Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I haven't had time to type and plus I've been lazy a few times and swamped with homework and exams. Alas I can not type from my phone anymore because I got a new one so updating is going to be slower than usual. Sorry it's so short. Don't forget to vote!

It's been approximately 5 months since the beginning of the "Troublesome Triple," (1) as Shikaku would say, and the newest addition to the group the group happened to be alone that day. Shikamaru had caught a cold and would be resting at home for the next few days and Chouji had a bad stomach ache the day before so he's also staying home; both leaving the small bluenette to sit and wallow in her thoughts on a swing set nearby the primary school they each attended. She slowly rocked to the steady sound of the whistling wind and the faint sound of fun from her school mates on the other side of the playground.

Fun…

That's what she yearned for all her life. She loved her friends to death and she really appreciated having them spend time with her when they could be having so much more fun with any of their other friends that refused to be on the same planet as her, but she wanted more. She didn't want to sound selfish or like she was taking them both for granted but she wanted to be like normal girls. To have lots and lots of friends and to practically have people begging for her to sit with them. To have other girlfriends and to have fun at recess and not always be the person everyone is "stuck with" when everyone else already had a partner or group.

Popularity…

A small red ball rolling over to her snapped her out of her trance. She continued to blankly stare at it until the owner showed up looking for it. It was a boy that looked to be around her height and age, tan skin, brown hair, and very peculiar looking triangles on his face. He looked around cluelessly for a few moments before spotting the small ball, and the person it had rolled up to. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before the little boy ended it quickly with a turn of the head, shouting something to one of his friends about the ball. The small blunette girl just sat there, hiding behind her bangs, finding the ground very interesting at the moment. She was very still as she was sitting there, hoping that she would by some miracle become invisible, or at least not scare them off. She'd had enough torment for a life time.

Hinata could tell when he got closer to her by the sound of the dry woodchips under his feet getting louder and the red ball taken out of her line of sight and replaced by two blue sandals. The sandals just stood there for a few moments before the figure wearing the sandals crouched down to try and get a good look at her face.

"Hello? Are you okay?" the voice asked. His voice wasn't fully mature, but at least it wasn't high pitched either.

She slowly raised her head to meet a pair of deep brown eyes and a questioning gaze. They held that eye contact until Hinata looked around foolishly, realizing he was talking to her. Someone was actually talking to her. Too shocked to form words she shook he head dumbly, then blushed, embarrassed by her actions; the blush out lined by her six whisker marks. At the sight the little tan child grinned and started to chuck, only making the paler child of the two go even deeper red.

"That's good. You looked real sad and I wouldn't know what to do if you started to cry. I've never been good with those kinds of thi-"

"Oi, Kiba! You found the ball yet?" It was the voice of one of his young companions' that called out to him, cutting him off from the rest of his sentence.

"Hai!" he yelled back. His form started to retreat, revealing her to the tiny mob of kids a few feet away from them. A few of them gasped and whispered, making Hinata bow her head and hide behind her bangs again. Trying to swallow her sadness she was just waiting for all of the children to leave, she didn't want to see their mocking and accusing faces. Please, no more … I get enough of this at the orphanage…

"Oi, would you like to join us?" He had seen her moping around school long ago the same way she is now and truly felt bad for her, it must be painful being an outcast after not doing anything. At least not anything he had heard of.

After realizing that question was for her too, Hinata raised her head so fast it was a surprised she didn't get whiplash. Her trance didn't last long for she had heard the audience they had starting to whisper again. She redirected her gaze over to the other children until she heard one of them announce they didn't want to play with her because their mom said she was a "was a no good demon who was not to be around." What little confidence she had was shattered just as fast as it had come. Seeing the young Hyuuga on the verge of tears had angered the dark haired boy to some extent for some reason. Next thing everybody knows the red ball was rolling over to the group and the young tattooed boy was already walking back over to Hinata.

Looking back with a determined face the young boy announced "You guys can go on if you want but I'm going to stick with… what's your name?"

Hinata tried to hold down her emotions but her voice faltered slightly when replying "Hinata…. Hyuuga Hinata." The young boy looked back with his hand extended to her for a hand shake and a large grin, exposing longer than normal K-9s.

"Inuzuka Kiba. Hope we'll be great friends." Friends. The word made her heart skip a beat. Friends? Someone actually wanted to be friends with her? Is this another trick? She sure hoped not. She never wanted to experience another heartbreak of the sort. After a few moments she snapped out of her trance and hesitantly reached out for his hand and shook it gently.

There was the start of another undeniable friendship… and when they got better, a slightly jealous Shikamaru and Chouji.

Again, sorry it's so short. I'm starting to realize that i get lazy and sleepy in the middle of typing. It could also just be the fact that it's two in the morning too. And, if i happen to be spelling somebody's name wrong could you please tell me?

(1)- I saw it in someone else's fanfiction story, I dont remember who.