It wasn't often that Kiyoko was allowed out of the house without a specific destination, such as the academy or the local shop to buy some groceries, but when she was given the opportunity, she always took it gratefully. She had packed up a small bag containing her art supplies as well as a thin piece of wood, a medium she liked much more than paper, and had set off to find a scene she could draw. Her mother would allow her to stay out for as much time as she wanted, until she would grow too tired and return home before falling asleep. After all, Sunagakure wasn't always the safest place for a young, frail girl like herself to be roaming around alone. She made sure to stick with crowds until she found a good place to break off, sticking to the well lit areas of the streets to see any oncoming assailant.
And this was the path she was traveling now. Her eyes scanned each darker passageway as she would pass, not wanting to be caught off guard. It took a little while to find the same scene she had been drawing before, but it eventually came into view. It was a quaint little flower shop that wasn't doing so well anymore. Kiyoko didn't know the shop owner, and she didn't want to upset her by drawing her shop without permission, so the white-haired child would always seat herself on the roof of a building across from the shop. She would have to slowly maneuver herself up, given her untrained muscles and lack of physical exercise, but she would always find a way up to her usual spot before pulling out her supplies and beginning to work once again. Her piece recreated the bright, colorful flowers that she was sure had existed before the shop keeper had lost her care and ability to grow them as well. What was now a dull scene was refurnished into a colorful masterpiece, and Kiyo wanted the woman to know that she still believed in her shop and her flowers.
This just happened to be the day she would finish, and she smiled brightly when she had done so. She was going to leave the picture in front of the shop, along with a quaint little white flower her and her mother had grown just for this occasion. She packed up her bag and climbed back down, running up to the shop with a small smile on her face. Once she got there, she set the picture out so that the woman would see it. She then removed a small box from her bag, pulling out the white bloom and setting it next to the picture. Hoping to see the woman's reaction, she knocked on the door before sprinting away and slipping into a small shadow next to one of the buildings.
The woman stepped out of the shop and looked around before spotting the piece of wood and the flower. She knelt down and picked up the picture, smiling softly before turning and setting it in the window of the shop. She then took the white flower and looked at it before turning back around, facing Kiyoko. "Thank you, little one," she called out, both shocking Kiyo and making her smile. She had thought she did this without the woman knowing, but perhaps she wasn't as hidden as she thought. She laughed softly before turning around to head home, glad that she had made someone happy with her art.
When she was a little ways away from the shop, she heard a loud scream. It made her heart fall, and she immediately started running back to the shop. She saw the woman lying on the ground outside of the shop, and Kiyoko rushed to her side, dropping to her knees to put pressure on the wound that was bleeding out from her stomach. "C-Child..." the woman began, tears forming in her eyes. Kiyoko offered a small smile to her, not allowing herself to cry for the woman even though she feared the worst. She wasn't medically trained in any way except the basics, and all she knew to do was to put pressure on a bleeding wound. However, she soon heard a laugh coming from behind her.
"Poor little girl. You can't save someone who is bleeding that quickly." Kiyo knew the blood was seeping through her small hands, but she didn't stop trying. She turned her head and glared as darkly as she could at the man standing a few feet away. He held a long sword in his hand, and she knew she was in great danger. "How sad it is too, to see the kind woman smiling one moment then crying and dying another."
Despite Kiyoko's anger, she kept herself from rushing at the man. He had far too many advantages on her. He was armed with a weapon she wasn't familiar with, he was much larger and stronger than her, and he held some sort of darkness within him that she had never felt herself. The only bad things that had ever happened to her was a few bruises from a spar, some more painful wounds from a class, and the loss of her father. The last was the only one that she could blame on someone else, but she had yet to come to terms with the fact that he was actually gone. This man seemed as though he had never seen a single happy moment in his life, and though that was probably not true, if he had that much hatred and anger in his heart, he must be far from any kindness at the moment. If she were to attack him or attempt to run, he would only attack her. Unless he only wanted to drive her to fear him and let her go with that fear and anxiety, but what reason would he have to do that? So Kiyoko stayed right where she was, watching carefully for any movement on his behalf.
[MFT: 1021 words]
And this was the path she was traveling now. Her eyes scanned each darker passageway as she would pass, not wanting to be caught off guard. It took a little while to find the same scene she had been drawing before, but it eventually came into view. It was a quaint little flower shop that wasn't doing so well anymore. Kiyoko didn't know the shop owner, and she didn't want to upset her by drawing her shop without permission, so the white-haired child would always seat herself on the roof of a building across from the shop. She would have to slowly maneuver herself up, given her untrained muscles and lack of physical exercise, but she would always find a way up to her usual spot before pulling out her supplies and beginning to work once again. Her piece recreated the bright, colorful flowers that she was sure had existed before the shop keeper had lost her care and ability to grow them as well. What was now a dull scene was refurnished into a colorful masterpiece, and Kiyo wanted the woman to know that she still believed in her shop and her flowers.
This just happened to be the day she would finish, and she smiled brightly when she had done so. She was going to leave the picture in front of the shop, along with a quaint little white flower her and her mother had grown just for this occasion. She packed up her bag and climbed back down, running up to the shop with a small smile on her face. Once she got there, she set the picture out so that the woman would see it. She then removed a small box from her bag, pulling out the white bloom and setting it next to the picture. Hoping to see the woman's reaction, she knocked on the door before sprinting away and slipping into a small shadow next to one of the buildings.
The woman stepped out of the shop and looked around before spotting the piece of wood and the flower. She knelt down and picked up the picture, smiling softly before turning and setting it in the window of the shop. She then took the white flower and looked at it before turning back around, facing Kiyoko. "Thank you, little one," she called out, both shocking Kiyo and making her smile. She had thought she did this without the woman knowing, but perhaps she wasn't as hidden as she thought. She laughed softly before turning around to head home, glad that she had made someone happy with her art.
When she was a little ways away from the shop, she heard a loud scream. It made her heart fall, and she immediately started running back to the shop. She saw the woman lying on the ground outside of the shop, and Kiyoko rushed to her side, dropping to her knees to put pressure on the wound that was bleeding out from her stomach. "C-Child..." the woman began, tears forming in her eyes. Kiyoko offered a small smile to her, not allowing herself to cry for the woman even though she feared the worst. She wasn't medically trained in any way except the basics, and all she knew to do was to put pressure on a bleeding wound. However, she soon heard a laugh coming from behind her.
"Poor little girl. You can't save someone who is bleeding that quickly." Kiyo knew the blood was seeping through her small hands, but she didn't stop trying. She turned her head and glared as darkly as she could at the man standing a few feet away. He held a long sword in his hand, and she knew she was in great danger. "How sad it is too, to see the kind woman smiling one moment then crying and dying another."
Despite Kiyoko's anger, she kept herself from rushing at the man. He had far too many advantages on her. He was armed with a weapon she wasn't familiar with, he was much larger and stronger than her, and he held some sort of darkness within him that she had never felt herself. The only bad things that had ever happened to her was a few bruises from a spar, some more painful wounds from a class, and the loss of her father. The last was the only one that she could blame on someone else, but she had yet to come to terms with the fact that he was actually gone. This man seemed as though he had never seen a single happy moment in his life, and though that was probably not true, if he had that much hatred and anger in his heart, he must be far from any kindness at the moment. If she were to attack him or attempt to run, he would only attack her. Unless he only wanted to drive her to fear him and let her go with that fear and anxiety, but what reason would he have to do that? So Kiyoko stayed right where she was, watching carefully for any movement on his behalf.
[MFT: 1021 words]