Falling Rain
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Chapter One
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A/N: Sequel to Higher Ground. You need to read it to understand this. I don't own Naruto.
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Evana shifted her headband and looked out over the lake. Twenty years old tomorrow. She didn't know time flew so fast. When her mother died everything seemed to slow down, but now it had sped up.
The Jounin test was tomorrow too. What a wonderful birthday present, getting her ass kicked by someone.
She had taken over Sasuke's spot by the lake. His spot now, was the cherry tree that Sakura was buried under.
"Yo, Evana!" Katsu yelled. She looked up at the twenty-year-old boy. His black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and he held up a bandaged hand as he waved to her. He had on a Konoha vest over a long sleeved white shirt. His black capris were a little short as they went to his knees.
Evana had a tan shirt on with her vest flopping in the cold breeze. Her capris went to her shins and her sandals were a size too small. She raced up the hill toward him.
Shinta, Evana's other teammate waited lazily by a tree. He pushed off with his foot and followed behind.
Katsu yanked the girl's long pink hair. "You really need to put this in a ponytail."
Evana's eyes narrowed. He did this on a daily basis. Usually she ignored it, but she had gotten tired of it. Pulling out a kunai, she put it near his throat. "I'm cutting it today, so what's the point?"
Katsu looked at the sharp object, a flicker of fear in his eyes. Shinta snickered. "That's a really bad pun, you know?" he said.
"All the more reason to say it," she answered, stowing the kunai.
The group was headed toward the ANBU headquarters where the Jounin Exam sign-ups were.
Hundreds of ninja, of many ages were gathered in the large auditorium. Ibiki stood on a table calling for silence. People shut up and faced toward the front.
"All right, you're here for an exam that occurs every five years. Meaning, if you fail now, you're screwed for five years."
"Oh, that's not pressure at all," Shinta muttered. Murmuring erupted until Ibiki stomped his foot on the table.
"There's a written exam ("Damn," Katsu said.), and a fighting exam. The fighting exam will consist of showing jutsu, jounin ranks should be able to perform. That includes Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu. After you've completed that, a tournament will begin in which many jounin will be scattered throughout. That's about it, any questions?" Ibiki shouted.
Nobody dared say anything. No questions were asked.
"Good," Ibiki said. "I can finish my nap now."
Nearly every leaf ninja rolled their eyes and shuffled out the door.
"Well, that was interesting." Shinta yawned.
"I swear I saw an eight year old in the crowd," Katsu said. Evana shook her head at the boys and walked over to the hair salon. They didn't follow her. Boys.
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Sasuke sat in the cherry tree. He had taken up raising Evana. He didn't realize it was that hard. He missed her. He missed her so much. Everybody else was able to pick up the pieces and move on, but he just couldn't.
It was nearly 13 years and he still couldn't let go. If only he hadn't left. If only he stayed and lived the life, Sakura wanted to share with him. If only, if only, that's all he could think of.
Tayuya, Jiroubou, Kidomaru, and Sakon hadn't been back. Sasuke didn't know what had happened to them, or if they just enjoyed their freedom.
Popping open a medicine container, he swallowed an anti-depressant. Sighing, he plucked a dead blossom and let it drift in the cold fall winter wind.
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Evana's hair was now to her shoulders as she went to search for her 'father.' "SASUKE!" she had gotten over calling his 'dad,' but his name still felt odd on her lips.
Autumn leaves fell to the ground and she wandered through the forest toward the cherry tree.
Sasuke was asleep on a large branch. She jumped up to an adjacent tree. Hopping over to the man, Evana shook him. "Damnit, old man. Wake up," she said loudly.
His medicine container rolled off the branch, hitting the stone grave with a crunch as the plastic broke.
She shoved Sasuke off the tree, about five feet about the ground. He made no response. "Damn you." She grabbed his body and flung him on her back. She sprinted towards the hospital.
She banged on the nurse's desk until someone came.
Tsunade grabbed Sasuke off Evana's back and took his pulse. Nothing. "Stay here for a minute." The Hokage lifted the body toward the main hospital.
"Oh, hell no, if you think I'm staying here," Evana yelled.
Tsunade stopped and turned. "I would prefer if you did stay here," she said sharply, stopping Evana in her tracks.
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"He died of heart failure due to an overdose."
Evana sat in a waiting room chair as three nurses tried to say the same thing. She ran her fingers through her hair to steady her breathing. "Damnit," she said and that was all before storming out.
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A/N: Short, but here, it is...