Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Just my OC.

Wanderer of the Sand

Chapter III

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I attempted to act like it was no big deal.

I mean, really. So Gaara was here. So…?

He was someone from Suna, and he was originally someone I'd wanted to be friends with. That was probably why the news had shaken me so bad. He was a walking reminder of my past.

So I climbed up into my tree, propped myself on the usual branch, and tried to go back to sleep. If I was going to hang around Konoha, I had to get back into a relatively normal sleep pattern.

But it goes without saying. I was awake all night.

Not an exaggeration. My eyes were still wide open when the sun came up.

Sighing and exhausted, I jumped clumsily to the ground and wandered a bit more, trying to find a good training spot.

Only problem was, once I found one…

You have got to be kidding me.

More Konoha shinobi?? What was this, a playground?! Weren't there training spots inside the village?!

I fought to keep a temper tantrum born of extreme tiredness and hunger from coming to the surface. With difficulty, I managed. Just as I turned to leave, I heard the unthinkable-someone calling my name.

"Shara! Is that you?" I almost choked. Please, God, no…

But yes. It was, of all people, Tenten. Disgustingly cheerful, even at this hour, and training with who I assumed were her teammates and sensei.

One was a boy with long, dark brown hair and pale eyes. I wondered if he was blind. He looked pretty serious. The other boy was…well…different. He had big, round eyes and black hair in a bowl cut. And the largest eyebrows I had ever seen. Big, fuzzy caterpillars had nothing on this guy. And the attire was something else. A blindingly green jumpsuit, bright orange legwarmer things, bandages wrapped around his arms. And a Konoha forehead protector being used as a belt.

And then there was the man. Who basically looked like an adult version of the second boy, jumpsuit and all, except with even bigger eyebrows. Konoha is a frightening place…

I slowly stepped forward. Tenten smiled. "Hello again!" "Hello…." I muttered. The others were staring. I hate it when people stare.

"Oh-these are my teammates," Tenten explained. "Hyuga Neji-" she gestured to the serious-looking boy-"Rock Lee-" the eyebrow boy-"and Might Guy-sensei."

I suppose I have to introduce myself, I thought apprehensively. "I'm Shara of Sand Village. Nice to meet you." Which was totally at odds with what my face said. It probably said something like "If you even try to make me say anything more, I will hurt you."

Just great.

I forced a smile on my face. It probably looked as painful as it felt.

"Ah! So you would be here for the Chunin Exams, correct?" The Chunin Exams, always the Chunin Exams…

"Yes, um, Guy-sensei."

"The Exams are always interesting. To be promoted, of course, you must have skill, courage, and above all, youth!"

I blinked. Am I asleep? Is this a nightmare? Is there something wrong with the Konoha water? Or is this guy just crazy and the rest of them are too nice to say anything?

I honestly had no clue. Tenten was still smiling. "Would you like to train with us?" she offered. I would be eternally grateful if a bolt of lightning or something would just strike me down now…

I said nothing. A long and painful silence ensued. After a minute, the Neji guy sighed and said irritably, "If you don't want to, just say so."

"I-I-It's just that-I, um, already…trained…." The excuse was pathetic. I knew it, and they knew it, and I probably looked like a stuck-up jerk. What was it that Sensei had said? "You can never train too much."

Relax, I told myself. Just…calm..down.

So I muttered something along the lines of "It was nice to meet you" and left with whatever traces of dignity I could muster.

I was sick of the forest by this point, so I walked in what I hoped was the direction of the village. Trying to repair my shattered "Calm, cool, collected" façade in the process.

I had managed to do so pretty well by the time I ended up in Konohagakure. I looked around. Kids chasing each-other around, people gossiping in quiet, excited little groups, and of course, plenty of shinobi. More so than usual, I'd wager; I saw people wearing forehead protectors from several villages, including the somewhat elusive Sound Village.

I was looking around too much, and not enough at where I was going. Of course, I bumped into someone. Hard. I staggered back. "I apologize," I said, not wanting to attract any attention.

The response was silence. I looked at who I had bumped into.

And immediately wondered why he looked so familiar. Black hair in an almost birdish style, a wide-collared blue top, and hard, almost icy dark eyes.

The air he gave off bordered on the murderous.

Caught slightly off-guard, I said quietly, "I apologize." Again.

"You said that already," he pointed out coolly. And he walked off.

I shook my head. I knew I'd meet some interesting people, but…Crazy guys with giant eyebrows, an overly cheerful kunoichi, a loudmouth young ninja, and an almost bloodthirsty ice boy?

Ice boy? I shook my head. I was overreacting. I was not the best at reading people.

Obviously. Look at what happened with Yashamaru. You thought he seemed like a good guy, too.

I cursed myself.

Needless to say, another flashback was on the way…

Great.

To be continued…..

A/N: Mosi Mosi, Skyward here. This chapter is dedicated to Xx-Dea-Of-Latum-Xx, who so kindly reviewed and put this story on alert. Domo Arigato!!