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.

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Chapter 1: A Really Bad Day

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This was beyond her comprehension. Her brain, already exhausted from the stress of dying, short circuited at the sight that met her eyes.

Rin Nohara stared up at the curved wooden ceiling high above her head, feeling her breaths flow in and out deeply. This had been the absolute worst day ever. Honestly, she was exhausted and felt on the verge of hysterical laughter or crying. First, she had gotten into an argument with her teammate, Kakashi, and then she had been kidnapped by a crazy old man in the disguise of Kirigakure. Then, he had sealed the freakin Three-Tailed Beast into her stomach, much to her horror and disbelief. To make matters worse, she had been branded with the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag, which was set for the Three-Tails to let loose as soon as she stepped foot back into Konoha.

There were two choices then. She could die in some way to prevent the Tag from taking effect or she could allow herself to be rescued and taken back to Konoha, where the Three-Tails would be let loose and go on a rampage. Her choice was clear and there was no hesitation when she decided. Konoha was her home, her sanctuary. All of her friends, her family, were there. The Three Tails wouldn't allow her to kill herself so she begged Kakashi to do it, to save the village. He had refused and continued attacking the Kiri Nin, intent on protecting her. It warmed her heart to know how much her teammate cared for her but she knew what she had to do. Much to Kakashi's disbelief and horror, Rin had thrown herself in the path of his lightning attack, Chidori.

That was it. She had felt her own heart stop. She had died with Kakashi's name on her lips- God she was sososorry- and the memories of the warm, loud laughter of her goggle-wearing teammate in her mind. Briefly, as she passed, she thought of Obito, hoping to see him in the afterlife. Ever since his death, Rin had been contemplating her feelings towards Kakashi and the Uchiha, searching for the differences. She had started to believe that her feelings for Kakashi weren't love at all. Rin hoped to see Obito again. Her heart ached when she thought of him, of his warm, bright onyx eyes, wild tousled black hair, and wide, welcoming grin. In honor of his memory, Rin had taken the habit of wearing his spare goggles, dark blue with dark tinted lenses, around her neck.

However, her hopes were crushed when she woke up to find herself lying back in a soft bed, injured but alive. It seemed she had been revived, as unbelievable as it sounded. Whoever had found her was at least adequate at medical knowledge, judging by the slightly messy bandaging around her torso and chest. It was enough to prevent her from bleeding out immediately. Rin closed her eyes as she began examining her chakra levels. Her chakra levels were high, though they had been almost completely drained when she had died. That meant she had been here for a few days at least, healing.

Then, Rin started taking stock of her injuries, her medical mind moving quickly. There was still light bruising on her body, a particularly large one spread across her right side, from her shoulder down to her hip. Cuts of different lengths and depths circled her body as well, small signs of the crazy old man's torture. The main source of damage was from Kakashi's Chidori attack. It had caused a deep hole through her upper left chest, through the front and out the back. It had nicked her heart, which was what had caused her to die. However, for whatever reason, she had been revived, brought back from the dead. She preferred not to dwell on it, intent on returning to Kakashi and Konoha.

Satisfied, Rin slowly moved her hands and pushed herself upwards into a sitting position. She winced as the movement caused a bolt of pain to move through her chest. Embarrassingly, she noticed that she was completely bare, with the exception of her black short shorts, coming to her upper thighs, and her white chest bindings. Her shorts had small blood spots on them from the torture session she had suffered through.

…So you're finally awake….. That didn't take too long….

Rin froze stiff, her eyes widening in shock as the deep voice rumbled through her mind.

Y-You were revived with me?

...Of course…

Rin paused for a moment to consider this, pondering over it in her mind. When the Three Tails had been sealed within her, she knew she wasn't the only one terrified. She could feel the Three-Tails fear and outrage at being sealed inside her. However, she had also felt a sense of understanding and sympathy from the Tailed Beast towards her. He had instantly realized that she had no choice in the matter and had been forced to become a Jinchuriki. That was why his power hadn't immediately overwhelmed her when he been sealed. His chakra could have immediately destroyed her but it didn't. Perhaps being a Jinchuriki wouldn't be so bad since her new companion seemed friendly.

I don't think we met under the best circumstances... I'm Rin, Rin Nohara. What's your name?

…Isobu… I think we met under the worst circumstances, Rin-hime…

Now that we know each other properly, do you have any idea where we are? Or who saved us?

..We are not anywhere near where we were before… I suspect that this… this is a different world… entirely… the one who saved us…. Had no chakra…..

Are you certain?

…Yes… use your chakra…. To check for yourself….

Deciding to take his suggestion, Rin closed her eyes and reached out with her chakra. She almost shouted with surprise at what she found. It was easy to pick up the life forms around her for miles but none of them had chakra. That should have been impossible. Even a civilian had chakra. Chakra was considered the life force of a being, a mixture of physical and spiritual energy. However, none of the life forms around her had any of it. That disturbed her slightly since she was accustomed to sensing the various chakra in Konoha.

Isobu, I don't think we're in Konoha anymore… Heck, I don't think we're even in the same world anymore.

Agreed…

Glancing around, Rin smiled as she noticed her possessions lying against the wooden dresser next to the bed. They were stacked in a neat pile. Her long sleeved, down to her elbows, black shirt, long white apron, knee high black stockings, and dark green military flak jacket were folded neatly and stacked on top of each other along with her black strapped, Konoha headband and Obito's dark blue strapped, dark tinted lensed goggles. They looked to have been cleaned of the blood stains from the Kiri Nin attack. Her sturdy black boots sat atop the clothes, along with her thick black belt. Attached to it were three different pouches. One was for her weapons, another for her medical supplies, and the last held a few surprise tricks, including a few storage scrolls.

Shifting, Rin swung her legs over the side of the bed, pushing the cover completely off of her body. She pushed off the bed, her bare feet landing lightly on the warm wooden floor. Reaching for her clothes, she began to dress, pulling on the comfortable stockings, the long sleeved black shirt, the dark green military flak jacket marking her as a Chunin, and the thick black boots. She picked up the last piece of clothing, her white apron with slits up the sides, and looked at it fondly. Pulling it around her waist, she tied it behind her, not even having to glance from years of wearing it.

She grabbed her Konoha headband and adjusted it so it was situated, covering her forehead and framed by her hair, the sides hidden. Reaching for her black belt, she strapped it around her waist, checking her pouches briefly. It only took her a few moments to realize that all of her supplies were still there and she smiled in satisfaction. Finally, she carefully picked up Obito's dark blue strapped, dark tinted lensed goggles. Her chocolate brown eyes softened as she ran a finger down the smooth elastic band before she gently lifted it, carefully adjusting so that it hung around her neck comfortably.

So, Isobu, ready to meet our savior?

….Alright….

Nodding to herself, Rin left the room and crept down the hallway, following the faint sounds of humming.