-memory-

"Can't I go home now? " I complained.

He just shook his head no.

"But it's my eighth birthday! I wanna go see mommy! I haven't seen her in a year! " I pleaded.

He shook his head no again.

I crossed my arms and plomped down in my chair.

"You're no fun, B!" I shouted.

He laughed at that.

I looked down at my shoes.

There was some silence.

"I...I just wanna go home, B. I love it here with you and you've really helped me with my "problem" but I miss mommy and yoari. I even miss my village. Please, just let me go once! " I said.

He frowned then walked over to me.

Then he shook his head no, once again.

I jumped off my chair and ran to my room and slammed the door.

It's not fair!

I just want to go back!

Mommy said I could come back one day!

She sent me to B and she hasn't seen me since!

I started to cry.

I just want my mommy!

Then it came to me.

I can run away from B.

I can find my way back home.

I won't tell him and I'll sneak out tonight, after he go's to sleep.

Just you wait, mommy.

I'm coming back home.

After B went to sleep I started packing my bags.

T shirt? Check.

Food? Check.

Super Pink Princess Adventures? I think I'll just leave that here...

I was just about to walk out my door when -

The memory changed.

"Please, let me stay until I can find my village! I beg of you! " I shouted.

The leaders glared at me.

"Why should we let you travel with our clan?" the man asked.

"Because! " I heard a voice say.

A girl walked out from behind her parents, the leaders.

"Ketei is my best friend! She has never teased me or left me behind when everyone else has shunned me! She protected me from all the other clans and if they tried to hurt me she would beat them up! I haven't seen her in a year and you want to kill her for finally wanting someone to return the favor!" she yelled.

The girls parents turned to her.

The father spoke first.

"That is no way to talk to your mother or me. " the man said.

The girl cringed.

"But, if what you say is true and this girl is that devoted to you...."

He looked at me.

"You will be Yoari's new bodyguard! " he said.

I sent a smile to Yoari and she rushed over and hugged me.

"I missed you, Ketei-chan. " Yoari said.

"I missed you too, squirt. " I said.

"We can be around each other all the time now!" Yoari shouted, grabbing onto me like a koala bear.

I reached up for help.

"Can't.... Breathe... Help! " I said, struggling to breathe.

I felt someone pull Yoari off of me and sent a silent thank you to the whoever.

I looked up and saw a very tall man with blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Umm.... " I said, getting up.

He smiled.

"My name is Hidikan." he said.

I bowed.

"Thank you, for saving me from..."

I looked at Yoari freaking out on the ground now that she couldn't hug me.

"That crazy little girl... " I finished.

He laughed.

"I'm the older brother of that "crazy little girl" you know. " he said.

I backed away slowly.

"Uhh... Gomen... " I trailed off.

He slapped my shoulder and grinned.

"Don't apologize. She is a crazy little girl. You need to learn how to toughen up, especially now that you're my baby sister's bodyguard. I would die if anything happened to her." he said.

I nodded.

I-I need to toughen up.

For Yoari.

To protect her.

I looked him in the eyes and grinned.

"I can bet you my ass that nothing will touch your sister. And if anyone ever succeeds... "

I picked up a rock from off the ground and threw it at a tree with all the strength I had, denting it a little.

"They will experience otherworldly pain. " I said.

He smirked at that.

"Well, training starts tomorrow. " he said.

I saluted him.

"Aye aye, captain!" I said.

He laughed.

"You're something. I don't know what it is but you're something aren't you? " he said.

Then, before I could react, Yoari had pounched down on me again.

I looked to Hidikan with puppy dog eyes.

"Lesson 1, deal with my sister on your own. " he said and started walking away.

I tried crawling out from her grip but she held on tight.

"Hidikan, how can you be so cruel? " I mumbled.

Then I heard someone start to cry.

I looked down at Yoari holding onto me and saw she was sobbing.

"Yoari? " I asked.

She lifted her head up.

"I missed you Ketei-chan! I missed my best friend! Promise we'll be best friends forever! " she said.

I smiled.

"Of course. " I said and she hugged me tighter.

Then the memory changed.

"Sir, may I please be excused from my duties? Just for today. " I said.

Yoari's father glared at me.

"Stop acting like you rescept me, Ketei. I'd rather you be honest. " he said.

I stood up and put my hands on my hips.

"Ha, you can see straight through me huh, baby-scarer!" I said.

He sweatdropped.

"Baby-scarer? " he said.

"Well, you didn't like smells-like-rotten-eggs, you didn't like should-probably-be-killed-by-a-lion, and you didn't like fucked-up-haircut! What's a girl to do? " I said.

"Stop nicknaming people. " he said.

I laughed.

"But, Baby-scarer, that's how I remember names! Like you're Baby-Scarer, Hidikan is Ridin-Dirty, Yoari is Shut-The-Fuck-Up or Squirt, and your wife is Ugly! " I said.

Dark shadows started to creep off the king.

"Did you just say my wife is ugly? " he said, menacingly.

I jumped up and smiled.

"No, I didn't say she was ugly! I said her nickname is ugly! There's a difference Baby-scarer! I would never think of your wife as ugly! " I said.

"Then why did you nickname her ugly... " he said.

"Because it was the first word that popped up in my mind when I saw her. " I said, thinking back.

He threw a kunai at me and I dodged it.

"So, I can be excused from being a bodyguard, just for today? " I asked.

He scowled.

"Yes. Now go away before I excuse you from existence. "

"Arigato, Baby-scarer! " I said with a bow and raced out of there.

Once I had gotten away from the clan and out into the woods, I sighed.

Thank goodness.

I'm so glad to be out of there.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I missed Yoari but shit.

Those people are fucking crazy.

They're the Mikata clan.

Known for being fierce, bloodthirsty,murderous. Oh, and nomadic.

That pretty much explains all of them to a tea. Except for Yoari.

Yoari wouldn't hurt a dandelion.

She's sweet, innocent, and nice. The complete opposite of her whole clan.

She's always been an outcast, no matter where she go's because if she's with her clan she's that "weak little girl" and if she's not, she's that "daughter of those murderers".

Her older brother hidikan isn't that bad but, if he has to... He'll destroy a person.

He's been my teacher for the past six months. He keeps training me every day for my job of being Yoari's bodyguard.

The training isn't easy.

But, it's worth it.

One, it helps me protect Yoari.

Two, Hidikan is awesome.

Really, the real reason I wanted to get out of their campsite for a while is because I've heard some interesting rumors since we all arrived here.

That there's a village hidden in the woods where a very special clan lives.

It's a long shot but maybe... It could be my home.

I brushed a giant spider web out of my face and kicked some twigs back so I could get through.

It should be here somewhere....

I kept walking and walking until I saw some smoke up ahead.

Could it be...

I started running as fast as I could towards the smoke until I... Fell flat on my face.

I spit out the dirt that had gotten in my mouth and got up from the ground and sat down.

I have a nice long cut on my leg.

I touched it and it burned.

I clenched my teeth, trying my best not to focus on the pain.

Then a heard a branch break.

My head snapped to the direction of the sound.

Who's there?

I was slightly relieved to see a boy around my age step out from behind a bush.

He noticed me an laughed.

I frowned.

"What the fuck are you laughing at? " I asked.

He just kept laughing.

"Well, tell me!" I demanded.

"It's just so funny to see such a weak little girl have such a scary look on her face. " he said.

Did he just call me a weak little girl?

I tried standing up and somewhat managed to keep my balance.

I stared at him.

"I. Am. Not. Weak." I boasted.

He walked closer to me.

"You're right. You're not weak. You're proud." he said.

I smiled.

"Of course I am! I'm Ketei! Proud is my second middle name! " I said.

"What's your first? "

"Megumi. " I said.

He laughed.

"Seems pretty normal in comparison to the second one. " he said.

"Well, it's important to me... " I said quietly.

He smirked then bent down on his knees and grabbed my leg.

I blushed like crazy.

"W-What are you doing? " I asked.

He lifted my leg up and leaned closer to the cut.

"It's not that bad. I'll go get some everwert. That'll help with the pain... " he said, deep in thought.

I slapped his hand away from my leg.

"I said what are you doing! " I said.

"You're loud. " he said.

Then he snatched some type of weed from the ground and shoved it in my mouth.

I tried spitting it out but he just held my mouth closed until I had swallowed it.

Then he let go.

I punched him, knocking him backwards onto the ground.

He spit out some blood.

I leaned down to him.

"What the hell did you make me eat! " I screamed.

"Just some everwert. It'll help out with your cut. " he said.

I leaned back.

"S-Sorry. " I said and helped him up.

"Well, you're quite the tusandere. " he said.

I frowned.

"Call me that again and I'll rip your face off." I said.

"More evidence to support my point. " he said.

I threw my hands up and let out a mental scream.

"Can you just shut up? " I said.

"No." he said.

I sighed.

"Well, thanks for helping me out with my cut and all... " I said.

He smiled.

"No biggie. " he said.

I was just about to walk away until I remembered.

"Oh, I have two questions for you. " I said.

"Ask away. "

"What's your name and do know about a village hidden in these Woods? " I asked.

"My name is Itachi Uchica. And yes. There's a village around here somewhere. My clan used to trade with them. " he said.

Yes, I just got lucky!

"Could you help me find it? " I asked.

"No." he said.

"Wha! "

He smirked.

"Okay, now I'll help. I just wanted to see that look on your face. It was priceless. " he said.

I'm so going to kill him.

---

A/N

Hope you guys liked this chapter!

Just putting a note here today because I wanted to ask you guys to check out my newest book, Awesome Opowers. It's pretty crazy and I think if you like this book, you'll like Awesome Opowers too.

It's sort of a parody of classic adventure stories.

This chapter is dedicated to Psycho-Smiling :)

Bye for now! - bluelion2