I'm sorry it has been so long that I last updated. Alot of stuff has happened in my life since my Freshman year and I couldn't be helped to write and update. I'm very sorry to anyone who was relying on my story for even a menial source of happiness and I hope you are willing to forgive me.

-T.K

The next morning Naruto found himself at the library. Whilst he was reading about communication jutsus and researching about any other mute shinobi out there, Sakura- now Haruno sat across from him reading as well. They had been sitting there together with no "words" exchanged between them for hours. After a while, a blonde girl Naruto recognized to be Ino danced her way in and commanded Sakura to go play outside.

Naruto chose to keep his head down as the two girls intereacted -knowing full well he wasn't welcome with Ino's friends. Primarily Sasuke Uchiha being the problem. Any othere time and Sasuke was happy, postive, and talkative - but when Naruto even go close he went quiet and simply focused a deep glare at Naruto.

It didn't make sence to the young mute boy.

Suddenly, a voise broke his train of thought.

"Naruto, do you want to come?" He looked up to see Sakura peering at him through her lengthy pink bangs. His face went red in embarrasment as he realized she'd been talking to him the whole time he was thinking.

"I thought he was mute not deaf?" Ino criticized.

Naruto ducked his head back into his books at that.

"Shut up pig! Naruto come on, lets go?" Sakura invited him again.

"Sasuke won't like it." Ino hissed.

"So what, Naruto is my friend too! If the great Uchiha heir doesn't like it he can go back to his special little district and take his duck hair with him!" Sakura scoffed.

Naruto's eyes bolted up at her unusually bitter tone. As far as he had known - both of the girls were absolutley mad with crushes for Sasuke. It made sence to him only because Itachi and Shisui looked enough like him - and he would never call Shisui ugly or else risking his ultimate fear of the teen never talking to him again.

"Sakura," Ino beeged. "I'll be the only girl if you don't go with me!"

Sakura shook her head, "Naruto comes. Or I don't."

They continued their back and forth bickering until they heard the noticable squeaking of a marker toa board. Looking over, Sakura read Naruto's message aloud.

"What are you playing?" She looked to Ino for an answer as well.

The blonde girl huffed, "Hide and seek," She paused. "with cone justus too."

"Oh..." Sakura looked away in shame.

Naruto just closed his eyes for a moment and took a few breaths, deciding his easiest path was simply to get up and walk away from them.

The point of clone jutsu hide and seek was to help them practice making clone jutsus in a fun environment. Make a clone or two and the seekers have to figure out which is the real person wihtout hitting or touching the clone or person. Whoever gueeses correctly first wins and gets to be the hider next.

No matter how much he had tried to teach himself - he could never get the jutsu down successfully.

Walking further away from the library, he spotted Sakura's friends stadning at the playground. WIth a sigh he kept walking until he arrive at one of the abandoned trainging grounds where he knew Hinata Hyuga would be attacking innocent trees with a knife.

Ever since he saved her from those bullies she was able to truly look him in the eye. He knew she blamed herself for his muteness, but she more than made up for it in her naturally kind disposition.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata greeted him warmly. "I thought you were going to be in the library all day?"

He shrugged and wrote his reply, "Sakura was there - Ino showed up - I didn't want to be a bother."

Hinata knew enough about his odd friendship with Sakura. Hardly anyone knew or was concerned with the fact she was adopted, but the Hyugas were known for invesitgating any orphan's origins ever since Hinata was kidnapped a few years ago for a short time.

'Back to Hinata!' He shook his brain as he tried to ignore the fuzzy feeling he always got when she smiled.

Even now, she was still smiling brightly at him. "I'm only practicing reflexes." She ran around him and made a show of flips as she went to grab a new kunai from the knapsack she always carried around with her for training.

"Take it." She ordered, holding the knife out to him. He was hesitant - not having much experiance with any ninja weapons since he was removed from the academy.

"Just take it Naruto-kun." She gently urged him.

His face pinkened as he galnced around, finally dropping his marker board and taking the knife.

Technically, as a civilian he shouldn't handly too many ninja weapons.

"Now, run at that tree fast with the intent of cutting it. The longer your at the tree- the more likely you'd have been killed by a bad guy." She demonstrated by running at high speed and just barely putting a mark on the tree.

Naruto sparingly thought about Shisui's offer. If he did accept, he might as well start training now. The more practice he got now the less he'd be likely to embarras himself.

The only thing he had to worry about was looking like a fool in front of Hinata. That was somehow very terrifying to him.

With a final breath of air, he ran at the tree. Then - he fell flat on his face.

'Yep, definatley more embarrasing in front of Hinata.' He thought in a comical misery.