Power

Ten A.M. The time is now. The preliminary matches for the final portion of the Chuunin exam.

She furrowed her thick eyebrows; her white knuckles cracked as her cleanly cut nails dug deep into her almost bleeding flesh and her teeth, clenched. Sweat trickled down from her forehead as she stared at the last winner in the preliminary rounds. Anytime now, she could spat at the winner who stepped on the victim's head, and sniggered; her white Byakugan-eyes shone with none other than glory as other ninjas swoon over like she was celebrity. Her frown turned into a smirk as she cat-walked out of the arena with a perfectly smug face. "The Queen of All" glanced at the referee with a smirk and sat on her chair, legs crossed, as he informed the round results. Her weaker team mates chirped happily like she was God as she was declared the winner, and she returned them a fake smile. How incredulous.

Arrogant wench.

To her, her team mates were mere stepping stones, robots, a tool for putting down others, and her biggest source of confidence. But she, she treated her team mates as friends, and comrades till the end and she was treated with the same respect. But that was before. She held back her tears as she recalled her least-fondest memories, the memories of her friends lost to her.

Her eyes were always cold towards her rival; it was just as demeaning as the glare she was returned back from her as well. She remembered it so closely, the day they part from their oh-so-everlasting friendship; she had dumped her in front of her new friends. Laughter broke out from six different people, as she just stood there….Her knuckles cracked just as hard as this morning, but with hollow vengeance and wrath.

She peered as she watched her ex-friends gave her sole enemy; her rival, with a 'thumbs-up'. Bitter tears plopped on the floor. She could not help at it. She heard voices of comfort, but as if they could help. Part of her wanted to brawl away, but the contradicting part of her wanted to hide her tears away.

"What's wrong?

"Don't cry..."

She wiped her tears away with her thumb; her knees slightly bented down. She forced a smile, but even a fool could tell the smile was fake. Her eyes winced at her throat; clogged from her quiet sobbing. Her heart, felt as if there was a stone stucked inside it and she felt she could barth any moment now.

" Nothing..." There was a slight wince to her scowl. "No worries..."

The referee declared the next battle between her and a weak, trembling boy who squeaked under his pale-yellow hat as he peered at his challenger, her fist, flexed and clenched with utter determination. This battle will determine her abilities; everything she worked for will be tested. She bit her lips till it almost bleeds. A moment ago, she was a wimpy coward, always sobbing at her misfortunes and running away. But now, she felt like she couuld butt out all her problems straight on and nothing could bring her down.

A white handkerchief fluttered soundlessly to the recently-polished ground; the fight is on. She will be promoted to the next rank, nobody will ever look down on her again. She will succeed.