Hibiki stood near the edge of the forest, hiding from the hot summer sun hanging high in the sky. She leaned leisurely against a tree and waited for Sasuke and Suigetsu.
The soft sound of feet on grass caused her to stand up straight, and as Sasuke approached he gave her the order, "Hibiki find the executioner's blade,"
The name of the blade sounded familiar but knew it had probably been a while since it was taken from the grave.
Sighing she says, "Alright but I'm going to need some time, let's head into town. It's almost lunch anyway and I'm hungry."
Sasuke didn't say anything, and just walked past her down the hill, and Hibiki took Suigetsu's arm as he passed. The trio made their way to the nearby town. The village was full of bustling people. A hum of voices filled the air. Hibiki's head hurt a little from the commotion, she wasn't used to such a loud environment. The screams of Orochimaru's victims were always a low and distant background noise, nothing like the bustling of this moderately sized town.
With his hands on her shoulders, Suigetsu had to push and pull Hibiki in different directions to keep her from running into anyone or anything. An annoying task that left Hibiki feeling a bit of whiplash. They go a little further into the crowded town before stopping at an empty restaurant. Sasuke entered with Suigetsu and Hibiki following. Inside was cooler and the wood floor was smooth compared to the rough gravel they had been walking on. Hibiki's feet were sore and throbbed a little. The soft surface gave her a little relief.
They were quickly seated at a booth by the hostess, Hibiki and Suigetsu sitting together with Sasuke on the opposite side. After putting in an order, Hibiki took a deep breath. Centering herself and relaxing. It was quiet so it was easier to fall into the trance-like state she could view the future in.
Suigetsu watched Hibiki with slight disinterest. Her body relaxed, and after a few minutes, Suigetsu could tell she wasn't with them anymore. Like her body was empty. Almost like a corpse, except you know breathing. The waitress brought their order soon after, giving Suigetsu a wide grin.
"Oh, this yogurt is the best. It's been so long since I had anything like this. I was in a water tank all this time." he said, shoving spoonful after spoonful of yogurt in his mouth.
"Why are you gathering us together anyway?" He asked between bites.
"I'll tell you when we've all assembled." Sasuke coldly said. He watched Hibiki closely, waiting for any sign of movement from her.
"All right, let's go to conquer this world!'" Suigetsu proclaimed, with his spoon in the air. "You're not going to say something like that, are you?" Suigetsu asked. "Do that on your own time."
Sasuke's eyes darkened, "I'm aiming for something much bigger."
The waitress brought over more yogurt and lingered a little longer than she should have. Meanwhile, Suigetsu stared at his bite of food.
"If anyone else started saying that, I wouldn't believe it for a second. But with you, I think maybe it's possible and that's a strange thing." Suigetsu admitted.
30 empty glasses piled up on the table before Suigetsu tentatively poked Hibiki on the cheek with his spoon.
"Is she going to be alright?" He asked and poked again.
"Leave her alone," Sasuke replied. Not a second later Hibiki's eyes flash open startling Suigetsu. With an angry pout, she slapped Suigetsu on the back of the head.
"Don't bug me while I'm like that. It makes it twice as hard!" she complained. Suigetsu rubbed his sore spot, it stung a little from her slap. Her angry pout was kinda cute…. He thought, before frowning and focusing again. The faintest of blushes appeared on his cheeks for a moment. What the hell was he thinking?
"So?" Sasuke asked.
Hibiki reached in front of her and grabbed a Spring roll she could smell was there. As she gratefully munched on it.
"Some guy named Tenzin Daikoku has it. He lives in a castle in a forest to the south," she reported.
"Damn it Tenzen Daikoku, eh? He was the aide to the lord of the Land of Water. Apparently, many of his men were killed during Zabuza Senpai's coup d'Ãtat in the Hidden Mist." Suigetsu explained.
"I guess he had a grudge from back then," Sasuke said. They finished eating, before standing up to leave, stopping by the Cashier.
"That will be 2565 Ryo please." the chirpy girl said.
"How much yogurt did you eat? What the hell, Suigetsu? I know it's probably been a while but slow down. You are going to get sick at this rate." Hibiki complained as she opened her pack. She handed Sasuke the money, counted out the correct amount, and handed the change to Hibiki. She closed it inside her pack again.
"Thank you, dear customer, please come again!" the girl called as the trio left. Once they had navigated outside the village again, which only grew in crowd size since they entered the restaurant, they walked on and then stopped outside the gates.
"Alright let's go," Sasuke said. Suigetsu kneeled and Hibiki got on his back. Sasuke and Suigetsu began running to Tenzin Daikoku's location.
"So how could you find the sword? Isn't the future really vast and can't it change?" Suigetsu asked.
"Well, I guess you could say I skipped around the future of the village, found Tenzin, and then focused on his future. I saw where he was and that he had the sword in his possession. The sword wasn't too hard, it's a notable object. If it were a piece of paper you dropped 5 years ago, I couldn't find that."
"Why," he asked again.
"It's easier to find an object of importance, it's a rock in the river of time."
"I have no idea what you are saying, but your vision is pretty useful." he smiled
"Only sometimes," Hibiki glumly replied.
It took them the rest of the day to reach the castle. They settled in a small pasture hidden in the forest. The castle could still be seen from the tops of the trees.
"So, what's the guard route like?" Sasuke asked Hibiki. They faced each other, sitting at the base of some trees that lined the pasture. Suigetsu leaned on Hibiki's tree while listening in.
"Guard route, let's just go get it, why do we need to know the guard route?" he scoffed, he didn't peg Sasuke as a guy who feared some average guards.
"It's light at the moment, easy to sneak in and out undetected, but if you wait about a day, say noon tomorrow, you'll have twice as many in the building, plus Tenzen." Hibiki ignored Suigetsu's comment.
"We'll rest here until then." Sasuke informed Suigetsu.
Without any fuss, he sat down and stared at the castle, so he wants there to be more guards?
This must be the final test… Suigetsu thought.
As the night grew later both Hibiki and Sasuke had fallen asleep, but Suigetsu was too wired to sleep. He was finally free after all. He watched the stars move across the sky and listened to the soft noise of the forest. He relished in the feeling of a solid form, having a body again was a luxury.
He peaked over and looked at Hibiki, she sat with her arms holding her, and her knees brought up to her chest. Her head rested on the tree's trunk. She twitched and moved a lot, she also made soft whimpering sounds, and she began to sweat slightly.
It didn't take long for Hibiki to jolt awake, her fresh dreams of death and uncertainty swarmed her mind. She felt around her, trying to get her bearings. Her hand landed on a cold object, she flinched away before asking, "Suigetsu?" in a soft whisper.
"Yeah, it's me, what?" he asked back. Hibiki leaned back on the tree and slowed her breathing,
"Nothing, sorry for waking you." She whispered as she moved her body away from Suigetsu. She placed herself in a similar sleeping position and dozed. Suigetsu could tell she was sleeping lightly now, alert and ready.
The next day the three slowly woke up and ate some food bars Hibiki had. Suigetsu hated the taste but was too hungry to care. Every so often he would look over at Hibiki, remembering last night. How scared and confused she was.
"How's the guard route now?" Sasuke asked Hibiki. She finished her bar before checking,
"Good, they're all in position, it's also going to be sunny today," she reported.
"What you report the weather now too?" Suigetsu scoffed. Angry, she punched him in the arm.
While She did her best to glare at Suigetsu, her focus was a few inches off, he snickered while rubbing his sore arm.
Sasuke stood while they bantered,
"Stay here Hibiki," Sasuke ordered as he stood.
"No problem." She agreed.
Suigetsu stood too, stretching before following Sasuke to the castle.
Relaxing Hibiki watched Sasuke and Suigetsu make a game of their venture. Watching them as they moved through the castle with ease, even with all the guards. Then when Suigetsu was laid out on the floor, cut in half, Hibiki laughed at the men's response. As she sees the building start to crash down, she returns to the real world. It was still the early afternoon, and it was still incredibly hot. A few minutes pass before She hears Sasuke and Suigetsu comes back into the clearing.
"Have fun boys?" she asks standing.
"Do I still have to carry her? I mean I have the sword on my back..." Suigetsu began to complain. A cold glance from Sasuke answered his question. He groaned and went to Hibiki. He bent over and swept her from the ground, causing her to 'eep' in surprise. In Suigetsu's arms, she was held like a princess would. Hibiki laughed.
"Shut up." Suigetsu argued. Hibiki reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, to help keep some of the weight distributed right. Sasuke smiled in his head at the ridiculous sight of Hibiki in Suigetsu's arms. Hibiki was no princess, and Suigetsu was far from being a brave knight.
"Hibiki, find Karin," Sasuke ordered. She closed her eyes for a few short minutes before answering.
"Southern Hideout, she's to be transferred next week, but since Orochimaru's gone, that won't happen." Suigetsu groaned at the coming exhaustion that would come with this trip.
…
Lucky for Suigetsu the Southern Hideout was near the Land of Waves. So, the journey was shorter than he thought it would be, but it was just as exhausting. Not only was he carrying a sword he was not used to yet, but he had to carry Hibiki as well.
On the third day of travel, they began to cross the water. At a casual pace, Sasuke and Suigetsu walked across the oceans still surface, each step making a plinking noise like that of someone stepping in a puddle, instead of walking over the ocean. The clear and windless day brought life to the endless ocean landscape; Seagulls cawed overhead. Swooping down and gliding back up.
"Damn Hibiki, why are you so heavy?" Suigetsu complained.
Hibiki frowned and did her best to glare, "I'm not heavy, you're just weak Suigetsu!"
"I don't think s-" Suigetsu began but was interrupted by a smack on the head.
"You know it's never a good idea to tell a girl she's fat." She reprimanded him.
"I didn't say you were fat, I said you were heavy," He argued.
"Do you not know how to talk to girls?" She asked.
"You're one of the only girls I have ever spoken to." He confessed.
A long moment of awkward silence passed,
"Can I ask you something?" Suigetsu said to Sasuke.
"What is it?" He replied.
"Why are you gathering men?" Suigetsu asked.
Sasuke looked to the sky for a moment, "I have a goal and I have a better chance of achieving it with a small platoon. Ever since I approached Orochimaru, this moment is all I've thought about, and I've been pre-selecting a highly skilled Ninja."
"Oh? So why would you choose Karin? Unlike me, she's a follower of Orochimaru." Suigetsu asked.
Karin was the warden of the southern hideout where Orochimaru kept some overflow of test subjects Hibiki found for him, locked up. A bleak Island In the middle of the ocean, too small and insignificant for passersby to be drawn to. Hibiki had been the one to find this Island many years ago.
"After claiming to be under Orochimaru's orders," Suigetsu continued, "she tinkered with my body countless times. Besides, her personality turns me off."
"Tinker with your body huh?" Hibiki said suggestively. Suigetsu glared and relaxed his arms, causing Hibiki to drop in a falling motion. She squealed and hung onto Suigetsu tighter. Suigetsu smiled in triumph, holding Hibiki properly again.
"Granted, there were other strong Ninjas I could have swayed. But she has a special power no one else possesses." Sasuke concluded.
"Well, I'll admit that." Suigetsu agreed.
Later that afternoon Sasuke and Suigetsu stepped onto the white sand beach of the small island. Suigetsu roughly set Hibiki on her feet and walked on. The sand felt soft, the strange grainy feeling was oddly pleasant. The sand was hot, burning Hibiki's toes and heel as well as unstable, causing Hibiki's steps to carve into the sand. She stumbled forward trying to get a solid stance in the sand. It was hard to walk in at first, but she soon got the hang of it. Ahead of her, the boy's voice grew more distant, not wanting to be left behind, she quickly followed the noise. She tried to be careful with each step, but the boys were moving faster than she could keep up with, so she had to pick up the pace. As she got onto the more stable rock surface she moved forward smoothly.
All too suddenly, however, she was on her hands and knees, they stung with the sudden impact. Her toe stung as well from the impact of whatever she tripped over.
Sasuke stopped when he heard the soft thud of her fall. He and Suigetsu turned and watched her slowly get up by herself. She fumbled a bit more trying to find her footing but caught up, unknowingly running into Sasuke,
"Sorry," Hibiki said as she took hold of the back of his shirt. The trio moved on, reaching the entrance to the Cave system that was underground.
Sasuke turns to Suigetsu, and the two exchange a look, "you have one too," Suigetsu complained.
"Yours is more suitable," Sasuke retorted. With a light giggle of amusement Suigetsu took his sword in his hand,
"Open sesame" he grinned.
The grinding cutting of metal on metal hurt Hibiki's ears as Suigetsu slashed the door open, crumbling with a bang.
The warmth of the day vanished as they entered. Hibiki felt a shiver run down her spine, deep guilt flooded her body, weighing her down like a ton of bricks.
As they got deeper into the caverns, the mumble of prisoners came closer. And as they passed by the cells, Hibiki could feel the glares burn into her, hot with detest, She lowered her head and tightened her grip on Sasuke's shirt.
Suigetsu watched Hibiki as she did this, not liking the way she gripped onto Sasuke.
As they proceeded, the smell of mildew and mold became stronger, small leaks dripped water down the walls and from the ceiling, an ice-cold drop landed on Hibiki's face, and rolled down it like a tear.
"So, it's you, after all, Sasuke. The fact that you're here alone must mean that the rumors were true." a strong voice called, Sasuke stopped and Hibiki lifted her head.
"Geez, that's mean. I'm here too." Suigetsu complained.
"Me too," Hibiki called, peeking from behind Sasuke's back.
"And? What brings you here?" Karin asked, eyeing the trio.
"Sasuke has something to discuss with you. We can't stand out here and talk, so take us inside, will you? It's been so long since I've walked, I'm exhausted." Suigetsu said.
"What do you want to talk about?" Karin asked.
"I said let's not stand out here, Karin. Although I know you're totally ignoring me." Suigetsu complained.
Karin leaned forward and sniffed Suigetsu. "Humph! You disgust me." Karin scoffed.
"What'd you say?" Suigetsu growled
"Cut it out Karin, take us inside," Sasuke ordered.
"Fine," Karin said as she turned. Hibiki let go of Sasuke's shirt and found Karin's sleeve. She pulled on it a bit and smiled. Karin looked at the shorter girl, and moved on, hiding a smile from the boys.
…
Hibiki remembered the day she found Karin. It was like any other day, she was sitting in a room with a few men surrounding her, they took notes on names and locations she would tell them about. Inside the bright river, Hibiki walked slowly through a village, seeing it three weeks into the future. The town didn't have any people that Orochimaru would find a worthwhile investment. She was about to move on to the next village when a desperate cry came from a nearby ally. Knowing the helpless and desperate always sought people like Orochimaru, Hibiki followed the sound. In a deserted corner of the village, two men stood leering at a young girl.
When Hibiki saw the girl, she was surprised by her hair, which was the brightest color Hibiki had ever seen. It boldly stood out, drawing attention to the girl. Hibiki couldn't help but admire it.
"Help me!" she cried out again.
"I'll bet this redhead is a remnant of the clan from the Hidden Eddy, you were right when you said she'd be worth something." The men laughed. Hibiki followed the girl's life, it was filled with sadness, disappointment, and fear. She would be used over and over until her life would be drained from her. Hibiki opened her eyes and was in darkness again. The men bustled about,
"A girl with bright red hair, Karin Uzumaki, She will be of great use to Orochimaru." She said,
A few days later the vision changed, Orochimaru stepped in, Saving the girl, and changing her fate.
…
Karin stood before a young man named Kabuto, it had been a week since Orochimaru took her in. She had rested and was well-fed. Since her escape from the Northern fortress of the Grass Village, she had a hard time finding help, or food.
"You're Karin? The one Lord Orochimaru mentioned?" Kabuto asked, Karin, nodded.
"I understand you have an unusual power." He continued.
"So where is Lord Orochimaru?" she asked.
"He's a very busy man. So, you're assigned to me. Come with me." He led her down a hallway lined with cells.
"Who are these people?" she asked as she saw them glare at her.
"We use them for experiments. The research Lord Orochimaru is conducting requires a lot of data. I'm thinking that you can help with that." He said dismissing the people as if they were animals.
"Okay, here we are." He pointed to a cell with a single man, he was obviously hurt.
"He was the subject of an experiment, but we're in a bind because he's gotten so weak. This is a great opportunity to see your power." Kabuto explained taking notes on his clipboard.
"Okay," Karin agreed. Kabuto opened the cage door and she hesitantly stepped inside. She offered her arm to the man who, after a moment of consideration, bit down hard. She flinched as a hot burning feeling came from where he bit. The man sucked chakra until he was in good health again. Once he was done Karin walked out of the cage, her head down.
"That's quite amazing! Leave it to Lord Orochimaru to see your potential. I'm counting on your help." Kabuto said as he relocked the cage. Then after a few more notes on his clipboard, he walked back down the hallway. Karin sat on the floor across from the man she just healed, she sobbed softly burying her face in her arms. She shivered with fear and loneliness. Would she ever escape? Or would she die as her mother did? Karin had now run down to her only option. If she tried to return to the Hidden grass, she would be killed for sure.
"I like your hair." A soft voice broke the cold silence. Karin peeked through her arm and saw a girl about her age. She wore a white dress, and a black headband holding her hair away from her face. Her hair was long and stopped near her waist. The girl's eyes were like the dead men's eyes she often saw. Clouded, colorless, and looked at no specific thing.
"Who are you?" Karin asked,
"My name is Hibiki," She answered.
"What do you want?" Karin sniffled.
"I thought we could be friends." She said as she squatted near Karin, their faces more level now.
"Why?" Karin asked again.
"I think we have a lot in common." She responded.
"Like what?"
"We both want to have a choice." She answered.
…
Karin leads the group down the hall and into one of the closed rooms. Inside was a sofa, and a small kitchenette, the Southern hideout was smaller than other hideouts, its staff rooms limited to a half dozen at most.
Sasuke walked in and plopped down on the sofa, Suigetsu grabbed Hibiki's arm and sat them near Sasuke. Karin closed the door and turned to Sasuke, she crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.
"Karin, follow me. I need you." Sasuke ordered.
"Huh?! Why would I follow you? I'm under orders to oversee this place!" Karin retorted.
"Orochimaru is already gone."
"What about the prisoners here?" Karin asked.
"Speaking of prisoners, they were awfully quiet, have the rumors about Orochimaru's death reached them?" Suigetsu asked.
"The number of prisoners has slightly lessened since I came here last. Also, there are signs of recent digging in the grounds in front of the entrance." Sasuke added.
"Is that what I tripped on?" Hibiki asked horrified.
"Karin, with that sharp intellect, information control must be your forte."
"I get it. Rumors about Orochimaru's death began spreading among the prisoners, so in order to avoid a riot, Karin has been wisely taking action. Is that it?" Suigetsu observed.
Hibiki folds her hands together, she had seen Karin's planned actions, planting a spy among the inmates and if anyone began gossiping about Orochimaru … Karin was cautious, she had had this plan as a backup for a while.
"You'd better stop talking like that!" Karin demanded
"You've been trained by Orochimaru, all right, Man, you're scary. You probably sensed our presence long ago. You could've even killed us by now." Suigetsu noted.
"If you were alone," Karin added
"But not Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.
"I didn't say that! Sasuke is a colleague… and so is Hibiki. I wanted to see if the rumors were true that Sasuke killed Orochimaru."
"I did kill him," Sasuke confirmed.
"How can you say that so casually?!"
"Suigetsu Release everyone who is held prisoner here," Sasuke ordered.
"Wha-?! Geez, you always order people around." Suigetsu sighed with a smile in his voice.
"You can't just come here and take over!" Karin demanded "You don't know what it took to keep things in order here,"
"Without prisoners, there won't be any need for a warden." Sasuke clarified.
Suigetsu stood up, and sensing the tension, Hibiki stood up too. Grabbing Suigetsu's arm as they left. The door slammed closed behind them. The two walked in silence, Suigetsu glanced at Hibiki, her eyes looked… sad? Was that a sad look? Suigetsu tried to remember back to when she spent time with him about two years or more ago. On the last day, she had a similar look, but this look was more guilty. Before Suigetsu could say anything, they had reached the prisoners again. Suigetsu kneeled and shared the good news with the prisoners.
"I knew it! The rumors that Sasuke Uchiha brought down Orochimaru were true!" a man exclaimed in glee.
"Yeah, it's true." Suigetsu confirmed.
"What'll happen to those of us here?" another asked.
"Of course, you're free to go." Suigetsu smiled.
"A-Are you sure?!" the man asked with a hushed voice.
"Yeah, I was once imprisoned too." Suigetsu said. Hibiki felt the pain in her chest again, she lifted her hand over her heart.
"But as you can see, I'm free. I'm going to unlock the cells. Before that, I have one favor to ask." Suigetsu said.
"What is it?! Ask us anything!" the prisoners called, excitement in their voices.
"Well, the one who defeated Orochimaru and gave us our freedom is Sasuke. When you're out, spread the word to everyone that a man has appeared who will bring peace and tranquility to this world." The prisoners vigorously agreed to the conditions. Suigetsu turned the key and opened the iron gates. The people inside rushed out and ran to the exit.
One man stalled, however, turning to stare at Hibiki. He lifted his large hand and thrust it forward, his years of rage behind it. His first contacted Hibiki's face, the force of the punch sending her flying to the wall with a bang. The back of her head slammed against the concrete. Shocked, Suigetsu rushed to Hibiki, he kneeled and held her arms. An anger like Suigetsu had never felt bubbled up inside.
"Hey, bastard!" He called out to the retreating man. Hibiki placed a hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention.
"I can't say I didn't deserve that. Just let it go." she smiled, wincing at the pain. Her eyes watered. With a worried look, Suigetsu carefully placed his hand on her cheek, and gently turned it up so he could have a better look at the damage. Blood poured down her face, over her lips, and dripped off her chin. Her nose darkened from the bruising showing prominently on her pale skin.
"Man, he got you good," he commented, using his thumb to wipe off some of the pouring blood. "He may have broken it."
Hibiki shrugs her shoulders, "It will heal."
Suigetsu watched her for a moment, the break looked painful, yet she didn't show her pain. Suigetsu helped her stand up, wrapping his arm around her waist as support. The two walked back to Karin and Sasuke. However, when Suigetsu tried to open the door, he found it locked.
"Damn it, Karin!" Suigetsu yelled, kicking the door.
"It's ok, help me sit down?" Hibiki asked. Frowning Suigetsu obliged. Across the hall Suigetsu helped Hibiki sit, she was beginning to shake a bit, the pain swarming her.
"So, what the hell was that? Did you know the guy or something? Plus, all the other prisoners were giving you death glares." Suigetsu frowned. Hibiki lifted the corner of her mouth slightly.
"Who do you think put them here?" She said, leaning her head against the wall. It was then that Suigetsu fully remembered, She was a henchman of Orochimaru, she's done horrible things. And more than that she was living out of spite. Looking at her now, she seemed to have even more life in her, she held more spirit. To be honest he was happy to see her in such high spirits. Maybe Orochimaru's death pleased her just as much as it did him. With their past antics becoming fresher in his mind he began to blush a bit before he decided he didn't like the way the prisoners looked at Hibiki. That if he saw that one man again, he'd kill him.
Hibiki's face was swelling and getting darker, Suigetsu tentatively traced her nose with his finger, it felt straight, so it probably didn't need resetting. Hibiki winced away from him, the throbbing becoming worse.
"Sorry." He apologized. "How long is it going to take?" He asked.
"Not long," she answered,
"What is he a quick finisher," Suigetsu jokes. Secretly praying Sasuke didn't hear him. Hibiki laughed, then winced, then giggled some more. The smile on her lips filled Suigetsu with pride, he made her smile.
Suigetsu was turning to the door when he noticed Hibiki's knees. They were red and scraped, he took her hands and studied her palms, they too were red and scrapped.
"You're prone to getting hurt huh," he quietly commented to himself. Hibiki closed her hands over his.
"Yeah, I guess so." she agreed. Suigetsu looked at the locked door, Hibiki needed help and Karin was taking too damn long. Standing he walked to the door and drew his sword, with a quick swing of his blade, the door crumbled.
"Hey Karin, Hibiki needs you," he said. Karin huffed but quickly went to Hibiki's side.
"Who the hell did this?" Karin yelled.
"One of the prisoners," Suigetsu answered,
Karin started mumbling under her breath, an old habit she had when she was angry and irritated. Taking Hibiki's arm and getting her inside the room, sitting her back on the sofa.
"I'll be right back," she said before leaving the room.
Sasuke stood and stretched, before turning to Hibiki.
"While Karin heals you, find Juugo." He ordered. Hibiki nodded and closed her eyes, calming herself as best she could.
Karin came back and got to work on Hibiki, cleaning her hands and knees, placing badges on them, and healing her nose.
After Karin finished her work, Hibiki's eyes opened and she turned to Sasuke's direction, "Juugo is at the Northern Hideout, The journey will be long, and you will need all of your energy Sasuke, I suggest we wait the night and leave first thing in the morning."
"Fine." Sasuke agreed. Karin did all she could for Hibiki's nose, taping it and giving her pain meds to help her sleep.
Once she was done, Karin excused herself and packed a few things she would need. When she returned to Hibiki, she found her sleeping, leaning on Suigetsu's shoulder as he too slept.
She frowned at the sight.
Updated: 11/16/2022