Chapter 5.
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1 month later.
Daytime.
Uzume, in her usual outfit, standing in her backyard and was watching Karin, now 8 years old and in her usual outfit, sitting in the seiza position and a wooden pail on the left of her and a small wooden desk in front of her. Karin's hands were on a dead fish as she was focusing her chakra, trying to send some of it into the fish. Her mother was teaching her the Mystical Palm technique after she master knowing the history of the Uzumaki clan, reading a lot of information about for the future, and many more.
"You're doing wonderful, Karin." Uzume said smiling. "Just a little more."
Karin gasped as she now saw a green glow coming from her hands and on to the dead fish. Less than a minute later, the fish flopped around as it was now alive again. Karin stopped healing the fish and the green glow disappeared, she smiled to herself.
"Good job, sweetie." Uzume said to her daughter. "You're a fast learner."
Karin turned her head around to look at her mother. "Thank you, Mommy." she said then turned back around and picked up the fish and carefully put it in the pail.
Uzume and Karin suddenly sensed Kushina and Naruto coming towards their house. Uzume walked to the shoji doors and opened one of them up with her right hand and stepped in, Karin stood up and walked to the shoji doors as well and entered the house too and closed the door behind her.
Uzume walked to the other shoji door and opened it up to reveal Kushina, in her usual outfit, and Naruto, in his new usual outfit, a black short sleeved shirt with the Uzumaki crest on the front, light grey shorts with a blue stripe on each outer side, and blue sandals. They were both smiling back at them.
"Hello, Onee-chan." Kushina said.
"Hi, Aunt Uzume." Naruto said.
"Hello to you, too Kushina." Uzume said smiling back.
"Onee-chan, I need to talk to you about something." Kushina said.
"Okay." Uzume said before she turned around. "Karin."
"Yes, Mommy." Karin said stopping next to her on the right.
"Can you and your Cousin Naruto go play outside while me and your Aunt Kushina talk for awhile?" Uzume asked.
"Hai." Karin said, then walked to the shoji doors again.
Naruto stepped in and took off his sandals at the door and followed Karin. Karin slid one of the shoji doors open with her right hand and stepped out, Naruto closed the door behind them.
Uzume walked over to one of the couches while Kushina took off her sandals before following her. Uzume sat on the couches and Kushina sat on the other side of her big sister.
Uzume turned back to her younger sister. "So what did you want to talk about Kushina?" she asked.
"Well, I have new information on the mission that I was assigned to yesterday." Kushina said.
"That's wonderful." Uzume said.
"I will be starting it tomorrow afternoon." Kushina said. "But something about it doesn't quite-"
As Kushina continued talking about her mission, Uzume suddenly felt dizzy and a pain in her body mostly her chest. Uzume clutched her chest with her right hand as she closed her eyes tightly and started coughing.
"Onee-chan, What's wrong?!" Kushina said, putting both her hands on Uzume's shoulders. "Onee-chan?!"
Uzume suddenly blacked out and Kushina's voice faded away.
Uzume's eyes slowly opened and she looked around to see that she was in her room, she noticed that she was lying under the blanket on her bed. She looked looked to the right to see Kushina and Naruto were standing and staring at her sadly.
"Onee-chan." Kushina said.
"Mommy." a voice said.
Uzume slowly turned her head to the left and saw Karin standing and staring at her sad and worried as she had tears running down her face.
Karin climbed onto the bed. "I'm so glad you're awake, Mommy." she said leaning down and hugged her mother carefully.
Uzume smiled warmly at her daughter. "It's alright, Karin. I'm okay." she lied.
"So.. this must be more side effects of the virus.." Uzume thought.
Karin pulled back a little so she can see her mother's face, tears still running down her face. "B-but why you faint?" she asked.
Uzume slowly sat up. "I was really tired because of various work, but I'm fine now. You don't have to worry." she said smiling.
Karin still looked at her mother with sad and worried eyes. Uzume turned to the right and saw Naruto had a similar look on his face like Karin and she turned to Kushina, who had a sad look. Uzume stared into Kushina's eyes, she immediately knew that Kushina could tell that something was very wrong with her.
Kushina looked at her son and niece. "Um Naruto, Karin, I think she's hungry and thirsty. Can you 2 go to the kitchen and bring her some food and water, please?" she asked.
"W-what about -" Karin said was cut off.
"Don't worry I'll look after your mother, I promise." Kushina said to her.
Karin looked at her Aunt for a moment before she said. "O-okay." then climbed off the bed.
Naruto and Karin slowly left the room, but Karin glanced a few times at her mother. Naruto closed the door behind them.
Uzume looked at the door as she sensed Naruto and Karin's chakra moved further and further away from the door before turning back to look Kushina.
"What's really wrong with you, Onee-chan?" Kushina said worriedly, looking at her. "And please tell the truth, you have been acting strange lately."
Uzume looked looked sadly. "Um, do you remember the Tasu virus that was in Uzushiogakure years before we moved to Konohagakure?" she asked.
"Yes, it was a deadly virus that killed many of our clan members and other people there." Kushina said. "But it disappeared decades ago, why are you bringing it up?"
"Because... I have it..." Uzume said before she looked at Kushina again.
Kushina stared at her older sister in shock. "W-w-what?" she asked shocked.
"I have the Tasu virus inside me." Uzume said.
"A-are you sure?" Kushina asked.
"I've tested my blood, which was confirmed, and showed many signs of it as well." Uzume said.
Kushina's shock turned into totally sadness, she took a few steps towards Uzume. "How long have you had it?" she asked.
"The longest time anyone has ever lived with the Tasu virus was 10 months and I've had it for almost 2 months." Uzume said. "So I'm not sure how long I have."
Kushina hugged Uzume tightly, tears started forming in her eyes. "Onee-chan... There has to be another way... there has to be an antidote created already..." she said.
"There isn't an antidote, Kushina." Uzume said, hugging her back.
"I-I don't want you to die." Kushina said sadly. "You're my only sibling. We've been through everything together, you're my best friend ever since we've met. I've lost our mother and father, I don't want to lose you too." then tears started running down her face.
"I wish there was a way but there isn't." Uzume said.
Kushina pulled back to look at her big sister. "W-why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked. "We always tell each other everything ever since we were kids."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell." Uzume said.
"But.. I don't know how Karin would feel about this?" Kushina said.
Uzume looked down. "I don't know either. This is the reasons why I'm spending so much time with her, teaching her much as I can." she said. She looked back up again after she thought about something. "Kushina."
"Yes, Onee-chan?" Kushina asked.
"When I'm gone, I want you to teach and protect Karin." Uzume said.
"I promise will." Kushina said.
"Thank you." Uzume said hugging Kushina, smiling softly. "It's great that she has a wonderful Aunt and Uncle to be with her."
Kushina hugged Uzume back, she was really sad at her big sister's future death and she felt tears running down her face again.
Uzume suddenly sensed Naruto and Karin's chakras were coming back. The door opened up to reveal Karin holding a wooden plate that had 4 Onigiri and 3 tri-colored dangoes while Naruto was holding a cream colored cup with green tea. They stopped hugging to see their children were looking at them confused.
"Why are you crying Aunt Kushina?" Karin asked as she and Naruto walked forward.
Kushina wiped her tears away and smiled sadly at them. "It's nothing, we were just remembering some old memories that's all." she said.
Naruto and Karin still looked at sad and suspicious, not believing what she was saying.
"Okay you can give her the food please." Kushina said.
Naruto and Karin walked up to the bed and handed the food and tea to Uzume.
"Thank you." Uzume said, carefully taking the items from them.
Karin watched her mother eat the Onigiri first. "What were they talking about when we left?" she thought.
Tomorrow.
Daytime.
Academy.
Iruka was asking questions to the students to see if they know them because they will be on the test. All of the students were sitting in their seats, paying attention except Karin, who was thinking about something else.
Karin was looking down sadly at the desk and her hands were together in her lap. "I wonder what Mommy and Aunt Kushina were talking about?" she thought sadly.
She remembered her mother fainting and her Aunt crying.
"It's nothing, we were just remembering some old memories that's all." Kushina said.
"What kind of old memories were they thinking about?" Karin thought. "Was it something terrible?"
"Karin." a man's voice said. "Karin!"
Karin snapped out of her thoughts and looked to see all of the students and Iruka were staring at her.
"What's the answer?" Iruka said.
"Sorry.. um what was the question again?" Karin asked shyly.
Most of the students laughed at her, making Karin sad and embarrassed.
Iruka sighed. "The question was 'What is the weakness to Earth style jutsus'?" he asked again.
"Lightning style jutsus." Karin answered.
"That's correct Karin, but please pay more attention next time." Iruka said.
Karin looked down sadly. "H-hai." she said.
As Iruka moved on and started asking more questions, Sasuke looked at Karin worriedly and immediately knew that something was troubling her.
"Karin." Sasuke thought concerned.
...
Later.
Iruka and all of the students were standing outside a few feet where the targets were. Iruka, in his usual outfit and was holding a clipboard with his left hand, stood away from the students facing towards them. Karin, in her usual outfit, was standing behind Sasuke, in his usual outfit, while Naruto was standing next to Kiba, who had Akamaru on of his head, Choji, in his usual outfit, and Shikamaru, in his usual outfit.
"Alright kids! Today we're hands on with shuriken jutsu." Iruka said.
Karin looked up in surprised at that. "I'm still not very good at that like Sasuke is." she thought.
"First, let's have someone demonstrate it for us. Let's see." Iruka said then looked at the clipboard.
Karin looked to the right side as she suddenly heard 2 voices. She looked to see Naruto and Kiba shouting and waving their arms around as they wanted to be picked.
Iruka looked at Shino. "Shino, you go ahead." he said.
Naruto and Kiba stopped what they were doing.
Karin looked at Iruka. "Huh?" she asked then looked behind to where Shino was.
Shino, in his usual outfit, started to speak. "Iruka-sensei, I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong person for this." he said. "The shuriken jutsu is not something the Aburame clan practices-"
Karin's eyes were wide and she suddenly became frightened when she saw bugs now crawling on the left side of Shino's face, she to the left to get away from him. She looked down at her right hand as she suddenly felt someone grab it, she noticed it was Sasuke's left hand and looked up to see him looking at her.
"Please, don't be scared. Nothing will happen to you as long as I'm here with you, Karin." Sasuke softly whispered to her.
Karin lightly blushed at what he said. "T-thank you, S-sasuke." she said shyly.
Sasuke and Karin looked forward as they continued to listen to Shino's voice until Iruka cut him off.
"Okay Shino that's enough." Iruka yelled. "Come on Sasuke, please just show us the basics."
"I will be right back, okay." Sasuke said to Karin before he moved through some of the students to demonstrate the shuriken jutsu.
Karin put her hands together near her chest as she watched Sasuke walked towards the clear dirt area. She suddenly heard most of the girls cheering for Sasuke especially Sakura and Ino.
Everyone stopped talking as Sasuke was now on the clear dirt area. Sasuke spread his legs a little apart and reached into his pockets and pulled out six shurikens then carefully aimed them at the target as he was focusing. Sasuke then threw them at the targets, all of them landing perfectly on each one.
Iruka looked at the targets. "Well done Sasuke. Excellent example." he said.
"A-amazing." Karin thought astonished.
Most of the girls started cheering for Sasuke again. Karin suddenly heard Naruto's voice again and turned her head towards him.
"Ah, stuck up and a show off! I can do that better to if I wanted to, dattebayo." Naruto said.
"Wh-what?" Karin said shyly.
Iruka turned to Naruto. "Alright then I guess you're up next Naruto." he said.
Karin turned to Naruto worriedly.
Naruto stepped on the clear dirt area. "Sweet! I'll show you how it's done and get ready to be amazed!" he said running.
Sasuke started to walk off the clear dirt area. Karin saw what Naruto did when he and Sasuke crossed paths for a second. Naruto stopped a few feet away from the targets. Sasuke moved through some of the students and was now next to Karin again.
"I know you can do it Oniisan." Karin thought.
Karin watched as Naruto stood there for a second before he pulled out six shurikens and threw all of them, but not where you expect them to be. Karin's eyes widened as all of the shurikens Naruto threw were all over the place and one was on a tree and extremely close to where Iruka's head, she could see that he was scared. Then she looked at Naruto to see that he was scared and shocked at the same time.
Karin looked around at everyone as most of them were laughing at Naruto's failed attempt.
"What a joke! It's the worst attempt I've ever seen!" Kiba said.
"Hn. Usuratonkachi." Sasuke said putting his hands in his pockets.
Naruto turned around and looked at everyone and laughed nervously. "Yeah, always just foolin' around you guys." he said smiling nervously.
There was suddenly a silence and Naruto looked sad for a moment before quickly running over to Iruka.
"Sensei, you just gotta let me try one more time, you just gotta I can do this!" Naruto said.
"No, that's enough." Iruka said then turned to the other students. "Okay, which one wants to give it a shot next."
Karin watched as Naruto now had a sad look on his face. "Oniisan." she thought sadly.
Lunch time.
Sasuke and Karin were outside sitting in their usual spot eating from their bento boxes. Sasuke watched Karin looked down sadly at her mostly full bento box.
"Karin?" Sasuke asked.
Karin looked up at him. "Yes, um Sasuke?" she asked.
"What's wrong? You haven't been acting yourself today." Sasuke asked.
Karin looked down at the ground. "Well it's my mommy. She fainted yesterday but she said she was okay when she woke up." she said. "I know there is something more to it and also because Aunt Kushina was crying when me and Oniisan left the room for awhile to bring her food and tea, but they wouldn't tell us what's going on."
Sasuke listened to what Karin just said then put his right hand on her left shoulder, Karin looked at Sasuke again.
"Maybe they will tell you what's going on soon or you can spy on them to know what's going on." Sasuke said. "Or maybe it's not serious."
"Can I really do that?" Karin asked surprised.
"If you want to see what's going on." Sasuke said.
Karin looked up at the sky and started to think about what Sasuke said.
"He's right." Karin thought
Karin turned back to Sasuke, lightly blushing. "Um, S-sasuke." she asked.
"Yes?" Sasuke asked.
"Y-you've really improved a lot in your shuriken jutsu since the last time I've seen it." Karin said shyly.
Sasuke took his right hand off of Karin's left shoulder. "Thanks Karin, it was because I trained and Niisan taught me." he said blushing. "But I still remembered the promise I made to you about showing you my fireball jutsu."
Karin's eyes widened. "S-sasuke.. still remembers the promise..." she thought surprised.
After the Academy.
When the Academy ended, Karin started to head back to the Uzumaki compound. Karin sensed Mikoto's chakra near her mother and Aunt Kushina, she closed her eyes and slowly used the Chakra suppression technique so her mother couldn't sense her coming. It took her awhile but she made it and saw Mikoto standing next to her mother and Aunt. She quickly hid behind a tree and carefully peeked out, she noticed that Mikoto was crying as her mother was saying something.
"What are they talking about?" Karin thought.
Karin moved closer by hiding behind another tree again. She poked her head and leaned in a little to hear and see what their conversation was. She was suddenly confused at why they stopped talking to one another.
"Karin." Uzume said.
Karin quickly retreated back behind the tree after her mother called out her name.
"I know you're hiding behind one of those trees. You can come out." Uzume said then looked over where her daughter's location is.
Karin slowly peek out from the tree and walked to where her mother, Aunt Kushina, in her usual outfit, and Mikoto, in her usual outfit, were at. She stopped right in front of them, she looked up at them sadly.
"What were you 3 talking about that's so causing Aunt Kushina and Mikoto to cry?" Karin asked.
"I-it's nothing, sweetie." Uzume lied smiling. "We were just about the past, that's all."
Even thought Karin couldn't sense it, she knew her mother was lying about it.
Mikoto wiped her tears away with her right hand. "Well, I'll just head back home, I'll see you tomorrow Uzume, Kushina, and Karin." she said then walked away.
"I'm going to the office to talk to Minato, see you 2 later Onee-chan and Karin." Kushina said then walked away as well.
Karin watched as her Aunt Kushina and Mikoto walked away, she knows that they're sad about something that her mother told them recently. She suddenly felt a hand on her right shoulder, she turned around and looked up to see her mother smiling down at her.
"Karin, I want to take you somewhere." Uzume said. "Let's go."
"H-hai." Karin said.
Uzume carefully grabbed Karin's left hand with her right hand and walked to a direction with her towards somewhere. They stopped at a large wooden shrine, seeing some Uzumaki clan members outside of it.
"Here we are." Uzume said.
The shrine had the Uzumaki crest on the entrance, a brown stairway leading up to it, and a grey stone pathway beside it.
"Mommy, why are we at the our clan's Mask Storage temple?" Karin asked looking up at her.
Uzume looked down at her. "Because I want to teach you about our clan's masks here." she said.
Uzume and Karin walked forward and up the stairs and into the Temple. When they entered the Temple, Karin looked around and saw many podiums of Oni-Masks, each wall have Uzumaki crest connected of the clan and underneath the walls of the masks had ornate black flames. Some members of the Uzumaki clan were either staring at the Oni-Masks or talking to one another.
Uzume let go of Karin's left hand and started to walk to one of the walls. "Come and look at this Karin." she said.
Karin walked over to the wall where her mother was standing then stopped on the left side of her. She looked at some of the Oni-Masks on the wall.
"You see all of these masks?" Uzume asked.
"Yes." Karin said.
"Well these are all important to our clan, it helps with many techniques." Uzume said.
"But what kind of techniques?" Karin asked, looking up at her mother.
"Our clan's techniques." Uzume said down at her daughter.
Karin looked back at the Oni-Masks again. "How many techniques do we have that involves them?" she thought.
A few weeks have passed and the Tasu virus was making Uzume weaker as time went by. Karin was always noticing the change in her mother a lot.
Uzume, in a white kimono, was laying in her bed while Karin was in the Academy. She suddenly heard the open up to reveal Minato, in his usual outfit, and Kushina, in her usual outfit, having worried and sad looks on their faces.
"Well.. hello K-kushina and... M-minato..." Uzume said weakly.
"Onee-chan.. the Tasu virus inside you is getting worse.." Kushina said sadly, walking up to the bed with Minato following her.
"Please.. don't.. be make.. that.. face K-kushina.." Uzume said weakly.
"How can I not frown when you're going to... pass away.." Kushina said, looking down sadly.
Uzume slowly put her right hand on Kushina's right hand. "I wish.. we have spent... more time... together." she said weakly.
Minato and Kushina looked at Uzume sadly.
"Minato.. Kushina.." Uzume said weakly.
"Yes, Onee-chan?" Kushina asked.
"What is it?" Minato asked.
"W-when I... pass away.. I want both to... be the.. new leaders of... the Uzumaki clan..." Uzume said.
Minato and Kushina were surprised at first but was shortly replaced by understanding.
"Hai, Onee-chan." Kushina said sadly.
"Okay." Minato said.
"T-thank you.. both for.. agreeing.." Uzume said smiling softly. "You 2... are going to... make great.. of the clan..." then closed her eyes.
5 days later.
Night time.
Karin, in her night clothes, was under the blankets with her mother Uzume, in her night clothes, were going to sleep in the bed soon. Karin decided to sleep with her mother because she was extremely worried about her over the past few weeks. Karin was hugging her mother as they laid on the bed in silence.
Karin looked up at her mother at her mother. "Um, Mommy." she said.
Uzume looked down at her slowly. "Yes.. sweetie?" she asked weakly.
"Will you be better soon, right?" Karin asked.
Uzume saw the worry in her daughter's eyes about her but she still couldn't tell her. "I-I don't know sweetie but you know something." she said.
"What is it?" Karin asked curiously.
Uzume pulled her closely into a hug. "I will always... love you... no matter what... Karin." she said smiling. "Be a... good girl... and always... follow your dreams... okay..."
Karin hugged her mother back. "Okay and I will always love you too, Mommy." she said. "But why are you saying that?"
Uzume didn't say anything instead she just kissed her daughter's forehead.
...
A few hours later.
Still night time.
Karin suddenly woke up to get a glass of water. she fluttered her eyes opened before grabbing her glasses from the nightstand beside her. She looked down at her mother, who appeared to be still asleep.
"Mommy." Karin said, shaking her with both of her hands.
Karin sensed something was wrong, she shook her mother again. "M-mommy, please wake up." she said worriedly.
But her mother still didn't wake up. Karin put the right side of head on her mother's chest so she could hear her mother's heartbeats, her eyes widened as she didn't hear her mother's heart beating anymore. Karin's raised her head and looked at her mother with wide and sad eyes.
"W-what's going on?! I-I sense Mommy's chakra but her heart isn't beating." Karin thought. "M-maybe Aunt Kushina or Uncle Minato know what to do?"
Karin got off of the bed and ran out of her mother's room, down the hallway, and the living room to the main shoji doors. She slid one of the doors opened before going outside and ran to her Uncle Minato and Aunt Kushina's house. When Karin made it, she loudly beated on the door.
"Aunt Kushina, Uncle Minato! Please open up!" Karin yelled. "Please open up!"
Karin continued this until she sensed Kushina's chakra coming to the door, it opened up to reveal Kushina in a white nightgown and pink slippers and was rubbing her eyes sleepily with her right hand.
"Why are you doing out here so late?" Kushina asked sleepily.
"Aunt Kushina! There's something wrong with Mommy, she won't wake up and her heart stopped beating!" Karin said sadly.
Kushina removed her right hand from her eyes as they widened at what Karin just said as it jolted her sleepiness away. "What?!" she asked.
"Please help Mommy!" Karin said sadly.
Kushina rushed out of her house with Karin following her. They ran to Ryo and Uzume's house and entered, running to the bedroom of Ryo and Uzume. As they entered the room, Kushina looked at her older sister laying on the bed, who was not moving not even one inch. Kushina panted before slowly stepped over to the bed, scared at what Karin said might be true, then unlifted the blankets from Uzume's body. Uzume's left hand limply swung off of the bed. Karin gasped scared and sad as she saw so many bite marks on her mother's left arm.
Kushina checked for Uzume's pulse only to find she doesn't have one anymore, she stood still for a moment after doing that.
"I-i-is M-mommy going to be okay Aunt Kushina?" Karin asked worriedly.
Kushina didn't say anything, instead she dropped to her knees and started crying.
"A-aunt Kushina, please tell me is Mommy going to be okay?" Karin asked, getting sadder by the minute.
Kushina slowly turned to her niece with tears running down her face. "I'm... I'm so sorry... Karin... b-but I... don't think..." she said sadly. Couldn't even tell her that Uzume has passed away.
Karin looked over at her mother and started walking over to her only to have her Aunt Kushina block her way and hug her. "P-please let me go, Aunt Kushina, Mommy is-" she said but was cut off.
"I'm really sorry, Karin." Kushina said crying even more. "B-but your mother... has... died..."
Karin's eyes widened at what her Aunt Kushina just said, she felt tears forming in her eyes. "No... No...!" she said then struggling to get out of Kushina's grip but was unsuccessful at it.
Tears now ran down her face as she stopped struggling and gripped her Aunt Kushina. Kushina rubbed Karin's back to calm her down at the sudden loss of her mother and also her older sister, but was silently crying as well.
"Onee-chan... I'm going to miss you and even the people you care about and have connections with for years." Kushina thought sadly.
"Mommy!" Karin yelled crying, tears now rapidly running down her face.
End of Chapter 4.
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