Home Sweet Home
A single black eye swept over the village. This was to be her new home. A village set in the middle of a forest. Village Hidden In Leaves. Konoha. She remained motionless, just watching, waiting. Two fingers twitched, before rising to her forehead and pulling off the binding there. The silver plate flashed in the dim light filtering through the leaves around her. The symbol of the Mist reflected in her eye. Then it was gone, shoved ruthlessly into the confines of her pack, never to see daylight again. She was home.
"Do we have to?" The voice smarted on her ears as she passed by. Glancing to her right, she surveyed them. A girl with pink hair and a boy with raven hair stood patiently watching a blonde boy whining. Blinking, her eye rested on the male to whom the complaints were addressed. Her heart almost stopped. Silver hair, so much like her own, rose above a single black eye. Hitai-ate pulled down to cover his left eye, as her hair covered hers.
"Hatake Kakashi." She breathed. Dragging herself away, turning her back on the scene she advanced towards the building that dominated the city. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to push the thought of the male from her mind. Just focus on the task at hand here. Her mind scolded. Don't go getting distracted now. That wouldn't do.
"No, it wouldn't." she murmured.
"Karin."
She half-turned back. He was watching her from behind steepled fingers.
"Don't cause any trouble."
Her lips twitched slightly.
"Like I would." She replied. He just smiled and watched as she swept out.
Finally, she was home. The mattress of the bed was a luxury after her long journey from the Water Country. Sighing, she let her eyes close, only to have them snap open as a knock sounded on the solid wood of the door. Eyes on the ceiling, she considered ignoring it, but the knocking was persistent. Growling softly, she dragged her tired limbs up and stepped gingerly towards the source of the irritation. Eyeing the wood, she pulled it open. A ninja stood before her. She examined him critically.
"Yes?" Her voice was calm, cold even.
"Karin?" He asked.
"Yes."
"I'm Iruka."
She watched him blankly, and he shifted uneasily under the weight of her stare.
"And?"
"Erm, I've come to tell you you've been appointed to work with Team 7, lead by Hatake Kakashi."
Her face remained calm, though her heart sped up.
"Great." She said blankly.
"You will report to them tomorrow, they meet at nine on the training grounds."
Nodding silently, she moved to shut the door.
"Welcome to the village." Iruka added quickly. After pausing momentarily, she shut the door behind her. Allowing her brow to form a frown, she returned to her bedroom, changed and slid beneath her covers. Food could wait until tomorrow. Sleep was more important right now.
Sunlight playing across her eyes dragged her from her dreams. Eyelids slid silently open, nothing else moved. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts and survey her surroundings, she rose, barely sparing a glance at the rising sun. A shower and a change of clothes later found her sprinting through the forest, face set, breathing steady. As the sun rose higher in the sky, she changed direction and headed for the training grounds on the outskirts of the village. Slowing to a steady jog, she came in sight of the meeting place. No one was there. Letting her lip twitch slightly, she took up a position in a tree, in plain sight of those who looked carefully enough.
"Where do you think Kakashi-sensei is?" Sakura asked, giving in and taking a seat on the ground.
"There." Sasuke replied calmly, dark eyes watching the movement before them. Indeed, their sensei emerged from the trees, not looking at all concerned that they'd been waiting for him for ages. Kakashi frowned slightly
"There's supposed to be a new girl joining us today. I wonder where she is."
"We haven't seen anyone and we've been here for ages."
"It just shows how observant all of you are." She surveyed them from her branch, casually lounging against the trunk.
"How long have you been there?" Naruto asked, taking a step forwards. Her gaze fell onto him, and he unconsciously stepped backwards again.
"Since before you arrived." Her voice was cool and calm.
"Would you care to come down here and introduce yourself?" Kakashi watched her with his single eye. She twisted and landed lightly on her feet. Stepping out of the gloom of the trees, they saw her clearly for the first time. Silver hair hung well below her shoulders, only a single, dark eye showed and she wore the hitai-ate and uniform of a leaf-nin.
"So you are Karin?"
"Indeed." She replied coolly. Kakashi nodded.
"Care to elaborate, tell us where you're from, you're dreams, goals, ambitions?"
She shrugged.
"I'm from Mist. My dreams are my own, my goals and ambitions are pretty much the same, and are for my ears only."
Silence met her reply.
"You remind me of Sasuke." Naruto said eventually, pointing at said person, receiving a scowl from him in return. She watched him calmly.
"And?"
"What rank are you?" Sakura asked, eyeing her uniform.
"Jounin." Was the blank answer.
"What? How old are you?" She spluttered.
"Thirteen." Karin turned to face Kakashi. "Are we going to do something or just hang around?"
"We're going on a mission." Kakashi looked vaguely amused.
"Karin, arrived at point D." Even over the intercom she sounded bored.
"Sasuke, arrived at point B."
"Sakura, at point C."
There was a long pause before,
"Naruto, arrived at point A."
"Hurry up Naruto. Is the target in sight?"
Four affirmatives came through his earpiece.
"Moving in." Karin's voice hadn't lost its boredom. Loud yowling made Kakashi wince. "Target captured. Returning to base." Karin sighed.
"That was utterly pointless." Naruto whined, collapsing on the grass. Sakura joined in on the whinging, while Sasuke and Karin just watched, both faces blank.
"Why can't we have better missions?" Naruto turned to Kakashi.
"Because you're Genin and you need to prove yourselves before you can move onto higher ranking missions."
"Well, some of us are Genins." Karin remarked, studying her nails. Kakashi ignored her.
"I've set you a challenge, to pass the rest of the day."
Three heads turned towards him.
"Somewhere on this training ground I've hidden three things. Find one before sunset and bring it to me, and you'll have tomorrow off. If you don't find one, you'll be training as usual. Go."
A cloud of dust rose and he waited patiently until it faded.
"Karin." He said calmly. "I see you've decided not to take part."
"I don't do days off." She replied, climbing into a tree to watch what happened.
"So I see." Kakashi muttered, pulling out his book.
As the sun was heading towards the horizon, Kakashi returned his book to its pouch and straightened up.
"Who are you expecting to find them?" Karin actually sounded vaguely interested. Glancing up, he could just about make out silver hair in the gloom.
"Sasuke. The other two, it depends really."
"On what?"
"How hard they look and whether or not they can get passed the traps placed around the objects."
"Hmm."
"You don't sound too surprised about the traps."
"I'm a Jounin as well. It's too easy to just leave them lying around."
Kakashi nodded but didn't reply.
"Here comes someone." Karin commented. Kakashi looked, and Sasuke appeared from the trees. He extended a hand, a shirt dangling from his finger. Nodding silently, Kakashi retrieved the shirt, and placed it to the side. Together they watched the sun set, and the two remaining members of the team return empty handed.
"How disappointing." Kakashi said thoughtfully. "It took you all afternoon to find one thing." He glanced up. "Would you care to show them how it's done?"
A book landed at his feet.
"There's one." Karin said, a hint of smugness in her voice.
"Have you had that the whole time?"
"Of course. It's uncomfortable to sit on."
"And the third?"
"Under the bush over there." She pointed to a seemingly innocent looking bush.
"I'll get it!" Naruto cried, sprinting towards it.
"Wait for it…" Karin murmured, sliding down from her perch. As they watched, the ground vanished from beneath Naruto. Sighing, she leapt lightly across the hole, avoided the trip wires and returned to Kakashi with another book, and a somewhat disgruntled Naruto.
"Congratulations Sasuke and Karin. You're not training tomorrow."
Both gave him a blank look.
"Time to go home." He continued, walking away. Karin remained beneath the trees, watching the others leave. When the grounds were empty, and darkness was closing in, she stepped slowly into the centre of the open space. Looking upwards, she gazed upon on the first stars of the evening, watching more and more appear. The moonrise still found her there. An immobile statue. A silhouette against a midnight sky. Eventually, she turned away from the pinpricks in the sky. She trod the well-worn path back to the village and passed unseen through the streets of Konoha. The village lay in silence, its inhabitants asleep in their homes. The gentle pad of her feet wasn't heard and the way she let her normally proud posture droop slightly was never seen. Sighing deeply, she let her feet carry her home. Passing over the threshold, her stomach complained loudly about its lack of contents. Ignoring it, she let her body crumple onto her bed, barely bothering to remove unnecessary items of clothing. Ebony eyes remained open, surveying what little of the room she could see in the darkness. Letting her eyes close, sleep took her.
The bright light was hurting her eyes. She was tired and in a bad mood as it was, and her eyes hurting wasn't doing anything to make it better. She'd already sent Naruto and Sakura running for cover when they'd made the mistake of upsetting her. Now everyone was being wary of her. Even Kakashi was keeping a closer eye on her. She inhaled deeply, calming her self, and rubbing her eyes gently. She froze as the unmistakable thud of a kunai sounded in her right ear. Her eyes snapped open to glare at the culprit. Kakashi watched her calmly.
"Jounin don't take their eyes off the enemy."
Karin didn't reply for a long minute.
"If you were my enemy, you'd know it."
"Care to test that theory?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"With pleasure."
It was the noise that drew them; the explosions coming from the training grounds. Ninjas of all ranks came running, to find an extraordinary sight. Kakashi, one of the most revered ninja in the village, was engaged in a fight with the new girl, a Jounin at the age of 13. Kakashi's fire techniques were barely touching Karin, as her water techniques were barely touching him. He had moved his hitai-ate and the Sharingan was swirling in his eye. As the two moved round, the bystanders could see the scarlet of the Sharingan in Karin's eyes also. As they watched, Karin's hands flicked through so many hand seals, that it was impossible to see which ones she'd used. A dragon, formed of fire and water exploded from the ground before her, encircling Kakashi and pinning him. The duel was over. He'd lost.
She removed the jutsu as he raised his hands in defeat. She extended a hand, and he took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. Her Sharingan had vanished, and her hair had fallen back over her left eye.
"You blended fire and water." It was a statement.
"Yes."
"And you used the Sharingan."
"Yes."
"Karin?"
She turned to find the ninja who'd turned up at her apartment behind her.
"Yes… Iruka?"
"Hokage-sama wants to see you."
She winced slightly.
"Of course." She muttered, turning and heading for the village. "Great." She hissed beneath her breath, hurrying on.
"I distinctly remember telling you not to cause any trouble."
She groaned lightly.
"I didn't exactly cause trouble…" She muttered.
"You revealed that you're a Sharingan user, and your ability to blend fire and water."
"Oh." She murmured. "That."
"Yes. That." He rose from his seat and moved to look out of the window. "Karin, I only want what's best for you, and you're not really helping me."
"It was going to come out sooner or later."
"Yes, but you're new here, it's your second day in the village. People aren't used to you."
"I can deal with it."
"Can you?"
She raised her eyes to meet his square on.
"Yes."
He smiled at her.
"You remind me so much of your father."
"Yeah…" she whispered. "If only he knew."
She wandered the well-trodden paths of the village idly, her thoughts lost to the world. When she tired of the village, she removed herself to the forest outside. The cool afternoon shadows soothed her hot skin, caressing and cooling. The trees whispered softly above her, singing in the way only they knew. She nearly relaxed, wandering through that Haven, but she caught herself and remained slightly wary of her surroundings. Leaving the track, she passed deeper into the trees, the boughs above her becoming closer, and the trunks thicker. The darkness grew, and the air cooled. Light pierced through the darkness in golden shafts from ahead of her. Pressing on, she stepped out into a clearing, with a large stream flowing through the middle. Smiling, she sat on the bank, and, slipping off her sandals, she let her feet dangle into the water below her. The refreshing caress of the water calmed her erratic thoughts as they fled through; memories of the fight with Kakashi and what the Hokage had said to her. The hours slid smoothly past, dusk gathered and the sun began its descent towards the horizon. Noticing the growing darkness and chill, and the prickling on the back of her neck, Karin removed her feet from the water and slid them back into her sandals, all the while casting about for a source of chakra, or the reason she felt she was being watched. Straightening, she peered about her, searching for anything in the gloom. Frowning slightly, she turned and headed for the village, mindful to keep an eye on her surroundings and listen for any out of place sounds.
He watched as she progressed into the trees, suspicious and wary. The fading sunlight reflected in her silver hair and turned it a fiery gold. Dark eyes scoured the trees. Feet trod silently upon the dry ground. He remained where he was, letting her go, for now at least. No need to spook her just yet.
Much to her surprise, the village was brightly lit and full of music and noise as she approached. Confused, she skirted the noise and headed to her apartment, only to see a rather amusing sight. Three of her teammates stood outside her apartment, two looking bored, and one knocking on the door.
"Face it Naruto, she's not in." Sasuke sighed.
"But she's not at the festival either." Naruto pointed out, not stopping in his knocking.
"Maybe she doesn't want to go." Sakura added in.
"Maybe she hasn't a clue what's going on." Karin called softly, approaching. Three Genin turned to face her.
"Karin! It's festival night!" Naruto bounced towards her, stopping a few inches from her. When she looked non-plussed, he added, "The entire village goes, and there's stalls and things."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Festival."
"Yes."
She sighed.
"Basically, you're not going to leave me alone unless I agree to go, right?"
"You've got him figured out." Sasuke muttered. Karin rolled her eyes and stepped around them, letting herself in.
"Come in if you want, I'll just go change."
Curious, the three stepped inside the apartment, looking around with great interest. It was very plain and simple. A couch and table in the main room, a simple kitchen at one end, and two doors, leading to the bedroom and bathroom. There were no pictures and no personal effects lying around.
"Pretty boring place isn't it?" Karin appeared from her bedroom, now wearing a long black skirt and a black blouse. She smoothed her top and glanced at their faces. "What? Is it ok?"
"You look pretty." Naruto said slowly, making Karin laugh.
"Are you always so honest?"
"Yes he is." Sasuke answered for him, shoving him towards the door.
"Oww." Naruto whined. "Stop it."
Karin rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna refuse to go anywhere unless you stop fighting."
Suddenly, Naruto and Sasuke were best friends. Karin winked at Sakura who giggled.
"Works every time." She whispered to her, following them out of the door.
She had to admit, for the first time she could remember, she was enjoying herself. She followed Naruto through the stalls, the crowds of people and the bright lights, watching and listening; soaking in the atmosphere of the place.
"Karin!" He stood before a target range. She sighed.
"You want me to do this?"
"Yes! I'll pay for it!"
"No, it's alright."
Naruto beat her to the stall keeper though. He grinned at her, and she couldn't help smiling back. She was handed five darts.
"Hit any four targets to win a prize. Hit all five to get the giant fox toy." The man explained. Nodding silently, she selected a dart. It felt weighted in her fingers; it wouldn't fly straight. A swift mental calculation gave her the answer to her problem. Aiming above the target, she released it and smiled as it thudded solidly into the coloured wood. The other four darts followed suit. Ignoring Naruto's high-pitched squeals, she walked away, leaving him to claim the toy.
"Karin!"
She paused, waiting for him. The toy was nearly as big as him. Restraining herself from laughing, she smiled at him as he drew level.
"Can you win me something else?" He asked sweetly.
"I might as well." She laughed. She grinned as her hand was seized and she was dragged off.
The silver hair stood out among the other people at the festival.
"Sensei!" Naruto called, bounding over with Karin still in tow. He turned and eyed them thoughtfully.
"Naruto. Karin." He said slowly. Karin merely nodded at him.
"Karin is going to win me something else." Naruto said loudly.
"Is she?" Kakashi asked, turning his eye on her. She shrugged, taking the darts handed to her. Turning to the stall, she eyed the targets. They were moving. Letting her left eye close, she let the dart fly. It thudded into the target. Just.
"You might find it easier to sight with both eyes." Kakashi pointed out.
"It wouldn't make much difference either way." Karin replied, lining her next shot up.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm blind in my left eye." The dart hit the next target.
"Are you really?" Naruto sounded interested. She nodded, letting loose the last three darts. Curling her fingers around her hair, she lifted it off her left eye to reveal that it was a milky blue/white.
"Wow." Naruto stared as she let her hair fall back. "What's it like being blind in one eye?"
"I don't know any different." She laughed, taking the prize handed to her, passing it on to Naruto. She turned and walked away, Naruto hurrying after her. Kakashi watched them go, looking thoughtfully after them.
"Look there's Sasuke and Sakura!" Naruto bounded off, running up to them. Sakura was watching Sasuke with puppy dog eyes, and he was ignoring her. They both turned as Naruto ran up to them. Karin took a more leisurely pace.
"Does anyone know what time it is?" Sakura asked.
"About 10 o'clock." Karin replied.
"Time for you all to be in bed." Kakashi appeared from behind her. Two jumped, two simply glared at him. "Go on, all of you. We're meeting early tomorrow." Waved them off, but caught Karin by the arm as she went to leave. "Can we talk?"
Nodding, she walked beside him in silence through the villagers. Soon, they'd left the village behind and were wandering through the trees. Musing about how long ago she was last here, she missed Kakashi's question.
"Pardon?" she asked, snapping out of her thoughts.
"How did you become blind, Karin?" He asked again.
"I was born like it. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering." He replied softly. "We're not so different, you and I."
Karin didn't reply, wondering where this was going, and how much he knew. He walked away a couple of steps, then turned to face her.
"Are we related Karin?"
She looked away, she had dreamt of this moment for years, but now she couldn't bring herself to face it.
"Karin?"
She pulled the photo from her pocket and offered it to him. Curious, he took it from her, and stopped. It was a picture of him and, he inhaled sharply.
"Maiha…" He whispered. He looked at Karin. "How did you get this?"
"She is my mother. Well, was." She murmured. Kakashi stared at her. Flashes of that night flitted through his mind.
"She… was your mother?"
"Yes." Karin replied, not looking at him.
"Which means that… I'm your father?"
"Yes." She whispered. She waited. Waited for him to say something. She didn't expect the hug. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her to him.
"Goreijou." He whispered, holding her tight. "My daughter."
The familiar pricking in her eyes told her what was going to happen, but she couldn't hold the tears back. The silver droplets fled her eyes, and she sobbed into his chest. He hushed her gently, cradling her in his arms. The moon watched over them, her gentle light dancing in their silver hair. Slowly, her sobs faded, and her breathing levelled. Gently, he scooped her up, cradling her close. She let her eyes close, leaning her head on his arm. In silence, he carried her out of the forest and back into the village. He avoided the festival, heading for his apartment. He was gentle with her as he let her down to lie on the bed, removed her sandals and lifted the covers over her. She was barely conscious as he walked away, heading for the couch, and several hours of thought.
The smell of cooking food tempted her from her dreams. It was only when she awoke properly that she reminded herself that she lived alone, and couldn't possibly be smelling food. Opening her eyes, she froze. This wasn't her bedroom. She didn't read those books. Eying the bookshelf warily, she sat up. This definitely wasn't her room. She headed for the door, and hopefully an explanation of where she was. The smell grew stronger as she opened the door and stepped out into the main room of the apartment. Looking towards the kitchen, she caught sight of someone's back. Someone wearing a ninja uniform, with silver hair. Noticing her presence, Kakashi turned to greet her.
"I hope you like ramen." He stepped round the kitchen counter and placed two bowls on the table. Seating himself, he gestured for her to do the same. Slowly, she approached the table and sat. She had to admit, it smelt good. Her stomach pointed out loudly that she hadn't eaten for over two days and she winced. Picking up her chopsticks, she picked thoughtfully at the meal. Her eyes remained only on the food before her, and the only sound that passed between them was the slurping of noodles.
"Father…" Karin said eventually, without looking up.
"Yes, Karin?" he replied.
"Why didn't you stay with mother? Or at least contact her when she was pregnant?"
He looked at her. She had hardly touched the ramen, and was poking it around the bowl. Setting his chopsticks and empty bowl aside, he reached out and stilled her hand.
"I didn't know she was pregnant. She never told me."
"Why didn't you stay in touch?" Her eyes met his.
"She vanished. Shortly after my team mates and I had left, I received a message saying that she'd disappeared and was presumed dead."
She looked away, unable to keep his gaze. Releasing her hand, he rose, picking up his bowl.
"You'd better eat up, we're going on another mission today. You'll need your strength."
"Yeah." She whispered.
She eyed the landscape before her. Water, some dry land, and a bit more water. She hadn't missed this place much. The branches around her were still. No air stirred them.
"No sounds at all." She muttered. "How odd."
She remained where she was, motionless in the treetop, listening and waiting. Something cool touched her skin. Turning her head, she watched the mist descending on the land. Her eyes narrowed. That mist wasn't natural. The first thing a Mist-nin learnt was how to exploit their surroundings. She listened harder. The faint sound of voices reached her ears. Her eyes narrowed as several yells met her ears. They were a long way away. Then the unmistakeable sound of Naruto's voice shattered the silence. She launched herself off her branch, touched the ground and sprinted back the way she had come. Sending chakra to her feet, she now wished she hadn't scouted so far ahead. She wouldn't reach them in time. The fog was lifting as she neared the source of the voices. Skidding to a halt beside Naruto, she just saw Haku vanish with Zetsu.
"Karin!" Sakura cried out, turning to her. Karin ignored her, turning to her father.
"You let Haku take him? Don't you know Haku serves him?!" She frowned as Kakashi went to walk forwards, wobbled and crumpled to the ground. "Father?" She sprang to his side, rolling him over and sighing as she discovered he was unconscious.
"Did you just call him Father?" Sasuke moved to stand beside her.
"What of it?" Karin grunted, hauling Kakashi up from his position on the ground and holding him up as best she could. "Can we just go? He's a lump."
"I was just asking." Sasuke muttered, following her as she dragged their Sensei off.
The moon watched her thoughtfully as she made her way along the silent road. Her feet remembered the way, leading her down the side streets to the place she'd once called home. The house looked cold and empty. It looked unloved and forgotten. The planks of the porch creaked beneath her feet as she stepped up to the door. The hinges screamed a quiet protest as she disturbed them from their resting place. Little puffs of dust circled her feet as she entered. She moved through the lower floor, looking around and remembering. The dark stain on the floor of the kitchen where her mother had lain bleeding when Itachi had turned on her. The pictures on the walls, of her and her mother, of her and Itachi. The upstairs called to her. Her feet were silent on the worn planks, the dust muffling already quiet footsteps. Sheer habit forced her to skip the creaky top step, and she picked her way across the upstairs landing. The hand-drawn sign on her bedroom door made her smile. She'd been so proud of that when she was little. The door slid open and she stepped inside. A wave of nostalgia hit her. How long had it been? The bed sheets had faded from that deep midnight blue. The symbol of the Uchiha clan, her mother's clan, on her wall was covered in dust and faded. The room felt unlived in. The bed complained as her weight rested on the mattress. Breathing in the scent of her musty old bedroom, she picked up the picture frame from beside her bed, tenderly wiping away the dust from the glass. A younger version of her laughed out of the picture at her. A younger Itachi held her in his arms, and stared out of the picture as well, his lips twisted into what could resemble a smile.
"Why did you have to change?" She whispered to the memory.
"We all change."
She was on her feet in a flash, putting the bed between her and him. He stood in the doorway, no that wasn't right; he lounged in the doorway as if he owned the place.
"What are you doing here, Itachi?"
His scarlet eyes flickered over her, and she looked away.
"You can't even look at me. You've become weak Karin." He sounded disappointed.
"To you maybe." She raised her eyes to meet his, the Sharingan flashing momentarily. "You've always held yourself above others."
He looked out of the window at the rising moon.
"You should join me Karin. There is much we could do together. I can teach you jutsus you've only dreamed of using." His eyes fixed on her. "We can show this world that the Uchiha clan is still worthy of the respect we once had. We can restore our clan. You and me."
"Why would I join you? I have a life in Konoha, with my father and my team. What you speak of, it's a dream, 'Tachi. Nothing more, nothing less. The Uchiha is a dieing clan. There are three of us left, and the blame rests solely on your shoulders. You destroy our family, then decide to restore the clan? Well, you can go and find another girl, someone willing to have you near them. For I will not tolerate your presence." She flinched as Itachi laughed.
"Such big words for someone as young as you. You will not tolerate me, you say. Then why aren't you fighting me now? Hmm? Why are you letting me stand here unchallenged? Anyway, you have no say in whether you 'tolerate' me or not. Your mother made a deal with me before she died. In return for letting you live, she gave me her blessing to wed you after your sixteenth birthday." He turned and made to walk away. "Make no mistake, Karin. I will come for you when you come of age." He vanished into the darkness, leaving her alone to her thoughts, and her misery. Her knees hit the floor, raising a cloud of grey specks.
"Help me." She whispered to the world.
She watched them and their failed attempts at getting their chakra at the right level to stick to the tree. Amusement danced through her eye as she watched them from her treetop. Sakura had left to guard their client, and her father had vanished. She remained, watching them. Naruto, who had asked Sakura for help, was doing better but Sasuke was still beating him. He was catching up though. She adjusted her position in the tree, relaxing and feeling the tree's chakra following beneath her. It was a calming feeling, peaceful. She'd always liked forests. They had a calm stillness, a sense of agelessness. They were eternal, and they encouraged serenity. Returning her gaze back to her two team mates, she watched Naruto refuse to help Sasuke. Rolling her eyes, she decided to make the game more equal. Sliding down from her branch she landed silently and cat-like on the soft grass. She moved swiftly, stepping up behind Sasuke, grasping his hand and pinning it to a tree. He lashed out, but she avoided him, and with only one hand he was unable to form hand seals.
"Karin." He growled.
"Relax." She purred in his ear. "I'm trying to help." She waited for him to finish trying to get her off, and then continued. "Be at peace with yourself and everything around you. Sense the chakras of the world, feel the chakra of the tree beneath your palm. Feel it, remember it." She released his hand, and it remained where she'd placed it. She stepped in front of him. Raising her hand, she made him close his eyes. "Feel it in your skin, and match it with your own chakra."
"I feel it." He breathed.
"Good." She whispered. "Now match it, let your hand match the chakra the tree gives out." She saw the glow of his chakra round his palm and smiled. Reaching out, she tugged his hand hard. It remained on the tree. His eyes flew open, and his hand came away. Winking, she strolled away, taking up her position in her tree once more.
"What did you tell him?"
She glanced at her father, now beside her.
"To feel the chakras around him, sense them and match them."
He nodded.
"Watch." Was his reply. She turned away, watching the two ninja below them. They stood glaring at each other for what seemed like hours. Then, simultaneously, they sent chakra to their feet and ran. They both reached their tree the same time, step for step they ran up the trunk. Both passed their previous marks, and continued. As they watched, Naruto's chakra seemed to give in, and he cut deep into the bark with his kunai, flipped and landed on his feet on the ground. Sasuke carried on for a few more strides before he, too, was forced to fall back to earth. She grinned at her father who winked at her.
"Why don't you consider taking on your own team?" He said thoughtfully, watching the two below them make a second attempt.
"I'm too young." Karin replied calmly, settling her back against the rough bark.
"True." He replied calmly. Together they watched in silence. As she sat, Karin's thoughts drifted.
How much he looks like 'Tachi. She mused. The memories of the night just gone came crashing down on her and her mood plummeted. Beside her, Kakashi noticed her face cloud over as she wandered through her thoughts. Frowning slightly, he kept his questions to himself and pushed it to the back of his mind for the moment.
The journey back to Konoha was decidedly uneventful. Though Karin felt as if they were being watched. Constantly. Pushing it to the back of her mind, she followed her team through the Country of Wave. Her thoughts kept flickering back to the fight with Zetsu and Haku. She actually felt sorry for Haku. He'd given up his life willingly for the one who had been manipulating him, thinking he was repaying a debt. Shaking her head lightly, she hurried on to catch up again. Her father looked at her thoughtfully, then looked away. Both of them, however, lifted their heads as they reached a group of people on the road. Kakashi left them standing a short way away and moved to converse with them. Karin watched carefully, listening out for anything interesting. Finally, Kakashi returned to them.
"The way's blocked. A river's burst its banks and the road's flooded. We have to go back and then onto a different road." He explained.
"Isn't there a shorter way home then that?" Naruto whined. All heads turned to Karin who sat a little way away.
"There is one way." She murmured, not looking at them. "But it's rarely used. And can be dangerous if taken in the wrong weather."
"And is it the wrong weather?" Sakura asked.
"We'll see in the morning." Karin replied, rising and walking away.
She watched as the sun made an appearance over the rim of the world. She watched as he climbed slowly higher. She turned as noises behind her signalled the waking of her team. One by one they emerged from the tents and started on breakfast.
"And the weather report for today?" Kakashi asked eventually.
"We need to go ASAP." Karin sighed.
"Fair enough."
The trees crowded closer and closer together as they approached the water. The narrow, rarely trodden path wound through them, finally opening out onto the water itself. Without looking out over the water, Karin turned left and led them along a narrow path perched precariously above the water. To their left, the bank rose vertically, and to their right, the ground vanished down to the icy lake below. They understood now, what she'd meant by this path being dangerous. One false move and their was only water to break their fall. They progressed swiftly and in silence, the only words being murmured comments about obstacles that rarely obstructed them. They did, however, travel a lot further then their alternate route would have allowed them. Once in a while they stumbled upon a path leading back into the forest and they paused then for a short break, before climbing back down onto the path above the water.
As dusk began to settle over the calm waters, Karin led them up a side path into a clearing in the woods.
"We'll stay the night here. We should reach the crossing point at about midday tomorrow." She stretched and dumped her pack on the ground.
"I'm going to look around." Kakashi also dumped his pack and vanished into the trees.
"What can we do while he's gone?" Naruto asked.
"Build a fire, put the tents up?" Karin suggested, stretching out on the ground.
"I'll get firewood." Sasuke muttered, turning and beginning to walk away.
"Karin."
Four heads turned as Kakashi reappeared. Karin lifted her head.
"Yes?"
"There's something I want you to take a look at." Turning, he walked a couple of steps, then turned and waited for her. She rose as well, following. Sharing a look, the other three stealthily followed.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I found something, I want you to have a look at it."
Still confused, she followed him, well aware of the three Genin in tow.
"There." He pointed to a stone plaque, half-covered with fallen leaves. Karin frowned, and crouched to read it.
"It's written in an old tongue." She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Do you know it?"
"A little. I can attempt to translate it."
"Try."
She was silent for a few minutes, her eyes sweeping over the words. She brushed the rest of the leaves of and continued reading. Eventually she spoke.
"It's a prophecy."
"What does it say?"
"One shall be born, and this plaque shall read; read understand and decipher this creed. Of one clan, three shall be born, two the death of loved ones shall mourn. Three of three a power shall hold, but only two of three shall be bold enough to gain the true power. Against each other til the final hour, two shall fight for light and dark, whilst one on a journey shall embark. But in the end two shall death give or receive, for it is written within this creed." She looked up at her father, and together they turned to face the three who had followed them. Sasuke faced Karin head on.
"What clan does it speak of?"
"Do you not know?"
"I have an idea, but there's only two left of my clan."
"There's three." Karin murmured, turning back to examine the stone.
"No. Itachi killed everyone in the village who was a member of the Uchiha clan."
"He missed one person who lived outside the village."
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke retorted. "I would know if I had another relative outside the village."
"Not if she'd never been spoken of, or if you'd met her and she'd never told you."
"You may as well just tell him that you're the third person this prophecy speaks of, and get it over with." Kakashi sighed.
Karin glared at him, while Sasuke stared.
"Are you trying to tell me that I'm related to her?" He spluttered. "But she's a Hatake!"
"I'm an Uchiha as well. Born of both clans. My mother was your mother's cousin, Maiha."
"I've never heard of her."
"I'm not surprised."
Another lengthy silence passed, as everyone tried to digest the information they had encountered.
"Then, the power it spoke of would be the Sharingan." Sasuke continued eventually.
"Yes."
"So, what is the 'true power'?"
"The Mangekyou Sharingan."
"I've heard of that before."
"'Tachi uses it." Karin sighed.
"But, it said that two of three would gain it. I don't have it."
Karin didn't reply, just turned away.
"We should be heading back to camp." She murmured to her father. He nodded in reply.
"Karin! You have it, don't you?"
She paused.
"Yes." She whispered. Then she vanished into the trees.
Sunset came, and went. The moon rose slowly in the sky, appearing for a brief time in the gap in the trees, and then he disappeared as the morning drew near. The morning sun found Karin laying flat on her back in the middle of the clearing. She watched the movement of the trees above her with little interest.
"Do you enjoy not sleeping?"
She turned her head to glare at Sasuke, who had emerged and now stood watching her. Without replying, she returned her gaze to the sky. He sighed and moved to sit next to her.
"Karin?"
"Hmm?"
"Is it true, what that thing said?"
"Who knows. I don't"
Silence reigned, and the tell tale sounds of the other members of the team getting up reached them.
"How do we find out?"
Karin looked over at him. He was looking off into the distance. She sighed and sat up. Reaching out, she curled two fingers around his chin and turned him to face her.
"We wait. Do not dwell on prophecies, Sasuke. It does you no good. What will happen, will happen. We can't change that. But living our lives to the full? That we can do." She pressed a brief kiss to his cheek before rising and walking away.
"Karin?"
She half-turned.
"How did you gain the Mangekyou Sharingan?"
She sighed deeply.
"I killed my best friend." Without another word, she vanished into the shadows.
The morning trek passed swiftly and in silence. Sasuke was mulling over the prophecy again, while Karin had retreated back into her own thoughts. If asked a question, her remarks were short and emotionless. Nonetheless, her prediction was correct. As the sun was climbing to its highest peak, they reached the crossing point.
"At last!" Naruto danced passed them. Karin just sighed and lagged behind, letting the others pass her. Her father touched her shoulder briefly as he passed her. She paused on the wooden jetty, looking out over the land she'd once called home, looking out over the land where she'd grown up.
"Karin?" Sasuke returned to her, gently placing a hand on her arm. She turned and smiled at him, turning her back on the land, walking away.
"Come," she murmured. "We must be going."
"Are you ok, Karin?" he asked, catching her arm. His eyes sought hers, full of concern. She met his gaze and smiled once more, her eyes softening.
"I'm fine. Really. Now we must go."
"Yes." He replied quietly releasing her.
Silence. At last. The smell of her apartment was a comfort to her. Despite her father's protests, she'd refused to move in with him, preferring to keep herself to herself. She dumped her pack at the foot of her bed, not bothering to unpack it. Sighing, she sat on the edge of her bed and eased her sandals off. All unnecessary items of clothing followed them, before she collapsed backwards on the bed. Even though the sun had barely begun his descent below the horizon, she felt sleep gathering at the edges of her mind. Dark eyelashes fluttered on her cheeks and her thoughts grew slower.
"So peaceful. So beautiful."
Her eyes snapped open. Through the mists of sleep that lingered on her eyes, she made out red clouds on black.
"Itachi." She growled. The mists lifted and there he stood, smirking at her. She mentally thanked the gods that she slept in clothes and not in her underwear.
"Karin." He purred in reply.
"Get out." She snarled, the Sharingan bleeding into her eyes.
"That's no way to treat a guest in your home." Itachi replied calmly, examining her thoughtfully.
"A guest knocks on the door and is invited in." Karin could feel the anger burning in her chest and wasn't sure how long her patience would last. He merely shrugged, looking around him, completely unaffected by the death glares bouncing off of him.
"Out. Itachi." She growled again. Her fingers twitched beneath her covers, ready to form a jutsu. He shrugged again and headed for the sliding door that led to the balcony.
"I'll see you soon." He purred.
"Rot in Hell." She snapped after him. Once he'd exited, she rose and slammed the door shut, securely locking it this time. Groaning as a loud knocking came from the other room, she gave her bed a longing look and went to answer the door.
If it's 'Tachi I'll murder him. She thought to herself. Wrenching the door open, she scowled.
"Not Itachi, but the next best thing." She growled. Turning her back on Sasuke, she headed back to bed, letting him shut the door as he left. Unfortunately for her, he didn't seem to get the message and followed her.
"Where are you going Karin?"
"Back to bed." She muttered grumpily.
"But it's almost nine, we're supposed to be at the training grounds."
"Don't care." Karin replied, diving back under her covers.
"You're being difficult." Sasuke stated, looking down on her.
"Aren't you clever." The muffled reply came. Sasuke didn't reply, just stood watching her. Then he launched his attack. Stripping the covers from the bed, he grabbed her wrists and bodily dragged her from the bed into the bathroom with her kicking and screaming the entire way. He left her lying in the shower.
"Get washed. Get dressed." He walked from the bathroom to wait in the main room.
"I hate you." She muttered moodily.
"Just one more person to add to the list." Sasuke replied smoothly. It was well past nine o'clock when they reached the training grounds. Upon their arrival, the others turned to find a sulking Karin and a rather smug Sasuke.
"What've you done to upset her this time?" Kakashi asked, mildly interested.
"Made her get up." Sasuke replied.
"Hate you." She muttered again, walking away. Amused, the rest of the team followed.
The months slid slowly passed, with summer turning to autumn, and autumn to winter. Relationships bloomed and broke, fights occurred, and prophecies were followed, unknown to the people they concerned. But for a time, there was general peace in the village and in the lives of the villagers and ninjas alike. Until, that is, that one fateful day.
"Sasuke!"
He barely turned to face her.
"Sakura." He responded.
"You can't go!" She stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"I must go. I will defeat Itachi. But I cannot do that here." He stepped around her, leaving her standing alone. "Do not try to follow me."
"Did you say the same thing to your lover, Sasuke? What does Karin think of all this?"
He paused.
"She knows. And she accepts it. Maybe you should too." His feet led him from the village, leaving her behind, but his mind would not let go of a previous conversation.
Her eyes filled with sorrow as he told her.
"Why?" She whispered. She raised her eyes to meet his, and the tears threatened to spill down her ivory cheeks.
"I must go. I cannot just let him waltz in and out of the village whenever he pleases. No one actually knows why he keeps coming back. He has nothing here."
She turned away again.
"He comes for me." She whispered. "My mother made a deal with him; that he would wed me when I turned 16. Please, Sasuke you cannot leave me here alone. He will come for me." Her eyes sought his once more, the depths pleading. It was his turn to look away.
"I cannot stay, Karin. And I cannot take you with me. Not just yet. It'll be too dangerous."
"I don't care!" The sob wracked her entire body. "I don't care about the danger. I don't want to be left here alone. Not with him around."
His arms wrapped around her, holding her to him.
"I'll come back for you." He whispered in her ear. "I promise you, when everything's more stable I'll come back and get you." He curled his fingers under her chin, making her look at him. Tears still rolled down her cheeks, but she held his gaze. "I promise." He whispered.
"No." She whispered, pulling her chin away. He frowned.
"No what?"
"Either take me or just leave me. Don't leave me with promises that won't be kept." She looked straight at him. "The choice is yours."
He raised his eyes from the ground as he wound deeper into the trees. She turned to face him as he approached. She'd abandoned her uniform in favour of an all black outfit. Her shirt, he noticed, bore the symbol of the Uchiha clan on the sleeve.
"Shall we?" Her single eye surveyed him calmly; there were signs of her earlier tears. He offered her a small smile, and wrapped his arms around her. Smiling herself, she burrowed into his chest, content in his arms.
"We should go." She murmured eventually.
"Yes." He sighed. He released her and together they followed the path through the trees. Reaching out, he touched her hand gently. "I'm glad you're with me."
"You weren't getting rid of me that easily." She smiled at him, her eyes softening, and his heart skipped. He returned the smile, then turned back to the path below their feet.
He could feel the anger closing like an iron fist in his chest. He watched them walking away and he felt like screaming his rage to the heavens. But he wouldn't do that. He was an Uchiha. He had more control than that.
"You will be mine." He said to the world at large. His words were not heard by the unmoving trees or by the few animals around that place. The gentle breeze tugged at his cloak and he was gone.
The grunt was dragged from him as he was slammed to the ground. He could hear Karin fighting nearby, cries of agony that weren't hers echoing up.
She's fine. He mentally scolded himself. Just focus on what you're doing. Rolling away from his opponent, he pushed himself back up onto his feet and was forced to defend himself against a new attack.