed the bat from behind the bar and headed towards the fighting bar patrons. I leaned against the bar and watched. It had been four years since I came to this village and asked for food and wound up having to clean the back room of this bar. I still can't believe Gale offered me the room above here or a job, but it paid off. It kept me fed and I've learned a lot of things during my stay in this village. One being the identity of the cloaked figures that kidnapped me and took Raja from me. And, where they were. I'd decided I'd take time and train myself before going after them, that's why I was still in this town. Nobody other than Gale knew who I was and all he knew was that my name was Mia Tenashki and I ran away from home after my father remarried a woman that wanted to sell me off to a slave trader because I wasn't her idea of a perfect daughter. Of course none of that was true, but he didn't need to know that.

"God. I swear they always fight when they come here."

Gale said as he came back to the bar. I shrugged and he shook his head at me.

"You could have easily dealt with them."

He said and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Do you want your bar patrons dead?"

I asked and he laughed.

"No, but still. It would have saved me a lot of trouble."

He said and I looked out the window. I'd be leaving tonight. Four years was long enough. It was time that Orochimaru and his followers paid for what they did.

"Mia, are you okay?"

Gale asked waving his hand in front of my face. On instinct I grabbed it and twisted his arm behind his back and pushed his hand upwards. He howled in pain and my eyes widened and I stepped back.

"Sorry."

I said quickly and he looked at me.

"Dang. I thought we agreed that you wouldn't use your training on me."

He said and I shrugged.

"Whatever. My shift's over, I'm going to bed."

I said as I put my notepad down and headed for the door.

"Night Mia."

Gale said and I ignored him as I headed for my room above the bar.

I strapped my sai to my thigh, my katana to my back, and dressed in the clothes I'd come to the village in. I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I'd grown over the years. I wasn't a kid anymore, but I wasn't fully a woman either. My black cargo pants hugged my slim waist where they met with my light gray off the shoulder halter top. My black hair had grown to my mid-back. I braided it and pulled on my black combat boots. I looked out the window and smiled when I saw the moon was high in the sky. I quickly scribbled a goodbye to Gale and placed a bag of money on the bed before jumping out the window and heading for the cave in the desert where Orochimaru and the Akatsuki members were hiding out. Tonight was the night I got revenge for what they did to me. Tonight was the night they all died.