The day started with the sun rising and the small boy did not know why. He looked up real hard trying to find the bright blue sky. So cloudy as if about to rain, the strange weather he could not explain. The small little boy took each and every step towards his goal, his life was broken apart as he tried to find something soft, so white, so fluffy, to fill the empty hole. The hole within his heart and the broken pieces that were torn apart. His emotions were everywhere, but nowhere. All around, but never found.

The darkness of the night rises, and the weather hits the boy as he soon realises. In his whole life he worried about surprises, as he ventured forth in so many different disguises. In a world of shinobi, where was he. A small lonely boy without a family. His emotions made him feel the need for the victory felt when one would succeed. He was needy for that is what he wanted, he was thirsty for his reward to be granted.

In all this time if only he knew, if only he understood. Why did she leave him, why did they all leave. In his heart he knew why, but chose not to believe. What more could the little boy do, what could anyone even begin to do as the world turns so does his heart. A fragile heart broken, soft words left unspoken. He took step by step in the soft grassy plains as he saw before him a white haven, as far as the eye could see it was waiting for him. However before he could get there he would have to make a journey, and so began the tale of his adventure. The new beginning in the forest of Rice

Words 301

Taking step by step, the pitter patter slow patter of his feet speeding up as he sees what is right in front of him as he draws out his bow. He ducks under a branch and jumps over a large root as he dashes after the light hazel brown furry little animal as it makes a dash away from the little hunter chasing him. He grabs an arrow and places it as he jumps over a water puddle and evades several branches before finally taking aim. It was time for him to get his target as he jumped up high and prepared with his bow string drawn he was ready to take out the little rabbit. "go!!!" as he shot the arrow it swirled around in a rotation as the wind blew it swayed as the rabbit made a yelping sound as it jumped for its life the wind was just enough to make it miss as it hit the ground.

The boy was upset and continued to give chase as the rabbit began to sidestep and finally entered the hole as the boy stopped in his tracks as he slid on the ground before running back the way he came. He had no choice since every arrow mattered as he reached into the ground and pulled out his arrow and sealed it away and then he noticed a strange growling sound. He was a bit lost, but he knew that he was now being hunted as he looked all around him, he looked in front of him, to the left at a suspicious bush, behind him at the small open space he ran through and then he looked up as it had pounced and he back stepped as the panther missed him just barely as it clawed his shirt down the centre. He stood his ground and prepared himself for battle as he drew forth his little kunai. It was time to fight for his life

Words 301 + 327 = 628

"I won't lose" as he glared at the panther that glared back at him as both refused to back down. Fight to eat, or to be kept from being eaten. This was the law of the jungle and so it was that they now had to face one another. The panther lunged at him as he attempted to parry the first slash of the panther's left paw, but the parry had no effect as the right paw came towards his neck as he just barely ducked under it as the wind blew over his hair. He thrust forward to strike the panther in its face only for it to sidestep his thrust as it came with its sharp fangs preparing to bite off his arm from the side as he let go with his left hand and used it to press down on the panther's nose as he pressed on it to push his body up and over the panther. He was sweating as that was a close call as he stabbed the panther in its back but seemed to not reach deep enough as the panther just shrugged it off as the small boy fell on the ground unable to make a proper landing.

The panther was annoyed as it prepared to take the small boy as it charged, with the boy laying on the ground getting up slowly there was no time to do anything as the panther was about to bite his neck it felt the ground disappear beneath its feet as the boy looked down as the panther fell down a hole glaring up at him, it lunged upwards being just a bit too deep to get the boy from there as the boy smiled a bit. However he knew his life had nearly ended right then and there as he took a deep breathe and said softly. "I need to get stronger"

Words 628 + 317 = 945

The panther had tried running up the walls of the small hole several times, failing as it gave up on its predicament realising it may need to rest and recover as it laid down its head as if fearing nothing from the small boy. The panther would have been such an easy to defeat target, but he did not want to just leave it there either. He began thinking to himself that he should let it out, but he should also make sure it can not follow him as he began thinking of leaving a trail of fire behind him, before realising he may end up burning down the forest as he decided against that option. While he was day dreaming for a bit the panther began to wonder whether its pray left it behind or if it still had a chance at revenge on its captor. The panther also knew all too well how dangerous humans were in the forest and did not like them entering the hunting grounds of the panthers that lived here. The other panthers had recently been hunted and because of this only the strongest panthers went out to hunt. The rest now trained in their safe haven which was hidden thanks to a special agreement with the guardian of the forest.

The panther looked up slowly and carefully as the boy was busy digging out a bit of the edge creating a small ledge for the panther to jump on. At the very least the panther knew the boy had no intention of killing it as it began to wonder whether to get the small boy now or just let him go. While the panther thought about those things the small boy finished making the ledge and began to run off as fast as he could just in case as the panther jumped out and smiled on the inside as it watched the boy pitter pattering away.

Words 945 + 323 = 1268

The time for hunting was drawing short as the small boy watched as the sky began getting dark, he was really hungry and tired as he finally found no other choice but to start eating some of his emergency bread. He did not like the taste as the bread was cheap and did not have the nice fluffy crunchy taste he liked to eat. He was annoyed as he ate the bread that felt stale to him as he began to take out his bottle of water and drank it without a care in the world. He was getting tired and began to wonder if the animals might try to eat him if he was not careful as he stretched a bit having found an open plain for his relaxing. This was so open it could be considered dangerous, but with his special technique it was no problem. He placed both hands on the ground as he sealed a large portion of the ground around him away as it created a large gaping hole around the spot he was sleeping on. He did not have a blanket but an old cloak to keep him warm and a soft little pillow he managed to squeeze into his bag.

He then began to snuggle into the cloak before rolling around a few times as he then laid on his back. The sky began to clear as he looked up into the starry night's sky. The twinkle twinkle of little stars as he wondered what they are, up above the clouds so far, sparkling like a diamond in the sky. He then saw a shooting star as he opened his eyes wide feeling really lucky as he wished for one thing only. "Please keep all my friends safe, even if they left me behind"

Words 1268 + 301 = 1569

The small little boy looked up to the sky, various bandits noticed the strange hole and decided to turn back since they did not trust it, some animals also appeared and turned back as they did not feel like it was a good idea to go down a steep cliff off into a deep hole they knew nothing about. He watched as the moon light looked upon him as he began to wonder what it was that he should do in this dark night. He wanted to start a fire since it was getting cold, but he decided not to attract unwanted attention. He laid there and waited for something to happen as the night seemed so still and so peaceful. The boy wished for so many things, but the one wish he made was simply an optimistic hope he could not completely let go of. Then something deep down inside began to stir as he felt like a song began to sing inside of his head.

"The wind blows wild on the mountain tonight
No shinobi to be seen.
A kingdom of lightning nation,
and it looks like I'm unseen
The wind is howling like this fire sealed inside
Couldn't keep it in;
Sano knows I've tried

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good boy you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel,
don't let them know
Well now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go
Turn away and break the floor
I don't care
what they're going to say
Let the flames rage on.
The wind never bothered me anyway"

Words 1569 + 278 = 1847