Rina walked out the door of the Hokagei tower and down the stairs. 'I wonder if Jouichi'll come with me to Ichiraku's?' She quickly ran to the Uchiha compound thinking, 'I will ask him this time. I will ask him this time. I know I can do it!' Rina's boldness ran out durring her third year at the academy when she heard the other kids talking about her green hair behind her back. After that she always thought that the other kids accepted her because she was the Hokagei's daughter. She thought they hated her, and she still thinks so. Well, accept Jouichi, Michie, Ari, and Rieka. Now Rina's just as shy as her mother was. Jouichi now makers her so nervous that she blushes just like her mother did.

Rina arrived at edge of the compound before the entrance. She began to walk slowly thinking, 'I can do this. I can do this. Just a few more steps.' She reached the entrance and turned lifting her foot. Rina's anxiaty hit her like an unexpected wave on her back. 'Come on,' she thought, 'put your foot down. Ready 1...2...3...and...' "I can't do this!" she shouted and turned toward the way that'd lead to Ichiraku's.


Jouichi sat comfortably in his room trying to figure out what to do. He stared at the celing from his boredome. A muffled voice came over the compound. Sounded like some one shouting from far away. "I wonder what that was," he thought, "sounds...some what...familiar...hmn...must have been a squirrel. They're always yelling at eachother."


'I can't believe I chickend out! Again!!' she thought as she walked along, 'I'm so pathetic! I can't even ask him out for ramen! Oh well...I guess it can't be helped. He probably would have said no anyway...' Rina steped into Ichiraku's and said, "one order of chicken vegetable please!" Not long after that a steaming bowl of ramen was placed in front of her.
Rina picked up her chop sticks and began slirping and sliping up noodles. When she finnished the noodles, she was about to pick up the bowl to drink the broth when she saw her reflection. Her once short hair, grown out to her shoulders but hanging over her eyes and face like her aunt Hanabi's used to be. Her facial features, slightly plump as always. Her eyes, about the only thing about her appearance that she's actualy proud of, big, green, and beautiful. Before she picked up the bowl she thought, 'I wish I was pretty,' and then she began slirping up the broth.

Just before she took the bowl from her face she heard a familiar voice say, "I could I get an order of pork ramen please." 'Jouichi!' Rina thought and spat out her ramen broth half in the bowl and half at everyone in the place. Not meaning to of course, it's just that when the broth hit the bowl it splattered every where. Rina placed the bowl down on the counter and her face became hot. She turned so red that every one could see despite her dark skin.

'Wow, I must have snuck up on her by accident...and realy suprized her. I'd better not embarase her any more,' thought Jouichi. "I'm so sorry every one I was just so...suprized..." said Rina in a quiet voice, "I'll clean it up." Her face was still so red.

Every one said that it was ok it was just an accident and that they didn't mind and that she didn't have to help clean up. 'I bet they're just saying that because I'm the Hokagei's daughter...' thought Rina. Rina grabbed a rag that she saw lying on the table determinde to clean up her mess. "Hey, give me that," said Jouichi grabbing the rag before she even had a chance to say "no I can do it my self." "We told you, you don't have to clean it up."

"I would like to clean up the mess I made," said Rina quietly, "I don't really want any special treatment." Her color had died down so that no one could tell she was blushing, but her face still felt hot.

"Why not?" he asked, "I always thought every one loved special treatment."

"Well...um...you see...." said Rina, "I um..."

"I get it," said Jouichi, "being the Hokagei's daughter, you get a lot of special treatment. I guess you must be sick of it by now."

"Yes, exactly," said Rina.

"Listen," said Jouichi, "I feel bad about startling you like that. Why don't I buy you annother bowl of ramen?" Rina was shocked. Here was the boy of her dreams buying her ramen. All she could do or say was blush furriously, smile happily, and sit and wait for the ramen. "What would you like?" he asked.

"Any thing," said Rina quietly. Jouichi ordered her a pork ramen. Shortly after, Rina's ramen and the ramen Jouichi ordered before his ramen shower came, and they ate together.

Jouichi had become quiet as well. He was no genius and became a bit clumsy. The boys began to make fun of him for that. The girls didn't mind at first until he became quiet. A few of the boys bullied him, and the girls began to think he was creepy. After school, Jouichi was loud and boisterous. He still messed with Michie and Rieka. They both say he's mean, but Rina knew otherwise. Rina often heard the other kids in their class making fun of him and figured that he heard the same. Jouichi's hair had gotten long almost as long as Rina's was when she was younger. To Rina, Jouichi was just as cute as ever, if not cuter. The other girls thought so too, but thought he was weird.

Soon they finnished their ramen, and Rina quietly and shyly thanked him for buying her ramen. "No problem," he said. They began to walk home. after passing a few blocks, Jouichi asked, "has your father taught you any new moves lately?"

"Um...no, my mother has been teaching me her family's style for the past month," she replied shyly. Then a random atractive teenage girl walked by, and Rina noticed that Jouichi looked directly at the girl's breasts and when she passed turned back to look at her but. He grinned in a strange way. Rina then pretended to look down at the ground but was really looking down at her own breasts. Hers didn't even begin to develope yet, but she is only 12. 'I wonder if I'll ever have breasts?' she thought, 'I wonder if he likes her...'

Jouichi branched off when they arived at the Uchiha compound. "See ya Saturday," he said. 'Oh yeah,' thought Rina, 'we have training on Saturday. Was that a date? No...to friendly'

Rina continued home in a complete daze. She didn't notice anything around her. All she could think was, 'Jouichi is soo cute! and soo sweet!' She was walking on air and was loving it! Her face was still hot from blushing. Rina was trying so hard not to burst into a fit of her flatered blush lovey dovey giggles.

"Hey, what's up!" came a familiar voice from up ahead.

Rina looked up, "Ari! What are you doing here?"

Ari came over and huged her. "I came for a visit with my dad. Oh! I have a present for you!" Ari reached back into her pocket and brought out a shell bracelet. She held it out for Rina to admire and said, "happy 12th birthday. Sorry it's a little late, but I had a few days left of chores to do before I could come here."

Rina examined the bracelet. It was on a brown frayed string especialy made for the purpose in which it was used held together by a safety pin. On the string were 12 shells that rina always thought to look like a tiny ripped out mouth of a toothless creature. In between each 4 was a shell charm. The first charm from the pin was a simple shard of a shell that shone like moonstone, and the one on the other side of the pin was a little snail shell of the same material. The last one, the one in the middle, was a beautiful white and purple shell that looks like a round chinese fan curved like a shell about half the sizes of her palm with the indented lines fraying from the edge that connected to the other shell that was lost in the ocean out to the edges of the shell. Rina took the bracelet and said, "it's beautiful...where'd you get it?"

"I made it," Ari replied promptly.

"Wow, you made this?" Rina asked.

"I was bored...and I wanted to bring you a birthday present," Ari replied.

"Thank you! I love it!" said Rina.

"Your welcome...Ok, now that we've got that out of the picture, what happened?" said Ari

"Huh?" said Rina confused.

"Come on, I know that look on your face some thing just happened. Tell me!" she said.

"Oh," Rina realized suddenly blushing and smiling again, "nothing nothing at all."

"Come on, you know you wanna tell me," said Ari.

"Oh fine, I really wanna tell some body," said Rina, and then she told Ari the story about Jouichi.

"That's so cute!" said Ari, "but it can't be concidered a date. He felt sorry for you, but he's a nice person and a good friend. He so likes you though."

"I don't know...It's hard to tell..." said Rina.

"You should ask him over for dinner with us tonight!" exclaimed Ari.

"No way!" replied Rina, "even if he did come we wouldn't have any privacy!"

"That's true...never mind then..." said Ari, "speaking of which let's go find our fathers."

"Sounds good." Ari and Rina ran to the Hokagei tower. Ari in the lead of course. Rina's not a very fast runner. Not to mention, she's short. Ari's a few inches taller. 'I can beat her now,' thought Rina, 'I'll use the tree climbing technique.' Rina sprung foreward with super speed leaving Ari in the dust.

"No fair!" said Ari panting, "you're using chakra!"

Rina turned around since she was far ahead and said, "fair's fair your taller than me!" Rina turned back around and continued running.

"Darn it!" admitted Ari as Rina was no longer in sight.


(Flashback)
Back when Rina went to Ichiraku's... Naruto had been siting in his office all day. There wasn't much action today. No missions at all...just the randome ninja returning from a mission come in to drop off a present for Rina's 12th birthday. So Naruto laid back, put his feet up, and laid his head askew on his chair to take a long nap. In a few moments he was sound asleep.


Inari walked up to the Hokagei tower. The anbu let him right in without any questions what so ever. They just said, "he's in his office. You know the way." 'I hope Ari found Rina alright. I just hope she doesn't get lost here,' thought Inari. He walked up to the door to Naruto's office and knocked quite loudly. A few seconds went by and no answer. "Hokagei!" called Inari, "Naruto!" Still no answer. 'I don't get it...the anbu said he was in here, but he's not answering...Maybe he went to the bathroom. I'm sure he won't minde if I wait in his office,' he concluded. Inari opened the double doors and stepped into the office, and sure enought, there was the sixth Hokagei sleeping in his chair with a bit of drule running from the side of his mouth down his neck and a big long strand of snot hanging out of his nose. Then he began snoring rather loudly. All Inari could do was laugh as loud as Naruto was snoring. "Naruto!" he yelled, "Naruto wake up!" Naruto still slept soundly and snorted a bit. Inari tried shaking him to no avail. 'Well,' he thought, 'I did have a long trip here.' Inari found the nearest chair other than Naruto's of course and sat down making himself comfortable and slipping into a deep sleep himself.
(End flashback)

'I asume our dads are in my dad's office,' thought Rina as she ran into the Hokagei tower. She stoped right outside Naruto's office and leaned against the doors. Ari showed up a few minutes later panting very hard. "No fair-huh heh huh heh- you used chakra..." said Ari. Ari composed herself. Her usualy pale white skin was a shade of light pink.

"Are you just hot or did you get a sunburn?" asked Rina.

"Knowing my luck it's probably a sunburn," replied Ari, "and by the looks of it, it's gonna kill."

"Oooo, that's not good," said Rina.

"Nooo," said Ari sarcasticly.

"Well, let's go see our dads," said Rina.

"Yeah," said Ari. They opened the doors and in two of the chairs there were their fathers sleeping and snoring looking rather silly with snot and drule. Rina and Ari burst out in thirty different laughing fits at once over the same thing. They laughed so hard that they woke Naruto and Inari as if their chairs were on fire. That made them laugh even harder. So hard that they fell onto the floor and were banging their fists on the floor, and of course their fathers found that those two looked hysterical and began laughing as well. Soon all four of them were on the floor banging their fists on the floor, kicking their feet, and soon clutching their stomaches in pain from laughing so hard for so long. You'd swear some one was tickleing them to death.

Ari and Inari stayed for the night in Konoha. Inari got a hotel room despite Naruto's pleades for him to stay in the tower, but Ari stayed with Rina. They had their own little sleep-over.

"So...what should we do first?" asked Rina.

"I don't know...What do you wanna do?" said Ari.

"Wanna play some video games?" asked Rina.

"Sure," said Ari, "why not?" Ari played video games with her freinds back in the land of waves, and Rina loved to play video games. Plus they were both far to boyish to do make-up or nails or any of that stupid girl stuff. Well...for sleep-overs any way.

Rina and Ari ran up to Rina's room and pluged in the PS2. "The only 2 player game I have is The Return of the King, is that ok?" said Rina.

"Sure that's fine," said Ari.

"It's awesome," said Rina. They played that for a while. Rina, of course, beating Ari by about 100 kills the majority of the time, but Ari held her own and was determinde to beat Rina. They eventually got stuck on Pellanor Fields and decided to quit for a while.

"You're right," said Ari, "it is an awesome game."

"Want to get a snack or something?" asked Rina.

"Sure." Ari followed Rina down stairs into the kitchen and to the fridge. "Let's see...what do we have...." said Rina, "ramen, more ramen, rice cake, milk...ah! Dumplings! Sweeet!!!"

"What's so special about dumplings?" asked Ari.

"What's so special ab!!!! What!!! You've never had Leaf Village dumplings!? They're only the best dumplings ever!!! You've gotta have some!!"

"Woah," said Ari kinda suprized that Rina's making this big of a deal over dumplings.

"Hahhahahahhah," Rina laughed, "the look on your face is so funny." Ari just gave her a look which only made Rina laugh even harder. Rina composed herself and took the two dumpling sticks and put them in the microwave. Soon they were done, and Rina took them out. Rina handed one to Ari. The sweet smelling round dumplings were steaming as they put them into their mouths. Rina and Ari tasted the sweet taste of the sweetest dumplings ever, but they weren't too sweet just perfect.

"Hhhmmmnn," they crooned and the sweetness made them melt back on the fridge and down to the floor as if they were both kissed in the most wonderful way.

"These are good," said Ari satisfied. Rina and Ari burst out laughing then looked at eachother and laughed even harder. Then Ari suddenly looked sad.

"What's wrong?" asked Rina.

"Nothing..." she said smilling with the smile that Rina knew all too well as the smile that she uses when she's trying to hide something.

"Tell me," said Rina seriously.

"...Well...They just remind me of Baku."

"Baku?"

"My sort-of boyfriend..." said Ari blushing a bit, "melting...like kissing him..."

Rina couldn't help but feel jealeous of her freind. She had been longing for her first kiss for so long...ever since she was four. 'I'll get it some day, and when I do...it will be worth it,' she thought. "Sort-of?" said Rina.

"Well, it's not official, and we never get to see eachother," said Ari, " I really like him though. Why don't you go for it with Jouichi?"

"I'm not quite sure if he likes me, and...and...I'm afraid...I'm afraid that I'll lose my chance with him if I rush it too much."

"You'll never know unless you try," said Ari.

"I know, but...I have this feeling that he will like me and that I have to wait...Is that just my imagination?"

"I don't know...maybe...maybe not...What time is it?" said Ari.

"Almost 1 in the morning," said Rina looking at the clock, "we should go to bed soon."

"Yeah." They finnished their dumplings and went to bed in Rina's room. Ari took Rina's bed. Rina took the floor. She didn't mind. To her it's some thing different. "Goodnight," said Ari.

"Night," said Rina, and they drifted off to sleep.


Rina dreamed of the Land of Waves. She was standing their with Ari and annother girl...who was she?... She was a faceless shadow....Rina turned her head to look around and to her left was a boy about her age holding her hand...He was also a faceless shadow, but the hand...It didn't fell like Jouichi's. Not big and powerful, but just the oposite, frail...almost like bones...This sent a shiver up Rina's spine. The faceless shadow turned into a cruel looking figure, and Rina fought out of his grip and suddenly...all was gone. Rina was alone in the darkness. Suddenly she felt like a little girl again...a 7 year old girl once more...all alone...crying...she was crying in the darkness...and becoming a part of that darkness...


Rina woke up panting and sweating. She looked over at Ari in her bed, still sleeping. 'Good,' Rina thought, 'I didn't wake her.' She turned towards the window. 'It's almost dawn.' Rina got up and shook Ari in her bed and said ,"Ari wake up, I have something to show you."

Ari groaned and said sleepily, "do I have to? It's not even sunrise yet..."

"Yes, and after you've seen it we'll go back to sleep" said Rina. Ari groaned again but got up any way.

"What is it?"

"You'll see," said Rina, "follow me." Rina turned to the door and walked out into the hallway, up the stairs to the ladder with Ari following close behind walking like one of the undead. Rina led her up the ladder to the roof of the Hokage tower. "Look," said Rina pointing, and the sun rose over the pink sky to the east shining on the rooftops of Konoha giving it an orange glow...

"Wow," said Ari.