Akai Kami

by Missy the Cat

Since the first time they met, Sasuke has cared for Karin and now enemies and mysterious things started appearing. Will he be enough to protect her?

13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13.

Please Review.

No Flames.

---

3 days later.

Morning.

Karin, in her usual outfit, was walking towards the Konohagakure Hospital with a white clothed wrapped bento box in both of her hands and making a sad face as she was looking down. She was sad at what her Jonin, Zosui said to her 2 days ago.

...

Flashback.

Day time.

One of the Training Grounds.

Karin was staring sadly at the ground as she standing a few feet away from Zosui, in his usual outfit, and was looking at angrily at her.

"You've been such a disappointment. I hope for better results than this!" Zosui said. "I guess you're just a filthy Uzumaki from Uzushiogakure... so you don't feel any loyalty for Konoha."

"That's not true! I-" Karin said then looked up at Zosui but was cut off from speaking.

"Then prove it. Hurry up and go on a mission with your team members." Zosui said.

"A mission?" Karin questioned sadly.

"It's a C-rank." Zosui said.

Flashback ends.

Karin sighed sadly as she looked up, seeing that the Hospital was a few feet away. She remembered seeing Sasuke in bad condition at the 3rd test of the Chunin Exams.

"I wonder how Sasuke is doing right now...?" Karin thought sad and worried.

When Karin made it to the Hospital she was about to step inside at the front doors until she suddenly sensed a very familiar chakra at the left side of the building. She looked to the left before she walked over to the left side of the Hospital to see Sasuke, in his usual outfit, was staring out of the window, she became shocked and relieved that Sasuke was okay.

"Sasuke...! He's no longer in that bad state..." Karin thought smiling softly.

Karin stopped smiling and peeked a little further to see Sasuke had jumped from the 2 story window and on to the ground, as she stepped forward a little with her right foot so she could see him more. Sasuke was about to walk forward until he heard a sound and turned to the left side to see someone with red hair hide behind the building and a soft gasp, he walked over to see who it was.

As Karin was quietly hiding behind the building, she suddenly sensed Sasuke coming towards her location. "Oh no...! Wh-what s-should I do...?! I-I mean.. I came to see him... b-but I..." she thought, closing her eyes.

Sasuke stopped a foot away from the building from where Karin was hiding. "Karin, is that you?" he asked.

Karin quickly opened her eyes as she felt her heart stop at that moment, she took a deep breath and quietly exhaled before she slowly stepped away from the building, facing Sasuke as she looked down at the ground.

"U-um, h-hello Sasuke." Karin said shyly.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked concerned.

"W-w-well I-I came to see you because... I-I was worried about you a-and... I brought you something to eat..." Karin said shyly, blushing softly.

Sasuke looked down at the bento box in Karin's hands. "Oh, thanks." he said then looked up at her smiling.

Karin shyly gave Sasuke the bento box with both hands, who took it from her, before she backed away a little and put her hands together.

"S-so... u-um, where are you going Sasuke... they usually say you have to stay in the Hospital until your parents check you out or if you're feeling better...?" Karin asked shyly.

"I'm going to train with Kakashi for the third part of the Exams, I can't just stay here and not do anything. Those people we've seen at the Exams were strong and I have to get even stronger." Sasuke said serious.

"Okay but... I know you'll get strong." Karin said shyly before she looked up at him. "And please be careful..."

"Thanks for that and I will." Sasuke said.

Sasuke and Karin stood there in silence for a moment before Sasuke turned around.

"I'll see you later." Sasuke said before he disappeared.

Karin stood there for a moment, sensing that Sasuke was moving away from her location, then looked down blushing softly. "I'll see you soon as well..." she said quietly.

---

1 month later.

Day Time.

Stadium

Karin was in one of the seats in the circular Stadium, she was sitting 3 rows above the upper gate. From left to right, Choji, in his usual outfit (excluding his forehead protector), Ino, in her casual outfit, an orange short sleeved shirt with a blue circular symbol on the front of the left side, black shorts, little grey hoop earrings, an orange clothed wrapped around her short ponytail (which is cut battling Sakura) and tied in a red bow, grey elbow warmers on both of her elbows, and blue sandals, and Sakura, now 13 years old and who changed back into her old usual outfit, a red qipao dress that has a zipper on the front of it and the Haruno crest on the short sleeves and on the back, tight green biker shorts, blue sandals, and her blue forehead protector was worn as a hairband, were sitting on the fourth row, a row above her. Fugaku and Mikoto, in their usual outfits were sitting 4 rows to the left and 2 down from Kushina.

Minato, in his usual outfit and Hokage headpiece on his head, was sitting in a seat next the Fourth Kazekage on the right side, wearing white robes and the Kazekage headpiece on his forehead and only his black eyes were shown but he had fair skin. Kushina, in her usual outfit, was sitting on a row below them. Hiruzen, in his usual outfit, was sitting next to Kushina on the right.

Karin watched the battles that happened in the Stadium, Naruto vs Neji which resulted in Naruto winning, Shikamaru vs Temari which resulted in Shikamaru almost defeating but decided to forfeit so Temari could win, there was suppose to be battle between Shino and Kankuro but Kankuro decided to forfeit.

"Oniisan is... amazing...!" Karin thought astounded.

She started to think about what happened on the first day of training for the third test of the Chunin Exams.

---

Flashback.

1 month ago.

Day Time.

Kushina and Karin were walking back to the Uzumaki clan compound as they came from the Forest as Kushina finished teaching Karin 'The Walk on Water' technique on a stream of water.

"Very good Karin, you've easily learned that Jutsu." Kushina said smiling.

"Thank you, Aunt Kushina." Karin said smiling softly.

"You'll do great on the next Jutsu I teach you, dattebane." Kushina said.

As they made it to the Uzumaki clan compound, Karin suddenly sensed a somewhat familiar chakra there.

"Was is this chakra... It's feels like I sensed it before, but where...?" Karin thought confused.

When Kushina and Karin were now a few feet away from their homes, Karin saw a tall old man that looked to be 50 years old, had fair skin, a wart on the left side of his nose, waist length spiky white hair that is tied in a ponytail with 2 shoulder length bangs framing his face, black eyes, wearing red painted lines under his eyes that has gone all the way to the bottom of his face, a short green kimono shirt, green pants, mesh armour that is visible on his wrists and ankles, green hand guards, black belt, a red haori with 2 yellow circles on each side of the top part, traditional red Japanese wooden shoes, a grey horned forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" (油, abura), a black tattoo on his left palm, and a large red and green scroll on his back, and Minato (on his right side) were standing in front of Naruto, in his usual outfit.

She saw that Naruto was smiling as Minato and the old man were talking to him.

"Who is he, Aunt Kushina...?" Karin asked.

"That's Jiraiya-sensei, your Uncle Minato was on his team years ago." Kushina said smiling. "He's one of the Legendary Sannin like Tsunade and has been a father figure to your Uncle."

"He did...?" Karin asked shocked, looking up at her Aunt Kushina..

"Of course, dattebane!" Kushina said then looked down at Karin. "When you and Naruto were babies he saw you 2 but he visited Naruto more when he was a little kid."

Karin looked at Jiraiya. "No wonder his chakra was familiar..." she thought. "But.. why is he here...?" she asked.

"Jiraiya-sensei is going to be training Naruto for the third part of the Exams but your Uncle will help him a little especially with the Rasengan, dattebane." Kushina said smiling.

Karin now looked at Naruto to see that he was really happy, she smiled softly to herself. "You're going to do great in the Exams, Oniisan..." she thought.

Flashback ends.

---

Karin was starting to hear everyone talking about 'Why isn't Sasuke Uchiha here?' and etc. When people started booing about Sasuke not being here, Karin looked down sadly at the Arena to see Genma Shiranui, a 29 year old fair skin man, had shoulder length brown hair which hands down from his face, brown eyes, wearing his usual outfit, a dark blue Forehead Protector which he wears backwards like a bandanna, the Konohagakure flak jacket uniform, white tape around his lower legs, dark blue sandals, and a brown senbon hanging from his mouth, holding a silver stop watch in his right hand and was looking down at it, and Naruto, in his usual outfit, was pacing around angry and annoyed, and Shikamaru, in his usual outfit, standing next to Naruto lazily with his right hand on his right hip.

"Hurry Sasuke-kun, hurry." Sakura thought sadly, her eyes closed tightly as her hands were together near her mouth.

10 minutes ago, Karin saw her Uncle Minato give Sasuke a 10 minute time limit to make it, but it has been 9 minutes.

"Sasuke... he has to come quickly... or else you'll lose..." Karin thought sadly then she suddenly sensed Kakashi and Sasuke coming quickly to the Arena. "He's... he's here..." her eyes widened shock and relieved.

Karin saw Genma stopped looking at the stop watch and to the crowd. "Alright the time limit has expired, so I'm officially calling this match-!" he yelled but was cut off.

Everything stopped for a moment as the wind started to blow as leaves surrounded Kakashi, in his usual outfit, with his hands in his pockets and Sasuke, now 13 years old and in his temporary outfit, a black one piece suit with the Uchiha clan crest on the back, black belts and white tape wrapped around both of his legs and left arm, grey elbow warmers, white tape and a black shuriken holster wrapped around his left leg, his blue Forehead Protector wrapped around his forehead, a small brown pouch behind him, and black sandals, which looks similar to his usual outfit. Kakashi and Sasuke were standing back-to-back. Naruto stopped pacing and stood still.

Everyone now stared at Kakashi and Sasuke in surprise, Genma smirked at them. Karin saw that Sasuke's bangs grew a little.

"Sorry we're late, you wouldn't believe the traffic." Kakashi said smiling, his eyes closed.

"Sasuke looks amazing... his chakra has even increased a lot over this month... but..." Karin thought looked over at Gaara. "... Will it be enough to defeat Gaara...?"

Gaara, in his usual outfit, was standing next to his older siblings, Temari and Kankuro, in their usual outfits, on the right side.

Naruto smiled at Kakashi and Sasuke. Sakura started to smile, sweat on her face as she lowered her hands.

The leaves stopped blowing as they were down on the ground.

Genma now had his hands in his pockets. "And you are?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at Genma. "I'm Sasuke.. Uchiha." he said.

Karin sensed 2 very familiar chakras behind her.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun ." Sakura said smiling.

"So he made it in time." Lee said.

Choji, Ino, and Sakura turned to the left and smiled as they saw Guy, in his usual outfit, and Lee, in a blue robe with light blue trimmings, and brown sandals, had a brown wooden stick in his left hand. Guy had his right hand on Lee's right shoulder.

"Rock Lee!" Sakura said.

Ino gasped.

Karin was now hearing mostly everyone cheer for Sasuke then looked down to see Naruto smirkin at Naruto.

"Heh, so you decided to show up after all! I was betting you wouldn't come, cuz sooner or later you would have to face me, dattebayo?!" Naruto yelled.

"Oniisan... you don't have to hide it... I-I was worried about Sasuke as well..." Karin thought shyly.

Sasuke turned and smirked at Naruto. "So what about you? Did you win?" he asked.

"You know it, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled smiling.

"Heh, well don't get too full of yourself, you're an Usuratonkachi." Sasuke said.

Karin looked at Naruto and Sasuke, smiling softly. "At least... they're finally getting along..." she thought relieved.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Sorry if we kept you waiting but uh, how late are we?" he asked. "I mean it's not like Sasuke's.. well disqualified or anything right?" smiling nervously.

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at Genma.

Genma looked down at the ground, his eyes closed. "Like master, like pupil even down to your lousy sense of time." he said.

Kakashi and Sasuke looked at Genma.

"Well.. what about it?" Kakashi asked.

"You know, you were so late that we extended the deadline for you twice in fact and it's lucky for you we did cause you just made it and no he's not disqualified." Genma said, looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi closed his eyes, smiling nervously again. "Oh, that's a relief, you had me worried there for a minute." he said opening his eyes and looking down at Sasuke, removing his right hand from his neck. "So we're okay." then looked up where Sasuke was looking at.

Karin saw that Sasuke was looking up at Gaara, serious, and she also saw Gaara looking down at Sasuke. She suddenly sensed Gaara's chakra has become even colder, she started to shake a little.

"Can Sasuke... really defeat Gaara...?" Karin thought sad and worried, looking down at Sasuke again.

Naruto looked up at Gaara serious. "Just make sure you don't lose to this guy." he said.

"Got it." Sasuke said.

Naruto looked at Sasuke again. "... Hey Sasuke!" he yelled.

Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"Don't lose.. cause I wanna fight you myself, dattebayo!" Naruto said.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other for a moment.

"Got it." Sasuke said.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke.

Karin looked behind her to see Ino stood up, raising her right hand in the air and her left fist near her face as she cheered for Sasuke.

Karin turned back around to see Sasuke again. "I guess everyone wants to see Sasuke fight..." she thought.

Ino sat back down as she lowered her hands then looked at Sakura. "Sakura, what's it like to be on such an amazing team?" she asked.

Karin started to listen to the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, looking at Ino.

Ino smiled. "You know, first Naruto surprises everyone by beating Neji Hyuga, ah and then you've got Sasuke, whose like this Superstar, everyone wants to see his match, you're like the all-star team!" she said.

Karin looked at Naruto and Sasuke for a moment, thinking about all of the people they faced like Naruto defeating Kiba and Akamaru, Sasuke defeating Yoroi, and Naruto defeating Neji, before she thought of something.

"I know I should have faith in Sasuke to win... but... I'm scared of what Gaara will do to Sasuke... just like I've heard what he did to Lee in the Preliminaries... and..." Karin thought sadly then looked over at Fugaku and Mikoto. "What will Sasuke's parents do.. if they saw him with those markings on him...?" then looked back down at Sasuke.

Genma looked up at Gaara. "Alright Gaara, come down here!" he said.

Shikamaru started to walk away, looking at Naruto. "Come on Naruto, they don't need us here!" he said then turned forward.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "Oh uh." he said then turned to look at Sasuke.

"Let's go and I'm gonna take the stairs this time if you don't mind." Shikamaru said.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "Come on, are you still upset that I gave you a little push! You outta be grateful, dattebayo!" he said before he followed Shikamaru.

Karin started to become even more frightened when she sensed Gaara's chakra has become colder again. "I have a bad feeling about Sasuke battling Gaara..." she thought, seeing Gaara smirking evily before he walked away then looked down at Sasuke again.

...

Almost 2 minutes later.

Karin's eyes widened as she sensed 2 chakras disappeared and also Gaara near them. "I-I... I-I can't believe it... he killed those people a-and... Oniisan and Shikamaru are near... his location..." she thought, putting her hands together on her lap, closing her eyes. "Oniisan... you and Shikamaru have to get away from now..."

Karin sensed Gaara was now close to Naruto and Shikamaru's location, she felt her heart stopped beating for a second but to her confusion and relief Gaara was moving away from Naruto and Shikamaru's location.

Karin opened her eyes as she looked into the Arena to see that Kakashi was no longer standing next to Sasuke, a few seconds later she turned to see Gaara standing in the Arena before he walked over to Genma and Sasuke then stopped near them.

"Okay, here we are at last." Genma said.

"Please... please be careful battling him, Sasuke... He's really dangerous..." Karin thought, looking at Sasuke.

Genma pulled his hands out of his pockets. "Alright, the rules for this match are the same as in the Preliminaries, the match continues until one of you dies or admits defeat. However, I can stop the match but that's solely my decision." he said.

Karin shivered a little when she saw Gaara laugh. She suddenly sensed Kakashi standing a few feet behind her. She turned her head to the left to see him.

Guy and Sakura turned to see Kakashi standing behind them.

"Hello Guy, how are you feeling Lee?" Kakashi asked then placed his right hand on his face. "Are you alright?"

Lee turned around a little to see Kakashi.

"Kakashi." Guy said.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled then looked up sadly at him.

Choji and Ino turned around to look up at Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled nervously, closing his eyes. "Oh right, sorry about that. You must've been worried. Sorry for not keeping in touch." he said then opened his eyes, lowering his right hand.

"I know.. Sakura was worried about Sasuke just like I was... but..." Karin thought.

Sakura continued to stare at Kakashi, becoming serious.

Karin saw Ino look at Sakura annoyed.

"Uh oh, Sakura's gonna get really mad." Ino thought.

Sakura turned forward, looking down sadly at the ground. "I don't mind, that's okay." she said.

Karin now saw Ino look at Sakura with concern.

Sakura looked down at Sasuke to see if he had that mark on the left side of his neck. "It's too hard to see from here." she thought then looked down. "Sasuke-kun."

Karin turned forward to look at Sasuke. "I see... Sakura is looking for that mark on Sasuke..." she thought.

Kakashi looked at Sakura, his hands in his pockets.

"Listen Sensei." Sakura said.

"Hm?" Kakashi asked confused.

"You know that there was a mark on Sasuke's neck, right?" Sakura asked.

There was a long pause.

"Well is it?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi looked down at the ground. "It's nothing to worry about." he said.

Sakura looked at Kakashi, gasping.

"A mark?" Ino thought confused, still looking at Sakura.

Ino looked at Kakashi then looked back at Sakura.

Sakura smiled at Kakashi.

"So that's that." Kakashi said.

Sakura nodded then turned forward.

Everyone turned forward except Kakashi and Guy who were now talking about something.

"All of what Kakashi said isn't completely true... And Sasuke you have to be extremely careful..." Karin thought worried.

"Both of you to the middle." Genma said, raised his right hand a little.

Sasuke and Gaara moved to the middle, staring at each other. Everyone became quiet.

Genma raised his right hand high in the air. "Begin!" he yelled, quickly lowering his right hand before moving away.

Sasuke and Gaara made a stance before sand started to come out of Gaara's guord and into the air. Karin watched as Sasuke jumped backwards to get away from Gaara.

"So... that's the sand Oniisan said that defeated Lee...?" Karin thought frightened.

"So this is the sand Kakashi talked about?" Sasuke thought.

Karin saw Gaara gasped and clutched his face with his right hand, closing his eyes tightly.

"What's happening to this guy...?" Karin thought.

Karin didn't what the whispered but she saw him open his eyes smirking at the end and more sand come out of his guord. Gaara removed his right hand from his face and raised both of his hands in the air before he closed his eyes again and his sand suddenly fell to the ground. Karin saw Sasuke looked serious and confused.

Karin now saw Gaara open his eyes and his sand rose from the ground, folding his arms. Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"Here goes." Sasuke said before he quickly reached into his shuriken holster with his right hand before he threw a shuriken at Gaara, who blocked it with his sand which turned into a sand clone of himself. Sasuke ran at Gaara, who now threw a lot of sand at him, but Sasuke quickly dodged by jumping into the air and threw another shuriken at him with his right hand and kicked the sand clone with his left leg, which removed the sand clone's arms. Sasuke landed on his hands a stood up on his feet before he punched the sand clone in the neck with his left fist but it was sinking into the sand so he quickly used his right hand to smash the sand clone's head, which exploded.

Karin saw Sasuke ran over to Gaara again and was about to punch him in the face but the blocked him, she saw Sasuke smirked before he disappeared.

"Huh...?!" Karin thought, gasping in surprise.

Sasuke reappeared behind Gaara, who turned around to see him. Sasuke punched Gaara in the face with his right fist, sending Gaara flying a few feet away.

"So that's your sand armour huh?" Sasuke asked smirking, raising his right hand.

Gaara looked at Sasuke as his face was cracking a little.

"Come on." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke... really has gotten fast over this month... I sensed his chakra has increased but... I never knew he's become this fast..." Karin thought astounded.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment.

"Come on." Sasuke said again.

Gaara just sat there on the ground.

Sasuke lowered his right hand as he became serious. "If you won't do it then I will." he said before quickly ran over to Gaara then disappeared.

Gaara rose more of his sand from the ground but Sasuke disappeared again and reappeared behind Gaara, sliding on the ground.

"He's fast." Lee said.

Gaara turned around and moved his sand to throw at Sasuke, who dodged it and kicked him in the face with his right leg, sending Gaara flying a few feet away from and on the ground again, his sand following him.

Karin looked at Sasuke to see that he was smirking again.

"What's the matter Gaara?! Is that all you got?!" Sasuke asked.

Gaara's top half stood up from the ground, his eyes closed as his sand surrounded him.

"Amazing." Ino and Sakura both thought.

Sasuke straightened up before he raised his right hand in the air again. "I'm going to tear off all you armour." he said before he lowered his right hand and ran over to Gaara again.

Gaara stood up from the ground and his sand circled him. Sasuke ran around Gaara at top speed.

"Incredible... Almost like Uncle Minato..." Karin thought.

"His speed's basically the same as Lee's with his weights removed." Guy thought.

"That's exactly like Lee's taijutsu. Sasuke-kun has way more speed than he ever before." Sakura thought astonished.

Sasuke ran over to Gaara and kicked him in the face and grabbed Gaara's shirt with both of his hands before he kneed him in the stomach with his right knee and released him before he jumped backwards, panting from exhaustion a little.

"Remarkable Sasuke, really remarkable! You're truly a genius, a greater ninja than I ever imagined. I mean how many years did it take me to attain that speed? And you achieved the same result in just a month!" Lee thought.

Karin sensed that Sasuke's chakra has decreased a little. "I guess... he needs chakra to maintain his speed..." she thought.

Lee saw Sasuke panting in exhaustion and also Gaara was on the ground panting as well.

"But.. it sure looks like it takes a lot of stamina for him to maintain that speed." Lee thought.

"His training.. what did you 2 do?" Guy asked Kakashi.

Kakashi looked at Guy. "Huh?" he asked.

"To get to such a level.. in a mere month?" Guy asked.

Kakashi looked forward. "Sasuke has copied Lee's taijutsu with his Sharingan.. so during the taijutsu training I did with Sasuke I had him imagine Lee's movement and copy it." he said.

"No wonder Sasuke was moving like that..." Karin thought.

Lee perked up at that.

"Sasuke mastered that taijutsu only because he knew Lee. Of course, Sasuke had to work very hard to master it even with his Sharingan." Kakashi said.

"But... Can Sasuke really defeat Gaara with just Taijutsu alone... I know he has Genjutsu and Ninjutsu but... I don't know if they can work on...?" Karin thought.

"But that sand ninja, he is way too tough for that. He cannot be taken down with only that taijutsu." Lee thought.

Guy looked at Kakashi. "If Kakashi saw the battle between Gaara and Lee.. then why did he?" he thought. "After all, that Taijutsu Sasuke learned from Lee can't suddenly work against an opponent that Lee himself couldn't defeat. But Kakashi must've known this so why did he have Sasuke master only Taijutsu?"

Karin saw Gaara stood up as the sand surrounded him. "What is he going to do now...?" she thought.

Gaata made a hand sign with both of his hands together near his mouth, causing his sand to slowly cover him up in a circular shape.

"Wh-what... wh-what is he doing...?" Karin thought shocked.

Sasuke gasped in surprise at what Gaara was doing.

"Sasuke has to do something quickly...!" Karin thought.

Karin suddenly saw Sasuke ran over to the Gaara and raised his right fist. Gaara completely sealed himself in the sand before Sasuke could even punch him. When Sasuke punched the sand with his right fist, spiky like sand came out of it, he looked at the sand as he panted and bleed a little from the right side of his face, arm, and leg.

Sasuke lowered his right fist as he jumped backwards and the spikes retreated back into the sand. Karin suddenly saw Sasuke active his Sharingan.

"So he's used all the sand as a shield. Because of the sand density, I didn't think he could create something this hard." Sasuke thought.

"What are going to do, Sasuke...? I can feel that Gaara's planning something bad... Y-you have to do something quickly..." Karin thought, worried and sad as she saw blood on Sasuke.

"So he's absolutely protected." Sasuke said serious.

Everyone became shocked. Karin suddenly sensed Naruto and Shikamaru were coming towards her location now.

"The sand has covered his entire body." Lee said.

"What an affective vincent defense. Will Sasuke be able to get around it?" Guy thought.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled.

Kakashi, Guy, Choji, Karin, Ino, and Sakura turned around to see Naruto and Shikamaru running towards them.

"Oniisan..." Karin said.

"Naruto." Lee said, smiling at him.

Naruto and Shikamaru stopped running as Shikamaru was crouching up the stairs and Naruto was clutching the silver metal rail with his left hand, both of them were panting.

"Is there something...? Was it about the 2 people Gaara killed recently...?" Karin thought frightened.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Sensei please, you just have to stop this match right away!" Naruto yelled.

"It's because... Gaara might kill Sasuke..." Karin thought sadly.

"What?" Kakashi asked confused.

"The guy Sasuke is completely different than the rest of us! He's about as far from normal as you can get, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto! Slow down! What are trying to say?!" Ino asked yelling.

"He thinks his point in life is to kill people! Don't you see?! If this continues Sasuke will die, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled.

Karin turned around forward to look at Sasuke then she looked at circular sand Gaara was in and she suddenly sensed that his chakra has gotten colder.

"Oniisan... is right...!" Karin thought frightened then she saw some sand forming on the right side of the circular shape sand. ""Wh-what is he doing...?!"

Some of the sand formed an eye.

"Is that really... an eye...?!" Karin thought shocked. "He must have formed it to see what Sasuke will be doing..."

"You've gotta believe me!" Naruto yelled, raising both of his fist near his chest.

Almost everyone looked at Naruto for a moment not saying anything. Kakashi turned forward to see the match between Sasuke and Gaara.

"Relax. No need to panic." Kakashi said, closing his eyes.

"Huh?" Naruto questioned confused.

Everyone except Karin stared at Kakashi confused.

"You know, Sasuke and I weren't just goofing around. There's a reason we were so late getting here." Kakashi said.

Karin became a little confused when she saw that Sasuke was now smirking as he wiped the right side of his cheek with the back of his right hand. "I wonder what... Sasuke is thinking right now...?" she thought.

Sasuke removed his right hand from the right side of his face and he ran over to Gaara yelling before he threw 3 kunai at him with his but they only fell to the ground when it hit the circular shape sand. He jumped into the air and ran over to Gaara again but the sand spikes came out and tried to strike him, who dodged them and he punched the circular shape sand with his left fist and jumped backwards before the spikes could strike him. Sasuke quickly dodged the sand spikes attacks and jumped into the air, landing on top of the circular shape sand and jumping off of it before the spikes could try to strike him again, he jumped a few feet away from it.

"Well that won't work. Big surprise." Sasuke thought then he looked closely at the circular shape sand with his Sharingan. "I don't know what the hell you're up to, you're gonna stay in there forever?! Well that's fine with me. Stall all you want, I can use the time getting ready for what I've got in store for you." covering most of his face with his hands.

"I wonder how Sasuke will break through his defense this time...?" Karin thought, seeing Sasuke unbutton a black belt from his left hand with his right hand.

"Sensei." Sakura said, looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi opened his eyes and turned to the right to look at Sakura. "Hm?" he asked.

"You said there was a good reason you were late. What were you doing?" Sakura asked.

"Hm, well it's kind of a long story." Kakashi said.

"Oh come on will you please do something this is no time for talking, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled, his hands in the air.

Kakashi turned forward. "You're right so shut up and watch." he said.

"Huh?" Naruto asked confused.

Everyone except Karin looked at Kakashi curiously.

"Keep your eye on Sasuke, he's about to surprise you." Kakashi said.

Karin saw Sasuke backflip away from Gaara and jumped high on to one of the Stadium walls, crouching down before he started making the Monkey Dragon Rat Bird Ox Snake Dog Tiger Monkey hand signs and grabbed his left hand with right hand.

"What is Sasuke doing...?" Karin thought, sensing chakra was slowly building up in Sasuke's left hand.

Karin suddenly sensed Gaara's chakra was getting colder by the second, she started to shake a little. "Sasuke... what ever you're going to do... please hurry...!" she thought worried.

A minute later.

Karin suddenly saw lightning forming in Sasuke's left hand. "Wh-what is that technique...?! I've never seen it before...?!" she thought shocked.

"Hm? But it can't be." Guy asked confused then turned to the right side to look at Kakashi.

"If you wondered why I always insisted on training Sasuke myself, now you know. It's because he's like me." Kakashi said.

Sasuke smirked as he let go of his left hand with his right hand and moved it to his upper left shoulder, which caused cement walls to crack and fall, and he stood up before he ran down the wall.

Guy turned forward. "A physical activation. I see, that's what you were doing all this time. You were building his speed up to the level required." he said.

"Exactly." Kakashi said smiling, closing his eyes.

"That's a... great technique..." Karin thought astounded.

"It's amazing. His chakra is actually visible. How's that even possible?" Sakura asked astonished.

"He's really mastered that technique already?" Guy thought.

Sasuke made it to the ground and ran to Gaara.

"So, this is what the Uchiha are capable of?" Guy thought.

"Woah, I've never seen him do that before!" Naruto said.

"That bizarre noise, what sort of technique is it?" Sakura asked.

"It's a job." Guy said.

"A what?" Ino asked.

Choji, Ino, and Sakura looked up at Guy.

"But this job, is a job like no other. It's the only weapon in Kakashi's weapon in arsenal he didn't copy from someone else." Guy said, looking slightly to the right side at Kakashi.

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

Guy turned forward again. "It's the weapon of choice for assassinations. The secret of the job is in the speed with which it is delivered and a Ninja's ability to focus it's chakra at the point of impact. Once these 2 elements, speed and focus, have attained a certain level, the chakra actually becomes visible and gives off the distinctive sound that you hear, like birds chirping." he said.

Sasuke dodged the sand spikes coming out of it and hit the front of the circular shape sand, piercing the front of it with his left hand.

"It is this sound that gives the technique it's name... Chidori, 1 thousand birds." Guy said.

Everyone especially Karin became and astounded as they watched Sasuke pierced right through Gaara's circular shape sand.

"S-sasuke master this strong and powerful technique, Chidori... in less than a month... truly incredible...!" Karin thought shocked.

Sasuke looked up smirking at the circular shape sand.

"Also known as 'Lightning Blade's." Guy said.

Choji, Ino, and Sakura looked up at Guy again.

"Why's that?" Sakura asked.

Guy looked at Kakashi again. "It got that name because Kakashi once used it to cut a bolt of Lightning in half before it can touch the ground." he said then looked forward.

"Wow, cutting Lightning in half." Sakura thought shocked.

"Yeah right, these old guys and their war stories." Ino thought, not believing it for a second.

"Woah." Choji thought.

"The whether called 'thousand birds' or 'Lightning Blade', it's a technique of unimaginable power, requiring inhuman levels of speed and chakra. But once perfected it transforms a Ninja's arm into an indestructible and invincible sword." Guy said then looked at Kakashi again. "A dangerous technique not to be taught lightly."

Kakashi looked at Guy. "Yeah, you're one to talk." he said then crouched down and placed his right hand on the right side of his face. "Hm, right Lee?" smiling.

Lee looked at Kakashi.

"Well whatever, I don't understand a word of it. All I know is, it's looks awesome!" Sakura said smiling, facing forward.

Ino looked at Sakura.

Lee turned forward. "I understand it well enough, even with a running start at top speed I would never use a direct frontal attack with a jab against my opponent or rather not." he thought then closed his eyes before opening them up slightly. "I know that I would be opening myself to a counter blow and I could not trust in my ability to avoid it, that requires a keeness of instincts, that I just do not have. In short, I envy you Sasuke, when we fought I told you it was not enough to be able to watch and imitate, understanding a technique is useless if you do not have the physical ability to pull it off. I felt so superior but now you have trained your body to move at a speed that equals or even surpasses my own and of course you have something else the Sharingan!"

"Now, I've got you." Sasuke said serious.

"Huh...? Something isn't right..." Karin thought, sensing something bad.

Sasuke became confused as he placed his right hand on his left shoulder again.

Moments later Gaara screamed within the circular shape sand.

"Ahhh! Blood! It's my Blood!" Gaara yelled.

Karin became frightened again. "Sasuke...! You have to get your arm out of there quickly...! Something's going to happen...!" she thought, sensing that Gaara's chakra is increasing and is becoming dark and colder. "Y-you have to hurry...!"

Sasuke struggled to get his left arm out but when that didn't work he used Chidori to try to crack it but that didn't work either. He struggled once more before he was free and he leaped away backwards. A huge flesh sand arm with blue lines on it tried to grab Sasuke but it stopped midway.

Everyone gasped in shock at the flesh sand arm.

"What's that?!" Guy asked.

Sasuke crouched down on the ground in pain, clutching his left arm, which some of the tape and black belts were ripped off, with his right hand. The flesh sand arm smashed the ground before it retreated back into the circular shape sand.

Sasuke sweated a little as he looked to see a the flesh sand arm move around and a strange eye that had yellow irides and pupil that took the shape of a 4 pointed star with 4 black dots around it. There was a loud growl that from inside of it, making Sasuke look in surprise.

Karin suddenly sensed that Gaara's chakra was decreasing and the circular shape sand was cracking before it turned back into regular sand, reveal a barely standing Gaara who was clutching his bloody left shoulder with his right hand, panting.

After a moment Karin's eyes widened in shock. "Huh, K-kabuto...?!" she thought then she sensed lots of Ninja that weren't from Konohagakure.

Karin felt something weird then she looked up to see white feathers falling from the sky. She looked from side to side see many people were falling asleep, except for Kakashi, Guy, Sakura and other skilled Jonins. "This is a Genjutsu...!" she thought, feeling a little bit of it's affects, she turned forward. "No... I can't fall into it..." then she put her hands together and closed her eyes. "Kai..." the white feathers moved away from her.

Karin opened her eyes and heard a loud explosion, she quickly looked up to see grey smoke where the Minato and the Fourth Kazekage were at. "No, Uncle Minato...!" she thought worried then she saw Hiruzen run over and hopped on to the roof and into the grey smoke.

"Minato!" Kushina yelled.

4 people in cloaks and one in a cream colored cloak were running towards 4 more people in black cloaks, all were wearing masks. Karin saw the 5 talk with the 4 briefly before the 4 went below. Her eyes widened as she suddenly sensed 5 chakras were decreasing rapidly to nothing.

"Wh... Wh-what's going on...?!" Karin thought scared.

Karin now saw Minato, The Fourth Kazekage, and Hiruzen were in the center and top of the building, and 4 Sound Ninjas were at the corners of the roof, the 1st was a tall boy that looked to be 14, had dark brown skin, 6 arms, an extra eye on his forehead, short black shaggy hair tied up in a ponytail, black eyes, wearing a black sleeveless shirt under a grey sleeveless tunic that bore the Sound symbol on the lower part, black skin-tight shorts, black arm warmers, a black clothed Otogakure Forehead Protector wrapped around his forehead, black sandals with black calf leg warmers with white tape wrapped around them, and a purple rope like belt wrapped around his waist, the 2nd was another boy with another head and half a upper body sticking to the back that looked to be 14, had fair skin, straight shoulder lengths light grey-blue hair, bangs that covered the sides of their face (one covered the right side and the lower one covered the left side), black eyes, wearing both green lipstick with dark markings around their eyes, a black short sleeved shirt under a long sleeved brown shirt that bore the Sound symbol on the bottom part, black skin tight shorts, black arm warmers, black sandals, black calf length leg warmers with white tape wrapped around them, a purple rope like belt wrapped around his waist, and dark red beamed necklace was on the neck and a large green scroll was on the back of the upper one, the 3rd was a slender built girl that looked to be 14, had fair skin, untamed mid back length dark pink hair one bang that fell in between her face, brown eyes, a black short sleeved shirt, under a tan elbow length tunic that bore the Sound symbol on the bottom of it, black skin tight shorts, black arm warmers, black sandals, black calf length leg warmers with white tape wrapped around them, a black hat with pipe like stripes and white bandaged sides, a rope like belt wrapped around her waist, and the 4th was a big and imposing boy that looked to be 14, had fair skin, 3 tufts of orange hair on his head: a mohawk of sorts that ran down the middle and 2 similar styled tufts of hair at the sides, slanted orange eyes, wearing a beige colored sleeveless tunic that bore the Sound symbol on the bottom of it, black 3/4 lengthed pants that stopped just below his knees, black arm warmers, a necklace that is composed red circular pieces separating long metallic pieces, black sandals with mid calf length leg warmers with white tape wrapped around them, and purple rope like belt wrapped around his waist. They all had black curse marks on their necks just like Sasuke.

"Hm, finally it's my time." the first one said smiling, his front left arm on his left hip.

"We've all been waiting for this. I was so frustrated hiding in that disguise." the 2nd one said smirking.

"You're all sweaty too. So gross." the 3rd one said, her right hand on her right hip.

"Come on, we're all friends here, right?" the 4th one said.

"There Otogakure Ninja... they look weird..." Karin thought then she saw the 4 of them make hand signs. "What are they doing...?!"

"Ninja Art: 4 Flames Formation!" the 4 Otogakure Ninja yelled, which created a pure purple flame barrier, sealing themselves, Minato, The Fourth Kazekage, and Hiruzen inside.

"Oh no...! Uncle Minato...!" Karin thought worried and scared. She suddenly heard a grunting sound she looked down at the side to see Sasuke and Gaara. "Sasuke...!"

Karin slowly rose from her seat and walked down the stairs while avoiding shurikens, kunais, and Jonins fighting before she took a deep breath and jumped into the Arena and landed on the ground. She ran over to Sasuke and crouched down on the right side of him.

"S-sasuke..." Karin said softly and sadly to him.

Sasuke looked at Karin. "Karin, are you alright?" he asked.

"H-hai.. but what about you...?" Karin asked.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Sasuke said, inactivating his Sharingan. "What's going on?"

"I don't know but.. mostly everyone was placed under a Genjutsu..." Karin said then looked up to a 3 giant dark green snakes wearing red bandannas around their necks were breaking the wall.

Karin looked at Sasuke to see that he was looking up at something, she looked up to where Sasuke was looking to see that he was looking Minato, The Fourth Kazekage, and Hiruzen in the Purple Flame barrier, Kushina standing on one of the sides, and some of the Sunagakure Ninjas on the roof. She saw one touched the purple flame barrier and was set on fire before rolling off the roof, she sensed that he was dad as he no longer had chakra.

"The Sand Village...?! W-why are they attacking us...?!" Karin thought shocked and confused.

"What's going on here?" Sasuke asked.

"Stop it Gaara!" Temari yelled.

Sasuke and Karin turned to Temari and Kankuro near Gaara, Temari was on his left side and Kankuro was on his right side.

"I must kill him!" Gaara said then walked forward a little then stopped.

Kankuro stepped in Gaara's way. "There's no point in continuing this fight." he said.

"That's right! Don't forget our mission." Temari said.

Gaara stepped forward and placed his right hand on Kankuro's right arm. "Out of my way!" he yelled smirking, pushing him out of his way.

Karin gasped in fear as she grabbed on to Sasuke's right arm with both of her hands.

A Sunagakure Jonin suddenly appeared in front of Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. It was a very tall man that looked to be 30, had brown skin, bald, black eyes, wearing 2 distinctive red markings on the right side of his face, a cream colored turban that covered the left side of his head, blue clothed Sunagakure Forehead Protector on his forehead (which was over the turban), Sunagakure flak jacket uniform, and dark brown sandals.

"What're you 3 doing now?! Can't you see the operation is already underway!" the Sand Jonin yelled, looking at them.

Gaara closed his eyes as he clutched his head with both hands, groaning in pain.

The Sand Jonin looked at Gaara then turned forward.

Genma suddenly appeared in front of Sasuke and Karin.

"What is going on?! Tell me!" Sasuke yelled.

When Gaara groaned even more, the Sand Jonin, Temari, and Kankuro looked at him.

"Gaara!" Temari yelled.

Gaara fell on his knees.

"What's wrong?" Kankuro asked him.

Temari crouched down to Gaara. "He's wounds worse than I thought!" she said then looked up at the Sand Jonin. "And his chakra is almost completely drained away!"

"Wh-what's going to happen to him...?!" Karin thought.

"Wait, what about using that-" Kankuro said but was cut off.

"It's impossible right now." Temari said to Kankuro.

"You fool! It's all because you tried to transform before the signal was given." the Sand Jonin said.

Kankuro looked at the Sand Jonin. "So what do we now?! We need Gaara for this!" he yelled.

The Sand Jonin looked down at Gaara. "Gaara's the trump card Sunagakure, we have to get him to play his part no matter what!" he said. "Alright, for now you 2 take Gaara and tend to his sounds. As soon as his chakra has been restored the operation will continue."

"You got it." Kankuro said before he crouched down and grabbed Gaara's right arm with his right hand and placed it over his neck, carrying him.

Temari stood up again and turned to the Sand Jonin. "And you Sensei?" she asked.

The Sand Jonin turned forward. "I'm going to take care of these guys." he said.

Karin gasped in fear as she backed away a little.

"Do you really think that things will go according to your plan?" Genma asked.

"I'll make sure that they do." the Sand Jonin said.

There was a long pause. A sweat ran down Genma's face before it fell to the ground.

"Go!" the Sand Jonin yelled.

"Yes, right." Temari said.

Temari and Kankuro jumped into the air, taking Gaara with them as they hopped over the Arena wall.

The Sand Jonin smirked at Genma when he became serious.

"And is the host of this party Orochimaru?" Genma asked.

Sasuke looked at Genma.

Karin gasped at that name. "Orochimaru...? That's the person Kakashi asked Kabuto that day...!" she thought remembering.

"Don't know and don't care. Now let's hear things up, huh?" the Sand Jonin said.

"Sasuke." Genma said.

Sasuke and Karin looked up at Genma.

"I'm sorry but the Chunin Exam ends here for you." Genma said.

Sasuke gasped a little at what Genma just said.

"You've already achieved Chunin Level, you're a Konoha Shinobi so put your training to good use." Genma.

"H-he doesn't mean..." Karin thought sadly.

"In other words I'm suppose to take down Gaara right? Our match continues?" Sasuke questioned.

Karin looked at Sasuke sadly.

"Just be careful, it's the real thing now not a match." Genma said.

"What I must do is the same." Sasuke said looking side to side.

Sasuke tried to get up Karin immediately pulled him down, he looked at her.

"Please don't go Sasuke..." Karin said sadly to him.

"I have to go stop him." Sasuke said to her. He suddenly saw tears forming in her arms.

Karin looked down, closing her eyes. "S-sasuke... my Uncle Minato is battling the Kazekage with the Third Hokage right and... I-I don't know what's going to happen... when I saw you battling Gaara I sensed his chakra was cold and dark but also powerful especially when I sensed him that sand... I-I don't want to lose you... like I possibly will lose Uncle Minato..." she said sadly, tears coming out of her eyes.

Sasuke looked at Karin softly and sadly. "Don't worry Karin.. I won't die." he said.

Karin suddenly opened her eyes as she looked up at Sasuke surprised.

"I'm going to come back alive and defeat Gaara before can destroy the Village." Sasuke said softly.

"Y-you promise.. you will?" Karin said softly.

"Of course." Sasuke said nodding.

Karin looked down for a moment before she slowly and sadly released Sasuke with both hands, who stood up from the ground then looked down at her.

"I'll be back soon. Don't worry." Sasuke said.

"H-hai..." Karin said sadly, a few tears running down her face.

Sasuke quickly ran into the direction where Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara went off it.

"Not so fast!" the Sand Jonin yelled, throwing 2 kunais at Sasuke with his right hand.

Karin looked in shock to see Genma deflected the 2 kunais with 3 of his own with his left hand.

Karin watched as Sasuke jumped over the Arena wall.

"Girl." Genma said.

Karin looked at Genma to see that he was staring down at her.

"I suggest you hide. You don't want to get hurt in the cross fire." Genma said then turned forward to look at the Sand Jonin.

"H-hai..." Karin said before she stood up and ran over to the Arena entrance.

A few minutes later.

When Karin made it to the outer side she looked up to see Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and a small brown furred dog that had dark brown snout and ears, pink colored paws, wearing a blue clothed Konohagakure Forehead Protector on his head, a blue vest with the heno-heno-moheji symbol on the back of it, and a white bandaged on his right front leg, were hopping into the trees.

"They're going into Sasuke's direction..." Karin thought.

Karin ran back inside as she suddenly sensed more Sunagakure and Otogakure shinobi were coming. She quietly walked up the steps none of the Jonins could hear her and she slowly crawled through the unconscious people and Jonins fighting. When she made it to the end of the row of seats, she saw her Uncle Minato, now not wearing the Hokage hat and haori, and Hiruzen, now dressed in a black and green armoured hood with a bandanna-like forehead protector over this, tied with two black long straps, a black jumpsuit, mesh segments over the lower portions of his limbs, and a green gauntlet that covered much of his right arm, and dark brown sandals, were fighting a man that looks to be in his 30s but was 50, had a snake-like appearance, very pale skin, golden eyes with slitted pupils, purple markings around his eyes and fang-like teeth, straight waist-length black hair with some locks covering and framing his face or to his shoulders, wearing plain grey garbs over a long sleeved black, long black pants, a thick purple rope belt tied in a large knot behind his back, blue tomoe-shaped earrings, and black sandals with bandages around his calves.

"Who is that man that's fighting Uncle Minato and the Former Hokage...?" Karin thought, trying to get a closer look.

25 minutes later.

Karin continued to watch sadly as her Uncle Minato and Hiruzen were battling the snake like man, she sensed that Hiruzen was running low on chakra. There was a large grey wall and trees appeared and a tall brown skinned monkey that has body and long tail is covered by white fur which protrude from his sleeves and pants, long unkempt white hair that reached into his back and long white sideburns, white goatee, wearing his usual outfit, a black suit with mesh armour underneath, over which he wears a sleeveless kimono shirt with white fur trimmings, and markings reminiscent of tiger stripes on it which is held closed by a red sash, and a black Konoha forehead protector on his forehead.

"Oh no..." Karin thought sadly.

Karin suddenly sensed a large chakra, she slowly turned to the right to see a large male toad that has a dull, rusty red, but around his eyes and on his lips and chest are brighter red markings, a scar over his left eye, his tongue had a series of stud-like piercings on both the upper and lower side. He often wears a large blue happi vest that has the kanji 蝦 (ebi) on the back, and is carrying a massive dosu blade at his right hip, and also is carrying a large kiseru pipe in his mouth, was hovering over the trees and also sensed Naruto on it and a very small animal chakra on him. She also sensed Sasuke, another very small animal chakra, and Sakura nearby as well.

"Did Oniisan... really summoned that giant toad...?!" Karin thought shocked.

Karin saw a big puff of smoke appear a few distances away from the large, she suddenly sensed another large chakra but it was a 1000 times greater the toad. Her eyes widened as she now saw a large sandy brown tanuki with dark blue curse seal markings all over his face, body, and tail, a jagged concave mouth with no tongue, black sclerae eyes, yellow irides, yellow pupils that take the shape of a black 4 pointed star with 4 black dots around it. She watched them battle before the large toad and Naruto transformed into the Nine-Tails, a large fox with red-orange fur, red eyes, and 9 tails, and gasped in shock.

"They transformed into... Nine-Tailed Fox..." Karin thought.

When the Jonins defeated all of the Sunagakure and Otogakure ninja, Karin stopped hiding and stood up from the ground and looked around to see all of the Konoha Jonins were standing together on one of the rows.

"Is it almost over...?" Karin thought. Her eyes widened as she suddenly sensed something wrong, she looked up to see Hiruzen had both of his hands on the snake man's shoulders and the monkey laying on it's stomach while his right hand was holding on to a sword that was stabbing Hiruzen's chest, she sensed that his chakra was fading rapidly.

"Oh no... if his chakra keeps dropping... he'll die..." Karin thought sadly.

Karin saw the snake man's arms turned purple before Hiruzen released him and they they were speaking to one another before Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes and fell down smiling, Minato ran and caught Hiruzen as he was now crouching down. Karin made a sad face as she felt tears welling up in her eyes as she no longersensed chakra in Hiruzen's body.

"The Third Hokage is... d-dead..." Karin thought sadly, tears running down her face.

The monkey removed the sword from Hiruzen's back before he disappeared with it.

"My arms, they feels as if they're on fire." the snake man said.

The 1st Sound Ninja turned around as his hands were on the barrier. "Lord Orochimaru!' he yelled.

"Our mission has failed. Release the barrier, take me back." Orochimaru said.

"Right! Release!" the 4 Sound Ninja yelled together.

The pure purple flame barrier disappear before the 4 Sound Ninja ran over to Orochimaru and the 2nd one (on his right side) and the 4th one (on his left side) lifted him up before they jumped into the sky with the 1st and the 3rd one following them. Karin saw the 1st one released a large white spider web from his mouth to keep the 3 Anbu from following them then saw her Aunt Kushina running over to Minato and the now dead Hiruzen with worry and sadness in her eyes and when she made it Karin saw Kushina slowly crouched down on the left next to Minato before started to cry.

After a minute Karin saw the Jonins surrounded Kushina, Minato, and Hiruzen as they looked in sadness at Hiruzen as he was now dead.

---

Tomorrow.

Day Time.

Uzumaki clan compound.

Karin's (Ryo and Uzume's) house.

Karin, in a black long sleeved shirt, black skirt, brown glasses (not wearing her forehead protector on her forehead) was sitting on one of the couches, looking down sadly as her hands were in her lap, thinking about how the Third Hokage was dead as his funeral was today.

"I can't believe how everything happened so fast yesterday..." Karin thought sadly.

Karin looked up as she suddenly sensed Naruto coming over to her house, she slowly stood up from the crouch before walked over to the main shoki doors and put black sandals and slid one of them opened with her left hand to see Naruto had a bandage on his forehead and both of his cheeks, now wearing a black long sleeved shirt, long black pants, white bandages wrapped around his lower legs, black sandals, and his blue Forehead Protector wrapped around his neck, was stared at Karin, who stepped out before she slid one of the shoji doors closed with her right hand.

Naruto and Karin walked away from Karin's house and out of the Uzumaki clan compound.

...

5 minutes later.

As Naruto and Karin were walking through the wooden fences, Karin sensed Sasuke and Sakura nearby. They stopped walking to see Sakura, wearing a black long sleeved shirt, her Forehead Protector wrapped around her head as a hairband, black skirt, and black sandals, who stopped a few feet away from them. They stared at each other for a moment before Naruto and Karin looked to the right side and Sakura looked to the right side to see Sasuke, wearing a black long sleeved shirt, long black pants, his Forehead Protector wrapped around his forehead, white bandages wrapped around his lower legs, and black sandals, was walking towards them with his hands in his pockets.

Naruto, Karin, and Sakura looked at Sasuke as he walked passed them before he stopped the wind blowing in their hair and walked forward before Naruto, Karin, and Sakura ran to catch up with him.

...

6 minutes later.

On top of the Hokage Mansion.

Everyone was dressed in black, the males were wearing a black long sleeved shirt, long black pants, white bandages wrapped around his lower legs, and black sandals (some were wearing Forehead Protectors and other accessories), females were wearing a black long sleeved shirt, black skirt, and black sandals (some were wearing Forehead Protectors and other accessories) except Kushina who was wearing a black dress. Everyone were standing rows, Karin was standing next to Sasuke on the right while Sakura was on his left side. From left to right, Shino, Neji, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were standing next to Naruto on the right side while from right to left, Konohamaru, Iruka, Kushina were standing on his right side. Standing a few feet forward from left to right from the crowd was Minato, Koharu Utatane, a 68 year old fair skin woman that has grey hair that was tied in a twin bun locked by a hairpin with 2 pearls dangling on the left side, squinting but her eyes were black, and green and red earrings, and Homaru, a 68 year old fair skin man that has short spiky grey hair, grey hair, and wearing green glasses.

An object covered by a green clothed had a picture of Hiruzen on it, a white bouquet of flowers and a brown bowl stood in front of it, on the right and left side had 3 pictures each of Konoha Shinobi that have died recently during the attack yesterday, green folded clothed and a blue scroll stood in front of them, and a torch stood on the left and right side.

Everyone stood in silence for awhile before it started raining.

"This funeral reminds me of my parents had..." Karin thought sadly.

"We are gathered here to remember an honor not only the Former Third Hokage but all those who sacrificed themselves in this battle so that our Village would survive." Homaru said.

...

2 minutes later.

Some people started putting flowers near Hiruzen's picture. Karin suddenly heard crying, she looked forward to see Konohamaru crying as he covered his face with both of his hands.

"I remember feeling that way when my parents died..." Karin thought sadly.

Karin suddenly felt a hand on her right shoulder, she looked up at the right side to see Sasuke had his left hand on her right shoulder, looking at her worriedly. She stared at him sadly for a moment before looked forward.

Karin saw Iruka put his right hand on Konohamaru's right shoulder as he stared down at him sadly remembering his past with Hiruzen. Iruka crouched down before he hugged Konohamaru. Naruto looked down at Iruka and Konohamaru.

...

5 minutes later.

Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sasuke, Karin, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, and Naruto placed a single white flower next to Hiruzen's picture before they went back where they stood before. The rain had stopped.

Naruto stared at Hiruzen's face on the Hokage Rock. "Iruka-sensei.. Why do they do it? Why do people risked their lives for other people?" he asked.

Iruka looked up at Naruto before he looked forward. "Well, when someone passes away it's the end, his past and future, all the dreams he once had they disappear along with him. This is true even if he dies honorably in battle as so many have.. as Hayate did. All the ties that bind him to the living are severed, I but one the most important of all people, parents, siblings, friends, lovers, the people who are important to him.. and these people, the ones left behind are joined together in a great circle by their shared memories of him, a circle of friendship, trust, and sacrifice that grows larger and stronger as time passes. It's hard to explain it, we'll remain in the circle together, we have no choice it's important to us." he said.

Naruto turned forward. "Hm, so we do it because we have to, I get it, sort of... Still I'm sad he's gone." he said.

"Think how sad it would be if he died for nothing? But he left us something priceless.. don't worry you'll understand one of these days." Kakashi said looking down at Naruto on the left side.

Naruto smiled as he looked up at Kakashi on the right side. "Hey, give me some credit that much I get, dattebayo." he said.

Sakura looked up at sky before she looked at Sasuke on the left side, smiling a little. "The rain, it stopped." she said.

Sasuke and Karin looked at Sakura before they looked up at the sky to see the clouds were moving away to reveal the light blue sky and sun.

...

10 minutes later.

The Funeral was over and everyone started to leave the top of the Hokage Mansion. Minato, Kushina, and Karin stood together as Naruto was in front of them.

"Bye Mom, Dad, Karin, see you later, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled smiling, waving his left hand in the air before placed it down and ran over to Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura, who were standing a few feet away from them.

"Okay." Minato said smiling.

"Be careful, dattebane!" Kushina yelled.

Karin saw Sasuke smiling at her warmly before she quickly turned her head to the right side blushing.

---

A few days later.

Karin, in her usual outfit (including her brown clothed Forehead Protector), was walking through the crowd of people to go eat at the Dango Shop. There were no mission being assigned out for awhile since people were still repairing buildings from the attack a few days ago. Today, Minato told her that he assigned Jiraiya to go find Tsunade to help heal some of the injured people in the Village.

"I wonder what will happen next...?" Karin thought.

Karin suddenly stopped in her tracks as her eyes were widened in fear as she suddenly sensed a very familiar chakra and an unknown cold and powerful chakra and also sensed Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai were far away.

"Oh no...! W-why did he come back out...?!" Karin thought shocked and afraid.

Karin quickly ran to the place where she sensed them. It took her a few minutes, when she made it a nearby building and hid behind it before she slowly peeked out as her right hand was on the building to see Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai, in their usual outfits, were facing Itachi, now 17 years old, his grey-like black hair gotten long in a ponytail and bangs, his sharingan was activated, wearing his now usual outfit, a black high collared cloak with red clouds on it, mesh armour with navy accents under an identical T-shirt with a simple white belt around the waist and dark blue long pants, grey sandals, white socks, his right ring finger had a ring which was red and bore the kanji for "vermilion" (朱, shu), purple nail polish on his fingers and toes and a necklace that had three silver rings with red gems inside them, and a blue clothed Konoha Forehead Protector on his forehead but it had been scratched, and a very tall, muscular man that looked to be 29 had a distinctive shark-like appearance, blue-grey skin, small, round, white and black eyes, 3 sets of curved facial markings under his eyes, gills on his shoulders[14] and sharp triangular teeth, bluespiky hair in the form of a shark fin, wearing dark blue long pants, a blue modified version of Kirigakure's forehead protector but it was scratched off, which covered his ears as well, a brown sash across the front and back of his cloak to hold mostly wrapped in bandaged blade in place but showed some dark blue spiky scales that had a series of downward-facing scales running along the entirety of its length until its hilt, at the base of which is a small skull, a black high collared cloak with red clouds on it, a ring on his left ring finger, bearing the kanji for "south" (南, nan) which was yellow in colour, dark-purple nail polish on his fingers and toes, grey sandals, and white socks, from across the lake. She gasped in fear before she hid behind the building, she started to remember that half of the Uchiha clan and Uzumaki clan were killed.

"They can't defeat Itachi... He's too strong... I-I have to find Sasuke...! He'll know what to do..." Karin thought before she ran to find him.

It took her awhile as Karin sensed Sasuke's location, he was in the Forest training. She saw Sasuke, in his temporary outfit.

"Sasuke!" Karin yelled sadly.

Sasuke stopped training to see Karin running towards with sadness in her eyes, he looked at her with worry and concerned.

"Karin, what's the matter?" Sasuke asked.

Karin stopped in front of Sasuke as she crouched down a bit as her hands were on her knees, panted a little from exhaustion then she stood up straight, looking up at Sasuke. "S-sasuke.. I saw him.. he's back.." she said.

"Who's back?" Sasuke asked.

"Itachi.." Karin said sadly.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Itachi?!" he asked, becoming serious. "Where did you see him?" placing his hands on her shoulders .

"He was with by the bridge with a man with a shark like appearance and they were battling Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai... B-but they're not there anymore..." Karin said sadly.

"Where is he now?" Sasuke asked.

"W-what...?!" Karin asked shocked.

"Which direction is Itachi heading?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke no.. we have to contact Uncle Minato or your father right away and tell them immediately..." Karin said sadly, trying to move away from Sasuke but he held her in place.

"Please Karin tell me, where is Itachi?!" Sasuke asked serious.

"W-what...?!" Karin asked shocked.

"Which direction is Itachi heading?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke no.. we have to find Uncle Minato or your father right away and tell them about this immediately..." Karin said, trying to move away from him but he held her in place.

"Please Karin, tell me which direction did Itachi went?!" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke, stop it...!" Karin said getting out of Sasuke's grip and moved away from him, causing him to be surprised.

Karin closed her eyes tightly as she started to cry. "You remember that he killed half of our clans years ago... Kakashi went up against him... a-and I know he lost.. I sensed his chakra has decreased.. if you go I don't know what terrible things he will do to you... W-w-well have to contact Uncle Minato or Fugaku right away before he does something else... please..." she said.

Sasuke looked at Karin with worry and sadness at what she said before he walked over her.

Karin opened her eyes as she suddenly felt she was being pulled into a hug.

"Karin, I only want to defeat Itachi so he can never hurt anyone ever again, especially you." Sasuke said softly. "Please Karin, you have to tell me." pulling away from her a little to see her face.

Karin looked at Sasuke for a moment before she closed her eyes, looking down sadly. "I-I don't want you to die..." she said sadly.

"I promise you I won't die." Sasuke said.

Karin suddenly opened her eyes as she looked up at Sasuke surprised.

"I'm going to come back alive and kill Itachi before can hurt anyone else." Sasuke said softly.

"Y-you promise.. you will?" Karin said softly.

"Of course." Sasuke said nodding.

Karin looked Sasuke for a moment before she closed her eyes and sighed. "Okay..." she said sadly then moved away from Sasuke. She sensed the area for a second to sense Itachi and the shark-like man, her eyes suddenly widened in fright. "Oh no...! Is he heading after him...?!" she thought.

"Is there something wrong?" Sasuke asked concerned.

"Itachi is going to the location where I sense Oniisan and Jiraiya are..." Karin said. "I think he's going to hurt Oniisan..."

"Which direction?!" Sasuke asked.

Karin pointed to the right with her left index finger. "They're over there..." she said. "But I sense many people in that direction I think it's a town..."

Sasuke looked into the direction Karin was pointing. "Thanks, Karin." he said then he ran in that direction.

Karin looked down sadly at the ground as she lowered her left hand.

Sasuke stopped and looked at Karin. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry." he said.

"H-hai..." Karin said sadly, a few tears running down her face.

Sasuke turned forward and continued to run.

"I sense... that I've made a bad decision... for telling Sasuke and not Uncle Minato..." Karin thought, sensing Sasuke was moving further from her location.

---

1 hour 1/2 later.

Karin was sitting on a medium sized building as she was thinking about her past, looking down. "Sasuke... I wonder what he's doing right now...? And if he's battling Itachi...?" she thought. She suddenly looked up as she suddenly sensed Sasuke's chakra and also Guy's. "Something's wrong... Sasuke's chakra feels a little weird..."

Karin slowly stood up from the building before she hopped on to the ground and ran where she's sensing Guy's and Sasuke's chakras.

It took Karin awhile but she made it to the Konohagakure Hospital and stopped a few feet away as her eyes widened when she saw Guy carrying an unconscious Sasuke on his back.

"Oh no...! Sasuke...!" Karin thought sadly.

...

30 minutes later.

One of the Konohagakure Hospital rooms.

Sasuke, now wearing a short sleeved black shirt and long light grey pants, was laying unconscious in a bed with white blankets over him. From right to left stood Minato and Guy on the left side of Sasuke and from left to right stood Fugaku, in his usual outfit, Mikoto, in her usual outfit, and Karin on the right side of Sasuke.

"Jiraiya said that Itachi placed him in some type of Genjutsu just like Kakashi." Guy said.

"This is no ordinary Genjutsu, it's a Tsukuyomi." Fugaku said, folding his arms.

"I can't believe this happened. I'm not even sure how long it will last on him." Mikoto said sadly.

"You don't have to worry, Jiraiya's going to find Tsunade." Guy said.

Karin continued to look sadly at Sasuke as he was still laying unconscious in the Hospital bed before she looked down at the ground then started to cry. "I'm... sorry..." she said, almost like a whisper.

Minato, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Guy looked at Karin confused.

"What for Karin? You didn't do anything." Minato asked.

"I-I told Sasuke about Itachi... I wanted to tell you guys as well b-but... Sasuke told me to locate Itachi... a-and I-I gave it to him..." Karin said sadly.

Minato, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Guy looked at Karin in shock at what she just told them.

"I'm so very sorry... I-If I hadn't told Sasuke about this only told you... h-he would still be conscious..." Karin said sadly, tears running down her face.

Mikoto walked right past Fugaku to Karin and crouched down to her level, looking sadly at the crying Karin. "It's alright, Karin." she said.

"It's not..." Karin said sadly.

"I know right now it is but just like Guy said Jiraiya is going to come back with Tsunade to help him get out of the Tsukuyomi." Mikoto said.

Karin stopped crying as she looked at Mikoto. "Are you sure...?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Mikoto said.

Karin wiped her eyes from under her glasses with her right hand before she looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke... I'm sorry... I know that Tsunade will heal you really soon..." she thought.

---

1 month later.

Day Time.

Konohagakure Hospital.

Sasuke's room.

Karin was sitting on the right side of Sasuke, who was still unconscious, in a beige wooden stool watching him sadly. Sakura was sitting on the left side of Sasuke in a brown stool and her hands were in her lap as she looked down at the ground sadly.

Ever since Sasuke was put in the Hospital, Karin would mostly sit and watch him until it was night time when she would go home and rest. And when she didn't watch Sasuke, Mikoto would as she watched with some times. Sakura would sometimes like right now would watch Sasuke with her. Mikoto was here but she said she'll be right back in a little while.

Karin looked up as her eyes widened and looked to the right side at the door as she suddenly sensed 4 familiar chakras coming this way, 3 of the chakras were chakras she hadn't sensed in years.

After a minute, Tsunade, in her usual outfit, walked in with a smile on her face.

"May I come in?" Tsunade asked, now standing in the room.

Sakura stood up surprised. "Uh, who are you?" she asked, facing Tsunade.

Shizune, in her usual outfit, walked in with Tonton, in her usual outfit, in her arms and stood behind Tsunade smiling.

"Tsunade..." Karin thought astounded.

"However she is, she's beautiful." Sakura thought.

Tsunade and Shizune turned to the left side to look at Karin.

"It's been a long time, Karin. It's great to see you." Tsunade said, placing her left hand on her left hip.

"Um, it's nice to see you 2 as well..." Karin said, a little shy.

Karin suddenly sensed the 4th familiar chakra was here.

Naruto suddenly came running in and towards Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he stopped right in front of her, smiling. "You'll never believe it, she's gonna make everything okay again, dattebayo!" then laughed and looked at Karin. "Hi Karin, don't worry you 2 Sasuke's gonna be alright now!"

Tsunade removed her left hand from her left hip as she walked past Naruto and Sakura and stopped next to Sasuke.

Karin looked down at Sasuke. "What is Tsunade going to do to wake Sasuke up...?" she thought.

Sakura looked at Naruto shocked. "Naruto." she said.

Tsunade looked up to see 2 white lilies in a clear glass vase that was halfway filled with water on a small grey metal table that had a cream colored tea pot and a clear glass cup.

"Those flowers weren't picked the same day. Looks like Karin and this other girl have been visiting him for awhile now." Tsunade thought.

Sakura turned around and looked up at Tsunade, smiling. "You must be the one Guy-sensei told me about. Oh please if you can save Sasuke-kun ." she said then bowed her head.

Tsunade looked down at Sakura smiling and closing her eyes. "Well, I'll see what I can do." she said opening her eyes then turned to Sasuke, leaning in a little.

Naruto was smiling as his hands were behind his head as he looked down at Sasuke. Sakura stopped bowing as her hands were together.

Everyone watched as Tsunade placed her right hand on Sasuke's forehead before she used the Mystical Palm Technique on him. Sakura started to cry but quickly wiped her tears away with both of her hands. Tsunade stopped using the Mystical Palm Technique as Sasuke was starting to wake up then he slowly opened his eyes.

Naruto removed his hands from his head. "Sasuke!" he yelled smiling.

"Sasuke." Sakura said, her right hand over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes.

"Sasuke... h-he's really back..." Karin thought smiling softly, now crying tears of joy.

Tsunade removed her right hand from Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke slowly rosed the top half of himself as he grabbed the blanket with his left hand to remove some of it from him and he looked down motionless for a moment.

Sakura removed her right hand from her mouth crying as she ran over to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun!" she yelled then hugged him. Sasuke looked motionless at Sakura, who continued cry on him.

"Hey, you're back!" Naruto said smiling, closing his eyes then he opened them and stopping smiling as he saw Sakura hug Sasuke. He smiled sadly at them before he turned around and walked away to the door and outside.

Tsunade watched as Naruto walked the door smiling. "Hm, the little tough guy has a soft spot I see." she thought then became confused when she saw Naruto's left hand motioning her.

Shizune and Tonton looked at Naruto.

"Come on, you're not done." Naruto said.

Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton walked out of the door as they followed Naruto.

Karin looked sadly at Sasuke and Sakura, who continued to hug him, before she closed her eyes and stood up from her seat before she started to leave like Naruto did.

"Karin." a male voice said.

Karin stopped when she was past the bed and she turned to the left and opened her eyes to see Sasuke looking at her. Sakura pulled away to look at Sasuke.

"Karin, I'm sorry." Sasuke said.

Karin's eyes widened at what Sasuke just said.

...

30 minutes later.

Sasuke was sitting on the bed while Karin was sitting on a beige wooden stool on the right side of him as they were the only ones in the room now. Karin sensed that Fugaku and Mikoto were coming to the Konohagakure Hospital.

"I've really out that long?" Sasuke questioned, looking down.

"Yes.. a month has past since... You've went to face him..." Karin said, looking at Sasuke before she looked down sadly. "... Fugaku said that he placed you in a Tsukuyomi..."

"I'm sorry, Karin." Sasuke said.

Karin looked at Sasuke sadly.

"I couldn't defeat Itachi. He was just too strong and he easily defeated me." Sasuke said.

Karin continued to stare at Sasuke sadly.

"He tried to take Naruto and he placed that Tsukuyomi on me and nothing has changed." Sasuke said then gritted his teeth. "All of these years have passed and nothing has changed. I still couldn't couldn't defeat Itachi."

"That's.. not true..." Karin said.

Sasuke looked at the right side at Karin, surprised.

"Something has changed... you've become stronger.. as well as Oniisan... when I saw you battle Yoroi in the Preliminaries I-I was impressed that you've defeated him especially when he was draining you of your chakra..." Karin said shyly and softly. "And when you were fighting against Gaara... you were able to get through his defense with your Chidori that Kakashi taught you..."

Sasuke continued to listen to Karin.

"You've changed a lot since those 4 years ago... A-and I know you'll grow stronger in the future too..." Karin said softly.

Sasuke stared at Karin before he looked down at the blanket. "Thanks for that, Karin." he said. "I promise you that I'll go after Itachi when I truly know that I can defeat him."

"I sense something that isn't right..." Karin thought sadly.

Fugaku and Mikoto suddenly came into the rooms.

---

5 days later.

Day Time.

Karin was walking through the crowd of people to meet up with her team for a mission today. It was a D rank mission. She suddenly saw Tsunade walking towards her. She stopped when she was now in front of her.

"Hello Karin." Tsunade said, looking down at Karin smiling.

"Oh, hello to you too, Tsunade..." Karin said, looking up at Tsunade.

"I need to talk to you for a minute." Tsunade said.

"Okay..." Karin said.

"I'm going to be traveling again with Shizune and Tonton in the next 3 weeks and I was wondering if you could travel with us so I can train you." Tsunade said.

"Huh...?!" Karin said shocked.

"It would be great if you accepted. Your mom, Aunt Kushina, and Shizune have all traveled with me and they've all learned many Jutsus and skills but we've also had fun." Tsunade said.

"I-I don't know... Aunt Kushina is already training me..." Karin said.

"Alright then but if you change your mind, you can tell me, okay?" Tsunade asked.

"H-hai..." Karin said.

Tsunade moved to the right side of Karin and walked past her.

Karin looked at Tsunade before she turned forward and continued walking through she suddenly stopped when she sensed 3 chakras nearby, 2 of the chakras were familiar. She turned to the right side to see Naruto and Sakura were talking to a girl in front of them, she looked to be 9 years old, had light brown skin, long dark brown hair that she kept in 2 circular shape parts on top and 2 bangs hanging from the sides of her face, light brown eyes, wearing a small gold colored crown on her head, a white string tied around her head, a red cloth on her head that hangs down the sides of her head, a light green and white haori with a light green sash, a long sleeved puffy white shirt with pink wristbands beneath, a pink shirt, tannish brown sandals with circular bands around her ankles.

"Their mission must have something to do with her..." Karin thought. "But... where's Kakashi and Sasuke...? And come to think of it... He's been acting strange and meaner than usual to Oniisan... I wonder if he's okay..." She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and turned forward. "Oh I almost forgot I have to meet with my team..."

Karin started to walk forward as she sensed them a few feet away. After a minute, she stopped to see Shigeri, now 13 years old and in his usual outfit, Hiroki, now 13 years old and in his usual outfit, and Zosui, in his usual outfit, were standing a few feet away from her.

Zosui turned to look at Karin. "Hurry up!" he said.

"H-hai..." Karin said sadly and shyly, walking up until she was beside them.

"You're mission begins now." Zosui said.

---

Night Time.

Karin was walking through the Forest as she, Shigeri, and Hiroki we're all done planting new trees into it. They went their separate ways when they were done. As Karin was walking through she suddenly sensed Sasuke somewhere in the Forest.

"Sasuke..." Karin thought.

Karin turned to the left side and walked again as she continued to follow Sasuke's chakra. When Karin made it she stopped walking as she saw that Sasuke, in his temporary outfit, walking but she couldn't see his face. She shyly stepped forward as her hands were together near her chest.

"U-um.. Sasuke..." Karin said shyly but spoke loud as she could.

Sasuke stopped when he heard Karin's voice nearby, he turned around to the right side to see Karin standing next to one of the trees. "Karin, what are you doing out here?" he asked worried.

Karin gasped in fear as she saw that Sasuke's face and Forehead Protector was covered in blood.

"What's the matter, Karin?" Sasuke asked concerned.

Karin looked down as the ground, unable to look at Sasuke. "Y-your face... it's covered... in blood..." she said.

Sasuke's eyes widened when Karin said that, he raised his left hand and touched the left side of his face before he looked down at his left hand to see that some blood was on it.

"H-how did it get on your face...?" Karin asked.

"I defeated the enemies that were on their mission to kidnap Naho." Sasuke said.

"They've must've... said something to him to make Sasuke have... all of that blood on his face..." Karin thought frightened.

Sasuke lowered his left hand as he looked at Karin even more worried. "Karin." he said then started walking towards her.

Karin didn't move as she continued to look down at the ground. When Sasuke was now in front of her, she felt like her heart stopped beating.

"Karin, are you alright?" Sasuke asked concerned.

"N-no.. I-I can't be scared of him..." Karin thought.

Karin slowly reached into her left jacket pocket with her left hand and pulled out a beige colored handkerchief then held it out to Sasuke. "U-um, h-here you go..." she asked shyly.

Sasuke looked down at the handkerchief for a moment. "Thanks." he said then took it with his right hand and began to wipe some of the blood off of his face.

Karin lowered her left hand as she continued to look at the ground. "But still... Sasuke's changing a lot since Itachi came..." she thought sadly.

---

6 days later.

Night Time.

On the other side of the River.

Naruto and Karin were walking on a dirt path together as they were meeting with Sasuke and Sakura to watch the fireworks. Minato was honoring Tsunade for all of the people she has healed over the past couple of days.

As they were walking, Karin's hands were together as she was deep in thought about the recent events that happened with Sasuke: the promise he made to her in the hospital, the blood all over his face, and the right he had with Naruto in the Rock area.

"What's wrong with you, Sasuke...?" Karin thought sadly.

"Karin." a male voice said.

Karin was pushed out of her thoughts and looked to the left side to see Naruto staring at her.

"Is there something wrong?" Naruto asked concerned.

"It's nothing Oniisan.. I was thinking about something unimportant..." Karin said lying.

"Okay." Naruto said.

After a minute, Naruto and Karin finally made it as they saw Sasuke and Sakura a few feet away.

"Oh, you guys made it." Sakura said.

Karin sensed that Sakura was hiding her annoyance of being interrupting of her alone time with Sasuke.

"I said that we would be here, dattebayo." Naruto said.

Karin stopped next to Sasuke on the right side and Naruto stopped next to Sakura on her left side as they were in front of the lake.

Sasuke turned his head to the right side and smiled at Karin. "I'm glad you came here, Karin." he said.

Karin looked away to the right side as she was blushing furiously at what Sasuke just said to her. "U-um.. y-you t-too Sasuke..." she said shyly. "At least... he's behaving like his usual self before Itachi came here..."

Sakura was now glaring at Karin for getting Sasuke's attention and ignoring Naruto, who was looking at her sadly.

"Why does Karin always gets Sasuke's affections?! Shannaro!" Sakura thought angrily.

12 minutes later.

Sasuke, Naruto, Karin, and Sakura looked up at the night sky to fireworks were being popped high in the air. Sasuke had his left hand in his left pocket, Sakura had her hands together behind her back, and Naruto had his hands on his hips.

"They're so beautiful..." Karin thought astounded.

Sasuke turned his head to the right side to see Karin looking up at the sky astounded, he moved his right hand to touch her left hand but stopped when he felt Sakura leaning on the left side of him, which annoyed him.

Sasuke and Karin leaned to the right side because Naruto and Sakura were leaning against them, Karin stopped looking up at the fireworks as she and Sasuke looked to the left side to see Naruto and Sakura moved away from them to the left side. Sasuke looked up at the fireworks again while Karin saw Sakura punch Naruto with her left hand, making Naruto fall down.

"I guess.. somethings never change..." Karin thought.

---

5 days later.

Day Time.

Karin was walking one of the streets of Konoha carrying a cream clothed wrapped bento box with both hands as she was walking back to the Hospital to check up on Sasuke. She was thinking about Sasuke and his behavior before she left him for awhile.

2 hours ago.

Konohagakure Hospital.

One of the Rooms.

Sasuke, now wearing a short sleeved grey shirt and long light grey pants, was sitting on the bed with his hands together on the sheets in front of him and he was looking down at it as Karin was sitting on a beige wooden stool on the right side of the bed.

Sasuke was now in the Hospital again because of his injuries when Team 7 went on a mission in the Land of Tea. Karin had been looking over Sasuke for awhile now as Sakura left to go get something for Sasuke. Fugaku and Mikoto visited Sasuke for awhile now before they left but said they would be back soon.

Karin looked at Sasuke sadly as her hands were together in her lap, who was still staring down at the bed and not saying anything.

"S-sasuke..." Karin said sadly.

Sasuke didn't say anything.

"Are you okay...?" Karin asked sadly.

Sasuke still didn't say anything.

"Please say something, Sasuke..." Karin said sadly.

Sasuke continued to not say anything.

"At least... are you hungry...?" Karin asked sadly.

When Sasuke still continued to not say anything, Karin looked down sadly at the ground.

"I guess I am hungry." Sasuke said.

Karin's eyes widened a little as she looked at Sasuke.

"Maybe some of that tomato curry and Onigiri you made before." Sasuke said then looked at Karin.

Karin stood up as she continued to stare at Sasuke. "I'll be right back..." she said before she started to walk towards the door and slid it open with her left hand and stepped out before she slid closed with her right hand.

Flashback ends.

---

"I wonder what Sasuke is thinking right now...?" Karin thought sadly.

As Karin was a few feet away from the Hospital she suddenly stopped when she sensed that Sasuke was no longer in the Hospital instead she sensed that he was outside, and she also sensed that Kakashi's, Naruto's, and Sakura's were top of the Hospital roof.

"What happened while I was gone...?" Karin thought before she followed where she sensed Sasuke was.

When Karin made it to one of the fence paths she looked up to see Sasuke sitting on a tree and staring angrily to himself.

"Wh-what happened to Sasuke...? He was upset before I left but... why is he now angry...?" Karin thought confused and worried.

Karin walked over to the tree that Sasuke was sitting. "U-um S-sasuke..." she said.

Sasuke stopped glaring as he was pushed out of his thoughts and looked down to see Karin staring up at him concerned. "Oh Karin." he said.

"Wh-why did you leave the Hospital...?" Karin asked softly.

Sasuke stood up on the tree and jumped down from it in front of Karin, who backed away a little. "I'll explain it later." he said.

Karin suddenly remembered the bento box in her hands. "H-here's the food you said you wanted..." she said shyly.

Sasuke looked down at the bento box in Karin's hands. "Oh, thanks." he said then looked up at her smiling.

Karin shyly gave Sasuke the bento box with both hands, who took it from her, before she backed away a little and put her hands together.

"I should probably ask Oniisan what happened..." Karin thought.

---

2 days later.

Day Time.

Lake.

Karin was standing on grass as she looked down at the lake, seeing a reflection of herself in the water. "I hope they improve soon..." she thought, thinking about Naruto and Sasuke.

Karin looked up as she suddenly sensed Sasuke coming to her location. She turned around to see Sasuke, in his usual outfit, was walking towards her with his hands in his pockets.

"Karin." Sasuke said.

"O-oh, u-um hello, S-sasuke..." Karin greeted shyly.

Karin turned back around to the lake as Sasuke stopped next to her on the right side.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, looking at her.

Karin looked down at the lake as her hands were together. "W-w-well I-I was practicing the Walk on Water technique..." she said shyly.

"So that's what that was?" Sasuke asked.

Karin looked up to the right side at Sasuke. "What do you mean...?" she asked confused.

"A few days when we were in the Land of Tea for a mission, I saw Naruto using that technique you were talking about." Sasuke said.

"Well I've learned it from Aunt Kushina a few days after we've put into teams..." Karin said.

"Can you teach me this technique?" Sasuke asked.

Karin separated her hands. "Huh...?" she asked confused.

"I want to learn it." Sasuke said.

Karin looked forward. "O-okay... but it's a basic technique..." she said.

Sasuke watched as Karin started to walk on the lake for a few feet then stopped before she faced him.

"It's similar to the Tree Climbing technique... This method is used to gain better chakra control... To do this, you have to be emitting a constant stream of chakra from the bottom of the your feet and using the repellent force to walk across the water's surface... This technique is more difficult to master than the Tree Climbing technique, because the amount of chakra that needs to be emitted changes constantly... The more you train with this technique the more you reach a state where you stand on water without even noticing it or basically even trying... Also it doesn't have to just be at the feet... You're under water you can focus chakra on your hands or any body part that makes contact with the surface of the water and climb atop the water as if you were climbing out of a large size water..."

"I see." Sasuke said, understanding what Karin just said.

Karin lifted her arms up and made the Ram hand sign. "First, you make this sign..." she said. "Then build up chakra in your feet and keep emmiting it..." then she pulled her hands apart.

"Okay, I get it." Sasuke said then pulled his hands out from his pockets and made the Ram hand sign and built chakra in his feet.

Karin saw Sasuke lowered his hands and stepped on the water with his left foot before he started walking towards her. She was impressed because she heard from Kakashi that it took him and Naruto a long time to master the Tree Climbing technique.

"He must've improved a lot on his chakra control since that mission in the Land of Waves..." Karin thought.

When Sasuke made to Karin he stopped right in front of her.

"Thanks, Karin for teaching me that technique." Sasuke said smiling. "You're a great teacher."

Karin blushed furiously as she backed away from Sasuke a little. "I-I-It w-was n-nothing... r-really..." she said shyly, looking down.

---

4 days later.

Day Time.

Karin's House.

Living Room.

Karin was sitting on a couch with her hands in her lap, looking down sadly as she remembered what happened to her recently.

---

Flashback.

Yesterday.

Day Time.

Forest.

Karin was walking through the Forest as she was exploring the grounds some more. She was using her Chakra Suppression Technique so no one can detect her. As she continued walking she suddenly was on a clear dirt path and turned to the right side to see a few wooden houses.

"This must be a small village..." Karin thought. She walked into the small village before she looked around it. "I must've wandered too far from Konoha again..." now looking at the Forest again.

Karin suddenly heard footsteps behind her, she slowly turned around to see 2 men walking towards her smirking. The 1st one on her left looked to be in his mid 30s, has fair skin, skinny, short black hair, black eyes, small black beard, wearing a black folded collared opened jacket with light grey trimmings, white tape wrapped around his chest and his right arm, long grey pants, grey tape wrapped around the top of his head, and light grey sandals and the 2nd one was on her right side looked to be in his early 40s, fat, short brown hair, black eyes, purple short sleeved shirt, light brown pants, and light grey sandals.

She slowly backed away a little in fright as she didn't like the way they were smirking at her.

"Hey little girl. How about coming with us?" the 1st one asked.

Karin became more scared as she turned around and started to run. She heard footsteps behind her before she was pushed to the ground. The 1st man grabbed Karin's hair and pulled her upper half with his right hand.

"Help!" Karin yelled sadly, her eyes closed as tears were running down her face as she held on to her head with both of her hands.

"I'll bet this red head is a member of the Uzumaki clan from Konohagakure nearby." the 1st one said, looking down at Karin smirking.

"You were right that she'd be worth something." the 2nd one said, looking down at Karin smirking.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Karin yelled sadly, crying even more and moving a little.

"She's a pretty feisty kid." the 1st one said.

The 2nd one started drooling. "I hear you have an unusual power." he said.

Karin looked up at the 2 men sad and scared.

"We'll get a good price for you underground." the 1st one said.

Karin closed her eyes tightly as she continued to cry as the 2 men laughed. Her hair was suddenly released she heard the 2 men stopped laughing and now heard thuds and grunts. Her hands were on the ground before she slowly opened her eyes to see the 2 men were on the ground and Sasuke, in his usual outfit, was in front of her as he looked down at the 2 unconscious men.

"S... Sasuke..." Karin said shyly.

Sasuke stopped looking down at the 2 men before he turned around to see Karin staring up at him with sad eyes as tears were flowing down her face. He stepped forward a little and crouched down beside her.

"Karin." Sasuke said worried.

"H-how did you know I was here...?" Karin asked.

"I followed you and I also sensed something bad was going to happen to you." Sasuke said. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" then he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Karin suddenly felt a lot of sadness well up in her as more tears flowed out of her eyes. Sasuke pulled Karin into a hug then she buried her head into the left side of Sasuke's shoulder and started crying.

"It's okay. They're not going to hurt you anymore." Sasuke said hugging Karin tighter and softly rubbed her back with his right hand.

Karin cried even harder as she held on to Sasuke's shirt.

"Everything's going to be alright." Sasuke said, soothing Karin.

Flashback ends.

---

Karin contined to look down sadly as she started to remember more things about her past.

---

Flashback.

5 years ago.

Academy.

7 years old.

Karin, in her old usual outfit, was walking through the hallways she sensed another chakra coming towards her. She looked up to see a man, who had fair skin, black hair that was at a shoulder length and was combed back, grey pupiless eyes, wide but built up body, a huge forehead, wearing a grey Konohagakure forehead protector on his forehead, dark brown-grey kimono like shirt with cream outlines, long black pants, a large white rope tied around his waist, black socks, and black sandals, was walking towards her. She could see that he had an angry look on his face, which frightened her. The man was now in front of her, Karin looked up to see that he was looking down at her more angry than before now.

"S-sorry." Karin said shyly.

"All of you Uzumakis are weak." the man said.

"Huh?" Karin asked confused.

"You all are nothing but a disgrace to The Hidden Village." the man said before he continued moving forward. "Should stayed in Uzushiogakure."

The man left, leaving Karin alone in the hallway by herself and tears began forming in her eyes.

4 years later.

12 years old.

Outside.

Shigeri, Hiroki, and Karin walked towards a field as their new Jonin teacher walked ahead of them. Karin looked at the man cautiously, not sure to trust her new Jonin. When they were now in the field the Jonin suddenly stopped making Karin, Shigeri, Hiroki stop as well and look up at him.

The Jonin turned around as he stared down at his 3 new Genins.

"I'm now your Sensei, the only thing you guys need to know about me is that my name is Zosui..." the Jonin said. "You guys will say your names and nothing else..."

"Well my name is Shigeri." Shigeri said.

"Mines Hiroki." Hikori said.

"Um my name is Karin.. Uzumaki..." Karin said shyly.

"You 3 will meet back here tomorrow in the afternoon for a test to see if you can work as a team.." Zosui said. "If you pass you all will be assigned missions.. but... you all fail you're going back to the Academy..."

Shigeri, Hiroki, and Karin looked at Zosui surprised at what he just said.

"So I suggest you prepare for it tonight..." Zosui said.

"So.. this test is the real Graduation.. not the Graduation test we took a few days ago..."Karin thought.

"You 3 are dismissed.." Zosui said then turned to Karin. "Except for you."

Karin became confused as Shigeri and Hiroki started to walk away. When Shigeri and Hiroki were far away from them, Zosui glared at Karin, making her scared.

"You especially should be prepared.. you're not going slow your team mates down.." Zosui said glaring.

Karin put her hands together near her chest.

"I never wanted a filthy and pathetic Uzumaki as my students but they assigned you me..." Zosui said harshly. "You should've have just died with half of them years ago."

Karin gasped at what Zosui just said to her.

Zosui just walked away, leaving Karin by herself. Karin looked down as she put her hands down and started to cry, remembering something from the past.

Flashback.

"All of you Uzumakis are weak." the Zosui said.

"You all are nothing but a disgrace to The Hidden Village." the man said before he continued moving forward. "Should stayed in Uzushiogakure."

Flashback ends.

"W-w-why? W-why does he have Uzumakis?" Karin asked, tears streaming down her face. "I-I don't... understand..."

Tomorrow.

Daytime.

Afternoon.

Karin was standing in front of Zosui, looking sadly up at him.

"Your fighting skills on this test was weak, your team mates were trying to defeat me but you merely stood far away and watched." Zosui said. "You should have been sent back to the Academy right now."

Karin looked down sadly.

"However.." Zosui said.

Karin looked up at Zosui again.

"The only reason I've passed you 3 is because you know how to heal your team mates, which would be good for The Hidden Leaf." Zosui said.

Don't expect me to teach you anything, train under someone else. As far as I'm concerned your only duty on the team is to heal your 2 team mates." Zosui said. "If you don't heal them properly your status as a Ninja will be terminated permanently, I don't care if you're the Fourth Hokage's niece."

Karin looked down at the ground sadly again. "Hai." she said.

Less than 2 months later.

Forest.

Zosui, in his usual outfit, was standing in front of Karin, looking down at her.

"The Fourth Hokage wants you work on another team for awhile." Zosui said.

"Me? H-he said that?" Karin asked shyly, looking up at him sadly.

"I've agreed to what he said since Team 9 we'll be working with a temporary replacement for you." Zosui said.

Karin continued to look up at Zosui sadly.

"Do whatever they say and don't embarrass this team, doesn't mean that you're a joke doesn't mean the rest of us are." Zosui said. "Keep that in mind."

Karin sadly bowed her head. "Hai." she said then looked up at Zosui again. "Which team will I be temporarily assigned to?"

"Team 7." Zosui said.

Karin gasped in shock.

Almost 2 months later.

Konohagakure Hospital.

One of the hallways.

Karin was standing close to the wall and Zosui, in his usual outfit, was standing a few feet away from her. A white line drawn in the middle of the hallway.

"I've signed you and your team members to take part in the next Chunin Exams." Zosui said.

"Me?" Karin asked, making sad face.

Karin has heard of the Chunin Exams, they were tests and an opportunity for Genin to be promoted to Chunin. The exams structure and evaluation process differ from one exams to the next so that Behind cannot come prepared.

This exams displays the strength of Ninja Village through their Genin's abilities. It's considered a war by proxy. We cannot afford to lose. Since you're too weak to right, your only duty is to help and keep the other 2 completely replenished. I only allowed you to join the Team 9... Keep that in mind and make sure you get us good results." Zosui said.

Karin closed her eyes as she bowed her head down sadly. "Hai..." she said.

Day time.

One of the Training Grounds.

Karin was staring sadly at the ground as she standing a few feet away from Zosui, in his usual outfit, and was looking at angrily at her.

"You've been such a disappointment. I hope for better results than this!" Zosui said. "I guess you're just a filthy Uzumaki from Uzushiogakure... so you don't feel any loyalty for Konoha."

"That's not true! I-" Karin said then looked up at Zosui but was cut off from speaking.

"Then prove it. Hurry up and go on a mission with your team members." Zosui said.

"A mission?" Karin questioned sadly.

"It's a C-rank." Zosui said.

Flashback ends.

"Oniisan... Sasuke... and everyone I know is getting stronger and improving their skills..." Karin thought sadly then closed her eyes, tears running down her face. "I haven't even improved my skills other than the basic techniques that Aunt Kushina is teaching me... Oniisan and Sasuke have been protecting me all this time... and I couldn't even help or protect them..." she suddenly opened her eyes as she remembered what Tsunade said to her a few days ago.

Flashback.

Day Time.

Karin was walking through the crowd of people to meet up with her team for a mission today. It was a D rank mission. She suddenly saw Tsunade walking towards her. She stopped when she was now in front of her.

"Hello Karin." Tsunade said, looking down at Karin smiling.

"Oh, hello to you too, Tsunade..." Karin said, looking up at Tsunade.

"I need to talk to you for a minute." Tsunade said.

"Okay..." Karin said.

"I'm going to be traveling again with Shizune and Tonton in the next 3 weeks and I was wondering if you could travel with us so I can train you." Tsunade said.

"Huh...?!" Karin said shocked.

"It would be great if you accepted. Your mom, Aunt Kushina, and Shizune have all traveled with me and they've all learned many Jutsus and skills but we've also had fun." Tsunade said.

"I-I don't know... Aunt Kushina is already training me..." Karin said."Alright then but if you change your mind, you can tell me, okay?" Tsunade asked."H-hai..." Karin said.Tsunade moved to the right side of Karin and walked past her.

Flashback ends.

---

"I see..." Karin thought, wiping under her glasses with her right hand. "I know what I must do..." removing her right hand from her face. "But... what about Aunt Kushina... she's still teaching me..."

Karin stood up from the couch and walked over to the main shoji doors and put her on sandals before she slid one of the main shoji doors open with her right hand and stepped out before she slid it closed behind her. She started walking to her Uncle Minato and Aunt Kushina's house, sensing that her Aunt Kushina was home.

When Karin made it she knocked on the main shoji doors with her left hand she waited for her Aunt Kushina to come to the door. Within a few seconds, one of the main shoji doors opened up to reveal Kushina.

"Karin, it's so nice to see you." Kushina said smiling down at Karin.

"It's nice to see you as well, Aunt Kushina..." Karin said, looking up at Kushina.

Kushina stopped smiling when she noticed the sad expression on Karin's face. "What's wrong, Karin? Was it about the 2 men that almost abducted you?" she asked worried.

"Hai... and also I-I also wanted to talk to you about something..." Karin said.

"About what, dattebane?" Kushina asked confused.

Karin looked down sadly. "A few days ago Tsunade said that she was going to be traveling in 3 weeks and... she wanted me go with her so she can train me... I think I want to go but... I want your permission since you're still training me..." she said.

Kushina looked down at Karin for a moment before she smiled then crouched down to Karin's level and placed her hands on Karin's shoulders. "Karin, if that's what you want to do then I'm fine with Tsunade being your teacher and also traveling with her as well."

"Thank you Aunt Kushina... I wanted to tell this because... you're a second mother to me..." Karin said then looked at Kushina.

Kushina gasped before she hugged Karin. "And I have always thought of you as my own daughter, dattebane!" she said happily.

Karin hugged her Aunt Kushina back.

They stayed like that for a moment until Karin pulled away as she suddenly sensed Tsunade was heading to the Uzumaki clan compound.

"What is it, Karin?" Kushina asked.

"I sense Tsunade is coming here..." Karin said then turned around and walked away.

Kushina stood up again then slid one of the main shoji doors closed with her right hand before she followed Karin. Karin kept walking until she saw Tsunade a few feet away from her. When they were 2 feet away from each other they stopped.

"Hello Karin." Tsunade said, looking down at Karin.

"Hello to you too Tsunade... I want to tell you something..." Karin said, looked up at Tsunade.

"What would that be?" Tsunade asked.

"Well, I want to travel with you so I can train..." Karin said, making a serious face.

Tsunade was surprised. "Since I've known Karin I never saw this serious before. There has to be a reason to this." she thought then looked to see Kushina standing a few feet away smiling. She smiled before she looked down at Karin again. "We leave in a few days and be prepared."

"H-hai..." Karin said, nodding.

"But someone else is going to be traveling with us." Tsunade said.

"Huh...?" Karin asked confused.

---

Tomorrow.

Day Time.

Karin's house.

Karin was reading a book at the kitchen table and sitting in one of the chairs. She was about to read more until she suddenly sensed a very familiar chakra was quickly heading towards her house.

"I wonder why is he coming here...?" Karin thought, closing her book with both hands.

Karin stood up from her chair and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She slid one of the shoji doors open with her left hand to see Sasuke, in his temporary outfit and a green backpack on his shoulders, looking at her.

"Oh hello Sasuke..." Karin greeted shyly.

"Karin, I'm here to say goodbye." Sasuke said.

"Goodbye...? Are you going somewhere...?" Karin asked confused.

"I'm going to be shadowing other Uchihas in the Police who are going on a mission to the Feudal Lord's office that is a long term mission." Sasuke said.

"Then what about Team 7...?" Karin asked.

"I asked my father to transfer me off of Team 7 so I can shadow other Uchihas that are going on the Feudal Lord's mission." Sasuke said.

Karin became shocked but didn't say anything before she said something else. "W-w-well... do your best out there..." she said shyly.

"I will but what are going to be doing?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm going to be traveling with Tsunade in a few days..." Karin said.

Sasuke smiled. "That's great, Karin. You'll be great." he said.

Karin blushed furiously as she looked down at the floor. "Thank you, S-sasuke..." she said shyly.

"I better get going they're probably waiting for me." Sasuke said then started to turn around.

Karin looked up as she stopped blushing. "W-wait..." she said.

Sasuke turned around to look at Karin again. "What is it?" he asked.

"I want to give you something... Please wait right here, I'll be right back..." Karin said before she quickly went back into the house.

...

2 minutes later.

Karin came back out of the house and with an object in both of her hands. Sasuke looked down at the object in Karin's hands to see a small rock that was bright orange but was crimson red at the center. He'd never seen a rock like it before.

"I-I want you to have it, Sasuke..." Karin said.

"Where did you find this rock?" Sasuke asked.

"2 months ago I found it near the lake..." Karin said.

"Are you sure that I can have it?" Sasuke asked.

"H-hai..." Karin said.

Sasuke slowly took the rock from Karin's hands with his right hand before he looked at the stone up close before he placed it in his right pocket. "Thanks." he said.

"You're welcome..." Karin said shyly.

"I also have something for you." Sasuke said.

"Huh...? What would that be...?" Karin asked confused.

"This." Sasuke said before he stepped forward and kissed Karin on the left side of her face.

Karin blushed furiously as her eyes widened.

Sasuke pulled away before he smirked. "Goodbye Karin." he said before he disappeared.

Karin stood there for a few moments before she placed her left hand on the left side of her face, sensing that Sasuke was moving away from her location. "W-why did he do that...?" she thought shocked.

---

Tomorrow.

Day Time.

Konohagakure Gate.

From left to right: Kushina, Karin, and Minato were standing a foot away Naruto who was wearing a grey backpack on his shoulders and Jiraiya standing on the left side of him. After hearing that Sasuke went on that mission Naruto decided that he wanted to train with Jiraiya on the road. Karin also sensed 4 familiar chakras coming towards them.

"You didn't have to see me off." Naruto said smiling, his eyes closed.

Kushina leaned forward with her hands on her hips. "Now that won't do, dattebane!" she said.

Naruto opened his eyes as he stopped smiling and became scared and nervous when he saw her scary face.

"Now listen carefully, Naruto. The 3 Prohibitions of the Shinobi must be strictly observed!" Kushina said then closed her eyes. "Jiraiya-sensei tends to be too lax." then opened her eyes again. "Don't you dare imitate his bad habits!"

"The bad habits they keep mentioning..." Karin thought.

Minato smiled nervously as his eyes were closed. "I'm sorry... She insisted on seeing you off." he said.

Karin moved backwards as Kushina moved towards Minato, who turned to Kushina's direction and held up his hands midway nervously.

"That goes without saying, dattebane!" Kushina said then made a worried face as she held up her fist near her face. "What if Naruto picks up bad habits while accompanying Sensei on his Intel gatherings?!"

Minato lowered his hands.

Kushina unfisted her hands. "I worry enough about his antics and recklessness." she said.

Naruto closed his eyes as he smiled nervously.

Jiraiya folded his arms as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry. If he gets in my way, I'll just transport him away to Mount Myoboku or someplace." he said.

Naruto stopped smiling as he opened his eyes and looked up at Jiraiya. "Mount Myoboku?" he questioned.

Kushina stopped making a worried face as she lowered her hands and moved to where she was standing. Karin moved forward to where she was standing.

Everyone looked at Minato, who had a gloomy cloud hanging over him.

"No matter what kind of food you're served, just hang in there." he said.

"U-Uh-huh." Naruto said, nodding.

"Hey..." a familiar boy voice said.

Jiraiya, Minato, Kushina, Naruto, and Karin turned to see Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, in her usual outfit, and Sakura were standing a few feet away from them.

"Be careful on your journey." Shikamaru said smiling his right hand in his right pocket.

Naruto stepped a little towards them. "You guys!" he said.

"Just don't go overboard. If you try too hard, you'll make us look like we're slacking off." Choji said.

Ino quickly looked at Choji. "What're you saying?! We're going to work hard too!" she said then turned forward and crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. "I refuse to be a genin forever!"

Shikamaru, Choji, and Sakura looked at Ino.

Sakura closed her eyes and placed her right hand on her right hip as she turned to the right side, smiling. "I'll have you know, on the track to go straight to the top." she said.

Shikamaru took his right hand out of his right pocket as he, Choji, and Ino looked at her.

Sakura turned forward. "I already have a place to train." she said.

Ino looked at Sakura surprised. "Huh?! When did this happen?!" she asked.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked at Naruto. "I'm not going to lose to Naruto." she said.

Naruto smiled at Sakura. "Roger, dattebayo!" he said, closing his eyes.

"Hey..." Jiraiya said.

Everyone turned to see Jiraiya walking out of the Konohagakure Gate.

"It's about time to leave." Jiraiya said.

Naruto had both fists near his stomach. "Right! I'm ready!" he said then lowered his hands before he followed Jiraiya then turned to look at everyone one more time. "Okay! I'm off, dattebayo!" he said waving his right hand before he lowered it and continued to follow Jiraiya.

---

2 days later.

Day Time.

Konohagakure Gate.

From left to right: Kushina and Minato were standing a foot away Karin, who was wearing a grey medium sized backpack on her shoulders. A few feet stood Ino, who was wearing a dark blue medium sized backpack on her shoulders, and in front of her parents, Inoichi and Ayame, in their usual outfits, were talking to her. Another few feet away from them was Sakura, who had a cream colored medium sized backpack, was in front of her parents, Kizashi and Mebuki, in their usual outfits, were talking to her about something.

Ino decided to be Tsunade's apprentice as well because she wanted to be stronger as well but only wants to be a healer and after she is done she'll learn the Yamanaka clan's techniques.

Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton were standing a little bit outside of the Konohagakure Gate, watching as her new students were saying goodbye to their parents and relatives.

"I'm going to miss you Uncle Minato and Aunt Kushina..." Karin said, looking up at them.

"We're going to miss you too." Minato said smiling. "And don't worry we'll watch over the house."

"Thank you..." Karin said.

Kushina crouched down at Karin's level and grabbed her shoulders with both of her hands. You have to listen carefully Karin. Even though me and your mother had fun traveling with Tsunade-Sensei and learned many techniques, she really loves gambling but she always loses. And we don't want you to develop her bad habit." she said worriedly.

"I promise you, I'm not going to develop Tsunade's gambling habit..." Karin said then hugged Kushina.

Kushina hugged Karin back before she pulled away and stood up again. Minato stepped forward to Karin and hugged her, who hugged back, and pulled away and stood up again.

"Hey!" Tsunade yelled.

Everyone turned towards Tsunade.

"We'll be leaving in a minute." Tsunade said.

Ino and Sakura said goodbye to their parents before they started to walk to where Tsunade was.

Karin looked up at Minato and Kushina again, who were staring down at her.

"Goodbye..." Karin said before she turned around and followed Ino and Sakura.

Minato, Kushina, Inoichi, Ayame, Kizashi, and Mebuki watched as Karin, Ino, and Sakura walked with Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton.

"I wonder where we will stop next...? And will we see Oniisan on the way...?" Karin thought. "And maybe even Sasuke, too..."

---

End of Chapter 13.

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