Aw, thanks, TeamWorkIsKey! You guys really encourage me when you say stuff like that!

I have a fanfic started for my new favorite anime, but it's supposed to be fluff, and… well, I don't know whether I did it good. Input?

Okay, I might have some facts wrong here, I haven't watched the pre-Shippuden seasons for ages…

"Guuuuuys, heeeeelp!"

Midori sighed at Naruto's voice. The idiot had, to try and show up Sasuke and impress Sakura, chosen two huge dogs to walk, and they were running off, dragging him in the dust behind them. You'd think he'd have learned from his mistakes the last two times…Honestly, if he could only focus on the actual mission as much as he does on outdoing Sasuke…

Midori tossed her dog's leash to her twin, who caught it, and dashed off after Naruto. She quickly caught up, and ran ahead of them, stopping in front of the dogs to yell, her eyes flashing dangerously, "Sit!"

The dogs immediately sat, and Naruto was thrown forward. Midori stepped to the side to avoid him, and he crashed into the ground.

"Heh, thanks," Naruto said with a nervous chuckle, scratching his head.

Midori rolled her eyes and returned to the rest of their team, leading the two dogs. "Naruto, maybe you should swap with me." She gestured towards the small dog she had previously been walking. Before he could protest, she added, more forcefully, "Just do it, Naruto."

With Naruto settled, Team 7 completed their mission without any trouble.

Midori didn't mind walking dogs, no matter how boring it was. It was an easy job, giving her a chance to just think.

It had only been a week since she had returned to Konoha, and so far she had only been on Team 7, which wasn't as normal as she had thought. Sasuke and Naruto told her about their mission to the Land of Waves, and she was impressed. Naruto wasn't as big an idiot as he seemed.

A yell from the said blond made Midori sigh. Maybe not.

"Midori, tomorrow you'll be with Team 10," Kakashi informed her that evening.

Midori nodded. To be completely honest, she was a bit relieved. Even if being with her brother was great, she had to admit that having to keep an eye on Naruto all the time was getting on her nerves. Sakura was always too busy chattering to Sasuke, and Sasuke himself was always either in his 'I'm too cool to run after that idiot' mood, or too busy trying to get away from Sakura. So who did that leave to chase after Naruto?

Yup, Midori.

"The Jonin in charge of Team 10 is Asuma Sarutobi, and it includes…" Kakashi went on.

Midori interrupted. "Yes, I know about it. The Hokage gave me some files on all the teams that I would be going on."

Kakashi nodded. "Then I don't have to explain, good. You should tell Sasuke and the rest of the team."

Midori tilted her head to one side. "Aren't you telling them, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I have other things to do." With that, the Jonin disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Rolling her eyes, Midori remembered that Team 7 had planned to eat dinner at Ichiraku Ramen. She began walking there, looking at her sandals as she walked, thinking hard. To the people she passed by, Midori didn't look like she was just twelve – the dark look in her eyes, heavy with experience, made her look older than that.

A memory had entered her head...

Midori, not more than nine years old, shivered. Everywhere she looked it was white with snow, and more was falling from the sky. Midori wasn't used to this weather, and she was freezing despite the thick green jacket she was wearing, and her gloved hands were tucked into her pockets.

The person walking beside her was making no move to speak to the young girl, or to try and comfort her. It wouldn't have been much use anyway. Midori always knew when people were lying to be nice – perhaps because she was such an accomplished liar herself.

The two walked in silence. Suddenly, Midori spotted a flash of blue through all the white, and they found another young girl, sitting on the bank of a frozen river. She was about Midori's age, with pale, almost silver, icy blue hair, mostly hidden under a fur-lined hood. She was sitting in the snow, cupping something in her navy gloves.

Midori glanced at her companion, and noticed him walking towards the girl. She quickened her pace. The blue-haired girl didn't notice them – she was staring at the thing in her hands. Midori peered over her shoulder, and her eyes widened.

The girl was holding a shard of ice, stained crimson with blood. The girl seemed to be just staring at it, but Midori couldn't see her expression from this angle.

Midori's companion tapped the girl on the shoulder. Just noticing the two people, she jumped to her feet, but she still clutched the shard of ice in one hand. Her eyes were large and teal as she stared at them.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," Midori's companion said, trying to sound encouraging. "Your name is Setsuko Fubuki right?"

The girl stared at them. Slowly, she nodded, but suspicion was growing in her teal eyes, and her stare turned frosty.

"Can I see what you were holding?" he went on.

Not taking her eyes away from them, Setsuko raised her arm, and opened her fist to reveal the bloody shard of ice.

Midori was puzzled. Even in this cold weather, a shard of ice that small should have melted if it was held tightly in Setsuko's hand.

Her companion nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. Midori heard him mumbling to himself, "Yes, good." In a louder voice, he said to Setsuko, "You don't seem like you have anywhere to go home to." Midori almost winced at the blunt statement, but Setsuko didn't react. "Would you like to come with us?"

Setsuko stared, and her gaze turned to Midori. Something in her eyes turned a little less hostile, and, slowly, she nodded.

So whaddya think of the flashback? This chapter's a bit longer than the last one, yay! Review?