My name is Hakume, and I just found out that my cousin, Haku has died. I am almost exactly like him, the only difference is my personality is a little more annoying, so I am told, and I am less girlish, even though I am a girl.

I was walking through the forest, I was on my way to Haku's funeral, although, I think it is long over, because I am very lost. I think I am somewhere in the forest, just outside of Konoha's borders. I am supposed to be in the hidden mist village, but I know for a fact that I'm not.

So as I am walking, I am marking trees, so that I don't get lost, that is the smart thing to do, but I haven't seen a tree that I marked, so I must be going somewhere, or in a big circle. I haven't really talked to Haku much, except, well, this may sound weird, but I think I have talked to him in my dreams, that is why I am coming to his funeral.

Or at least, that's why I tried to come to his funeral. I was so deep in my thoughts that I nearly tripped over a sleeping boy. He had black hair and a ponytail that was high, both of his ears were pierced, and I think I recognize him. I caught myself, before I fell, I decide to wake him up; he really shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of the forest.

Before I even come 3 feet of him, something hits my arm hard, and I fell against a tree and hit my head on something hard, I tried to see who it was, but my eyes wouldn't stay open, the last thing I remember was my hair falling in front of my face, just after a couple of feet stepped beside me.

When I woke up, it was mid-afternoon, and I was relieved that I wasn't lost in that place, but now I was filled with lots of questions. I sat up, and my arm is hurting, I look around, I realize I was in a hospital, nest to me, I saw the same shoes, I looked to see who is was, his eyes were an empty purple, and he wore a leaf village headband.

On my other side, was the boy that I nearly tripped over, he was asleep in a chair, he is so lazy, I thought. I looked at my arm, it is broken, well, I think it is, because there is just a big plaster cast on it, I figured, that it wasn't the boy that was sleeping that had hit me, and so I turned to the other side, his black hair was long, I hadn't really noticed.

Finally I asked, "What happened? Where am I? How did I get here? Why are you two here? Why does my arm hurt? Who are you? What-" I stopped. The boy finally spoke, not as fast as me though. "You got hit, you are in Konoha's hospital, we are here because we helped you get here, your arm is broken, and my name is Hyuuga Neji," he pointed to the other boy, "And that is Nara Shikamaru."

I was surprised that he could actually answer all my questions in order, I looked at the boy, who he called Nara Shikamaru, he was the one who I was going to wake up before, but now I didn't feel like it. I turned to Hyuuga Neji, and asked, with a slight fox-like grin, "And what hit me exactly?"

Neji looked at me and said at last, "I did, I thought that you were going to attack my friend." It's like he read my mind, I was going to ask why, no matter the answer, just for fun. I stood up, a little wobbly, my head hurt a little still, I rubbed my forehead, and I realized my headband was gone, I was now hoping that I just forgot it at home, I looked around frantically for it.

I was trying to look as calm as possible, but I didn't know what they would do if they found out I was from the Hidden Mist. I politely asked Neji if he had seen my headband, he held it up, he showed me the metal side, I sighed with relief, and went to get it from him. He closed his hand, that is one of the things that bugs me, the only thing that can really out do me, I put my hands on my hips.

"Come on Neji, please give me back my headband." I said in my sweet girl voice as I held out my hand.

Then he asked me, "What were you doing in the forest? Why were you trying to mess with Shikamaru?" I put my good arm down and sighed, "I was on my way to a… the place is none of your business, but I saw your friend sleeping out in the middle of the forest, and that isn't very safe, so I thought I should wake him up."

He opened his hand, and I quickly snatched the headband and tied it around my head. I looked at the chair that Shikamaru was in and, wait, was in? Where is Shikamaru? I looked around, I shrugged and sighed, "Oh well." I started to walk out the door but I couldn't move. I looked around, and when I looked down, there was an extremely long strangely shaped shadow instead of my shadow.

I figured that was the thing holding me, that little jerk, I scowled as I looked in the direction of the shadow, at the other end Shikamaru was standing there, his arms were held out, and so were mine, I didn't even realize it. I sighed and blew my black hair out of my face, "We got of to the wrong start, I'm Hakume, and you are Shikamaru I presume." I said, smiling one of those over enthusiastic smiles.

I watched as the shadow shrank and regained its normal form, then Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome." I looked at him funny, as my arms came down. I realized that I was getting the same look from Neji, it must be the fact that I am from the Hidden Mist.

I flipped my hair behind my shoulders and started out the door, and I managed to say, just before I left, "Thank you." I walked down the white hallways, I found some stairs, which I hoped led outside. I went down them and I finally made it to the main lobby, it was really quiet and it gave me chills, everyone was looking at me.

I walked briskly out the door, and once I got out I realized I was inside Konoha's borders, it made me jumpy to be in another's borders, for real I have never even fought, only trained. Someone tapped my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of my flip-flops. I looked to see who it was, Shikamaru was standing there, looking a little concerned.

"What do you want?" I snapped at him, just wanting to be out of this place. He replied hesitantly, "Have you ever trained with anyone?" I nodded, I trained with Haku a few times, and even learned his secret jutsu, that is, before he died. Shikamaru sighed, "Do you want to train with me?" I was a little surprised that someone from another village was being so nice to me.

I shook my head and walked around, I was completely lost and had no clue where I was going, then I turned a corner and ran into a boy with blood red hair, he was wearing a gourd-like thing, and he had a strange tattoo on his forehead. I noticed that standing beside him was a boy with purple marks on his face, and a female with a huge fan.

I stood up, "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where…" I looked at his headband, which was on his side, he was from the sand village, I knew who he was, and I was told to not pick a fight with him. I smiled weakly as he just stood there glaring at me. "Well, nice meeting you" I lied and started to back up.

I turned the corner only to run into Shikamaru again, I was really stressed, and I wasn't in the mood for talking, so I ignored him and walked away, a cute little 8 year old came running through the crowd and ran right into me. He fell down and started to whine a little. I helped him up and comforted him and he ran down the alley which I had just came from, laughing a little, then the laughing stopped.