These Hard Times

Summary: When Rin Nohara dies in one world, her soul shifts and passes on into another. From there on, she starts an adventure that allows her to grow into her full potential and she discovers what it truly means to be a Nohara, growing into her full strength.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, and Shingeki no Kyojin, Full Metal Alchemist, or anything mentioned in this fic. Nothing belongs to me. It's a series of X-overs as trials for Rin. The next story will take place strictly in Naruto. This is a bit of a drabble series. If you want me to make a full story of each mission, then you can send me at least 5 reviews and I'll make them separate stories of each with details.

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Chapter 5: Last Mission

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"Well done," Aurora grinned at her daughter, warmth in her eyes. "You only have one more trial left. This last world is a world full of alchemists and technology, where people are brought back to life without souls. You need to save a man that has figured out the truth about the government. It is corrupt and it will save many lives in the future if you save him now so that he can prepare them for the war that is coming."

"Alright, I'm ready," Rin grinned determinedly, briefly touching the set of goggles around her neck reverently, reminding herself of her promise. She would do her best to make him proud of her. Aurora's finger reached out and prodded her forehead as her magic activated, sending Rin out into the next world.

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"W-What are you doing?" the man rasped painfully, his eyes fluttering open in alarm as Rin kneeled down in front of him. He was bleeding to death in a phone box after being shot by the Homunculi Envy in the form of his wife.

"I'm going to save you," Rin soothed him, smiling as she made the hand signs required, her hands glowing a comforting, emerald green color. She started humming peacefully as she rested her glowing hands gently on his chest, watching as the blood flow began to slow until it stopped completely. That was the first step. Mentally, Rin used a detailed picture of the body under her hands to search for the bullet, finding it easily, lodged in the flesh close to his heart.

"What's your name, sir?" she asked, curious, scanning for any other abnormalities.

"Hughes, Mae Hughes," he coughed out a small spot of blood, giving her a tired smile. "To be honest, I don't want to leave my wife and my daughter." Reaching into his pocket slowly, he struggled a bit before pulling out a small picture, showing it to her with blood stained hands.

Turning her head slightly, Rin studied the picture, wrinkled from being pulled out so many times. A soft smile formed on her face as she looked at the beautiful short haired wife standing in the picture, smiling lovingly up at her husband, who held a laughing blonde haired little girl with bright eyes. The man was grinning proudly, as if he had been given the best gift in the world.

"What are their names?"

"My wife's name is Grace and my daughter is Elicia," Hughes smiled, glancing at the picture fondly. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"They are," Rin smiled, shifting her attention back to the wound. "Don't worry, Mr. Hughes, you won't be leaving those beautiful ladies any time soon if I have anything to say about it. This part is going to be painful." She warned worriedly, biting her lip as she looked down at him. "I have to get the bullet out before I can seal it closed."

"I can handle a bit of pain," Hughes joked, smiling as he closed his eyes, tensing and waiting.

Closing her eyes, Rin concentrated and coaxed her chakra into grasping onto the bullet, pulling it out of the man's chest. A moment later, a bloody metal bullet fell into her hand as Hughes opened his eyes, staring at her tiredly. He watched attentively as she focused on the wound, the skin closing up at her urging and healing without a scar. Rin took an extra moment to scan his body, searching for any further injuries, before withdrawing her hands, the green glow fading.

"There, all good as new," Rin grinned down at him, pushing herself to her feet. Holding out a hand, she pulled him to his feet carefully, steadying him briefly before letting go.

"Thank you," Hughes told her, smiling down at the young girl. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Just live your life and cherish those moments you have with your family," Rin advised, patting him on the chest gently with a soft smile.

"Hughes!" A voice bellowed, panicked, drawing their attention to a dark haired man rushing over to them, worried. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hughes replied. As the two men started to talk, Rin began to walk away, casting a glance down at her necklace to see a bright green color had joined the blue and gold, proving that her mission was finished. She turned back to look over her shoulder as Hughes shouted out to her.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I have my own family to see," Rin smiled warmly at the two men, giving them a playful wink as she felt her mother's chakra encircle her, calling her back for the last time.

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"You've surpassed all the tests," Aurora smiled at her daughter, pride glinting in her dark eyes. "This gives you a choice. You can choose to remain here as a sort of ambassador, traveling between worlds repeatedly, or you can choose to return to your birth world to live your life there once more. There are consequences to returning to your world. It has been years since your death and many things have changed. You will not like it."

"Can you show me what has changed?" Rin asked, slightly hesitant.

Wordlessly, Aurora pressed a finger to her forehead and Rin closed her eyes, allowing the information to flow into her mind. Pictures formed and Rin felt her emotions stir as she saw Minato become Hokage, gaining uproarious applause in approval. His bright blue eyes twinkled with that soft look of pride and accomplishment that she had always seen in him. The picture shifted into one that caused her to frown heavily, feeling tears begin to clog her throat. Minato and Kushina shoved themselves in front of their newborn son, being killed by the Nine-Tails for it. Naruto cried and cried, upset by the new uncontrollable chakra inside his stomach and by the sight of his lifeless, and still parents. Hiruzen Sarutobi took up the mantle of Hokage, promising Kushina and Minato that he would take care of their son.

Another picture formed over it, this one depicting Kakashi, a few years older. He watched with blank eyes as Naruto was carried away to the orphanage, too heartbroken to try to take him in and raise him himself. He was in Anbu, as Dog, which was an ironic twist that caused Rin's lips to twitch in amusement. It seemed he had loosened up a bit from how obsessed he had been about rules, she noticed, as she saw him take up the habit of being fashionably late with lame excuses like Obito had done before.

The next series of pictures caused Rin's breath to catch in her throat, unable to make a sound as she watched. An older man in a black robe pulled an unconscious Obito out of the destroyed cave and healed him over time. Obito ran to her rescue, freezing at the edge of the tree line as he watched Kakashi's hand pierce through her chest directly, his Sharingan evolving to the next level with his rise in emotions. He created the Akatsuki and ruled from the shadows under the guise of Madara, who had died years before. In the front, he was the stupid, goofy, childish boy named Tobi. Madara's, and now Obito's, Moon-Eye Plan shifted through her mind and Rin felt her knees weaken as she slipped to the floor beneath her, landing on her knees with a soft thud.

The images flew by at a quicker pace before settling in her mind as Aurora withdrew her finger. Opening her eyes, Rin looked up at her mother silently, distantly feeling hot, salty tears trail down her cheeks. Her mother looked down at her sadly, her eyes darker than ever. There was a rustle of clothing before Rin felt soft, comforting arms wrap around her, pushing her head to lay on someone's chest gently. Knowing it was her mother, Rin closed her eyes as she allowed her emotions to rise even further, a soft sob leaving her throat as she threw her arms around her mother, returning the embrace.

Her team had been broken, shattered into pieces. Kushina-sensei, the woman that taught Rin to control her teammates and be a strong kunoichi in her own right, and her husband, Minato-sensei, the man who taught Rin that you didn't have to be a genius to make it as a good shinobi; they were both dead. Kakashi Hatake, the boy that had been obsessed with rules after his father's death and lacking an appreciation for teamwork, had grown up to be a lonely, broken man, missing his teammates and family.

Obito Uchiha, the first person to be kind to her in return, the boy that had stayed after Academy hours to wait for her to finish her training just so they could go hang out afterwards, the boy that loved her fiercely from the beginning and only dared to confess to her when he was being crushed under the cave-in, the boy that made her laugh and smile her happiest smile even when she was at her lowest point, had grown up cold and resentful of everything upon her death, planned on destroying the world and making it into a world without free will, without choices.

What had happened to her team, to her family? Had her death really caused that much of an impact on everything? Rin wondered this inwardly as she buried her head further into her mother's chest, her shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs. She was worried about her teammates. Right at that second, there was only one thing she wanted and that was a group hug from her family.

"Remember Rin, everything that is broken, can be fixed," a familiar voice drifted to the forefront of her mind and Rin stilled as she remembered. That day, after a particularly trying mission, Rin and Kushina had watched as a little orphaned girl, her parents having died in the war, toddled towards a teenager with similar features, her older sister, who snatched her up and held her with tears in her eyes, a soft, tremulous smile on her face, as if she couldn't believe it. Those had been Kushina's words when she was watching the family reunite.

Slowly, Rin's sobs decreased as the trembling of her shoulders eased, lost in her thoughts. Distantly, she heard her mother murmuring soft words of comfort in her ear but she was focused elsewhere.

Death was something that tore families apart but it also brought them closer together, a shared mourning as they leaned on each other. Rin didn't know if she could ever make her team whole again but she knew she had to try. It's what Kushina and Minato would have wanted. Kakashi, Obito, and even little Naruto needed her help. Her heart warmed as she gently pulled herself out of her mother's arms, wiping the quickly drying tears off her face.

"Kakashi-kun, Obito-kun…. I can't leave them," Rin took in a shaky breath as she turned her eyes up to her mother, her fists clenching in her lap.

Aurora blinked, surprised and slightly awed by the emotions radiating from her daughter's eyes. The Nohara Clan was known for their empathy and understanding in all matters, capable of feeling and expressing emotions deeply. Therefore, Rin's open emotions shouldn't have surprised her but they did. Her daughter's eyes were bright, swirling with a mixture of complex emotions. Among them swam hope, love, and determination.

"I have go to back. I have to help them," Rin spoke firmly, standing and brushing herself off. She looked at her mother, her lips stretching into a determined smirk. "Please, send me back, mother."

Aurora stared for a long moment before smiling proudly, lifting a finger and pressing it against her daughter's forehead gently. "Goodbye, Rin-chan. I hope you succeed."