Chichi - Father

Hahaoya - Mother

Prologue

The piece of bread in his hands was painful for eight-year-old Zaku Abumi to look at. His lip wobbled as he stared at it, thinking of the price it took to get one morsel of food in Rice Field Country. How he wished his parents hadn't died and left him alone. How he wished he didn't have to steal to survive.

In one instant the bread was gone, stolen by an empty stomach. His hand shook as he wiped his mouth, wincing as it touched a fresh bruise on his face. Maybe he should leave and find a better place where there was more food and kinder people. Where? Where would he go? He had no money, no home, and no way of getting there.

Steeling himself, he stood and clenched his fists, forcing down the hopelessness he felt and instead projecting calm and hate. But he didn't feel either of those emotions. They were just necessary for survival. He walked from the alley where he'd been beaten and wandered aimlessly, looking for a doorway to sleep in.

"You have potential boy."

The voice sounded from behind him and he spun around, wary. Who would talk to him? No, he must be imagining things. He sighed and turned around, only to gasp in shock.

An incredibly tall, creepy-looking man stood in front of him, a strange smile on his too-pale face. Zaku fought down a feeling of nausea that arose as he looked into the man's slitted yellow eyes. He remained frozen in place, staring in terror at the figure before him.

The stranger spoke. "I saw something in you I like, a look in your eye. If you leave this place and come with me, I will make you strong, boy." He smiled and turned, beginning to walk away. "Follow me."

He moved away, but not before Zaku saw the smile transform into a smirk. The boy shook, riddled with nerves as he stared at the long dark hair swinging away from him. Did he want power? More importantly, did he need power?

No. His fear was too great. He feared this man and had no idea what look in his eye he was talking about. Zaku wasn't a fighter. He was a runner. And he was going to run now, in the opposite direction.

This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't what he needed. His parents had died searching for it and he wasn't going to. No, he would make his own way into the world and he wouldn't lose himself in a pointless search for power. Besides, he wasn't stupid. There was no way he was going to follow a creepy stranger.

Zaku's feet did the work for him and he ran from the man, ran from the promise of power and ran from Rice Field Country. The stranger heard the footsteps and turned, frowning at the retreating figure.

Fool.