I Do not own Naruto, If I did I wouldn't bother writing Fan Fiction.
A Price for Peace
Chapter: 4 An Unwanted Companion
In the Land of lightning the ninja of the great nations had begun returning to their respective villages. The injured were the first to go taken back along with medical officers. Of those that remained were the generals, Kage and top ranking shinobi of each division. For the last few days these shinobi had been in almost constant meetings discussing a possible permanent alliance. These talks had been stalled by by several key reasons. Most notably Iwa's failure to appoint a new Tsuchikage after the loss of Oonoki in the war. Because of this Iwa had been sending several candidates to these meetings each with varying levels of cooperativeness.
If Kakashi and the other Kage had the choice they would have picked Oonoki's son, Kitsuchi for the next Tsuchikage. He was a general during the war in charge of one of the close range divisions of shinobi. He was also rather supportive of the idea that a permanent alliance was possible.
Several of the other candidates were firmly against the idea with one particular taking the information the Naruto Uzumaki, the boy the people from Iwa were still calling a hero, was in fact the son of Minato Namikaze, quite poorly. Many were of the opinion that Naruto's actions in the war more than justified his status as a hero, whether they were saying this in an attempt to sure up votes from Iwa's jounin, or if they truly believed this Kakashi and the other Kage didn't know.
"If we put Iwa out of the discussions for the time being I think it would be wise to discuss how a potential alliance would work. A loose standing association will only work to a certain degree. Cooperation and interaction between villaged will be necessary to maintain close bonds and assure old wounds do not reopen." Mei spoke at the start of their latest meeting.
"We have the chunin exams, over the past years very few, if any shinobi from rival villages would compete in the other nations exams with only Suna and Konoha regularly competing against each other. This promotes competition and friendship between villages." Gaara suggested.
"I agree that it's a good starting point but to make a alliance stronger we each should be able to contribute in some way in terms of aiding the other villages shinobi. Konoha has the best medics, we could offer training to the other villages." Kakashi added.
"Yo Kumo agrees, we can train other shinobi, just like I did the boy'o from the tree's." the new Raikage and constantly rapping Killer Bee added.
"Suna's use of chakra strings and puppetry is unmatched." Gaara offered.
"As is Kiri's Kenjutsu, our swordsmen are legendary after all." Mei finished with a smug smile.
Mifune the leader of the Samurai from the Land of Iron was an ever present at these meetings and assured the ninja that should they be able to come to an agreement then his country would join the others in the alliance. "Our weapon and armor forging would be an asset. And if Iwa consent, the rare minerals from the Land of Earth would be perfect to keep all of our soldiers supplied with the highest quality equipment." Mifune suggested. Once again the Iwa delegation struggled to come to an agreement on whether they should agree to the request.
"Who will be in charge of this so called alliance, our authority as Kage should not be reduced at all." a tall bearded man who stood almost twice as tall as Gaara asked.
Once more Mifune decided to act as a voice of reason, greed had been a major player in the relationships between the great nations in the past and he did not want this to become the point that prevented a lasting peace to occur. "I propose all Kage retain absolute power within their village with a rotation of a alliance commander that will change between the villages after a set period of time." for once not a single person could find a issue with the Samurai leaders compromise.
(Land of Earth)
Naruto let out a low sigh as he looked off into the distance back along the road he was traveling. Asahi's caravan was drawn by two spotted white horses and had a tall arching roof off blue canvas for shelter from rain. 'This isn't much faster than I was traveling before.' he thought in reluctant acceptance of is fate. Being a dead man was far more difficult than he had expected. Naruto attention turned to the rocky mountain ridges that scattered the landscape of the Land of Earth. Like Konoha's forests Naruto assumed that the mountains were great assets to the ninja from Iwa. Konoha ninja were in their element hiding in the trees and he was sure Iwa shinobi would be quite formidable in this terrain.
"You seem a little distracted Ruto, is something wrong?" Asahi asked from the front of the caravan.
Naruto was startled, he didn't expect the middle aged man to have picked up on his frustration. "Oh it's nothing really." he protested.
"I guess this way of travel is a little slow when you're a ninja isn't it." Asahi replied eyeing the blond.
'Busted, but how!?' Naruto thought looking around as if hoping that there was some other passenger that the middle aged man may have been talking to. "I... Uh"
"I may not look it, but I was a shinobi once as well. I can tell when I have a trained ninja in my cart. Although I would say you have not done much undercover work, you can suppress your chakra well enough. But the way you hold your body, and are constantly checking your blind spots are dead giveaways." The caravan owner interrupted.
"When did you find out?" Naruto asked a defeated expression passing across his face.
"When? The moment I saw you I knew you were trained. So what rank? You're certainly no black opps Anbu and they are the only ninja sent out on solo missions at least that was the case when I was a ninja. I'm guessing you went rogue?" Asahi assumed.
"I'm a Genin. And yes I guess you could say I'm a missing ninja now. I faked my death because I'm of more use to everyone dead than alive. As long as everyone thinks I'm dead my village has a chance for some real peace." Naruto admitted.
"That's quite a lot of responsibility to put on a Genin. Are you sure you're not over stating things?" Asahi asked calmly.
"Maybe, but either way you look at it losing one genin isn't the end of the world." Naruto replied. He may not be able to hide the fact he was a shinobi from the caravan owner but he sure wouldn't be giving up the fact that he was a jinchuuriki.
"I guess that's true, anyway boy your secret is safe with me, I opted out at the end of the third great shinobi war, who am I to give up someone who chose the same path as I did." Asahi replied.
"You faked your death?" Naruto asked becoming more interested in the bald man.
"No need, I was Anbu, any Anbu ninja that doesn't return is considered dead unless confirmed otherwise. At the time I was one of the best Iwa had to offer." Asahi said confidently his chest puffing out almost gloatingly as he talked about himself.
"Then what happened?" Naruto asked.
Asahi laughed a hollow laugh and shook his head. "The war happened. I was given a mission that in the end I just couldn't do. So I opted out."
Naruto was confused, Anbu were considered the most loyal ninja in their respective villages, each one was expected to be able to kill on comand and accept any mission without question no matter how difficult or suicidal it may be. "You chickened out?" Naruto asked.
"You could say that. I would say, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself had I gone through with it." Asahi replied.
"What was the mission?" Naruto had to ask, his interest had been peaked.
"Iwa wanted a distraction that would keep a large group of Konoha shinobi occupied long enough for a team to slip past and the attack a key structure being held close to the northern border of the Land of Fire. I accepted without hesitation of course but when I arrived at my destination I found a small civilian village. No shinobi these people couldn't even defend themselves from bandits let alone a fully trained ninja. But my orders were clear, destroy target leaving no survivors. This was the distraction they wanted, I kill a bunch of civilians luring the enemy away from their posts." Asahi explained suddenly looking far older than he had just moments earlier.
"But you couldn't do it?" Naruto finished for him.
"I was faced with a dilemma. If I didn't follow my orders I would have been executed for defying orders in a time of war. But if I did I would have been committing a crime far worse than anything I had seen done before. I broke down, froze unable to move, I don't know how long a stayed just staring at the village it could have been days for all I know. Eventually a young girl from the village found me and brought me into her home. I then made up my mind, I couldn't kill these people so like the coward I am I fled vowing to never again bring harm to anyone." Asahi finished.
"What about the attack on the Konoha ninja?" Naruto asked.
"It never went ahead. the war had all but ended the day before without my knowledge when the furture Yondaime Hokage destroyed the main supply bridge and singlehandedly routed a battalion of Iwa's army.
Naruto sighed, on the one hand he was glad that the man had disobeyed his orders but on the other he was saddened that he had been forced to give up his life and disappear. Naruto was doing it out of choice but Asahi was forced to choose between two horrible outcomes. However Naruto looked at it the situation the caravan owner had been in had no happy endings. 'Compared to this guy I have it easy, all I had to give up was becoming Hokage.' Naruto realized.
'What about all of your friends? The life you had in Konoha? You are underselling what you are losing by taking this course of action.' Kurama interjected.
'Well maybe, but should I choose to I can return to Konoha, Asahi can never go back to Iwa.' Naruto replied.
'That may be, but by the sounds of it he has chosen a new life. He seems rather content to me, I sense no negative emotions coming from him.' the fox assured the blond.
'Yeah, guess this guy is proof that there is life after being a ninja, who knows mybe I'll get over the mountains find a girl settle down and be able to raise a family of my own, that sounds like a nice life to me, what was it Shikamaru always said? 'Find a nice girl who's not too pretty yet not hard on the eyes have two children an boy and a girl?' Hell if I'm really lucky I'll find someone strong like Kaa-san. if that was Shikamaru's plan it has to be a good one.' Naruto smiled.
'You have to get a kiss before you can even think about any of that. So far your only experience is with Sasuke' Kurama chuckled causing Naruto to face palm.
'Why do you have to keep bringing that up?' Naruto whined.
'I don't have a lot going on.' the fox said with a rather large grin.
'I've let you out of the cage, so you can roam around my mind. Hell, you can even change the mindscape to your liking now so you have alo-' Naruto stopped mid thought when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. "Where being followed." Naruto whispered so only he could here.
'Are you sure? I cannot sense anything.' Kurama asked.
'Positive. I saw the corner of a black cloak disappear behind one of the larger rocks.' Naruto answered in a businesslike manner.
'Then the question is why? Your chakra is completely suppressed, I'm even restricting my chakra flow.' Kurama mused.
'Maybe they are not after us but Asahi? He will be a wanted man in this country, maybe it's someone that recognizes him?' Naruto thought solemnly. 'Either way we can't let whoever it is report our location.' he decided.
'That is true, I cannot sense any ninja in the area, or at least I cannot feel any negative emotions. It may be safe to use some chakra. After fighting Madara and his little pet Uchiha who ever if following us should be no problem.' Kurama smirked.
"Alright! Hey Asahi how far are we from the next town?" Naruto asked preparing to stop suppressing his chakra as long as he was far enough away from possible detection.
"It will be close to dusk before we reach another settlement." The caravan owner answered.
"In that case, I'll catch up to you in a little while. There is something I need to do." Naruto spoke not wanting to scare the man into thinking that his secret may have been discovered. Standing up in the back of the covered wagon Naruto hopped out onto the road and waited for Asahi to be a fair distance away. "Come out, I know you have been following the old mans wagon, what do you want!?" the blond asked loudly as he allowed his chakra to once more flow freely.
Karin couldn't help but gasp as Naruto's chakra came bubbling to the surface. 'Amazing it's so bright. Far brighter than I ever remembered, even when it was supressed his chakra was like a beacon in the dark but now it's more like the sun shining brightly, spreading it's light over hundreds of miles.' she thought in awe, trying to gather her composure. She had spent so long now searching for the blond that was now standing before her in the middle of a large winding road wrapping around the side of a mountain. But now she found him she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
"You're not fooling me, I may not be able to sense your chakra but I know you're out there!" Naruto yelled assertively.
Slowly Karin appeared from behind a row of tall rocks that had lined the side of the road. Her hood was up to hide her face, she had no idea how Naruto would react to seeing her. "Okay you got me." she said using a small amount of chakra to disguise her voice, hoping to assure Naruto that she meant him no harm before revealing herself.
"Why are you following the old mans caravan?" Naruto asked calmly.
"I'm looking for a Konoha ninja." Karin admitted.
"You're a long way from the Land of Fire, you will have more luck going back in the other direction. What's this ninja's name?" the blond shinobi replied already knowing the answer.
"I'm looking for Naruto Uzumaki." Karin answered.
"I heard he died, maybe you should go ask at Konoha. Why are you looking for him anyway?" Naruto pressed he was already sure that his cover was blown but on the off chance that this person sis not know that he was Naruto he was not going to make it easy for them.
"I know for a fact that Naruto is not dead, and he is the only person that can give me my life back." Karin said removing her hood.
Naruto's eyes widened and Kyuubi released a small growl in Naruto's mind. Plausible threat or not this was someone who worked with the Akatsuki and therefore not to be trusted. "I know you! You were locked up in Konoha before the start of the war. You were uh Sasuke's girlfriend or something."
Karin blushed at the thought but only for an instant. "I was his sensor and medic, not his girlfriend! And you can drop the act, I know who you are Naruto."
"Sensor huh, well that explains why you were able to find me. Now, all I need to know is how, so I can prevent being found again in the future." Naruto said dismissing why Karin was there completely.
"How? I can see your chakra from miles away, it was like a come and find me flashing light. I could sense your chakra from fifty miles away" Karin scoffed.
"Impossible I had my chakra suppressed." Naruto said.
"Well I'm no normal sensory ninja, why else would Orochimaru and Sasuke-kun keep me around?" Karin said attempting to make her seem like a victim.
"Hm I guess that makes sense, you do seem to be less uh, experimented on than most of Orochimaru's subjects I met." Naruto agreed.
'Just as I thought, he's a big softy, just give him a sob story and he will help me for sure.' Karin thought. "That's right, Orochimaru made me locate unique chakra signatures and then forced me to run his experiments." she sobbed pausing at several moments for emphasis. "And then, after Orochimaru died and I thought I was free Sasuke-kun took me and had me hunt down his brother." she continued.
Naruto couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the kunoichi despite Kurama's silent protests in his mind that she was trying to manipulate him. 'It makes sense, I always wondered how Sasuke was ever to locate someone like Itachi when Konoha shinobi had been trying for years.'
'Fool, she's trying to make you feel sorry for her by giving you some bullshit story, just get rid of her already!' the Kyuubi retorted.
Naruto knew better than to argue with Kurama when it came to negative emotions so in the end he remained unmoved. "Get to the point, what do you want?"
'What happened!? I had him eating out of the palm of my hand just a second ago, and then he just went blank.' Karin lamented. Her tears instantly dried up once she discovered it wasn't going to work. "Fine I want you too forgive me for helping Sasuke-kun. I thought I loved him so I followed what he asked me to do blindly. I have caused so much damage and I want you to know that I am sorry." she admitted honestly.
Naruto was confused that anyone would go through all the effort to track him down just to say that but just shrugged it off. "Yeah okay I forgive you, if you went through all that just to track me down just to say that you must be telling the truth, so why not." Naruto replied nonchalantly.
"You do? Oh thank kami." Karin said with a smile.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head not really understanding just why this meant so much to the red haired kunoichi. "Yeah you're forgiven, now if you will excuse me I have places to be." and with that Naruto turned to leave.
"Wait you can't go! I need you to tell everyone that you forgive me." Karin said urgently.
"Well, you see now we have a problem. If you're not aware I'm supposed to be dead. It wouldn't be good for maintaining my reputation as being dead if I go around telling people that I forgive a member of the very same organization that killed me. Sorry I couldn't help." Naruto said waving farewell to the kunoichi.
"Stop!" Karin ordered. Naruto ignored her and kept walking, this did not go down well with the crimson eyed kunoichi. Ignoring her had been a popular tactic used by one of her former allies, Suigetsu to annoy the kunoichi. "Hey I said stop! You can't do this. Unless you help me I'm as good as dead!" she yelled angrily frustration mixing with desperation as she chased after the former Konoha ninja.
"Being dead isn't so bad, personally I find that I have lots of time to think now." Naruto finally spoke not stopping as he continued to walk away from the kunoichi.
"You are sentencing me to death!" Karin yelled several real tears falling from her eyes as the realization that she would never have a normal life and she was doomed to die, eventually someone would discover her, by now her face will have been posted all over the elemental nations with bounty a living ninja that worked with the Akatsuki would have quite a large bounty at that.
"Actions have consequences. I had to watch as the first person I had ever called my friend died from my own jutsu. I need to leave in order to bring peace, I'm sorry but I cannot help you. Your fate is in your own hands." Naruto replied.
Naruto took a few more steps when he heard Karin collapse on hands and knees. Tears were falling from her eyes like a constant stream that she couldn't stop despite trying so hard. She was sure from the moment she had seen Naruto for the first time that he had a kind, forgiving soul. But now that same person had just told her he was leaving her to die. "Please!" she begged. "I need your help, I'll do anything!" Naruto's heart was breaking as he continued to walk "Please... help me!" she echoed weakly.
Naruto stopped and rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to ignore the desperate kunoichi's plea. "I can't, if I help you everything I have worked for is ruined. I need to stay dead. I'm sorry." Naruto spoke sadly his heat truly went out to Karin. He held no great sympathy for her as she had put herself in this situation but at the same time he couldn't help but feel bad knowing he was leaving her to be captured and killed as a member of the Akatsuki.
"Then... take me with you?" Karin asked knowing it was her last hope.
"It's too dangerous, where I'm going is not somewhere an ordinary shinobi can survive." Naruto said.
"I'll survive, I heal fast and I'm not easy to kill, I survived Sasuke's attack on that bridge in the Land of Iron after all. I can help you, I'm the best sensor that there is. And my blood heals others wounds in an instant." Karin said her mind already made up. If she was as good as dead anyway.
"You don't even know where I'm going." Naruto reasoned.
"I don't care, if I stay I will be found eventually, I can't wear a hood for my entire life no matter how good I am at suppressing my chakra. Going with you is my only hope." Karin replied seeing that Naruto was starting to soften.
"I can't guarantee your safety." Naruto warned, his resistance fading.
'This is a risk Naruto.' Kurama spoke.
'I know but if I leave her she will be killed, or worse, she could tell everyone that I am still alive, that would be very bad for me. Even if nobody believed her, it's still a voice that could tell others..' Naruto sighed.
'She worked with the Akatsuki that should be enough to ignore her, or even better kill her. But I guess you wouldn't be you unless you forgave the girl.' Kurama sighed in mild disappointment.
"I can take care of myself... so can I come?" Karin asked rubbing the tears from her eyes.
Naruto closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes you can come. Now hurry up and I hope you have money to pay for your passage on the old mans supply caravan." he sighed, turning away from the kunoichi. He was not happy with himself, if he was honest he knew he shouldn't have agreed to let her come, two people were easier to find than one. Because of this he held some resentment for the kunoichi, but he just couldn't leave her to die.
A smile of joy broke across Karin's face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." she chanted getting to her feet slowly.
"Save it, you can follow me until we are safe. But if you try anything, or I so much as think you are trying to contact anyone, giving away our location, I will move on without you." Naruto warned. His confrontation with the kunoichi made Naruto realize that he had matured quite a lot recently, then again fighting in a war will change someone Naruto just hoped that it was a change for the better.
Karin just nodded and fell into step behind the blond as they followed the road after Asahi's wagon. 'It's not ideal and I'm stuck with, him, but it's far better than the alternative.' she resigned.
It didn't take long for Naruto to catch upto the caravan when he was moving like a shinobi should. "Hey old man we have a new passenger so I'll double the fee." Naruto said as he landed at the back of Asahi's wagon.
The bald former Iwa shinobi turned just as Karin pulled herself onto the the moving wagon. "A girlfriend, well you sure know how to go on the run." Asahi laughed.
"She's not a girlfriend, hell she's not even a friend. More like a potential assassin trying to kill me in my sleep." Naruto said flatly.
Asahi chuckled at the Naruto's rather annoyed expression it was clear he was not that keen on having the red head tagging along. "Odd choice of travel companions then kid, but who am I too judge. Good to have you aboard miss?"
"Karin." the kunoichi spoke quietly not sure how she should react around the blond, if she over stretched her boundary's she could find herself on the side of the road or tied to a tree.
"Just Karin? You don't have a family name?" Asahi asked.
Karin shook her head. "I didn't know my parents and nobody had ever seen fit to give me a clan name." she admitted slightly saddened by that thought. She had thought of Kusa as a home, but then she was never accepted there. Then she thought working with Orochimaru was where she belonged but the more she thought about it the more obvious it was that he just wanted her for her healing abilities. "I guess nobody has ever thought enough of me to give me one."
"That's stupid, Ero-sennin never had a clan name but that didn't mean people didn't care for him. There was me, Baa-chan, the old sages, and his summons. Not having a family doesn't mean people don't care for you." Naruto said firmly.
Karin's eyes widened, she never expected Naruto to say something so kind when she had basically blackmailed him into taking her with him. "I... I, thank you." she said with a small smile.
"I didn't say it for you, I don't want anyone to say that just because he lacked a clan that Ero-sennin was not loved or respected." Naruto said agressively causing the kunoichi to look slightly crestfallen. Naruto's face softened, he never meant to hurt the girl. "But you're welcome, and I am sure the same can be said for you."
Karin smiled again and wanted to leave it at that but couldn't help but ask one last question. "Um who's Ero-sennin? With a name like that it doesn't sound like they are someone I want to meet." she giggled.
"Ah... yeah quite a few people were not his biggest fans. He was a massive pervert, every day he would spend time writing those perverted books of his or go to spy on women in bath houses." Naruto said thinking about his godfather fondly. It still upset him to know that Jiraiya had died. He remembered wanting nothing more than to have Jiraiya see him becoming hokage and surpass his father.
"What a pig!" Karin shouted angrily, like most kunoichi, and women in general she found the idea of someone watching them while they bath off putting to say the least.
"Yeah I guess he was, but he was also the man who taught me how to be a shinobi and more importantly how to be a man. I never had a father growing up but I wouldn't have asked for anyone better than Ero-sennin." Naruto of course knew who his father was now but he still owed Jiraiya a debt that couldn't be repaid for making him into the person he was now.
Karin's rage subsided finding herself unable to continue hating the man that her new traveling companion seemed to respect to so much. "You still haven't told me who he is, or why you call him Ero-sennin if you respect him so much, although I think I can guess the last part." she said a twinge of annoyance remaining towards the lovable pervert.
"He was my master, Jiraiya. And yeah I called him Ero-sennin, because he was a self proclaimed super pervert and he was a sage, ergo Ero-sennin." Naruto laughed.
Asahi who had been listening to the two teens with mild interest almost fell off the wagon when he head this. 'Jiraiya! And a Sage... this kid was trained by the same man who trained the Yondaime Hokage, and one of the Legendary three ninja of Konoha. How the hell is this kid still a Genin? He's old enough to be at least a chunin and that chakra level he had when he stopped suppressing his chakra, it was so powerful no way this kid is normal.' he thought but he kept those thoughts to himself.
"I thought your sensei was that scarecrow guy... uh Kakashi was his name, right." Karin asked.
"Yeah Kakashi-sensei was my jounin sensei but Ero-sennin was my master, well I guess you would say he took me as his apprentice, I had two teacher. I guess I'm pretty lucky." Naruto answered.
"What you were trained by Jiraiya of the Sannin and Kakashi Hatake!?" Asahi said unable to keep in his surprise.
Naruto froze, he had refrained from talking about himself as much as possible but the distraction of Karin's arrival made him forget all about the fact Asahi was a former ninja. 'Well this isn't good.' Naruto thought rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
End Chapter!
I keep meaning to put this on the back burner yet here is another chapter... I have problems. So if you haven't guessed by now this fic is going to be Naruto x Karin. Personally I feel this is a pairing with lots of potential, they are both Uzumaki, and after almost being killed by Sasuke and saved by Naruto and Kakashi she was a character open for a major change in character development in the cannon.
She looks like she will break out of prison in the cannon, and if she goes running back to Sasuke I will find that incredibly poor writing certainly after it has shown how scared she was becoming of Sasukes dark chakra, not to mention the fact he almost killed her. Still with how things have been going recently I don't really have my hopes up that's for sure.