„old friends"

Grief is hard to handle, and Hanako knows that all too well. It's horrible that your mind denies that the person is gone, which makes you constantly remind yourself that they're never coming back.

She had to experience that grief alone, having all her family members and clan dead in one day.

"Hanako, once you regain more of your memories back, I want you to report it to me immediately.", Hanako remembers Tsunade telling her.

It was like her brain was blocking the memories out to protect her from experiencing the grief all over again.

This sucks.

Hanako is practicing as usual at the training grounds. Tsunade was busy to be physically present so she just continued with what her mentor has instructed her to do.

She focuses on her chakra, breathing in and out, feeling it circulating around her body. Sweat forms on her forehead making it drip down her face. However, this doesn't make Hanako stop from controlling it. She was getting the hang of it even if it's still hard to do chakra control.

She continues to lead it to her fists and maintains it.

I got it.

Hanako raises her fist and punches the ground beneath her resulting it to break in half. She smiles at this and feels her adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"This feels !", she shouts with excitement.

Now I just need to control my chakra faster. If I go that slow, I'd be dead already.

This training went on for days, and before she knows it, a week has already passed.

"Good, your form is better. You've also worked on your taijutsu I'm impressed.", Tsunade says as she watches the girl show off the skills she improved, "Now, show me your ninjutsu."

Hanako sighs sadly, she mastered ninjutsu back with her father. He trained her to the bone and it honestly scarred the child. Back when Tsunade wasn't with her, she attempted to practice the ninjutsu that her father taught her.

And it didn't turn out well.

The water that she released were tiny, and it devastated the girl.

"Actually, my ninjutsu still sucks.", she tells her master honestly.

"Well then, let's review the basics, hand signs.", the girl looks at Tsunade with a confused face.

What the fuck are hand signs? Is that a warm-up?

"E-eto, hand signs?"

"Yes, you don't use hand signs?", this discovery made Tsunade very intrigued with the girl.

So the Shinozaki clan doesn't teach hand signs.

Tsunade explains clearly what hand signs are and how to do it. She demonstrates it to the girl in front of her.

"Sugoi!", the girl claps excitingly, and then a dark aura came over her.

I can't believe my father didn't teach me this. This is so easier than what he taught me. I swear it's almost like he wants to kill me with training.

"Alright!"

—

After hours of training, it was sun down already and Tsunade said that they were done for the day.

"Thank you so much Tsunade-sama! This method is easier than what my father taught me!", Hanako bows at the Hokage.

"Actually, it's pretty impressive that you can do ninjutsus without the hand signs early as a child."

"You don't know what I've been through to master that horrible method.", the dark and depressing aura came back, Tsunade chuckles at the girl's appearance.

"Take a break tomorrow, you deserve it.", Tsunade informs the blue-haired ninja before turning around to head back to her office.

Hanako looks at her mentor and smiles once more.

She's amazing. I'm glad that she's training me. No offense, Otto-san.

Hanako has improved significantly with the method that Tsunade taught her. However, she wasn't able to perform the jutsus that were taught to her by her father. Tsunade told her that it must have been her clan's secret jutsu.

So much for passing down a clan's secret jutsu to someone who can't perform it anymore.

She stands near her apartment door and she twists the knob, finding it unlocked.

What the fuck?

She slowly opens it, as usual, the lights are out. Hanako hesitates in letting her foot step inside, not knowing what she'll discover.

Are the black-cloaked men here to finally capture me? But Konoha is safe right?

She opens the door wide, expecting the enemy to be caught off guard by the sudden action but as the doorknob smashes to the wall, the lights go on and a bunch of people popped out of nowhere.

"Surprise!", the room consists of a bunch of people. Hanako recognizes Naruto, Neji and the lazy guy named Shikamaru. There were a bunch of people that she didn't know but they look like they were in their age group. She also notices Sakura walking towards her holding a cake that says 'Welcome to Konoha.'

She smiles widely at the situation in front of her. Her friends managed to surprise her with a welcome party.

"Thank you Sakura-chan!", Hanako tries to hug her but the cake was in their way. They giggle at their actions.

"This is nothing! Plus, we're really late because of all the training you were doing.", the pink-haired girl replies.

"Oh, right! Here's your forehead protector. You're officially a ninja of Konoha!", Sakura says happily. Hanako ties it to her head like a headband, similar to Sakura's. The girls smile at each other with glee.

"Hanako-chan!", Naruto walks up to them, "You should meet everyone!"

"Ehem, attention! Meet our new friend, Hanako Shinozaki.", Naruto announces to the large group of teenagers.

Hanako grabs her hood and let's it fall down to let everyone get a better look at her.

"Nice to meet you!", she bows to them.

The blue-haired girl manages to get to know everyone, and she is having a great time. She learns that the group of people that she was meeting is known as the Konoha Eleven. They were all ninjas, and quite frankly, they were really known by a lot of people in the village.

Hanako was sitting in her bed with the girls while the boys were scattered on the floor.

"No way! You had an amnesia?", Ino asks the girl in disbelief.

"Yeah, it isn't really easy.", Hanako replies while scratching the back of her neck.

"Your hair is really pretty, why do you cover it up?"

"Oh, well the last time I did, my loved ones lost their lives over it.", the girl answers the question, hoping it doesn't let the mood down.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, but you know what Hanako-chan? Your hair is too beautiful to be hidden. Konoha won't judge you for it! In fact, you're a ninja now and you remember. You can protect the ones you love.", Tenten says all of the sudden, and her words put a bright smile on your face.

"Yes, I think I'll take note of that.", she nods to Tenten. Hanako then looks at Hinata, "Oh Hinata-chan, that reminds me, how are you and Neji-san related?", she asks the shy girl.

"A-ano, he's my c-cousin.", Hinata says with a small blush on her face as Hanako's mouth display the shape of an 'o'.

"Well, at least you're not scary to talk to.", the group laughs at Hanako's statement while Neji lets out a huff.

While this goes on, Naruto and Sakura looks at each other and smiles. Their friend was getting along with the ones that they grew up with, and that makes them so happy. Hanako was a little ball of energy with her charisma. She effortlessly gets along with people.

"Well, I think I'll head out now.", Shikamaru announces to the room.

"As usual, but I think we'll be a Shikamaru too and leave. It's pretty late.", Ino says before getting up from Hanako's bed and stretching a little bit.

"Oi, I actually stayed a little longer.", Shikamaru says in defense.

Everyone except Naruto and Sakura bid their good-byes. They decide to stay in order to help their friend clean up.

"Thank you again, Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan. I really needed that, training was stressing me out.", Hanako tells her two friends as she washes the remaining dishes, "I'm glad I met your classmates and childhood friends, they all seem to be so friendly."

"So you didn't really tell me, you had teams? Which team am I in?", Hanako asks as she places the last plate in place.

"Oh, yeah we had our teams assigned after graduating from the academy. Some of the teams changed because of, uhh.", Sakura suddenly stops and Hanako feels the mood of the room change.

"Our teammate left us, left the village.", Naruto says bluntly.

"His name was Sasuke.", Sakura adds. Hanako feels a tingle in her head.

The training with Tsunade-sama earlier is making my head hurt.

"Oh.", Hanako finally wipes her hands and looks at both of her friends, "You guys want to talk about it?"

Naruto and Sakura looks at each other and nodded.

"C'mon, you can sleepover, I have a huge bed anyways.", she smiles at them.