Okay, so I made a promise to my best, buddy-o-pal-o-friend-of-mine that I would update this for her because I happened to tell her that I was bored sometime tonight and she said that I should update. So, I told her that I didn't care how long I was up till, 'cause I was going to get the next chapter of this fanfic posted. Even if I'll be a zombie the next day. Which I would have been anyway. Lol. Thank you all to those who have read and reviewed this fanfic for me. It really makes me happy that some people enjoy what I do. :D:D Makes me rather proud actually, so everyone keep up the good work. Lol. Well, here's everyone's long awaited update of this fanfic… I once again apologize for spelling and such because I'm officially dying on this end… makes me wish that I was a vampire sometimes… o.O I don't even remember what TV is anymore... O.o Enjoy!

Challenges

The next morning when I opened my eyes was horrible. My stomach was turning and my head was throbbing. Everything felt warm and I just wanted to die. 'I feel like crap… I think I want to throw up…' As my stomach turned more, I winced as I threw the cover off me. 'It's at times like these that I wish I didn't live alone…' There was another turn in my stomach and I tasted salty water in my mouth. 'Damn it!' I immediately jumped off my bed and ran down the stairs to the bathroom.

Before I made it all the way down the stairs, the door to my house opened and Hinata walked in. She saw me run into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

"S-Suzu?" she asked, her voice full of worry, "A-are you alright?"

Hinata ran to the bathroom and heard me coughing like crazy.

"S-Suzu?" she asked again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, coughing again.

"No, y-you sound sick," she stated.

I could taste the water again and then I turned my attention back to the toilet. 'Oh porcelain toilet, you're the only one who understands…' A moment passed before Hinata heard coughing again.

"It's nothing," I coughed, resting my head against the seat.

'Nothing at all…' The taste went away and my stomach settled slightly. Opening the door, I looked at Hinata with half a smile.

"A-are you alright?" she asked, her expression covered with worry.

"I'm fine all right. I just caught the tail end of something… It's nothing."

"Y-you should be in bed!" she protested.

I gave her a blank expression before laughing slightly.

"Hinata," I mused, "I had to throw up. I wasn't going to lose my crackers in bed."

She blushed slightly, "Sorry."

"I should be the one apologizing, not you."

"W-why?"

I gave her an apologetic look before looking to the side.

"Because I'm making you worry," I stated quietly, "You're wasting your training time to come see if I'm alright… The final evaluations are coming."

Hinata blushed again before shaking her head.

"You-you're wrong," she whispered, "You're my friend… and I want to make sure that you're doing alright…"

'I'm not worth missing training over. Even if Hinata passed this yeah, there's no telling that the future might bring. There will be strong opponents and I don't want her to end up getting hurt…'

"I'm fine Hinata, thank you for caring. I think you're the only one who has ever actually cared about me," I half smiled, some pain showing in my eyes.

I couldn't remember how long I had been alone for… how empty I always felt.

"B-but the ramen show owners-"

"They're not my friend Hinata," I said quietly, "They're my employers. Sure we have fun, but it's not real fun, you know? I only see them when I go to work, and now I believe I have to quit to be a real ninja."

I looked at her and she had a sad expression in her eyes. It hurt me to see that.

"You were my first friend Hinata."

"R-really?" she asked with surprise, shifting her feet slightly as she brought her hands to her chin.

"You are the first person since the massacre to ever show a sign of caring," I smiled thankfully.

Hinata had saved me from my loneliness.

I started to feel better by a little. My stomach wasn't turning anymore and I wasn't dizzy at all. Things were fine besides the slight headache and my entire body being sore.

"I'm really glad that I met you and I'm grateful that you're my friend."

Hinata smiled at those words. They seemed to make her happy. 'I always want to see you smile while I'm around, Hinata. I'll protect you as best I can with everything I have.'

"I-I'm glad that I met you too, Suzu," she said with a nod, "I r-really want to thank you f-for saving me."

"It's my duty as a friend to protect you. I give you my word as a ninja that I'll always be there when you need me," I promised with a wide grin, "Now I want you to do me a favor."

Hinata raised a brow with curiosity at what kind of favor. I placed my hand on her head and looked at her seriously as I spoke my next words.

"I want you to go back to training and to pass the academy with flying colours," I stated before grinning again.

"A-all right," Hinata nodded, closing her eyes, "I'll do my best."

With that, Hinata left and I sat on the stairs, my arms on my knees. 'I have today and tomorrow before that challenge… I have to get better because I can't go to it at half strength… I don't know what kind of challenge this will be, but I think that I'll need all my strength to pass.'

"Then again," I sighed, resting my hands on my arms, crossing them.

'Maybe they want me to go at half strength… Maybe they want me to push myself to my fullest to accomplish what I know I could.' My eye brows furrowed at the thought. It would be difficult, but I believed that I could push myself as far as I could go. I already had once after all.

Then another problem crossed my min. The problem with Tenten. How was I supposed to do anything if I knew she was mad at me? I would have risked myself for her too. 'What would I apologize for? For saving Hinata and not letting her die? I'm honestly stuck on this…'

"What am I gunna do?" I groaned to myself as I messed up my ice blue hair.

What was there that I could do besides apologize for something? 'Wait… I think I have a plan. Now all I have to do is wait till tomorrow to put it into action. I mean, I don't want to be in the middle of a conversation and accidentally throw up on Tenten if I went today.'

"Yeah," I mused before standing up and going upstairs.

Somehow that thought had amused me and it made me smile. I believed that tomorrow would be better.

Tenten walked down the street when she saw Hinata coming towards her with a smile on her face. Something had happened to the young kunoichi and Tenten wanted to know.

"Hey Hinata," she said with a wave.

Hinata looked at her friend with surprise before smiling on.

"H-hi Tenten. How have you been?"

They were face to face, a few feet from each other.

"I've been… alright," Tenten shrugged before poking Hinata in the arm playfully, "What's made you all smiles?"

"Oh," Hinata said with some surprise at the question, "I-it's just such a nice day outside. I-I thought i-it had been kind of cool the last few days."

Tenten raised a brow for a moment before concluding that it had been kind of cool the last few days.

"T-Tenten… um… W-why are you so mad at Suzu?" Hinata asked quietly, wanting an answer.

The brown haired girl lost her smile and her mouth formed a line for a moment.

"She's being selfish," Tenten stated with agitation, "I mean, she just gets here and all of a sudden she has to save you. Someone else could have done it."

There were a few moments of silence between the two friends before Tenten continued.

"She probably only did it for the glory anyway," she grunted, "She puts her life on the line after putting everyone else's on the line? Who would do that id not for the glory?"

Hinata saw that her friend seemed hurt, but she knew Tenten was wrong. There was nothing that was done for glory.

"S-Suzu isn't selfish Tenten," Hinata stated quietly but firmly, "She saw that it was the right thing to do… S-she wants to become a true ninja, a-and that's something a true ninja would do."

"Then why would she go if she knew she would be putting everyone in danger?" Tenten asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I-I don't know her reasons for going, b-but she went… I-if Suzu was selfish then wouldn't she have left is to die? Suzu went to the other group, the b-boys, for help… If she just wanted glory, t-then she would have came on her own," Hinata explained, using reasonable logics to try to get her friend to understand.

Tenten knew how the ice haired girl seemed to despise guys even if she didn't know the reason why.

"Please Tenten, think about it," Hinata pleaded before going the way she had been going, "N-now I made a promise I-I want to keep."

Tenten stood slightly dazed for a few moments before she kept on walking as well.

"Maybe I was too quick to judge…"

Later that day, I hid the headband under my pillow and knew that no one would be able to find it there. 'Once they all pass, then everything will be alright. We could all wear the headbands with pride and we'll all be ninja together.'

"Hopefully Kiba won't say anything," I whispered, turning to go downstairs.

As I did, I heard something outside and it made me stop at the top of the stairs. 'That loser should really stop trying. He's not going to find out what clan I came from.' Going downstairs, I opened the door and glanced at the silver haired boy with glasses.

"Go away loser," I told him with a growl.

"Do you really think that calling me a loser will hurt my feelings?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and amusement.

"It let's everyone know you're a loser," I stated with a shrug, "Now leave."

"What secrets do you keep hiding from everyone else? What could be so important to you to not tell anyone about it?"

I snapped at his attitude, him acting like a know-it-all. 'This bastard has no idea… it's been a while since I've gone black anyway…'

"It's none of your god damn business, dick head. My life is my life and yours is yours," I growled hatefully.

How dare a guy even try to understand…

"Get the hell away from me before I kill you where you're standing," I threatened, reaching for a kunai.

The guy laughed slightly as he fixed his glasses.

"All I see is an empty threat," he mused, turning to walk away.

With great speed, I grabbed his ponytail with one hand and put the kunai against the skin of his throat.

"Is that right?" I asked darkly, pulling the blade against his skin more.

"You'll make a great shinobi one day, that's for sure… I hope to see you at the chunin exams this year."

The guy disappeared and I clenched the kunai tightly. 'If he makes it to the chunin exams with all of us then I'll have to hunt him down and kill him.'

When morning came the next day, I felt very well. The only thing that seemed to be really wrong was that I was still sore and the odd wound stung. 'Great… a perfect day to apologize to someone.' I thought lightly before I opened my curtains. It was dark and raining outside.

"Yep… A perfect day indeed," I whispered dryly.

I sighed and got dressed, having a new red, baggy t-shirt to fill in for the one that had been full of holes. As I slid on my red and black arm forearm thing, I found myself staring at the pillow that covered my headband. 'I want nothing to do with it until I know everyone has theirs. I will not pass without them.'

"Right, out into the rain I go," I said, nodding with a small smile as I slipped on my shoes.

I ran out into the rain, shutting the door behind me, and towards the ramen shop.

'I have to quit now to become a real ninja. I have to be a ninja if I want to become an ANBU… Otherwise I won't be able to protect those close to me.' I looked at all my surroundings as I ran and took in everything so I could remember where my house was. 'Okay, it's the third house down from that crazy, sadistic, bald, old man…' I thought as I saw the old man sitting on the top floor of his house, watching people evilly as they went by.

As I came to the ramen shop, I looked around the lighted area for Nasha.

"Oh, hello Suzu. I thought you had been really sick," she said with a smile when she saw me.

"Yeah, I was sick all right… but I'm feeling better now and I have some junk to do," I laughed nervously.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're doing better," Nasha said as she took some dishes to behind the counter.

"Um Nasha… I have to quit working."

She looked at me with some surprise.

"It's just that if I'm not working then I'll be training and doing missions. I can't balance all three of them. And then later the chunin exams will come and I won't be able to work at all, you know?" I wondered with an apologetic expression.

"That's quite alright Suzu. We understand that this is something you have to do, so good luck," Nasha said, patting my shoulder with a smile.

"Thank you for everything," I said with a bow before leaving to go find Tenten.

'Damn this could take forever… I mean, I don't know where Tenten lives. Or Hinata for that matter.' The dark sky made my Sharingan come out and it made me smile slightly.

"Too bad I can't control that," I mused as I walked through the rain.

"Control what?" a voice asked from behind me.

'Oh no… It's Kiba! What am I gunna do? He's going to see… and damn it!'

"Oh, hey Kiba," I laughed, not turning to look at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked curiously, noticing that I hadn't turned around.

"Nothing. I just kind of zoned out."

Things were quiet for a moment then Kiba spoke.

"So you being our of your house means you're better right? No more sickies?"

'No more what? Sickies?'

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, sorry," Kiba laughed nervously, "I've been talking to Akamaru all morning."

The laugh made me want to turn to look at him, but I knew I couldn't. 'He's very… amusing.'

"That's alright… well I have to go now so I'll have to talk to you later," I said before taking off in a run down the road, leaving behind a confused Kiba.

As I ran down the road, I made a right turn and saw the trees growing everywhere. 'There really are a lot of tree growing here… I guess that's why it's called Village Hidden in the Leaves.' I thought with a small smirk. As I ran on, I started to become more aware of my surroundings. I had been down this road many times before when I was a small child… a happy child.

"Then that mean… Tenten lives around here…"

'I think I saw her house once when I was younger.' I stopped in the middle of the road and looked at the homes closely. A door opened and it drew my attention. I turned and saw a boy with long dark brown hair tied in a low tie come out of the house. He was talking to someone… a girl. 'Wait, that's Tenten.' The door was shut again and the boy turned around to walk my way. 'I can't let him see me here… My Sharingan is still showing.' Using a bit of my chakra, I disappeared into a tree and say patiently on a branch.

The boy walked down the street, closer to my tree. I knew that he had seen me. How could he not have when I was standing in the middle of the road like that?

"So you're Suzu," a voice stated from under me.

I closed my eyes, knowing that he was looking up.

"How do you know about me?" I asked emotionlessly.

'So much for this being a great day.'

"I've heard Hinata talking about you… Fate has seemed to have tied you to her, but you can't always protect her."

'What? What is he talking about?' I grunted as I heard him walking away calmly.

"If you're looking for Tenten, she's in the small house over there."

'Know-it-all.' Opening my eyes, I waited for the boy to be completely gone before I jumped down from the tree. The rain seemed to pour harder at that moment. The thoughts of Tenten's reaction to my apology started to fill me. She could shoot my down easily and then I could be forced to live with knowing she hated me for some strange odd reason. 'I hope it doesn't turn out that way…'

I walked up to the door and took in a deep breath before sighing. 'The worst thing she could do would be to slam the door in my face.' Raising a hand, I knocked on the door nervously. It opened rather quickly and her expression was rather surprised at seeing me. I was dripping wet, bangs hanging down and my Sharingan eyes showing red.

"Suzu," she said quietly.

"Uh, hi," I said nervously.

"You're better," Tenten stated, not really looking at me.

'I she still mad at me?'

"Yeah… um…"

"I'm sorry Suzu… for shutting you out like that," Tenten apologized quietly, "I guess I thought that you were taking Hinata away from me and leaving me alone… I was wrong about the one being selfish."

'She's apologizing to me?'

"Tenten… I want both of you to be my friends," I told her, "If it was you in Hinata's position then I would've tried to save you too… but I guess maybe we were both a little selfish."

"What?"

"I want someone to protect so that I have a purpose. When I'm on my own, I feel completely empty and useless… I need a reason to keep on going like I do… I'm tired of sitting there helplessly."

Tenten nodded with a small smile, which made me smile as well.

"I guess I'll be seeing you later then."

"What are you going to do Suzu?" Tenten wondered.

I grinned, "Going to train in the rain. I need something to do besides sit in the house all day."

With that, I left Tenten's house and started to head to a place where I could train for my greatest challenge yet to come the next day.

End of Chapter 8

Hello again! Yes, I'm still very tired, thank you. Lol. :D:D I hope that you all really, really, really enjoyed it because I probably put a lot of effort into writing this chapter some time ago in the past that wasn't so long ago. Yes, that's right, I'm a few chapters ahead on paper than I am on the computer. Lol. Well I really hope that you all enjoyed that little second chapter thingy sequel whatever to the previous chapter. That's right, Tenten and Suzu made up. :D:D Lol. Which is a really good thing even if that that reason used wasn't the real reason why they had fought… I don't even remember why they fought anymore…o.O Oh well, doesn't matter 'cause it's the past. Lol. Thank you all for reading and I hope that you all R&R so I can update again sooner than everyone expects. :D:D