Through Pain And Strife {A Naruto Fanfic}

Chunin Exams! This Is Terrible!!!

They arrived at the Leaf village and got settled into a five roomed hotel with a living room, several bathrooms a dining room and a kitchen. Tomorrow is the first day of the chunin exams and everyone is preparing thoroughly.

Gaara wasn't doing anything though, as usual, Kankuro was tuning up Crow, Temari was practicing outside and Akane was taking a shower, having had been practicing for three hours before and, being incredibly sweaty.

When she got out she got dressed and combed her hair out before putting it in her usual braid. She laid on her bed looking at her necklace until a knock brought her out of her trance and she sat up. "Come in." She happy-go-luckily said as she put her necklace back on and the door opened.

"Hi there Temari, what's up?" She asked her teammate as she swung her feet.

"Akane. We're gonna go get some food. You want in?" Temari asked with a smile.

"No thank you." Akane returned it, "You guys can go. I wanted to get some rest for the big day tomorrow." She said and Temari nodded.

"Alright. Good night then." She said, shutting the door.

Akane laid down and drifted off. Meanwhile...

"What happened? She comin'?" Kankuro asked his sister and she shook her head.

"She wanted to sleep. Though... she didn't look very well so it'd be best if we let her be." She explained before they all left.

~~~~*!!Time Skip!!*~~~~

Morning came and once the siblings all ate together, Temari went to wake her friend up. After a knock. She opened the door and went in. "Akane get up we're about to--" The room was empty.

"Guess she left early..." Temari muttered  as she left and notified her brothers. Gaara left shortly after, and then her and Kankuro after grabbing their gear.

Akane's POV

I was so excited for today I had to get in some extra practice before the exam so I left before the others got up. I'll meet up with them but I had to perfect these jutsus. I was heading to the testing building when I heard a kid shouting.

"Hey! Let him go!" I went through the trees and saw my teammates. Kankuro was holding a kid up by his shirt. A moment later something was darting Kankuro's way, only to stop and fall mid-way.

"Kankuro. Temari. What're you guys doing?" I asked standing upside down on the tree beside them and watched as they flinched at the sound of my voice.

I jumped down next to them and took the kid by his shoulders, pulling him out of my teammate's grip. I put him down, "I'm sorry about him, he's just a little cranky today. Are you okay little boy?" I pat his head with a smile.

"Hey who're you callin' little?! I'll have you know..." I knelt down to be his height as I took my hood off of my head and he looked me in the eye.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" I asked with an un-faltered grin and his face looked a little red.

"N-no. I'm tough! He couldn't hurt me if he wanted to!" He boasted.

"I'm sure." I laughed, "Alrighty then. I like your spirit kid." I said, standing up. I picked up the rock that was directed at my friend and walked over to the person that threw it. I grabbed his hand and dropped it in his palm. "I'm sorry but I couldn't let you harm my teammate, you understand." Though my smile remained, my voice came out a bit colder than I meant it to.

"Kankuro. Temari. Akane. What do you think you're doing? You're disgracing our village." A familiar deep voice called sending a shiver up my spine.

"Awe come o~n I didn't even do anything this time!" I whined walking over to my team.

"I apologize for their behavior. Let's go." He ordered and we all began walking away.

"Wait." A guys voice called from behind us and we all turned. It was the guy with the rock. "What's your name?"

Temari looked at him with red cheeks and a smile, "Who me?" she giddily asked and I shook my head with an airy chuckle 'oh Temari.. What're we gonna do with you?' I sighed.

"No. Him." He pointed at Gaara.

I put my hands on the back of my head and looked them all over. Three kids. A black haired guy, a pink haired girl and a blonde guy. My eyes stopped on him and I stared as I wondered what this strange feeling was. I've had this feeling before too.

"I'm Gaara of the sand. I'm quite interested in you as well." I heard Gaara, who stood beside me, introduce himself.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha." The black haired boy said and I glanced over at his smirk.

"Sasuke... Uchiha?" I repeated in thought, "Why do I feel like I know that name....?" I wondered..."Hm, doesn't matter I guess," I muttered, brushing it off when not so much as a hint came to me; granted I did only think on it for like a minute, but still. I turned my attention back to the blonde guy again to see he was looking like he was on the verge of exploding.

"What about me?! Why does no one ever want to know my name?! Why's it always him?! He's not so great!" There it is. Welp, that didn't take long at all.

"Actually." I said interrupting his rant, "I was just wondering that." I put my hands to my side and walked over to him hearing my friends saying my name. I looked him in the eye. "Who are you?" I asked him and he proudly stood up straight.

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki." He stated with a large grin and I tilted my head a bit as I looked at the whisker like marks on his cheeks. "Say, Naruto, were you... born with these marks?" I asked him and, though he was reasonably taken aback, he did give a hesitant nod.

"I see... welp," I turned back to the others, "be seein' ya. Let's all do our best!" I said as we left. The whole way I couldn't help but smile wider than before, while at the same time feeling like I was being stared at. But I didn't pay it any mind, my attention was far elsewhere.

'This is a fascinating discovery. I wonder what he's got. Our stay is going to be very interesting.'

When we got there, the place was full and boisterous. Oh well whatever. This test is gonna be fun!

At least that's what I thought. "What.... the.... hell?! A WRITTEN TEST?! BUT WH~Y?!" I cried as I took my seat between Kankuro and Temari. I put my head on the desk, "I suck at things like tha~at. Why is life so cruel?!" My voice was kind of muffled.

A hand touched my back, "It'll be fine." Temari tried to comfort me, and it worked. I felt better... even if only a little.

We were given or tests and I felt like I was gonna cry as the exam began.

This is the wo~rst!