Sunshine

Too fast

I was realizing very quickly that people did not want to leave a wandering little girl alone. I was a few towns over at this point. There were a few people that had tried to grab me, worried that someone's child had been lost. There were a few creep's as well, but most seemed to just be drawn to me. Honestly, it was a bit creepy.

I ate the food that my grandmother had left me; she even gave me a bit of money. But I was trying to save the money. I slept in the wood's, climbing small tree's, and sleeping in the branches. I had no idea what to really do; I have completed the first task: I got away from when I originally died. So big plus there. I tried not to think about my family's lives. I barely really knew them, even if I loved to think of them as my parents, but I had no real bond with them. I just hoped for the best for them.

I knew I couldn't sit around anywhere near the village but I didn't want to travel too far. What if Kakashi can't find me?

Which led me to my biggest problem: while I was mentally an adult, I was physically a child and a girl, and on top of that, I was not from this time. I was ignorant of the world I lived in. This, in a way, took me back to being a child.

Keeping my cloak on, I strolled through the town. I looked around at the people. A few of them looked at me, wondering, some worried. Others are too busy to care. Which was fine with me. It made watching the people a little easier.

Most of the girl's I saw wore long dresses like kimonos, helping their mothers with housework. Any young boy I saw was working or helping their fathers. I tried to remember what I had read in book's about this time period. I knew girls and women had lower values than boy's and men, which was not good for me. If I was lucky in this life. I could marry into a rich family and only be treated half badly. Yeah, right, I snorted to myself. Otherwise, I might have to resort to an even worse job.

There were books written about brothels and that was not life for me. I need an education. In this world, girl's usually don't learn to read unless they are lucky in this time period. Luck usually means marriage.

The boy's could almost do what they wanted, and I suddenly found myself wishing that I could be a boy until Kakashi found me. I filled my bamboo water bottle with well water.

I moved on to the next town, not wanting to linger too long. I found my way in the forest and stayed near a stream. My tiny body was tired. I had to figure out a solution soon. I was lucky that maybe I had some time on me because it was going into fall, but soon winter would be here.

I was tough but even I knew that I might have to find a temporary solution so I wouldn't freeze to death in the next few winter's. I was still a small child.

"Is that a child?" A voice came from across the water.

I looked up to see a young man and an older one—hunters, I was guessing. I watched them unsure. They whispered back and forth. As soon as they turned away for a second, I took off into the woods. I stepped carefully as I went and then made my way up a tree to hide. My instincts told me, predator. Maybe after being around Kakashi for so long I could pick it up?

Sure enough, a few moments later they came racing from where I had seen them, cursing under their breath. Something about selling me to the palace.

I frowned. Oh god, to work as a palace maid, that sounded terrible. I had read about them—lonely lives, most too short. The drama that took place there could be deadly. I did not want to end up there.

I leaned back into the tree. I turned, overlooking the forest. What the hell was I to do? So many times I had asked myself but truly, I wish I had more time before the move. I heard twigs snapping under feet. The hunter's still in the area. I listened to them talk.