A/N: Okay, so this is the second chapter. I got a few reviews the first time but I'm hoping for more. Fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the first chapter. I hope you like this one too.
Karin went straight to her room after the departure of Orochimaru and his ever loyal servant, Kabuto. She could not believe her luck. The had finally gone away so that he could prepare another base for the next big step in whatever plan he had concocted in his deranged mind. He had left her in charge of his Southern base while he was away and she had finally completed the first step of her secret plan. She idn't really know where he was going but she didn't care. Karin had been waiting for this moment for years. She spent almost two years, trying to gain his trust so that she could escape him. She didn't know how much longer she could keep up her facade of undying loyalty.
Karin looked around the dark room that had been assigned to her from the moment she was allowed inside of the base. She grabbed a bag that had been left hanging halfway off the chair, that was in the corner of the small room. There was only a bed and a chair. No windows, no light. She quickly shoved some scrolls into it, the few personal possessions she owned, and a few ninja tools. Karin swung the bag onto her back and began to run out of the room, and through the maze-like halls.
'How is anyone ever able to get around in here!' she wondered angrily as she ran into her third dead end. Even after being there for so long, she didn't have a grip on the many pathways.
Forty-five minutes and twelve dead ends later, Karin had finally found the exit. As she approached the light, her joy grew because she could finally be free. Well, as free as you can be with an S-rank secret ninja trying to hunt you down but it was better than having to follow his orders. Karin knew that Orochimaru would be after her simply for the fact that she knew too much. When she stepped foot out of the base and felt the sun's rays wash over her cold skin, she knew that she would never want to go back. Being a jailer for Orochimaru isn't so much fun.
Karin wanted to sit there and bask in the sun's warm, golden rays forever but she knew that if she was going to make her big escape work, she had to leave. She reluctantly took to the trees, not really knowing where she was going or when she would get there. Each step on every tree branch seemed to catapult her miles and miles away from the base until she could no longer see it as she looked back. She couldn't even sense the chakra signatures from the prisoners that she was forced to leave behind. Too many held a deep grudge against her for aiding Orochimaru in keeping them there and she didn't have time for a fight. They wouldn't believe that if she didn't follow orders, she would be killed.
Even if they hated her, she still felt guilty knowing that they were all going to eventually be killed when they became useless as test subjects for various drugs and poisons that Orochimaru loved to create.
'Sadistic bastard.' Karin briefly thought as she began to get tired of her constant jumping through whatever vast forest she was in. She wanted to stop but knew that she couldn't. Orochimaru would be gone for at least four days and she had to put a lot of distance between the base and herself in that time. She kept running until she was completely out of breath and needed to stop. She had made a significant gap from where she had started and where she was now. It was also getting late and she was hungry. Her legs felt like they were on fire.
Karin decided to set up a small camp site so that she could sleep for the night and begin her run again the next day. She jumped to the ground breathless and looked around for a good place to camp. She stalked upon a small circular clearing that was covered in dirt. Luckily, there was a stream nearby and she could go fishing, so that covered dinner but she didn't have anything to use to make a camp site. She decided to improvise. She soon found a tree that was hollow and it was just big enough for her to fit through. She sighed, 'It'll have to do.' she thought as she began to investigate the small crevice. She found that it was mossy but it would be good cover for the night. She dropped her bag there, happy to have the added weight gone.
She sighed again as she made her way to the river that was a little ways away from her makeshift camp. Her legs protested but she managed to ignore the pain. On her way, she grabbed a sharp branch off of one of the trees she had passed. She pushed her way through some vines, wishing she had brought a kunai from her bag. When she arrived at the river the sun had begun to set. 'I need to hurry.' she realized as she took off her long stockings and sandals. She couldn't afford to ruin the only pair of clothes that she had but she refused to take anything else off. Karin walked over to the edge of the river with her stick poised for attack. She just had to wait. Suddenly, the water began to slightly pulsate and Karin stabbed whatever it was with her good speed and accuracy, something she had acquired over the years.
She smiled as she felt something on the other end of the stick. 'Gotcha!' she thought as she lifted the nicely sized fish. She grabbed her stockings and sandals and began to walk back to her pseudo camp. She wasted no time in making a fire with sticks and rocks and put the fish above it. While her fish was being cooked, she walked back into the hollow of the tree and gently dumped the items out of the bag. She grabbed a kunai that had fell to the floor with a 'clang' went back to gut the fish. Not one of her favorite foods but it would have to do.
Karin sat in front of the brightly glowing fire and began to eat the fish. She needed to think of some sort of plan. She couldn't just keep running and she knew that when Orochimaru returned that he would be furious. He had ninja that were more powerful than she was and if he sent them she didn't know how she would survive. She couldn't very well run for the rest of her life. She sighed, maybe she should've thought this out more before she left.
'One thing is for sure. I need to get stronger.' Karin became suddenly aware of this because if Orochimaru sent Kabuto, she knew that she wouldn't stand a chance with her limited power. She wasn't weak but she wasn't as strong as Kabuto. She finished her fish, which tasted better than she thought it would, and jumped into the branches of the tree she was staying in. She tiredly gathered as many leaves in her arms as she could and stared at the setting sun. She had to get to bed. She'd get up early and begin her trek again but the only thing on her mind as she jumped from the sturdy branches was sleep. She took the leaves into the tree and put them neatly on the floor. Karin moved her various items off to the side in the slightly cramped hole. She laid on her makeshift bed and used her, now empty, bag as a pillow.
She closed her ruby red eyes and let out a small sigh. This would definitely not be as easy as she had once hoped. But when had anything ever been easy for her. 'Never.' she thought bitterly as she let the darkness take over and fell into a light sleep, thankful that it was a little warmer inside of the tree than outside.
Morning
Karin awoke to birds chirping, which might sound good, but to her it was annoying. 'Damn birds.' she thought as she got up from her 'bed'. It wasn't the best sleep she had ever had but it was much needed. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to stay up without collapsing. She crawled out of the hollow of the tree after she sensed that no one was around. She took her time stretching, realizing how cramped it actually was inside the tree. She shrugged her shoulders, it was better than sleeping outside while she was alone.
Karin decided that she shouldn't waste anymore time. She crawled back into the entrance and began to put her stuff back inside of her bag, making sure that no leaves got inside. She crawled back out and slung the bag on her back. She then began collecting the sticks from the fire she had started the night before and proceeded to throw them into the river. She cupped water into her hands and brought a little back to the site to help wash away the ash. She even rubbed the dirt around and looked around to see if anything else would tell that someone had been there. She had to get rid of all traces of her ever being there.
She went back to cover all of the footprints she had left behind, there wasn't many because she had been jumping through the trees. She looked around and smirked , there was nothing left behind save for the leaves in the hollow of the tree but anyone that wandered around here would probably think that it was random animals making a nest. Thinking again, Karin decided to spread the leaves around the surrounding area. 'Better safe than sorry.' she decided as she finished spreading the leaves throughout some bushes.
She sighed as she finally jumped to the nearest branch and began her journey to...somewhere. She'd figure it out eventually but all that really mattered now was distance. She sighed again, not wanting to spend another day constantly running even though her legs felt a lot better. She still needed to get stronger. "Stronger. How am I going to get stronger?" she wondered out loud as she pushed her way off of another branch.
Karin had a lot to figure out and there was no better time to do it.