Anime: Naruto
Pairing: ? X OC
Summary: A short tale about back in the day when rouge ninja were just bad guys that the grown ups dealt with. A story about 3 friends with very different paths they must lead. Can they still be friends when all is said in done? Is forgiveness as easy as they say when the one person you love runs away with your heart.(No Sakura)
Author: Triggerspec
OC: Kin Sasaki
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters. I also cannot take credit for the similarities to the plot. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto. (I only take credit for Kin Sasaki)
Italics = narrations

It wasn't much longer before things made their way back to order. The bird's continued to sing and the ninja continued to fight. Some of us were better at it, than others but we knew, that no matter what, life will continue and that's when we need to fight the hardest.

What am I supposed to do now? Were Kin's thoughts as she strolled leisurely down the streets of Konohagakure. The day was still young so Kin searched for entertainment. It was rare that she ventured far from her comrades but every so often they would get paired off with a different group. It wasn't so bad, it gave them time to get familiar with their former growing classmates.

"Why couldn't the Third give me a mission too? It's just not fair!"

She pouted as she kicked a pebble of of the street.

"Kin-san? Why so glum?"

The girl jumped at the sudden sound of her name and turned to see a tall, tan man smiling at her.

"Asuma-sensei! What are you doing here?"

He looked around, looking kinda confused, "Well, I kinda live here." he replied slyly.

Kin narrowed her eyes accepting her defeat before she put on a small smile. Asuma let out a hearty chuckle.

"So, where are your partners in crime?" he questioned.

The reminder that her team were all out on missions except for her caused her to frown and sigh.

"They all got called out on missions, so I have nothing to do until they return."

"I see, well I'm just on my way to play some Shogi with Shikamaru. Care to join me?"

Kin's face lit up like a firecracker as she nodded her head.

The two reached their destination of the Nara residence. Shikamaru was already outside, but quite noticeably sleeping. His body limped back against the wall of the house. Beside him sat the shogi board and another pillow. Asuma walked up and let himself drop onto the deck. The loud noise shocked Shikamaru straight out of slumber. Kin couldn't help but chuckle at the face he made.

"Tsh, you're picking up habits from Kakashi, Asuma-sensei."

Asuma just chuckled at his student, "Yeah, yeah. I decided to bring Kin-san along as well."

With the mentioning of the girl's name brought the attention that the small blond was standing a short space away from them. Shikamaru let out an annoyed breath.

"Why bring that troublesome girl along?"

Asuma threw a Shogi piece at the scowling boy with a disappointed glare.

"Don't be so rude! You're supposed to treat a lady with respect."

Kin just giggled as she took a seat beside the board.

"Don't worry Asuma-sensei, I don't take any offence. Me and Shikamaru have always had different outlooks in life."

It was a couple of hours later and Shikamaru glanced over at Kin, noticing how unbelievably quiet she was. Her eyes were focused completely on the pieces of the board.

"Doesn't that leave your king almost defenceless in the end?"

The two looked at Kin with raised brows. Kin pointed to Asura's Shogi pieces.

"Well, the defence looks good, sort of like is troops were defending a castle that was being invades, but being so close together leaves unlimited space, especially for an assassin like character, similar to how Shikamaru has his pieces going. I understand that's why sacrificing happens in this, but... Against this sort of set up, I think it's a very..., well it's not smart."

Shikmaru took a glance at the positions of Asuma's pieces and of his own. It was true, in his mind he had the battle plan of moving around to get the king trapped. As Kin put it, like an assassin breaking into a castle. He took a glance at Asuma and he had his mouth hung open.

"Do you play, Kin?" Shikamaru asked.

The girl just shook her head.

"No, but it's not hard to pick up. I just happened to notice that Asuma-sensei tends to take a more, defensive tactic, trying to keep the paces in the toughest formation. I understand why, it's probably a sub-conscious thing. If one has played against a person for so long, one would began to memorize the sort of..., unbreakable habits they hold. After losing to you enough times, he has but up his guard, hoping that he will be bale to hold against your attacks and then get you with your own guard down. Right?"

Asuma just sat there blinking. It was hard for him to hold on to his manhood as the small girl pretty much stepped on any hopes of him beating Shikamaru. He also began to question his own strategy for the game. Do, do I really do that? He was speechless. Shikamaru just laughed.

"Maybe you should try and beat Kin before challenging me again Asuma-sensei." the boy teased.

"Heh, she maybe observant, but the side-lines are much different than battle."

For the rest of the day, Kin sat trying to perfect her own Shogi strategy. She soon realized that Asuma wasn't far from the truth. No matter what she tried to think up, she couldn't quite grasp the glories of winning.

No matter how much fighting occurred, in the end there was always someone around to make us smile again.

Kin noticed Kakashi strolling in the streets of Konoha and she ran up to him shouting his name. The older man turned to see the young blond smiling and waving at him. His eye curved up as he nodded his head.

"Hello, Kin."

"Does this mean Sasuke-kun and Naru-kun are back as well?"

Kakashi closed his book and put it away before he continued.

"I don't think you should see them quite yet. We ran into some hot water and the two are recuperat-"

Kakashi didn't even finish his sentence before Kin was gone. He just shook his head and sighed.

"That girl is more of a handful than Naruto and Sasuke combined..."

But, he just shrugged it off and continued his book.

"It's Tsunade-sama's problem now."

Kin charged in the hospital doors with worry in her eyes. The nurse jumped as the sudden entrance caused a few jumps to her heart.

"Kin-chan! What's wrong?"

She questioned the new guest. Kin just ran over to the desk with a large smile on her face.

"Are Naru-kun and Sasuke-kun alright?"

"Yeah, they just need some banda-"

The young nurse was left flabbergasted as Kin ran off towards the eastern side of the hospital.

"Maybe Tsunade-sama needs to enter Naruto and Sasuke in the other end of the hospital?"

The young nurse sighed as she went back to her crossword puzzle.

After her fifth try, Kin finally found Naruto's room. The blond boy just laid in his bed in an awkward fashion. His arm and cheek had bandages over them, other than a couple bruises he seemed perfectly fine. She smiled as she walked over and pinched his nose with her fingers. It took a couple seconds but the strange snorting sound a dying duck would make erupted from his throat. His arm's flailed and his legs kicked. His bright blue eye's opened bigger than a shuriken. Kin couldn't help but laugh at his actions. Naruto noticed the girlish laugh and pouted at Kin's smiling face.

"Ki-chan, why do you have to be so mean?"

"I'm sorry, Naru-kun. But, that's what you get for not saying 'hi' when you return."

"I didn't have a choice! Kakashi-sensei made me come here. It wasn't even that bad!"

Kin pouted as she looked over the bandages on the boy, "What happened anyway Naru-kun?"

"Well, umm," he rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks went pink, "I uh, accidentally ran off a cliff..."

Kin's eyes went wide at Naruto's words. Behind the snorting of her trying to conceal her laughter, concern was behind her orange eyes. Naruto just crossed his arm's and pouted.

"Alright, I'm going to see Sasuke-kun. Ramen's on me when you guys get out!"

Naruto's face lit up followed by complaining about the pain in his cheek.

Kin found Sasuke's room and walked up quietly to the glum looking boy. He didn't even flinch as she took a seat beside his bed.

"Please don't tell me you jumped off a cliff to?"

A quite scuff of amusement was heard from Sasuke as he turned to look at Kin.

"I jumped to save the baka."

Kin smiled at him in a thankful way. Sasuke's lips pulled up at one corner, leaving a half a smile.

"I'm a little surprised you weren't the one who threw him off."

Kin winked, teasing the boy. The more she looked, it was surprising he was kept in here. He seemed perfectly fine to her.

"Hn."

It was a few moments of thick silence before surprisingly, Sasuke spoke up.

"Why are you not scared to be around us?"

Kin looked over at the Uchiha with a raised brow.

"After what the priestess told you. How me or Naruto are going to be the one's to kill you."

"Why would I be scared? I trust you two with my life. Which means a lot more than just figuratively speaking now, heh."

She giggled and smiled at Sasuke as he just stared at her with a slightly confused look. The fact that she would still try and be so close scared him. He didn't trust himself, the more the days went on, the more he could see himself hurting her. The idea he finally came to hurt to think about. As he stared at her innocent smile, he couldn't believe that at any time in the future he would want to hurt her. He didn't know how anyone could want to hurt her.

It's surprising really, how someone so warm wiggled her way so far into such a cold place like Sasuke's heart. But, from moments I watched afar, I knew that it was happening, the same way she managed to steal my own.