AN: This is a story involving the rookie nine and my friend's own character. It takes place when the rookies are 20 and Mario – my friend's OC – is 22. Mario is a jinchuriki like Gaara and Naruto. He carries the 5 tails, wolf daemon within him, but holds a close bond with the beast, much like the one shared between Killer Bee and the 8 tails. However, Mario's wolf was not the only one of his kind. Their was an elder 5 tails. This elder 5 tails was the one responsible for destroying Mario's home village 3 years ago. At the time when the elder Wolf was destroying his village, Mario and his younger 5 tailed Wolf defended their village. However the fight caused so much carnage, that by the time the elder wolf was defeated, Mario's home town was destroyed. And so, at the age of 19, Mario ended up seeking refuge at Konoha. He joined the village and soon became friends with Hyuuga Neji, and was later introduced to his cousin, Hinata. As he grew closer to Hinata, he was slowly introduced to the other, Rookie Nine and soon became well integrated into their friendship group. This story begins 3 years after Mario came to Konoha.

I hope that all makes sense. My friend explained it all a lot better than I did but hopefully you can understand well enough. I hope you enjoy this, late, Valentines Special.

It was yet another, perfect day in the picturesque village of Konoha. The sun was burning brightly in the sky, and the resident birds where singing their merry tunes, willing the villages to rise from their beds and begin their tasks for the day.

However, no amount of bird song could lesson the longing that Mario felt towards his warm bed as he stretched his stiffened limbs in an attempt to disband his sleepy mood.

But then a thought struck him. I'm supposed to be meeting Hinata for lunch today! He realised as the wave of sleepiness that he had been drowning under, was finally lifted by a refreshing breeze. Suddenly getting up didn't seem like quite such a bad idea after all.

There was something about that shy and compassionate girl, that just made him smile.

And so, with a ridiculous grin on his lips, the young man stepped willingly out from beneath his bed covers, and began to prepare for the duties that he would have to carry out before he could meet that girl with the midnight blue hair.

OOO

1pm could not come soon enough for the black haired shinobi. He had completed the tower of paper work – that a sour Neji had placed in front of his earlier that day (apparently the older Hyuuga was upset that Mario had beaten him at Shogi the night before) – within an hour, to ensure that he would not be late for his ramen related appointment.

And now he found himself, sitting on a bar stool, awaiting the girl that he had admire in secret since the day they had met.

He had all ways tried to remain optimistic that she would, eventually, begin to feel the same way about him. But so far, his luck had not amounted to much.

He had thought, at first, that their regular lunchtime meetings where a sign that she considered him as more than a friend. But , alas! No such luck.

He always felt a pang of disappointment whenever he thought back to how Neji had given a small chuckle that day.

Mario had asked for the Hyuuga's permission to date his cousin. And his response was not one that the young shinobi had expected.

"You should be so lucky." He had laughed flatly.

"Don't you know she's still in love with that Naruto kid that left here last year."

This information had broken Mario's heart. And now, even two years down the line, he still felt a twinge of regret whenever he remembered that scene.

But that information had not been enough to completely spurn his affections for the Kunoichi. In fact, sometimes he though that the rejection had made him feel even more strongly attached to the girl.

He continued his musing for several minutes until the waiter broke his concentration.

"Are you going to order? If not may I kindly ask you to leave so that others can have their lunch." The man, dressed in a tightly fitting suit, had asked, none too kindly, as he gestured meaningfully towards the growing queue, beside the concierge's desk.

"Of course I'm going to order!" Mario replied abrasively. "I've only been here for..." he paused to look of the clock on the wall opposite his table.

"Oh..." he finished flatly. He had been here for well over half an hour. It wasn't like Hinata to be late. In fact, come to think of it, she is usually hear before I am. He remembered.

"Oh indeed." The waiter said, slyly, before stalking back to his growing crowd.

Fearing that something must have happened to her, Mario quickly paid for his drink, and charged out of the restaurant at full pelt.

AN: well there you have it. The first chapter is complete! ^_^ Originally I was going to make this into a one shot but I thought that it would be far too long for that format.

Please review. I don't mind flames, but it would be best to have constructive criticism rather than mindless, and rather pointless ranting. Lol

Anyways, hope you like, and if you like Mario and just happen to be fluent in Spanish, please message my friend, Chuster, and I'm sure that he would be happy to email you his original, Mario story ^_^