Chapter 72 - Seguidilla Sospirando
It surprised absolutely nobody that Sakura was the first to speak up, her voice diluted by her breath and disbelief.
"Karin, you… so you mean to tell me that this… is all your doing?"
"Every last bit of it. Or was I not clear enough?" Karin replied. She seemed suddenly much more solid with her vague sarcasm, and her voice was clearer.
"Well, no, no, you were… clear, just… Karin how did you…?"
"If you want me to give you specifics then I'd be more than happy. I have full records on every cloning attempt, successes and failures both, in my labs back at home, besides. If you want to read them later then you have my permission, okay?"
"Karin…"
"I'm trying to be completely open, okay?" Karin said. "I'm not going to hide anything any more. Besides…" And she shrugged, slightly. "I've made a lot of advancements in obstetrics, as you can probably guess, and the medical world is probably much better off for it if I publish my findings in full there, okay… Though. I'm not very keen on letting out my… cloning process to anyone I can't trust, okay. I mean… Sakura, I can trust you, but not… people like Terumi Mei."
"Why's—wait, why her exactly?" Sakura said.
"Her breeding programs. I don't want her getting any further ideas, okay." She narrowed her eyes.
An echo of Ooda's explanation passed over Sakura's face.
"I'm already disgusted enough by her efforts," Karin continued. "If her… scientists were to do what I've done with… further surrogates to perpetuate this obsession she has then I don't think I'd be able to live with myself, okay."
"So you're really that much better than that, are you," Sasuke said.
"I won't pretend that what I've done is… completely justifiable," she replied, with a critical eye. "But I, at least, have some sort of moral compass. I have a code, lines I won't cross. I know my limits. And I know where and when to stop."
"Somehow I find this hard to believe," Sasuke said, his eyes resting on her hands for a moment.
(Hands that rested on her stomach. On her last little one.)
"I told you," she said. "I am going no further with this project and I do not intend for anyone else to any time soon. You all have my word."
"Oh, I don't doubt that," Sasuke said. "It's the moral compass I'm skeptical of."
"Fuck you," Suigetsu said, clenching a fist. "You're one to talk, I'm still-"
Sasuke leaned forward to get out of his chair.
"Suigetsu." Karin pulled on the waist of his blue-violet pants. "Don't."
He didn't.
Sasuke leaned back.
"I know what I've done is… questionable," Karin said. "You don't have to tell me. I know, okay? But what's done is… done… And I can't take that back. But I can at least… keep it from being misused. I don't… want to enable another Orochimaru or another Kabuto to exist and cause people pain because of my discoveries, okay."
She ran her eyes over their reactions again. "Sasuke, you of all people should want that the most."
"…I have nothing more to say to you," he said, lowly.
"Really. Well. Fine, then. Because I have a few things to say to you." She pulled back her voice. "…that is, after Naruto and Sakura get their fair say, okay."
Sakura's face had only barely lessened in its shock. "Honestly… Karin, I don't… know what to say…" she said. "This is just—it's a little overwhelming."
"I… I know it is, okay," Karin said, sighing. "It's a lot to process in a very short amount of time."
"I should say…" Sakura said. "Well, first I, just…" She paused, sifting through the mountain of words still being processed in her mind, and the first thing she grabbed was, "So you mean you're Yakata's… mother…?"
"No, no, no, I am not his mother," she said, very, very, very quickly back. "I am not his mother. His mother is Honbo Satoko. The same to the others, and their parents. I just created them. I'm." She sighed again. "I'm no more their mother than a… canvas-maker is the owner of a painting. I am not their mother, okay…?"
"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Sakura said.
(Hordes of tear-flooded memories suddenly burrowing into her ears.)
("You have no idea how… how hard it is to… look at something you carried inside you and have to tell yourself that… it isn't yours. Over and over.")
"…it's all right, okay," Karin replied.
"…well you're my mom, at least," Ooda said, weakly, after a far-too-long pause, with an attempt at a reassuring pat on the back.
This made her smile, though it was almost a shameful one. "That's true," she said, quietly. "That is true."
"And you did a very good job at that, I think," he continued.
"Ooda, stop it," she said, pushing toward his hand.
Sakura found that she was raising her hand, almost asking for permission. "But, really… Taki Kiine, and Asaoto-kun too?"
"Yes, both of them," Karin replied. "Do you need me to tell you again? I understand I kind of… said a lot, okay…"
"Well, there's… nine of them, right? Or ten?"
"Nine," Karin said. "Ooda, Kurunari, Fuzan, Kiine, Yuki, Yakata, Asaoto, Kotoji, and… Osato."
"And do any of them… know?" Sakura said.
"Know?"
"Where they… came from. Genetically, at least. Or are their… guardians aware?"
"…goodness, no," Karin said. "I mean… Ooda was raised knowing the truth, and if Asaoto asks then I may have to explain some of it, okay. But I had no intention of telling Osato unless I really had to, and passing him off as my own. None of the other children know, and the only guardians that have any awareness are Mikan and Juugo, and even then, they haven't said a word to the children. I think… well, from my experience with Ooda, it's probably far better for their mental health if they don't have to reconcile two identities like that, okay…"
Ooda lowered his head further. Karin patted his hand, a call-and-response.
"So… Yamato isn't really Kotoji-kun's dad, then?" Naruto finally spoke, his eyes closed from thinking.
"No, no, he's… Yamato's definitely his father," Karin said. "I gave Kotoji to him to raise and-"
"No, no, hey, I meant…" Naruto opened his eyes, interrupting. "Like, he's not his real dad, like… I know he's his dad, y'know. But not generically?"
"…you mean genetically?" Sakura said.
"Yeah! Yeah, that's what I meant," Naruto said. "I mean they're not related by blood, right?"
"No, unless Yamato's genes were modified entirely in the… experiments that were done to him as a child, okay," Karin said. "Which is a possibility, all things considered…"
"Okay! Glad we got that cleared up."
And Naruto sort of smiled.
"…wait, you mean that's it?" Sakura said, when nothing else was said.
"What do you mean, 'that's it?'"
"I mean, that's all you want to know about this?"
"Well yeah, I mean, I don't really care where the heck Kotoji-kun came from. He's Yamato's kid to me, y'know? And that's all that matters, I think," Naruto said.
"But he's…" And suddenly, the realization, "…wait, Karin, where did… Kotoji-kun come from, anyways?"
"…didn't I say…? Senju Hashirama."
"…you mean you cloned the First Hokage?"
"I did."
"…oh. Um." Sakura had to fall back into her chair, a hand on her forehead as she thought this over. "That's… How?"
"I could go into full detail to you if you wanted, later, since I doubt that Sasuke would want to hear and Naruto would understand." A thought. "No offense to you at all, Naruto, this is just some advanced science and-"
"Nah, it's cool, I'm just only sorta understanding this anyways," he replied, with a tilt of his head. "Like, I get that these kids you made all came from other people—like Yakata and Itachi and stuff?—but I don't really get how you did it. But you did it so I guess I don't really need to know, right?"
"That's… definitely a way to think about it," Karin said, with a curious suggestion of a laugh in her words.
(Feeling immensely grateful that he seemed to be taking it so well.)
"So who else did you make kids out of or whatever?" he asked. "Like, okay, so… you said something about the First Hokage and Kotoji-kun, I know about Yakata-kun and Ooda-san, so who else?"
"Well… honestly, I doubt you've even met half of them," Karin said. "Though… I do know you know Kurunari. He came from Jiraiya, like I said."
"…oh. Well that makes sense," Naruto said.
"…it does?" Karin and Sakura, in perfect chorus.
Suigetsu, sensing he was no longer needed as a comfort, returned to the wall, where Shingetsu had turned over in his sleep. He kept an eye on Sasuke.
"Well, yeah. 'Cos, like, for years I tried to figure out why he looked so much like Jiraiya-sensei, and I just figured he was his grandson or a relative or something. Because I know Jiraiya-sensei got around a fair bit." Naruto nodded a few times, his arms crossed. "This makes a bunch more sense, y'know. Glad I found out!"
"You're not… upset by this at all?" Karin said.
"Nah, not really. Why, did you think I would be…?"
"I just… figured you'd be a little confused, at least, since I know how close you were to Jiraiya," Karin said. "I mean… my assumptions thus far and my… experience with people finding things out about them sort of told me to expect worse, okay?"
She tried not to look at Sasuke as she said this.
"Well, sure, I'm a little confused, but mostly I'm just relieved, I guess," Naruto replied. "I mean, what was the deal with everyone else who found out? Just wondering, y'know."
"Understanding that these children are not their originals," Karin said, somewhat monotonously. "That's been the biggest issue."
"Oh, is that what it was? Because I know that Kurunari-kun is not Jiraiya-sensei. Like kind of not at all," Naruto said. "Dude, have you ever met him? …well, okay, so maybe that's a dumb question, but still. He's kind of terrified of women, y'know. I mean that alone is proof to me that he's not the same."
"So this doesn't change anything about how you… think of him?" Karin said, cautiously.
"No, not really," Naruto said. "He's still the same person to me, y'know, no matter where he came from. Why would it change things?"
"I can… think of several reasons why, but I suppose that doesn't matter with you, okay." Karin smirked.
His smile spread into an excited grin. "So, uh, who else, again? Oh, what about Kiine? You said something about her being my… mom or something?"
"…yeah, that's about right," Karin said. "Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina. That's where she came from, okay?"
"…neat," Naruto said. "I guess that's what caused all that, uh—confusion about her blood, then, huh, Sakura?"
"Huh? Oh! You mean all the way back when?" Sakura's head jerked from the sudden address.
"Yeah, yeah. That explains things pretty well, y'know."
"Certainly…" Sakura nodded a little, herself.
(Like Karin, not even bothering to ask if this revelation bothered him, also. If what he had said about Kurunari hadn't been enough, it was how he had reassured her just a few hours previous about the Massacre.)
(He didn't really know her, after all. So what was there to compare Kiine to?)
"So who else? That's…" Naruto counted on his fingers. "Six, right? So who are those last few?"
"Oh, um. Well aside from Osato…" A quick recollection. "That leaves Fuzan and Yuki. They came from Momochi Zabuza and Haku."
"Get out of here! Really!" Naruto said. "Oh, man, those guys… I almost wanna meet them!"
"Well, Yuki you've maybe already met, since-"
Sasuke cleared his throat and every pair of eyes was drawn to him.
"Hope you don't mind my interrupting this little nostalgia-fest," he said, eyes condescendingly fixed on Karin, "but as excited as I am to finally learn that it's not," a flick to Ooda, and back, "him, but you that's responsible for… this, up to and including the… thing you have yet to-"
He swallowed whatever words he had left from the sheer hatred behind Karin's glare back at him.
"…I'd like to go home, now," Sasuke said. "Since none of this is particularly of interest to me, now that it's been established that this isn't some huge… conspiracy for us to worry over."
"…no, you're not going home," Karin said, with a very even, very forceful voice. "I said I had questions for you and I'm going to have them answered, okay? Of all the things I've wanted to say, the things I couldn't say, not if I didn't want to reveal everything, I wanted to ask you."
From the wall, Suigetsu leaned forward in preparation for. Something.
"Sasuke, you're staying here," Naruto said.
And Sasuke stayed.
"Ask your questions," he said.
And Karin asked, "What have you done with Yakata?"
"…what do you mean," Sasuke said, "'What have I done with him?' I've done nothing to him. I've been keeping him safe."
"Safe? Safe?" Karin leaned forward in her chair. "I saw him, Sasuke. When I was brought here. I'm not blind, I know what he looks like." Her breathing increased. "He had burns all over his face and bandages on his arms besides. Those are not minor injuries. What have you been doing to him?"
Sasuke's face tightened in defense. "I've been training him," he said.
"Training him. What the hell kind of training causes those sorts of injuries? Much less such serious ones?"
"Uchiha training. Because he's an Uchiha and I know his potential and-"
"Stop. Shut up. Shut up. Do not say another word, okay?" Karin's finger was a spear, impaling Sasuke to his chair. "First off, did he even ask to be trained by you?"
"…well, yes, I asked him and he said wanted to, so-"
"That isn't the same thing. You might have forced him."
His eyebrows lowered. "I didn't force him to do anything, I-"
"No. No, no, no, I know you, Sasuke. If you want something you'll do anything to get it. And this includes making people do things they don't want to."
"…I didn't force him to do anything, this is what he wants."
Karin began waving her hand, growing increasingly agitated. "No, no, no, no, you know what? I don't think you have any right to say what Yakata wants, okay? I'm already this close to… to doing something to you because I do not want you spending another minute with that boy. Not another MINUTE. I can't even begin to imagine how you've been treating him. I'm scared and I'm furious that I've allowed this to happen, okay?"
"…I've been treating him perfectly well. Why would I mistreat him? He's… my brother," Sasuke said, though the hesitance in his voice suggested far more care in his words than he had intended.
"No. No, he is—see, this is exactly it!" And Karin stood, far more quickly than she was comfortable with. "Yakata is NOT your BROTHER. He is NOT, okay? And the fact that you're insisting this is—I can't even begin to imagine how harmful this is for him!"
Ooda began to rise from his chair with a very worried expression.
Sasuke, despite himself, shrunk back in his chair. "…I—I haven't told him who he is. All right? It's not like I've done that."
"The only person he is," Karin said, "is himself. What have you told him, anyways?"
"About what."
"About Itachi!"
"Just… what he was like. His personality. I only ever answered his questions, I didn't tell him much..."
"…and why was he even asking in the first place?"
It wasn't just Karin that was looking at him, now, but also Naruto, also Sakura, also everyone.
"I… told him that Itachi was his father."
Karin, to his surprise, just sighed and shook her head, almost smiling. "Figures," she said. "That's how I thought of explaining it to Ooda, when he was little. For when he started asking. Comparing Orochimaru to a father, before I decided on the truth, for better or for worse. Looks like you managed to do something somewhat right, okay."
Sasuke glowered.
"Frankly, though," she continued, losing the spice-sweetness her voice had temporarily gained, "the less he knows about Itachi, the better."
"Mom, please calm down…" Ooda said, not really trying.
(Except to not look at Sasuke.)
"And." Sasuke swallowed, fidgeting. "And what makes you so sure of that."
"…you're honestly asking me this?" Karin said. "You are honestly asking me this? I am living with the consequence of a child growing up and knowing the truth about this, okay? And I didn't even have a choice!"
Ooda straightened himself, abandoning his comfort.
"You being around him is, quite possibly, one of the worst things I could imagine for Yakata, okay? I know. I know how obsessed you were about your brother. You cannot be around him, okay!"
"You can't." Sasuke sat up, his face moving closer to hers. "You can't tell me what to do. You have no authority."
Suigetsu was now standing.
"Forget authority." Karin leaned forward, further. Sasuke tried not to lean back. "Unlike you? I actually care about the well-being of this boy. Physical and mental, okay? And you, as far as I've seen? Have been harming, or will harm, both. And I cannot. Let. That stand. You can't be around him any more."
Sasuke looked to his left, at Naruto, at Sakura, but neither of them seemed to be doing anything but looking on with concern, with worry.
"…don't tell me I don't care about his well-being," Sasuke said, with severe discomfort. "You don't know that."
"Really," Karin said. She pulled herself back, slightly, to adjust her glasses. "Well, then, Sasuke. If you really care about his well-being then you'll do the right thing and send him home as soon as you can, okay? To his real family."
"What the—no! You can't make me do that!" Sasuke said. "Besides, what purpose would that serve? He's perfectly fine here!"
"No," Karin said, "he is not. Not with you around."
Sasuke finally stood. "I'm doing nothing to harm him."
"Then explain those burns. Those injuries."
"Those are from training, I told you!"
"Training he might not have wanted. Probably didn't want."
"Stop it," Sasuke said. "Besides, how do you know what he wants?"
"Because I've watched that kid grow up," Suigetsu joined in, suddenly so very, very close. "And you know what I've noticed? That kid takes to fighting and conflict like a fish takes to flying. He's not meant for it, and if you've been forcing him into that sorta stuff then I'm more than agreeing with Karin, here. You're not good for him."
"…what, you too?" Sasuke said. "Karin, I think, at least has an excuse. Making sure her… creations stay healthy, just like Sensei."
Suigetsu grabbed the cloth of Sasuke's shoulder, and he pulled hard. "Okay, first off? You insult the work she's done? I hurt you. Secondly, Yakata may not be my kid, but I still have some concern over whether or not he's happy. And trust me, Sasuke. That kid's been through a lot of pain, and I don't wanna imagine how much worse you've been making it. I don't want that for him."
Sasuke tried to pull away. Suigetsu held on.
And Naruto finally did something. "Suigetsu-san, I'd appreciate it if you didn't hurt Sasuke."
"Won't hurt him if he doesn't make me," Suigetsu replied.
"Then, Sasuke? Maybe you should… cooperate. And… apologize, y'know? That was kind of mean, what you said."
Ooda had hesitant hands on Karin's shoulders. She was trying to control her breathing.
"And besides, Sasuke, is what she said true? That Yakata-kun's got burns from training with you?" he continued, when Sasuke didn't say anything.
"Those are from—from the Uchiha fireball technique. He had to learn it, he's… he's an Uchiha," Sasuke said, through pressed teeth.
"No, he's not," Karin said. "Genetically, yes. But he's not an Uchiha. He's a Honbo. You can't force him to be someone he's not."
"And just… waste this potential he has? That I know he has?"
"Shut up about his 'potential'! You saying that is just… comparing him to Itachi, and that's wrong and it's harmful to him, okay?" Karin said. "He is not Itachi and he never will be!"
Naruto was standing, now. Sakura, the only one left sitting (besides Shingetsu, naturally), began massaging one of her temples, her lips tightly, concernedly pursed.
And he put a hand each on Sasuke's and on Karin's backs, standing between them. "Both of you, can you calm down a little about this?" he said.
And without much explanation, feeling irrationally and suddenly soothed, they did, relaxing where they stood. Suigetsu let go after receiving a nod from Naruto as well, seeing that Sasuke was no longer fighting against him.
"Sasuke… I don't doubt you've been taking good care of Yakata-kun. I mean, you're a good guy, y'know," Naruto said.
(A slight, barely-concealed scoff from Suigetsu.)
"But if the only reason you're keeping him here in Konoha is to train him, and if the only reason you're training him is cos of this whole thing with your brother and all that Uchiha stuff… well, I dunno." He shrugged. "I think I agree with Karin-san, here. Maybe it is best if you take him home."
"But I… can't," Sasuke said.
"Yeah, you can," Naruto replied. "I could always get an escort or two to bring him back to wherever he came from."
"No, I don't—I can't trust anyone else with him," Sasuke said.
"I can't trust him with you," Karin said.
"Don't say things like-"
"Then we'll find someone good enough," Naruto interrupted. "Okay? I mean, if that's what it comes to."
"I don't want him near that boy one minute longer," Karin said. "I want Yakata home. If you do only one thing for me, I want him home, okay?"
Sasuke's anger was undesirably lukewarm. "He doesn't need to go home," he said. "Not now. He hasn't been here long enough."
"Sasuke." Finally, Sakura was standing, taking her place beside Naruto, but closer to him. "Maybe you ought to just… think about it a little more. See if this is… really what's best for Yakata-kun, you keeping him here."
Sasuke began shaking his head. "All of you. Just. All of you. Siding against me! Is that it?"
"Sasuke, no, we're just trying think about what's best for Yakata-kun," Naruto said.
Sasuke's face narrowed dangerously into a smile that was more like a weapon than anything, though he at least had the good sense to direct it at Naruto and not any other target. "Look at you, making this out like I have a choice."
"Well, Sasuke…"
"Just go ahead and tell me. After all, you're the Hokage." His voice was a salt-spun sneer. "You could force me out of the damn village with one word, if you wanted to."
"Sasuke, hey, I wouldn't-"
"It's clear. You're not going to let Yakata stay with me, with the only family he has. Fine. I understand. I'll cooperate."
"You are not his only family." Karin's voice was almost a whisper.
"Yeah, Sasuke, stop… saying that, okay?" Naruto said. "Yakata-kun isn't your brother. I mean, well, he is, but he isn't, y'know? Like, uh. Like Ooda-san, he's not Orochimaru, right? Kind of definitely very not. It's the same thing."
(From Ooda, a glass blue-purple ripple of incredible gratitude, though there was no smile, no sigh to match it.)
"So you can't keep talking about him an' treating him like he is, y'know? Like," he continued, "you won't punch Ooda-san in the face again 'cos we know he's not Orochimaru now, right? So you wouldn't-"
"He did what."
Karin's face had hardened.
"So you hurt him too? When?"
"Mom, please, don't—don't get angry, it was only because-"
Even if she had let Ooda finish, it wouldn't have helped.
Because in a moment Karin was swinging forward with her arm, and her fist collided with Sasuke's face. Sasuke stumbled back from the blow, knocking over a chair in the process.
"Mom!"
Sasuke covered his face with his hand. His nose was starting to bleed.
(It hurt more that he hadn't been able to anticipate the strike than the strike itself.)
Suigetsu made no attempt at trying to keep Karin away from him, but Naruto did.
"Karin-san, hey-"
"Interrogation units, those I can fucking excuse, but you—you…!" She bent over, gasping from effort, for a moment, before shouting, "WHEN DID YOU HURT MY SON? WAS IT BECAUSE OF WHO HE LOOKS LIKE? WAS THAT WHAT IT WAS?"
"Mom, please, it was… it was under bad circumstances, he didn't know it was me…" Ooda hadn't moved forward, however, his hands clasped over his clavicle.
"THIS IS WHY I WAS SO CAREFUL. BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU, OKAY?" She had to pause, gulping air. "Horrible… people like… you…!"
"Mom, please, stop…" Ooda's voice was shaking.
"Why were you… even let… near him…" she continued, almost wheezing in her overheated anger.
"Karin-san." Naruto had two hands on her arms, palms out, the intent to calm flowing out of every finger. "Please."
Under his hand, increasingly wet with blood, Sasuke bared his teeth.
"Won't let you… hurt anyone else…" Karin managed to start catching her breath. "Not Ooda, not Yakata, not… anyone else… okay…"
"Karin-san, I'm really sorry," Naruto said. "Sasuke just… lost his temper during an interrogation he was sitting in on, y'know. It was some bad circumstances. I'm sure," he added, looking back at Sasuke, "he's sorry."
Sasuke was still glaring at them.
"I doubt it," Karin said.
(She was right. And she knew it.)
Sasuke tried to wipe his face off on the black sleeve of his shirt. It only served to smudge the blood further.
"Well it won't happen again, honest," Naruto said, with a careful, compassionate bend of the head.
"…I can't be sure of that, okay," Karin said. She swallowed, trying to moisten her throat. "All this—talk about Yakata, Itachi… If he can't even differentiate between those two, then I don't even want to... imagine what else he could do to Ooda again. To Yakata too, okay…"
"I won't touch your fucking experiment again," Sasuke groaned, wiping off his face and covering his nose with his hand again. "And I'm not hurting Yakata, how many times do I have to fucking say it?"
Even Sakura, who had been gingerly approaching him out of automatic concern—an injury was an injury—was stopped in her tracks by the hate in his voice.
"…Sasuke, that's enough," Naruto said, over his shoulder. "After we're done here, I want us to get to work on getting Yakata-kun home. I'll help you if you want, y'know. But I think this has to be done. It's going too far."
Sasuke wiped his face again, bitterly. Sakura came closer, and he seized up at her approach.
"I'm just checking to see if anything's broken, calm down," she hissed.
He allowed her only the slightest bit of contact. Nothing was broken.
"You feeling a little better, Karin-san?" Naruto asked, quietly.
"…a little," Karin said.
"Bet that felt good, though, at least," Suigetsu finally said, smirking.
"What felt good."
"Finally getting a blow in."
"…oh, you have no idea." Karin smiled like a pigtail-puller, though only for a moment.
"I hate you all," Sasuke said, from under Sakura's hands. He received no reply.
"Ooda-san, again, I'm super-sorry about everything," Naruto said. "Honest, I won't allow anyone to hurt you on account of your looks again, y'know? If anyone's gonna know you're here they're also gonna know who you really are."
"Thanks, again…" Ooda said, in a tone of voice that clearly indicated how little of a comfort the promise was.
Sasuke's nose had stopped bleeding. Sakura now rendered useless to him, he stepped forward.
The blood on his face lent a very delicate air to his expression that made it either intensely frightening or intensely foolish.
"If Yakata has to go… home," he said, "then I'll take him myself."
"Not a chance," Karin said, immediately, shaking her head. "Absolutely not."
His frustration was palpable. "…but I'm doing what you want me to do."
"I don't want you near him. Not any more. You can't take him. Have someone else do it, okay?"
One could have crushed a stone into dust with the tightness of Sasuke's fists.
"Sasuke, is there anyone you trust that you can have take him?" Naruto said, already two steps ahead. "I mean, I'd do it if I wasn't so busy right now, definitely, y'know?"
"…I'll have one of my sons do it," Sasuke said. "Takeru can take him. But let him have one more night with me, at least."
"Karin-san, is that okay with you?" Naruto said. "I mean, I guess it'd give him enough time to pack and say goodbye…"
"…one night, no more. I can… tolerate him being in your house but you had better not-"
"I'll try not to break him," Sasuke said, with brittle sarcasm.
Karin sighed a very deep, very grateful, very bitter sigh. "Well, thank you for this, okay?"
"I'll go meet with my advisors about this, then. And if they agree that Yakata-kun should be sent home I'll have it filed as a mission, y'know. Takeru, you said you wanted to do it?"
A slight roll of the eyes, not even a nod. Did he have to repeat himself?
"Right. I think he'd do a good job, I know how likes that high-profile stuff, I know," Naruto continued. "I'll let you know by the evening."
Sasuke didn't say anything, turning to exit the room. He wasn't stopped.
"…um, Sakura, can you handle everything else here?" Naruto said. "I got, uh. Stuff to do, y'know."
"Yeah! I'll be… fine, sure," Sakura said. "You go do what you need."
Naruto nodded, managing a smile. "Karin-san, you know I'm going to have to tell my advisors—and a bunch of other people too, probably—about all these clones and all the stuff you've done, so just a little forewarning, y'know? And I got a whole lotta questions for you, besides, so I'll probably be back later."
"I… understand," she said. "I've been preparing for this for years, okay."
Her expression and the sickening dread pouring out from behind her stopped him, and he returned from the door and to her, and he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, nothing's gonna happen to you, okay? Even if it makes a few people mad, I'll make sure you and all the kids—Ooda-san and your baby and everyone else—are safe no matter what happens, y'know. This is a promise. Hokage promise." He leaned over a little to get a better look at Ooda, who instinctively shrunk back at the eye contact; Naruto gave him a warm smile, regardless.
Karin's laugh almost sounded painful. "I'm… thank you. Thank you, Naruto."
"Yeah, it's nothing! I'll see you later about that, okay?" he said. "I'm super-curious about how you pulled off that Orochimaru-act, though, Ooda-san. You must be a really good actor, y'know."
"…oh, gosh." Ooda's white face turned very visibly pink. "Um, thank you…"
"Yeah, you're welcome!"
"Just." Karin spoke, as Naruto was leaving. "If you can help it, I'd rather talk to… you than whomever you had Ooda… speak to, okay? Is that all right?"
"Dude, more than all right. Honestly, I don't wanna use the T and I guys if I don't have to, y'know?" Naruto replied. "If anyone's gonna be asking you or Ooda-san questions any more, it's gonna be me. Or Sakura. Okay?"
"That sounds… much nicer, thank you," Karin said.
"Good to hear it. I'm off, then," Naruto said.
And he left.
"…Karin, you gonna be okay?" Sakura asked, in the resulting silence.
"I get the feeling I'll be… more than fine, okay," Karin replied. She took off her glasses to wipe at her eyes again. "Jeez, I can't believe how… relieved I feel. Finally telling someone."
"I… suppose it had to happen eventually?" Sakura said, for lack of a better response.
"If I'd had it my way," Karin replied, putting her glasses back on, "I'd have had nobody find out. But… I suppose it's better that you all were the ones I spilled the beans to. I mean, since Naruto took it so well…"
"Yeah, he's… kinda like that," Sakura said. "Frankly I'm… still reeling a little, but…"
"I don't blame you. But..." Karin's shoulders rose and fell in a grand movement. "Well, I think I've changed my mind about a few things. I've decided to stay in Konoha for a while longer. At least until these… exams are over. So that'll give us plenty of time to talk things over in full, okay? I'm sure you have some more… technical questions."
"Oh, yeah, absolutely. You can stay here as long as you need," Sakura said. "Though, ah, with… you being so close?"
"So close? What do you-" Her head shifted slightly with the realization. "Oh. You mean Osato?"
Sakura nodded.
"…well, if it decides to come while I'm here in Konoha then I suppose it can't be helped. But if I manage to make it another month without upset—and I sincerely hope this will be the case—then I trust I'll be able to make it home safe in time, okay?" she said. "I'm not… due until October, anyways, okay…"
"Sure… I mean, regardless of, ah. Who he is, I want to make sure he's born healthy too," Sakura said, trying not to cough.
"Mom, did you get the medicine, by the way…?" Ooda said, softly, cutting in between her and Sakura. "I was going to ask, I just wanted to make sure…"
"Yes, darling, yes, I got my medicine. And the little one is just fine, okay?" she replied. "I haven't had any further difficulty since then."
"Thank goodness…" Ooda said.
"Ooda-san," Sakura said, finally clearing her throat. "If you'd like I'd be glad to allow you a room with your… mother, in the hospital. Though, you understand, it might be best for you if you don't… travel around terribly much until we smooth things over."
"I wasn't… really planning to," Ooda replied. "I'm not much of a welcome sight 'outside,' after all…"
Sakura never would have thought that such a voice would have tugged at her heart so much. She had to cough again.
"Naruto should be able to… find a way for us to get home without drawing much attention, I'm assuming?" Karin said. "I mean, I don't doubt that there'll be as many… people that would misidentify Ooda in the city after the exams are over." She patted Ooda's nearby arm as she spoke. "But precautions would still be nice, okay?"
"Well they gave me a blanket when they were taking me to the hospital," Ooda said. "I'm sure there's other things too…"
"Absolutely," Sakura said. "Don't worry. If…" She shook her head. "No, when you're allowed to return home—whenever that is—I'm sure he'll find the best way possible to do it. I know Naruto. He's a good person, I really think he wants to help you guys out."
"That, I think I'm able to believe," Karin said. "Naruto's… a very unique individual, okay."
Sakura just shook her head, slightly laughing. "Yeah, he certainly is."
"Hey, uh, doctor," Suigetsu said. He nudged Sakura, gently.
"Huh? Oh, um, yes?"
"It okay if I stay here with her as long as she's here? Since she's staying longer." He didn't look at her as he spoke.
"…well of course, I have no objections," Sakura said. "I mean, I understand you two are-"
"Good, that's all I needed to know," Suigetsu said. He left, quickly, to attend to his son again. Shingetsu had made no attempts at stirring.
"Don't… mind him," Karin said, with an apologetic shrug.
(Suigetsu whipped his head over his shoulder to scoff, again, though it was a far kinder one than any he had given to Sasuke.)
"As for where we're staying at the hospital…" Karin continued. "I really do want to stay as near to Juugo as I can, so it is possible for Ooda to share my room? Or will he have to stay down here?"
"He… I don't see why he can't stay with you," Sakura replied. "And… if anyone says anything about Ooda then they'll deal with me. And with Naruto. Okay?"
"I have no idea what I'd do without you," Karin said.
"Hey, it's… my duty, all right?" Sakura said. "I'm happy to serve."
It was nice, when Karin actually smiled with meaning. "How soon can we move?"
"Oh, uh, now's fine, if you want. Since it… looks like you've recovered a fair bit," Sakura said, to Ooda. "I mean, are you feeling all right?"
"Still a little sore, but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it used to…" Ooda replied.
"Well, if you need anything further, we're here to help," Sakura said. "Karin, would you like for me to lead you back…?"
"We can find our way back just fine, I think. But I'll know where to find you, okay?" Karin said. "Don't… let me keep you from your duties."
"I won't," Sakura replied. "I'll be in my office for a bit, though, I think I need to… rest up a little."
"I think we all do, okay…" Karin replied. "Go… recharge. You deserve it."
Though as she was leaving, another thought occurred to Sakura. "Karin?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, if you want, would you like for me to have Yakata-kun brought to the hospital, so you can see him? I mean, I'm sure Naruto would-"
But Karin was shaking her head, many times. "No, no, no, I couldn't, I can't, I… I appreciate it but I don't think I could handle that, okay?" she said. "I was upset enough when I… caught a glimpse of him at the transport station. It's better if he doesn't know I exist, anyways…"
It would have almost been an act of treason to press further. "I'm sorry, I… understand," Sakura said. "But… still, I could examine him for you, make sure he's really okay. And pass that on to you. Would you want that?"
"…I just want him out of Sasuke's house. Then I'll… sleep a little better, at least. I know he's in better hands with Satoko and Gishi," Karin replied. "Really, you don't have to do this for me, okay?"
"…well all right," Sakura said, knowing that she'd probably at least call Ino about it. For many reasons. "Again, I'll… be in my office."
"Thanks," Karin said.
Though Sakura lingered in the hallway for a fair bit after she left, her head peeking around the corner.
And, eventually, Karin and the rest left. She had her arm around Ooda's tall back. He'd put the blanket back on.
"…sure Asaoto will be happy to see you too, okay? It won't be so bad. Besides, you're feeling better, right?" Sakura managed to catch.
"…yeah…" Ooda's voice was very quiet.
"Oy, Karin." Suigetsu was holding Shingetsu in his arms. His cape was dripping over his arms in a milk-blue glob.
"Yeah?"
"You want me to check on Kotoji again, s'long as we're here?"
"…I'll let you know," Karin replied.
There was more to the conversation, but they were moving too far out of earshot for Sakura to hear.
She had to get back to work, anyways. She had a hospital to run.
Returning to her office, she had a staff-wide memo sent out about the people in room 145, that they were not to be disturbed, and that she would be handling their care personally. She couldn't think of anything further, figuring that mentioning Orochimaru in any way—even in a "if you see a guy that looks like Orochimaru don't panic 'cos it's not him" way—would only make things worse.
If anyone had an issue with Ooda, she'd deal with it herself.
…hoping she wouldn't have to.
She sent out another memo to Moegi, reporting that Karin and Ooda had already spoken with Naruto and that he would be overseeing all future interrogations. She wasn't sure how necessary it was, but it couldn't have hurt.
She skipped over the details, figuring that Naruto had more authority than her in who was told about Karin's true involvement with the clones, likewise.
Given that Sakura had very little idea about who now knew about the clones to begin with—she could only think of Sasuke and Kakashi—it was probably the best idea.
Afterward, she returned to her usual duties. Paperwork. Overseeing surgeries and procedures. It had been a busy day to begin with, but the time she had spent in dealing with Ooda, dealing with Karin had set her back a fair amount.
She would not return home, much less find the time to call Ino, for quite a while.
Given how things were going at the Uchiha house, it was unlikely she would have been able to pick up the phone, anyways.