Disclaimer: my first one …………… it's already getting old

I don't own naruto or Darkangel. Kaede is an unknown Darkangel character that as to my knowledge does not exist.

1.

I don't know how I got here but I do remember my life before, my life at Manticore.

My brothers and sisters, the escape, I was running in the snow the dogs weren't too far behind. A scooter a gun, pain my shoulder, I don't want to go back, blue lady help me!

Darkness, night, smoke, fire. I can't move, why can't I move. Forest, people, silent walkers. Is he walking up that tree? Like vertically up. You're hallucinating soldier snap out of it.

Those were my first few thoughts in this new place, I still don't know how I got here but life here is better than at Manticore.

Somehow I transformed into my infant self in other words I came here as a baby in the middle or the end of a battle I ended up being adopted by a family called Haruno. I have an adopted sister her name is Sakura and get this she has pink hair that just isn't natural it can't be.

Sakura is strange, she's forever going on about how she wants to beat Yamanaka Ino and be stronger than her and catch the eye of one Uchiha Sasuke but she doesn't train. She doesn't work for her dreams, to get Sasuke's attention she'd have to become stronger and be able to keep up with him.

Anyway I'm keeping a low profile making sure nobody knows about my abilities following Zacks orders. I don't think Manticore can find me here but I'm not taking any chances. I'll do what everyone else does.

I'll become a ninja, a kunoichi, they have strange training though, flower picking and arranging.

Kaede picked up the piece of paper she had been writing on held it above a litcandle and watched it burn. She couldn't afford to have diary with her nosy sister around but it feel good write down her thoughts or as she thought of it talk to Jondy, Max and Tinga. Kami-sama I miss them´

Her big sisters, they were like her and didn't need as much sleep as the others did, would sit and talk about what had happened during the day, during training. She was the youngest only 7 when they escaped but now she seemed to have two ages so to speak; her mental age which in years would be 18 almost 19 and her physical 11.

This had caused a few problems growing up since she supposedly was the younger adopted sister of the oh so smart Haruno Sakura, Sakura was book smart, she knew only what she had read and rarely thought outside the box or went against authority.

Kaede on the other hand who had first hand knowledge of that things you've been told by teachers (trainers, guards, co's) doesn't always have to be true, same goes for books thought outside the box and had big problems with authority. Basically good girl Sakura and bad ass Kaede.

Kaede would question teachers and talk back to them but never without just cause. If they had a good reason to teach something she found to be unfounded and could tell her then she had no problem if they couldn't …… well let's just say it was bad.

(The standard of teaching at the academy however did go up)

Today was the day of graduation and Kaede was not a happy camper.

She had for some reason been unfortunate enough to get stuck on the same team as the stuck up Uchiha and the crazy off the handle Uzumaki. Now she didn't have anything against Uzumaki cause for some reason she felt kinship to the guy, but man he just never shut up and the worst part was that the kid was actually really smart but didn't show it, oh so annoying.

Sakura and basically every other girl in the room with the exception of Hyuuga Hinata started screaming at her for being on the same team as their precious Sasuke-kun. Hello sensitive hearing and god the smell of all that perfume, She really didn't blame the guy for running from them. Brrrrr

And if that wasn't enough she had now spent the last 2 and a half hours waiting for team sevens jounin instructor, with Uchiha and Uzumaki who was climbing the walls in boredom.

All she wanted to do right now was find some piece of paper and rant. Could she do that no, cause although Uchiha wouldn't care what she was doing Uzumaki would and he was unfortunately not illiterate.

Wait a minute what's motormouth doing now?


Uzumaki Naruto was at that particular moment rigging a trap for team sevens instructor.

He wasn't as stupid as he acted but he played the fool for his own survival and for the last 2 hours he had been watching his teammates.

Uchiha was quiet and said nothing (cold hearted bastard ).

Kaede looked like she would rather be anywhere but that room with them and this was unusual, the them part. She didn't seem to like the Uchiha bastard anymore than he did. Usually people disliked him and loved Uchiha but she didn't seem to like either of them. She was Sakura-chan's sister maybe if he got into her good graces she'd put in good word for him with her sister. There's food for thought. (Hey he's smart not intelligent and love makes you think crazy).

Suddenly though she stiffened a little and cocked her head to side as if she heard something, it happened so quickly though Naruto almost immediately dismissed it.


Uchiha Sasuke was also observing his two teammates the loudmouth dobe and the shadow girl as he thought of her. She was always in the shadows both metaphorically and literally. Nobody really paid attention to her but always to her sister, the good girl who never did anything and who was normal nice girl, while she was seen as the trouble maker who wouldn't mind her elders. She in addition to this seemed to like sitting in the dark in the shadows as if hiding.

Well at least she wasn't a stupid fan-girl like her annoying sister.

The dobe wasn't all that he seemed either nor did he get any good attention however he was always out there in the spotlight.

Hn it seemed his team was made up of people with well worn masks. They were all hiding something.

Hm why did she flinch? Strange!


Finally this instructor is coming, transgenic hearing comes in handy sometimes, ok a lot.

I hope he walks into Uzumakis stupid trap, although if does I will so not take this guy seriously.


Poof! Hatake Kakkashi's first impression of the the three academy graduates was "I hate you".

Sasuke almost groaned out loud, this was their jounin instructor, great (please note the sarcasm in this statement). Naruto was looking mildly umm sheepish. Kaede raised an eyebrow and stared.

This was going well, now wasn't it.


Up on the roof!

"Well, why don't you introduce yourselves and tell us little about your likes, dislikes and dreams. Said the silver haired jounin."

Naruto frowned and asked; "Ne sensei, shouldn't you start?"

"Sure, I am Hatake Kakashi, my likes are non of your business, my dislikes are non of your business and my dreams…… So anyway why don't you start." He said indicating Kaede.

Kaede looked at him for half a second and just shrugged.

"Fine, my name is Haruno Kaede, I like writing and I dislike (hate: Manticore, psy-ops, Lydecker, iso, the pit..´) enemies. I don't have a dream that is any of your business."

Interesting answers´

"Hm, next."

"I am Uzumaki Naruto and I like no love RAMEN! I dislike the three minutes it takes for the ramen to finish and my dream is to become Hokage."

Sigh´

"What about you."

"I am Uchiha Sasuke I like few things and I dislike a lot of things. I have no dream it's more of an ambition to kill a certain man."

Ah of course´


Naruto's thoughts:

Kaede didn't really tell us much but enough not to do what Kakashi did. ´

What! He's serious! Who does he want to kill? ´

Kaede's thoughts:

oh please come on you're not that stupid sure I admit you're mask is good but nobody is that naïve except the fangirl and boy idiots´

ok, so join the damn club I'm pretty sure everyone here would like to kill someone.´

Sasuke's thoughts:

vague and evasive´

playing the naïve fool´


"Well we'll meet tomorrow morning and and see if you're fit to be genin, oh and don't eat breakfast, you'll only end up losing it."

Fine, I don't need food anyway´ thought Kaede.

The next day after the "test".

I told them we had work together but did they listen no, "Mr-I don't need anyone and everyone is beneath me Uchiha" and "Uzumaki I'm gonna be Hokage one day I and how hard can it be". Morons!

Lucky we got through in the end with me feeding Uzumaki and Uchiha agreeing with it, stuck up bastard. If we hadn't gotten through I would have been oh so very pissed.

Damn I hate down playing my abilities but you never know who's watching and it's always good not to show your hand. Your allies now may not be your allies in the future.´

"Okaeri!" called Kaede when she got home and was immediately attacked by Sakura.

"Hey how did you get Sasuke-kun's team, this is so unfair, you don't even like him" shouted Sakura.

"hmph, nice to see you to Sakura how did your team do, did you pass the test?"

"Iie, those stupid kids on my team wouldn't leave alone long enough to get the bells. The stupid Ino-Pig passed, how could she pass? Oh well at least now she won't have as much time to be with Sasuke-kun"

Sakura really has a one track mind, she doesn't think of anything but Uchiha´ "Ne Sakura what are you going to do now? Go back to the Academy?"

"Mm, I'll pass next time and Ino-Pig had better watch out. And you if you hurt my Sasuke-kun in anyway I'll kill you myself"

Gulp´

"Or on second thoughts I'll just sic Kaasan on you."

Aaaaaah´ "I won't let anything permanent happen to I promise" You cowardly bitch Sakura, Kami-sama I wish I could strangle you Sakura´

"Good, Oh and by the way it's your turn to do the laundry"

"No it's not I did it last week!"

"Okaasan"

"Yes Sakura sweety" said voice from the kitchen.

"Kaede won't do her chores" said Sakura in an angelic voice, Kaede just glared.

"Kaede do your chores or you won't get any food for a week" shouted a now angry voice from the kitchen.

It was always like that, whenever Sakura didn't want to do something she would threaten Kaede into to doing it

not that a lot could threaten an X5 soldier but she couldn't let them know that so she acted as if it did bother her to go hungry or getting hit by her father´ when he got home for being insolent toward her mother´. She didn't care and never would. And now she had team seven and mission's so she could get away for awhile at least.


Three weeks later.

As usual team seven gathered as they did every morning to wait for their sensei for at least 2-3 hours before they found out what their mission was. Like every other morning Kaede who didn't sleep had been training for 3 hours before the set meeting time and was splashing her feet in the stream, while Naruto bounced around asking questions about Sakura and Sasuke stood to one side and mainly glared at his to inferior and weak team mates.

Although Sasuke knew that his team mates were more than what met the eye he still didn't believe either of them to be better than him.

Suddenly Kakashi appeared and greeted the 'group'. "Yo." said Kakashi in his usual tone.

"YOU'RE LATE!" could be heard throughout Konoha, from Naruto who had made it his life's mission to point this out to their tardy instructor.

"Aa, you see I met an old woman carrying these really big and heavy groceries so I just had to help and she lives on the other side of the village so that's why I'm late."

"LIAR" screamed Naruto, Sasuke just glared as per normal and Kaede snorted.

"Anyway we have to go get a mission, so just follow me" said Kakashi and turned right around not waiting for the three genin to follow.

Naruto being who he is started asking questions about the mission not waiting for answers not that he would have gotten any anyway.

The other two just looked well glared in Sasuke's case and followed the others.


In the Hokages office Naruto decided to throw a temper tantrum which admittedly did serve its purpose of getting team seven a C-rank mission. So they met Tazuna the bridgebuilder.