Hellooooo~

OOF was this chapter a struggle and I think it shows. I think I've finally been hit with the writer's block virus. I've been thinking really hard about how the story is going and what I'm going to do for Sasuke vs Itachi and the Five Kage Summit because I don't want to write those events again since I don't think there's much I could change about how they went down. I have plans for Sasuke vs Danzo though, just need to get past these two hurdles of arcs.
Ahhh this is getting difficult ;-;

Anyway, I hope you all still enjoy it, I appreciate the reviews so much, you have no idea!

I love you~

xoxo

The scent that emanated from the brown paper bag in her arms was more than delightful. Karin and Jugo had been sent out to venture into the small village to find food for the team before they would depart for one of the many Uchiha hideouts to finally confront Itachi Uchiha and end Sasuke's bloodlust. Maybe then he would focus more on the meaning of his relationship with the redhead.

Karin was less than frugal when it came to spending money. She often spent money on 'useless' things as many former comrades would tell her. Especially perfume. But with what little money Sasuke gave her to buy food, she had to make do with what they had. He was the cheap one in this relationship. Karin made sure to purchase an assortment of finger foods, food that they could easily eat on the way to the final battle. She spent all the money she had, spending on yakitori, gyoza, karaage and extra onigiri. For the past week Karin had an intense craving for the appetizing salted rice balls and she finally found somewhere that had them!

The redhead fell into step with the larger orange-haired man next to her and just couldn't wait. She buried her hand into the brown paper back and pulled out one onigiri and ravenously took a bite out of it, letting out a sigh of pleasure. It was delicious and Jugo simply chuckled watching his teammate enjoy her food. Was it that good?

"Did you…not eat during your mission, Karin?"

The tall man asked in a soft tone and Karin swallowed her next bite hard. Was he initiating a conversation? That was odd, Jugo was normally reserved and kept to himself and his animals he liked to play with.

"No, I did. I just had such a craving for these."

"I see."

Karin devoured two more onigiri on their way back to the inn when she was soon stopped in her tracks. Jugo followed and also halted, looking at her inquisitively. The redhead instinctively closed her crimson eyes and focused. She'd felt a pang of chakra outside the village. Multiple sources approaching. One of them was familiar. It was the man who attacked her.

Shit. Her eyes shot open and she looked at Jugo with a serious look as she continued to walk towards the inn, walking much faster than before.

"We gotta go."

It only took a little under five minutes before Karin busted through the door to the room they had gotten for the day. Upon entry she tossed the brown paper bag to Suigetsu who let out an 'oof' as the bag landed straight on his stomach, as he was laying on his back on the bed. She immediately went for her things, speaking as she walked. Sasuke had been sitting in a chair near the window, peering out, looking like he was deep in thought. He turned when the door opened, and the redhead barrelled in with Jugo.

"They're here. Half a mile outside the village, 6 o'clock."

Sasuke didn't say anything but just stood from the chair and threw his already packed bag over his shoulder. Suigetsu had sat up in the bed and pulled out a stick of yakitori, sliding all three pieces of meat into his mouth before speaking, as he chewed. Gross.

"What, already? The hell are they, robots? You said you got 'em off your trail! Didn't even get to rest that much."

The silver-haired man swallowed his food and rolled the top of the bag up to close it, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and also stood. Karin frowned at the mention of her failure to keep them off their scent. She had no idea how the leaf ninjas managed to get past an entire bottle of potent perfume.

"Well, they're better than I suspected."

Looking outside the window, Karin could tell night was going to fall soon. The skies were a beautiful mixture of faded blue and orange hues. The team gathered whatever was left of their things and quickly made their way out of the inn and travelled hastily towards the gates of the village when Karin stopped her team and took out one of Sasuke's shirts from her bag and pulled out a kunai from her pouch, frowning sadly as if she was about to lose her most prized possession. And it was. Sasuke hadn't stopped, he continued his way out of the village. Suigetsu watched the redhead and supressed a guttural laugh, opening his mouth to speak when Karin held up her hand up.

"Don't say a word." Karin shot Suigetsu the most evil and sinister glare she had ever given anyone, and he took his cue to shut his mouth and not push further.
"I'll cut pieces of this shirt and stash them around the forest. You guys go on, I'll catch up."

Jugo and Suigetsu nodded their heads and caught up with Sasuke while Karin recited a prayer and sniffled dramatically, taking one last whiff of her lover's scent, as if she would never get it again. She took the kunai and began to slash the shirt apart, tearing multiple pieces from it and piled them in her hand. Keeping her sensors up the entire time, Karin ventured off to scatter the pieces of Sasuke scented fabrics around the perimeter of the village. The leaf nin were approaching fast and she knew she needed to hurry. It only took a few minutes to complete her task. She rushed out and went to catch up to her team, evading the Sasuke retrieval club.

Karin returned to her team only to listen to Suigetsu complain about being tired as he trailed behind Sasuke and Jugo, casually sipping on his water bottle. Jugo remained quiet as usual and Sasuke seemed agitated. Angry. There had been a change in the dark-haired man, his chakra felt much different than the day he came to free her from the southern outpost. The feel of his chakra made her stomach turn and she frowned at the back of his head as she fell into step with the gentle giant who had been carrying the bag of food. It seemed emptier than when she left it with Suigetsu and she smiled inwardly to know her team had been fed. Despite her differences with Suigetsu, the four of them had a bond and Karin could say she was fond of this team. She turned her head and looked up at Jugo, reaching for the paper bag.

"Anything left in there?"

The ginger-haired man handed her the bag and she opened it, peeking inside when Suigetsu piped up.

"All the onigiri's in there, Jugo guarded 'em with his life for ya. Selfish, if you ask me, I wanted some!"

Karin looked over her shoulder and narrowed her crimson eyes at the water ninja and took a rice ball out of the bag and took a large bite, chewed, and swallowed quickly before shooting her retort at her teammate. The craving was still there, and she was grateful Jugo didn't let anyone have them.

"Suigetsu, you're the most selfish one here! Take a note from Jugo's book, you fiend!"

Suigetsu cursed under his breath and took the defeat, taking a swig of water. Karin continued to eat and hurried her steps to catch up to Sasuke who led the team from the front. She fell into step with him, matching the speed of his walking. She pulled one of the last rice balls from the bag and offered it to him, knowing it was one of his favorite foods. He turned his head and looked down on the redhead and returned his gaze forward, ignoring her offer. Karin frowned and furrowed her red brows.

"You have to eat…"

She spoke in a soft, low and concerned voice. She held it out to her love interest once again. Sasuke's lips became a thin line and he took a deep breath before he responded.

"I don't have to do anything." He paused for a moment and before Karin could say anything he started again. "You eat it. You're hungry."

His words touched Karin. She truly was hungry, and he knew it and he was going to let her have the rest of the food. He cared! She smiled to herself before countering.

"So are you. I can tell from your chakra. Hm, would you feel better if we shared it?"

Sasuke groaned hearing the girl talk all mushy, He hated it, he hated anything to do with emotions, that much was obvious. Without a word he snatched the rice ball from her hands and took a bite out of it before handing it back to her, shooting her a look as if he wanted to tell her to not bother him again. Karin didn't have the best social cues but when it came to Sasuke she knew when it was safe to push and when she needed to back off and now was one of those times where she needed to back off. It felt like that a lot recently. He must just be stressed about finding his brother. Yeah, that's it… She finished the onigiri off and sighed softly, falling back a bit and walking behind her partner.

"We should arrive in the afternoon, tomorrow if we travel all night."

Jugo spoke up and Karin frowned a little, now she felt a bit anxious and somewhat emotional. Suigetsu shrugged it off, he had no care in the world.

"We rest a couple hours in the morning."

Sasuke spoke now. Of course he would want to be rested before the fated battle between brothers.

"Then I finish what I started."

'I'? What about 'us'? Karin thought.

She pushed the thought back and simply continued their travels.

"What about us?"