I do NOT own Naruto! I only own Hideko Honda!

-Neji-

"Class, we have a new student," Iruka-Sensei told us as he walked in with a girl my age behind him.

When he stopped in front of the board, he turned to us, "This is Hideko Honda. Please make her feel welcome."

I could hear whispers from all around me about the new girl Hideko. They were saying she looked like a demon. Which I would have to agree with. She did look frightening, her hair as red as blood that reached her hips, solid black eyes with white cat-like slits, and extremely pale skin. She wore what looked like the garb of a different hidden village, but at the same time it didn't. It didn't make sense to me. Her black kimono went to her ankles that had sleeves that extended past her fingertips by about six inches and her ninja shoes were just as black.

"Go sit down."

I saw her nod before she walked up the aisles in between the desks. She came to a stop next to me, "Would you mind if I sat next to you?" She asked in a quiet voice with shy eyes.

I looked up at her, "Of course."

She relaxed a little before she sat down.

When the bell signaling break rang, I noticed she hurried out of the classroom. I saw the back of her kimono. I was shocked to see the kanji symbolizing 'Love and Forgive' written in a pale pink. I shook off my shock before going to do something else.

-Hideko-

After the Break Bell, or I assumed that's what it was, rang, I hurried outside but what I saw shocked me. A boy my age was being bullied by a group of kids on the playground. I heard one of the boys call him a monster. I remembered when I first met someone else just like him. This boy was being called the same names as him.

I snarled before I walked up to them. A fast paced walk, but a walk none the less. I know I didn't know him, but I knew what he was going through. "Now, there's no need to call him that," I spoke up once I was behind the group of bullies.

They turned to me, "Oi? What do you want?" The leader, I assume, asked me.

"I said there is no need to call him that," I repeated for him. "Are you deaf and stupid?"

He snarled at me. "Do you really want to pick a fight with me?" I asked him as I noticed he balled his fists up.

His answer was a fist flying through the air. But I caught his fist in my hand just when it was inches from my face. I saw the look of horror on his face but I tightened my grip on his fist and twisted it. I heard the distinct pop of a joint being dislocated. I released his hand before dropping my own back to my side. "Don't worry, its not broken. Just dislocated," I told him before him and his group took off in a dead on run, my eyes following the group.

I looked to the boy, who I noticed was backing away from me. "No need to back away," I told him with a gentle smile on my face.

"W-why did you stand up for me?" he asked me, a look of shock in his deep blue eyes and the same was evident in his voice.

"I don't appreciate it when others pick on people," I told him, walking up to him.

I noticed that his blonde hair was spiked and that he had whisker-like marks on his cheeks. "Who are you?" He asked me, the shock dwindling.

"My name is Hideko," I told him with a smile still on my face.

He held his hand out with a thumbs up, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! And I'm going to be Hokage someday!"

I laughed at him before I turned, but I looked at him over my shoulder, "You coming?"

"Where?" he asked, confused as he let his hand drop back to his side.

"To play," I told him laughing as he walked up to stand beside me.

The two of us took off in a sprint, racing each other to a tree.

-Iruka-

I watched as the new student, Hideko Honda, stood up for Naruto. She easily defended herself when Ryuu started to attack her. 'She has far more strength than a normal Academy Student,' I thought as I walked back over to my desk. 'I wonder why.'

-Later that year; Hideko-

When Iruka-Sensei walked into the room with a scroll in hand, I knew what it was for. It held which Academy Students passed and which failed. As well as the teams and Sensei corresponding to each team. "Alright, listen up. I will tell you which teams you are on and who your Sensei will be. They will be three-man cells, but there will be one four-man cell this year," He told us as he opened the scroll. "First up is Team 10 with Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi, and Ino Yamanaka. Your Sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi. Next is Team 9 with Neji Hyuuga, TenTen, and Rock Lee. Your Sensei will be Gai Maito. Then there is Team 8 with Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuuga. Your Sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi. And finally there is Team 7 with Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Hideko Honda. Your Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake"

I noticed Sakura, or Pinkie as I called her, was almost jumping for joy when she heard she would be on a team with Sasuke Uchiha. Then I noticed that the Boar was almost seething at the fact that she wasn't on his team. I smiled when I found out I would be on the team with my best friend in this village. Though my truest best friend was still in the Hidden Sand.

"Now, each of you will go and meet with your team's Sensei," Iruka told us before each team stood up and left the room.

I just stayed where I was at. I didn't want to move. I had heard a lot from Mother and Father about Kakashi Hatake, The Copy Ninja. I snarled when I heard Sakura call out to me, "Hey! Demon! Let's get going!"

I hated the nickname she gave me, but I stood up and casually followed the trio.

When we got to Training Ground 7, I jumped up onto the top of one of the upright logs and sat down. I was trying to drown out Sakura and Naruto's fighting and just listen to the nature, but that wasn't going so well for me.

I knew Sensei would be late, so I started to meditate. I felt my spiritual body leave my physical one. There was one place I needed to visit, even if it was only in spirit form. The Hidden Sand Village.

When my spirit arrived at the village, I followed a familiar chakra to its owner. I took a step back at the look in his eyes as he looked towards his siblings. It was different now then it was before I left the village under Father's orders. I saw the look of hatred in his eyes. His forehead now held a kanji. The kanji for love. It matched his hair, which was a bit brighter red than my own. 'Gaara. What happened?'

The next thing I saw, and felt for that matter, was the ground. I was back in my physical body with my face in the grass. "Who did that?" I asked darkly as I stood up.

I saw Sakura point to Naruto and my whole attitude changed. It softened. If it had been Pinkie, I would have lashed out and held nothing back. I dusted the dirt off of my black kimono. It still went to my ankles, but it now had slits up to my hips and the sleeves extended farther past my fingertips. By about a foot. I wore knee high ninja shoes with silver shin guards and silver arm guards which I wore elbow-length gloves underneath to protect my arms from the metal. My newly acquired Leaf headband was tied around my left thigh. I even got Grandfather's twin katanas which I had strapped to my back. They had black and blood red tassels tied to the hilts.

"Kakashi-Sensei is here now," I heard Sasuke tell me to which I just nodded.

"Alright, first things first, to work effortlessly as a team, you must know each other's strengths and weaknesses. To do that, I want each of you to tell us a little bit about yourself. I'll go first I'm Kakashi Hatake, I have no desire or need to tell you my likes, dislikes or dreams."

I sighed, he was starting to live up to the reputation he had with Father. Next up was Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, I dislike stuck-ups, and I'm going to be Hokage someday!"

Then it was Pinkie. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like…" she looked to Sasuke. "I dislike Naruto and Hideko. And my dream is to become strong."

Then emo-boy. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I like very few things. I dislike my elder brother and my dreams are to become strong enough to kill a certain someone."

I cringed, he kinda scared me. But I shook it off seeing as it was my turn. "I'm Hideko Honda. I like to read and train. As well as spend time with my close friends. I dislike Sasuke and Sakura," I said before I noticed Sakura fuming mad. I mentally smirked at her before continuing. "And my dreams are to help a childhood friend see a purpose in life other than killing to feel alive and to one day return home to serve my home village, the Village Hidden in the Sand."

I looked to Sakura and noticed that her eyes were wide, then to Sasuke to see him not caring, to Naruto to see him just as shocked as Pinkie, and then to Sensei to see him looking shocked too. I guess he didn't expect me to want to return to Suna. 'I have to, I have to help Gaara,' I thought as I looked at the sky. My solid black eyes with their white cat-like slits scared almost everyone in the village. Except for Naruto and Neji Hyuuga. I sighed as I thought back on how he told me I was a failure when I stood up for Naruto. 'I'm going to show him otherwise! Even if it kills me doing so!'

"Hideko, we're about to start," I heard Naruto's voice say, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I nodded and stood up. "I want you each to spar against a partner of my choosing," Kakashi told us. "First up will be Hideko and Sasuke."

The two of us walked away from our team and stood, ready to fight. "Ready, Uchiha?"

I heard him grunt in response before Sensei told us to begin. Sasuke was the first to begin by lunging at me with a fist at the ready. I easily caught his fist like I did when I was protecting Naruto. I brought my other hand back and it made contact with his stomach. I forced my wind-based chakra out of my hand, sending him sailing backwards.

"Hey! Demon! Don't hurt Sasuke!" I heard Pinkie shout as I stood straight. I sent a glare her way, "I will do as I want in my match with him. Now shut the hell up and watch. You might learn a thing or two," I told her, growling from deep within my chest, causing her to shrink back and do as I said.

I turned my attention back to my spar to see Sasuke forming hand signs to a jutsu. "Fire-Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

I saw a large fireball coming my way before I grabbed my twin katanas and unsheathed them. I focused my chakra into the blades. As it neared me, I sliced through the air, sending wind towards the fire.

I sheathed my katanas and ran towards my opponent. "It's a shame that you cant beat me," I told him, a smirk evident in my voice.

My Taijutsu movements were faster than my teammates or even Sensei could follow. With one final blow-a blow to the abdomen-I ended the short spar. "Not strong enough yet, Sasuke."

With that, I walked over to the upright log I was sitting on before Sensei got there and went back to what I was doing before I got shoved off of it.

'I'm in for one hell of a time.'