There are reasons for my instant answer to everything I decided. I thought that the reason is reasonable enough.

Firstly, I will apply for the year earlier than the rookie nine. Even though applying for the academy early is quite rare even in ninja family, there are still children that do so. This is, to increase the distance between the rookie and me, the normal civilian kid, more so I don't feel stressed. Keeping secret is hard. I may even break down and let everything out. So putting myself in the lesser stress position and gain a little freedom is what I want. There is no need to act like a paranoid rat, stealing cheese in cat's shadow.

Secondly, I could become a ninja. That is the desired to protect my family that drives me to choose this path. The faster I learn, the faster I can be independent.

And last reasons, umm...I don't think that is what you called reasonable, but I don't want to meet certain Yamanaka, again (Oh, kami, please. Not that girl! The terrify shiver that runs down my spine, just thinking of her make me feel so-).

Although I have my answer, someone in my family certainly didn't quite agree too...much?

.

.

.

"No!" My father immediately opposes while devouring my body into his. His eyes are glittering with tear streaming down his cheek. Her tighten his suffocating hug even more when I tired to push myself out.

"MY LITTLE GIRL WON'T BECOMING A NINJA!" He exclaims as I tried to calmly wipe a tear off my father's face while grandpa and surprisingly mother only look at each other, their expression is worried.

The thing is, it was surprising when mother said nothing about it, she even acts as it is not something to worried about (apart from the first time, I caught her unprepared). On the other hand, father is currently crying like a river and wouldn't let me go.

"Otou-chan, don't worry." I pat his arm in a reassuring gesture, kissing his cheek, "I will study hard, okay?"

"But-but...Otou-chan want to spend want to spend time with Ayumu-chan." Masao whined and pout. If he is ten years younger, I so sure that my father will start to wail. He usually stern and give off an aura of calm, he has only become childish will it come to me.

Argh, as I said. Too loving parent.

"Are you sure, gaki? Becoming Ninja is hard, you know" Grandpa sip his tea, his dark black eye is sharp. Even though he leans onto his chair, relaxed, I could feel his voice increasingly intense. "Why so sudden?"

"It is not so sudden, Oji-chan," I, still in my father breathtaking hug, admitted. "I have been thinking of this for a while."

I know I cannot lie, especially to grandpa. Even if I could somehow have a courage to lie to mother or father, there is never once that I would lie to grandpa. He works in the TI division for age. I won't risk my safety for anything like lies. Just avoid speaking or not telling all the truth are one way, but no lie.

Grandpa raises himself from leaning on the chair and sips his tea. "Oh... And what is something that makes you want to be a ninja?"

"Of course, protecting people." I flash him a smile, "Otou-chan, Kaa-chan, and Oji-chan, and everyone"

He seems quiet when I finished answering my question. Although I don't hear him saying anything, his eyes are not that intense anymore. His shoulders lowered in relaxation as a sign of my choice being approved.

"Ayumu-chan, Otou-chan and Kaa-chan are really strong, so please remain as my cute little angel forever, pretty please?" My father continued to pursue and he starts to whine. "Ayumu-chan doesn't have to become a ninja to protect Otou-chan, Kaa-chan, or even Oji-san."

"Otou-" I protested only to be cut by mother.

"Dear, you should know that you cannot force anyone to do things they don't want to, especially with our daughter." Mother speaks softly as her face softens, while she gives a little glare at grandpa. "I know that spending time with Otou-san too much will have this effect, so I already know what's going to happen."

Grandpa only raises his brow with a bemused plastered on his face.

"But-but-" Father whimper in desperate manner as he tried to find an excuse.

"If Otuo-san force me to become a Shinobi, you wouldn't never have met me." Mother remains passive while I still out of words.

My mother is so cool.

I really have doubts. Maybe this is a Genjutsu? Can my mother be this-this cool?!

Masao was biting his lip. He looks like he has an internal conflict while switching to stare at mother and me.

He finally let out a sighed as he slowly loosens his hold, but not yet release me from his hug.

"Just promise me that you will never take any boys to our house and never have a boyfriend."

The deadpanned looks coming from grandpa and my mother didn't affect my father

Ignoring my father's words, my grandpa gives me a smile, which somehow make me uncomfortable.

"From now on, you will be trained by me."

Rising my widen eyes to meet with grandpa dark one, I paled.

Did I just dig myself a hole?

It was like flipping a switch. I felt relaxed when I go out of the house. The burden seems to lighten because full four years of avoiding and making a decision is being taken away. I finally have a goal, something that I want to celebrate later. However, the feeling is short-lived as my grandpa surprisingly wake me up at six in the morning.

The sight of him grinning evilly with a bucket of cold water, threatening to empty them on me is terrorizing. When I ask him why do I need to wake up so early, he just stated.

'Oh, I feel kind of like experimenting new method of waking my favorite Kunoichi for the day. Refreshing, isn't it?'

His grin widens when he notices my murderous glare I am throwing at him for the rest of the morning. The word morning isn't my cup of tea. I am definitely not a morning person.

As for the first training, grandpa, as weird as he is, handed me a notepad.

'Go outside and write down everything you see'

My face goes from excitement to outright confusion. I don't quite understand what he meant. What I expect is some kind of amazing ninja training. Maybe something like learning how to fight? I especially didn't think that note-taking is on the menu. Although before I can ask, I was being shooed out of the house by my old grandpa. And then I realized... I was alone for the first time in four years.

Alone.

Being cramped in the house for four years without having much contact with the world and then being shoved out of the house is like living in the entire world, like appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the wilderness. My body tense a little when somebody who I wasn't seen before are roaming and pasting before me. The sound of giggling, laughter, and gossiping feel awkward when I was only one there.

It is full of life.

I felt my heart pounding, not with nervousness, but an excitement. No mother nagging, no father cuddling, and no grandpa's smiling yet observant eyes.

Freedom.

I don't know how my grandpa can convince my mother and father to let's their almost-five years old daughter go out in the village alone. I should thank him later, that's for sure.

How many years it is to freely walk down the passage without fear? Like a childish part of mine spark into life, I walk down the alley by my house toward more of the center in the village. I gaze at the sky. It was clear blue, bright, colorful summer blue. My eyes go round with pure fascination. Ever since I born, I know that above me is the sky. I know that below my foot is the ground. But because of my stress, which clouded my sight, I can't find the time to see these beauties, beautiful village.

Beautiful

The village is mixture of questionable technology and nature. The structure was almost like the modern house, the difference is how the house tends to stick together. There is a pipeline everywhere. Sometime on the roof, sometime on the wall. I try to examine it, knocking it to one and found it to be hollow.

It couldn't be gas pipe. It is too dangerous to be stuck outside. Although, judging from the sound it bounces back, I might guess it's some kind of electricity-type pipe.

Did I need to write down this detail?

I furrow my brow in concentration when I try to write down.

Konoha's structure

-There are many kinds of pipe; I assume that one of them contains electricity-

Wait.

I blink when I recall that I am only four (three months away from being five years old). And four year old kids shouldn't be so observant, right? I growl in frustration, scratching out the first line.

-The straw things were everywhere, colorful! Beautiful! Yay!

Childish enough?

Sometime I really questioned my mentality because I am capable of writing like this. I shrugged mentally as I proceed to write down some more childish scribble. I already plan to write down the real detail somewhere in the blank notebook I used my super sneaky skill to steal from my dad (It's more like he let me have them though).

I shoved the notepad into my pocket and find some place to look at.

Now... Where should I go?

Now that I think about it, I don't really have any idea of where the heck I am. I glance around, trying to get a grasp of the location, but end up finding nothing.

Well, I don't think it will be a problem. I used to live in larger places so this will be a piece of cake for me.

I walk in random directions with full of pride. I could do this.

I find myself wondering,

How the hell I end up in the middle of group of hell spawn anyway?

"Hey, want to play ninja?!"

...and somehow end up playing ninja?

I wince a little when some dull face kid shouts in my ear. His face has one orange strip each on his cheek and wearing a balloon green hat. Trying to rub off the ring-sound in my ear, I distract myself to describe the situation.

"Oi! Are you sure? She is a 'girl', y'know?!" One boy of the group protest.

"Yeah, she looks weak, too!" Another one join in.

"Idiot! Because she is weak, I choose her." The orange strip whispered (not so softly). "If she goes in another team, we will definitely win!"

"Oh, you are so clever, Kuma!"

"Kuma-sama is the best!"

Hello? I can hear you here, brat.

I rolled my eye, feeling irritated by their unconcealed whisper. I ignore them as I am trying to escape while the boys are busy gossiping like a teenage girl. Taking steps backward, I was on my way toward the escape road when my eyes spot on the dark eyes boy that lazily standing outside the group, wearing the face of indifference. He doesn't seem to like playing very much as I am.

That's when I spot the familiar marking on his chest, showing its glory.

My heart stops. I held my breath as I carefully retake the scene before me.

The lazy attitude, the little frowning, the clan symbol-

That's-

Nara Shikamaru

There is no mistaken, since he looks like he is in the same age as me.

My mind black out for a moment. Fortunately, the sole Nara didn't even pay attention to other children as he looks like he doesn't want to be here. Great, I didn't even know that Shikamaru plays with other kids other than Chouji.

I just met Yamanaka two days ago, now it is Nara? I thought my clan-meeting quota is already full. The foul taste covers inside my mouth as I gritted my teeth with increase irritation. The situation will get worse if it involved Nara, since they are so smart.

I try to calm myself down, quietly moved away from the group of boy as silent as possible. It is fortunate that Shikamaru doesn't seem to care about other people at all. Lucky.

Now that I think about it, they become friend even before they entered the academy, right? It could be right now.

"Hey, can I play too?"

I actually jump a little bit when I heard another voice coming from other distance. Wiping my face to another source of voice, I could only slap my grandpa mentally for choosing this day for me to explore the village.

The day when the canon character chooses to come out and play.

Maybe I should lock myself in my room for my entire life. Coming outside and meeting cannon-character one after another is giving my heart a heart attack.

I slowly took a peek at the boy.

He is cute.

That's the first impression Akamichi Chouji gave to me. His body is chubby and his face is round. There are the red swirl-like on both his cheek which gave him more adorableness. I really like to hug him then. Comparing him to Ino-

Ok, let's stop thinking about that right now.

The boy named Kuma is the first one who talk to him. "You can't play 'ninja' with us!"

"Why?" Chouji flinch at the statement and question him.

Kuma hugs his chest, acting all high and mighty. "Because we already have full team!"

I snap at the Kuma, the bear, loud and clear so my words will be heard. "I never ever said that I will play!"

He glares at me, but I returns the favor, not lowering the sight. Making a quiet curse, he then turns away when he realized he couldn't intimate me to play. He actually took out his anger on poor cute Chouji. "I don't want to play with you 'cuz whichever team that got you are definitely lose!"

"Yeah! You are too slow!" Some boys said in agreement.

There is a silence pause as Chouji gains a dejected face as he lower his head as shameful gesture.

I fidget when I think that my involvement has something to do with this. Oh shit, what if Shikamaru changes his mind and don't defend Chouji as he ordinary has to?

"... But we got an odd number" Shikamaru points out with a little frown, much to my relief. "Even games like Shougi are only fun when we play with equal numbers of pieces"

Chouji's face brightens, only to become sadden when he heard the rude words of other boys.

"Having useless pieces is just as good as having none at all!"

Chouji back away slowly. I refuse to look his way because it will make me feel guilty. Trying to feel better, I turn my anger to the bullies.

I know that hating ignorance kids is wrong, but it won't help stopping the thought of me mentally punching the boy in the face. There is no useless pieces in Shougi or any other pieces of chess! Since I have started to have a match with grandpa, I whole-heartily know how important each piece of chess represents. I doubt that bear-brat will ever win a Shougi match if he keep thinking like that. It's seem like Shikamaru also realized that the boy won't change his mind, even if he speak up.

I really want to lecture the kid, but no. This isn't when I could voice my thought, especially when the important scene is playing before my eyes.

I grit my teeth as I listen to the comment, waiting for the situation to unfold itself. Turning my glance at the genius boy, he seems to lose interest in the game as he stares in the direction where Chouji's retreating back fade away. Shikamau furrow his brow as his face shows a distaste in the discrimination among the boys, and finally decided to walk off.

"Hey! Where do you think you are going, Shikamaru?!" Some of the boys shouted.

"... Toilet" Shikamaru didn't even turn to face the other boys as he walks away. I am so sure that way is not the way to the restroom.

And he will never come back...

"Hurry up! We are waiting for you!" Said Kuma.

Shikamaru just waved his hand and continued to walk with his slow pace.

I tried so hard to hold my gleeful snickers in place.

Hehe, typical Nara.

A/N: I don't really know what is the boy, who dislike Chouji, name is. If anyone know, contact me? I don't really sure if the author named him or not.

And yayyy! Time for Shikamaru and Chouji. I actually am a fan of Shikamaru, ya' know? I really admire him because he is smart. I loved Chouji when he is young, he is sooo cute.

Okay, let's stop fan-girl moment here.

There is someone questioning me about romance in this story. I don't really know about that. Romance doesn't really fit with Ayumu after-all since she is-well Ayumu.

Maybe she end-up with no one at all?

Kuma is actually meant 'bear' in Japanese language.