Disclaimer: I do not own anyone other than Karibi and Hayase
Chapter Twenty
Her first mission had been simple enough. She was merely supposed to watch the perimeter while two of her teammates and her squad leader disposed of a rogue ninja. That was how most of her first couple missions were. But that wasn't how she became The Reaper. No. Her name was given to her after her very first mission.
"Karibi." Looking over her shoulder, said kunoichi stopped walking down the hall, her cat mask sitting on top of her head, giving her face a bit of fresh air. She waited patiently as Kou approached her, his mask still on; he was as professional as ever. "This is for you." Raising a brow, the 13 year old hesitantly reached out and took the scroll from her leader. She unraveled it and read it carefully before her eyes began to shimmer.
"This is..."
"Your first solo mission." And that was the start.
§
Find and kill rogue ninja, Yosuke Kaminari.
Karibi narrowed her eyes behind her mask as she sat in the trees, hidden by the luscious, green leaves. She held tightly to her kunai, waiting silently as a shadow below walked cautiously through the forest. It stopped briefly to glance around before it continued ahead, causing a smirk to stretch across the young woman's lips.
Dispose of the body. Leave no traces.
Counting down from ten in her head, Karibi eyed her target intently. She sat completely still, holding her breath as Yosuke stopped and raised a brow; something on the ground had caught his attention. Bending over, the dark haired man dip his finger into a blotch of red fluid on the ground before his whole body froze.
He was touching blood.
Amethyst eyes watched as the 37 year old man began to sprint through the woods. They gleamed before a kunai soared through the air. It flew past the unsuspecting man's head, causing him to abruptly stop. His eyes widened as he watched the knife cut a nearly invisible thread, and as he looked up, a wooden cage fell over him, capturing him.
"No!" He tried breaking through the wooden bars with his hands, but he had been shocked; chakra was laced into the wood, fortifying it. "Let me go!"
Silently, a figure appeared behind him. Yosuke blinked before he turned in his cage and watched as a lean and short figure stepped out from the shadows. He tensed as he stared at the Anbu before he shivered. He backed up against the cage wall as he pressed himself as far back as he could. Each step his captor made towards him only succeeded in stealing his remaining breaths away.
"...You're just a kid!" the man shouted as Karibi ignored his words, pulling out a long dagger from the hilt that was strapped behind her around her waist. "You think you can actually take me?! You don't know what I know!" The man was near hysterical, but he never tore his eyes away from the approaching threat. He began to laugh manically as he gripped to the wooden bar of his cage behind him.
"Don't make me—" Yosuke froze as he watched the redheaded shinobi walk right through the bars. His pupils shrunk drastically, and it was as if time had completely slowed down. His body trembled from the raw terror he was feeling as he watched the girl—who couldn't have been older than a teen—twirl her dagger by the hilt between her fingers.
Without thought, Karibi drove her blade through the man's chest. She could feel the blade as it ripped through her target's body, a small spurt of his blood dripping on to her hand. With a twist of the hilt, the girl listened as the man cried out, choking on a mixture of saliva and his blood. He began to sporadically cough, sputtering and writhing in pain. The 13 year old narrowed her eyes as she pushed the dagger further into the man's body, relishing in his agony.
It was horrible. And if Karibi had been the same girl from several years before, she would have probably vomited. She had wanted to become a ninja so should protect people—not to kill them. But she was not the same. She was the kind of person that found solace in the sound of pain and the sight of blood against her skin. She was the kind of person that felt freedom with each twist and push she gave her knife. There was a gleam in her eyes—she was channeling all of her pent up rage and confusion into this kill. She was imagining the Nine-tailed fox as she gripped tightly to the hilt of her blade. And she imagined the cries of a baby rather than the cries of a man.
That was the only part that truly disgusted her.
Yosuke let out a shriek of pain as he stared down at the blade running through him. With the combination of his fear and his awe, he was sure he would have puked. But as soon as the thought flittered into his head, it was gone. His vision began to blur as his legs grew weak. And in seconds, he was falling to the ground. He landed on his side, rolling on to his back as he lost complete feeling in his body.
The Anbu watched without a word as the color drained completely from the man's face. The life in his eyes faded quickly as he slowly looked up at her. They stared at each other for a long second before Karibi leaned forward and tugged her dagger from his chest. She watched his last breath slip between his lips before his head rolled to the side, his body motionless and limp.
For a few seconds, the redhead gazed down at what she had done. She stared for a long moment before she slowly sheathed her dagger, kneeling down and shutting her eyes. She placed her hand on the man's chest, over the wound she had given him, and she whispered a soft apology before standing to her feet.
She hadn't been sorry for killing him; she was sorry that wasn't sorry.
Burning the body, Karibi watched as the flames danced before her. She crossed her arms over her chest before she glanced down to her hand. Her gaze softened as she stared down at her blood-stained hand.
And then she smirked.
*Three Months Later*
The squad leader of Team Shi flipped through papers as he walked down a dim-lit hallway. He paused when he stopped at the newest member's name. He read through the profile before he blinked. "22 assassinations." He wasn't sure whether he should have been impressed or concerned.
Turning the corner, the captain knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. He heard his leader's gentle voice from the other side give him permission to enter, and as he walked in he stopped, seeing the redheaded Anbu on his team standing before the Third with a smile. He blinked, realizing that he may have interrupted a conversation.
"Sir." Karibi bowed as Kou nodded before he looked to the Hokage.
"I was just bringing you updated files of everyone's information."
"Thank you. You may rest easy for the remainder of the day," the Hokage said as Kou nodded, his face still hidden behind his mask. He glanced to Karibi as she turned back to the old man behind the desk.
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama."
"I expect to hear from you soon," Hiruzen said with a warm smile as Karibi nodded. She turned to make her way out of the room before she gave her captain a goodbye. He nodded and watched her go before turning his full attention to his Kage.
"There was something I've been meaning to ask you, sir," Kou said as Hiruzen let out a puff of smoke from his pipe.
"What is it?"
"Karibi. What were her reasons for joining the Anbu?" The Third raised a brow.
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just—she's taken the most solo assassination missions than anyone else in the last few months, and they've all been flawless. Her execution has been...well it's been damn near perfect," the squad leader stated as he placed his hands on his hips. "It just feels as though there's something I'm missing."
Hiruzen said nothing for a moment. He merely stared at his loyal shinobi before he turned to look outside. He gazed out to the sky before he looked over his shoulder, back at Kou. "I suppose there are things even I, myself, miss."
*Four Months Later*
"Kari-chan! It's been too long since I've seen you! It should be a crime, not being able to spar with you every day!" Guy scurried up to Karibi as the 14 year old chuckled before she shrugged, patting her companion on the back as she walked down the street with him.
"To be honest, if I had the option, I'd be on a mission right now, but I've been given a few days off, so I'm making the best of it." Guy tried not to frown.
She hadn't changed for the worse. Actually, these days, Karibi was doing well. She was laughing and she was smiling more. There was a slight brightness in her eyes that had been lost long ago. But even still, Guy and the others had noticed the way Karibi drowned herself in work. And he had a feeling it wasn't for the sake of getting the job done. It was strange. Unlike his other good friend, who seemed to be losing himself more and more from working in the Anbu Black Ops division, Karibi seemed to be getting on just fine.
And that was what made the jonin nervous.
"So then, where's the birthday boy?" Karibi inquired as she glanced around the relaxed sake shop, people sitting around and enjoying their evening. Guy's expression brightened at the question as he grinned and glanced to the entrance of the shop.
"He should be here any minute!" The 14 year old scoffed at that.
These days, Karibi hadn't seen much of Kakashi. Although they were both a part of the Anbu, they worked with different teams. That meant they had different missions and different schedules, and usually, they were conflicting schedules. Neither made much of a fuss over not being able to see each other; they would see the other when they saw them.
The redhead tried ignoring the strange feeling in her gut as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. Guy chattered happily as he drank some sake while Karibi merely listened and nodded her head along; she wasn't interested in actually drinking. The pair waited for a few minutes, not really noticing how much time had passed. But when an hour had gone by, and then two, Guy was beginning to lose hope. Karibi hadn't said much about Kakashi. She merely tried to keep her companion from thinking too hard on it. She did her best to distract her fellow ninja, but after a point, she was tired of even bothering.
And just as they were about to give up, he finally came.
He strolled into the bar as if he hadn't been three hours late, and when his single eye spotted his friends, he gave them a slight smile. Guy was fuming, though Karibi was remaining mellow and calm. And she let the more bothered one of them lecture Kakashi, the masked ninja giving out a relaxed apology; from then on, everyone realized Kakashi's tardiness would be permanent.
After calming down his friend, the three sat and enjoyed each other's company. Guy tried coaxing Kakashi's into another friendly competition in celebration of his 18th birthday, but the one-eyed ninja politely declined with a sheepish chuckle.
Unlike Karibi, it seemed Kakashi was still struggling. Most days he did well. Most days he didn't linger too much on the past. He was so busy with missions and reports and training that he didn't have much time to consume himself with guilt and sadness. And in his free time, he spent it with Guy or Kurenai and Asuma or Karibi, so keeping his mind off of his past was easy enough.
But there were days where he couldn't win. There were nights where he would drown in his pain. Rin's face would haunt him in his sleep, his broken promise to Obito taunting him endlessly. Those were the days that truly sucked the life from him.
And that day, he was having a terrible time.
"The next time we meet, you and I will complete another challenge! And we will continue fighting with all the youth and strength in our bodies! I won't lose to you, Kakashi! You'll see!" Guy was grinning madly, his friend giving him a weak smile as Karibi merely smirked.
"Sounds like a plan." Watching as Guy began to head home, Kakashi sighed, his smile dropping and the weight of all of his burdens dragging him down once more.
"See you around, Kakashi! And I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Kari-chan!" Said young woman nodded as she waved to Guy.
"Tomorrow?" Kakashi asked curiously as Karibi nodded her head, the pair heading in the opposite direction of Guy.
"I've got some free time until my next mission, so I agreed to spar with him," she explained as the silver haired Anbu nodded.
They walked in silence for the rest of the way before Karibi arrived to her home. She stopped and turned to look at Kakashi as he stared back at her with his hands in his pockets. She smiled at him, and for a moment, the 18 year old could see the young 7 year old in her eyes. His gaze softened as she stepped up to him, holding something behind her back.
"I told you I didn't want anything."
"And I told you that I was going to get you a gift no matter what you said." Kakashi rolled his eye.
Karibi smiled as she pulled out a tiny gift bag and held it out to her friend. He inspected it for just a second before he took it and dug through it. He blinked when he felt a thread between his fingers. He pulled it out and Karibi watched for his reaction carefully.
"An omamori?"
"I know it's not much," Karibi began. "But I thought of you when I saw it."
The lucky charm was a forest green and it had silver and blue stitching on it that formed a flower pattern. It was simple but that was exactly why Kakashi found that he liked it so much; it seemed that Karibi knew his taste well.
"I thought it was the perfect gift..." the 14 year old's smile softened as she shrugged.
"...You may not know it, and you may not ever realize it, but you, Kakashi Hatake, have helped me in every way," she said quietly as the young man looked at her, caught off guard by her kind words. "So, I'm giving you that. Because just like you said, you're not doing this alone." Kakashi's eye widened as Karibi's words hit him hard in the chest.
"...And that will be a reminder to you that I will never give up on you." Just like he had never given up on her.
In that very moment—as Kakashi held tightly to Karibi's gift, he didn't think. He didn't question himself, and he didn't concern himself with the past or the future. Instead, he did the one thing he had thought he wasn't capable of doing anymore; he conceded to his emotions.
Carefully, Kakashi reached out to his junior. He moved with his instincts leading the way, one arm snaking around her back while his other hand slid through her hair. He closed the space between their bodies as he lightly pushed Karibi against her front door. His leg was nudged slightly between the redhead's, his body pressed firmly against hers. The masked shinobi felt Karibi shiver against him as her body tensed. Her amethyst eyes were shining and doe-like, her hands clutching the straps to his flak jacket; she had been utterly surprised by her friend's sudden lunge to her.
But she had been more shocked when he pressed his lips to hers.
It was completely innocent. It was chaste and it was gentle. His mask was even still hiding his face, but neither could deny that their lips were touching in some way; they were kissing in some way. Karibi's eyes were saucer-like as her closed fists trembled. She was shivering and was completely taken aback as Kakashi merely shut his eye and enjoyed the tremors that rocked through her. His body was suddenly hyper-aware of everything about the young lady; her heat, the silkiness of her hair, every curve of her body, the way she had lightly gasped as he moved forward to catch her lips.
As quickly as it had happened, it had ended. In a matter of seconds, Kakashi was stepping away, acting as if nothing had happened just moments before. He was relaxed and he was calm, while Karibi was a mess. Her cheeks were flushed and she was pressed against her front door like she were a piece of tape. There was a startled and confused and embarrassed expression on her face—which was almost entertaining for the young man.
"...Thank you." With that, Kakashi turned and disappeared, leaving Karibi in the mental turmoil that she was in.
Standing alone for a few seconds, Karibi blinked as her eyes remained wide. For the first time in a long time, she was feeling like a normal 14 year old. She was shocked and flustered. She was excited and slightly elated. And most of all, she was thoroughly confused. But she was happy nonetheless; Kakashi had always made her feel in ways that she thought she never could. "...What the hell!"
*Nine Months Later*
Hayase sighed as he tried not to seem as exhausted as he was. As of late, he was juggling many different things; missions, training, family and Hana. And although he was getting by fine, some days he was more tired than others.
"Hayase-san, you seem rather tired." Looking over at the young woman he was escorting, the jonin smiled as he shook his head.
"Not at all! I was just thinking." Just thinking of how tired he was.
His mission was to protect this woman while she traveled back to her village. She knew valuable information about her village, and seeing as she was vulnerable alone, she wanted to make sure that she would get back safe. Hayase had been given the mission, but he knew something wasn't right; he could swear that he wasn't alone.
Karibi watched from a distance, seeking refuge in a tree. She chuckled to herself, noticing the way her former teammate would steal glances back as if he knew someone was following him; he was as sharp as ever.
The Anbu had been told to follow after Hayase. Her job was to make sure no actual trouble met the pair on their way home; not only did this woman have knowledge of her own village, but it seemed she had valuable information of several other villages, including the Leaf. And it was Karibi's job to make sure no one got a hold of that information; she was to kill anyone threatening on-sight.
With a sigh, Karibi hopped to another tree, keeping a safe distance away yet being close enough to the two to keep them in eye-sight.
§
It wasn't supposed to be like this. It should have been quick and it should have been easy. But now there was blood everywhere and there were bodies strewn about on the ground.
It had been the middle of the night. Hayase and Mayumi were less than a day away from Mayumi's village. He had been keeping watch, and although he was thinking that they would be fine if he slept for a few hours, he decided against that and remained wide awake; that had been the right choice. Karibi had lingered back, sitting against the trunk of a tree as she pushed his cat mask up to rest it against the top of her head. She had been thinking about many things, letting her mind wander to different places.
And then, without warning, they came.
She hadn't sensed them. She hadn't even known they had been following them. But thankfully for her, they hadn't noticed her presence either. There were ten shinobi—all with their faces covered and their weapons drawn. Hayase had been quick to react; a second before they had stepped out from the shadows he had been on his feet and at Mayumi's side.
Three of Hayase's shadow clones appeared behind the enemies, and as they kept six of them busy, four of them followed after him and Mayumi as they began to escape. The enemy force split up, six remaining behind and the four running after the target. Immediately, three of the enemy fell, their blood staining the grass as the clones worked diligently. Then, two clone poofed away after being stabbed in the gut. The last clone had been able to successfully slit another's throat before it was cornered and a sword coursed through his head, causing him to disappear.
Just as the remaining two were about to follow after their comrades, their eyes widened. A sudden burst of chakra from behind them nearly forced them to their knees as they turned. A shout echoed through the night as chains flew through the air, wrapping around one man and pulling him to the ground. He screamed as his teammate gritted his teeth, pulling his sword out too late. The tipped-edge chain sliced though his hand, causing him to drop his sword as two more chains wrapped around his ankles, tugging hard and sending him to the ground. He let out a yelp as a pair of amethyst eyes watched them, glaring icily.
Karibi watched as her jutsu did its work, her chains wrapped so tightly around one man that he was becoming smashed, while the other was being pulled apart from his arms and legs. She stepped out from the shadows as she stared silently through her mask before blood fell like a rainstorm. She glanced down at her hands, seeing the warm, red liquid, but she said nothing. She merely leaped ahead, leaving their carcasses for the time being; she'd deal with it later.
The rest of it had all become a blur. Hayase had been injured, a fatal wound in his side slowing him down. Still he fought as he stood alone, having hid Mayumi somewhere safe. He was getting sluggish and he was becoming slower, giving the last three an easier time; he had killed one just before he had been stabbed. There was blood on the tips of the green grass but it was hard for him to tell from where it was coming from; it wouldn't be until it was all over that he realized that it was his blood.
He was defending himself from taijutsu and ninjutsu, pulling out whatever he could to protect himself. The three were merciless against him, just as he thought they would be. They were older than him, he could tell by the way they moved and worked together. They were more experienced than he was, but that didn't scare him.
The only thing that scared him was the thought of not seeing Hana again.
He wasn't sure when, but as his vision began to narrow, he realized that he had killed another ninja, but at a price. He slowly looked down as he finally took notice to the katana that was thrust through his torso. His body had been numb, but he was sure that it was hurting a lot. But he breathed through the pain as he remained calm, blood dripping down from a deep gash on his cheek. His breathing was becoming labored and his knees were weak. And then, he was falling to the ground.
After that, Hayase wasn't sure what happened. He vaguely recalled the sound of deep screams and he was sure that he had seen someone land on the ground beside him. He stared with a dullness in his eyes as he lied limp on the ground, his hearing now making everything sound further away than it truly was. He watched as the man shrieked, his nails digging into the ground as he was dragged away. And as Hayase lied there, he closed his eyes and saw the sheer look of horror on the man's face.
"Hayase!" Forcing his eyes open, said 16 year old looked up. He didn't even flinch when he was turned and the sword was pulled out from his body. He just coughed and choked; the strong taste of iron in his mouth had become something he had grown accustomed to in the last several minutes. "Hayase, look at me."
Pulling her mask up, Karibi gazed down at the young man, her calm expression making him smile. "I knew it was you," he said faintly. "You can try and conceal your chakra, but I...but I've been on your team f—for four years," he said, his voice fading as the spark in his eye began to die. Karibi grimaced as she cradled Hayase in her arms.
"Where is Mayumi?"
"She's safe. She's with my clone right now," the young man explained as Karibi nodded.
"...It wasn't supposed to be like this." She wasn't going to try and make Hayase feel better. She wasn't going to try and convince him that she could save him; she couldn't. All she could do was be at his side and give him the warmth he was losing. And he appreciated that because he knew he wasn't going to make it.
"You...You know how missions go," he said as he took shallow and quiet breaths. "Not everything...Not everything goes to plan." Karibi shook her head.
"It was my job to make sure that it did."
"You...You did what you could," he whispered as his eyes began to flutter shut. Feeling panic consume her, Karibi shook Hayase slightly.
"Stay with me!"
Opening his eyes, Hayase blinked several times, as if he were waking up from a nap. He smiled as he chuckled before wincing; even laughing lightly hurt now. "...Will you make sure Hana knows what happened?" he asked as Karibi tried not to let the guilt eat away at her.
"Of course I will."
"...Make sure to tell her that it wasn't your fault." Karibi's eyes widened as Hayase chuckled, his eyes shutting. "I know you. It's always the blame game with you."
"Hayase..."
He never imagined what it would be like to die. He was young and he was healthy, so in his mind, he felt great. He was invincible against the world. That was what he had thought. But now, as he laid sprawled on the ground in a pool of his own blood, he regretted not preparing for this moment. There had been so much he had wanted to do and there had been so much that he had planned. But even then, he was sorry. Because as he stared up at Karibi's regretful expression, he knew that the people he would leave behind—they would suffer more than him in the end.
"See you around, Karibi." Keeping his eyes shut, Hayase relaxed. His body went completely limp as his head hung back, his mouth slightly ajar. Karibi stared silently as her friend died in her arms. And as she held him, she trembled. She let her head hang low as she shook, holding him tightly. Her arms and knees were colored red by his blood, and as she leaned her forehead against him, she could feel the thick and warm blood of his rub on to her skin. But she didn't care.
"...See you around, Haya-chan."
*Three Weeks Later*
They stood in silence. Karibi wasn't sure what else to say to make Hana feel better; there was nothing.
She had returned from her mission a week before, and in that time she had been swamped with mission reports and speaking with intelligence about what had happened and what she knew. She wasn't sure what to do or what to feel; she was just cold.
Riku-sensei had been the first to approach her after she had been given time off. Karibi had been grateful that the woman had offered to break the news to Hayase's father for her. But the one thing she made sure to do was tell Hana; that was the one thing she wouldn't let anyone take from her.
"...Hana?" The two, young woman stood in the foyer of Hana's home. Karibi didn't dare invite herself further in; she didn't have the courage to. So, she quickly acted and said everything that happened. She did exactly what Hayase asked of her, honoring his death until the end.
The brown haired girl stared silently at Karibi, her face blank. The 14 year old wasn't sure what else to say, so she stood quietly, waiting for Hana to react. And after several, long, agonizing minutes, Hana finally broke. With a deep breath, she shut her eyes and let the tears fall willingly. They traced over her red markings on her cheeks as she turned away from Karibi. The young girl frowned as she reached her hand out but stopped, pulling it back; she would bring no comfort to Hana that way.
The 16 year old didn't weep—she didn't cry out dramatically. She merely stood with her back to Karibi and let her hot tears stream down her face. Her eyes remained closed as she remembered the way Hayase had looked before he had left, and she smiled slightly, seeing his playful smirk dance across his face; she'd never forget it.
"...It was my fault, Hana," Karibi said quietly, the brown haired woman keeping her back to her former teammate. "...It was my responsibility to make sure that mission didn't go wrong."
"You don't have to do that," Hana said as she finally turned, her tears wiped away. She smiled at Karibi as the younger girl blinked. "I'm not looking for someone to blame," she stated evenly as Karibi stared in shock.
"But—"
"I'm not going to be angry with you because you couldn't protect Hayase. I'm not going to insult his strength by doing that because Hayase was strong and he knew how to protect himself," Hana stated as her expression hardened. "But what I'm going to be angry about is the fact that you haven't cried for him once, have you?" Karibi stiffened at that as Hana nodded her head.
"...I've tried," the 14 year old whispered. "I really did. Because I loved Hayase and he was my brother at heart...but nothing comes out," she said with a shrug. "...I want to feel sad and I want to feel more, but all I feel? All I feel is...emptiness." Because once again, the universe had taken one more loved one of Karibi's.
Hana stared quietly before she relaxed and nodded her head; she understood.
"Thank you, Karibi." The Anbu shook her head as she turned and headed out the door.
"There's nothing to thank me for."
*Five Months Later*
Nothing helped these days. The missions that had originally given Karibi solace now made her feel nothing. Every life she took—every last breath she heard—every plead for a second chance she ignored, it all meant nothing to her.
She felt nothing.
Having finished her last mission, Karibi reported to her squad leader as he nodded, taking her paperwork. He glanced at the 15 year old as she remained silent, waiting to be excused. He glanced over the report one last time before nodding, waving her off. She bowed before walking out, her captain's voice stopping her for only a minute.
"The mission gave you the option to bring the target back alive," he pointed out as Karibi stood with her back to Kou. "Yet you still killed her." The 15 year old said nothing before she shrugged. Kou's gaze softened before he nodded, clearing his throat.
"You can have the next week free."
"...Yes sir." And with that, the redhead was gone.
§
It was a dreary day. The rain made the fall air even colder, and some people had thought that the rain would later turn into the snow; it was that time of the year now. As most villagers sought out refuge from the ice-cold rain drops, one girl remained in the street, soaking her clothes through-and-through. She kept her eyes on the road ahead as her hands hung at her side. She was out of her uniform, her emerald green long-sleeve draping down past her waist and her black leggings clinging even closer to her body with all the water. She didn't bother looking up as her hair stuck to her face.
This was where she spent all of her free time now. When she was off missions, she no longer spent time with her friends. She didn't feel the need for it. Instead, she headed here and would spend hours, even spend nights there just sitting. This time around, she was carrying a plastic bag with her, inside was a small pack of dumplings.
Trudging through the wet grass, Karibi wiped some rain from her eyes. She stopped at her destination before she stared at the dark stone, the carvings on it making her skin crawl. She took a seat against the stone and pulled out her dumplings, opening them and saving three for herself while the other three she set before the stone.
"Happy birthday, Hayase." Popping a dumpling into her mouth, Karibi ate, leaning her head back and gazing up at the gray sky. She slowly stopped chewing as she swallowed, glancing up at the stone.
This was all she amounted to now. She no longer had the drive to do better. She no longer had the motivation to even care. She felt nothing. She was just numb and always cold.
Always so freezing.
Suddenly, another presence caught Karibi's attention. She looked up with dull eyes as she blinked, a shadow looming over her. "How long have you been out here for?" She didn't reply, she merely stared before plopping another dumpling into her mouth. She chewed quietly as her companion stared down at her with a patient gleam in his eye.
Without asking, the young man pulled off his cloak, covering Karibi with it. She didn't say a thing as she let the silver haired ninja pull up the hood and cover her soaked figure. He knelt down in front of her as she finished her dumpling, glancing down at the last one. She shrugged before holding it out to her friend, the young shinobi blinking before smiling softly and taking it.
"Thanks."
"Say happy birthday before you eat." Kakashi glanced at the KIA stone before he nodded, standing to his feet. He stood before the monument as Karibi stared ahead, keeping her eyes on the grass. She could feel the man beside her as he stared down at the names carved on the rock. His gaze was soft and gentle as he pulled open his mask and dropped the dumpling inside; it was delicious.
"Happy birthday, Hayase." Finishing the dumpling, Kakashi turned back to Karibi as she remained seated on the ground. He sighed before he knelt down, scooping the 15 year old into his arms. She didn't object, instead she leaned her head against his shoulder as he adjusted her position in his arms. Without a word, he jumped off, leaving the tray of dumplings by the stone.
§
Karibi had rarely seen Kakashi's home. Actually, now that she thought about it, this was the first time she had ever been inside his apartment.
It was small and cozy; simple. There was the one big room that connected to the kitchen, and down the narrow hall was the bathroom. The walls were painted an off-white and were rather bare—with the exception of the cabinets that were nailed in and the single picture that was hung up; a woman with black hair and onyx eyes that matched Kakashi's.
Karibi remained curled up in Kakashi's arms, the pair dripping and causing a puddle of water to form beneath them. The water went ignored as the 19 year old slipped his sandals off with ease. He made a b-line straight to the bathroom, carefully setting Karibi down on the counter. She stared blankly at the young man as he turned the bath water on, watching as the tub began to fill up. He then turned back to Karibi, who watched him carefully. He sighed as he pulled down her hood.
"You stay like this and you'll catch a fever."
"...Says the man who's as soaked as I am." That made Kakashi shrug. He walked out of the bathroom before he grabbed towels from a cabinet, walking back in and handing them to the redhead.
"Wash up." Without saying anything else, he was out the door and shutting it as he went.
Karibi let the water run for a bit before she slowly stood to her feet. She lazily peeled her clothes off one-by-one until she was completely bare. Shutting the water off, the young woman slid into the tub and let out a slow breath. She shut her eyes and relaxed, letting her muscles breathe as she sunk further into the water. She frowned as she stared at the steam rising from the water; even though it was warm, she was still so cold.
She had reached a dead-end, and she knew it. Karibi wasn't sure which way she was supposed to go or what she needed to do. No longer was she sad, no longer was she depressed. She was just full of regret and anger. And nothing she did seemed to help her. No amount of blood, no amount of beating, no amount of anything seemed to make her feel what she wanted to feel.
Whole.
Purple-hued eyes fluttering open, Karibi blinked several times as her head span. She winced at the slight pounding of her head as she began to realize that she was no longer in the tub nor the bathroom. She was lying on a futon dressed in a shirt that was far bigger than her own clothes. She raised a brow at that as she sat up, finding herself in a dark navy long-sleeved shirt. She rubbed her head as she ran her fingers through her hair, some strands still wet from her bath.
"Finally awake?" Karibi looked to her left as she found Kakashi sitting on the floor reading a book. She raised a brow as she read the title.
"Come Come Paradise?"
"How are you feeling?" Shutting the orange-covered book, the 19 year old leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand.
"Fine."
"When's the last time you got sleep?" he asked seriously as Karibi shrugged. He frowned at her reply before he reached out and placed his hand on top of the young woman's head. "You shouldn't do that to yourself."
"...I don't care," she said as she laid back down, rolling to her side. Karibi kept her back to her fellow Anbu as she turned her head, taking a deep breath; she could smell Kakashi on his pillow. "I can sleep when I die. Isn't that the saying?" The silver haired ninja rolled his eye.
"Feeling a bit dramatic today, are we?" Karibi didn't reply as she sighed, sinking further into the futon. As she shut her eyes once more, they snapped back open. She sat up as the 19 year old raised a brow, watching his friend curiously. She glanced down at the shirt she was wearing before she looked up at the man sitting beside her; the pieces had finally connected in her mind.
"Did—Did you—" Her cheeks began to burn red as embarrassment consumed her. She pulled the covers over her head, hiding underneath the blanket as Kakashi blinked. Realization swept through the masked man before he began to chortle slightly. He leaned close to the bed roll as he placed a hand on Karibi's form under the cover.
"I never took you as the shy type."
"Shy?! You—You—I wasn't wearing any clothes!"
"That's how one would usually take a bath, yes," Kakashi retorted back as Karibi poked her head out from the blanket. She glared at her friend as he laughed lightly and leaned against his arm, letting his head hang near Karibi's.
"I have to say, you've grown up." He hadn't seen anything. He had merely covered her with a towel and pulled her out from the water, but teasing her was far more entertaining than not.
"With that gray hair of yours, you're really like an old pervert!" Karibi snapped as Kakashi let out a laugh before relaxing. His gaze softened as he stared at the 15 year old, everything but her head covered by his blankets. He smiled gently to her before he reached out and rested a hand on her cheek. She blinked as his smile faded.
"There's the Karibi I know." The young woman blinked before her expression changed. She smiled slightly as she turned into Kakashi's hand, leaning into his touch.
"...I thought I was going to be alright. I haven't cried once and I don't feel sad...but I think that's what scares me," she said quietly as Kakashi listened carefully. "I don't feel anything..."
Kakashi relaxed as he let out a quiet sigh. He laid on his floor, beside his futon, Karibi rolling over to completely face her friend. The silver haired shinobi remained on his back, turning his head to the left to get a better look at the redhead.
"...The truth is, you don't want to feel anything." Karibi blinked as Kakashi gazed into her eyes with his single, visible eye. "Because feeling nothing is easier than facing the pain." He knew that well.
"...Is that what it was like for you?" Karibi inquired as Kakashi nodded his head.
"I guess it was...maybe it still is," he said honestly as the young woman nodded.
Shutting her eyes, Karibi scooted closer to her friend. He watched as she pressed her body against his side, keeping her arms to her chest and her forehead against his arm. He relaxed after a moment, smiling before he shut his eyes, not caring that he was resting on the floor.
That night, they slept soundly. And for the first time in a few months, Karibi was enveloped in warmth.
Fast update! I'm rather proud of myself that I was able to get another chapter of this out. I was slightly inspired after seeing that Naruto Gaiden came out! Read that and then decided to do some more writing. I also had a bit of a rough day, so I wanted to find a way to let out some of my frustration, and writing was the way to go!
Just for whoever is reading this, I know I addressed this slightly in the story, but an omamori is a Japanese lucky charm. Sometimes I'll throw in Japanese terms, so if that ever occurs, I'll make sure to address it after the story!
Now, just to touch base on this story...a lot of things just happened! First off...Kakashi and Karibi XD That was just a lot of fun for me to write! And to be honest, I think that moment is sort of the beginning of the deeper intimacy that they will be seeing more of. The reason I didn't go to far into that and write more on it is because for Karibi, that is just a small part of her whole life. Kakashi himself is pretty much a huge chunk of her, but their relationship is a lot more than just a *SPOILER ALERT* kiss, so I thought that lingering too much on it would steer away to the truth of how they are and who they are as comrades and friends. But still, that was a lot of fun. Although writing them in general is just always fun! And then there was Hayase. Although he was just a character of my own making, I'll admit that it was sad to write this chapter! But it just had to be done with the way the story is heading :\ He will be missed!
And on another note, I've talked with several different people about how they want this story to go. And it seems that mostly everyone would like to see this story follow the plot of Naruto. So I'm going to continue down that path then. If anyone who is reading this has an objection, feel free to say something and let me know :) I'm always up for advice and suggestions!
Oh, and one more thing! This is the LAST CHAPTER of Part One of this story! Which is why this chapter is one of the longest chapters I've written yet! I've divided this story up into parts to fit the stages of Karibi's life. Part Two will be the next chapter, and that will also be the introduction to...NARUTO! For those who have been waiting, Naruto will be making his true entrance into Karibi's life and we will be seeing a lot of those two together! Sorry it took so long, but it's here now, so thank you very much for sticking through this if you've been waiting for so long!
Sorry for rambling! Thank you to everyone for giving this story a chance and for reading it!
Reviews:
earendil18: I won't touch too much on your question, only because you're on the write track XD Tobi was always such a diabolical character, and I will say, there was a reason why he was mentioned several chapters earlier. So, I suppose you'll have to just wait and see what his part in this truly is ;D
Davina: I'm happy that you like this story as much as you do! It's always such a relief, especially as a somewhat rookie writer, to know that people are actually enjoying what you're putting up! So thank you for giving me reassurance and for giving this story a chance and reading it :) I will probably be having faster updates on this story, so I hope you will look forward to that as well! And you and a few other readers have mentioned that you would like to keep it with the original timeline and plot, so I think I will be doing that! Thank you for your input and thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
CaptainofherSoul: Hello there! First off, thanks for reading! And second, thank you for your kinds words :) I've always been a bit nervous about how my writing is, so I work hard on making sure that everything turns out well. It makes me feel relieved and happy that there hasn't been any issues and that there are readers out there that like the way I write and play the story out! I think in a series like Naruto, where there is a lot going on and there are a lot of emotions, happy or sad, it's important to delve deep into them and explore them. Especially in the later episodes of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, things get more serious and a bit darker, and a lot of the characters have their own problems there dealing with. Plus, I just think it's a better way for readers to connect with characters! So I'm glad I've been doing that well for you! And don't worry about your wording! I understand where you're coming from and what you're saying :) Thank you for reading and thank you for reviewing! I hope you continue to read and I hope my hard work shows and that you will continue to like this story!