I'm sitting in my favorite ramen shop, Ichiraku, but today I'm in the farthest corner, hidden from sight. I had just broken up with Neji, my most recent boyfriend, or more like he broke up with me 'cause he fell in love with my other ex, Gaara.

Today, I thought of all my past relationships and how all my ex's ended up together. My first relationship was with Sakura, but it didn't last long because she was still stuck in chasing after Sasuke. The second person I dated was Gaara, but that didn't work out 'cause we lived in different villages and had different opinions about how to keep the relationship going. Then I decided to try dating another girl, Ino, but that lasted only five months because she and Sakura discovered each other. My latest relationship was with Neji. Now Neji and I had dated for a solid eight months, but as soon as he met Gaara our relationship went downhill.

At first it was the small things, having to work late or missing a scheduled date. One day I spotted Neji with Gaara when he was supposed to be working and decided to confront him about it. Of course, when he broke up with me I smiled and accepted it pleasantly, but as soon as I was home I cried my eyes out. The next day, or present day, I went to Ichiraku in hopes that ramen would lift my spirits.

How wrong I was.

Having thought through all of my relationships and how they all ended with my ex's together, I decided that I would have to be alone for the rest of my life for no one loved me the way I wished to be loved. To lessen the blow of such thoughts, I slowly chowed away on bowl after bowl of ramen, changing the flavors up now and then.

Six A.M. is when this blessed ramen shop opened and I entered at that time, only to sit here and watch people come and go. At eight P.M. I left Ichiraku, an hour before the shop closed, and headed towards the training field. The goal on mind was to erase any thoughts of love or my past relationships by working my body to the extremes of its limits.

Upon arrival at the training grounds, I stripped off my shirt and jacket. I then wrapped my hands to keep them from getting too damaged in the training to come. The only area I really had any work to do in was taijutsu, and I would be working on that till it was perfect.

My body was only thoroughly exhausted when the sun had risen into the sky marking a time around noon. Deciding it was enough; I grabbed all my stuff and headed home my training making sure my mind was too tired to think along with my body.

I had only just finished my shower when a knock came on my door. When I opened it, towel hanging loosely on my hips, I found Konohamaru standing there.

"Lady Tsunade says that she needs team seven for a quick mission."

"Alright, tell her I'll be there soon." I said with an affirmative nod.

"Got it, boss!" Konohamaru shouted as his spiky brown head bobbed off back towards the Hokage Tower.

With reluctance, I went and got dressed for a mission, but all my regular clothes where dirty; which meant I had to wear black instead of my preferred orange jump suit. The shirt was formfitting, along with the pants, but flexible enough to allow easy movement on missions. With my headband and weapons pouch in place, I headed out towards Hokage Tower.

Upon entering Tsunade's office, I expected to get stares, but to have Sasuke's attention on my sent shivers down my spine that I couldn't explain. I coughed, "Soooo… what's this important mission, Baa-chan?"

It took a few seconds, but finally everyone shook off their shock. "BRAT!" Tsunade yelled. "How many times have I had to tell you not to call me that?" Tsunade placed her hands on her desk and breathed slowly. "Your mission is to escort a high ranking official back to his house. I will only take about a week, any longer and I will want a report from you guys. The details are in this scroll," she handed the aforementioned scroll to Kakashi, "now, dismissed."

"Dobe." Sasuke called to me. It was only when I turned to look at him did it seem like he was going to continue. "When did you get such… clothes?"

"Sometimes a change in clothing helps one blend in, but I got these a while ago, just haven't felt like wearing them." I replied with nonchalant shrug.

"Hn…." Was his only reply, but his eyes seemed to be far off in thought.

Brushing it off as nothing I said, "See ya in a while Teme!" , and went off to my apartment in order to pack for the upcoming trip.

Upon reaching my apartment, there was a letter taped to my door. This made me pause and look around to see if anyone was there. I pulled the letter carefully off the door and slowly entered my apartment making sure that no one else was there by checking for any chakra signatures.

Realizing that no one else was with me in my apartment, I went to sit on my couch and analyze the letter. On the front was a neat scrawl of my name, and on the back was a sticker of a raven sealing the letter up. I carefully pulled the sticker off, making sure to leave it whole, and then pushed open the lip of the envelope. I pulled out the letter inside and unfolded it.

Naruto,

I've been watching you for a while now, since we first met to be exact. I've wanted to talk to you, but the time never arrived. Now, though, I decided to write you in hopes of getting a response.

Your outfit today amazed me and drew all of the air out of my lungs. I wish you would wear something like that all the time, but then I would be jealous of all the people who got to see you like that. That jumpsuit you usually wear has done no justice for the body you have.

I love your determination to reach your goals, no matter how far the reach may be. I also love your sense of humor, though I can't laugh with you out loud, I do laugh with you.

I really do like you, but I do not wish for you to know who I am at this time due to some circumstances that have come to me. I wish you luck on your upcoming mission, and I pray that you come home safe.

Sincerely,

YOUR RAVEN

While reading the letter, I felt my face heat up and a spark start in my stomach.

'To think that someone has liked me for so long, but never confessed…. Maybe all my other relationships made the person nervous to approach me.'

Such a thought shocked me since I decided that it would be good to stay single, but at the same time this letter made it seem possible that I could love again due to how much this person loved me.

With a smile on my face and positive thoughts running through my head, I went to finish my packing for my mission. Before I left, I put the letter into my safe box, under my floor boards, under my bed. Now, the only thing left to do was to go to Ichiraku one more time and say goodbye to the old man.

Thoughts of who could have sent the letter and why they decided to contact me just now filled my head on the way to the shop and while I was eating my ramen.

At the gate, I realized I was the first one there and that no one else would be here for about thirty more minutes. I took a seat near the guard station and kept replaying what the letter said in my head. At some point someone had shown up for the snapping of fingers in front of my face brought me from my distracting thoughts.

"…to Naruto! You there Naruto? Come on space cadet, Wake up!" I heard Sakura yelling at me as I shook my head to clear it.

I smiled up at her. "Hey, Sakura, what's up?"

She just analyzed me quietly for a bit. "Your odd silence, early appearance, and oddly out of sorts character." The pink haired girl replied while Sasuke seemed to be ignoring what was going, like usual.

I kept smiling, but now I wanted to be mischievous. "AWWWW… thanks, Sakura, it's nice to know you care!"

This earned me a smack on the head, but it was so worth it to get off the topic of my odd behavior which would lead to the mysterious letter I had received.

"Anyways, we will be leaving as soon as…"

Kakashi's arrival cut off Sakura's explanation. "Yo! Sorry, a dolphin required my assistance with…"

"Let's go." Sasuke said, turning to leave without waiting for Kakashi's explanation of why he was late.

I followed Sasuke while Sakura followed after me leaving Kakashi to follow last. One thing I knew for sure as I left through the gate was that I couldn't wait to return and get another letter from the mysterious person who claimed to love me since they first met me.