The Hebinomura (Sasuke x OC)

Just Shut Up...

"Shadow Clone Fishing Jutsu! Bombs away!"

Naruto and his clones jumped from a high ledge into the water.

Mashi sat in the riverbank beside Sasuke, who stood beside her, both with kunai in their hands.

Thanks to Naruto, four fish jumped into the air and they threw their knives, all four pinned to the tree across from where they sat.

"Can't you do better? I could eat these myself" Sasuke said, looking at Naruto.

"Well, If you think it's so easy, why don't you get wet and I'll use the kunai!" Naruto snapped, wildly splashing his hands.

"Sasuke! The fire is ready to light, I could use one of your fireballs!"

At the sound of Sakura's voice, Sasuke turned.

"I've gotta do everything around here" he grumbled, walking away.

Naruto blinked with surprise.

"You do, huh? What have we been doing?!" He yelled. "Can you believe him, Mashi?! We've been doing the work and he just acts like he's all high and mighty!"

Mashi didn't answer and he looked to her, seeing her staring at the fish with a deep frown.

"Mashi?" Naruto asked.

She looked up and he noticed her eyes weren't as bright as usual.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Fine."

She stood up and gathered the fish from across the stream, carrying them back to the camp they had set up.

Naruto tilted his head, frowning.

There was something that was definitely off. She just seemed...distant. Like she was there, but not really. Maybe she was just tired, but...

"Hey."

She looked up and Naruto donned a serious expression, not trying to be goofy, but rather letting her know he was without a doubt sincere in whatever he was going to say.

"If you're going through something, you can talk to me, okay? I know we may not be as close as you and Sasuke are or you and Sakura—" Naruto said but she gave a little smile and wrapped her arm around his neck.

"I know, Naruto. And I happen to think you and I get along quite well. We're Team 7, so of course you three are my best friends out of everyone I know—granted, that's not a lot" she confessed and he grinned at the mention of being best friends.

"I'm glad—now, why don't we don't go eat? That always makes me feel better!" He joked and she nodded.

"Sure. I'm hungry."

The two joined with Sakura and Sasuke, a fire lit and ready to cook their meal of the day.

"It's already been four days since the second exam began" Sasuke said.

"Yeah, you're right" Sakura nodded.

"We sure haven't broken any records, that's for sure. We only have twenty four hours left" he continued.

"I wonder how many other teams have gotten their scrolls and finished" Sakura murmured.

The fish finally cooked and Mashi grabbed the nearest one, quietly munching on it as Sakura went over the probabilities and statistics of them passing.

It wasn't very high, to say the least.

Mashi looked at the fish she had been eating. There was still over half left. She felt sick just thinking about eating that much. She held the rest of her fish out to Naruto, instead.

"You serious?" He asked.

She pushed it into his hands and stood up, walking to the stream and out of sight.

"I'll be back. I need a swim" she murmured, walking towards the stream and sliding behind the rocks, trudging her way down the bank.

She thought of Orochimaru, the mark he placed upon Sasuke that was intended for her. The mark which caused some sinister energy to engulf Sasuke...

Mashi placed a hand against her mouth and as the image of the the grass ninja's skin seeming to peel like paler to reveal Orochimaru's true face, she keeled over, vomiting what she had just eaten.

She gagged at the taste and rinsed her mouth out, washing her hands in the process before her head drooped, the gently running water taking part of her long strands and delicately waving them in front of her line of sight.

"When did I become so weak?"

Though her reflection asked the question, it refused to give one back.

"Everything I do has the opposite effect. I fight, I lose, I make friends, I hurt them, I try and become strong...and all I do is fail..." she muttered to herself miserably before burying her head beneath the water, reaching up and washing away the dirt and dried blood and even though she tried, she couldn't wipe away the sorrowful looking face she donned, looking every bit the part of some pitiful orphan in a fantasy tale.

She looked up, hearing the sound of the bamboo piece they used to carry water clattering upon the rocks and she stood up, walking cautiously back to camp.

She stepped out from behind the rocks, Kabuto, the man they had met at the beginning of the Chunin exams, standing with Sasuke, who was reprimanding Naruto and Sakura for having nearly opened the earth scroll they possessed.

Luckily, Kabuto had both scrolls and hadn't been lurking about to steal their.

"Hold it" Sasuke ordered as Kabuto began walking away. "I'll fight you for it."

The man's eyes narrowed with amusement.

"You'll fight me for it?" He echoed.

"Sasuke..." Sakura murmured.

"Hold on a second! Is this a joke or what?!" Naruto looked at Sasuke with bewilderment.

"Are you serious?" Kabuto asked.

"Perfectly," Sasuke confirmed, "sorry, but I don't have time to play nice.

"You better back off, Sasuke! In case you've forgotten, this guy saved our butts!" Naruto pointed out.

"I think I have to agree with Naruto. We don't want to be ungrateful or anything—" Sakura hesitantly said.

"Shut up."

"B-but Sasuke..."

"It can't be helped. It's either him or us. Out here, it's all about surviving and winning, nothing else matters" he said.

"Hm...you're lying" Kabuto deduced, confident in his decision.

"He is?" Naruto asked.

"Come on, admit it. For all your tough talk, you heart really isn't in it. If it was true, if winning was the only thing that mattered to you, why openly challenge me to a fight? Why announce it and put me on my guard? Why not just jump me when my back is turned? After all, that's what a ninja would do" Kabuto pointed out.

"That's pretty deep" Naruto mumbled.

"It's okay, actually, I admire you for it" Kabuto waved it off. "So here's what I'll do. I'll show you the path you should follow" he offered instead.

Mashi sighed in the background.

Can she just be done? Can they all just...just...just shut up! Stop talking and lead the way! Let her make it to the second phase? 

She just wanted to quit already.