Normal

"Speech"

Thought

Kyuubi

Warnings: I do not own Naruto. Rated "M" for language right now, but there is a possibility of lemons later.

Chapter 4: The Stranger's Secret

Sakura and Myra had left the office of the Hokage. Tsunade turned to the Copy Ninja.

"Well, what do you think Kakashi?" Tsunade asked.

"I will know more in the morning when we test her. But just from her personality, we may have another Shikamaru on our hands, one that is a little more 'troublesome' as he would put it. What has her father told you about her abilities?" Kakashi nodded to the letter open on Tsunade's desk.

"In his letter, he said she had mastered taijutsu and the basics of ninjutsu. Her genjutsu abilities are untested and unknown. And of course she knows the Ravenheart clan jutsu." Tsunade had sat at her desk. She had leaned forward and was looking serious at Kakashi.

"You never explained to me why the Ravenheart clan sends the next leader here to Konohagakure. I once asked Captain Ravenheart why they came here once a generation. He only told me a story of his grandfather coming here for more knowledge and falling for a kunoichi from Konohagakure." Kakashi smiled.

"It's a true story. Myra's great grandfather came to Konohagakure just after the village had been established. He had been traveling to learn more about healing jutsu from all over the world. This was before the times of war and suspicion. He wound up here in Konohagakure. My great uncle welcomed the Ravenheart to our village and taught him much about healing. The Raventheart even learned to love. He took a bride and the both went back to the Americas where the Ravenheart took over leadership of his clan. Because of his wife's heritage and the friendships the Ravenheart had forged, it was decided that every generation, the next leader of the Ravenhearts would travel to Konohagakure to be trained as a shinobi. This would give the new Ravenheart the opportunity to connect with his/her family here in Konohagakure and be able to become a strong leader of the clan once he or she returns to the clan. Myra's arrival in Konohagakure is a little late. Normally, the Ravenheart is to arrive shortly after his or her 6th birthday to start training at the academy. She is not much younger than your Team 7 Kakashi." Tsunade's tone was serious. Kakashi was still smiling under his mask, but he was still a bit confused.

"What I said was true, she is a little old to start her out as a gennin; which is why some of the other students will test her tomorrow. I will be there to watch as will you Kakashi, and you will understand the reasoning behind her late arrival." Tsunade kept here serious tone, but smirked slightly.

Kakashi thought back to Myra's father. Where had he stayed while he was here? Kakashi eyes widened with dawning comprehension.

"You can't mean that she's…. But the Captain never developed it? How is it possible?" Kakashi was shocked by this revelation. Tsunade's smirk widened.

"It seams to have skipped a few generations." Tsunade eyes narrowed with the knowledge that now Kakashi understood why Myra's training had been delayed.

Sakura and Myra walked silently towards the apartment building Myra would be staying in. Sakura was a little upset about this new stranger. She was tall, dark and pretty, like some Amazon princess Sakura like to read about. But unlike the Amazon princess in the stories, Sakura didn't know if she liked Myra.

"If you keep staring at me, I might have to ask you out…" Myra said with a hint of seduction. Sakura's eyes went wide with shock and disgust.

"I… um… What?" Sakura stammered. Myra laughed.

"It's all good. I get that reaction a lot more than you would think. It's when I don't get that reaction that worries me." Myra smiled. Sakura relaxed a little.

"I'm sorry I was staring. My name is Sakura Haruno." Sakura stopped and bowed. Myra stopped and held out her hand.

"I'm Myra Ravenheart. Nice to meet you Sakura." Sakura stood up and took Myra's hand. They both smiled. "So… Sakura… What is there to do in Konohagakure?" They continued walking towards the apartments again. Sakura looked at Myra a bit confused.

"What would you like to do? There are some excellent places to visit it just depends on what you want to do."

"I'm not sure what I want to do. I just know that I don't want to sit in my apartment all day resting." Myra stretched. "I am a little tired, nothing a quick nap wont cure." She looked at her watch. It was set to her time back home, so it wasn't as helpful as she thought it would be.

"You wouldn't happen to know what time it is?" She looked over at her new friend. Sakura looked at the sky and the placement of the sun.

"It's about noon." Sakura blinked.

"Excellent! What time is sun down?" Myra adjusted her watch, as they turned the corner to be standing in front of the apartment building.

"Um… About 7 or 8-ish I think." Sakura was watching Myra intently. Myra continued to adjust her watch. They were about to walk into the apartment when SMACK – THUD Myra hit the ground a looked up into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

This time it was Naruto that was apologizing, but Sakura was making snide comments about him being "Such a klutz" Sakura gesticulated at Naruto. Myra shook the stars out of her head and stared dreamily into those blue eyes. Sakura's voice was in the distance. The blue eyed hottie held out his hand again to help Myra up. Her heart fluttered and she turned a nice shade of pink.

"Myra? Did you hear me?" Sakura's voice came back to the forefront of Myra's hearing.

"Um… Did I hear what?" Myra looked back at Sakura a little like a deer in headlights. Sakura shook her head and gestured to Naruto. Myra's gaze turned back to those blue eyes again.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki. He will be your next door neighbor during your stay." Sakura noticed that neither, Myra or Naruto had taken their eyes off of each other. Myra took his hand, and there was that electric shock that traveled the length of her spine as it had done earlier in the morning.

Naruto smiled at Myra. His heart was going to burst out of his chest for no reason. He took her hand. Skin met skin again and he felt gooseflesh erupted over his entire body. His mouth wet dry and he couldn't speak. He was happy to hear her break the silence.

"I believe we have met before." Myra pushed back her hormonal responses and allowed him to help her up.

"I hope this doesn't become a habit." Myra smiled as she stood up. Naruto laughed but had not released her hand.

"My name is Myra Ravenheart." Myra began to shake the blondes hand very slowly. He let go of her hand.

"Myra Ravenheart? That's an unusual name." Naruto continued to stare dreamily at Myra. Both Myra and Naruto were brought out of their dreamy expressions by a rather annoyed Sakura.

"Well I see you can make friends quickly." Sakura's tone had a tinge of jealousy in it.

"It's a curse really." Myra covered her face with her hand as an aside to Sakura. "Don't worry, I am quite proficient with beating them off with a stick." Sakura giggled. Sakura was beginning to like this Myra Ravenheart. Myra looked back at Naruto with a coy smirk. I just have no intention of beating this one at all… Unless he asks nicely.

"So, where is this apartment of mine? I would like to get something to eat and then a nap for sure. I have a big day ahead of me, and I am going to want to be at least awake for the test." Myra readjusted her knap sack. Naruto looked at Sakura with comprehension. Myra WAS the exchange student and they were going to test her tomorrow. They started to walk up the stares to the top floor of the building.

"Do you know what is going to happen tomorrow?" Sakura asked.

"The only thing I know is that I am going to be up against 2 or 3 different people and what my father told me. It is something that he arranged with Lady Tsunade because I am in the village a little later than expected." Myra explained. Naruto tilted his head.

"Later than expected?" He mirrored her words.

"Well, yeah. First of all, I wasn't supposed to be the next leader of the Ravenheart Clan. My brother was. But he was killed when I was five." She looked very sad for a moment. "When he was –" she gulped choking back the tears, "murdered, I became the next in the line of succession." Her words had notes of sadness. She took a deep breath and calmed her voice.

"I was told then I would be coming to Konohagakure. Then a few months later, my mother passed away. My father thought it would be best to train my as much as possible in America, then when I had learned all there was to know about the Ravenheart Clan I would come here and finish out my training." Myra finished as the trio reached the door of her apartment. Myra drew in a deep breath.

"It's all good." And she smiled. "Now, who has my key?" Sakura snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh… I do." Sakura unlocked the door and handed the key to Myra. Myra took the key with a smile on her face. "Would you like to see?" Myra asked her new friends and she opened the door.

The three entered and removed their shoes. It was a nice sized apartment and it had what Myra needed. The door opened to a living area with the kitchen and dinette off to the back of the room. There was a door that led to a relatively large bathroom that included a shower and a large soaking tub. Another door led to a spacious bedroom. Off the kitchen, was a small balcony that looked out over the village. Naruto crossed his arms and scowled. It was bigger than his apartment. What was so special about her that Tsunade Baa-Chan gave HER the bigger apartment.