Chapter 1: My Best friend.

A/N: This is the first chapter where Hinata meets her mysterious best friend who made her life a lot happier but he has to leave. Will Hinata follow him and ultimately make some more friends on her way? My cry baby Hinata would meet my arrogant Sasuke in the next chapter. Stay tuned. If you like mysteries, you can read "The Curse".

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Hinata couldn't bear the thought of being away from her one and only friend. Their friendship started when he had rescued her from those bullies. It has been three years since they became inseparable, almost attached to the hips. According to the villagers, they were an odd pair, a pair of misfits and an opposite duo. Yes their bond was bizarre but no matter what their friendship never faltered and even became something so important that they could never let it go.

Then why would he do that to her? Why is he leaving?

Who would babysit her now? Who would protect her?

He accepted her when nobody recognised her or even wanted to become her friend.

She remembered the day clearly. Her Grandfather was ill and he wanted some herbs that could cool down his fever. He was a healer so he knew what would be beneficial for his condition but their stock had run out. Hinata cried for her grandpa as usual because she was good at one thing that is crying. Well he was her only family she couldn't lose him and this is the first time that he had been bedridden. Though Hinata knew crying solved nothing but at least she felt comfort when her eyes blurred and she poured out her emotion.

"Hinata stop whining, you can better go and fetch the medicine for me"

Shinki closed his eyes when another wave of headache hit him and he felt nauseated. His granddaughter was an annoying brat who always cried and threw tantrum. Then his eyes softened. He knew she was worried for him because that is who Hinata is- kind and caring but a sobbing mess. He also understood that he was her only caretaker and she was scared for his health. She would do anything for those who are close to her.

"H-hai. I will go"

Hinata turned to leave but Shinki called out to her.

"Be careful Hinata. It is snowing"

And indeed it was snowing. The snow covered every inch of the land and as far as her eyes could follow she could only see white blanket. She treaded on the snow carefully so as not to slip and hurt herself. The plant that her grandpa had requested was supposed to be growing somewhere nearby. They grew even in this harsh winter. However, she could not find them. She looked left and right, in the corner, under the bushes, behind the thorns but nope nothing at all. She was so focused that she didn't even notice where she was going and then was suddenly pushed on her back.

The impact made her brain freeze and on instinct she had closed her eyes. Her clothes were soaked by the icy water that penetrated even through the layers of her thick hood. She opened her eyes panicking when she heard laughing.

Oh no. She was familiar with them.

It was the bunch of rowdy children who liked to bully her but now was not the time. She needed the herb as soon as possible and had to quickly head off to her house.

"Please. L-let me go"

Their loud laughter ceased.

"Shut up you freaky eyes" They taunted in their usual arrogant selves. The group consisted of two boys and a girl who earned a bad name for torturing poor souls but she was their favourite target. They were few years older than her and always made fun of Hinata's unique eye colour. They said she was an experiment. A lab failure. A mutated human. All because her eyes were white, the same colour as the snow that they were standing on.

Hinata could feel that her waterworks were about to start. Her hands went up to her eyelids and she started rubbing them.

"Freaky eyes, you are no fun. We haven't even started at least let us beat you up and then cry"

She watched as one of the boys raised his hands to hit her. She couldn't see his face clearly because her eyes were cloudy with tears. She waited for the punch to come and knock her out but when she felt nothing she looked up to see what happened.

The boy was stuck in the mid-air as if he was stopped by a force and his other two allies looked at him in shock.

"What is the matter Fuji-kun?" Fuji was the one leading the group. His minions seemed to follow his every order.

Fuji seemed scared and his mouth opened and closed.

"I don't know I am somehow stuck"

His friend tried to help him move but the boy was glued to his position. A soft chuckling grabbed their attention to their back and they could see a small boy who was the same age as Hinata. He was crouched and his figure shook as he guffawed. He rolled onto the ground not caring for the cold snow even a bit and flayed his arms.

"What are you laughing at you crazy pineapple?"

Pineapple.

That seemed to piss the boy off as the whole aura around him changed.

The other two bullies, who were by the sides of their leader Fuji, left to attack the little boy. They emitted a sound that resembled more like a battle cry and went on to tackle him but within a split second they were immobilised too. Hinata's eyes grew wide like saucers.

Just who was this boy?

"You think harassing weak children is fun, Huh?"

Who is he calling weak? Hinata thought like a fool with her still wet eyes. Crying doesn't equal weak. Why do people not understand that?

The bullies had a horrified look on their faces as if they saw a ghost. She had never seen them so scared of anyone in the village so it was something new for Hinata. Normally her grandpa would chase them around the village if he ever found out they were troubling Hinata. A shadow from the boy had connected to these three imbeciles and it was the shadow that paralyzed them to a standstill.

"You are one of them" Fuji the leader gulped and whispered in a shaky voice.

Them?

The boy looked amused and he nodded as if to approve something. The answer however gave those pesky aggressors more reason to be terrified and they started begging the shadow boy to leave them alone.

"On my count of three, you will run and never look back" His warning had a dark and sharp edge just like his shadow.

"One" He lifted his fingers to show them the counts.

.

"Two"

.

"And three"

.

He released them from whatever binding spell he had on them. The shadow retrieved back to the boy and now the bullies hurried and staggered away from them. She watched them running away like those mouse on a sinking boat.

Hinata flinched when a hand was shoved in front of her face. She now got a clear glimpse of the face of her saviour. The boy had spiky hair like pineapple (that is why they called him pineapple) and lazy eyes. Even though he looked aloof, he at the moment seemed very warm and friendly.

"Are you okay?" His voice dripped like honey.

"I am f-fine" She clutched his hands and he picked her up so she could stand.

"What are you doing in this snow?" His eyes had this unfathomable intelligence that she could not understand. She knew from the start that the boy was someone different.

Hearing his question, Hinata explained him everything. He listened to her blabbering and lousy crying not once interrupting her in between.

"Alright" He said, "Let's find the herb for your old man together"

He snatched her hand and started running towards a particular direction. Hinata felt safe with this stranger boy and smiled.

"Here" They stopped to a spot where the flower she was searching for grew. The boy probably knew about the plant and he drew her here. She plucked them to her heart's delight and filled the basket that she had brought along with her.

They walked down the hill together as the boy said he would like to accompany her to safety. There was something strange about him. His face was straight and even though he had held this amiable look on his face, he now seemed devoid of any emotion.

"Hinata, we have reached your home" She was so deep in her thoughts that she had lost track and was now embarrassed of herself for not noticing that she had reached her destination. She and Shinki lived far away from the village in insolation as the villagers hated Hinata for some unknown reason. Her grandpa decided that they would live in the outskirts so as to protect her from those stinkers.

She got ready to bid goodbye to this stranger who had saved her but then she realised something.

"Wait. How do you know my name?"

The boy looked at her inquisitively asking her if she was serious. Well she was.

"Don't you remember you told me your name after I saved you?"

She did? Strange. Maybe she had hit her head too hard. She still felt a bit dizzy.

"Ah, Would you mind telling me your n-name?"

Hinata just hoped that her short term memory loss was a onetime thing so she would never humiliate herself like this in front of anyone. Ever.

"It is Shikamaru". He smiled at her but there was something missing. Hinata couldn't place her finger on what it was that seemed absent but she didn't care at all. The boy helped her when she was at her lowest. He didn't seem to run away from her or poked fun at her appearance.

"Can we be friends?" Hinata asked Shikamaru who looked flabbergasted that she would ask such a thing so suddenly. He took a few steps away from her and looked at her as if she was strange.

"Weirdo"

Eh? What?

Hinata wanted to cry again and here she thought he was a kind fellow. May be she asked him to be her friend too soon.

She didn't know what his reason was but he accepted her friendship. May be he was pestered by her crying or maybe he was too kind. Hinata never dared asking him.

And so their strange friendship began.

"Shikamaru-kun" Hinata shouted reaching him. He was flying a plane that he created on his own. This was one among his many inventions that he created and helped the village with. Their village was a small one with a population of only a few. He was damn intelligent and people around appreciated his brains. One day Hinata had asked Shikamaru why he was doing this much favour for the village. He answered with a dollar sign on his eyes that he loved money. Hinata of course didn't believe him at first but Shikamaru was not lying. He was a greedy bastard. He sold off his machines for a better price (over price) and went on to do some successful business.

On that fortunate day when they met, Shikamaru had made Hinata promise that no matter what she would never tell anyone about his shadows wielding powers otherwise he would be in trouble. Hinata would never do such a thing to her only friend so she agreed.

"What is it brat? Don't tell you have been in trouble again"

Hinata blushed. Shikamaru always talked like her grandfather. Well Shikamaru and Shinki both hit off better than him and her. Sometimes, she felt that Shikamaru had an old soul inside him. He loved spending time with her grandpa more than he ever did with her. They played shouji together for hours while she was forced to make tea for these two old men.

And after that Shikamaru would not even thank her but say, "What a drag! You could do better"

Why did her grandpa have to steal her only friend? She pouted her lips in defeat.

She had come to know that Shikamaru had no parents just like her and that knowledge alone made her feel close to the boy. Shikamaru had revealed that he had no one so Shinki let him stay with them on the condition that he would help around collecting herbs for the old man's business. However, Shikamaru was lazy and he lounged around sleeping his days off while Hinata was forced to do all the labour for him. He treated her like a slave in her own house.

As the days passed they became even closer than before. They would gather the medicines and prepare them for Shinki. They would go swimming. They would catch fish. They would camp together. They shared food together. They studied together. They participated in the village functions together. They played together. They had built so many memories together that Hinata can't imagine a life without her best friend.

"I have a letter for you 'Shikamaru the Lazy'. H-here take it" Even though Shikamaru had no one, he still received letter from a certain someone. The letter had no name on it and Shikamaru had requested them not to open his letters without his knowledge. Well they understood and valued privacy so they respected his wish.

Shikamaru opened the letter and his face contorted in an obnoxious way. Recently the letters seemed like a bad omen for them because whenever they came, they left an uneasy impression on Shikamaru's face for days to come. Hinata bit her lips and waited to see if he would say something but as usual he said nothing. He turned towards her worried expression and snarled.

"Hinata you baka. Let us go home you ugly" Hinata was taken aback but that was how their relationship was. She at once tugged hard on his pineapple like hair. Shikamaru winced. Hinata was getting stronger day by day.

The sun was setting and they headed home.

It was so sudden that Hinata couldn't believe her own eyes. Shinki had ordered them to bring a certain herb and as usual Shikamaru dozed off and Hinata had to do his work. She at times couldn't help but feel that Shikamaru was taking advantage of her kindness and using her as his servant.

Though her feelings were true, she couldn't deny that Shikamaru helped them in his own unique way. He had helped them with money that he made by selling the blueprints of his invention. He gave Shinki ideas on how to expand his medical business. He had also built a machine for Shinki that would help him to squeeze those costly juices out of his medicinal herbs without a pestle. The machine was super-fast and efficient. That saved Shinki a lot of hard work as he was already old enough and doing so much hard work usually took a toll on his health. May be that is also a reason that her Grandpa let him freeload most of the time. Shikamaru was sure money minded.

The lazy one had also aided Hinata. The bullies that were constant in Hinata's life had disappeared all for good. People had started talking to her. She knew the real reason was that those people wanted to use her so that they can befriend the intelligent boy. Shikamaru had told her to not pay attention to these silly dillies but she was happy that at last she wasn't being ignored like before. She was so tired of being treated as an outcast but now things were improving. These days Hinata had learnt to cry less and smile more.

The herbs that Shinki had asked for was already rested securely in her basket. She swung the said basket from side to side and walked while humming a tune that she was sure she had never heard from anyone. She had reached her home.

"Grandpa. Shikamaru-kun. I am home"

She waited for their sing song 'welcome brat' but nothing came forward. She took off her shoes and entered inside. Shinki sat on a chair with his head plopped on his hand while Shikamaru stood there with a luggage.

Hinata as dumb as she is, thought that Shinki was kicking Shikamaru out from their home for lazing off. Her bawling started and she begged falling on her knees.

"Grandpa, p-please don't throw S-shikamaru out. I know he is lazy but he is my only f-friend" She hiccupped and Shinki watched the scene unfold with unbelieving eyes.

"What? Hinata, I would never do that to our friend Shikamaru-kun"

"Grandpa he is my friend n-not yours" Shinki and Hinata both looked at Shikamaru to confirm who is right and whose friend he is. Shikamaru on the other hand sighed and just motioned Hinata to come near him.

"Hinata, your grandpa is not throwing me out but I am the one who is leaving"

Leaving? Where? When would he return?

So many questions were on her tongue but she managed to get one out.

"What do you mean?"

Shinki was troubled. He didn't want Hinata to suffer from the loneliness again but he can't stop Shikamaru. They had to do it for their own protection.

"Hinata . . . Shikamaru is leaving" Shinki paused and then continued with a heavy heart, "because he got a placement in a very prestigious school. He had been receiving those letters from them and I encouraged him to grasp this opportunity. You know he couldn't do much with his life here and with his intelligence he should not limit his life in this small village" Shinki tried to explain to Hinata as calmly as he could.

Hinata gripped on Shikamaru's sleeves, her pale eyes seemed to ask if it was true.

"Yes" Shikamaru could only speak in few words because he felt tired very easily. He was sure that his spirit animal was a sloth.

The tight hold that she had on Shikamaru loosened. "I see"

"Hinata let him go. He deserves a better life . . . " but Shinki was cut off.

"Why didn't you t-tell me before?" The betrayal peeked through her glass like eyes and Shikamaru could see his own dejected reflection. Was he that battered?

"Because I knew you would protest" and she still wanted to protest. How could he do this to her? She thought that he would stay with them forever.

But she knew her Grandpa was right. Shikamaru was a bright boy. He studied hard and he scored a perfect score in their small academy that they went to. He was strong too as Hinata recalled how he saved her numerous times from those evil students and bullies. She had started looking forward to going to the school but now a tight knot in her throat and a twisted pressure in her stomach told her those days are over. Shikamaru had always looked so bored while in the classes because he knew the studies beforehand. Yes he was a genius who didn't belong in this stupid village.

Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her cheeks and she noticed that her eyes were already leaking. The tears wet his hand and she felt like that weak girl again that she was before meeting her friend.

"Don't be a cry baby. I will write letters to you as this damn village doesn't have telephone towers" She brought his head to rest on hers and sobbed even harder but this time there was no comfort in that. The emotions were endless like a sea. She could cry forever. Their farewell was too sudden. She didn't want them to separate like this but she knew why Shikamaru did what he did. Hinata was a clingy girl who would have not let him leave with her constant weeping.

"Become stronger Hinata. Don't depend on me you brat" He brought her closer to him and she hugged him tighter. Yes definitely she didn't want a farewell like this but fate had decided then so be it. They separated when they picked up a loud screech of car tyres.

Shikamaru took her hand gently in his and together they followed outside. There was in deed a car waiting for them outside. It was snowing again just like on that day. The roof of the black car collected a pile of snow. She could guess the car would cost a fortune with the way it looked, so luxurious and so beautiful.

Shinki took the luggage from Shikamaru's hand and kept them in the car trunk. Hinata had her head bowed as her grandpa came beside her and put his hand on her shoulder as a mean of support.

Shikamaru put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face towards him while Hinata had her lips between her teeth. She did that whenever she was anxious.

"I will always protect you Hinata" Shikamaru's eyes softened. He needed to get away from his friend as soon as possible. This is all for her.

"Shikamaru . . "

"Yes Hinata"

"Shikamaru"

"Umm . . . yes Hinata"

"Shika- . . . "

"Go home you brat" He had enough of this. His eyes narrowed while Hinata's shoulders drooped.

Quickly Shikamaru went inside the car and before the window glass could shield him from Hinata' eyes. She delivered her last parting words to him.

"Shikamaru-kun, please take care and v-visit us when possible" Her voice had almost cracked but she kept smiling because she knew Shikamaru hated her crying face.

'You look ugly when you cry Hinata. Please Smile.' He had once said to her while chewing on some leaves and twig. His inner sloth came out on some days.

And so she would smile. If this this is last thing Shikamaru saw- her smiling face, then he could leave peacefully and she would not burden him further.

Shikamaru nodded but then his face was obscured by the dark tinted glass of the car windows. Shikamaru turned around to face the man who sat beside him.

"That was quiet a farewell" The man snickered behind his hands obviously he witnessed the whole thing but Shikamaru was not one to joke. He knew how dangerous the man is.

"Tell the Uchiha that she is not one of us"

The man beside him hummed. A tone that was light but threatening at the same time.

"I hope you aren't lying Nara" The man beside him smirked." Because you know what happens to those who lie to us"

Shikamaru almost had bile rise up his throat. Even the voice of this man disgusted him.

"Tch" He turned towards the concave mirror that showed him the world that he was leaving behind. Hinata's figure started to become smaller and smaller. Her smiling face itched into his soul. He had severed his bond with her so she could live long.

Sorry Hinata but we will never meet again.

Eh. I finished this in two hours. Hinata and Shikamaru are best friends. Read and come to a journey of Hinata making new friends.