An Unexpected Friend (Book 1 of the Unexpected Series)

Summary: Kokoro starts at the Academy.

Kokoro was very excited. She was finally going to enter the Academy. Kakashi pulled her along to catch the opening ceremony the Hokage conducted every year, though with how late they were, they would be lucky enough to catch the last of it. Kokoro huffed at her dad and pouted loudly. She hated it when he was late for things and he knew that. But he just had to stop along the way and dilly dally. She huffed again and gave him the stink eye. He looked down at her and shrugged his shoulders. She was ready to put her brains to the test. She hadn't really had the opportunity to show her dad how smart she really was, and she hoped that getting good grades and being top of her class would ease some of the disappointment she knew he had in her. She wanted to make him proud!

When they arrived, the Hokage was finishing up his speech and was announcing the official start of the first day. The young girl gave her dad a hug and ran off to find her friends. She hoped she was in the same class as Shikamaru and Choji. She wanted to be in the same class as Naruto, too, but she didn't want to be at the same time. She knew how loud he could be and honestly, she didn't like being interrupted while she was learning. Learning was fun for her and nobody wanted interruptions when they were doing something fun.

When she entered the building, she stopped running and started walking instead. She quickly found her room and was happily surprised to see Shikamaru and Choji sitting next to each other in the second row of seating. There were three rows and three columns of seats, and each table held three seats. Seeing as to how there was one extra seat at their table, she plopped herself next to Shikamaru and greeted them.

"Hey, Shikamaru. Hey, Choji," she said. Shikamaru lifted a hand up in acknowledgment while Choji greeted her by giving her a chip from his bag.

"I'm so excited!" she told them.

"No kidding," Shikamaru said in a bored tone.

"Aren't you excited, too?" she asked.

"Meh, school is such a drag," he said.

"That's only because you're lazy," she pointed out.

"Yeah, Shikamaru," Choji said around a mouth full of chips, "You're way smart, so school should be easy for you."

"Whatever," he said. "I just hope Naruto isn't in this class."

"Don't be mean, Shika," she reprimanded him.

"Everyone's thinking it. He causes too much trouble."

Just then, the door slid open and a whisker-faced boy entered the classroom. Many of the students either groaned or started whispering to their neighbors. Kokoro sighed in resignation before waving at the boy. What was done was done, so there wasn't any use complaining about anything. Maybe some of her academic inclination would rub off on him. She perked up.

"Hey, Naruto," she said.

"Kokoro!" he yelled as he ran up to their table. He looked around for an extra seat, and when he didn't find one, he looked at them dumbfounded. "Where am I supposed to sit?"

"There are no more seats available here, moron," Shikamaru said as he stared at Naruto. Naruto's face fell a little at Shikamaru's comment and his head dropped. Kokoro slid her chair back and stood up. She picked up all of her belongings in one arm and threw her other arm around Naruto's shoulders. She ushered them up the steps and to the table in the back.

"You didn't have to do that, Kokoro," Naruto said.

"Mah, it doesn't matter where I sit, just as long as I'm here," she said cheerily. The blonde perked up at that and grinned at her. It was just the two of them at their table and Kokoro figured it would remain that way until a kid ran into the class right before the teacher and sat down next to her. Their teacher sat his stack of papers on his desk and addressed the class.