Someone to Trust

By: Phoebe Floros

Sakura was lying on her bed when Karin visited for the first time. Her green eyes were open and glazed, staring at something only she could see. The curtains were open allowing light to pour in on the otherwise lifeless room. Karin was surprised to see her fellow kunoichi in such a lethargic state. Her once bright hair was now dull and listless, hanging about her face in thin, pink strands. She was deathly pale and her skin seemed to be tightly stretched over her cheeks. Karin held back, the bouquet she had bought from the Yamanaka Flower Shop was clutched behind her back. She had bought cherry blossoms Sakura and she had hoped that it wouldn't be too much of a cliché.

Naruto had been the first one to tell Karin that Sakura wasn't feeling well; that she hadn't left her apartment since they had gotten back from the mission where Karin surrendered to Konoha. Karin hadn't realized, since she had been in the interrogation cell with Baki for the past two weeks, expelling all she knew about Team Taka and what Uchiha Sasuke had planned for the Leaf Village. She had been truthful, hoping that this would be indirect punishment for the Uchiha for what he put her through and how he had betrayed her. After she had been released on probation in the Village, Uzumaki Naruto showed up at her door with a smile on his face and a froggy pouch in his hand. He took her to Ichiraku Ramen and they talked for a long while. He told her about his past with Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, and most of his shenanigans in the Village. Karin listened because she was calmed by his chakra; calmed enough to tune him out half the time, she focused on the sunny warmth his power radiated, and tried hard to ignore the deep, angry red chakra at his core, sometimes, though, she got what seemed a mouthful of the Demon's chakra and had to pull herself away from him for a moment before everything returned to normal. He carried on like nothing had happened, which was fine with her. After the long time she had spent talking, it was relaxing just to sit back and listen to the ramblings of a blond knucklehead while slurping what she declared the best ramen noodles she had ever tasted.

"I think she doesn't realize that Sasuke-kun isn't the same Sasuke that we knew in Team 7." Naruto had said. "It's taken me a long time to accept that, but I have. Especially this last time when he tried to kill you both. I think it shook her up pretty bad."

It had shaken up Karin, too. To have someone you loved and would do anything for impale you just to kill his enemy? She couldn't get her head around it. She couldn't stop seeing his sour face and she couldn't erase the want she had felt inside of her for him to smile that smile again, to at least grace her with one last thing of beauty. But no, he had left her to be killed by someone else. By Sakura.

Karin didn't quite remember how it all went down, but she knew that Sasuke had only asked Sakura to prove herself because he needed a distraction to he could kill her as well. And that moment when Sakura let her tears fall in front of her, that moment when she became more than just a pink-haired loudmouth, Karin felt an instant kinship with the Leaf kunoichi. Both would risk their lives for Sasuke and both were almost killed by him. The only difference now, was that Karin had forgone her feelings for the Uchiha. She couldn't have cared less for him, while Sakura was still hooked deep.

"I'm worried about her, Karin-san. She's the one that tells me not to cry, she's stronger than I am. But now she is the one that's weak. Now she's the one that needs help. And I don't know what to tell her," his sweet blue eyes locked on Karin's, silently begging. "Please go and talk to her. You know what she's going through. You can help."

So there she was in Haruno Sakura's foyer, staring at the girl on the bed. She cleared her throat, hoping Sakura would look up and take interest in what was going on. Instead of showing signs of life, Sakura closed her eyes and kept still.

"Sakura-san?" Karin's voice cracked a bit as she took another step forward. She bit her lower lip as her grip on the flowers tightened. After pausing for a good minute, she entered the bedroom and sat on one of the desk chairs across from the bed. "Sakura, Naruto-kun has asked me to check in on you. Maybe we could talk?"

Sakura's head rolled to the side and she opened her eyes, staring at Karin point-blank. The green of her eyes no longer had the warm, grassy feel to them that Karin had once felt; now they were sharp and cold, like poison. "What would we talk about, Karin?"

Karin flinched. "Maybe we could talk about you. And what happened to us." She didn't know how to causally bring up Uchiha Sasuke in normal circles, so here, where the mere mention of the Uchiha Clan garnered cold stares and silence, Karin decided it was best just to speak bluntly.

"There's nothing to say."

It seemed as though Sakura had not even spoken, her lips had not parted and her gaze had not moved. Karin felt like a trapped animal, unable to break free of the snare the hunter had laid out.

"Yes, there is. Something terrible happened and we can relate to each other. We were both in love with-"

In a flash, Sakura was on her feet and next to Karin, a fistful of crimson hair in her hand. Karin let out a strangled cry; the surprise and pain flooding her together at the same time. "You were not in love with Sasuke-kun. If you stopped, you never even started," she hissed through her clenched teeth. Her lips were right by Karin's ear and her voice was so low, even Karin had to strain to hear it clearly. "Maybe you were attracted to him, infatuated by him, drawn to him, but don't you dare say you were in love with him. The only people that truly know how to love Uchiha Sasuke are me and Naruto-kun." She uncurled her fingers and Karin's hair slipped though like water.

Clutching her head, Karin shut her eyes, not wanting to look at Sakura even once more. Tears danced on the rims of her lower eyelids and before she could do anything to stop them, one drop slid down her sloped cheek. She had thought of Sakura as a kindred spirit, someone whom she could relate to. This burst of irrational anger confirmed her doubt; she and Haruno Sakura were nothing alike.

She didn't have time to rethink that silly statement before she rushed out of the apartment.

"Great going, Sasuke-kun. Now we've lost our medic. What will we do if one of us gets injured?" Suigetsu lay on the ground, his cheek in the cup of his palm. He watched as Sasuke let the river wash the blood from his body, his attitude getting worse and worse as the Uchiha, now the only Uchiha, waded deeper and deeper into the water. Suigetsu wasn't sorry to see Karin leave; quite the opposide, actually. He despised that fire-crotched bitch with every drop inside him. He was primarily worried about exactly what he voiced – who would take care of Team Taka of one of the only two members became ill or was injured. He feared that it would he him that got incapacitated and Sasuke would leave him behind like he did their medical-nin.

Sasuke ducked his head under the moving water. The cold current awoke something in him and he felt alive again, like a new fire was burning inside of him. He knew his path now, his true path. He would demolish Konohagakure until it was nothing but rubble and blood. A calm swept over him as he imagined the buildings crashing down around frightened villagers, scattering like ants. He relaxed as he thought about pounding in the six faces on the side of the mountain. He thought of strangling Tsunade, of blowing apart Kakashi, of tearing out Sakura's throat and most importantly, squashing Uzumaki Naruto, that enormous pain in the ass, like the insignificant bug that he was. Then he would give Suigetsu a choice; either die or leave and forget how all of this came about. Then, he would peacefully close his eyes and…

"Sasuke-KUN!"

He stood up in the waist-high water and stared at his teammate who was cross-legged and very eager looking.

"What is it now, Suigetsu," asked Sasuke as he climbed out of the river and pulled his clothes on over his wet skin. He tossed a dirty look at the guy next to him with the white-blue hair.

Suigetsu cringed and blinked a few times. " You didn't answer my question."

Sasuke thought a moment, closing his eyes and stroking his chin. "What will we do if someone gets hurt…what will we do if someone gets hurt…" he mock-murmured. Suigetsu knew what was coming and he braced himself for it. "I'll leave you behind for the Leaf shinobi to get you like they got Karin and then you won't be a burden to me anymore."

With that, Sasuke stood and walked toward the forest's edge, leaving Suigetsu to scramble up and follow him.

I hope you liked it...please review! I love them so!