Summary: Shizuru Yumimora has to learn how to make friends and work in a group once she finally becomes a Konoha ninja. Ocx? SasuNaru KakaIru
Shizuru POV
I was dizzy with anticipation as I made my way through the dense forest of the fire country. As I hopped from tree to tree, my mind was reeling with possible ways the meeting with the Leaf Village's Hokage might go. Would she allow me to be a Konoha ninja? Maybe they won't trust me, and they'll make me stay in a prison cell while they pick through my memories every few days….
"This is the leaf village, they wouldn't do that," I shook my head slightly. That's right, I'd heard stories about the Hokage. The last three of them, at least, including the current one, were all known for being accepting and kind. I sighed.
"This will definitely go well. Count on it," I told myself. I nodded and continued through the foliage. A cool breeze blew past and I picked out a faint scent of food. "Ha, I must be close!" My body shivered with anticipation and sped up. This is it. This is what I've been working towards for at least half of my lifetime. I could finally make my family proud. I could make a difference in the world. Maybe I could even make friends… I internally groaned. It would definitely be nice to have friends, but making them and keeping them has never been my strong suit…. Bad things always seem to happen to the people I call friends. Nothing that happens is ever directly my fault, but everything that happens is connected to me in some way or another. I sighed again. This time, it would be different. I won't be a burden anymore. I can make myself useful…
And that was the thought going through my mind when I finally reached the entrance to the Hidden Leaf village. I had slowed down once it had come into view, and by now I had stopped a few meters before it, so I could soak in the image of it. "This could become the entrance to my home, the town I'll live in for the rest of my life….." I walked under it, and gazed at the rest of the village within. I could see, far ahead, the grand stone faces of all the Hokages. I stared, ever so slightly in awe, for a moment, before looking over to what appeared to be the Hokage tower. "That's where my new chapter of my life will begin, whether I'm made a Konoha kunoichi or not," I mused.
Before I could start on my way, however, I immediately paused as a loud growling sound startled me, before I realized that it was only my stomach. Hn, too bad, I had already pulled out a kunai. I put it away and started walking down the street in search of a place that looked interesting enough to eat at. As I walked, I observed the other people in the street. Most of them appeared to be civilians, but I did see a few people with ninja gear, including a tallish teen wearing a long grey jacket and sunglasses(or at least, I guessed he was a teen. His jacket reached above his nose, making it difficult to tell). No sooner had I looked at him, he turned his head and stared quietly. I felt imaginary creepy-crawlies make their way across my flesh, so I shivered, and turned away. The guy definitely creeped the hell out of me. After him, I saw a couple more shinobi, but the rest looked pretty average.
Suddenly, I was struck with the most delicious scent my nose had been graced with in my entire life. "Ramen~" I almost drooled. I to my right, the source of the smell, and read the sign above the small stand. "Ichiraku Ramen, eh," I murmured, stepping inside and taking a seat. A kind looking older man with laugh lines on his face was working behind the counter, cleaning a bowl as he looked over to me.
"New customer, eh? Well, what would you like, miss," He inquired, his voice welcoming.
"Eto, could I have a beef ramen bowl please?" I asked, my eyes wide, but softening.
"Sure, it'll be ready in a few minutes," he smiled and turned to start cooking.
I had seated myself in the corner, and was now using the spot as a vantage point. I looked to my right, to the two other customers, and observed quietly. They were both male ninjas, one was an adult and had dark hair in a bushy ponytail, with a scar across his nose and his forehead protector securely on his hairline, while the other looked about my age, with tan, unblemished skin, save for the few dark lines on his cheek. "They look like whiskers," I noted absent-mindedly. He had medium-length, unruly blonde hair that was kept up with his forehead protector, and seemed to shimmer in the afternoon sunlight. He seemed quite tall(to me, at least. I'm quite short), and was wearing an orange and black jacket with black pants that reached his ankles.
I also would have noticed how loud he was and the random things he was talking about with the other man, had I not been staring, shocked, at the pile of ramen bowls by the teen as well as the bowl he was currently wolfing down. How he could eat like that and speak at the same time was beyond me. Hell, I didn't even know how he was even breathing.
"Here we go. Your ramen, miss" I jumped out of surprise, and looked over to the man behind the counter. He was handing me my ramen bowl. Oh. I shook my head to summon back the remains of my attention (and closing my mouth, I might add, as my jaw seemed to have dropped some time ago without my noticing it), and after regaining composure, I tentatively took the bowl I was being handed with a soft "Thanks," and set it on the table. I glared at it as I willed away the blush that had worked it's way into my cheeks after being seen with such a ridiculous look on my face.
"Ninjas are supposed to be indifferent. That was definitely NOT indifference." I took my chopsticks in hand and began eating my ramen. I picked up a medium sized chunk of ramen and let it cool for a few moments before stuffing it into my mouth. Okay. I'll admit that I started drooling. The stuff was delicious. After a few mouthfuls, I began to realize how that other kid could practically inhale the stuff.
As I was finishing my bowl (and contemplating buying another) a prickle slowly worked it's way into my neck, and I looked over to the other guys at the counter to find it's source. The blonde was still happily chowing down (I mentally applauded him), but the older guy was looking over to me with an amused smile on his face. Cue the cursed blush. I swallowed the remaining noodles in my mouth before sending out one of my lower-level glares and icily saying, "Can I help you?" The man chuckled a bit before looking over to the younger boy.
"Naruto, I think there might actually be someone who can eat as fast as you can," he teased the boy. Naruto swallowed the last of his ramen and looked over to me. His eyes that were as blue as the clear sky looked over to me inquisitively before widening slightly when they took in all the ninja gear I was wearing.
"Whoa, are you a ninja from another village? Are you just visiting? Or, oh, maybe are you delivering a mission request to Tsunade-no-baachan?" Ah. So the kid was a motor mouth when he was excited. Wait - Tsunade no baachan? What the hell?
"Uh, actually, I was on my way to speak with your Hokage-sama when I stopped here to get food. I kinda want to become a Konoha nin…" I finished dumbly, looking into my empty bowl.
"Really? That's awesome! I could take you to see her if you want! She'll totally accept you! But, hey, why do you wanna become a Konoha ninja, anyway? You had to have come from a ninja village, anyway, if you can actually use all of he stuff you're wearing- Ruka-sensei, you're buying right?" He looked over to the other guy cheekily. The man's shoulder's dropped visibly, probably in defeat. I wouldn't blame him, the Naruto kid ate, like, 8 bowls. He sighed before smiling kindly.
"Yeah, I've got it. You just show her to Tsunade-sama in return, ok?" He looked over to me. "My name is Iruka, by the way. Nice to meet you." He shook my hand.
"Shizuru Yumimora. It's a pleasure." I gave him a small smile, before looking back over to Naruto. "And you're Naruto, right?" I asked for confirmation purposes.
"Mhmm! Uzumaki Naruto, 16. I'm going to be the next Hokage someday." He was giving me the biggest grin I'd ever seen, his eyes shut with the effort. If nothing else, the kid was definitely amusing. "C'mon, you need to go talk to baa-chan, right?" He began walking towards the Hokage tower, and followed, flanking him. After a couple steps, he spoke up.
"So, really, where are you from? I don't think I've ever seen you before, and I've been around quite a bit, believe me." He looked over to me, curious. By now, I was in-step with him to his right.
"Well, you see…"
/End chap
(A/N: Shizu doesn't seem to Mary-Sue-ish, right? And not Sasuke-ish, either, right? Cuz I'm aiming for original, not lameness
BTW, Shizu-chan will NOT end up with Naruto or Sasuke. I am a SasuNaru-shipper, after all. :P And yes, this will become a SasuNaru fic eventually, which means yaoi, boyxboy, whatever. So yeah, don't like, don't read ^^ )