• Ariel walked around the meadow searching for her father, even though she knew it wasn't any use. Orochimaru was gone. (He always disappeared like this during these types of things! Even though this was pretty normal now, she was still agitated.)

    It had been two years since she'd met Kimimaro. Since then, her father had given her more tests of strength and stamina; in every instance like this, and the ones that would come after, he would never come across another pupil like her. (That's how extraordinary she was.)

    For this test, she had to find her way home, without help, in the darkening forest. The sun was setting, so it wouldn't be long before the shadows of darkness began to creep in. She thought, 'Let's get this done as quickly as possible. I'm scared of the dark!'

    She turned off in the direction she thought she had been led into the meadow when she had been blindfolded; she was vaguely sure that the base was south of here. Then again, since she hadn't been given a compass, she wasn't sure which way south was to begin with. (Ugh! Her father could be so annoying sometimes!)

    Suddenly, she heard a shriek from somewhere in the forest. 'Sounds like someone's in trouble,' she thought. 'Maybe if I help them, they'll give me directions as to how to get home.' With that, she jumped on a tree branch and hopped off into the forest, just as Orochimaru had showed her a few days ago.

    She soon caught up with the screaming. It turned out to be a boy being confronted by a group of rogue ninja. "Stay back," he said, holding up a kunai in a protective stance.

    "Or what?" asked one of the ninja, maybe the leader, mockingly. "You'll shadow clone us to death?"

    The other ninja laughed in assent to this one as they closed in around the ash-haired boy. 'Looks like he really needs help,' thought Ariel. 'But how can I help? I don't know how to confront ninja. I don't even know taijutsu.

    'However, I did see daddy doing some weird things with his hands the other day. Maybe that'll work.'

    She dropped out of the tree she was hiding in and landed in front of the frightened boy. "Stay away from him!" she shouted, putting her arms out in a protective stance to shield the boy.

    "Oh, look. A little girl," said one of the ninja while pointing his finger. "She actually thinks she can stand up to us. Go on, shoo! Run home to your mama."

    "No way!"

    "A fiesty one eh? Well, I guess we'll just have to teach you a little respect."

    The ninja lifted his kunai ready to strike her senseless. Quickly, she made the funny signs she'd seen her father make in the order of the Chinese zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, boar!

    She opened her mouth wide and screamed "Go away!" out to the advancing ninja. Instantly, they were thrown backward by the force of the sound waves far into the forest. The boy, who had been astonished by the sudden appearance of 5 year old, fainted from all the excitement, but before he did he managed to whisper "Thank you" to Ariel.

    Examining his wounds, which were surprisingly light for what he'd been through, Ariel discerned, "He's breathing but he needs medical attention. I'd better take him home."

    Hefting the boy, careful not to have his glasses slip from his nose, onto her shoulders, she continued to jump through the trees. It turned out that the path the boy had been confronted on was the way back to the hideout. She made it to the front entrance, too tired to go any farther, just as the sun set.

    Kimimaro met her at the entrance; he questioned her about the boy, but when she said he needed medical attention, he decided not to agrivate her any further. He carried her to her room and left her to sleep.

    Epilogue:

    When he woke up, the boy asked to see the extraordinary girl who had saved his life in the forest. When Ariel saw him again in the recovery room, he thanked her saying he owed her his life. "You also owe me your name," replied Ariel.

    "It's Kabuto Yakushi, for future reference," said Kabuto.

    "Vabootoo? You're welcome, whatever your name is Bu-Bu!"

    "It's Kabuto!" he called after her, but she had already left the room.

    Ever since, Ariel always called her new friend "Bu-Bu", but she had no idea that this young man would one day reveal her true identity.

    What is her true identity?! Stay tuned!