�Daddy what�s happening?,� a six year old girl asked to his father. She could feel the intense atmosphere, as the three men dressed in black begun to approach her father. They were holding kunais, and their headbands suggest that the three men are ninjas from the Rain Village.
�Listen Keiko. I want you to run back to the Leaf Village, and don�t stop until you get there!,� the father said.
�But, dad��
�NOW KEIKO!!!�
Not knowing what to do, the girl ran back to the village. She then glanced at her father. Tears are running from her eye. She knew, deep inside her heart, that she would never see her father ever again. She couldn�t take it. It was just too painful.
�DAD!!!�
~
Keiko woke up. Her heart was beating fast, and she was sweating. �It�s okay Keiko,� she told her self. �It was just a nightmare.� And with that, she got up, and took a shower.
But, she couldn�t help but thinking about it all day, even during training. She couldn�t focus on anything else other than the nightmare. Kakashi noticed this, and he was sure something is wrong.
�Is something wrong Keiko? You look like you had a horrible nightmare last night.�
�Huh? I mean, yeah, I did have a nightmare last night.�
�Wanna tell me why it�s bothering you so much?�
�Uh, no thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I�m fine.�
�Okay then. But you really should pay more attention during training.�
�I�m sorry.�
~
Later that night, Keiko couldn�t sleep. So she jumped off her bed, open the bottom drawer of her desk, and took a photo album out. It has a red cover, and very dusty. Keiko sat on the floor, put the album on her lap, and stared at it. It seems that she�s thinking twice about opening the album. Finally she made up her mind. She took a deep breath, and opened the album.
It was like traveling through time. She saw herself on an old photograph, with her mom, dad, and her older brother. They were walking on the beach. Keiko could still smell the saltwater. She closed her eyes. �Look how happy I was back then.� She murmured. She opened her eyes again, and decided that she should probably sleep, rather than hurting her self by going back to the past.
~
�Keiko! Keiko, wake up!,� someone said. The voice was very energetic, and it sounds like, whoever it is, is excited about something. But Keiko simply shifted her sleeping position, and ignored the voice.
�Keiko, c�mon! You can�t stay in bed all day!�
But again, Keiko made no response.
�Fine, you leave me with no choice. KEIKO!!!�
�YES, WHAT?!?!� Keiko jumped right up. She saw Naruto beside her bed, Sasuke crossing his arms, standing beside Naruto, and Kakashi leaning on the wall, while reading the latest Icha-Icha Paradise.
�What are you guys doing in MY BEDROOM?!?!�
�Doesn�t matter! Now get changed! We�re gonna wait outside.�
�Grr, fine.�
Keiko�s teammates went outside.
�Naruto, I think this is a bad idea.� Sasuke said. �She�s quite smart, she could figure this out before we even get there!�
�Don�t worry Sasuke. I�m quite sure it�ll work.� Naruto said.
~
�Alright, I�m done!� Keiko went outside.
�Hey, where�s Ka� WHAT THE?!�
Before she could finish her sentence, someone put a blindfold around Keiko�s head, so that it covered her eyes.
�Sorry Keiko. But don�t worry, it�s gonna be worth it.�
They walked for a while, and by the sound of the rustling leaves, Keiko knows that they�re going through the forest. Then they stopped.
�We�re here!�
Someone untied the blindfold. Then, as soon as Keiko opened her eyes,
�HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!�
There, Keiko saw Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Ino�s team, and even the Sand sibling. It�s my birthday! How could I forget? She asked herself. Then Keiko smiled, and joined the party.
~
Everyone was having fun. Then someone tapped Keiko�s shoulder. It was Gaara.
�Hey. Umm, I heard it was your birthday.� Gaara blushed a little.
�So I brought you something.�
Gaara reached into his pocket, and pulled out a little red box.
�Here.�
�Can I open it?�
Gaara nodded. So Keiko opened the box. Inside the box, was a beaded bracelet.
�Gaara, it�s so pretty!�
�I just, bought it on the way here.�
Keiko hugged Gaara. At that point, everybody was shocked, including Gaara. Keiko then lets go of Gaara. Both of them were blushing.
~
Later that night, Keiko didn�t worry about her past, or the nightmare anymore. The surprise birthday party teaches her a lesson. �I�m so silly. Why am I so worried about what�s passed? I�ve got great friends now. I shouldn�t look back.�
~FINISH~
