A/N – Happy Friday! I have an update here, but after this chapter I'll be putting this story on a bi-weekly update schedule (So I can rotate updates each Friday with my Attack on Titan story). So, you can expect the next update two weeks from now. I stick pretty close to my update schedules, and will let you guys know if anything changes.

A million thanks to my first few reviewers, you guys are wonderful :)

Enjoy!


My reflection in the mirror held a nasty grimace on her face.

And rightfully so, the girl on the other side of the reflective glass surface looked positively ghastly.

The dark circles under my eyes from a night of tossing and turning stood out drastically against pale skin. I hadn't slept a wink after the events of the previous day, wrestling with my conscience throughout the night as I debated the best way to approach my circumstances.

I gingerly poked at puffy eyelids and dark circles with a deep frown. The light-colored skin that was mostly void of the melanin I'd possessed in my previous life definitely did not help anything, making the dark circles exaggerated and giving a vague impression of a raccoon.

Kimari had a delicate, doll-like look to her, a look that was common among the civilian women of Konoha. A humble kind of beauty that didn't stick out but was still pleasant to look at. Pale skin, honey colored eyes, light brown hair that was straight and thick – so very different from my previous life, but so very common here in Konoha.

Gone was the tanned olive skin, hazel eyes, and untamable curls that Lamees was born with. A mix of Bedouin and Mediterranean, common among her people and matching the rest of her relatives.

Lamees had been tall, almost abnormally so, with thick bones and strong muscles from working in the bakery. Kimari was the exact opposite: short, petite, and slim, looking as though her bones might just snap if squeezed too hard.

Lamees had a wild look to her, no doubt from her Bedouin blood, the blood of the proud nomadic tribes of Arabia and Northern Africa, with a piercing gaze and sharp features that might have made her look somewhat unapproachable. Kimari was the opposite – everything about her was soft and inviting; from her warm gaze to her gentle voice and mannerisms. Even her skin and hair were soft.

I found it humorous that I had inherited such soft and delicate features, especially since the meaning of the name Lamees meant 'soft to touch'. How ironic that I would finally acquire the meaning of my old name in my second life.

I wasn't looking very soft today, however. My reflection looked downright haggard.

I heaved an exasperated sigh, finally accepting that my reflection would not improve by staring at it. Working my fingers through the thick and long locks, I moved to part it at the side and began the braid against my scalp that would eventually be coiled into a bun and secured with my grandmother's comb at the base of my skull - very proper and very traditional, as was expected of me.

It was one of the few hairstyles I knew how to do, and I preferred to have my hair out of my face while I worked and went about the day. I only let it loose at home after so many years of hiding my hair under a scarf in the body of Lamees. It still felt odd to have it loose in public like some of the other girls, and it was one of the few habits that I'd had a hard time shedding in my new life.

Luckily for me, as Kimari, the loosely braided bun was a common hairstyle. It was considered proper among civilian women to tie their hair back for the sake of modesty. Loose hair was considered an attractive quality, one that was reserved for the view of husbands or lovers to those who still lived a traditional lifestyle – and many in Konoha still did. There were also some who did not.

It was an interesting time period that I was able to witness here. It seemed like society in the shinobi village was on the cusp of innovation, of modern advancements, but just barely. In this society, new technology and innovative ideas continued to clash with tradition.

There were bits and pieces of random technology sprinkled about, yet still widely unavailable to the public. Things like radios and televisions were hard to come by, yet still available for the right price. To my knowledge, the only thing radios were used for at this day and age was long-distance communication instead of the music that was beginning to fade from Lamees's memory.

There was also evidence of the clash between modern and traditional amongst the clans of Konoha as well. One of the best examples of a clan that held on to tradition like a lifeline of sorts were the Hyuuga, who lived an extremely traditional lifestyle, one that many would consider somewhat archaic. On the opposite end of the spectrum there were the Inuzuka, a clan that was well known for purposefully rocking the boat and had eagerly accepted societal and technological change with no qualms.

It was much the same among the civilians. There were certain families or even entire neighborhoods that clung to the older ways, much like my grandfather and his family had. The newer districts and pockets of younger and elder villagers alike were all for the changes that were coming about, eager to shed the cloak of tradition to replace it with newer tech, modern clothing, and more relaxed societal tendencies.

Even the clothing was an interesting mix of old and new.

You could see a woman in full kimono, or someone like me who preferred the yukatas, walking next to scantily clad kunoichi, a miko in a hakama, or a civilian woman in a blouse and skirt or trousers. Some children wore t-shirts and trousers while others wore more traditional garb. It was a fascinating mix of new and old, but I was glad for it. It meant that I could dress a bit more modestly and traditionally like Lamees used to and nobody would question my motives. It was a small comfort to be had, but one that I cherished.

Even Machi, a very forward thinking and rambunctious young woman, was made by her family to dress modestly and propriety. We had both been born into a section of civilian society that clung with vigor to the old ways and traditions, like most in Konoha did.

The yukata I wore today was a pale green color, the fabric slightly faded after a few years of usage. This yukata in particular was always my grandfather's favorite on me. It had been my hope that the pastel green of the fabric would draw attention away from the shadows under my eyes. Although, I could see now that my hopes were in vain.

With one last glare at the ugly circles under my eyes, I gave up, splashing some water on my face before heading towards my kitchen to start my day with a cup of tea and a breakfast of 'Tamago Kake Gohan' - a dish of rice, soy sauce, and raw egg that had taken some time to get used to but was now a daily staple.

There were times I missed the rich spices of the dishes that were served in Lamees's home – things like lamb kebabs, Shawarma, Shakshuka, Tabbouleh, and Hummus. I'd even tried to replicate the old recipes, which had all turned out unpalatable and strange-tasting due to lack of proper ingredients, and had eventually given up. There were even points where I would have given all my earthly possessions for a single olive or piece of date fruit.

But all in all, I found I preferred the Japanese cuisine that was found here in Konohagakure. It was filling and nutritious, light on the stomach and full of energy – even if it was a bit bland on the palate compared to the spices I had been raised on in my last life.

I watched the sun rise as I sipped my tea after the dishes had been cleared and cleaned, taking a selfish moment longer than necessary to allow myself the brief period of relaxation to calm my frayed nerves before cleaning the teacup and kettle so that I could head to my stall at the market.

I tarried a moment longer than normal, readjusting my yukata and sliding on my socks and wooden Geta shoes at my threshold.

Today is going to be a good day. It will be fine, having Naruto next door doesn't mean the world is ending. Just go to your stall, sell your vegetables, avoid the protagonist, and breathe deeply.

I took a large and calming inhalation as I repeated those words like a mantra in my head until I believed them. Plastering a smile on my face and taking one more breath for good measure, I lifted my head, squared my shoulders and opened my front door.

"Geez, Nee-chan, I've been waitin' for hours!"

I balked, taking a flustered step back and tripping backwards over my threshold to land on my rear in surprise.

So much for avoiding the main character.

"Oops! Sorry, I forgot how easy it is to scare civilians." He said casually, although his gaze was somewhat sheepish. He stuck his hand out then, a child offering to help a grown woman to her feet.

How easily he trusted after only a few kind words. How genuine his actions were after such a small kindness of acknowledging his dream aloud while he watched from the crack in his door. Such a small act, and he was so quick to help a civilian, despite the fact that there was not one civilian in the village who actually used his name.

They called him a demon instead, slinging vile names and profanities at boy who was hardly more than a child.

I eyed his hand in apprehension. I already knew it was not the hand of a demon, just a child. But that by no means meant that it was safe to be near him. That age-old terror was creeping back up my chest again, the fear of being exposed or framed as a spy of sorts causing me to hesitate, even though his intentions were pure.

I faltered, openly staring at his hand in fear that I hadn't taken care to restrain.

He noticed my apprehension then and backtracked with a hurt look in his eyes, most likely assuming I thought him a demon and would prefer not to be touched by him, just like the others.

It was the look of dejection that did it.

My body reacted to my heart before my mind could put a stop to it. My hand shot out of its own accord to grasp his tightly, against all better judgement and instinct screaming that this was a horrible idea.

The grin that threatened to split his face in two was as bright as the sun that shone overhead.

"Thank you." I allowed him to help me to my feet, his wide orbs shining at the contact with another human being after years of being shunned.

It dawned on me then that the only other physical contact he might have had with others was most likely hits and kicks from the angry villagers.

No. Don't fall victim to sympathy. Just be polite but keep your distance. Don't get too close.

"Was there something you needed, Naruto-kun?" I asked politely, although my voice was slightly strained.

"Right!" He nodded vigorously when I retracted my hand from his now that I was once again standing. "Well, uh, y'see…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly before continuing. "It's just – I feel bad for what happened, so I'm going to help you today-'ttebayo. Whatever you need, okay?"

I blinked owlishly.

"Thank you, but I can manage on my own." I replied, forcing my tone to sound clipped in the hope he would go about his business and let me go about mine.

"No way, lady! Isn't your hand still hurt?" He argued immediately.

I glanced down subconsciously to the unblemished skin of my palm. Without chakra, it would have been, but yesterday I had been able to watch in unrestrained fascination as the iryo-nin at the hospital used medical jutsu to right the wrong that had been done to my body. The flesh had knit itself back together, right before my eyes in a display that was both beyond intriguing and somewhat unsettling.

I felt I might never get used to seeing people wield chakra, that buzzing life force that almost seemed to pulse in a comforting fashion beneath my skin.

"No, the iryo-nin at the hospital was able to patch it up. Good as new! Now, if you'll excuse me, Naruto-kun-"

"C'mon, Nee-chan!" He only continued in his excitement, blocking the movement I'd made to side-step him. "I can do whatever you need!"

I eyed him in suspicion. Surely he had other things to do, other responsibilities to see to? The anime hadn't gone too in-depth about what his days might have looked like before he graduated the academy, but one thing we had known was that he skipped classes on occasion to pull pranks.

"Don't you have classes?"

"Nah, today's Saturday. I'm free all day to help you!"

Great, just great. Of course he is.

"You don't even know my name."

"Sure I do, it's Mari, right? I overheard you talkin' to Iruka-sensei yesterday."

"Sasaki-san will do for now." I corrected him as I began walking towards the external stairs that led to the street. "We hardly know each other, it's impolite to call a young woman you aren't familiar with by her given name."

I was walking as quickly as my yukata would allow, the wooden geta clicking furiously as I began down the stairs with my hand on the rail.

Just go away, please just leave me be. It's better for both of us this way, trust me.

"Geez, you sound so old." He mumbled as he matched my pace, descending the stairs with me. "If it's rude, then how come you just called me by my first name? Huh?" He demanded with a grin, thinking he could play me at my own game.

Oh, he wanted to go there, did he?

I kept my face blank of the mirth that made my chest clench. The boy would soon learn to pick his battles with me. Sasaki Touma had been a very traditional old man, a stickler for manners and etiquette that he drilled into my head over the years. This was a game that Uzumaki Naruto would lose.

"That would be because you failed to properly introduce yourself as a young man ought to." I returned in a prim tone of voice, glancing at him in masked amusement as his face scrunched in thought.

He made a small disgruntled sound to signify his exasperation before he once again grinned, foxlike in nature as he stepped right in front of me the moment we had reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Fine." He acquiesced as he cut off my path once again, sticking his hand out towards mine. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, your future Hokage!"

I eyed his hand in disapproval, tutting slightly at his mannerisms. His face fell at my small 'tsk'.

"A gentleman bows to a lady upon introductions and certainly does not speak with such unbecoming volume."

His jaw dropped, hand wavering in the air. I ignored his hand, stepped around him once more, and continued forward without looking back, nose in the air for emphasis.

Inwardly, I was smiling at his frustration as he sputtered. I continued on with a serene look and the hope that he had given it up at my cold rebukes. Perhaps he would go back home now, or go train, I wasn't too sure what the boy did on the weekends or after school when he wasn't throwing kunai through the windows of unsuspecting civilians. Most likely vandalism of some sort, if I had to wager a guess.

I thought I had won this round when I didn't hear him for a moment, continuing in peace and enjoying the stillness of the early morning.

I ought to have known it wouldn't have been enough.

I probably could have punched him in the face and it wouldn't be enough to discourage him. I'd watched the anime, I knew how serious he was about his promises. And the boy had promised me his protection after I had shown him a small kindness that seemed to have meant the world to him.

I should have known better. It wouldn't be enough, nothing would be enough to discourage him.

When he once again appeared in front of me, blocking my path for the third time this morning, I finally frowned at being followed by him. At least until he bent forward and into a formal bow, eyes downcast and back straight in a polite bow of introduction and reverence.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be your Hokage one day -ttebayo."

His tone was calm this time, posture stiff in his bow. When he straightened, he looked to me expectantly, lips quirking upwards ever so slightly at the look of shock my face held.

I huffed, frowning as I returned his bow with one of my own, form immaculate as I also introduced myself in the traditional manor. The boy truly was as sly as the fox he held within him, he'd known I would return the introduction if he went about it in the old way.

"I am Sasaki Mari, your neighbor. It is a pleasure to meet you."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the cocky grin he now sported.

"Alright, now you've gotta do it my way! That old stuff is stupid and boring." He declared as he stuck his hand back out for me to shake.

I turned my eyes to the sky, dragging in a long inhalation and exhaling it in a rush. There really was no escaping him, was there? I'd most likely sealed my fate with only a few words the night before.

This was definitely not how I'd hoped for things to go.

The easy way would have been to call him a name or resort to physical violence like many of the other villagers did, but could I really push aside morals to resort to such low means for my own safety?

I had a feeling I already knew that answer.

It was not the girl who Lamees had been, and it was not the young woman I was today. I'd been raised better than that, two times in a row.

I sighed.

Screw it. What harm can a handshake do? I'm not offering to be his best buddy with a handshake.

"Mari. My friends call me Kimari." I finally returned to him in defeat as I took his hand in mine and gave it a firm shake.

"Huh? Why?"

"It's a nickname my grandfather gave me. The last syllable of my family name combined with my given name." I explained as we continued walking towards the market.

"Cool. My friends call me the 'Uzumaki Tsunami'!" He spread his hands out, wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

"Liar."

"They do too! You're kinda mean, Nee-chan."

"Go find another civilian to bother then."

"Ha! Nice try, Kimari-nee!"

And from there it began.

vvvvvvvvv

"Thank you, Saito-san, please come again!"

My voice chirped happily at the elderly man as I handed him his eggplants and his change.

"You know I will, Kimari-chan." He flashed a toothless grin and gave my hand a small pat as he accepted the eggplants in the paper sack. "Keep the change, dear."

It was a busy morning; most Fridays mornings usually were. I had just sold my last few eggplants to a longtime customer and friend of 'Jii-san's, Saito Jun, who came to our stand every other day for as long as I could remember, always at the exact same time.

I pocketed the extra coins he had left me with, a smile on my face at the generous donation. It was often he broke bigger bills and waved off the change like that, especially after 'Jii-san passed away. A form of care, I supposed, and I was grateful for his help.

Help was something I had received a lot of when my grandfather died. All the merchants had given me free food for weeks and a few had taken turns running my vegetable stand when I took a few days off to grieve and make arrangements for his burial, the second time I had buried a grandfather, but the first time to do it in this life.

The other vendors and merchants were like one, large, spiderweb-like family. They knew each other intimately, and were quick to offer help if any should need it. They were truly kind.

Well, at least to me they were kind.

"Ne, Kimari." Machi's voice held a hint of exasperation to it, and her narrowed eyes displayed an air of displeasure as she weaved behind my large display of vegetables to stand underneath my covered canopy behind the stand, her pony tail swinging behind her. "He's here again."

She jerked her head to her right with a tight frown as she folded her arms under her chest, tapping her fingers in aggravation against her forearms.

I stopped re-arranging my produce for a moment to follow the direction of her head motion, searching through the crowd of market-goers until my gaze settled on that horrible, bright orange clothing and blonde hair atop a whiskered face.

Naruto had made a habit of swinging by my vegetable stand, just to say hello, for weeks now. Ever since I had allowed him to help me to make up for the kunai incident, he had begun to trail around after me, whether I wanted him there or not.

"Oh…" I started, realizing the reason for her scowl immediately. I floundered for a moment as I attempted to find the right words to say. "Ano, I –"

"Just do something about him, okay?" Her face scrunched at my flustered response. "I'm losing business because of him. We all suffer for it when he hangs around like a lost puppy. Didn't your Ojii-san teach you not to feed strays?"

I looked to Machi in disbelief, shooting my own frown right back at her for dragging my grandfather into this. It was a subject I was still sensitive about and her words were cruel in her frustration.

"He fed them, actually. Because 'Jii-san realized the importance of kindness to others and raised me to do the same. He's a boy, not a dog." I snapped.

Her eyes widened.

It was extremely rare I snapped at anybody or anything. It took a lot to get me angry. Kimari was a girl who was quite mild in nature, warm, soft-spoken, and peaceful like the good and polite little civilian she had been raised as.

"I-I'm sorry Kimari-chan, I shouldn't have brought up your Ojii-san like that." She glanced back towards Naruto, who was making a beeline for me with an anxious gaze, shifting her weight between her feet nervously as he approached. "It's just…he makes me nervous. I'm sure he's a nice boy, but you know my Okaa-san died that night. I can't – I can't just be nice like you. I wish I could, but I can't."

I felt my scowl vanish in an instant. That was right, how could I forget?

Machiko had lost her mother on the night that the Kyuubi wreaked havoc throughout the village. Ueda Kiyomi had been crushed under airborne rubble as they fled towards the shelters for the civilians, right in front of her daughter's eyes. One second there, the next gone, only bits and pieces remaining. Not even enough to bury.

Lamees had lived through similar experiences, she remembered the terror of the airstrikes, she remembered the horror of seeing the bodies of those who hadn't been able to take cover in time lying dead in the streets or buried under rubble when a building was hit. I understood her pain.

I sighed, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze.

I shouldn't have snapped at her.

It was only circumstance that allowed me to have a more objective view towards the boy. If I had been born a normal civilian, without my memories of my previous life and intimate knowledge of the characters and plot, I doubted I would have turned out any different from Machiko – scared and fearful of what was locked inside the boy and not the boy himself, unwilling to approach him and living in festered hatred.

"I'm sorry too, I forgot about your Okaa-san. He's coming, you should go." She gave me a grateful nod, glad for the excuse to leave. "Are we still going to the onsen tonight?"

I called out to her retreating form, confirming our plans. Friday night was girl night, a sacred night at the hot spring fueled bathhouse.

"You betcha, Suzu's coming too this time! Ja ne!" She called over her shoulder, rushing back to her father's silk stand just as Naruto ducked under the canopy to join me behind my vegetable display.

He was all smiles, as per usual. The boy had been smiling much over the course of the last few days, after Iruka took him out for Ramen for the first time.

I had been happy that night as well as I listened to muffled laughter from the other side of the apartment wall that we shared, smiling to myself as I scrubbed at my dishes. I was glad that Iruka had taken that step, Naruto seemed to really need it. The boy hadn't pulled a single prank since then, although, I doubted it would last long. The little punk was a trouble maker to the bone.

"Kimari-nee! What gives?! You left before me this morning!"

"Ah, sorry, Naruto-kun, Fridays are busiest for me." I shrugged my shoulders and suppressed a laugh at the adorable pout that was puling at his features.

It was a new routine that I was still having trouble adjusting to.

In the mornings, I would usually find him waiting outside my apartment door to walk me to the market that was oh so conveniently located a few blocks from the academy. But only when he managed to roust himself out of bed before I left. Naruto wasn't a morning person, unlike myself. Both Lamees and Kimari had been and still were early risers.

Each morning still took me by faint surprise, opening the door to see Uzumaki Naruto yawning and rubbing at his eyes was one thing I doubted I would grow accustomed to easily.

But so far, things had continued as normal.

I got a few strange looks every now and then, but I wasn't shunned or ostracized for associating with him as I had feared at the beginning. No ninja had come to drag me away to the Torture and Interrogation unit, and nothing horrible had happened since I had moved in next to him.

And that had been a few weeks ago. Life had continued as normal and the world continued to spin, despite my fears and anxiety that tried to convince me otherwise.

My relationship with my new neighbor was interesting, to put it simply.

I continued to attempt to keep him at an arm's length, not getting too close but still treating him with the basic respect that you ought to give any human being. And in return, the boy had all but worshipped the ground at my feet for the treatment. You would have thought I had saved his life or something with the way he tried to glue himself to my side.

None of my attempts to steer him away from me worked, not a single one.

I'd tried ignoring him, keeping him busy, sneaking out before he woke up, pretending to be too occupied to speak with him, and even threatening to tell his sensei where he went when he skipped class to hang around my vegetable stand and help me carry the crates of produce.

Not a single attempt had worked, and it was beginning to become clear to me that I had little say in the matter at the end of the day. He had chosen to force his unwanted companionship upon me, and when Naruto put his mind to something, we all knew what the outcome was.

My fate had been sealed the day that kunai came through my window when he had been on the run from Iruka.

"Did you forget your keys again? Yamamoto—baa-san won't be happy if you did." I warned sternly.

"Eh, that old hag is never happy." He waved his hands in the air as if swatting a fly when I sent him a look of disapproval at the rude comment, pushing that idea off to the side to relay to me whatever he had come to say. "You better wish me luck! When you see me later tonight I'll have my forehead protector-'ttebayo!"

I stilled, nearly dropping the persimmons I was arranging to take the empty spots that the eggplants had left.

So, now it starts. This is where everything begins. Today he'll fail his test and Mizuki will have him steal that secret scroll. Today is when he learns what he is, why the others hate him. Today he becomes a genin.

The very thought chilled me to the core.

Today would mark the beginning of a new beginning, one where I would truly come to know any impact my existence here would have on the plot. I had no idea what might change, what might stay the same, and what my presence would do to all of it.

I had already resigned myself to the idea that I wouldn't be able to shake the young ninja from my side, but I would now see exactly what the consequences of my relationship with Naruto would have on both this timeline and to everyone else.

And I cared about what happened, I truly did.

My life here had started off in disbelief, and it had taken years to be able to feel as if I was truly present within this new universe I had been placed in. But after living so long in my new reality, it no longer felt like fiction. It was astoundingly real, all of it, down to every last leaf on the trees. And my presence here might change things.

I cared about the people in this world, the friends I had made in Konoha and the family I had loved and lost here. I cared about what happened to these people who had once been but fictional characters. They weren't just characters anymore. They were people, real, living people who were just as real as their own goals and aspirations.

And I was just…here. I was just along for the ride, still trying to figure out why I had even been placed here in the first place.

After twenty years of contemplation, I still hadn't figured it out – why I was here, what my purpose here was, if it was all a fluke or divine guidance from the God I couldn't understand but still stubbornly clung to belief in.

Whether or not there were answers to those questions was something I wasn't sure I would ever know, but one thing I did know was that I cared.

Even for Naruto, despite my best efforts to place distance between us.

Even for Naruto, who would be a ninja after the events that would come to pass this evening, the event that would become the catalyst for the beginning of it all.

"Is that so?" I spoke as evenly as I could, attempting to hide the tremor in my tone. "Best of luck, then. But you'd better hurry, you can't be late on such a big day, right?"

He puffed out his chest in response, standing proud and taller at my well-wishes.

"That's right! I'll see you later, Kimari-nee! I'll be a ninja next time we see each other!"

And then he was gone, as quickly as he had come, using chakra to enhance his speed as he vanished faster than the time it took me to blink.

I closed my stall early that day, cancelling my plans to visit the onsen with a very disappointed Machi to instead head home under the guise of feeling under the weather.

I may have made a promise to myself not to get too involved or attempt to change anything, but that didn't mean I couldn't worry.

So, worry I did, late into the night as I paced the floors of my apartment, waiting to hear Naruto's heavy footsteps and the signature way he slammed his front door without a care for his neighbors. I brewed cup after cup of tea as I paced, sipping on steaming, earthy liquid in an attempt to calm anxious nerves while I waited.

Sit down. Stand. Pace. Repeat.

Sit down. Stand. Pace. Repeat.

Sit down. Stand. Pace. Repeat.

It was very late into the night when I finally heard him bounding up the stairs and past my apartment to his, fumbling with the keys to his door in the dark and cursing when he dropped them.

The sigh of relief that escaped my lips was one that I'd been holding for hours.

vvvvvvvvv

Sasaki Mari

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the open file upon his desk in deep contemplation.

His face gave no hints to his thought process, and the ANBU agent who stood at attention on the other side of the desk did not speak.

He reached for the file again, flipping through the scant three pages of information that the young woman's file held to it, bringing her identification photo and archived information closer for further inspection.

Sasaki Mari, a twenty-year-old civilian who sold vegetables not far from where he currently sat, perusing through her file. Born and raised in Konoha, with parents who died in service and had their names on the memorial stone. A clean record, a civilian academy drop-out, and the respect of the fellow villagers for her kindness and well-mannered personality.

There was not much to her file, but then again, it seemed as if there was not much to Sasaki Mari at all.

A plain girl - hardworking, traditional, and simple.

And that was what had piqued his interest.

What drive or reasoning had a plain and bland woman such as Sasaki Mari to forge a relationship with Uzumaki Naruto, as his ANBU agent had just reported when it became clear that Naruto had developed an attachment to the woman, the first attachment the twelve-year-old boy ever had that hadn't ended in heartbreak.

What made her different?

He lifted her most recent medical report that had been added to the file three weeks prior, when Umino Iruka had to escort the shaken woman to the hospital to mend a deep cut that had resulted from one of Naruto's little fiascos. He skimmed the details of the injury, eyes focusing on the information that truly mattered – the standard chakra assessment that was performed by an iryo-nin with any appointment or checkup.

He let his gaze drift over the percentages, numbers, and graphs that indicated a perfectly normal level of chakra for a civilian woman. The only number that exceeded his expectations was that of her spiritual energy, which was much higher than most civilians, but still within a normal realm. And increased spiritual energy could result from many outside factors - like regular meditation or even genetics, for example.

Her charts were normal. Just like any other civilian.

Chakra coils that lay dormant from never having been put to use under the guidance of their ninja academy instructors, below par reserves, and an inability to sense any sort of foreign chakra. Sasaki Mari was a civilian through and through, which eased his initial suspicions somewhat.

The next page was a list of all the times she had ever entered or exited the village gates, only to bring her vegetables to sell, it seemed. She never left the village other than those trips to the farmlands outside their walled settlement. It was not uncommon for the vendors and merchants of Konohagakure.

The final page of her file was one that was a good thirteen years old and beginning to turn yellow on the edges of the document – a formal request to be unenrolled from their civilian academy at the age of seven. The reason stated had been 'financial troubles'.

Hiruzen frowned.

There were many boys and girls like Sasaki Mari who had been unable to continue their education during wartime, when tariffs and trade embargoes caused prices to spike in the village. There were too many young adults who had not received a proper education because they had been made to leave their classroom to help bring extra income to their households when families became desperate. The vast majority of children who had dropped out during the war were never re-enrolled.

It seemed like Sasaki Mari was one of them. She had no documents to show she had ever received any other form of education, and her sloppy characters of a shaky signature on her medical release form, thirteen years after she dropped out of school, confirmed his suspicions.

Her school scores before her drop-out had been average, if slightly below the bar for acceptable. Records showed that she struggled a great deal in subjects like reading and writing, fighting with literacy in hiragana, katakana, and kanji. She had, however, excelled in mathematics, science, and home economics.

A shame she had not been able to continue, he doubted her literacy skills would have been able to advance beyond what she already seemed to struggle with. The woman was most likely not completely literate like many of the other men and women from lower-income households who had left school to work. But such were the ways of war.

He sighed, closing the file to let his gaze fall upon the photo clipped to the front of the manila folder.

Her identification photo was two years old, showing a blushing eighteen-year-old girl who was chewing nervously at her bottom lip. The photo looked as if it had been taken before she was ready.

She was an attractive young woman in a homely sort of way. Slim, delicate, with her hair perfectly combed into an older-fashioned hairstyle that Hiruzen secretly preferred on the younger women of Konoha. It gave a respectable air to the women who wore it, or so was his opinion.

Honey colored eyes, brown hair that was neither dark nor light, and soft features made her pleasing to look at, though thoroughly similar to the majority of the other villagers.

Pretty, but plain.

Her features were undeniably of the land of fire, such looks were common here. On paper, she was perfect, the model citizen that reminded his shinobi why they continued to fight for their village.

"ANBU Hare." The Inuzuka who hid behind the mask and cloak of his 'Hare' identity shifted subtly, inclining his head to show he was listening. "Your thoughts on the girl? I grant you my permission to speak freely, you are temporarily relieved of your position to do so."

Inuzuka Kyohei removed his mask with a smirk upon his face, one that made his Hokage's lips quirk at the sight of it.

"She smells good. Her cooking smells good too, always makes me hungry." His grin stretched a bit further before he returned to a more dutiful approach. "She works hard and has a mild personality, nothing Uzumaki has done has seemed to upset her like all the other neighbors who lived in that apartment before her. She's lasted the longest out of all of them so far."

Hiruzen couldn't help but chuckle softly at the Inuzuka's admission to him.

Inuzuka Kyohei was one of the best trackers of his clan. The twenty-eight-year-old man had a sense of smell that superseded all others and was a credible jounin who rarely failed at ANBU or standard missions. It was for that reason exactly that he had been placed on the rotating ANBU squad that was assigned to guard and watch over their Jinchuuriki.

Inuzuka Kyohei was also a rowdy bachelor, who cracked jokes at any opportunity awarded to him, no matter his audience.

"Seems like nice lady." The Inuzuka continued, casually shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his feet as he spoke. "Donates what she doesn't sell by the end of the week to the orphanage. She doesn't have any letters going in or out of the village. I've followed her two weeks now, she hasn't shown any behavior that might be suspicious and she doesn't have any contact with any of the civilian or shinobi council members or anybody outside the village."

"Is she acquainted with any other shinobi of Konoha?" Hiruzen asked, taking his pipe from his mouth to add more tobacco to the end.

"No, Hokage-sama, just Maito Gai – he buys his vegetables from her. But she does have a few civilian friends and most of the villagers call her by a nickname, seems like she's well loved."

"And you've reported that there has been no suspicious behavior observed?" He took a deep inhale of the fresh tobacco in his pipe, enjoying the bite of nicotine in his lungs.

"She's a bit skittish, easily scared, but nothing suspicious." Supplied Kyohei in an amused tone.

"I see." Drawled the old man, taking another long drag of smoke before he spoke his command. "Continue to follow her, I'll expect reports at the end of each day of her interactions with Naruto and her daily routine. Don't leave out a single detail."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The man nodded obediently, nose twitching at the smell of the smoke that his hokage's pipe was emitting.

"You are re-instated and will now resume your duties and return to your post, ANBU Hare."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The mask was placed back on his face, covering his feral grin from sight. With a quick shunshin, Inuzuka Kyohei was gone, leaving the Hokage by to his thoughts.

He glanced back down to take in Sasaki Mari's photo one more time.

Only time would tell just what her intentions with the Jinchuuriki were, and whether she could be trusted. A sweet face and kind mannerisms meant nothing in the world of shinobi, it was her intentions and actions that he would be closely observing from this point forward.

Time would tell, as it always did.