Where We Shall Go for Love
As Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi continue to think about ways to stop Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, everyone outside of Sasuke's Susanoo remains in a dream, aside from those who have been reincarnated.
"Everyone, I think my rinnegan can actually help stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi, or at the very least buy us enough time to stop Madara and end the jutsu that way," Sasuke said. "I don't know why I feel this way, but something is telling me that there is more to what the Sage of Six Paths has done to Naruto and I."
"Ha ha, yea, it's like a gut feeling I can't shake. The power he gave us, it's telling me that there is something that can be done," Naruto said in a reassuring voice.
"Well, if you two have an idea as to what you want Sakura and I to do, now would be the time to tell us," declared Kakashi.
"Yea, we will, just give us a little time to think it through," said Naruto.
Well everyone, in our last rendition of dreams from loved characters trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, we checked the Leaf's handsome devil, Rock Lee. In this segment, I will be giving you all a love story. But who will be in this love story you ask? Ahhh. We are going to have the pleasure of seeing what Karin is dreaming about. We all know how she feels about Sasuke. Maybe she found a way to claim his love once and for all.
Ever since I first laid eyes on Sasuke, I've always wanted him to look at me, and not just look at me, but look at me with eyes that say he loves me, that he actually cares for me. I don't care for those cold-hearted eyes that he boasts daily, not giving a shit about who he crosses paths with, only with what he can gain from those he crossed paths with. But here I am, helping him as he moves towards his new goal of finding out who he really is. It's a lofty goal but I will continue to remain by his side, if only I could find a way to…
"Karin, I need you to go with Juugo to the market up the road and purchase food for tonight." Commanded Sasuke, "We need to set up camp here. There is a storm coming in and I want to set up base and the traps to protect us before nightfall."
"Oh! Yea, sure thing, Sasuke. Juugo, come on, lets hurry and get back."
"Understood, Karin," said Juugo.
As Karin and Juugo begin on the path towards the nearby village to purchase the supplies, Karin returns into deep thought regarding how she could show Sasuke how much she cares for him.
Maybe If I bought some of his favorite foods, he would acknowledge me. Wait, what are his favorite foods? Dammit, I know so little about him I could never purchase anything specific for him. All I know is that he wants to discover who he really is, he killed Orochimaru, and he's from the leaf village. But none of those things will help me show him how much I care…
"Karin," Juugo said, "Karin? Karin, pay attention, we're almost at the village entrance. We need to stay focused so we don't draw any attention to ourselves. It is said that in this village some of the people are known to read the minds of newcomers based solely on their body language. You appear to be tense and I'm not sure why, but you need to relax yourself," Juugo said in a very calm voice.
"Maybe that can be used to my advantage. This village is also known to help those with troubling issues and I need some help right about now," Karin replied.
"Help? Help with what?"
"I don't know if I should tell you. It's not that important, anyways."
"Karin, you can tell me, I won't judge you at all. I will actually seek to find ways to help you instead."
Karin pondered about this as they continued to approach the gate. She began wondering if Juugo could actually be trusted with the knowledge that she loves Sasuke. She knew he was level headed, and seemed to be sincere since she first met him.
"Okay, Juugo, promise me you won't laugh, though," Karin said as her voice began to crack.
"Yep," Juugo Replied.
"Alright, the reason I have been in very deep though lately, is because, well, I love Sasuke and I don't know how I can get him to see that and hopefully love me back," Karin said, laying it all on the table.
"ha ha," Juugo said with a smile.
"Hey! You promised you wouldn't laugh, asshole," she snapped.
"ha ha ha, sorry, Karin. I am only laughing because I thought that you had something more troubling on your mind. Well, I guess love can be a troubling thing for some. Ever since this curse mark was placed on me by Orochimaru, I have kept such things away from my mind in fear that I will hurt someone close to me. However, I believe I can help you show Sasuke your true feelings," Juugo reassured her.
"Oh, that's a relief. Well, what should I do," Karin asked.
"You can start by doing what you said earlier, and let your emotions show to the village people so they will approach us. I read and have a strong belief that they there is someone here in this village who is profound in the art of love and helping those with love issues."
"Right!"
As the two entered the gate, Juugo reminded Karin about why they came here. They still had to find some supplies for the camp before the storm rolled in. Since both of their minds were on the same subject, Karin's a little more occupied with Sasuke, they decided to split up for the time being. Juugo went ahead and searched for supplies on his own, giving Karin the space she needed in hopes that she would be approached by someone who can help her.
"Okay I got the rice, meat and spices, but I'm blanking on what else I should get," Juugo said aloud.
"Shuriken," a voice said from the shadows.
Juugo turned and looked towards the alley, where a young man stepped out of the darkness, revealing himself.
"You need to buy more shuriken to help protect your camp," the young man said, "sorry, where are my manners? My name is Hara. I sort of sensed something was wrong and couldn't help myself towards blurting out what you needed. I'm still pretty new to my clan's ability and sometimes the excitement of what others think about just drives me towards opening my mouth too soon, Hara said.
"Oh. Pleasure to meet you, Hara. My name is Juugo. Don't worry about it. I'm actually really lucky you were here to help me. I don't know if I would remember the shuriken on my own"
"No problem, Juugo. So where is your group headed," questioned Hara.
"Well, I cannot tell you, Hara. We are working on something important, though"
"Hmm, well, that's okay, I guess. It really isn't none of my business anyways," replied Hara. Anyways, the armory is further down this path and you'll take a right at the ramen shop up ahead."
"Thank you, Hara," Juugo gratefully said.
"Right, by the way, your friend who you split from, is on the right path to achieving her goal. Oops! Uh, sorry, I kinda looked deeper into your mind on accident and seen that your friend is going through something that I guess is major, for her at least"
Juugo drew in a deep breath before replying to Hara, "Well, thank you for letting me know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must continue on my way towards the armory."
Juugo turned his back towards the boy, looked towards the sky, noticed the storm slowly rolling in, and walked towards the armory.
As Karin continued to walk around the town, hoping that the mystery person would approach her, she began to recall her childhood. She wondered how much different she would be, had her mother not suffered by the hands of her home town for their own selfish needs. It was obvious that she missed her mother, the woman who sacrificed so much to protect her and supply for her. Karin, quickly suppressed those emotions before they overran her thoughts. She continued walking down a path that eventually lead to a small pond in the center of the village. She found a bench near the pond, allowing clear sight down the path towards the other part of the town. A gust of wind gently blew her hair; the leaves of many trees were shaken off their branches, gently falling towards the ground around the stumps. There were ripples in the pond as the wind blew over the surface, revealing some koi fish awaiting someone to feed them. Karin began to feel like there was no hope left for her in finding the one who could help her solve her problem, when suddenly a strange hooded figure approached her, singing an unrecognizable song in a very upbeat tone.
Karin was unaware what this person wanted, but she was hoping that it would be the person she was looking for, even though she had her hand ready to grab her kunai.
"Are you…the one," Karin asked.
"Depends on what you're considering 'the one' to be," said the stranger.
"The one who will help me with my love problems involving Sasuke."
"Ahhh, yes, that is me. Fu. Fu. Fu. You can call me Misume."
Misume, huh?
"Nice to meet you, Misume."
Karin was still a bit weary with this new individual who approached her, but she decided to part ways with ill thoughts towards Misume. Misume was a short, elderly woman, with blue-green eyes. Her chakra levels were phenomenal and Karin could tell that she was very skilled in her abilities.
"I still have no idea what your name is," Misume said.
"Karin. It's Karin"
"Well, Karin, I sensed that you had an issue with a love interest. I felt your energy once you crossed into the village."
Damn. Juugo wasn't kidding when he said there are people who can sense problems with those new to their village.
"Yea, it's Sasuke."
"Well, would you like to explain more or should I continue to invade you mind and get the information I need myself?"
"Sorry. I loved Sasuke ever since he rescued me from my prison long ago. He has always been there for me and I don't know what I would do without him to be honest. The thing is, I'm not sure what I can do to show him how much I care and with my feelings for him boiling over the edge, it's only right that I tell him sooner rather than later. If I wait until later, I'm afraid that…"
"You're afraid that your team will be too far gone into the mission to ever consider love again and if you at least take the opportunity to say something now, you'll at least feel better about yourself, even if your efforts happen to fail," said the wise Misume.
"Wait, I thought you weren't going to read my mind anymore," said a very confused Karin.
"I did not have to read your mind to tell you that. Based on what I already learned from your mind earlier, and what you have told me, I knew exactly what the situation was. I've seen many come through these village walls with very similar issues, if not the same. By now I should be an expert. Ha! Ha! Ha!" said Misume, as she informed Karin.
Karin gradually realized that this woman was someone who she could trust. She lowered her mental barrier and allowed Misume access to her mind. Misume began to understand and learn about Karin's terrible past. She truly felt sad for her.
"Karin, I will find a way to help you win Sasuke's heart. It may be difficult or rather easy. It all depends on how he feels about you, but none the less, I have used this method many times and it has worked most of the time for young men and women your age."
"Thank you so much Misume! What exactly will you do, though?"
"I wouldn't worry about that too much. Remember this, though, when the time comes, you will know what to do, and if you do not act at that moment, you may lose your only shot with Sasuke, forever"
"I understand, Misume," replied Karin.
Misume walked away, back towards where she came from, disappearing as if she was fading away until she disappeared. Karin knew that she was not some imaginary being that her mind came up with, but she was still concerned about that entire process. Karin went back into the main part of town, looking for Juugo, to see if he was able to gather all the supplies that they needed. As she leisurely walked across back to town, she noticed the storm was nearing them. She saw Juugo at the corner of her left eye, sitting down and eating the supreme ramen at the ramen shop. It included thin slices of pork, rice noodles, what appeared to be a very flavorful broth, and a variety of vegetables. Juugo was savoring the flavors that the ramen provided. While on the road there is no time to really get some delicious ramen, unless they were to stop at a village.
"Juugo! What are you doing? Did you find what we needed," Karin Exclaimed.
"What I'm doing is eating ramen at a ramen shop. Did I find what we needed? Yes, I did find the materials we needed, thanks to Hara pointing me in the direction where the armory was," replied Juugo.
"Hara? Who is Hara?"
"He was some kid who carries the secret technique of his clan, but does not have the ability to truly manage it. He learned about my problem and decided to help me out; he's a good kid."
Karin was a little skeptical about how that whole exchange of words went down, but she decided to not press the issue too much.
"Alright, well I think we have some time to enjoy a meal before we have to head back to the camp. Suigetsu may get angry, but fuck him. He is so annoying."
Karin ordered the ramen with cooked shrimp and yellowtail fish in a creamy broth. She and Juugo dined, sitting on stools, under the canopy of the shop. Again, that eerie breeze came, blowing the steam away from the food cooking in the ramen shop. Was this Misume's way of hinting at when Karin would have to act? She was confused for sure, but she didn't want to think about it too much.
"boom! Crackle!"
The sound of thunder was beginning to roll in. Karin and Juugo knew that they needed to head back to the camp soon. With their bellies full of ramen, and their packs loaded with supplies, the two of them walked back to the camp, through the main village gate, as villagers watched them leave. As they approached the camp, sure enough, Suigetsu was hungry and angry.
"What the hell took you two so long!? I busted my ass setting up the tents while Sasuke just sat over there doing whatever the hell he is doing and…"
"Suigetsu. Calm down. We're here now," said Juugo, "take this bag. It contains the food that meats and rice that I purchased from the village. Why don't you start prepping the meal?"
"Dammit. It's always me that has to prep the food."
Jeeze. Misume sure knows how to keep a girl waiting. Camp is set up, Suigetsu is preparing the meal, and soon we will be eating and preparing for bed.
Suigetsu finished making dinner for everyone. He made rice with cooked meat and even prepared some vegetables on the side. Everyone stuffed their bellies and just in time, too. Large raindrops began to flow from the charcoal grey sky, Nature reminding those on earth that she is in control. The four of them retired into their shelters, but yet again, the strange breeze blew past, a warm breeze during a chilly storm.
"Hmm. That was unusual," Sasuke observed, "I feel slightly woozy. Juugo, switch watch shifts with me. I'll cover the next one. I need to rest for a bit."
"Sure thing," replied Juugo.
As everyone fell asleep, Juugo remained on watch for the first shift of the night. Suddenly, Sasuke began to develop a chill that shook his entire body. He began speaking an inaudible language in his sleep. He had developed an illness that was hurting him. Juugo could hear that something was wrong and went to check on Sasuke. His face was pale and covered in sweat. With no way to make it back into the town during the storm, Juugo went to wake up Karin. She was the only one in their group with some type of medical training.
"What is it Juugo," Karin asked.
"It's Sasuke,"
"Sasuke?! What 's wrong with him? Is he okay"
"No, something is wrong. I'm not sure what to do about it," Juugo worried.
"I'll take a look," Karin said with determination.
This must be what Misume was planning! I must save Sasuke's life from the sickness. First I need to get an idea of what is affecting him, though, otherwise my efforts will be useless. I should act quickly. I'm not sure how long this opportunity will last, or Sasuke, for that matter. It would be a shame if he was to die now. I must prove to him that I am worthy of his affection no matter what. I will save Sasuke no matter what and we will be together forever.
Karin made her way to Sasuke's tent. She entered and seen Sasuke hurting from the sickness. She diagnosed him as having some type of flu, which if not taken care of soon, she would lose him.
"Juugo, Suigetsu, I need you two to go search for these herbs. I wrote them down for you. it is crucial that you collect every herb on that list. I will need them to make a very potent medicine that should help Sasuke with his resting so his immune system can work properly."
The both of them agreed and went on their way.
"Oh Sasuke, I will cure you. Don't give up on me. I have developed feelings for you that are out of this world and I cannot fathom life without you in it, so don't you go dying on me," commanded Karin.
A few hours later, Juugo and Suigetsu returned, with the herbs that Karin asked for. All of it was there.
"Thanks you two," Karin said sincerely.
She pulled out her mortar and pestle and began to grind the herbs together, adding in hot water to help aid in the process, developing a thin but gritty liquid for Sasuke to consume. After giving the medicine time to blend together, she held up Sasuke's head and placed the bowl to his lips for him to drink. She gently placed his head back onto his pillow and told him to rest.
Several days later, Sasuke exited his tent. He appeared very thin from lack of eating, and he had a foul odor to him that was indescribable.
"Sasuke! You're finally out of bed! We all were worried so much about you," Karin exclaimed.
"What happened to me," asked Sasuke.
"Well after Juugo and I came back from the village with the supplies, we ate dinner and you weren't feeling good. You switched watch shifts with Juugo and while you slept you developed the flu. I created some medicine for you to take during the days you were in bed to help aid in the healing process."
"Huh…thank you, Karin. That was very kind of you. This really meant a lot to me and…"
Karin pressed her body onto Sasuke's and pushed her lips onto his, kissing him as if they have been in a happy relationship for years. Shockingly, Sasuke reacted to the kiss and reciprocated back. They separated from each other.
"Sasuke, I thought that I was going to lose you."
Sasuke was surprised to see how much Karin cared for him.
"Was it you who said those amazing things to me when I was at the peak of my sickness? I faintly remember the image of someone speaking to me and it really motivated me to not give up," asked Sasuke.
"Yes, Sasuke. That was me. I meant every word of it too. I love you Sasuke and I won't give up until you recognize that."
"Well, you can stop now. I understand and I have actually developed feelings for you over some time now"
Juugo overheard a brief snippet of Karin and Sasuke's conversation and thought to himself that he told her so. All she had to do was say something to him.
Thank you Misume. You have really helped me more than words can explain. I will never forget your kindness and how helpful you have been in my endeavors towards pursuing Sasuke's love.
Several years later, Sasuke and Karin married each other and Sasuke became the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.