Not One of Us

Mesuko lay in her bed still and silent. The forest outside the wagon was lush with greenery, but the colors of life were going to change soon because fall was on her door step. The clan will most likely be journeying to warmer seasons, without a proper house they could not survive the winter seasons… Last year they made camp on the border of the desert, this year she thought that the clan would head to the land of lightning, but in the end it was always the Majo's decision, she could choose to travel to Suna if she wished, they had always been on good terms with their people.

"I need to leave here before fall arrives… when winter is here, I shudder to think what will happen." She imagined a snow covered wagon and herself huddled under a mass of blankets with no food or water… "I need a horse… or a bull." She thought pacing on her bed, "Or… I could get a deer." She thought. "I could ask the Nara for a deer to pull my wagon." With the hope that things would go smoothly she put on her favorite skirt, a long dark green one and a leafy kind of green tee shirt, throwing her dark black curly hair into a bun with a few curls hanging down with her bangs. She didn't take her chakra rod or her sandals, and set off through the little valley towards the Nara's house.

When Mesuko reached a small cluster of family houses she realized that she was unaware of witch one belonged to the 'Head-of-House' so to speak. A few people dotted the little village of houses some working in farm fields. 'I could have mistaken them for my own clan, were it not for the hair…' she laughed at herself, everyone in the fire country seemed to posses such finely haired people. 'I wonder, could this be what it would feel like if we lived here too?' she was lost in the hopes and dreams she had harbored since childhood, she always wanted to live on a farm…

"Hey… no offence but, what are you doing here?" A familiar young man said from behind her.

"Hello." She said while Shikamaru yawned away the rest of his sleep, "I'm here to ask for a deer."

"Huh?" he said completely awake now. "You what?"

"The deer have always been kept by your people… it's the halla that I tend to, so I need to ask for permission if need one to lead my wagon."

"Look… I know that you're used to different things from us but… you won't be getting any deer, if you need something to pull your cart then go buy a bull." He had become offended by her negligent manor toward the deer in the forest and he was ready to put her in her place about the matter. "Our burden are not for riding, stealing antlers, and pulling wagons, we protect them like our own and you can't use them like cattle." He remained calm despite the irritation in his voice, he was also ready for a battle and probably a long talk about halla and deer and the bullshit he didn't really care about.

"I understand." Was the only thing she said before walking past him and leaving him dumbstruck in the dust.

'Just like that? Oh no little girl I'm not fooled that easily, gonna try to steal a deer from us, well we'll just see about that!' he devilishly smirked hatching a plan, but first, he was gonna tail her.

Shikamaru watched Mesuko walk into the village, he could see a few villagers avoiding her, and a couple of houses closed their windows and doors after seeing her. It was as if she was a bad omen walking through the housing district… 'She has no idea where she's going… and by the looks of things, no one is going to point her in the right direction.' He thought of helping her, but it would ruin his element of surprise. 'I shouldn't just let her wander around the village…' he could feel himself caving in as she wandered down another street, and just when he was going to go and casually bump into her he noticed she was headed for Ino's flower shop. 'Come on Ino… Don't make me come down there…'

The people of the village were avoiding Mesuko left and right, barricading themselves and their children in their houses. She turned down another street that said 'Market District' this particular street was very wide with shops huddled together one after another. There was a little store with potted plants sitting outside as she got closer the inside was filled with seasonal flowers and different colored roses, lilies, and the very last of summer flowers. A young man walked out holding a beautiful bouquet of arranged various flowers, he looked as nervous as turkey during Thanksgiving week. When she was at the doorstep of the shop she saw a very familiar blonde headed girl.

"Hmm?" she looked up from her counter surrounded by flowers, "Hey." She was surprised at first but her expression soon hanged to one of sorrow, "I heard what happened, and I'm sorry, I don't really know the whole story and all…" her voice trailed away.

"It's alright… I think I know where they're going this year, I was wondering though, do you know where I could buy a bull? Or a horse, even a donkey…" she said.

"Well… I think there is a livestock shop the next street over, but his farm is on the edges of the Land of Fire so he delivers them to his customers, and it usually takes a few days. But I mean you can go talk to him, he's next to the dentist.

"Thank you for telling me the way." She smiled and waved goodbye to Ino.

"Good luck… I think you'll need it." She said watching some people in the street avoid her after watching her come out of the flower shop. "You'd think she had the plague."

"Hello?" Mesuko said upon entering the shop with a little cow drawn on the door, a little brass bell rang when she opened the door. There was no one at the counter when she first entered but there was a picture book with several different farm animals in it.

"Sorry about that I was.. uh." A very big man with a round belly and a scruffy black beard protruded from a back room, "Look. I know just who you are and I'm telling you right now I won't be selling anything to your kind."

"But-"

"No buts kid, you probably couldn't afford anything in here anyway now scram." He made a shoowing motion with one hand.

"What if I worked for one?!" she tried to ask but he was picking her up by the sleeve of her shirt. "Hey wait!" she said trying to squirm out of his grip.

"I wouldn't be caught dead with someone like you working for me!" He threw her out the door and she landed hard on her butt in the middle of the street. The door with cow on it slammed shut and she could hear it locking and the only thing she saw was him pulling down the shade that said 'closed' on it.

"Yeah! …. Well I think your bulls look shitty anyway!" she yelled at him, when the big man shot up the blinds glaring at her she bolted for an alleyway running as fast as she could in a city she couldn't even navigate herself through. Huffing and puffing now she stopped to catch her breath, and realized that she was completely lost. She looked back the direction she came from and realized she must have took a few turns, looking forward she saw a rather small dirt road next to a wooden fence.

She must have been close to a park because there were a lot of tall trees now and greenery, she started walking down the pathway until it opened up to a larger street between to fences, there were a few people dotting the pathway. An older man was walking in her direction. "Umm, excuse me." She put her hand out to the man.

"No.. No!" he said walking briskly past her. A woman a few feet away was walking in the opposite direction.

"Excuse me ma'am." She said.

"Oh?" she turned but after seeing her she said, "No I-I I have some where to be right now!" and she walked away quickly. An elderly lady was walking in her direction and when she saw Mesuko coming near her she cried out.

"Help! Help! Someone help me!" he old voice cracked and croaked.

"No please, you misunderstand!" she held up her hands in an unarmed manor.

"LEAF HURRICANE!" a shrilling battle cry made her whirl around when all she saw was a foot coming straight for her face she didn't even have time to blink. Just when she thought she was done for a young boy was right in front of her and he had caught the death foot before it impacted with her face. The boy had long brown hair and tan clothing. Mesuko heavily sighed and fell to her knees shaking, while the old woman blessed them and scurried off faster than a rat.

"I'm sorry for my friend here miss." The boy said looking down at the quivering girl, who looked like she would burst into tears any second. "Mh! I.." he immediately recognized the curly hair and yellow eyes. "I wasn't aware that your clan was still in town." He said quickly.

"They- they're not, I was left behind and now I'm lost and I'm just trying to get home I was only asking for directions!" She said it all in one breath and her chest was heaving and she was just about to cry, when the other kid spoke up.

"I'm so sorry! It looked like you were terrorizing everyone!" He fell to her level clasping his hands together in an apologetic manor. "Please find it in your heart to forgive me!" he shouted! The boy was positively dorky, it looked like someone cut his hair with scissors and a soup bowl and the bushiest eyebrows she had ever seen. His dramatic behavior took her by such a shock she didn't even want to cry any more.

"Sure…?" she squeaked out quietly.

"Oh thank you! I'll never try to hurt you again! I promise!" he said standing fast enough to make her dizzy. "My name is Rock Lee! And I am the handsome devil of the leaf! What is your name miss?!"

"Ummm-."

"Um? That is a very unusual name!"

"Lee!" The other boy growled at him. "That's not her name."

"Neji I didn't know you knew this girl! Is there something you're hiding from me?" he questioned holding up his picky finger.

"Unbelievable." He said putting his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"My name is Mesuko." She said sitting on her knees, "And no I don't know your friend here."

"No need to be shy Um!"

"Lee she's telling the truth!"

"What do you mean Neji!?"

"She's telling the truth." He repeated, deadpanned in an unusually calm tone.

"Oh." Lee said," You should speak up louder next time there is no need to be shy!" he smiled widely extending out his hand helping her off the ground.

"Ok." Was all she really said after all that fuss.

"You said you needed directions?" Neji asked her.

"Yes! I do I'm trying to get back out of the village, my wagon is outside the Nara forest."

"Alright, can you get there from one of the main roads?"

"I… I think so yes."

"Alright, keep following this road that way," Neji pointed down the way they were facing, "Then take a right and you'll reach the Hokage's office, there are four main roads branching off from that point just pick the pathway to the south and you'll reach the Nara borderlands." The whole time he was talking Lee was making dramatic traffic signals at her.

"Right! I can't thank you enough!" she said shaking his hand. "Goodbye!" The simple fact that someone had helped her was astonishing to her, the way everyone had been treating her all day was getting on her nerves…

Mesuko was blissfully unaware that Shikamaru had been following her the entire time, she trotted out the village and he took cover in the trees watching her the entire way. After she had walked past his house he slipped inside to his room and sent his shadow forth, after passing her on the way to the forest he searched for the biggest, strongest, young buck he could find. Then set off to her little wagon to lure her into his trap.

Mesuko reached the small clearing that she had recently become so familiar with, she took a deep breath of fresh air, glad to be out of the big city. As she began to walk out of the clearing she noticed a very healthy looking stag only a few feet from her.

'That's right girl, I'm just an unsuspecting buck eatin some grass…' Shikamaru thought to himself. She walked closer over to the deer, who, lifted his head to look at her, she looked so tiny to him now, this buck towered over her. She reached up her hand and pet his neck with soft fingers.

"Hello." She said quietly.

'Hey'… Wait why did I say that…' He kicked himself mentally.

"You're pretty far from the herd, you guys don't usually come this close to the border, there's a lot of hunters just across that street over there."

'Hunters like yourself chick.' He scoffed.

"In search for greener pastures I suppose," she pet his nose softly looking into the big round eyes, "aren't we all…" she added after petting him. Her hands were soft, and she touched him so gently he didn't think she was capable of it. "Hmm?" Mesuko stopped petting him and watched as a figure was approaching her wagon. "Who is that?" she asked herself cautiously, Shikamaru turned the massive deer around to look at the wagon, there was someone over there near her wagon he watched Mesuko start to walk towards them.

'No stupid girl! You're supposed to steal me so I can bust you!' Shikamaru cursed the person by her wagon for distracting her, 'Wait… what if this guy is dangerous?' Mesuko, unable to speak deer, kept going anyway. Shikamaru, against his better judgment decided to follow her, there wasn't a whole lot a deer could do but one this size could scare anyone away, with the right tactics.

"Hello?" Mesuko called out a safe distance away. The man was tall and slim and wore glass he had a file in his hands and was holding a piece of paper out to her, the man eyes the deer rather oddly and then her.

"I am to understand that this is your…" he looked the wagon up and down with disgust, "property." He finally said.

"It is." She said firmly.

"Well it has to be moved."

"What?" she asked him loudly.

"This is property belonging to the Village of Konoahgurke and your clan was granted permission to stay for two days and nights and then must be removed from the premises. You have one week to find a place to put that thing or the authorities will be forced to remove it for you and a fine of, lets see here" he looked down at the paper, "200,000 yen will be expected to be paid in full before the return of said property." He finished and handed her the paper with the details. "You have seven days." He repeated and began walking away briskly.

"Wait where am I supposed to go?"

"Not my problem."

"Well how can I move my wagon without an animal?!"

"Buy one!" he said annoyed walking away faster.

"I don't have any money you jack ass!" she shouted at him, but he ignored her completely. "Oh great!" she threw her hands in the air, "Just fuckin great!" she looked back at the man who was rather far away now, "ASSHOLEEEEEEEEE!" she yelled as loudly as she could.

'Feisty…' Shikamaru thought, 'I hate feisty.' But he couldn't help feeling bad about her situation.

"Okay!" she clapped her hands together and looked at the deer, "I have seven… six and a half days, to figure out how to buy an animal so I can move my wagon to find my clan who left me behind, and I have no idea where they went or any friends in the village, and everyone hates me because of who I am and no one would give me a job because of it." When she thought she was going to cry before that was nothing compared to how she felt now. After voicing everything that had happened she felt more hopeless than ever. She fell to her knees, and put her head in her hands.

'If you try to steal a deer my family would confiscate your wagon and hold you prisoner. That would pretty much solve all your problems.' He said confidently. The large deer sat beside her on the ground Mesuko curled into his brown fur and began to weep, again. She was crying again and Shikamaru was there again, but this time was different it felt different, she was looking to him for comfort. 'If it means anything I'm sorry…' he put his head next to hers in a sort of hug. 'Then again it doesn't because you can't hear me right now.' She hugged him back and the pair laid there till she stopped crying, but she only fell to sleep and some hours later Shikamaru came and put her into her bed in the small wagon.

"Maybe you'll figure something out tomorrow." He whispered, before leaving her he brushed a stray curl behind her ear, and left her to sleep.

I put that last bit in there to imply that there is no doubt that he has hidden feelings for her even now hehe. Alright guys please review me I would appreciate it.