In an Instant

Pip wanted to bang her head against her desk repeatedly. She had spent her time training physically. Pushing herself past the point of exhaustion. She had the bruises, aches and pains, and sleepless night to prove it... So where did this fucking exam get off by throwing her a written exam. Don't be confused, she was a smart girl. Above average grades in high school, a knack for music and cooking. Handy with tools, and very well read. But of all the things these damn ninjas had thrown at her, they had to do math. And not just any math. The kind of math engineers and rocket scientist must be using back home. Math was not her subject. Pip actually went through several tutoring classes just to pass each year. Math really was her bane.

And now she was going to fail before she even started. Ruining her new teammates chances of actually proceeding to the second part of this Gods forsaken ninja test. It was like this test was meant to make you fail. Like there was no way you could actually pass this test. No way except...

And that's when Pip actually did bang her head against her desk. Causing the two ninja beside her to jump at the sudden bang, and Ibiki to smirk up the rows at the odd little ginger. She banged her head again and began to chuckle to herself, making some of the other examinees to question her sanity. "Why is nothing straightforward with ninjas?". It hit Pip harder then her head against the wood in front of her. You were suppose to cheat. Ibiki even hinted at cheating, though it was more of a warning. Looking around Pip could see a few people trying to put their skills to the test. And poor Naruto just sitting there sweating bullets and twitching in his seat. Some people had already been called out, and failed for being to obvious, but there were still a few who were making it.

But what was Pip suppose to do, she had no special powers to help her. And it's not like Chozu...

"Psst, Chozu."Pip breathed out, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Her fuzzy fiend cocked his head towards her in acknowledgment. "You wouldn't happen to be a math genius would you." The raccoon responded by sniffing, and returning back to his curled position, making Pip sigh to herself. "Oh well... it was worth a shot. At least I know what to do next exam..." Pip hated to give up so easily but there was no possible way for her to cheat without being caught. Even if she did send Chozu around to look at answers, he'd be to obvious to the overseers. So Pip did what she normally did when she was in math class.

She doodled in all the blank spaces.

It wasn't like she could do anything else. There was still a lot of time left in the test and she wasn't going pass so may as well entertain herself. She started to draw a simplistic version of Ibiki running with a look of horror and anger across his face, with a significantly larger Chozu chasing after him, throwing little berries projectiles with a shit eating grin.

In the next margin she started working on a picture of her grandfather in a mad hatter-esque outfit, surround by little tea glasses and newspapers. A serene look on his face, but a thought bubble filled with epitaphs.

In the next she began to draw dark edged eyes, and just as she began to work on the pupils her own eyes began to sting. Pip brush her eyes, but the gritting feeling wouldn't go away. Tossing her head back Pip began to blink furiously until she noticed something odd. Little specks of sand, floating in the air as if they were dust moats. They weren't terribly noticeable until Pip began to look up. They seemed to merge into a floating eye. Cocking an eyebrow, Pip gave a little wave to the eye, which narrowed in return. Chozu lazily looked up, and gave a little chirp-growl. The eye twisted slightly in the air looking at Chozu before returning its gaze to the ginger.

Shrugging, Pip went back to drawing, this time drawing her family crest, storm clouds furling around and behind the badge. Pip's eyes began to get irritated again, and as she was rubbing them, she noticed the eye had swung closer now, examining her sketches. Pip went over in the margin and wrote a little 'Hi?'. She stared at the sand eye, as it glanced at the paper, then back at her.

It narrowed itself again, in what seemed a glare, before it hovered up and away. Raising her brow once more, Pip shrugged and went back to drawing once more. Ten minutes later and Pip had covered all the margin on the first paper. Checking the back to see nothing but blank space. She tried to think of something to draw but nothing came to mind.

"Chozu," Pip whispered earning the racoons gaze. She placed the pencil in front of the raccoon and lyed her head on the desk. "I'm bored." she whined in a soft voice. The raccoon looked at the pencil, and picked it up awkwardly in both his hands. He bit it a few times, and after determining it was not a snack began to scribble on the paper. Pip watched lazily before her gaze wandered.

She spotting Naruto, in what looked to be a nervous meltdown, Kabuto, who looked smug, and a certain redhead, one eye covered with his hand before she fell asleep. When she woke, it was to a yelling voice.

"NO WAY! I CAME THIS FAR AND IM NOT QUITTING NOW!" Naruto was standing at his seat, glaring at Ibiki. The proctors face was hard, then what seemed to be an eternity later.

"Then... You all pass." Audible gasps were heard through out the room. Lifting her head, and wiping the thin stream of drool of her chin, Pip noticed the room was much emptier the before. Chozu wasn't on the desk anymore and neither was the pencil. Looking down in a sleepy haze, there was a mess of scribbles and lines on the paper, as well as a piece of broken lead. Looking around, and generally ignoring Ibiki, Pip began to search for her companion, until breaking glass broke her concentration. A huge banner slung across the room as a women and a very well placed yellow trench coat grinned at the testers.

"Alright maggots! I'm Anko, and get ready for hell, cause I'm, wow Ibiki, you let a lot of the pass. You must be getting soft on us." The women. Anko glanced behind her as a muffled, 'you're early' sounded from behind the banner.

"Alight! Get you're asses out of here and to the training field. I'll be seeing you soon." and in traditional ninja style, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a room of relieved ninja. Pip stood and stretched, looking for any flash of grey and black, and soon found it by the red head
Gaara.

Kon and Hideo were congratulating each other, and Hinata was doing the same to a physically relieved Naruto. Pip walked over to the red head and leaned on the desk beside him. If he noticed her, he gave no hint to it. He merely stared at Chozu, who was drawing on the red heads test, scribbling all over the written answers, until the lead broke off the pencil, after a particularly dark line. Chozu whimpered before throwing the pencil down in a huff, and produced a berry all his own.

"You know," Pip started not taking her eyes off the somber munching fiend. "I have no idea where he keeps those berries, or how they stay in place." Gaara made no effort to talk back, just narrowed his as she she spoke.

"But hey at least they make him happy." Gaara's eye narrowed to slits as she reached down to pick up her friend.

"Happy?" he echoed. Eyes not moving from the spot Chozu had just been in.

"Yeah, I mean, you got to enjoy the little things in life right? The little things that make you happy." Pip looked over to the red head as she set her Raccoon on her shoulder, where Chozu just sat limp, like a rag doll. Gaara turned his murderous gaze to Pip, she felt a tremor down her spine but stood her ground. Gaara stood as his siblings gathered behind him near the door, watching the two converse, fear rising in their stomachs at what he might do.

"You're raccooon." The sand ninja stated again, "is hungry." and with a final glare to the red head turned and walked a way. His siblings following a safe distance.

Pip looked to Chozu, "Are you hungry?" the raccoons stomach churned in response and Pip snorted to herself. "alright, but we need to conserve this I don't know how lo-" As pips hand reached her pocket all that was in it was a nub, pulling it out, Pip stared at the end of a carrot.

"You little shit!" Chozu gave a little whine as his stomach growled again.

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I'm sorry for such a long absence. As an adult with a job and bills to pay, life really hasn't left me with time or the drive to write. I wont lie, its been so long since I've read or watched the show I cant honestly remember what excellently happens in the trials. Just the vague story. And honestly I don't know if I will continue with this one either. I remember where I wanted to go with this. And how I wanted it to go, but as a 21 year old, it seems a bit awkward to write about a 13 year old red head. I feel like mi letting you guys down, but fan fiction was an esacoefrom a really shitting life of abuse and depression. Now that im older I live a beautiful life, almost free of stress and a great job.

I'll see what I can do but I wont make promises. If I do decide to scrap this story, I'll at least give you the run down of how I wanted it to go to make up for an unfinished story.

I am sorry. But I'll try.

S742