Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Bonds of Beauty. Enjoy the 1500-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.

Souta was quite curious as he looked at Karin who was silent. He couldn't understand who was this was. Then again? When you were wounded and dealing with the side effects of his failed mission? He couldn't explain that train of thought

Souta rubbed at his arms, the bruises were beginning to settle and fade away. Souta looked up to see that Karin had her arms crossed, exposing what looked like bite marks. That concerned him as much as his wounds.

"You mind explaining why you're almost dead and dying here?" Karin questioned; her eyebrow raised as she did so. "There's no shinobi around here last time I checked," Karin stated as she turned, unsure of what to ask next.

Souta cleared his throat, much of his previous anger fading away. He was still annoyed, but he couldn't blame the person who had saved his life. There were plenty of questions on his mind just as much as hers. He supposed it couldn't hurt to give out a FEW details.

"Because I was given a retrieval mission, I had to fight," Souta stated before he hummed. "It became important to secure the object, making sure it was properly kept out of enemy hands," Souta added which earned a flick on the head.

He gazed up at the crimson-haired woman who loomed over his head. Souta was kept from retaliating by the fact that she was the only medical ninja around from what it seemed. If he had any real issues with it?

"Hmm, and where is this object you speak of?" Karin questioned as she hummed to himself.

"I stashed it around here," Souta stated while he gestured around to the trees. "I placed it in the trees around here. I don't know what the best more is when it comes down to it." Souta added before he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Souta was quite hopeful that was plenty when it comes down to it. Karin hummed, sitting down next to him as she crossed her legs under her. Karin cleared her throat as she nodded to herself.

"Hmm," Karin stated to which Souta stated as she drummed her fingers on her arms. "Then I'm guessing this info is pretty important… Even if it's because the stupid idiot like you is the one pursuing it." Karin added as Souta stayed silent.

She watched him sigh, she wanted to make sure that he was who he said he was. Karin was quite careful about how there were plenty of questions running through her mind. If that was the truth? Then she'd make sure to secure this object and keep it out of enemy hands.

"You remind me of someone important." Karin pointed out when it came down to it. "There were some details on what happened next if that's the case. You're from around here, yeah? It's on your headband." Karin started to say to which Souta was silent once again.

"Maybe, I move around a lot. It comes with being a shinobi." Souta pointed out before sighing. "Those marks on your arms? Did attack you? It looks like someone tried to turn you into dinner or something." Souta stated before he hummed, crossing his arms.

"What happened for those marks to show up?" Souta asked as Karin raised her hand to slap him. "Honest question, I'm curious what it is, why?" Souta questioned as he turned to look at something else.

Karin sighed and looked at the marks pockmarking her skin. She knew what they were, Sasuke, her allies. All of them had used her skin to heal themselves. It almost made her wonder if she was just a walking hospital.

"It's not a pretty story, is it?" Souta questioned which got a shake of the head as he turned to look around. "Then don't mention it. We all have secrets; it comes with being shinobi. Some of us just bury them deeper and deeper so they don't cause issues, you know." Souta stated as he put a hand to his temple, unsure of what to say or do.

"I can agree to that," Karin said as she sighed, rubbing at her temples as she did so. "There's been some stuff I regret; I just don't know what to do about it," Karin added to which her friend was silent.

There was some pain in her voice while he started to think of what happened to it. She knew that she had been on the wrong side of things. She had chosen to do so as well which added to the pain in her body.

"Maybe, but that doesn't make you a monster, right?" Karin heard from the shinobi as he cleared his throat. "I don't feel like a monster considering that I'm just a shinobi. I know what I did was dirty and low down… But I don't think that makes me a horrid person, does it?" Souta added before he shook his head.

"There's plenty of enemies in the world who might not think that," Karin stated while she raised an eyebrow towards her new friend. "I've made many who hate me for the damage I've inflicted on the ninja world." Karin put in while she started to think to herself.

Souta was entirely silent while he started to ponder what was going on once more. Both were entirely annoyed by the lack of answers in their life. Karin reflected on what would have happened if she was in charge of her destiny if she hadn't met Sasuke.

"Do you have someone important in your life?" Karin asked to which she started to get a shake of the head. "Why? Nobody wants to be around you when it comes down to it?" Karin questioned while her friend started to raise an eyebrow.

Souta was silent while this happened at the moment. He also knew that the woman would simply cause trouble if he said something.

'This woman is a lot weirder than she looks at the moment. I still wish that she didn't cause these sorts of issues… But it seems I can't do a damn thing about it.' Souta thought to himself while he raised an eyebrow.

Still? This was something that he rather enjoyed the more he thought to himself. It was rather fun to be around someone who seemed to freak out the second he did something that she was annoyed by.

It said a LOT about her if she started to be annoyed this easily at the end of the day. He didn't want to push her unless there was an honest reason to do so, It would just be annoying if that is indeed the case.

"Are you ok?" Souta asked before he started to cough into his hands. "Damn. Guess that I wasn't healed up that much. A lot of this was out of my control which I'm sorry about." Souta stated to which he nodded to the woman at the moment.

Karin nodded to herself. She started to think of what happened if someone did show up. She was possibly a wanted enemy of the world. That tended to happen when one person was a criminal terrorist who had destroyed plenty of stuff. She wanted to think that she was entirely off the hook for this sort of thing.

She tore her thoughts from her head. Souta started to clear his throat. Still? Her friend was someone who she enjoyed the company of. He was annoying to her, yes… But there was also plenty of people who had done the same thing as well.

She crossed her legs under her as she tapped at her chin with interest. She questioned what the best thing to ask someone who was like this at the moment.

"So…" Souta heard from Karin who was entirely focused on a tree nearby. "What happened to make this mission work out the way it did? I suppose was top secret." Karin started to say while she tapped her fingers on her knees.

"Not as much as you'd honestly assume..." Souta stated while he tapped a hand on his chin. "It was just an accident that got me because I was an idiot who didn't know any better. It happens to plenty of people, no?" Souta asked in response and shook his head.

She nodded in response. It wasn't untrue for said mistakes to happen, but they happened for a reason. He had yet to explain what said the answer was to her.

Then again?

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! Since I know this and many of my Naruto stories are on a 'Self-insert' list? I'm going to do all I can to prove them wrong. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be longer at the moment. The next chapter will show more talking and will be 900-4500 words at the moment. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!