The
Hidden
Mission
((A Naruto FanFic))
((Note: I do not own the Naruto
characters, I only own
the idea for this FanFic
and I own Karie Uzumaki.))
Karie sighed,
"Hit me." She said boredly.
"Ha! Ha! You busted … Yeah!"
"Shut it, Deidara!"
Itachi put down a Jack and an Ace.
"Black Jack…" He said frowning.
"Hey! That's not fair Itachi-Sama" Karie said pouting
"Whatever…"
"AH! I hate it when you say that!"
Karie frowned and poked his head. He grabbed her wrist.
"Don't touch me unless you have a good reason" He said glaring at her.
Karie laughed,
"You're always the same." She said smiling
Itachi smiled but looked away, trying to hide it. Karie's eyes grew wide.
"Itachi-Sama are you smiling?" She said laughing and falling out of her chair.
Itachi just glared and stood up.
"I'm going to bed."
Itachi stood up and walked out of the room.
"That goes for me, too. Night." Karie said standing up and following Itachi.
She walked down the hall and stopped at her door, she walked in and sighed, walking over to the window, she leaned her head against the cool glass.
"I miss Nii-Chan…" She said vaguely.
She walked to her bed and sat against the headboard.
Flashback
Karie sat in a chair facing a big brown desk, seated at the desk was Tsunade.
"You understand that you are to tell no one of your mission, you may inform them when you return. But do not tell them before you leave."
"Yes, Ma'am I understand."
"Good and what is your mission?"
"I am to gather information on the Akatsuki and report back A.S.A.P., I am to be 'Captured' by them and become one of them, and then as soon as I get the information targeted I am to return as soon as I can."
"Yes, and be careful the leader might want you to do missions that you wish not to do, but you must. Do not worry about getting in trouble or being exiled from the village. You will not be. Now go and be careful."
"Yes, thank you."
Karie nodded, and stood up. She bowed and then walked out.
End Flashback
Karie sighed.
"How much longer do I have to be trapped here?" She asked herself.
She had already gotten the information she needed but, she was just trying to find a time she could escape. She was planning to leave tomorrow, when the big mission was coming up. She had asked not to be included, lying and saying that she was having problems with her chakra control. So she didn't even know what the mission was. She sighed and slipped under the covers, after a while she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning she jumped out of bed as quickly as she could, packed everything she thought was light enough to carry into a small backpack. She double checked to make sure she had everything she wanted and needed. She put the backpack on and walked casually out of her room and into the Living room/Kitchen. She looked around and saw that it was completely deserted.
'And they shouldn't be back for a while' She thought to herself.
She walked outside, locking the door behind her. She looked around and seeing no one sighed. After walking for miles she came to a road, she followed it until she was on the main road. She smiled and started to skip, she was overjoyed, that she was finally going home. She stopped when she was about a mile from Kohona, making sure she had the information and resting for a bit.
After an hour or so of rest Karie began walking again. As she reached the gates a guard frowned.
"What is your business in Kohona?" He asked.
"I am returning from a mission."
"And your name is?" He asked pulling out a list.
"Karie Uzumaki"
"Ah! Right at the top of the list, good go on in." The guard smiled and waved her in.
"Thank You"
Karie walked through the gates and walked straight to the center of town. She walked in and asked for Tsunade. The attendant told her to go to the door and knock. Karie nodded and walked to the 3rd door on the right, then knocked.
"Come in." Came the short reply.
Karie opened the door and walked in looking around. With out being told she sat in the chair facing the desk that Tsunade sat in.
"Karie! You've returned! Welcome back! Do you have the information?"
Karie nodded and reached into her backpack, handing Tsunade a thick envelope.
"Thank you Karie this information is very important, your mission is officially over you may go back to your normal life before this, but I may call on you for another one soon."
"Yes ma'am thank you I was glad I could help!"
Karie smiled and bowed, barely able to conceal her excitement, she walked out of the building and headed for the outskirts of town, skipping all the way. As she rounded the corner she saw her house, the one that she shared with Naruto. She took out her key and hurried to the door, quickly unlocking it and stepping inside.
"Ahhh! Home Sweet home…"
"Who's there!?" A voice said from the other room.
"Naruto?"
Naruto walked out into the living room and frowned.
"Who are you?"
Karie froze dumbstruck, had she really changed that much, over the last 3 months?
"N-naruto Nii-Chan?"
Naruto's eyes grew wide.
"Karie?"
"Yes?"
Naruto smiled and tackled her to the ground.
"I'm so glad your back! I got so worried Tsunade said you were ok but she couldn't tell anyone about your mission."
"I'm glad I'm back to! Where is everyone? I want to say hi to them I've missed everyone so much."
"Well I think Ino is most likely in her flower shop, Sakura is probably there to and Sasuke must be out training. I don't know about everyone else."
"Ok thanks Naruto Nii-Chan! I'll talk to you later I want to see everybody right now I'll tell you all about my mission when I get back ok?"
"Sure, be safe and I'll see you later."
Karie nodded and smiled, she walked out of her house and towards the center of town, greeting people as she passed. On the way to the flower shop she said Hi to Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, Kiba, Neji, Tenten, Chouji, Iruka-Sensei, Kakashi-Sensei, Konohamaru, and Rock Lee.
"I guess I was really missed." Karie said under her breath.
As she reached the flower shop, she walked in and hid behind some daisies.
"Ino! You Pig! What do you think you're doing? Putting lilies and chrysanthemums together are you insane?"
"It looks nice and why do you care it's not like your buying anything so get out before I write 'I LOVE ROCK LEE!' on that big whiteboard you call a forehead."
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!?!?"
Karie cleared her throat and stepped out from behind the daisies. Ino and Sakura both turned to look at her.
"Karie-Chan! Welcome back! I was just telling Ino what a fat pig she is."
"Welcome Back! And I was just telling Sakura how big her stupid forehead is."
Karie sweat dropped and laughed, both Ino and Sakura looked at her confused.
"Sorry, it's just you guys haven't changed at all, and it's sort of funny."
Sakura and Ino laughed.
"Yeah! Pig girl never changes."
"What! At least I don't have a genetically enhanced billboard for a forehead."
Karie sighed, and slipped out of the shop while they weren't looking. She walked to the training grounds and looked around, no Sasuke.
"I wonder where he is he's the only one I haven't seen yet…"
Karie sighed and started to walk away when she heard a clang. She followed the sound, looking around. After a while she spotted him, she smiled to herself.
'Let's play a little prank on Sasuke then.' She thought to herself.
Karie silently snuck up to a tree very close to Sasuke. She cleared her throat.
"Sasuke, little brother you are weak, do you know why? Because you lack…" She said imitating Itachi's voice.
Sasuke looked around wildly.
"Itachi where are you? I will kill you!"
"Because you lack…. Bran Flakes!"
"I hate you and I will Kil- Wait what the heck did you just say? Did you just say Bran Flakes?"
"Yes I said Bran Flakes, what are you hard of hearing? Sasu-Chan?"
Sasuke had the most confused expression ever imaginable. Karie took one look at his face and started to laugh so hard she was having trouble breathing. She fell over from laughing. Sasuke looked shocked and then angry.
"What the heck was that? And who the heck are you?! And only Karie-Chan is aloud to call me that! " He shouted.
Karie stopped laughing immediately. She sighed sadly.
"How many people will ask me who I am? Sasu-Chan, you really don't know it's me? It's Karie."
"Karie?!" He said astonished, 'But this can't be Karie she looks so grown up, maybe it was because he haven't seen her in so long'
"Sasu-Chan?"
Sasuke frowned still not convinced, 'There's only one way to figure out if she really is Karie.' Sasuke flitted behind her and grabbed her around the waist. If she was really Karie she'd glomp him to the ground, but if she wasn't she'd probably hit him. Karie jumped when he appeared behind her but as soon as he grabbed her she glomped him to the ground.
"So it really is you! Welcome home Karie! I missed you so much!"
"Sasu-Chan I missed you, too! Here let me tell you all about my mission!"
Sasuke smiled and stood up brushing himself off and then helping his blonde friend up taking note that she was taller then the last time he had seen her. They both turned and walked on a path leading to town. As they walked Karie told Sasuke all about her life with the Akatsuki. Sasuke didn't interrupt but when ever she talked about Itachi, he tensed and clenched his fists his dark eyes showing no emotion. After she finished, they stopped walking, they were in the park now. both sitting on a bench still talking.
"Hey, Sasu-Chan Have you gotten any stronger?"
"Of course! I've been training really hard ever since you left."
"Hey! How bout we spar tomorrow!"
"Sure sounds good to me, just promise you won't cry when I beat you."
"But I thought last time you where the one crying because I beat you?"
"HA! HA! Very funny, you have an interesting imagination Karie-Chan."
"What? I'm just telling the truth!"
"Whatever…"
"Geese you sound just like Itac-" Karie cut herself off, not wanting to offend her best friend.
"Who do I sound like?"
"It's nothing."
Sasuke looked at her funny, "What?"
"Never mind…It wasn't important."
Meanwhile At the Akatsuki
Back at the Akatsuki there was panic and confusion.
"Maybe she got lost… Yeah!"
"No I don't think so most of her stuff is gone, but why? Did she leave?" Itachi said frowning.
"Maybe she got home sick and went home for a little." Kisame suggested
"No. She knows she's not supposed to leave unless it's for a mission."
"Then let's split up and look for her!"
"Yeah! We've been so much happier with her here… Yeah!"
"Ok, everyone look around in the surrounding forest and I'll go see if she went home." Itachi said giving quick orders to everyone.
Deidara, Kisame, Tobi, and Zetsu all walked outside looking everywhere in the forest. They looked under rocks and in caves, and in trees but couldn't find Karie anywhere. Meanwhile Itachi was flitting through the forest fast heading towards Kohona.
Back in Kohona
"Well, it's getting late and I think we should probably be heading home." Karie said smiling.
"Ok, then I'll see you tomorrow at 7:00AM" Sasuke said turning.
"Bye! Sasu-Chan, sleep well!" she said hugging him tightly and then letting him go and waving while walking down the path.
Itachi was just crossing over the wall that surrounds Kohona, when he stopped. Tsunade was standing on the ground right next to where he had landed.
"So Itachi-san, what are you doing here in this late hour?" she asked him.
"I was just seeing if a friend was in town."
"Ah! You mean Karie… Well she's here, but she's probably home sleeping. Why do you want to see her?"
"I need to bring her back to the Akatsuki; she is to be punished for leaving with out telling us, we've all been worried sick." And what Itachi said was true, everyone was searching frantically for her, before she had become a part of the Akatsuki it was always so tense in the house and on missions, she made things fun everyday. Itachi frowned realizing that he had grown quite attached to her, he had helped her perfect techniques, shared meals with her, and even comforted her when there was a thunderstorm. ((Karie was terribly scared of thunder.))He realized now that with out her he'd probably never be happy again. He had to bring her back no matter what.
"I see…. Are you wondering why she is not longer part of the Akatsuki, the only reason she was captured in the first place was because it was so she could gain information, for me. It was just a mission."
Itachi grimaced. He hoped that it wasn't the case. Now she'd have to be killed. A pained expression flashed across his face.
"You know it was hard for her. To leave the Akatsuki. I could see it today in her eyes; she is so attached to the members that it broke her heart to leave, but like a true ninja she set her feelings aside. So don't hold it against her, if you hold it against anyone hold it against me."
Itachi nodded and turned, flitting back over the wall. He was strangely relieved, he didn't have to kill her now, and it was all Tsunades fault. He told himself that was the truth. He was happy that it hurt her to leave, because he now knew that she hadn't wanted to leave and that she cared for all of the members of the Akatsuki.
Next Morning
BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
"Alright, alright I'm awake already!" Karie said turning off the obnoxious alarm clock that sat on her bed side table. She yawned and got up, took her shower, got dressed, ate some ramen for breakfast and ran to the training field; she usually was never late but for some reason her alarm clock had been set late. It was 6:55 now she was almost there when someone tripped her.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" She yelled annoyed while standing up and brushing herself off.
"The big idea was to make you trip? Are you stupid enough not to realize that? Karie Uzumaki of the Leaf village. You mind coming home? Everyone has been worried sick." Itachi said frowning and moving closer to her.
"I am home; I'm sorry Itachi I can't go back. I care for everyone, but…."
"But it was just a mission right? I know all about it, but considering you care so much for us why don't you just permentally join the Akatsuki?"
"Because…. My friends and my family are here. I love all my friends very much, and I love you guys very much but I can't go back. They need me here, I'm sorry, Itachi-Sama."
"I see, then I have no choice, you have betrayed the Akatsuki and now you must die…"
Karie grimaced. 'Sorry Sasuke we're going to have postpone our fight.'
She got into her fighting stance and smiled.
"Ok, Itachi-Sama I'm ready."
"So be it."
Itachi frowned and ran at Karie flitting behind her and aiming a punch square at her head. Before Itachi could blink she was gone, he looked around and pulled out a kunai. Karie frowned throwing a shuriken at him from a distance, Itachi frowned catching it and throwing to the ground.
"Your going to have to come at me like you are going to kill or you will die…faster." Itachi said flitting behind her and punching her to the ground. Karie gasped, but got up quickly kicking anything that was part of Itachi and close. Itachi frowned and punched her square in the stomach. Karie gasped and fell to her knees coughing up a considerable amount of blood.
Karie stood up wiping blood from her chin. She smiled performing a series of hand signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" She yelled as 10 more Karie's appeared all running at Itachi kunai raised. "Sorry Itachi-Sama…" She whispered as all of the clones slashed from above, below, side to side, and back to front. Itachi smiled and turned into a log with a puff of smoke. "Replacement!?" Karie shouted jumping up and looking around. Itachi appeared behind her punching her in the head and knocking her out cold.
"Karie! Where are you it's already 7:30! Your late I might have to beat you twice as much now." Sasuke shouted walking down the path. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Karie lying on the ground, he ran over to her fear showing in his eyes as he tried to conceal it he heard faint whisper of 'Take care of her.' He looked around but saw no one.
"Karie! Are you ok? Karie!" Sasuke yelled frantically, he picked her up and hurried as fast as he could to the hospital afraid that she might not open her eyes again, afraid that she would not cheer his day up with her obnoxious laughter ever again, afraid that she was dead.
'It's cold…
I don't know why… I can't feel my body…
I don't know what's going on. Where am I? How'd I get here?
I'm confused. I'm… I'm scared.
Wait, I feel something, something warm. It's to my right, it's touching me. It's touching my hand. I can feel!'
Karie groaned slightly,
"Ugh! My head hurts…" She said out loud.
"Karie! Your ok! Thank goodness!"
"Tsunade-Sama?" Karie asked looking around.
"Yeah, I'm here and you're fine, now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my office."
"Bye Tsunade-Sama." Karie said quietly looking around the room, she was in a room with white walls and two beds, there was and IV in her left arm.
"Sasuke-Chan?" She asked looking to the person sitting in the chair next to her.
Sasuke stirred but didn't wake, Karie looked down to see her hand in his, she blushed and looked up to stare at the sleeping Sasuke.
'So he's what I felt, the warmth...'
Karie soon drifted back to sleep.
Karie woke the next day, as she sat up she was momentarily confused. As everything flowed back to her someone next to her called her name, waving their hand in front of the blondes face. She turned to the only other Uzumaki.
"Naruto-Nii-Chan!" She yelled embracing the brother she had thought she would never lay eyes on again.
"Karie-Chan, Are you ok?" The blonde asked as he tightly hugged her back tears forming in his eyes.
"Yes, Kohona has the best Medical-Nin in all of the main villages. Of course I'm ok!" She said smiling and letting go of her brother, as she sat up looking around the room she soon realized that Sasuke was still there, he was leaning up against the wall arms folded across his chest. His eyes were closed and he had a stern frown on his face. For a minute Karie thought he was sleeping until he opened his eyes and looked over to her. She smiled one of her gentle smiles; he turned to look out of the window his hair covering his face as he pretended to ignore her. Karie look hurt but shrugged it off and turned back to her brother she asked when she would be allowed to leave. He replied that she was supposed to stay for a few more days. She nodded and as they talked about random things she felt as if someone was watching her she looked over to Sasuke only to see him whipping his head pretending he wasn't looking. After a few more moments like this Naruto said he had to train, so he left. After he was gone Karie frowned as she looked at Sasuke.
"What's your problem?" She asked, putting a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Hn…"
Karie frowned, crossing her arms and turning her head stubbornly. Suddenly she felt someone next to her sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Who did this?" Sasuke asked quietly.
Karie sighed trying to decide what to do she didn't want to tell the truth, Sasuke would try to go after Itachi no matter what, if she told him.
"I-I don't remember." She said frowning, and adverting her eyes away from his.
"Stop it! I know that's not true! Tell me who it was!" He said his voice getting louder.
"I told you I DON'T REMEMBER!" She shouted, if she told him. If she told him, he might not come back, he might die. She couldn't live with herself if that happened.
"Why are you lying?" He asked frowning.
"Because….." 'Because you'll leave and might not come back? No I can't say that he'd figure it out'. Karie sighed. "I can't tell you."
"What do you mean you can't tell me?"
"I just can't ok!"
Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh and stood, walking to the door and walking out with out another word.
A week later Karie was discharged from the hospital, when she came back to training and missions she found that Sasuke was cold towards her. She confronted him about it but he just said he couldn't tell her about it and left.
A few months later
"Three more miles! Keep going!" Kakashi shouted as the five ninja jumped from tree to tree.
"UGH! Why is it so far?!" Karie yelled back.
"It's in a neighboring town that's why now shut up and run Uzumaki." Sasuke said in a cold tone.
Karie sighed used to his new hostile behavior, he was angry at her for not telling him who had beaten her up. She frowned and kept running. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Karie, and Kakashi stopped as they reached the outside of town near a cliff.
"You four wait here I'll deliver the package" Kakashi said saluting and puffing away.
They all rolled their eyes simultaneously. Karie lay on the ground staring up at the clouds. Sasuke leaned against a tree. Naruto was pestering Sakura.
"KARIE UZUMAKI! IS THAT YOU?!... Yeah."
"Oh crap!" Karie said jumping up only to be knocked down again by a glomp from Deidara.
"Karie-Chan! I've missed you so much! After Itachi-Sama said you were dead I cried for ages!"
"H-he said I was dead?"
"Yeah! Everyone has been so sad! Ye-" Deidara never got to finish as a Kunai drew a faint line of blood from his neck.
"Sasuke! Let go of him now!" Karie yelled.
"Itachi! Tell me what you know about him!" He yelled ignoring what Karie had said.
"Itachi-Sama? He's been all depressed since Karie left he told me and the other's in secret that she was alive but he said he hurt her and he was scared that she wasn't alive he'll be so relived! But he couldn't tell the leader or he'd come and kill her himself…Yeah!" Deidara said smiling as he turned into a log. The real Deidara jump up and hugged Karie again. Sasuke remained silent. Karie walked over to the edge of the cliff and sat hugging her knees. Sasuke walked and stood next to her, he was about to say something when there was a big crumbling cracking sound. The cliff edge that they had been on was crumbling, Sasuke jumped off of the collapsing rock but Karie could stand up fast enough Sasuke jumped back in the air plunging down into darkness reaching for her.
When Karie woke there was nothing but darkness, she took out her survival kit and lit a candle. As she looked around she saw Sasuke laying unconscious a few feet away.
"Sasuke?" She said loudly as she stood almost tripping and walked over to him, kneeling next to him she immediately took out bandages, 'He's bruised here and here, and he's bleeding here.' After she finished bandaging him she sighed and stood gathering anything she thought would burn, after getting as much twigs as she could carry she brought them back and set them down arranging them. Then lighting a match and throwing it in the center of the pile of twigs. The poor excuse for fire wood caught flame and started a steady burn. The flickering light casting menacing shadows all around the area they were in. As she looked around she saw that they were on a ledge that was some way below from where the cliff had been. She frowned before hearing a slight sound, she stood quickly kunai drawn and jumped up in a fighting stance, she saw nothing but didn't let her guard down. She shivered as she felt something wet and slimy curl around her arm looking down she saw a snake. She kept her cool and sliced the snake in half letting it fall with a thump to the ground, as she turned something caught her eye, a piece of white paper. She bent down and picked it up. The note read:
Dear Karie,
I do hope Sasuke will be in fit condition for when he comes to train with me. If he's hurt in any extremely harmful way, you will be punished.
-Thanks, Orchimaru.
"SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARD!" Karie yelled out into the darkness, pulling out another kunai.
"Do you wish to fight me?" Came the slithering snakes reply.
"Unless you leave Sasuke alone." She said shaking.
"Aw… but you're so scared and I don't feel like killing you today." He teased.
"Shut up and fight!" Karie yelled narrowing her eyes she was shaking from excitement nothing else. She had made up her mind in order for not telling Sasuke about Itachi she would protect him at all cost against Orchimaru. She charged creating multiple shadow clones and attacking him as fast as she could, but she was to slow Orchimaru cut down everyone of the clones. Karie yelled in frustration, but it was a mistake to waste time in doing anything but thinking or fighting in a match with Orchimaru, she hadn't even seen him make the hand signs all she felt was the fangs that pierced her body, she let out a scream after the pain began to hit her in sharp currents. The snake opened its jaws and slid back to Orchimaru's side hissing slightly as its scales brushed against the ashes of the burnt out fire. Karie's nails dug into the ground as she tried to withstand the pain that was surging threw her body like hot metal.
"Maybe I should just take him now? You seem like you are not a threat so why wait?" Orchimaru said stepping over her bleeding body. Karie reached out her hand and grabbed his ankle stopping him from taking another step.
"Don't touch him." She said weakly.
Orchimaru just cackled and extended his long slimy tongue, liking Sasuke's arm. (Eww! That sounds wrong!) Karie's eyes flared as something snapped inside of her, she felt this energy surging threw her body it slowly healed her wounds as she stood. She formed hand signs for a Jutsu she had just started to learn, " ELEMENTAL FOX FIRE STYLE!" she yelled as two balls of fire erupted from her out stretched arms they collided and molded together to form a fox made out of fire, Karie pointed to Orchimaru and the fox charged hitting the shocked Orchimaru head on. Orchimaru didn't even have time to scream before he was turned to ashes. As the fox faded Karie eye lids grew heavy and she fell, but someone caught her before she hit the ground her world growing black.
As Karie slowly came to consciousness she felt something brushing across her cheek, she sat up kunai out and on the throat of the person who was touching her.
"Oy! Be careful I could have killed you!" She said frustrated at Sasuke as she lowered her kunai.
"Hn."
After a long silence Sasuke asked,
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you protect me?"
"Because I felt like I had to make up for not telling you about Itachi…"
"You could have been killed."
"So?"
"So?! That's all you can say?! After all that all you can say is so? I saw how you killed him. How did you do that! And never, NEVER RISK YOUR LIFE FOR ME AGAIN!"
Karie looked shocked at his outburst. "Why?" She asked quietly.
"Why?!" Sasuke calmed himself before continuing. "Because I couldn't stand it if you were hurt or killed because of me." He said looking away from her light blue eyes.
"Why do you say that? I thought the great Sasuke Uchiha didn't care about anyone? And at first I didn't believe it but after these past few months I don't know anymore!"
Sasuke sighed, "The only reason I was cold towards you was because I was so mad at myself for not being able to protect you and because you didn't tell me who hurt you. Now I know why you didn't tell me, it was because you were afraid I would leave, right?"
"Yes…"
Sasuke pulled her into an embrace and rested his chin on top of her head.