Sunshine

A beautiful man

I gasped, stabbing into the water and finally, finally, I got a fish! I gasped and then laughed, "Yes!" I cheered with a decent-sized fish.

I turned, feeling a wide smile on my face. I became motionless as my eyes met someone else's.

"Good job; it took a while but you finally got one." The beautiful red-haired man was sitting crossed-legged on a rock a few feet away from me. He was looking at me amused, but there was a pride in his eyes I wasn't expecting.

I looked at him guarded, holding my spear almost defensively. I frowned, unsure why he was there. Sure, he was a handsome man, but sometimes they are the one's that are the scariest.

He laughed, "I come in peace, little one." He held his hand's up in defense, then he relaxed. "I have quite a few worried villagers asking about a wandering child."

I frowned even more. "I don't mean to be a bother to them." I said it calmly and walked out of the water. I looked at the fish on the stick, realizing that I had no idea how to gut a fish. I narrowed my eyes at it.

"They are only worried about your safety; I have been watching you. I see you are not trouble; you're a smart and kind child. I can't help but wonder where your parents are." He said it when turning to watch me; the light of the evening hit his face just right, highlighting his eyes; he had light brown eyes with a slight red tint to them.

I turned to him full now, my feet balanced on the rocks carefully. I suppose I should be honest to a point; he seems the type that can tell if I am lying. "I like to think they are alive, but they might be dead. I left because my life was in danger. I came to the village because a few years ago, while I was hiding from some hunter's, I heard they say there was a man named Ren who wanted to adopt a boy. I thought that maybe I could ask him to take me in. But it took me too long to get here; he might not even be here anymore. "I admitted then looked up at the bridge. "But I came all this way; I thought maybe I would settle here." I said the last part with a shrug.

He seemed surprised by my story, "How old are you?"

"What is the date?" I was unsure...I didn't have a calendar like in the future.

"September 3rd."

I tilted my head. Wow, fall already? "I am 6 years old." I told him and then pulled the fish off the stick since it was dead finally. I would need to get it cooked soon before it went rancid. 

He, like many others, had a shocked look. Then his eye's narrowed slightly. He looked me up and down. "You do not seem 6... you seem much older." He sounded a bit suspicious. 

I smirked as I put my shoes on, I pulled my bag on and held the fish. "I have gotten that a lot." I said, amused. I looked up the hill and then at him. "Well, mister, I have to cook this fish. Have a goodnight." I bowed to him slightly then ran off before he could ask anything else.

I was glad that when I looked back, he wasn't following me. I made my way back to my camping site. I shoved the fish onto a stick and then started on cooking my fish. I might have to ask Kito if he knows how to gut a fish.

I thought of Kakashi, wishing again that he was here. He would happily teach me... I sighed and sat on the ground looking at the flickering flames. My heart ached and I looked down at my arm, the faintest crescent mark on my skin. I noticed it last year—one of the places that Kakashi had bitten me—it made me wonder if his claim was still on me.

I also wondered if he would have worse trouble with the scent of my blood—was that a mental resistance he had or a physical? The sound of twigs snapping moved me from my thoughts, making my head pop up. I looked around the dark forest and reached out, flipping my fish over.