Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!


Reviews:

UnkownSoul: Thank you! Anyway, I know totally what you mean. As for the pairings, I will take into account what Nori might/will do with her interference. Some couples will stay the same though. (I don't know I'm just a fan of ShikaxTema or whatever it is called these days).

Ideagetthe: That is your opinion and I respect that, but if you aren't comfortable with the pace this story is going then I suggest looking for a different fanfiction. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I appreciate the advice though, but I have read my fare share of such fanfition so I have a pretty good idea what I'm doing (not to say I'm doing it right, I'm just doing it my way) Thank you for reviewing. (This wasn't supposed to be a rant so please don't take it as a lash-out, just stating an opinion)

eve-tsuki94: I don't really speak your language, but according to Google translate I will just thank you :)

SleepiPanda: Thank you. :)


Chapter 3


Nori glanced around her apartment. The building she lived in looked run down, but the inside of her apartment was actually quite nice. She had a small bedroom, even a bed was included, and the furniture was as good as new. The small kitchen, with all electronics included was connected to the small living room, a door to her right leading to the bathroom. Overall, it was more than enough for her.

She had also managed to purchase clothes from the allowance the Hokage had given her. She had a long moral debate after which she decided that orange was out of the question. She had no love for the bright and sunny colour. She opted for either black or blue. Therefore, she wore standard, dark blue sandals, black pants, a light blue T-shirt and a black hoodie with light blue edges.

Today was the first day of academy, and to say that she was excited was an understatement. Though initially she was anything but trilled about it, the more the date neared the more the butterflies in her stomach grew. She didn't like it.

Carefully she put on her sandals and backpack and walked out of her apartment, locking it behind her – not that that could stop any shinobi from entering if they wanted.


She stopped near the academy; people who had brought their children for the first day surrounded it. She was cautious about going to close, but when she saw the Hokage come up on a platform to greet the new students she grew more confident as she fought her way through the crowd to come close to it. Once people too notice of her, they started whispering again and she could practically feel the familiar tension creeping into the place. The Hokage was, however, quick to defuse any tension, starting his great speech about protecting Konoha and what not. Nori listened only halfheartedly.

Sooner then she would have liked she found herself next to the other children after the parents left them to their teachers. She could tell her presence wasn't liked, but nobody seemed to protest too much. She would just have to see how it goes.

"Aburame Shino."

Nori watched as a dark-haired boy with a high-collar jacket and black sunglasses walked forward.

"Akimichi Chōji."

"Haruno Sakura."

Wow, the girl actually had pink hair. Wow.

"Hyūga Hinata."

Nori saw Hinata walk over, her head bowed down. She seemed even more timid than back when Nori first saw her. She frowned.

A couple more names were called, some Nori recognized, some she didn't. Then, finally, a name she knew all too well was called out.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Nori didn't bother to look up. She honestly wasn't interested in Sasuke. Form what she remembered about him, he was nobody she wanted to get to know better.

"Uzumaki-" the instructor paused. His voice grew rather quiet. "Uzumaki Nori."

She stepped out of the crowd walking towards where a dark-haired boy, she assumed was Sasuke, was already standing. She didn't miss the gazes as the followed her. This is why she didn't like public places, people stared and children tended to copy anything their parents and elders did. No, she didn't blame them, but she wasn't all to understanding either.

The instructor cleared his throat calling out the other students.

"A-ano…" Nori looked up into the pupil-less eyes of the Hyūga girl. She blinked her blue-eyes a few times. She honestly hadn't expected Hinata to try and talk to her, or anybody for that matter.

"Hello, Hyūga-san," she greeted bowing slightly to be more polite.

"Nori-san," Hinata returned the bow, Nori noted that she did it with a lot more finesse than last time. "Ano, please call me Hinata."

Nori nodded. "Hinata-san."

Hinata gave her a shy smile. It seemed like she wanted to say something more, but the instructor was already calling them inside.

They could sit wherever they wanted so Nori made her way towards the back of the class. Surprisingly enough Hinata followed her and even sat next to her after giving her a small smile. Nori returned it, but hers was a lot more confused than friendly. Wasn't Hinata shyer than this?

Nevertheless, Nori chose to ignore this new revelation – she simply wrote it off as her not being a boy, therefore, Hinata didn't/couldn't develop any romantic feelings for her. That meant she probably wanted to be friends rather than see Nori as somebody to admire. Nori softly nodded to herself. That seemed plausible, at least in her head.

The lesson in itself was boring to Nori. They were starting with basic Kanji and math – things she had been practicing for the last couple of years on her own. However, in order not to appear suspicious she diligently wrote everything down nonetheless. Hinata, as she saw from the corner of her eyes was doing the same, though she assumed to Hyūga would have taught her most of it as well beforehand.

Lessons were from eight to ten after which they had an hour break, then they would have something along the lines of physical education, but, you know, only for ninjas in training. Then they were free to go.

When the lesson finally finished, Nori packed away her notebook into her backpack before putting it on her back and walking out to join the other children – not that she planned to play with them. She noticed Hinata following her but didn't comment.

She found a picnic bench away from the other chattering students and sat on it pulling out her small packed lunch. Hinata sat across from her doing the same.

"Itadakimasu," she muttered quietly before taking a bit of rice to her mouth. She heard Hinata mumble the same before she started to eat as well. The two lapsed into silence, the only sound they heard was their own chewing and the chattering of the other students away from them.


After classes had ended Nori walked out of the academy witnessing as parents and/or siblings came to pick up the other children. Something tugged at her heart, but she chose to ignore it. Just as she was about to leave, somebody called out her name. She turned around.

"Gai-san?"

"Nori-chan! How was your first day? I assume it was most youthful!" She blinked at him. She really hadn't expected anybody to come. She had lived alone for nearly two years now.

The way Gai was smiling at her produced strange feelings in her heart. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly parted.

"Nori-chan?" Gai asked slightly concerned when the little girl in front of him remained silent.

"Y-yes?"

Gai didn't know how to react, but clearly he being here had caused some kind of reaction for her. She seemed so happy and he swore he saw tears building up in the corner of her eyes.

"Come on, let's celebrate!" he said enthusiastically while holding a thumb up to her.

And as any child her physical age might have done she agreed with a nod and a large smile.

She hadn't realized that after years of limited human contact she had missed the normality of such a thing. It was nice to sit there watching Gai burn his tongue with hot spicy curry, laughing all the while and just talking about mundane stuff.

She had never appreciated Maito Gai more. That day, to her he stopped being Maito Gai, the Naruto character and became Maito Gai her friend.


Nori didn't know what to make of Hinata. It had now been a few days since the start of academy, the week was nearing its end and as it did so Nori's confusion about the Hyūga girl grew even more. Hinata never spoke to her more than the initial greeting she received from the quiet girl.

Then there was the stalking. Initially Nori thought Hinata wouldn't do anything like that - but, oh how wrong she was. The first day after academy Hinata wasn't there. So it was completely unexpected when Nori saw her the next day.

It was in the evening, right after she had finished her laps for the day and was going towards the training post she usually practiced hits on when she saw the small Hyūga girl peek from behind a tree. After a short moral debate Nori chose to ignore the girl for now, pretending to haven't seen her. This went on for the next week.

But now it was Saturday, which meant no academy. However, Hinata arrived at the training field at precisely 6: 15 p.m. Nori refrained from rolling her eyes. Would she seriously stay there again until she was done?! It was creepy! But, to be fair, the only reason Nori noticed her in the first place was because of her own paranoia that ANBUs were constantly following her. She had yet to see one.

Nori did go over the fact that she could just switch training grounds, but – that would be too much of a hassle to deal with. Instead she opted for something she had a feeling she was going to regret.

"Hinata-san?"

The girl jumped, clearly startled. Nori frowned. She had chosen an awful hiding spot way too close to her. Who wouldn't have noticed her? Oh, yeah, Naruto wouldn't have. Then again, they would have both been five and well... Kids...

"A-ano, N-n-nori-san, g-gomen!" she stuttered out moving out of her hiding spot, her face completely red.

"Why are you apologising?"

Hinata was looking at the ground, fidgeting. "I-I, uh..."

"Well, whatever. Since you're already here, do you want to train together?" She looked behind her. "Hitting the training post does get boring," she trailed of gauging Hinata's reaction.

It was immediate. First she was smiling but then a second later her face fell as she looked to the ground again.

"A-ano, I don't think I would be a good training partner."

Nori shrugged. "Any training partner is better than none at all."

Hinata didn't look fully convinced, but agreed nonetheless. And from that day on, they were sparring partners.


Another month passed uneventfully; expect that Hinata actually started talking to Nori more than just the casual greeting. Their training together wasn't all that successful. Hinata was just too afraid to hit her. Nori was working on the confidence issues – unsuccessfully. Oh well... She will just have to keep trying.

As she had guessed all the girls in class quickly took to the talented Uchiha boy. And Nori had to admit – Sasuke did have talent – for a kid his age. He was nowhere near Kakashi-awesome though.

On a side note, the academy has finally moved to chakra, albeit it was only the theoretical introduction, they were told they would be unlocking it in a month's time. Nori had a good idea that most academy students, well, the clan kids already did...

"Ano, Nori-chan," at least she stopped stuttering so much around her. The new suffix was also something Nori took note of, but chose to ignore for now. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner at my house."

Nori blinked. What?

"Aaa."

Hinata twisted her thumbs nervously. "You don't have to. My, ah f-father w-wanted to me-meet you."

Nori sighed. Of course nothing escaped the Hyūga Hiashi.

"Aaa, alright- I guess." She drew her eyebrow together. "But it can't be Saturday night."

Hinata frowned. "Why not?"

"Saturday night is laundry night."

Hinata giggled. Nori frowned.

"I'm serious."


As she was walking out of the academy that rainy afternoon she frowned at the fact that she would have to go home and fetch her raincoat. There was no way she would miss her laps over a bit of rain. She opened her umbrella waving to Hinata as the Hyūga male, whose name she learned was Kō, dragged her away. She looked to her side and suddenly wished she hadn't. Sitting there beneath the roof of the academy was none other than Uchiha Sasuke – and to make matters worse he looked like an abounded kitten (Nori had a fondness for cats – not so much for dogs, she remembered one biting her once in her past life.)

Everybody had already left. Most parents had come to pick up their kids. Nori sighed. She should just walk away. Her treacherous eyes glanced at the Uchiha. Damn it. Why did he have to look so miserable?

"Oi, don't you have an umbrella?"

Sasuke looked up at her, a glare in his eyes. He scoffed. "What's it to you?!" he snapped rudely.

Nori blinked at him. Geez, what a rude kid. What is it she used to say in her old life? Ah, yes! Fight rudeness with kindness – it confuses the hell out of people.

"You're Uchiha-san, right?"

Sasuke glared at the ground.

"So? You're just a kid nobody likes! Leave me alone!"

Woah! He had some serious issues.

Nori looked out into the rain. She saw nobody approaching.

"If you want I can walk you home, that way you won't get wet form the rain," she offered. There was no way she was giving him her umbrella, it had been a present from Gai-san – a youthful umbrella, he had said, though she failed to see how an inanimate object could be considered youthful.

"I don't need your help!"

Nori blinked. He was stubborn. She had offered her help, so why did she still feel bad about leaving him? Ah, he sort of reminded her of herself. Well, that sucked. Nobody ever picked her up either. Except Gai-san that one time – but she couldn't expect him to do that. He wasn't her guardian or anything.

She sat down next to him on the ground.

Sasuke glanced at her, but continued to stubbornly pout, glaring ahead. They sat like that – silence between them. The only sound she heard was the gentle pitter patter of rain.

She could have gone home by now, picked up her raincoat and be already done with one lap – so, why was she doing this?!

"Nobody ever picks you up either," muttered the Uchiha suddenly snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Aaa," she agreed with a hum.

She saw Sasuke smirk from the corner of her eyes.

"You and that quiet Hyūga girl," he started saying.

Nori turned to look at him. "Hmmm?"

"I saw you two sparring one evening."

Gee, what was it with those kids and stalking?

...

Ah, yeah... Ninja.

"Yes?"

He mumbled something incoherent.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Could I join you?"

Nori blinked a few time at him.

What the hell was up with those kids, they were nothing like she remembered...But... She never actually met them... This...

This isn't a show. Gai... Hinata... They weren't characters... And, begrudgingly enough – neither was Sasuke.

"Sure, but be sure to be on time. I don't like it when people mess up my schedule."

Sasuke nodded with a small blush on his cheeks. Nori guessed it was embarrassment. "I can do that," he said seriously. Nori nearly snorted. Way to go from embarrassed to goo' ol' serious Sasuke.

Nori looked out into the rain. "So, can I walk you home now?"


A/N: As you may have noticed Nori has a habit of blinking at people when she is shocked or confused.

I honestly haven't planned that last scene with Sasuke – it just happened! O well… Hate me all you want, I just don't think kids can be all to evil… even Sasuke (as much as I don't like the guy) I think he had potential that got lost somewhere along the way. In my opinion the kid didn't need a rival like Naruto, but rather an actual friend. Not that I will pretend to know anything about guy friendships! I'm just stating a personal opinion!

Anyway, I have had a long debate about this and honestly can't seem to fit Iruka anywhere in the story. The only reason Iruka even became Naruto's homeroom teacher was because of Naruto's prank-ing habits. Nori doesn't call for that much attention; therefore it would make no sense for teachers to quit being her homeroom teachers. However, it's just an idea for now, I will see until next chapter what to do, but suggestions are welcome. Another option would be to create an OC teacher with whom Nori could form a bound with.