Day One: The Introduction
The sun began to set over a quite Konoha. Sorano began walking back towards her apartment, hoping to get there before nightfall. She had been out training all day in the forest, practicing her taijutsu. She picked up the messenger back she had left a couple of feet from where she had been practicing. Slinging it over her shoulder she began walking again. By the time she had got out of the woods it was just about dark. "Damn" she muttered to herself knowing she was going to get home after dark.
"Well since I am already out, why not get dinner?" she said to herself and looked up at the sky. She decided to stop at the best ramen shop in town, Ichiraku Ramen. Raman was not Sorano's favorite food but it was cheap and tasted good. She turned a corner and began walking down the road towards the shop. There were not many people on the street tonight, which kind of seemed a little weird to her, but she didn't care. She was tired and not really in the mood for much people interaction anyway.
She arrived and pushed a curtain open to reveal the shop. She sat down on a stool and looked at the old man. "Can I have a large bowl of pork ramen please" she said attempting to keep her black bangs out of her face. He nodded to her and turned around to prepare it. Sorano pulled the long pony tail in the back of her head tighter, as it was starting to come out during practice. She looked down at her outfit, and sighed. I should have changed before I came she thought to herself. Her khaki pants dirty with mud, and her mesh under shirt torn. Also the tank- top she wore on top of the mesh had dirtied itself as well.
"Hard day of training?" the elderly man asked her, setting down her bowel in front of her. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty obvious. Isn't it?" she asked laughing a little. He shook his head and then returned to work. She picked up a pair of chopsticks and cracked them apart slowly, trying not to break one of them. She was successful and placed them between her fingers. She looked down at the hot bowl of Raman in front of her and smiled brightly, and took a bite. Mmm this is so good, she thought to herself andcontinued to scarf down the hot soup in front of her.
By the time that she was done her Raman it was pitch black outside all except for the light in the street. "Here is your payment old man" Sorano said and set down the money on the counter. She again ducked down under the curtains and walked into the night. She began walking to the left towards the lonely apartment, in which the only thing that waited for her at home was Matchi, her long haired black kitten. She was happy to know at least someone would be at home waiting for her safe return.
Finally reaching the apartment building about ten or fifteen minutes later she sighed in relief. She opened the door and walked in towards the stairs. She walked up the short two flights of steps and turned to the right down a fairly lit hallway. It was not the most beautiful apartment building in the city but it was fine for a sixteen year old girl. She pulled the key set out of her messenger bag still hanging over her shoulder and unlocked the door. From the other side of the room a bell rang, and Sorano knew that it was Matchi waking up, and the bell around her neck jingling. She stood up slowly and stretched, then quickly made her way over to Sorano, and rubbed up against her leg.
Leaning down, tiredly, Sorano picked up the black kitten at her feet, and it began purring. She gave it a hug, and held it in one hand and with the other hand patted it on the head. She slowly made her way over to her bedroom door from the living room and opened. Then she let the cat jump out of her arms, and onto her double bed, only for it to curl up in its normal spot and go back to sleep.
Sorano looked at the clock on the nightstand beside her bed, it read 9:37. No wonder Matchi had been sleeping, I got home late tonightshe thought looking over at the cat, whose stomach was moving up and down, as she breathed in and out. She decided that she should take a shower before climbing into her nice clean bed. So she headed over towards the bathroom that was attached to her bed room and walked inside. She turned the shower on, then removed her clothes, and climbed in. She let the hot water beat down on her back for a couple of seconds before continuing with the normal routine.
After her nice shower was over she got out and wrapped a towel around her naked body. She walked back into the room where the black lump at the end of her bed still lie sleeping and got out some night clothes. Then again she looked over at the clock that read 10:17, now. She yawned as she slipped into the clothes she has just picked out. Walking over to her bed slowly, she yawned again this time wider. Then she climbed in, and laid her head on the soft pillow.
As she lay there not yet asleep, but not entirely awake, one person came into her mind, Shikamaru Nara. She remembered earlier that day, how she had seen him walking somewhere with his faithful friend, Choji Akimichi. She smiled at him and he had smiled back, but then so did Choji which made Sorano shutter a little.
Sorano has had a crush on the Nara kid since they were little. While everyone else was busy falling over Sasuke, she just liked the simple calm boy known as Shikamaru. She laid there thinking about him and somewhere in the middle she fell asleep, not really knowing where.