A/n: Thank you to cutiekyoto, CookieKrisp, Madeline Cullen (Imouto :]), jenjenjojo1012, Chey3X and WhisperInTheRain for your wonderful, much-appreciated feedback! Also, an extra special thank you to the lovely Futterwacken who made me some beautiful fanart! The link is on my profile, go look! :D I don't want to go back to school on Friday T.T updates may unfortunately slow. Give me lots of reviews to motivate me :D
Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto claims ownership over all things associated with the original Naruto. He does not claim anything from this weird girl who writes fanfictions.
Claimer: This story, and all things not in the original Naruto manga or anime are all mine. That means Kari and Kita. They are mine.
Eien no Shasai
(The Edited Version)
Chapter 11;
Aseri
Impatience
-x-
The best things are not always the most pleasant.
-x-
"This is ridiculous."
Uchiha Sasuke, the prodigy of his class, a pure-blooded Uchiha, was tied to a bed. He even had to share it. Usually, he was able to tolerate Kari's presence because she just curled up and went to sleep. The occasional shove and grumble he could bear with. But when she was shivering one minute and out cold the next, wheezing like an old man and had the temperature of an iceberg, Sasuke found his patience considerably thin.
To be fair, he hadn't even acted on his plan to get away from the clutches of that obnoxious old doctor woman and Tazuna's daughter. Yet they still belted him to the bed with Kari.
"I'm inclined to agree," Kari grumbled and for the millionth time, tried to wiggle her way out of the belts without touching him. Whenever she did she would grumble about him being too hot, not taking into account it was actually she who was at a dramatically low temperature despite the mountain of blankets piled on them. He had to hand it to her though, when it came to trying to escape, she wouldn't give up.
"Hn." He just had to be patient. Once his Chakra had restored a bit, he could perform a simple escape jutsu and be free.
Kari wasn't particularly fond of his grumpy company either. His skin felt like it was burning, he took up more than half the bed, he glared at her whenever she breathed and he kept scaring Naruto and Sakura away when they came to see how she was.
She really wanted Naruto to come back and tell her of his butt-kicking adventure of how he saved Tsunami from the evil samurai again. Inari had come in and added parts to the story and Kari had been delighted to hear it. Sadly, Sasuke made Inari nervous, Naruto irritable and Sakura overly lovey-dovey.
The only ally she had left (Tazuna left them in peace and Tsunami always came in with medical equipment) was Kakashi. Funnily enough, he was somewhat wrapped around her finger at the moment and was showing a tiny bit of favouritism.
Kita was left in Naruto's care because Kari didn't want her catching the nasty cold she had. Together, she and Naruto wished for Kari to have a speedy recovery. After all, life isn't fun without your best friend/adopted mother around.
But do you know what was worse? Waking up to find you had a tail and triangular ears poking out your head. What's more, tugging on them did not remove them. She just prayed she wouldn't suddenly sprout fur all over.
-x-
"Maa, Tsunami made soup for you," Kakashi announced as he walked into the room with a tray. Setting it on the side table he untied the binds, easily able to stop them if they tried to escape. Sasuke took his bowl and sat on the floor. "Oi, Kari." she squinted at him and pulled the covers over her head. Kakashi calmly pulled the covers down and put the spoon in the soup.
"Are you serious," Kari said irritably. She knew her muscles were still healing and stiff, but she wasn't a baby! Besides, the smell of that soup...
"You feel sick?" Kakashi asked, noticing the green tinge to her previously white face. She responded by pushing the bowl away. "You need to eat something, come on we'll go in the bathroom just in case." He picked her up with one arm and escorted her into the bathroom.
Sasuke grimaced when he heard retching not five minutes later.
Kakashi put her back to bed before heading to clean the sick, stomach acid and phlegm off Tsunami's freshly clean floor.
-x-
"How is she?"
Sasuke glanced up at Kakashi as he returned smelling of bleach. There had been a compromise that he and Kari could be untied if they stayed in the room. The Uchiha couldn't see that lasting too long, once Kari could stand up she'd be out of the house like a rocket. Kakashi rested a hand against her clammy forehead and sighed.
"Well?" Sasuke asked.
"She's still a bit Hypothermic, but she's better than she was," Kakashi replied. The rattling in her chest was quieter than before as the inflammation started to ease. Hopefully she'd be able to stomach some food soon.
"You're too soft on her," Sasuke said bluntly.
"And you're too hard on her," Kakashi replied. "She's not your enemy Sasuke, try not to give her the cold shoulder all the time." He then left Sasuke alone, only Kari's sleeping form to keep him company.
-x-
Over the next few days, Kari seemed to be improving. Kakashi was all but drowning her with all the drinks he made her have and she was sleeping a little quieter, her coughs less frequent. Her wounds were starting to close and her bones starting to fix thanks to Tsunami's vigilant care with constant cleaning and re-wrapping.
Kari was now able to move around a bit and ease her muscle cramps and stiff joints. Though she had yet to attempt to break free, her eyes did dart to the window and door more often than not.
Sasuke too was still stuck in the room, though he doubted his frustration even came close to hers.
Kari hated being trapped.
Perhaps that was what destroyed the calm, healing atmosphere.
Sasuke awoke suddenly when he felt a hit to his side and a pull on the covers. Irritated Kari was moving around more than usual, his eyes opened a bit and he scowled darkly.
"Roll over baka..."
As his eyes started to adjust he could feel the charge of Chakra simmering beneath her skin. Now fully awake, he assessed the situation.
She seemed to be having a nightmare, her eyes darting behind her lids as limbs lashed out at unseen threats. Sweat clung to her skin and her face would slide from one expression to the other as she thrashed between the sheets.
"Oi, calm down," Sasuke murmured. He took a moment to prepare himself. He knew she would be unpredictable in the moment he woke her. There was no kunai under her pillow, but she may still attempt an attack. Ready for whatever would happen, Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Wake up."
He flinched slightly when she shot into a sitting position, eyes wide, gasping for breath. He let her calm herself for a moment, letting her get a grip on reality.
"It was a dream," he told her. She didn't respond, she just sat there staring forwards with those wide eyes. He pushed her back into a laying position and finally she looked around at him. "Go to sleep Kari."
-x-
They didn't mention her nightmares. Occasionally Kakashi would remark she was starting to look like a panda, but for now he was satisfied she was able to keep down her food. It was normal to have a little trouble sleeping after trauma, the Jounin would keep an eye on her and only approach the issue if it became a problem.
Naruto noticed the difference, he asked if she was all right more than he usually did. Sakura shot her worried looks. Tsunami checked on her more than necessary.
Sasuke wished he had taken the matter more seriously when he suddenly awoke in the middle of the night to find her gone.
-x-
After being cooped up inside, the fresh air of the night felt oddly exhilarating as Kari paced into the town. Even at this late hour, some faint life bustled around the bars and street cats wandered the alleys.
She didn't really have a place she was going. Kari just wanted to wander. Her eyes glanced from left to right as she wandered like a ghost through the streets. She wondered if she was subconsciously looking for something, she felt oddly lost as though there was nothing holding her to the ground.
"Oh ho ho," someone sniggered to her left. "Well boys, isn't this a treat."
Kari's mind barely processed what was happening before rough hands grabbed her arm and she was dragged into a shadowed alley.
-x-
Being the most levelheaded of his team, Sasuke did not immediately panic. He hurriedly felt down her side of the bed, noticing it held no trace of warmth. She'd been gone for a while. Next he quickly jogged down the hall to the bathroom. It was open, light off.
Kari was not in the house.
Rushing back to their room he scanned it for clues. Naruto's shirt was folded on the dresser, she'd changed before going out. Next to the bed, the window was not completely closed as it had been before they had gone to bed.
Wasting no time and ignoring the sensible part of him that urged him to wake his sensei, Sasuke pulled open the window and jumped out, heading in the direction he hoped she had taken.
That directionally challenged, idiotic, injured, naïve little girl was bound to run into trouble.
-x-
Kari hissed as her back was slammed into the wall behind her, a thug holding tight to each wrist as the supposed ringleader held her by the throat.
"You played a part in canceling our paycheck," the leader sneered. He had clearly said that to either strike fear or make him and his cronies recognisable. Unfortunately, he failed in both cases as Kari could not fathom who had lost their job due to her. However, she realised she was in a rather dangerous situation with four burly men who had more brawn than brains while she was held against a wall with dangerously low Chakra, a violent cold (even though Ume-obaachan exaggerated and insisted it was Hypothermia) and rather nasty injuries that limited her movement.
Well, wasn't this just splendid.
She gets out of being trapped in a room and now she's trapped in an alley in the middle of the night with four big shadowed figures.
What next? A box?
"What're you gonna do about it?" the one to her left demanded crushing her wrist in his grasp.
"Who are you again?" Kari asked. Maybe they had the wrong person. Or maybe they knew something about her past life.
"We are elite men hired by Gatou!" one of them growled nostrils flaring.
Oh. Well that makes sense. How exactly is this her fault though?
"We're gonna use you to make money," the leader said curling his lip into a smirk. "And if you don't behave you'll be punished."
Kari's uninterested attitude suddenly turned dark when she noticed that lecherous smirk. She felt a small spark as she tried to gather her Chakra but it immediately faded out.
"After all, women aren't supposed to fight. They're meant to lay on their backs and do what they're told."
-x-
"Where is she?" Sasuke grumbled, debating whether to use the little Chakra he had on his Sharingan. The night was all but pitch black now, the occasional light protesting weakly against the pooling shadows.
Where would Kari go?
He slowed his pace. The streets were all but deserted as a single drunk passed by, swaying and mumbling to himself. Sasuke had almost asked him if he'd seen her.
Where would she go?
He cast his mind through the possibilities. Wherever she would go, she probably would get lost going to. If she had gone in this general direction, which he was pretty sure she did, where could she have been heading?
Then it hit him.
She had been heading for the bridge.
-x-
"You think a brothel would buy her?"
"She's a runt. Men wont be interested in her."
"She'll grow," the leader said and Kari hissed as he placed his hands where he was forbidden to. "She's already got a little there. She might turn out to be real busty."
Kari thrashed angrily, trying to force her torso to curve so she could bring her legs up for a kick but her wound burned and the muscles refused.
"Thin, long hair, reasonable face, sure a brothel will take her. There's plenty in the underground looking for fresh meet to feed the demand."
They were all sneering at her now with their shadowed faces. She hated the way they looked at her - like she was prey in a cage. They were all pawing at her now and she was getting more and more riled as she couldn't get away.
"Maybe we could give her some practice."
"Yeah, try her out."
"Wear her in a bit."
Their laughter gave her chills and enraged with their over-enthusiastic hands she reacted in a vulgar way she usually would have avoided.
As though she were a venomous cobra, she put all her contempt into spitting in the leaders face.
Seeing their sneers turn to fury made her feel as though she had achieved something, as though she had hit back and shamed them like they were shaming her.
This alone, was enough to satisfy her as she felt the force of a man five times her weight throw a fist into her stomach.
-x-
"Where are you?" Sasuke hissed into the air. He stopped and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and listening. It was too quiet, far, far too quiet. He strained his ears, his Shinobi senses reaching out, searching for noise.
He picked out the grunts of men not too far ahead followed by a dull thud.
A fight.
With the smallest of sighs he had the strong feeling that somewhere in that fight, Kari was biting off more than she could chew.
In an instant he shot forward to investigate.
-x-
"Spit in my face will you bitch?" he seethed as her head lolled back to look at him, a mocking smirk on her face. A purple bruise was beginning to form along her jaw and she could feel the sting from the split lip.
Coward, he fought a little girl when she was restrained.
Let go of my hands, then we'll see what a big man you are. I'll knock you out in one hit.
"I'll teach you to mess with me," his face was scrunched with anger casting his whole face into shadow. He scrambled with his zip but Kari refused to show any sign of fear. None of these idiots were having their way with her. One hand tight on her throat, he reached for her waistband when he suddenly froze, cool sharp metal pressed against the pulse point on her neck.
"Let her go."
"Isn't it past your bedtime little boy?"
"Now." Sasuke said his eyes alight with the Sharingan that promised pain should he not be obeyed.
After three seconds Sasuke attacked. Kari was barely aware of suddenly crashing to the ground her wrists throbbing as blood rushed to her fingers. Fire blazed in the alley and the men ran with high screams away the boy who controlled fire.
So much for Gatou's 'elite'.
"You," Sasuke as he lifted her by her arms. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"
"Is it illegal to take a walk now?" she said bitterly.
"It is for little girls at two in the morning when you're in no condition to defend yourself!"
"I am not a defenseless little girl Sasuke," Kari hissed as he touched a nerve.
"As you are now, yes you are!" Sasuke retorted. "Are you idiotic? Anything could have happened to you if I hadn't showed up!" She ignored him, furious at being thought of as weak and helpless. Just the thought made her blood boil. Irritated by her silence he lifted her and headed back for Tazuna's home.
-x-
He stopped when they were safely close by to the bridge-builder's home. He set her down and she looked away from those disapproving, irritated onyx eyes.
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me."
"It doesn't matter," she said shortly. Her temper was thin from her nightmares and the Uchiha's persistent questions were getting on her nerves. Nothing bad happened, so why couldn't he just let it go?
"Yes it does."
"I'm fine!" Kari snapped annoyed that he was making out she was weak. Why couldn't he accept that and leave her alone?
"No you're not," Sasuke states as his eyes narrowed. He wasn't used to the sudden change in attitude, but he refused to let that deter him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me."
Frustrated, she looked up to glare into his onyx orbs, faltering when her emotions started building in her chest.
"I-I'm fine."
She stammered on her words, he wouldn't believe her. Forcing a smile she tried again.
"I... I'm fine."
Why was it so hard to get the words out?
"I-"
"No," Sasuke interrupted, his face softening. "You're not."
"W-what makes you think that?"
"You're crying."
Even in the dark, he could still see the red streaks across her cheeks in the dim light as she fought to keep her smile in place.
"No I'm not," she retorted, breaking the eye contact and glaring at the ground instead. To cry felt like a weakness to her, yet when Naruto had cried, when Sakura had cried she felt nothing but compassion and worry for them. But it was so different when it was herself.
When Sasuke raised his hand she thought for a fleeting moment that he would strike her. But when his hand closed around a fistful of her hair at the back of her head and dragged her closer she was caught speechless.
"This... It makes you feel better doesn't it?" Sasuke grumbled. When Naruto would pull her to him and imprison her in his arms she always laughed and smiled. Holding her head against his shoulder felt foreign and horribly odd. But it was the only way he could think of to calm her down. Confused as to why she just stood there when he had given her permission to see him as comfort, he irritably grabbed her wrist and put it behind his back.
His odd gestures finally made sense to Kari. He was trying to comfort her, yet was unsure exactly how to. He didn't particularly want to do this, but he was swallowing his pride and attempting to make her feel better in his own gruff ways. Understanding, she wrapped her other arm around him and grasped his shirt in her fists.
"You can't hold it all in. You're my team-mate, if you need to talk I'll listen," he said awkwardly an embarrassed blush on his cheeks. What gave him this stupid idea in the first place? However, he seemed to have succeeded when he felt arms around his middle and fists against his back. Uncomfortable at the proximity, he resisted the urge to move away. What was he supposed to do now?
"Arigatou," she murmured thickly, before her overdue breakdown tore through her heaving violent sobs and bringing stinging tears. She tried to keep quiet, but now she started she was unable to calm down.
Regretting the idea to become an emotional outlet, Sasuke begrudgingly enclosed his other arm around her waist and closed his eyes waiting for her to finish.
"D-don't die ag-gain okay?" she said softly into his collar.
"Aa," he agreed his eyes sliding open. Kari wasn't just torn up over the masked boy's death, she was still bothered about his own close call. Stupid oversensitive girl, she cared too much. He sighed letting his other hand slide out of her hair to hold her against him, feeling the soft patter of her heart near his own.
When was the last time he willingly held someone? When he was willingly held by someone other than his lustful kunoichi classmates?
Had he really gone these last four years with no hold since his mothers last embrace?
He rested his cheek against her head, unable to ignore the old feelings of safety, security, protection and love he used to associate with being held. Except this time, he was the strong protector and she was the one who needed to be protected.
It wasn't as horrible as he thought it would be.
-x-
"Three in the morning, bit late for a stroll, ne?"
Kakashi stood at the doorway, arms folded and waiting for an explanation. He was momentarily distracted by the red streaks clinging to Kari's cheeks. Reminded of his earlier theory he guided them into the living room and turned the light on for a better look. Kari hissed and look away, her eyes horribly sensitive, but the Jounin turned her face back towards him examining her eyes.
"So you do cry blood."
"I wasn't-"
"Yes she does," Sasuke confirmed. Kari's eyes turned to the side as she tried to glare at him.
"Maa, you should avoid crying wherever possible, your eyes are a mess," Kakashi said as he gently touched the swollen lids. Burst blood vessels in the eye leaving the whites a foggy red, burst cappillaries surrounding the eyes leaving swelling bruises as though she's been hit in the face by a pole right across her sight organs. Also, from the look of it they were very sensitive to light after a cry, her pupils were a little dialated. "It must hurt, describe the pain."
"Stinging, burning, itching, usual crying feeling?"
"Kari, you truly are the oddest little girl," Kakashi said giving her a soft pat on the head. If anything odd had come up about her eyes in the health check, he'd find out when they went back to Konoha. "Now, care to explain what happened tonight to leave you with a bruised jaw, bruised wrists and a re-damaged rib?"
-x-
"Ah," Kakashi said grimly as Sasuke gave him a report while Kari sulked over the fuss. She truly thought they were making a mountain out of a mole hill. "Kari, I need you to answer me honestly no matter how embarrassing it may be."
"Yeah," she relented noticing how serious he was.
"These men, other than the obvious external blows, where did they touch you?"
"Everywhere I think," Kari said as she tried to remember clearly. Judging from Kakashi's posture, that wasn't the answer he wanted.
"Places they're not meant to touch? Places specific to a girl?"
Oh, he meant those parts.
"Yes."
The Jounin paused for a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose. Kari had been sexually assaulted and was too young to understand just how serious that was. But he needed to know just how far these men got.
"Did they put anything inside of you?"
"...inside?" Kari repeated and if it weren't for the situation, her and Sasuke's perplexed expressions may have amused him. Currently, he was now unsure of how to continue. Had these children heard nothing of sex? For now, for the sake of innocent minds, he decided to find out in a less direct way.
"Did they take any of your clothes off?"
"They were going to," Sasuke answered before Kari had a chance to speak. "That's when I got there."
"But they didn't manage to," Kakashi said and relaxed slightly in relief.
"One of the men was taking their clothes off too," Sasuke remembered grimacing at the vulgarity of it.
"Okay," Kakashi sighed. "Kari, maybe you should stay with me tonight, you've been through an ordeal."
"I'm capable of dealing with her," the Uchiha said, reading between the lines.
"Aa, off to bed then. I'm going for a walk."
-x-
"I wonder why Kakashi was so worked up," Kari mumbled as she curled slightly.
"He's too soft on you," came Sasuke's reply.
"Its nice that he cares though."
"I suppose."
As Kari was just about to fade into sleep, Sasuke bought her crashing back into being awake when he started speaking.
"You... do you remember what I said in those mirrors?"
"Yes."
"About my goal?"
'That man... my brother... I told myself I wouldn't die until I killed him...'
"Yes."
"Do you know why I have that goal?"
"No?"
Sasuke mentally prepared himself. She'd reluctantly opened up to him and shown her weakness, he felt as if he owed her the same. He remembered wishing he had told her when he thought his life was over, remembred how much she had obviously cared having been so torn up when he lost awareness.
"The Uchiha Clan used to be prosperous, the compound full of life. When I was eight, I returned late from training at the academy to find the bodies of my clan strewn across the ground. I eventually found the murderer over my parents bodies, the killer being my older brother, the prodigy and pride of the clan known as Uchiha Itachi."
Glancing at her, he saw no pity, only an interest in what he had to say. Glad he wasn't recieving a sympathetic look, the Uchiha continued.
"He left only me alive, telling me to cling to my pathetic life and one day come before him when I had the same eyes as him, the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Sharingan technique that is awakened after murdering your closest friend."
He noticed her grimace at this. In the short month he had known her, Kari had lived and breathed loyalty. Such a betrayal was bound to make her angry.
"I promised myself I would avenge and rebuild my clan, I have lived the life of an avenger and will continue to do so until my brother dies at my hands."
He felt oddly nervous as he awaited her reaction. If she said the wrong thing now, this half friendship they had formed would be shattered in an instant and he would completely turn his back on her. However, her response was not what he expected.
"You must have really loved your clan ne?"
"They were my family," Sasuke replied, unsure what to make of what she said. She glanced up at him and seemed slightly shy.
"Sasuke, what's it like to have a family?"
Of course, she had no recollection of her family. She knew nothing of love or bonds other than the small friendships she had formed. She knew nothing of being cared for and looked after. She had accepted his role of an avenger without complaint, so he decided to tell her little things he remembered.
"Every family is different. I had a proud father, one who wanted the best. He was never quick to praise and was never slow to criticise. My mother on the other hand was very kind and warm, if not fussy and bossy at times. While my father focused most of his attention on the prodigy, my mother seemed to care more about me."
"Your Okaasan, what did she look like?"
She was so enthralled with his little description, amazed at the thought of a family.
"Supposedly, she looked like me," Sasuke said finding it oddly comforting to talk about her. "Her hair was longer and of course she was very feminine, her eyes were dark and warm. Okaasan usually wore an apron because she liked to cook. She used to chop tomatoes for me all the time. She always looked younger when she smiled and always looked funny when she was angry." He rose his eyebrow at how close she had scooted to him. "I think, she would have really liked you."
"Hontou?"
"Aa," Sasuke said, a small smirk lifting his lips at how happy that made her.
"I hope, if I have a Okaasan out there somewhere, that she's even a little bit like yours," Kari said and quickly slipped into dreams of what she wondered Sasuke's mother was like. The Uchiha grunted irritably when he noticed his arm was a pillow. Even so, he was a little glad he told her.
"Baka," he murmured falling asleep not long after.
-x-
Kakashi was in a delightful mood the next morning. He allowed Sasuke to join them in watching Tazuna now he was mostly healed while Kari snoozed away the rest of her 'cold' and let her body continue to heal. Sasuke was enjoying the outside world once again, even with the annoyances of Naruto and Sakura, when Inari showd up looking sheepish.
"Anou... Sensei?"
"Mm?" Kakashi acknowledged without looking up from his book.
"Okaasan's worried about Kari-neechan."
"Why?"
"There's a lot of crashes and bangs coming from the spare room."
"Aa, I'll let her out for a while."
Kakashi arrived and quickly realised his mistake. Leaving Kari locked up, completely alone without even the mild company of the Uchiha was idiotic. With the window locked, the door locked and no means of entertainment, Kari attempted to trash the room in an attempt to make an escape route. There were scratches down the walls and on the floor, cracks, holes, wood was splintered, blankets were torn and Kari sat in the middle of the mess positively furious.
"Yo?" Kakashi offered flinching at a glare that was almost murderous. He sighed sadly at the thought of the repair costs coming out of his own pocket. "How about I let you outside for a while, ne?"
Even though she perked up a little he was clearly not forgiven.
"Piggyback me, Kashi-baka-roba."
-x-
However, Kari is easily pleased and an icecream later she was utterly content sitting on the dock as good as gold. Once finished she walked down the bridge, listening to the soft taps her bare feet made. About half way along she stopped, seeing patches of wood that were stained darker than the rest. She gave a sad sigh as she looked down at it, that lost empty feeling curling up in her stomach again.
"Oh Haku-kun..."
"They made a memorial for them both you know," Kakashi said walking over to stand next to her. Naruto had been banned from coming within ten feet of his best friend to prevent any hugs that would turn fractures into breaks. The future Hokage was sitting in a sulk as the builders worked around him, barely litening to Sakura trying to engage Sasuke in conversation. Kita was laying on his head, basking in the warm sun that had melted all traces of snow away. "Would you like to see it?"
She looked up and smiled.
"I'd really like that."
-x-
Sakura's slap echoed through the clearing as Naruto's hand was swiftly punished for going to sneak one of the offering buns.
"What are you doing? That's bad karma!" Sakura hissed while Naruto chuckled nervously. "But, Kakashi-sensei, were those two correct about ninjas?"
"A ninja isn't supposed to pursue his own goals, becfoming the country's tool is most important. It's the same for Konoha," Kakashi replied.
"Is that what it really means to become a true ninja? If it is, I don't like it dattebayou!" Naruto declared.
"You believe that too?" Sasuke asked as Kari sat and fiddled with the end of her wrappings as Kita sat on her lap.
"Well, each and every ninja has to live while dealing with that issue, just like Zabuza-san and that boy," Kakashi explained.
"Okay, I just decided; I'm going to be a ninja in my own way, dattebayou!" Naruto said huffily.
"Me too," Kari agreed shooting a grin at her comrade. Looking back at Haku's cross she touched the wood gently before moving forward to embrace it. "I hope your happy bishounen, wherever you are now."
-x-
"Thanks to you guys we were able to complete the bridge, but this is super sad," Tazuna said with a frown.
"Thank you for everything," Kari said cheerfully.
"We'll come and visit dattebayou, don't worry!" Naruto promised.
"You... better..." Inari said, lip trembling.
"Inari," Naruto said mirroring his tearful expression. "You're sad right? It's okay to cry!"
"I'm not going to cry! But you can Naruto!" Inari shouted.
It took seconds for them to break and with a synchronised wail of "KARI-(NEE)CHAN!" the sobbing boys latched onto the kunoichi as they proceeded to cry like babies.
"Mouuuu, I want to cry too," Kari sniffled eyes brimming with tears. "Iie! I have to be the man in this!"
"Baka," Sasuke scoffed as Sakura rolled her eyes.
"URUSAI! You emotionless tori-atama rock!"
"Naruto changed Inari's heart and Inari changed the villagers hearts," Tazuna said warmly. "They gave us a bridge to hope called courage. Actually, we still need to name the bridge."
"The Great Naruto Bridge!" Kari cried at once from inbetween the wet, squashed group hug she was stuck in.
Tazuna grinned.
"Super perfect."
Inari was detached from Kari's side and the ninja's continued across the bridge back home, the first to cross Tazuna's masterpiece.
"Kashi-roba..."
"Hai," the Jounin agreed and allowed Kari to climb on his back. She needed rest anyway, even if he knew it was just in case she did cry and wanted to hide her face. But was it really necessary to refer to him as a donkey?
"Yatta! Lets go home fast so I can get Iruka-sensei to buy me some ramen! Oh yeah! And I have to tell Konohamaru about my legenday feats! Kari-chan, you come too!" Naruto cried excitedly.
"Hai, hai," she laughed.
"Then I will..." Sakura began and glanced at Saske with a blush. "Hey Sasuke, how about a date when we get back?"
"No thanks," Came the blunt reply.
"B-but..."
"Hey! Hey! What about me!" Naruto cried.
"What? No way Naruto!" Sakura cried angrily.
"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, Sasuke added a thanks, don't worry, you're getting somewhere! And Naru-kun, I will go on a date with you!" Kari compromised.
Sakura looked delighted, Naruto grinned, Sasuke glared, Kita looked from one to the other in utter befuddlement and Kari relaxed comfortably, her chin resting on her sensei's shoulder.
Kakashi couldn't help but wonder what in the world made the Hokage throw these misfits together, but with a hidden smile, he couldn't help but remark how it was difficult to get bored.
-x-
-Wave Arc End.-
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