Chapter 11
A blessing or a curse
The next day
Karena woke up to the wind blowing soft. Her hair was swaying in the wind. She looked around of where she was, she was still on the hill. Sasuke was lying there next to her. Sasuke was still sleeping. She looked at him, and then touched his cheek.
'Why... Why did he do this? He could be in danger now, everyone could be...' Karena thought just before she was about to wake Sasuke up.
She shook him a little; he still did not wake up. Karena looked at the sky; it was already at least 8:00.
"Sasuke wake up." Karena said sweetly as she shook him again. Sasuke opened his eyes. He blinked to see the sunlight. Then when he got used to it he saw Karena next to him. He sat up and also looked at the sky.
"We should head back Sasuke..." Karena said as she got up. She held out her hand, Sasuke grabbed it and looked at his and her hand. Karena also looked as the two did not let go of each other. Then Karena quickly lifted her hand out of his clenching hand. She looked at him for a moment then started walking. Sasuke followed.
'Sasuke, you cannot fall in love with me...Why me...out of all the people in the world...why me.' Karena thought to herself as Sasuke walked next to her. They headed back towards the house.
"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN!!!" Naruto and Sakura yelled at the same time.
"Seriously, where have you two been?" Kakashi asked.
"We're back, that's all the matters." Karena said as she walked passed Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. Sasuke was just standing at the door still.
"So Sasuke what did you two do?" Sakura asked, desperately trying to see if Sasuke would tell her. Sasuke just walked passed her and went to the table.
Karena was in the family room alone. She was leaning on the window, looking outside.
"No let her go!"
Karena blinked and turned around to see if anybody was there.
"Let her go!" someone said in her head again.
"Water dragon missile jutsu!"
Karena was confused.
"You will pay for this!"
Words kept ringing in her ears.
"You could be of good use for me."
Karena clutched her head. "Stop..."
"Do you want power?"
"Stop!"
"Then you will have to kill the rest of your clan with me..."
"Stop!"
"Sharingan!"
"STOP!" Karena yelled as the wind picked up and started swirling around her.
"KARENA!" Someone yelled as someone burst into the room. The person held Karena's head to make it look into their own. It was Kakashi.
"STOP KARENA!" Kakashi yelled.
Karena tried to control it, but couldn't. "I can't." Karena whispered while a tear ran down her cheek.
The windows in the room burst open and glass flew everywhere. Kakashi pulled her into a hug. He held her tight to his chest.
"Karena control yourself!" Kakashi said.
Karena slowed her breathing down and the wind started to die down. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke came in. They looked at Kakashi and Karena.
"Everything's going to be fine Karena." Kakashi said while running his hand through her hair. The wind finally died down. Kakashi let Karena down to the floor. Karena dropped to her knees. She looked around.
"Oh no...What have I done?" Karena cried looking up at all of them. A single tear ran down her cheek as she fell over into Kakashis' arms. Kakashi lifted her up and carried her out of the room.
* * * * *
Karena woke up in a room to find that Kakashi was sitting next to her as well as Sasuke. Karena started to get up, but Kakashi held out is hand.
"No. you need to rest."
Karena just laid back down.
"What have I done Kakashi-sensei?" Karena said looking around.
Naruto and Sakura came in as well.
"Is she doing well?" Sakura asked.
"Are you okay, Karena?" Naruto asked seriously.
"I'm fine." Karena replied.
"How long have I been like this?" Karena asked. All of them looked sad.
"Four days." Sasuke said at last.
"Figures..." Karena said.
"What?" they all questioned.
"I put a jutsu on myself so that my body and heart could revitalize itself so that I would be calmer when I woke up." Karena said.
"It's a good thing that you did." Kakashi said.
Karena just looked at Kakashi.
"Guys you need to leave, Karena and I have to talk alone." Kakashi said motioning them all out of the room.
When they were all out, Kakashi looked directly into Karena's eyes.
"So what happened the night you and Sasuke were alone?" Kakashi asked.
Karena hesitated for a moment.
"Answer me Karena!" Kakashi said strictly.
"I can't. What happened that night is for only me and Sasuke to know." Karena said looking away from him.
"Then I will have to force you to say it." Kakashi said while taking his hitai-ate away from his eye.
"That won't do you any good, Kakashi, she is different." someone said.
Karena and Kakashi looked around.
Suddenly a cloud of smoke came into the room. Someone was standing there, Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru..." Kakashi said while turning his glance to him.
"As I said before Kakashi, that won't do you any good." Orochimaru said icily. Karena had a shiver go down her spine.
'Something about that man...' Karena thought.
"Orochimaru, what do you want?" Kakashi said, glaring at Orochimaru with his sharingan eye glued to him.
"I want nothing of you, Kakashi, I want her..." Orochimaru said pointing at Karena.
"What do you want from me?" Karena said standing up.
"I have a message for her... that is all." Orochimaru started to say, "Here it is, from the beginning you were born, you were blessed, and from the end of that day you were cursed, the one has sealed you of your true power, but alas. You have provided the necessary power for us just today..." Orochimaru said smiling at Karena.
"You have but one year, one year to figure out your curse, and your blessing, if you can only find one. Your fate will be sealed forever in the hands of someone else. But if you do find your blessing and curse, what will happen to you? You decide your own destiny." Orochimaru said leaving the way he came.
Kakashi looked at Karena, she was on her knees.
"What do I do Kakashi?" Karena asked.
Kakashi looked at her.
"Do you know what lies beneath this skin?" Karena asked. "You know don't you?"
Kakashi just looked at her, 'It is my duty to protect her. She may be an elite Jonin, but still, she is my student. I was forbidden to tell her what lays beneath the seal.' Kakashi thought.
"You know that I heard what you just said, Kakashi." Karena said.
Kakashi looked at her.
Karena stood up. "Kakashi, what lies beneath me? Is it a blessing, or a curse?" Karena said going into Kakashis arm.
"I don't know what to do! I don't even know!" Karena sobbed. "I don't know what I am supposed to look for! I've found my curse, but what is my blessing?!" Tears filled in her eyes.
Kakashi just pulled her into a hug.
"It's going to be fine, I will help you. We will all help you." Kakashi said.
A few minutes later, Kakashi came out of the room.
"Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. All of you come here." Kakashi said, "All of you get inside." He pointed in the family room where Karena was. All of them followed his command.
Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi all walked into the room. They found Karena was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed.
"Alright you guys, we have a new mission." Kakashi said.
"What's our mission now? We are all protecting the old man, so do we have to protect anyone else?" Naruto said looking annoyed.
Kakashi pointed towards Karena. Karena opened her eyes.
"We will all be protecting her." Kakashi said. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were all confused.
"Why do we have to protect her?" Sakura asked.
"This is an S-Rank mission you guys. You have to follow all orders, and no matter what you always have to protect her." Kakashi said.
"AN S- RANK MISSION!!!!" Sakura and Naruto screamed.
Naruto and Sakura jumped up and down with glee.
"Yes finally!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Don't get too excited, protecting her is hard work. We have to help her find something, that neither is alive or dead." Kakashi said. Naruto and Sakura's face went blue.
"DEAD OR ALIVE?" Sakura gasped.
Sasuke looked at Karena.
"Listen you guys, have you heard of the man named Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked.
Sakura and Sasuke looked at Kakashi then looked down.
"Yeah I've heard of him. He's an S- Rank criminal." Sakura said.
"Because he just appeared about ten minutes ago in this very room," Kakashi said.
Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all looked up at Kakashi.
"TEN MINUTES AGO!!!WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US ABOUT HIM THEN!! WE COULD HAVE HELPED HER!!!" Naruto screamed.
"Listen Naruto, he didn't come here to fight. He came here to deliver a message." Kakashi repeated the message to them.
"Oh...So all we really have to do is find Karena's blessing and curse, and then it will be over?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, but we will have to travel to the place that she was originally born in." Kakashi said.
Karena just looked down. Sasuke looked at her. Karena got up.
"You guys I'm gonna go outside for a little bit." Karena said.
"Someone go with her. Who is the strongest one here... Sasuke you go with her." Kakashi said. Naruto and Sakura's mouths both dropped down."You two still have to guard Tazuna." Kakashi said smiling.
Naruto and Sakura sighed. Sasuke just walked out of the room. Sasuke walked next to Karena.
"Sasuke, will you promise to help me?" Karena said stopping. Sasuke looked at her.
"Of course I will." He replied. "I will always protect you, from any danger."
"Thank you Sasuke. You are a true friend." Karena said as they walked along the path side by side.
