Shikamaru watches with lidded eyes as the enigma that is Hinata comes in, the only reason he's here so early is because he wants to sleep longer.

He can't help but think back to the blunt girl's first introduction.

He had been cloud gazing, watching in content as they gently drifted free of any hardships.

He had heard her quiet steps but didn't care to acknowledge her.

He also knew that she was not just a normal clan kid, as he noticed the class was full of heirs.

He wonders what the higher ups are concocting?

Fortunately for a certain Root leader, he's too lazy to look more into it.

Dealing with a regular Nara is scary enough, but a motivated Nara…a man with a new eye shivers, as he finishes wrapping his head.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked keeping out of his view of the sky.

"Hn" he feels like sasuke but doesn't want to muster up the energy to reply.

"Thanks, naruto is out pranking with Kiba-san, and I didn't feel like having detention, father has gotten irate as of late with them, I thought I'd slow down" he isn't surprised by the mature speech pattern, though he is surprised on how info dumbing she is.

"Sounds troublesome" he can practically feel the girl's beam at his response.

"It is, but Naruto is worth it" he rolls his eyes, ignoring the enviousness of having such a devout friend not realizing he's a part of her precious people, as geniuses are blind in some aspects.

"What is it you want?" Cracking his eye open, while his words are callous sounding, he can tell that Hinata just knows him, and knows that he is just too lazy to be polite.

He kinda likes being understood, at least in the passive acceptance she eludes.

He wonders how she knows so much, he knows she has seen something or knows more than she lets on, her actions are too deliberate to not be for a reason, yet he only gets genuine care and love.

It's the only reason he hasn't told his father.

"Shika-kun…" he does not blush at the endearment, nor does he give the unusually shy girl his undivided attention.

"I'm sure you've expected, or at least have a theory of-"

"Of, how you know things?" He finishes sitting up

'How troublesome' he thinks as he sees the growing panic, not of him but of the situation Hinata is faced with.

"Yes." He's not used to this meek girl. He finds that he doesn't like it.

While they aren't close, he does appreciate having a nap partner or sharing an unspoken agreement that all this is boring.

Reaching over he gently pokes her forehead, smothering a grin as her pale eyes go cross eyed.

"Just tell me, and stop panicking, it's troublesome" he doesn't realize how grounding his nonchalant attitude is.

"You're the smartest person I know…" he can't stop the blush that creeps up as she starts.

"….so, I wanted to come to you for advice, while I could have went to your father who I also would trust, I wanted to-"

"Hinata, breathe" he is flattered but wants to stop her rambling.

"Sorry, uh, I know this will sound strange but-"

"So, who do you think will be on your team?" The question followed by the crunch of a chip breaks out off his reminiscing.

He doesn't even need to know what hinata knew to answer that.

"Ino, you and I" is all he states before flopping his head back on the desk, as Hinata passes him his motivation for keeping awake is gone, he can hear the quiet chatter as she engages the big user.

"How was your test shino? I did…" Her voice drifts as he falls asleep.

'Troublesome woman' he thinks wondering what she'll do now that her leash has been cut.

He just hopes he's not dragged into her mess.

———

Kurama watches through his cage's eyes as the idiot stumbles into the class, he wonders what this host will be like.

The first one was boring and dull.

The second one was a sadist in his opinion.

This one is just stupid.

Despite the effort of the purple haired girl.

'hinata' his mind whispers.

He couldn't help, but think the girl knows more than she lets on.

Then she went and told his loud host that she could see a future.

'What a peculiar word choice' he couldn't help but think as he listened to the conversation. While she phrased the story in a more childish way for his idiot host he understood the gist of her situation.

The girl in front of him is a soul merged with the person who originally inhabited the body, from a place that has their whole life written in a novel, or manga as she called it.

To have been brought here by his uncle of all people.

He will have to keep an eye on the puny girl.

As his host springs into the class with a loud, "Yatta"

He feels his hate skyrocket for cursing him with a loud annoying host.

His eyes widen in Naruto's mindscape as he senses his father inside the Hyuga girl.

He'll have to speak with the girl soon, she needs to understand the implications of what having two chakras of such beings will do to her.

He may also selfishly want to get as close to his father's essence as possible, terribly missing him.

Never realizing he's inside of the reincarnation of his fathers mortal child.

——-

Naruto grins at the shocked gazes staring at him. He can't help but sneak a peek at sasuke, watching in mirth as he watches the fan girls crowd him.

It's the gentle, but smug pale eyes of his Hime-chan that make him feel proud, while he is grateful towards Iruka, and will cherish the man he sees as a brother, Hinata never once looked at him with anything other than acceptance.

He's never felt protected before, until his Hime came into his life.

He still can remember the shock of just basking under the full attention, he never felt so warm as when he's in hinata's presence.

he can't help but feel an adoration for Hinata, he doesn't care about her confusing identity, his hime-chan is Hime-chan.

He doesn't care if his favorite person has a little weirdness added, he actually likes that she isn't all girly all the time, he likes being able to talk to her about weird guy things that he knows she'll understand.

He has been so stupid.

Worried over his Hime-Chan not liking him after finding out of his little furry problem.

He should have realized…. His whole panic last night was stupid.

He's a ninja because of her, well he's a more competent one. He knows now that he would have inevitably been passed as a jinchüriki is too vital, but now he knows his history. He understands why his Jiji kept a lot of things from him.

He just didn't understand why he would keep his mother whose name he carries, from him?

He will love the man but he has his eyes open for those who only give him what is beneficial for them.

"What are you doing here naruto?" The teasing voice of Shika makes him scowl playfully back.

Tugging on his headband he snarks back "can't you see? Or has the laziness made you blind?

The Shadow user just rolls his eyes before plopping his head back on the table.

That's more effort than he's seen Shikamaru use towards him so he'll take it.

Shrugging he plops down by sasuke knowing from hinata that they'll be teammates and feels like pulling a Shikamaru.

"Yo, Teme!" He says brightly as he sits down on the empty chair by the loner.

"Hn"

"Hn!?"

"Hn.."

"Hnnn!!!"

"….hn"

"Gah! Will you Shut up Naruto! Sasuke-kun don't let him get to you!" The loud voice of Sakura makes him wince.

he doesn't understand why she's so hostile, he's only ever been nice, he also doesn't understand why Hinata gets angry every time he's polite to Sakura.

'Is it because Sakura hits me?' Obliviousness will be the death of him.

"Hime-chan is the best," he says out loud.

"Hn" sasuke agrees, but only he could tell.

Suddenly he's tugged off his chair as Sakura replaces him

"Sasuke-kun, I can't wait to be on your team!" He hears Sakura squeal.

He would have left it alone had Sakura not stepped on his jewels.

Coughing he climbs on to the table and stalks over to Duck-butt not caring about the glare from Sakura as he pushes past her.

Crouching in front of Sasuke he meets the amused look at his pained face makes him growl, leaning close he was about to yell, "Duck-ass! Reign in your fangirls, before I can't reproduce"

But the boy in the row before him accidentally shoved him into Sasuke causing their lip to meet, he sits there stunned before sputtering.

He doesn't know why but he instinctively seeks out Hinata.

He blanches as he sees a trail of blood trickle down her face before fainting.

"Hinata!"

————

"Team 7 will be Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzimaki, and Sakura Haruno! Your jounin sensei will be Kakashi Hatake" Naruto deflates when he doesn't hear Hinata's name.

After Hinata had woken up, with a blush, but ultimately fine, he was made to return to his seat, which he did with reluctance.

Feeling a paper ball smack into his head, he turns to see the smug gaze of Hinata who still has a blush.

Opening the paper he sees the words 'You own me Ramen' with a doodle of a grin written across the crumbled paper.

His mood lightens despite himself, nothing makes him feel better than Ramen, and Hinata his mind whispers.

He can pay for Hinata, he would have anyway. If she didn't keep insisting on paying her own.

Giving the girl a thumbs up he can't help, but flush as she mouths believe it, something she would do both to tease him and to encourage him.

"Team 8, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuga, Your Jounin Sensei will be Kurenai yühi" he knows those two will protect Hinata even though she doesn't need it, he likes the fact that she'll have it.

He wonders what the future has in store for him now that His Hime has disrupted it, He trusts she knows what she's doing.

He just hopes she won't leave him behind in her amazingness.

Notes:

I'll try to make the chapters longer and more cohesive now that I can use canon as a guide I'm too knew to create my own "world"

sorry if my notes of self pity annoy anyone.

I hope the Shika and Hinata fluff was decent.

As much as I want to make this a poly fic preteen the two I can barely handle chariots personality.

Much less a genius.

I want to go a different route then Sakura getting replaced.

Would you want Hinata to go on the wave mission or if that arc too vital for Naruto's growth.

Zabuza and Haku have a special place in my heart for being the first major villains.