Chapter 2..Im sorry, you were probably disappointed in the NO yaoi,but dont worry,..it will come soon,..trust me :[D

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"OOf!" was the sound that came out of Haru's mouth as she bumped into someone and fell down on her butt. "Watch it Haru..," Another familiar voice looked up. Shikamaru…She thought, and there he was...She remembered the first time she met him…

"Shikamaru!!!!!" Naruto Uzumaki yelled dragging Haru by the hand towards the dark-haired genin. "No Naruto, I don't have any money to give you..." "No!!! I want to introduce you to my new friend!!!" The blond said with a wide smile. "Shikamaru this is Haru,Haru this is SHikamaru!" "Uhm,…hi" Haru said shyly, her small cheeks turned pink as she looked at the taller ninja. "Hi...You just move here?" Haru nodded. "And is he showing you around??" Shikamaru pointed to Naruto. "Yeah..." "Well let me put you out of your misery and show you around instead..'sides Naruto doesn't know as much s I do..." "Hey!!-…That's probably true..." Naruto said pouting. "What do ya say?" "S-sure!" Haru said smiling happily…

"You really gotta watch where you're going..." Shikamaru said holding out a hand to her. "Sorry..." Haru said taking it. "I was just looking for you-" They both said at the same time. "Ehehe…" The dark-haired shinobi laughed nervously. "Your...back from your mission..." Haru said. "Yeah, I just got back about an hour ago,.."

"You wanna-"

"Lets go-" again they spoke at the same time. "Sorry what did you want to say?" Haru said. "You wanna hang out together..." "If you mean by resting then yeah,...I just got done with training and im tired..." "You're starting to sound like me more every day" Shikamaru said smiling lazily down at the red head.

Haru yawned staring up at the cloud-filled sky, her red hair spread out across the grass…Shikamaru lay next to her with his hands behind his head, and although he wanted to watch the clouds, his eyes kept wanting to linger on her,…The way her hair was messy but ,it looked good on her,. And cheeks stained with pink from the sun. And those long black eyelashes that complimented her fiery red eyes…

"How was your mission...?" Haru voice interrupted his thoughts about her. "Uh..." He tried to remember "It was pretty troublesome..." Haru laughed lightly. "Everything is troublesome to you..." She said sitting up as she crossed her legs. "No not everything…You're not terribly troublesome." He said teasing the younger kunoichi. "Oh well that makes me feel so much better, now that I know that." Haru said. "Im glad I could reassure you." He said never taking his eyes off , sighed rolling her eyes…She noticed he was just staring at her...smiling. "What?" She said laughing. He shook his head. "Nothin'." "Well quit looking at me like that,. It's weird." Haru said,. A blush covering her face. She turned her head away,. looking for some kind of distraction.

After catching up with one another, it was time for Haru to head home… "I guess I'll see you later." She said. "Yeah... see you later." He said. Making her way back home she saw one of her best friends. "Hinata?" "Hello Haru-Chan..." She said in her shy voice. "Hows it been? I haven't really talked to you in a while…" Hinata laughed "It's only been 2 days; I was on a mission remember?" "You're lucky, Why is everyone getting to go on missions and my team is stuck training..." "I'm sure you'll get one soon." Hinata said hopefully. Haru looked at her watch "Aw, man, sorry Hinata I gotta split, Tomorrow we'll hang okay?" Haru said rushing past her friend. "Bye Haru..." "Bye!" Haru said turning back to wave at her. She raced home, If she didn't get there soon she wouldn't be able to help her mother and give her, her daily medicine. "I'm home!" She said slamming the door. "You're late." Kai said aggravation spilled out of his voice. "I'm sorry." "Yeah, let's hope so, if I didn't come home to check on her, who knows what could have happened!!" He yelled at her. "I said I was sorry,. Get off my back." Haru growled. She turned her back to her brother. "She's dying...Haru." Her siblings' voice was so quiet, but she could hear it as clear as a bell. She stopped right in her tracks. Clenching her fists, her jaw tightened. "How do you know for sure?" Haru said. "Tsunade came by earlier…" Kai's voice came. Haru swallowed hard. "It's not true…" She said bitterly. Tears dearing to spill over and run down her cheeks. "Haru..." Kai said, knowing how close his sister and his mom were, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She jerked away from him. "You're lying!!!" She turned and yelled at him. "Why would I lie about something like this!" Kai said desperately. Haru hit her brother with her fists, as he pulled her towards him. "Stop! It's not true!! It's not true!!" She repeated over and over again as her cheeks were stained with wet tears. They both fell to their clung to her brother for emotional support … "Tsunade-sama said she has about a week,. Maybe less..." "Why cant she do anything to help mom…" Haru said confused. "She tried everything she could…" "Why cant she try harder!?" "Haru,…Don't let mother hear us…" Haru sniffed and let go of her brother, standing up she went straight to her room. Afraid if her brother said anything else about her mother she would burst. Only...a week... Haru thought sitting on the edge of her bed Does mother know??..

Later that night around 8 Haru went into her mother's room. "Mom..." "Come in dear..." Her mothers' weak voice came more quiet and haggard than went to the side of her mother and looked down at her. "Mom..." Haru said,…fresh tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "So your brother told you hm?" Her mother said smiling weakly. "You know..." "Well of course I know…" Haru was amazed, at a time like this,. If she found out she was going to die she would be scared,. But her mother's face only shown contentment and tiredness. "How are you so calm, when you know what is coming..." Haru said, her body was shaking as tears fell from her eyes once again. "Haru, I've always been ill,..Im surprised I've lasted all these years…" "Mom-" "But im so glad I got to see you and your brother grow up to become such fine ninja...Im so very proud of you.." Haru fell on her knees and took her mothers hand in hers, "Don't talk like that,. It's like you think you're gonna die soon..." Her mom just staring at her with knowing eyes. Haru opened her mouth to speak,..But no words came out,.. "You and your brother take care of each other okay…" "Mom your gonna be okay!! Don't talk like that!!" "There's a necklace, in my jewelry box,. It's a red gem, it belonged to my great grandmother and was passed on to me, and I want you to have it..." Her moms voice was getting weaker by every word she spoke. "Mom! Your not gonna die you hear me!!" "Its okay baby, dont cry over me,.." Haru choked as she stuttered out. "Please,.." "I love you..."…Her mom closed her eyes and her body slowly went limp, "Mom?....MOM…MOM!!!!" Haru said gently shaking her mother. Reality hit her like a tone of bricks; she fell on top of her mothers still form and wept. "Mom,..Dont go,. Please." She sputtered out, but it was too late...Her mother could not hear her this time…

The funeral was about 4 days later on a gloomy, sun-less day…

Haru and her brother stood together, hand in hand as they watched their mother being buried. There were no more tears,..She was all out of them,. Because the past 4 days she cried more than ever…

They didn't know how long they stood there,. even after the casket was stood emotionless, Fatigue showing in her shed a few tears but quickly wiped them away with his free hand.Theres no turning back now…we're alone…all by ourselves, we must become strong enough to survive…Somewhere out there, their mother knew they would be just fine without her…