This may come as a surprise, but training to be a ninja isn't easy. Or fun. But the anticipation of my survival is all the motivation I need.

My entire family thinks I'm insane for trying to graduate with Naruto and Sasuke's academy class, in almost two months. I'm probably insane too. But I'm sure I'll make it. Because I have to. Falling behind that group may prevent crucial bonds from being formed between the main cast and I.

It's a drag, but I wake up at five every morning with my dad for training. Luckily, my physical strength is already mostly up to par, but my ninja skill set is definitely lacking. I don't like it, but there's no way that I can make up for years of not throwing any shuriken or kunai I'm just a few months. But I have to try my best anyway, with or without my chakra.

I ball my fists in determination. I refuse to be left behind. While I may be new to the sports of throwing sharp things and making traps, I'm picking it up quickly. It looks like I have a talent for it. Besides, I genuinely enjoy studying traps. Some are so devious and evil that I can't help but smile. That's why today I decided that I should get some hands-on experience handling them.

I lean forward, tying some ninja wire around a branch. My finger touches a wire that it's not supposed to touch, and I cringe. Luckily, the trap doesn't go off. I sigh in relief, going back to work.

"Hey, Sarah."

"Ahh!" I turn my head in surprise. Choji's supposed to be at a friends house! He's not supposed to be home by four. After a second, the lazy drawling voice and the image in front of me connects. It's Shikamaru!

"Hey, watch what you're doing!" He yells, diving to the ground. Kunai and ninja wire barely miss his head.

"Sorry!" I yell, running over to him. "You surprised me and I stepped on the trigger. Are you okay?" I kneel down next to him. He looks uninjured.

"What a drag." He says.

"At least my trap kinda worked!" I say.

"Yeah but you shot the wrong guy." He picks himself to his feet. "Choji's working on a school project today, so I thought I'd see what his sister is like and hang out with you instead."

"Is that right? Well, right now I'm training."

Shikamaru seems to deflate at the word 'training'. "I heard that you'll be enrolled in the academy soon." He says.

I dust myself off. "Really? Wheee you hear that?"

"That's not very important." He sighs, as if talking to me is too much trouble. "Ever played Shogi?" He asks.

"Nope. But I have played chess."

"Chess?" He asks.

"Sure. It's a variant of Shogi that's not as complicated. You can teach it to your friends if you want. Let's go inside." I say. I may be playing against a certified genius, but as a member of my high school chess club, I got this!

We walk up the hill towards the house in silence. We kick off our boots and step onto the hardwood floors. Moving to the living room, I slide away the top surface of the coffee table to reveal a checkered board. I chose pieces to represent each of the chess characters, and explain the movement of each piece. Pridefully, I beat him the first two times. But after that the game of chess became a lot less fun.

"Check." He said. I move my pawn to block his bishop, who is currently eyeing up my king.

"You can't do that." He says, pointing to his rook. By moving that pawn, you expose your king to my rook. And there's only one place for you to move your king, so..." He trails off. In ten games, I won three.

I visibly fall into depression. "I thought I was good at this..." I mutter.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's a cool game." He says.

Life has been different than I expected. Akimichi or not, I've felt hungry almost constantly. While the new world and food is taking some getting-used-to, but cooking food from home has provided me with comfort and sanity.

"Come on, let's bake something." I say, reaching for my notebook.

My notebook has as much information as I can remember about Naruto, technology, food recipes, electronics, chakra, and just about anything else I Could think of. Even song lyrics and any notes I could think of. I used to play guitar, so I bought one. But I still don't have the muscle memory to play it, or the time to practice.

"Baking? Sure." He says. "As long as you don't make me measure up all the ingredients or clean up afterwards."

I promised I wouldn't as I launched into my recipe for chocolate cookies.

After Shikamaru left, I wasn't really in the mood to keep studying, so I thumbed through my notebook, reading song lyrics and humming them to myself. After a rendition of one of my old favorites, I stand up and slam the book shut. Making myself homesick won't help anything.

Feeling alone, I decide to walk to the only place I really feel familiar with- Ichiraku Ramen. The rest of the city just seems so random and New, but Ichiraku's is like a safe haven to me. With the kitchens and familiar face in front of me, and the protection of white banners behind me, I feel safe and calm.

"Good evening, Teuchi-san." I say, climbing up on the padded stools in front of the bar. That's a face I recognize.

"Ah, Sarah-chan! What can I get you tonight?" He asks.

A couple takes up the two seats to my right. It just serves as a reminder that being thirteen again is lonely.

After slurping up my ramen, I walk to the hokage monument. Night is starting to fall now, and by the time I carry myself up the wooden steps all the way to the top, hours have passed and the Village gleams with its usual nocturnal shimmer. From up here, things seem orderly, like they make sense. The wind blows stronger at this elevation. I won't be home in time for curfew. Couples silently shuffle around the observation deck atop the monument, admiring the lights below and the shining stars above. A small figure looks out of place. From the crest on his back... is that Sasuke?

I make my way over to him. We stare out at the Village as he pretends I don't exist.

"The village looks a lot calmer from up here, doesn't it?" I suggest, to force him to notice me.

He turns away from me. "Sorry," He says. "I'm not in the mood for conversation." He deftly leaps over the guardrail and people stare as the Uchiha boy plummets toward the stone faces below.

Well, that's Sasuke and Shikamaru. I think to myself. I can see now why Sasuke is such a loner.