A single leaf drifted through the village. It passed children as they ran, laughing, home. It passed people as the hugged hello or waved goodbye. The leaf came to rest on puddle a few stride away from Shikamaru. If he hadn't known any better, Shikamaru would have thought the leaf was staring right at him. He shook his head. Now's not the time to think everything is some form of transform enemy, he thought to himself. With the whisper of war running through the village, everyone was on guard. Extra patrols around the village, meetings being held to decide squadrons, formations and other drab that made Shikamaru want to fall asleep.

He sighed. But of course there was no escaping it; Tsuande had made him one of the strategists. Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His attention drifted back to the leaf as it shifted over the puddle.

"Just imagine all the stories a leaf could tell," a sweet voice chimed in his head.

Shikamaru smiled at the memory. I'd like to hear yours one last time, Hazuki, he thought as he watched the leaf lift up from the waters surface and flutter up into the sky, a smile softly lighting his face.

Kiba, Choji and Naruto ran along side Shikamaru as they joged away from the acadamey, laughing as they did. They had managed to escape one of Iruka's lectures. After a quick glance back at the academy, Shikamaru's gaze was caught by the sight of a girl, roughly their age, scaleing a tree. Naruto saw her too and called out to her, waveing. The distraction caused the girl to slip and fall of the branch she had been perched on. the girl landed head first on the floor, when she didn't jump up and shout at them, the boys rushed to her side.

"Well done, Naruto," Kiba said, his voice heavy with scarcasm.

"I didn't think she would fall!" Naruto exclaimed back.

Choji shook his head. "Do you think we should ga and get someone?" he asked, looking over at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Up to you, Cho. But I don't think Iruka Sensei would be any more approving if we dragged a girl into the iddle of his class."

The other three nodded. A second later Kiba slapped his hand onto Naruto's shoulder. "But we don't all have to go. Naruto can," he said, grinning.

"What!"

"You heard," Shikamaru spoke lazily, he was already bored. "You are the one who made her fall off."

"Hey wait, I think she waking up," Choji said as he stuffed his mouth full of chrisps.

The four boys loked down at the girl, her eye cracked open a bit. Then snapped open, her mouth dropped open. Shikamaru heard her take in a deep breath, he clamped a and over her mouth. "Shh you'll get us all into trouble," at the moment all five of them hear Iruka give an almighty shout. the four boy's exchange fearfull looks and jumped to their feet. Shikamaru helped the girl up. "Come on, before Iruka sensei finds us."

He took his hand off the girls mouth and grabbed her hand, and dragged her through the trees and he and the others ran for the park, laughing again as they did. The girl stumbled a bit but kept up pretty well. they arrive not long after at the park, panting and laughing.

Shikamaru turned to the girl and looked at her properly for the first time. She was roughly the same hieght as Shikamaru, dressed in a light brown skirt with a pastle green top, her sandles were brown unlike the standard blue of black. Her hair was down to her shoulders and was a very light earthy brown colour. What drew Shikamarus attention the most was her eyes. They were ringed with a dark brown that leaked into a leafy green. The girl smiled at Shikamarus staring.

She held out her hand. "I'm Hazuki," her voice was soft and was lined with a giggle.

Shikamaru smiled back and took her hand, shaking it. "I'm Shikamaru," he replied.

Kiba jumped to his side and waved at the girl. "I'm Kiba," he said energetically and picked up a puppy that lay across his feet, he held him up to the girl. "And this is Akamaru."

The girl nodded and turned to Choji who stood on the opposite side of Shikamaru. As alway he was stuffing his face, he spoke around hi food. "'M Choji," he managed.

Hazuki frowned. "He's Choji," Shikamaru said. He leand in and whisperd into the girls ear. "Don't mention his weight, he's a little..." Shikamaru search his mind for the right word to use.

"Sensative?" Hazuki asked, Shikamaru nodded. "Who's he?" Hazuki was pointing at Naruto who stood a bit back from the group, nervously stratching his head.

"Oh, that's Naruto," Kiba said, half informing Hazuki, and half calling the boy over. He lend in closer to Hazuki and whispered, "He's the one who shouted out to you."

Hazuki giggled, which slowly turned into laughter as Naruto started to babble out apologiese about distracting her. She gave him a light smile when he finally stop apologiseing. "It's okay," her voice warm and forgiving. "I awlways fall out of tree's, I doesn't hurt any more."

The four boy nodded at her. "You're not from round here are you?" Shikamaru asked.

Hazuki shook her head and open her mouth to reply but before she could a man, with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail leered over them. She could see the boys tense at this and watched as there face warped into grimances. She watched as the man took in a deep breath, the boy tensed even more. "You're Iruka Sensei aren't you?" Hazuki spoke before the man had a chance to explode.

The air wooshed out of him and he nodded, "How did you...?" He started but stopped when Hazuki held out her hand. He frown at it.

She smiled politely. "I'm in your class now. Shikamaru and the others were just telling me about you."

Releif flooded into the boys face's and they relaxed a bit. Iruka laughed. "And what exactly have they been saying?" He rested a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. The boy tensed again.

Hazuki gave a small giggle. "They say you can be very nice but very strict," she said with a nod.

Iruka looked stunned. "Well I didn't think you boy's thought so highly of me." Now all four boys were grinning sheepishly. Iruka gave Shikamaru a pat on the back, "Get going back to class. I'll let this slide this once seen as you found our new friend here, now go!"

The boys scattered, running back through the trees to the academy. Shikamaru stopped at the edge, turning back to Hazuki. He gave her a broad smile and wave. "Bye," he shouted.

Hazuki waved back, laughing. her attention was drawn to Iruka as he lead her away, heading trough the un coverd path toward the academy. Shikamaru watch for a few minutes, for once in his life feeling a little less lazy, and as if he wouldn't mind going to school the next day. He darted back off through the trees when he heard the other calling for him.

Chapter one all done!

The flash back is set about two years from the start of the acctuall Anime/Manga so they are all about 10 :P

Each chapter from now on will be a differant flash back so it a lot less confusing.

Enjoy! Feel free to review, criticism is alway welcome.