Sanako's Grass Village Adventures! (Spin-off of A Ninja's Worth)

Chapter 3

    Over the next few weeks, we prepare for the Chunin exams. We train until the moon is high up in the sky, beaming down on our faces.

    The night before we make the trip to the Leaf village, Nagashi-sensei approaches me. "You are only allowed to complete the first two exams, the written one and the one in the Forest of Death. But you cannot be seen by Uchiha Sasuke if we are to ensure your safety as well as his."

    "But then it would be pointless for me to do it at all if I can't complete the rest of the exams." I pant, exhausted from how hard I've been training. "Sensei, I need to do this. Please."

       There might have been something in my voice. Something that expressed how badly I needed this. Desperation. Exhaustion. Whatever it might have been , it was enough to influence his mind and make him take another course.

       His eyes narrow then adjust accordingly.  In the moonlight, there's a certain florescence to the scar that forecer marks his right cheek. "From now until the end of the Chunin exams, you are now known as Mayane Akemo and during the third and final parts of the Chunin exam, you will be required to wear a face mask and you will not be able to use your Sharingan, do you understand?"

        Without hesitation,  I nod diligently. Sasuke won't be able to recognize me after all this time, but you can never be too careful I suppose.

         We reach the Hidden Leaf village and boy, it's quite a sight. Better than I remember it to be. There's a tall building where there's a large amount of kids corralled in a long hallway. They seemed lost whilst sizing each other up. They crowd around a specific door and I get curious. I'm sure my curiosity sometimes gets on my teammates' nerves, judging from how they often look annoyed or stressed.

           My body takes over by instinct,  moving closer to where there was the edge of a small circle formed by these kids. And that's when I saw him.

           Blue shirt. Raven hair. Black eyes. I instantly knew who it was, there was no mistaking it. My fingers twitch and I start to walk towards him.

           A warm hand grabs my wrist, gentle but strong. Kenshi looks at me concerned. "I know it's hard, Sanako," He whispers to me "But you can't have any contact with him. There will be a time for you two to reunite but it's not right now, alright?"

           I bite my lip and look away then at Sasuke. My hands ball into fists the moment Kenshi releases me. These hands that long to hold him close. These hands that have ached with yearning.

            There's no telling what he has endured all by himself. And here I am, able to share his burdens and worries and troubles, but I'm not permitted to. The world feels heavy and I almost start to collapse. I think Kenshi could tell because he wraps his arms around my waist, bracing me upwards almost.

              Tanko makes a grunting sound from behind. Could he be...? I dare not even flatter myself. "Mr. Cool Guy" have feelings for me? Yeah, right. It's just wishful thinking.

            I freeze for a second. Wishful thinking implies I want him to feel something for me, which I don't. I'm sure of it. Sasuke is accompanied by a familiar blonde headed boy with three lines on each cheek, almost looking like whiskers on his face. On his other side is a pink haired beauty with sea green eyes that gaze at Sasuke with such delight. I almost feel jealous. That's my brother, don't look at him like a piece of meat.

             The crowd gets uneasy and there's pushing amongst them. The next thing I know Kenshi is pushed around so much, he has to release me. But I'm not able to stand just yet and I fall to the floor with a thud.

             My head slams on the wooden floor and my sight is patched with dark blotches. The ninja around me, except for my teammates, erupt with a roar of laughter. My face feels red hot and I have half a mind to start punching them all out.

             Sasuke walks up to me, he's not laughing either. Though he has a annoyed look on his face as he offers his hand. "You won't last a minute in these exams, weakling. How pathetic. What's your name?

             I growl and stand up on my own, discarding his semi-sweet offer. "Sa-" I freeze then adjust myself. "Mayane Akemo. And for the record, I am no weakling, fool."

                 "Tch." He sticks his nose up and rejoins his team. For an orphan, he's stuck up. If I were with him, he would have more decency.  I'd keep him in line until he finds the right girl to do it for me. But it eats at me how we just "met".

          My brother and I's reunion in years and we're already batting heads, great.