Hearing a knock at the door shiro looked up from her book. Getting up she answered the door to see Kiba, Shikamaru and hinata.
"Hi guys?" Hinata smiled at her,
"Come hang out with us!" Kiba exclaimed, shikamaru nodded
"The rest are waiting for us at the BBQ place" shiro's face brightened the moment her friend said that and quickly dashed into the house, writing a quick note with a little drawing of her chibi face and grabbing her money pouch and running back iver to them, dorr closing behind her.

Hinata smiled her normal sweet looking smile and walked to the left shiro, kiba up in front with akamaru and shikamaru to her right.
"You guys heard about sasuke?" Shikamaru asked suddenly, shiro looked up, confused
"What do you mean?"
"He left. On his own" shiro frowned at this.

She knew that sasuke had been pretty distant from the group, even for him. She had heard kakashi muttering about it to kurama and yuki occasionally too.

"Really? Does anyone know why?"
"The exams.." Shiro whispered, "i sensed something different about him when we all met up in front of last building.. I jever said anything about it, i should of"

Kiba wasnow walking backwards.
"But he hated you, he wouldnt of listened, enither would the others--"
"Otousan would of. But everyone found out anyway.."
"That kid is gonna get himself killed" shikamaru says seriously, hinata and shiro look to the nara concerned.
"Shika-kun!" Shikamaru!" The two girls exclaimed, he looked at the two with an eyebrow raised
"What? Im just saying..,"
"Uchiha-san is a lot stronger then you think he is--"
"I know hes strong but hes easyily manipulated. That snake guy that killed hiruzen seemed like someone sasuke would get messed up with" shiro frowned, her eyes casting downwards, akamaru now at her feet whining. She smiled down at the puppy and looked up to see kiba watching.
"When did he leave?"
"Just a day ago. The hokage wont let anyone go after him"
"Hirizen died?" Shiro asked. The group looked at her,
"I was away on a mission.."
"You didnt know that the old man died?!"

Shiro whimpered at loudness.
"H-how?"
"Died from his wounds, he survived the fight, but the medical ninja couldnt do much else then heal the surface wounds. He died a couple weeks back. You seriously had no idea?"
Shiro shook her head.
"Now the council is wanting to find a new hokage, why naruto hasnt been around, supposedly searching for the next one"
"Huh"

"Why has it been so long simce we've all hunout anyway?!" Kiba exclaimed, shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"Because for most of the past three weeks. We've all been on missions and busy"
"No wonder why uzumaki-san didnt come with me and sakura on missions, hes been out"
"Exactly" shikamaru stated.
"The council wants us to complete a mission too, since the teams have been disbanded" shiro's eyes widened
"All of us?" She questioned. Shikamaru nodded
"Yeah, we'll be meeting with them in the hokage's office after this" shiro grinned as they entered the BBQ place, and spotted a majority of the rookies, none of the other members of team 7 were there. Ino wasnt either, nor lee and neji.

So it was just Shino, TenTen and Chouji. The four sat down woth the other three chuunin.
"Yay we're all here we can eat!!" Chouji cheered happily, earning a smile and soft laugh from shiro as she and ten ten made conversation, kiba ocassionally butting in with his little remarks, hinata listened intently to what shino was saying while kiba played with akamaru and shikamaru talked with chouji.

"I heard sakura has to serve you" tenten said, a curiously smile on her face, shiro shrugged
"Yeah, by equest of one of the clients"
"Wow really? They must of really liked you" chouji stated, swallowing his food. Shiro sighed.
"Yeah.."
"What did hppen on that mission" Shino stated. Shiro looked down to the food cooking in the middle of the table.
"They abandoned not even half way through the mission, it took me a couple days to get there when it took them that amount of time to get the client then another 4 days to get to mist" the group listened intently to her story, "by the time i was in the mist i had already met back up at tazuna's place, a client from before the chuunin exams. And stayed with him and his family for a little bit, on the day that the team got to the village I was already at the current clients home and debriefing him on what had happened"

"Wow.. Really makes me hate them even more" kiba stated. Shiro was saddened by this.
"Please don't hate the, kiba-kun, really"
"Why?" Chouji asked, "they've treated you horribly"
"I know that"
"Ill get lee to beat them to pulp for you. We're all ready to teach them a lesson" shiro looked over the whole group, they were all nodding.
"Though.. I didst think n-naruto-kun would be capable of such mean things. I will still defend you sh-shiro" hinata spoke up. Her face reddening but she had a brave look on her normally timid features, shiro smiled at them all,
"Really Mina, don't hate them because of what they did to me. They dint deserve so much hate. Sakura must have her reasons. And naruto.. Even sasuke. The must all have a reason to treat me like this. And in a way I'm thankful for it"

"What? Why?!" Kiba exclaimed, frowning, the rest copied his confused expression, she looked away for a moment.
"Because.. I would of never been abke to know any of you as much as i do now, you all saw that i was being treated badly and stepped in to make me feel better. I wouldn't have friends as good as you guys without them treating me badly.. Besides.. I don't think gaara-kun would of taken any notice of me without me being the vulnerable little girl in the corner.." She smiled softly, "and i would of never been able to get stronger, they drive me to become stronger though not directly or positively, they still encouraged me to prove them wrong, though it hasn't worked yet, im sure it will"

Hinata was smiling at her, hand reaching iver the table and taking hold of shiro's
"We didnt become freinds with you just because wensaw you needed help.." Shino sighed amd spoke up.
"We became friends with you because of your kindess and generosity, now alot of people out there that can be as kind as you" shiro blushed a little at the duden compliment and smile brightly at him.
"Arigatou, shino" he nodded his head and went baack to communicating with his bugs, a light blush on his cheeks, though no seen by the rest of the group.

The other chuunin around the table all agreed with shino and hinata's words.
"Seriously, your like the most iteeligent person here! Aside from that guy of course" kiba pointed to shikamaru who only frowned at shook his head at the inuzuka. Shiro giggled at that
"Im not that smart guys-"
"Smarter then naruto!" Ten ten stated making the group laugh. Shiro gigoed at the statemnt,
"He can be intelligent if he wants to be" she whispered, the rest of the group looked at her for a moment.
"Why do you defend him" chouji wondered aloud.
"Because he was the first friend i ever made"

The group continued chatting for a while, until shikamaru stood up and sighed
"We better go for a our mission, we'll see you guys when he get back" he said, kiba smirked and got up, walking beside shikamaru while hinata and shiro walked just behind them.
"This is so cool!" Shiro suddenly exclaimed, hinata looked at her confused
"Whats so cool shiro-chan?" Shiro grinned and took hold of hinata's hand and pulled her forward gently . Free arm slinging over kiba's shoulders. Making the boy blush slightly.
"Cause ill finally be on a mission with my friends!"