It was a warm calm summer's morning in the beautiful and peaceful village, Yugakure. Birds were chirping a cheerful melody as the flowers awoke to stare at the glowing sun hanging in the blue sky, not a cloud in sight. A slight breeze travelled through the street carrying the smells of nature with it to each and every one of the villagers giving a feeling of warmth to them, except for one. A young boy sniffed the breeze and with a face of disgust, turned and followed the breeze towards his school.

"Fucking flowers!" he mumbled under his breathe as the aromas continued to travel beside him as he walked up a market street.

"Hidan-san!" cried the voice of a young girl behind him; he recognised the voice straight away. It was his neighbour and friend, Natsumi.

"What do you want Mi?" he said as he continued down the street without once looking at her, she had just caught up.

"That's nice! Where's my hello?" she laughed as she glanced at Hidan, "You should try to learn some manners, mister!"

"Fuck manners!" he declared with pride.

"You've always say that!" she smiled as she smelled the air around her, "What a beautiful smell!"

"If you say so," he said in disgust however, his tone failed to hit his friend's ears.

She started to dance along with the summer's breeze, the leaves that it carried danced around her. Hidan stopped to look at her, it was like Natsumi was in slow motion; long, auburn hair flowed down her back, sparkling blue eyes glistened, her smile so calm. Hidan had always believed she should have been named Akimi as she was more of an autumn beauty rather than a summer one to him.

"Are you prepared for the exams today?" she quizzed as her body stopped to face the young fair haired boy before her. Her pair of sparkling blue eyes met with his unfeeling pair, two different outlooks on the world.

"Are you retarded? Of course I'm fucking ready!" he yelled as he returned to his journey down the market.

It was the day of the exams to become official Genin and there was no way he would miss such an opportunity, after all, it had been his dream to become an official shinobi since he was born.

"Yeah…" she mumbled.

Hidan could see the happiness drain from her face, "Where's your stupid expression gone?"

"Stupid?" she sighed as she lowered her head in shame, her burning hair curtained her face off from his sight, "It's just… you know… I… I'm…"

"You really are one stupid bitch aren't you?" he laughed as he held his face up to the sky, "If you're about to say you're nervous or scared then don't you dare. A shinobi cannot be nervous or scared; they live to complete their missions and to kill apposing shinobi. If you hesitate even once, you may be beheaded! Remember that stupid fucking promise you and I made?"

Natsumi lifted her face to look at her one true friend. It was such a silly question, of course she remembered that promise they had both made, how could she not? It was on the day that the pair had first met, the day that both their lives had been almost destroyed.

"Yeah," she smiled; she would never break a promise, not one she made to him.

Hidan returned her smile; he could not hide his happiness from her. Every time he pictured himself as a Yugakure shinobi, he had always pictured her standing beside him; as a friend, as a team mate, as a lover.

"Aww Hidan! You're blushing!" she grinned, "Do you love me that much!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" he blurted out, he could feel the redness in his cheeks grow as she continued to laugh.

"Hidan you're blushing even more!" she giggled as she began to run in front, she could guess his reaction before Hidan knew himself.

"That's it! Your not fucking making it to these exams you annoying bitch!" he yelled pulling out his kunai and giving chase.

The pair ran down the market shoving past the crowds causing many looks of disgust to hit the pair. Although Hidan would never admit it, this life he was living in this small, economically challenged village with Natsumi was the best thing he could ever ask for. The only thing that could make his situation any better is if both he and his friend could become shinobi the only thing in there way was the exam...