My Brother's a Jinchūriki!

Chapter Thirty-Three- The Land Where a Girl Once Lived

Falling.

Kiri's eyes dared flutter open as she fell from the second story. As the ground drew closer, a strong gust of wind suddenly thrust her sideways and she landed in the thick foliage of a tree. She tumbled down the branches, crying out in pain as she crashed down onto the ground, covered in scratches and scrapes from the tough bark.

She lifted herself off the ground slowly, trembling, and glanced back at the window she'd come from, then turned and ran.

She ran until her legs and lungs burned and only slowed when she reached the hill overlooking her home. She collapsed on the dirt road, her arms trembling as they supported her weight. Her eyes rose to the house below, where it was guarded as ANBU investigators filled the area.

She bit her lip and carefully crawled inside of a large shrub as she eyed the house.

"I can't even go home..." She hugged her arms close to her as the chill of the spring night settled into her bones. "And it's so cold..."

Kiri looked around as the small valley below and her eyes rested on another house, and the barn nearby. Without being seen, she crawled over the dust, rock, and stiff grasses until she reached the barn. She cracked open the door, slipped inside, and immediately the warmth enveloped her.

She let out a small sigh and looked around to find a stack of hay, then crawled inside until she was cushioned on all sides. She fell into a dreamless sleep as soon as her eyes closed.

-----

Kiri kept to the shadowed half of the alley and peered into the trash as her stomach rumbled loudly. She reached inside and pulled out a half-eaten sandwich wrapped up in its original wrapping. She scrunched her face at the smell, swatting away the flies as she hungrily unwrapped it and brought it to her mouth.

A piercing yowl echoed in the alley and a feral cat leapt at the girl, hissing and scratching furiously until Kiri dropped her meal and the cat ran to it, pulling at a corner of the bread to nibble at it ravenously.

Kiri trembled at the bleeding scratches over herself and then gritted her teeth, clenching her teeth. She rushed at the animal with a yell, grabbing a fragment of brick and striking the cat. It swatted in defense, but the girl landed a heavy blow on its head. It crumpled to the ground with a pained mewl and bled out. Kiri grabbed the sandwich from the ground and devoured it in only a few bites, turning her back on the dying animal.

Still hungry, she clutched at her stomach and looked around, then tugged on the horseblanket she'd stolen and covered herself with it like a cloak, stepping out of the alley and walking as inconspicuously as she could to the general store.

She slipped inside without the clerk glancing up from his newspaper. Kiri took a small shopping bag and began to fill it as quietly as possible with juice boxes, fruit, and chips. She stopped moving several times to listen and look around, to be sure that no one had spotted her. She reached for a candy bar and took it, as the clerk stood in the aisle with his hands on his hips.

"Hey, you!"

She gulped and slowly brought the candy close to hold it to her chest and kept her back to him.

"Hey!" He took a step toward her with his eyes furrowed. "Where are your parents?! Are you stealing?!"

Kiri's eyes narrowed and she bolted, running around to the other aisle to loop around. He blocked the path of the door, his arms and legs outstretched as he glared.