You've already met Tsunami and Honako and Kyoko, and you even saw Asuka-sensei in one of the first chapters, so now it's time for me to introduce my last OC character: Link! God, I love him(: Haha, and I hope you will, too.

Rachel

"Tsunami! Tsunami, guess what?" Naruto cried, excitedly, running up to me after I walked out of the Academy.

"What?" I asked and he hopped from one foot to the other, happily.

"My class is starting to prepare for the graduation exam! I'm gonna be a freakin' ninja!" he cried and I giggled.

"Alright! When do you take the exam?" I asked.

"Next week! Oh man, I only have a week to train!" He suddenly looked bummed. "There's no way I'm gonna pass this exam!"

"Sure you will, chief! And if you pass, I'll buy you a big bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's ramen shop!"

"REALLY? YOU WILL?"

"Yeah! But only one bowl...I'm not rich, you know!"

"Aw man!" He moaned as we started home. "I can't eat just one bowl!"

"Well, you'd better or you'll be paying for the rest," I replied and then asked, "Hey, why is your class taking the graduation exams before anyone else?"

"Iruka-sensei said it was my class, then a different one, and then yours! Maybe our class is the advanced class!" He grinned. "And if I'm in the advanced class, then you're in the dummy class! Sorry, Tsunami!"

I rolled my eyes, but I secretly knew why Naruto took the exams first. Kyoko's older brother had told her that they always have the class with the weakest students, with the worst grades, go first so that if they fail out, they can join a different class and try again.

But there's no way that Naruto can flunk! He trains so hard...he deserves this, I thought, but deep down, I knew it wasn't about who deserved it, it was about who earns it.

"Sorry, Tsunami, I can't hang out today! I have to go train!" Naruto cried and sped away, leaving me in the dust.

"Umm...okay," I said, frowning and thought, Who am I supposed to hang out with now? I just shrugged and made my way to my favorite diner. Naruto's favorite place might be the ramen shop, but mine was the diner, where they serve foods of all varietes.

I looked over at my favorite booth (which I had moved because my old favorite booth had been Honako's favorite as well) and saw a blonde boy sitting there, reading a magazine. He was about my age, and he looked familiar. I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at me and quickly folded his magazine shut, which I recognized as a Playboy. Suddenly I knew who he was.

"HEY, I KNOW YOU!" I yelled, grinning and pointing at him. "You're Link Champlou! You're in my class at the Academy!" I knew I had seen him from somewhere, I just couldn't put my finger on it until I saw the Playboy, because in class was always hidden by a girly magazine or a cigarette.

"Hey, beautiful. And you are...?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Tsunami Halu. Can I sit down?" I asked and he grinned.

"Please do." I sat down across from him and he shoved the Playboy in his back pocket.

"Did you order yet?" I asked and he nodded.

"A cheeseburger and fries. Do you want the same thing?"

"Sure," I replied and he called the waitress over.

"The pretty lady would like the same thing, if you don't mind." The waitress nodded and ran up to the corner and Link turned back to look at me with a pervy smirk. "So what brings you here?"

"This is my favorite diner, if you must know," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Really? Mine too. What a coincidence, huh?" Link asked and flashed me a smile, but I just rolled my eyes. Is he trying to flirt with me?

"I guess so-"

"Here you go," the waitress said to Link, setting a plate with a cheeseburger and fries in front of him. She turned to me. "Yours will be done in a few minutes." I smiled and nodded at her.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Link said and winked at her, but she just rolled her eyes and walked to a different table.

"Ooh, and he strikes out," I mocked and he flipped me off.

"Yeah, whatever. At least I didn't strike out with you," Link pointed out, taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Link, you struck out with me as soon as I saw that Playboy, you sick pervert," I said, smirking but he just shrugged.

"There's plenty of fish in the sea. And fish with bigger boobs than you," he said, eyeing my chest and I angrily kicked his shin under the table. "Aaahh!" He reached down to rub his swollen shin.

"So, ninjawise, what's your specialty?" I asked, but he just shrugged.

"Speed, mostly. I don't do very well with regular jutsus, but I'm great at hand-to-hand combat."

"Hmm," I said, pondering this. I had never heard of anyone who didn't have a special trait passed down from their family (like me) or who didn't use jutsus. It would hard to even be able to call him a ninja...

"I know what you're thinking. What kind of ninja can barely use jutsus? But don't count me out just yet-I'm a lot stronger than you think," Link interrupted my thoughts and I blushed at getting caught.

"Yeah well, we'll just have to wait and see," I said as the waitress gave me my food. By that time, Link was nearly finished with his cheeseburger (he was a fast eater, I guess) and he sighed and stretched in impatience.

"Well, I should get going," he admitted and got up with his plate. "I'll see you around, hun."

"So what? You're just leaving?" I asked, angrily and he turned back.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Link dug in his pocket and dropped enough money to pay for both our lunches on the table and started to walk away.

"That was so not what I meant!" I called, but he only raised his hand to wave and then left. "What a tool." But he was kind of cool. Is it creepy that I think he's cool?