The gates of Konoha were quiet, bathed in the soft golden light of the setting sun. Kotetsu yawned, leaning lazily on his halberd, while Izumo fiddled with a scroll, trying to stave off boredom.
"Remind me why we got stuck with gate duty again," Kotetsu grumbled.
"Because we're lucky like that," Izumo replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Before Kotetsu could retort, a figure appeared in the distance, staggering toward the gates. Both guards snapped to attention, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons.
The figure drew closer, resolving into a young woman with vibrant red hair, wild and disheveled. Her clothes were torn and dusty, and she looked as though she'd just run a marathon through a sandstorm. The woman paused a few meters from the gate, her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Stop right there!" Kotetsu barked, his halberd raised. "State your name and business!"
The woman straightened, brushing strands of hair out of her face. Despite her obvious exhaustion, she managed to strike a confident pose, smoothing down her tattered clothes as best as she could.
"My name," she began, her voice wobbling slightly from fatigue but carrying a haughty edge, "is Karin. I've come to see Sasuke Uchiha. He is…" She paused for dramatic effect, glancing between the two bewildered guards. "My fiancé."
Silence. Kotetsu blinked. Izumo blinked back at him.
"Your what?" Kotetsu finally asked, his tone caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement.
"My fiancé," Karin repeated, her voice firm and slightly exasperated. "I don't have time to explain everything to you two. Just let me in already."
Kotetsu leaned on his halberd, eyeing her suspiciously. "Lady, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? Sasuke Uchiha? Fiancé? You sure you didn't hit your head on the way here?"
Karin's eyebrow twitched, and her cheeks flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "Look, I've traveled a long way to get here, and I'm not in the mood for your jokes. Sasuke knows me, and I need to speak to him. Now."
Izumo sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I wasn't even supposed to be here today," he muttered. "Fine. But we'll have to verify your story. You can't just waltz in claiming to be engaged to one of our top jōnin."
"Go ahead, verify it," Karin snapped. "But hurry up. I didn't come all this way to stand around arguing with a couple of gatekeepers."
Izumo raised an eyebrow. "You know, for someone asking a favor, you're not exactly winning us over with your attitude."
Karin opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself, taking a deep breath to calm down. "I'm sorry," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm just… tired. Please, just let him know I'm here."
Kotetsu smirked, clearly enjoying her discomfort. "Alright, alright. But if you're lying, don't think we won't haul you off to Ibiki."
Karin glared at him, but before she could respond, a shadow appeared above them. All three looked up to see Sasuke perched on the gate, his sharingan glowing faintly in the dim light.
"Karin," Sasuke said, his voice calm but carrying an edge of curiosity. "What are you doing here?"
"Sasuke!" Karin's face lit up, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. She rushed forward, stopping just short of the gate. "I've been looking for you. You didn't tell me you were leaving the base, and—"
Sasuke raised a hand, silencing her. He jumped down, landing gracefully in front of her. His gaze was unreadable as he studied her.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said, his tone cool but not unkind. "This isn't the Sound Village."
"I know," Karin replied, her voice softer now. "But I had to. I… I needed to see you."
Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged glances, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation. Sasuke turned to them, his sharingan fading.
"She's with me," he said simply. "Let her through."
Kotetsu shrugged. "Well, you heard the man. Go on in. But next time, maybe don't start with the whole obvious lie."
Karin huffed but didn't argue, following Sasuke as he led her into the village. Once they were out of earshot, Kotetsu leaned toward Izumo.
"Think she's really his fiancé?" he asked.
Izumo sighed, shaking his head. "I don't even want to know."
The late afternoon sun bathed Konoha in warm hues as Sasuke walked Karin toward Ino's family flower shop. Karin trailed behind him, her usual confidence slightly dampened by the unfamiliar surroundings. She glanced around, taking in the vibrant life of the village.
"I still don't see why I can't just stay at your place," Karin muttered, adjusting her glasses as she followed him.
Sasuke didn't break stride, his tone flat as he replied, "I have a one-bedroom apartment. There's no space."
"I don't kind. We can share." Karin smirked, her playful demeanor returning.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and ignored her, stepping through the entrance of the flower shop. Ino's parents greeted him warmly, already aware of the arrangement Sasuke had made with his best friend's girlfriend.
"No problem at all, Sasuke!" Ino's mother said with a laugh. "We're happy to help."
Inoichi added with a wink, "Though I hope this doesn't mean Karin will be stealing our flowers to give you."
Sasuke gave a slight nod of thanks and motioned for Karin to follow Ino, who was waiting at the stairs with an arched eyebrow. Karin trudged up behind her as Sasuke turned to leave.
"You're lucky you've got nice people looking after you," he called over his shoulder.
Karin paused at the top of the stairs, her heart sinking a little. "Yeah… lucky."
Upstairs, Ino ushered Karin into her room and flopped onto her bed, motioning for Karin to do the same. Karin sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, glancing around at the warm, cozy space. It felt worlds away from the cold, clinical confines of Orochimaru's lairs.
"So," Ino began, sitting cross-legged with a mischievous grin. "You and Sasuke, huh? What's the story there?"
Karin hesitated, then sighed, running a hand through her red hair. "There's… not really a story. I told the guards at the gate that we were engaged because—" She flushed with embarrassment. "Because I was embarrassed, alright? He rejected me."
Ino raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest. "Rejected you? You mean… like, romantically?"
"Yeah," Karin admitted with a sheepish smile. "I've been in love with him since I met him. I mean… have you seen him?"
Ino laughed, sitting back. "Oh, I've seen him. And trust me, you're not the only one who's had a thing for Sasuke. Pretty much every girl in our class was head over heels for him back in the day."
"Even you?" Karin asked, surprised.
"Especially me," Ino admitted with a chuckle. "But it didn't take me long to figure out that Sasuke Uchiha has no interest in romance. Or, honestly, people in general."
Karin sighed, flopping onto her back. "I thought if I stayed close enough, he'd notice me eventually. But I guess that's not how it works, huh?"
Ino shook her head with a knowing smile. "It's not. And trust me, chasing after someone who doesn't see you the same way? It's exhausting. I realized that after Sasuke rejected me."
"Yeah, but look at you now," Karin said, propping herself up on her elbows. "You've got your arms around some amazing guy, right? What's his deal?"
Ino's expression softened, a fond smile spreading across her face. "Naruto? He's… well, he's dense sometimes. But he's the most genuine person I've ever met. He doesn't put on airs, and he'll fight to the end for the people he cares about. And when he looks at you…" She trailed off, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "You know he means it. He doesn't hold anything back."
Karin was silent for a moment, absorbing Ino's words. "That sounds… nice," she admitted. "I don't think I've ever had that. With Sasuke, it's always been about trying to prove myself. Trying to earn his attention. But maybe that's not what love is supposed to feel like."
"It's not," Ino said gently. "Love isn't about proving anything. It's about being seen, just as you are. And it's about growing together, not chasing after someone who's running in the opposite direction."
Karin smiled faintly, lying back down and staring at the ceiling. "Maybe I need to rethink some things."
Ino grinned, tossing a pillow at her. "Welcome to Konoha. You'll figure it out."
As Karin laughed, a lightness she hadn't felt in years began to settle in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop chasing and start discovering who she really was.