Disclaimer: no, I do NOT own Naruto..... Boy, don't I wish. (Shakes head)

To all you Sasuke-Sakura fans: screw that. Sakura has pink hair.... and whatever. Just, not. Happening.

Btw, this is set BEFORE the chuunin exams, because that's when I wrote the original. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

"Any questions?" Kakashi asked, after briefing his students on their current mission. Naruto looked at his fellow students (sneaking an extra- long peek at Sakura) just to see if they had any. When he saw they didn't he shook his own head no, even though there were a billion questions racing through his mind. Kakashi looked at him extra-hard, then gave up when he saw that the stubborn boy refused to be outdone by his peers. He stood up, dusted himself off, and they would have gotten started, if a small voice had called out from the other side of the clearing.

"Kakashi?" A bedraggled young girl walked towards them. She wore a black Konohakagure hitae-ate about her forehead. Her long brown hair was in a braid that went down to her waist and her eyes were a peculiar shade of bright green. Her skin looked like it was in the middle of tanning, but not as if she was trying, just as if it was happening. She was a bit on the short side, and just somewhat small. Kakashi looked up from the book he's snuck from his pocket guiltily and greeted her.

"Ah, there you are." He smiled and turned to his students. "This is Hikaru, she's here to help me out. I trust you will all be on your best behavior?" His gaze settled on the prankster, who seemed puzzled. Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"Naruto, he means that you can't pull any pranks or other stuff. Like that eraser trick." Outwardly, she reprimanded him, but inwardly, she rewarded his use of the tool-which was meant to be used for education. Naruto scratched his head and nodded once, obviously trying to figure something out. He gave up and opened his mouth to ask for assistance in his quest for knowledge.

"So, who's she?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, face uncharacteristically serious. Sasuke looked at him oddly, Naruto was never serious unless something was really bothering him, or a VERY big problem. The girl nodded and stepped forward, bowing to the three of them.

"Please excuse me for not introducing myself.... I was just happy that I found you all before you went off on your mission, I was afraid I might miss you." She smiled softly to herself and continued. Her voice was a little more self-assured now. "A bunch of the chuunins volunteered to help out the jonins... I wanted some experience with those heading towards the chuunin exams, because I hope to work with them some day. I will try to do my best here." Her smile widened and she nodded once, and then stepped back. Sakura looked at her in awe; she hadn't known that someone could be that.... She couldn't remember the word, but she could just tell this was someone to be respected, if not liked. Sakura was the first to speak, deciding to introduce herself.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you." Sakura smiled widely. And for once, she was speaking what her inner voice told her to. Hikaru smiled and nodded.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He mumbled, placing his hands behind his head. Hikaru cracked a grin and nodded to him as well. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, when he noticed that she was looking at him with more interest than she had the others. She stepped forward, and spoke before him.

"Uchiha Sasuke, ne?" she tilted her head to the side and looked at his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably and she spoke again. "You have the sharingan eye, just like Kakashi, right?" she tapped the metal plate one the hitae-ate covering their mentors forehead and Sasuke regained his composure.

"Yeah, to both of those." His voice was soft, and he talked as if he didn't care. Hikaru's face had gone blank, and she nodded at him. She turned back towards Kakashi.

"So, what're we doing?" she asked. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke all sweat-dropped as he re-began the ENTIRE brief...

(((Later that day)))

The five of them dragged their tired bodies back into town... the mission had clearly not been as easy as suspected. Hikaru waved goodbye as she headed off in the direction of Hokage-sama's place. Naruto voiced his question to this and Kakashi began to explain as he walked.

"She has to check in with Hokage and report on how her day went." He said, reading his book. Sakura had been quiet that day, but now she spoke up.

"Hey, how old is she?" she piped up. Kakashi was surprised.

"She's your age, a little younger, by a month or two... well, a month younger than Sasuke... and about 5 months younger than you and 2 months older than Naruto. Why?" he looked at her to see an awed look.

"Then how is she a chuunin?" Sakura was not only awed, but confused... Naruto sensed this, and agreed within his head.

"Well, nobody ever said you have to be twelve to apply for the chuunin exam. I was six when I passed it, and she was 10 when she passed hers." He would've continued with the explanation, but a cry in the distance cut him off. Sasuke heard it to.

"I think it's Hikaru!" he exclaimed. Kakashi nodded.

"You three wait here. I'll be back in a minute." The three students glared at him and he shook his head. "All right, come along."

When they reached the point where the voice had come from all they could see was a bloodstain on the ground. Sasuke looked at it, when all of a sudden he saw something move in the mist. Hikaru was doing her best to dodge multiple shuriken, and she had a deep cut in her collarbone. Every now and then, the stars would graze her skin. One of her hands crept down the side of her leg, and she reached for a kunai knife. Sasuke followed the shuriken, only to see that they came from the center of the mist. Hikaru quickly moved towards there, and he saw the shadow of a man with a battle- ax. Kakashi watched, one hand on the rim of his headband.

In the mist, Hikaru could barely see. She allowed the glow that she could barely control spread to down her arms. The red patterns on her arms burned holes through her outer shirt. She swore and landed behind the man, searching for something, anything, she could do to defeat him. She hadn't seen the others enter the area. He turned to her and hefted the battle-ax with one hand. This was no ninja. He was a hired killer. His long white hair was in a long braid and his grin was malicious. He pulled the outer rod off the handle of the ax and threw it at her. (A/N: it's like he put a pipe around the handle of the ax.) It caught her in the stomach, and she was thrown backwards into a tree. She struggled to her feet, and dropped the pipe. Her eyes blazed red, which was odd because their original color was most definitely green.

Sasuke sensed something wasn't right, and used his Sharingan eye so he could see. She tackled the man to the ground, lifted his battle ax with great difficulty and pinned his hair with the spike on the top. But, although he could no longer stand, his arms and legs were still mobile. He easily tossed the small girl in the air, and kicked her. She flew into a tree, and stood again. Blood seeped through her clothes, and she shut her eyes. The red patterns on her arms which had been just visible before blazed to life as she called upon the power within her. She opened her eyes with anger so fierce it fueled the force with which she attacked. She stood over the man, standing on his arms. She kneeled down and placed both hands on his forehead. She spoke softly and a blast of red sent her flying. When she looked up she saw that the mans internal organs had imploded. She grinned and passed out, bleeding harder now that she was finished fighting. Sakura rushed over to where the fallen girl lay, and Kakashi went to look at her attacker.

There wasn't much left of him but spilled blood and guts. He found no ID, no nothing. Naruto and Sasuke had joined Sakura in checking on Hikaru.

When neither of the other two made a move to pick her up, Sasuke sighed and reached down and picked her up bridal style. Her head rested on his chest and he blushed slightly, and then firmly shook his head. Kakashi saw the condition she was in and walked over.

"We have to get her back to town." Sasuke declared, and Sakura agreed. Kakashi nodded once, and plucked the unconscious girl from Sasuke's grip. Sasuke felt lighter as they headed off towards the clinic. (A/N: does Konohakagure HAVE a clinic?)

The doctors gasped when they saw the girl cradled in Kakashi's arms.

"what happened!?" the first one exclaimed. Kakashi put her on the provided stretcher and looked at the nurse.

"she's a chuunin ninja, Hikaru Hiruzawa." The nurse gasped when she heard the name, then regained her composure and nodded to Kakashi. He continued. "She was helping me out with my students, and was on her way to check in with Hokage, but she got attacked by a hired killer. She defeated him, and this is how she ended up."

"all right. We'll do whatever we can." The nurse turned and rushed away. Kakashi and his students watched helplessly as the doors swung shut. Sasuke had only felt so helpless to anything that had happened in front of him once- when his clan was murdered by Itachi.

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Well, was it ok? I hope so, I really tried hard this time.... I did my very best, I know the chapter wasn't very long, but was it passable? -looks worried- I hope so.

please R&R, constructive critisism welcomed, flames will be ignored.