Deep breaths, quick feet, don't stop. The forest is thick but I know it by heart. I can only hope they get lost. I take a quick glance back to see if they are still following me.

Snap

Ouch! These dumb roots always trip me. I shouldn't have looked back, should have kept my eyes on the ground. I try to stand but I fall again, pain shooting up my leg. My ankle is broken. I'm dead.

Deep laughs sound behind me and I turn to see soulless eyes. "Well well, thought you could get away little missy? Think again." He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up. I scratch at his hand to no avail. This is the end, I'm sure of it. I can't even scream for help with him cutting off my air supply.

My eyes drift closed.

"Who are y-!"

My butt hits the ground and I can breathe again. I hold on to my throat and start taking deep breaths. As I open my eyes I'm met with a bloody scene with only one man standing alive. He has his back turned to me at first but then he turns only his head and I see a bright red eye, the rest of his face covered in a mask. I scoot back trying to get away. This is a ninja like those other men, there is no reason to trust him. I'm stopped by a tree behind me so I turn on my hands and knees and try to crawl away but I feel an arm around my waist scooping me up from the ground. He turns me and holds me against his chest.

"I wont hurt you, let me help you."

I suddenly stop struggling. His voice sounds like wind in my ears, its soothing and trusting. I fall limp in his arms and let my exhaustion take over me unlit I fall asleep.

"You were crying in your sleep."

I quickly wipe at my face to remove the wet streaks. I glance up at the man who had saved me. He is young looking but has white hair, most of his face is covered just like before but now his red eye is covered as well with a headband but the other is visible and now I see that it's black, he is mysterious in every way that I can see. I mentally memorize his features.

"You're ninja right?" I asked softly.

He put his hand to his chin and looked up as if in thought. "Hmm... I suppose I am."

I frowned. "Aren't you suppose to know?"

"Maybe."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"An easy one."

I gave a simple huff and let it go. "Fine."

He stood up then and started to walk out the room. "I took you to the closest village and they said you belonged here. I set your ankle and wrapped it but you might want to get it looked at by a physician. Take care."

I jumped out of the bed without thinking and reached for him. "Wait!" I stepped down on my broken ankle and stumbled but was caught with the quick moves of the ninja.

"Be more careful." He said and set me down on the bed.

I grabbed his arm before he could turn from me. "Who are you? Where are you from? Why did you save me?"

He slowly took my hand from his arm and held onto it with both of his hands. "It is best that you don't know, for your own sake."

I stared into his one visible eye and lost myself in it. My heart started to point and I found that I was holding my breath. His eye closed and I'm sure that he was smiling under his mask. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead then left out the door, giving a simple wave.

Once my breath started again I dug into the side table to find my sketch pad and pencil. I took the image of his hidden face and memorable features from my mind and put it on the paper the best I could. I sketched and sketched until it was perfect. Once I finally finished I stared down at the drawing. This man saved my life... for nothing... I held the drawing to my heart and made a silent vow to myself that I would find him somehow, no matter what it took.

~7 years later~

Even at the young age of only eight I knew that my vow was very unrealistic. As an orphan I was familiar with being left behind and disappointed, but I knew that if I was patient and devoted I would find a way to meet him again. So I waited, bidding my time working in the tea shop run by the orphanage. Working here did have an advantage though, many travelers came into the shop and occasionally there was a person that knew little things about the masked ninja. This gave me no only information but hope as well, hope that I would find him and maybe be able to see that look in his eye again.