Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [1]

☾ 10 ☽

Tsukiko stalked down the pathway toward the forest from Tazuna's house, looking around for any sign of the orange-clad ninja friend of hers. It was the following morning and they had woken up to find that Naruto had not returned all night and was not even present at breakfast.

Up ahead, Tsukiko noticed someone in a pink, sleeveless kimono (with pale red edges and plum-purple swirls) walking down the pathway. From afar, it appeared to be a female with long hair but then Tsukiko noticed it was a male.

"Excuse me," Tsukiko said, glancing at the basket in his hand and saw that he was carrying medicinal herbs. "Uh, have you seen a 12-year-old boy around here? Dressed in orange and a ninja?" The boy looked at her closely and she blushed slightly.

"Naruto-Kun?" the boy asked. He himself did not look older than fifteen. "I met him, he is in the forest, practicing. I came across him when he passed out, and he helped me gather some medicinal herbs," Tsukiko nodded slowly as she took everything in. So, Naruto did end up passing out.

"Medicinal herbs, huh?" Tsukiko questioned. "Do you sell them in the market or were you taking them for someone," She realised a bit late that it must've sounded quite intrusive but the boy laughed in response.

"For someone," the boy replied, smiling at her. "Are you going to go train with your friend, too?" Tsukiko shrugged and nodded. "Really? What are you training for?" Tsukiko looked at him closely and wondered if he was a Ninja too. She could feel a lot of Chakra from him. Quite familiar, too...

"To protect those I cherish from danger," Tsukiko replied plainly. The boy looked at her. "My teammates, my village, I want to be able to save them in case someone tries to attack or kill them. I don't like killing people so I have to train my best to be able to fight like that,"

"To protect those who you cherish?" the boy repeated. "To fight without killing someone...?" Tsukiko nodded, a little unnerved by a strange look in the boy's dark eyes. "I think you can be strong then. Only when a person has someone precious to protect does that person become truly strong," He looked at her. "But how will you do that? Fight without killing? And why do you not like killing?"

"Because I do not believe in unnecessary killing of life," Tsukiko said, rather forcefully. "I will learn how to that, someday soon, and I'll prove it, Usa!" She looked around, wondering why is she talking so much. "I-I'm sorry, I have to go now. I've got to go to Naruto-Kun and give him his breakfast,"

"That is okay," the boy replied, staring at the white-haired girl's face intently. "I hope we will meet again," Tsukiko nodded at him, her cheeks darkening slightly before she rushed off from there, hurrying down the path to where she was sure that she will find Naruto. He needed his breakfast.

Tsukiko glanced over her shoulder before she turned the corner, looking at the older boy one last time. She saw that he was looking back at her, too, and that only made her feeling more embarrassed as she vanished around the corner.

"Yah, Naruto! Sasuke!" Tsukiko shouted as she came across them. The two boys looked over at her and Tsukiko sent the basket of food flying at Naruto's face, who screamed and fell back as the basket hit him in the face. "You forgot your breakfast,"

"Kiko-Chan, you're really cruel sometimes!" Naruto grumbled as he pushed the basket off of himself and sat up before jumping at the breakfast, eager for the food. "But thank you for the food~!" Tsukiko smiled as she crossed her arms.

"Hurry up, idiot," Sasuke said as he started to walk off toward his tree. "Or do you want to be left behind?" He smirked slightly and that fired Naruto up, who stuffed his face quickly, choked a few times before rushing off to his own tree.