Team Loser

Chapter 1

Naruto's head was on his desk as he tried to hide his tear-filled eyes from the fangirls. Upon blinking away the salty liquid, he looked up at them.

"Why are you all so mean?" The nine-year old asked quietly.

"What?!" Ami screeched. "You can't just hurt Sasuke-kun's precious feelings the way you did!"

"But..." Naruto spoke in the same soft voice he previously used. "All I asked was what made him so special... it was an honest question. And I never said anything about becoming Hokage so why did you bring it up? Of course I can't be Hokage yet, I'm only nine!"

"Hmph." A green-haired girl, Holi, said. "Sasuke is twice the ninja you'll ever be. He's so cool and handsome!"

"But what about his personality? He's not kind and he's never done anything other than sit and brood, if he wanted to be with any of you he would've done so by now."

"He's just shy, Naruto-Baka!" Holi screamed. Two girls who were just beginning to like Sasuke, Ino and Sakura, frowned at this. They knew Sasuke wasn't shy.

"Just..." Sakura spoke up quietly before silencing herself.

"Be quiet, please, girls?" Ino finished for her, but she was quickly silenced upon being glared at by all the fangirls.

"Traitors!" Kelei, another Fangirl, yelled. She turned back to Naruto. "And you shut up about Sasuke, dead-last! Ugh, mommy was right about you, loser."

Naruto's eyes widened. The harsh words were expected but he wasn't prepared for the last sentence. His lips wobbled as he placed his head in his arms to hide his tears. The drama woke up Shikamaru, who was sitting in the back next to Hinata.

"Ugh." The lazy boy groaned. "Could you all just shut up for two seconds? Admit that Naru-ch—Naruto has a point and that he could, one day, be Hokage if he trains hard enough and sit back down!" Shikamaru was glaring at them, Choji doing the same.

"No way!" Kelei yelled. "We outnumber you! Even Hinata agrees with us, right?" She had a smug grin on her face. "He's not fighting back anyway!"

Hinata stood with a glare. She walked over to Naruto and instead of delivering the expected punch, she ruffled his fluffily spiky hair.

He turned his eyes in her direction. "Hina-nee?" Gasps flew throughout the room at his voice and words. It was soft, nervous, and—scariest of all—vulnerable. Hinata dragged him to the back of the room where he proceeded to sit in between Shikamaru and Hinata. His head was on Shikamaru's shoulder immediately as he fell asleep.

The two friends that remained awake smiled as they remembered how the three first met.

FLASHBACK

Hinata was standing outside the orphanage, waiting for her father to exit with the child they'd be taking in once a week to train with the Nara boy her age. The doors opened and she looked up to see her father exiting with a small blond boy trailing nervously behind him. He had eyes like melting ice, so sad and lonely and barely hiding the rest of the emotions.

Hinata looked at her father. "Who's this?" She asked.

"I'll introduce him to you and the Nara at training once we reach the compound, Hinata." Hyuuga Hiashi replied emotionlessly. She nodded

---

The training ground was large and plain. That was the only way to describe it. There was nothing other than themselves.

The Nara boy was tall, at least 3'11". The blond boy seemed to be just about 3'4", while Hinata was in the middle at 3'7".

They were standing in a circle for introductions.

"Um, hey!" Hinata started. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata, nice to meet you all!"

"Ugh, this is such a drag." The Nara groaned. "I'm Nara Shikamaru, pleasure is all mine."

"Um..." the blond boy blushed, scratching his wrist awkwardly. "M-My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I'm glad I'm meeting you both..." the blond's face was completely red.

FLASHBACK END

The clan heir and heiress smiled at one another before placing their heads on their desk and falling asleep.