Name: Fumiko (means "child of treasured beauty)

Personality: Shy around strangers. Friends with graduates like Neji, Tenten, and Lee. Doesn't talk to anyone else. Is unpopular and "invisible." The top student. Um…yeah, that's it. 1st POV, cause it's easiest to write in.

It was a sunny day when you headed into the Academy. Today was when I was going to be assigned teams and I was so anxious, but really nervous, too. After all, Tenten was just as excited as I am, but I don't think she was too happy with her team at first.

When I opened the door, I was early. Coupled with a few other students, I was the first one there. None of them I talk to…then again, I don't talk to many people. I decided to sit away from the other genin in the back right corner. I rested my hand under my chin and stared out at the clouds.

A half-hour later, more and more genin arrived; I didn't notice. Nobody sat beside me, so I didn't need to care. A whole drama occurred where Naruto was unsuccessfully flaunting over Sakura, Sakura and Ino racing into class, and Sasuke kissing Naruto. I ignored it all, continuing to stare out the window.

"Hello?" A boy called out to me from the real world and I turned around to look at him. It was Shikamaru Nara; the smartest and laziest boy in my class. He was another student who didn't take the time to notice me. "Is there something you're looking at or are you just bored?"

"Well," I said, blinking a little. Was he really just acknowledging my existence? "Kinda. A little of both, I guess."

"Well, you're sitting in my seat, so-"

"Oh. Sorry, Shikamaru." I sighed, disappointed, and rose from my spot. 'I knew it was too good to be true.' I thought beginning to go sit elsewhere.

"You don't have to go," Shikamaru said, taking my shoulder and stopping me. "I was just wondering if you didn't mind if I sat by you."

I turned around, blinked, and smiled to him. "I don't see why I would." I said humbly and went back to my seat by the window. Shikamaru smiled to me and sat in the chair beside me. He put his head in his hand and waited for Iruka-sensai to enter like everyone else. 'Wow. Maybe there is life on this planet, after all.' I thought to myself.

Iruka-sensai entered and started to go on about how proud he was with us and more junk like that. I let out a tiresome groan and sunk my head in my arms on the table.

Shikamaru noticed and smirked. "He's so boring isn't he?"

I looked up to him and smiled back. "Yeah. I just wanna get this over with so I can go home or something. This is such a drag."

Shikamaru chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. Who do you wanna be put with?"

"I don't care. As long as they're not annoying like Naruto or Ino or snobbish like Sakura or Kiba. I can't stand that." I said with another sigh.

"You seem to know a lot of people already." Shikamaru pointed out the obvious with a curious, but amused expression.

"You'd be surprised…actually it's probably more surprising at how invisible I can be to so many other genin." I said while rolling my eyes.

"That's gotta be troublesome. I mean, you're not that hard to miss. You're like, the best rookie in our class."

I turned slightly pink and smiled an eye-closed smile to him. "Thanks. Anyway, who do you want to be paired with?"

"I don't care. That is, as long as I'm with Choji Akimichi. He's not troublesome at all."

"Oh, yeah. You two are best friends, right?" I asked, but before he could reply Iruka-sama told us to stop talking.

Finally, Iruka called all the new squads and members. While some were happy with where they were placed, others were dreading it. He called Shikamaru and Choji on the same team, so I was happy for them, but at the same time Ino was with them, too. Naruto and Sakura were on one team and Kiba was on another, which meant that I wouldn't have to deal with any of them, so I was relieved.

"And that's all the squads on the list, so be sure to meet your squad leader tomorrow! Class is dismissed." Iruka-sama said before calling which squad I would be on.

I sighed with a frown and slouched in my seat, slightly heartbroken. "He forgot about me. Again." I said to myself and let out a deep sigh. "Oh, well. I could always go to the Hokage or the main office and find out where to go like I always do." I mumbled laying my head back in my crossed arms.

Shikamaru frowned at this, overhearing what I said and raised his hand. "Iruka-sensai, you forgot about her." He gestured to me. "She was never assigned to a team or leader."

I looked up at him with wide eyes, but he didn't move. 'Is Shikamaru actually sticking up for me? But I barely know him!' I thought and Iruka-sensai stopped and looked through his clipboard.

"Oh, my apologies, Fumiko. You're on Squad 8 with Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. You meet your sensei tomorrow." He said reading it off the paper and I absently nodded.

Why would Shikamaru go out of his way to ask Iruka-sensei that for me? Why would he even care for someone who was unnoticeable as me? Was it out of pity or was Shikamaru really just being a nice guy? It's so out of his nature. I have to find out!!

Outside I found Shikamaru and caught up with him as he was walking home. "Shikamaru! Hey, Shikamaru!" I called and he turned around, smiling when he saw me.

"Oh, hey Fumiko. What's up?" He asked when I stopped in front of him, resting with my hands on my knees.

"I wanted to ask you something." I said catching my breath. "Why did you go out of your way to ask Iruka-sama whose group I would be in?"

Shikamaru took the question by surprise and answered, "Because you looked so upset when he forgot about you and I…well, I don't know. I was kinda curious myself, if you were going to be on my team, I guess." I sweat dropped instantly feeling like a jerk for asking that. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No! No, I was- Well, I-" Inwardly slapping myself, I sighed. "Can I confide in you about something? And promise you won't laugh?" He promised. "Well, it's just I thought that you were only asking because you didn't want me to be on your team or you wanted to get rid of me because I'm, well…unpopular." I said in shame and avoided his gaze.

Shikamaru smirked and gave a single laugh. "And I'm any cooler than you? Besides Naruto, I'm probably the most uncool guy to graduate. And I didn't think it would be troublesome if you were on my team. I was just thinking that it would only make my group stronger than the others with you on it." He said encouragingly and started to walk away again. Then he stopped and turned around again with another smirk. "And stop thinking that you're so unpopular. It's really troublesome. Because you're not invisible, Fumiko." He said with a smile and walked the other way.

I stood wide-eyed and speechless, and I slowly smiled and blushed. My heart raced and I knew instantly that I liked Shikamaru.

Over the course of the next week, we met our sensei and the four of us would hang out afterwards. Ino, who I thought would be the biggest pain in the neck, took a liking to me and we became close friends. She introduced me to more people and made me popular. She introduced me to boys too, and they've found me attractive, but I couldn't help but look to see how Shikamaru felt. I developed a bigger crush on him and, even though I'm so expressive with everyone else, Shikamaru always made me blush and stutter like a shy schoolgirl.

After many weeks, we had finished training and Ino had to leave to work at her family's flower shop. Choji and Asuma-sensai had extra practice, which left Shikamaru and I.

"Hey, Fumiko, you going anywhere?" He asked me, but I shook my head. "Great, can I show you something?"

I nodded and he told me to follow him. Shikamaru led me to a clearing where wild grass and a single cherry tree grew. It went on for what seemed like forever and it gave a perfect view for cloud watching.

"Whoa, Shikamaru, this is great! You can watch the clouds perfectly from here." I said falling by the tree and watching the sky shift with the wind.

"I thought you'd like it here." He said confidently and sat against the cherry tree. "I saw you watching the clouds out the window when we met, so I figured you would like this spot. Just don't tell anyone, okay?" He asked me.

"Of course, Shikamaru. I wouldn't tell anybody for the world." I said sitting beside him and smiling. Shikamaru looked the other way and turned back also smiling. 'What did he turn his back for?' I wondered and watched the clouds with him.

A long silence passed by, until Shikamaru asked me, "Hey, Fumiko, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

"You mean if I grow up." I corrected with a teasing smile. Shikamaru rolled his eyes happily and shook his head. "Well, I guess I just want to live life happily and peacefully. I don't want to waste my time worrying over such huge matters that I don't care about. I wish to just be a ninja, retire, start a family, and watch them grow up like I have. Just to waste away every day watching the clouds go by…" I trailed memorized. Then I snapped out of it and looked to Shikamaru. "Why? What do you want to do?"

"I…do, too." He said blankly and I smiled at him happily, and then turned back to the clouds.

"Hey, Shikamaru. Let's promise that we see each other's dream to the end. That we make sure we do exactly the way we want and live it how we please. Okay?"

"Why?" He asked and I gave him puppy dog eyes. "Oh, God. Fine, Fumiko. I promise." He said and muttered under his breath, "What a drag." I just smiled to myself and watched the sky. As I was doing this, the cherry blossoms fell around us so soothingly that I began to doze off and drifted to sleep.

When I woke up, my head was on Shikamaru's chest and his arms were wrapped around me protectively. He was asleep, too, with his head on top of mine and a calm smile on his face. It was nighttime and the stars were blinking out, so I sadly lifted my hand to Shikamaru's shoulder and gently shook him.

"Hey, Shikamaru? Wake up! We have to go home!" I whispered to him and his eyes lazily poked open.

"Fumiko, what time is it?" He asked me and I shrugged in his arms. Then Shikamaru saw that they were wrapped around me and he let go quickly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Um…I don't know what time it is, but our parents are gonna kill us if we don't get home now." I said and stood up, turning to leave. "See you tomorrow." I said and blindly started walking.

"Wait." Shikamaru said and took my hand in his own. In the dark, he was a black silhouette and I could only see his outline as he rose to his feet.

"Shikamaru, I can't see you." I said, becoming warm from his hold as he stepped closer to my body, towering above me.

"That's okay. Just don't leave yet. Okay?" I nodded and Shikamaru took my chin in his hand, slowly guiding it to his own. He tilted his head and brought me into a blossoming kiss. I closed my eyes, not moving except for my lips as we let the kiss break and come again multiple times. It was all that I've wanted and more.

"Shika-"

"Fumiko, I love you. I always have, ever since I met you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He whispered to me, still holding my chin and breathing on my lips. "I can't stand seeing you around other guys and I hate it when Ino introduces you to more people. I want you to myself, not any one of them…okay?"

It took me a little time to re-gather my thoughts and I smiled in the dark. "Shikamaru, I could never look at another guy the same way I do when I see you. You were the first one to ever notice me when I was invisible." (Quote from Princess Diaries?) I gave a toothy grin and kissed his bottom lip quickly. "I love you, Shikamaru. I want you to be the person I spend my life with."

Shikamaru smiled and pulled me into another kiss. With this embrace it made me think, 'Thanks for noticing me, even when I was invisible.'