Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
Chapter Seventeen
Karibi's disappearance had been kept under wraps for weeks. No one was to breathe a word of it to anyone. And although many of her loved ones worried about her, they were ignorant to the truth, and in some ways, perhaps that was better for all. Still, people were worrying about her, nonetheless.
"Hokage-sama." Said man looked up from his paperwork as he raised a brow, an ANBU captain appearing before the village leader in a bowing stance.
"What is it?"
"It seems your suspicions were correct, sir." The Third frowned deeply as he set his pen down. He let the words sink in properly before a determined gleam appeared in his eyes. He nodded his head as he stood to his feet.
"Do you have an exact location?"
"Just several miles north, sir."
"Then we don't have time to waste." Hiruzen began to make his way out of the room, wanting to change into his armor and helmet; his Hokage robes were not the proper attire for a battle.
§
He had been there this entire time. He had stayed in Karibi's empty home, waiting—as if she would walk through the door any second.
Kakashi remained silent as he stared out the window aimlessly. He leaned against the wall as he gazed out, letting his thoughts consume him.
Obito, Rin, Minato, Kushina; how many more people was Kakashi going to lose? How many more losses was he going to take? All the people he held dear to him—he only ever let them down. He had promised it would be different with Karibi. Because she made him believe again. She had made him see the world in a better way. So he had vowed to himself that he wouldn't let that go to waste and that he would be better for her sake. But what had it all meant? She was gone—taken from him. Now what was he to do?
"Kakashi." Said young man looked to his left, the Third Hokage dressed in his formal battle uniform. He blinked as he quickly bowed to show his respect, Sandaime smiling to him. "The time has come. I need your assistance."
§
There were voices echoing in the darkness. Karibi wasn't sure who they were or where the sounds were coming from, for she was stuck in an eternal darkness. She shivered as she tried to open her eyes, her body too numb and weak to move even an inch. A loud explosion could be heard in the distance as the young girl listened to her own shallow breathing. She couldn't tell if the world was truly moving or if it was dizziness she was feeling. However, she was sure of the low rumbling and trembling of the ground, her senses slowly awakening and her body finally reacting to reality; she had been stuck in a genjutsu for a day now.
You have no one left.
Orochimaru's voice repeated over-and-over in Karibi's imagination as she tried to ignore it. She choked on a weak sob, the overwhelming sense of despair continuing to nibble away at her hope—or rather, it nibbled away at whatever was left of it. She cringed at the sharp, high-pitched squeal she heard as she felt a wave of nausea come crashing over her. It was then she realized that she was beginning to awaken from her drug-induced unconsciousness, her eyes finally fluttering open. She groaned as she stared up at a ceiling, her sight blurry and the world around her spinning.
"Karibi!" The voice was familiar and yet far away. She was unable to pin-point who it was that was actually calling to her; her mind was far to clouded for her to truly think properly. "She's here!" The young girl continued to moan as she flinched at the hands that grabbed her by the shoulders. Too weak to fight them off, the 10 year old merely tried to keep her eyes open, pupils dilated and irises glazed over.
"Hokage-sama, what about—"
"Leave him for now! Our priority is to help her. Orochimaru will have Kakashi to deal with for now." Had Karibi been thinking straight, she would have reacted to hearing Kakashi's name. But she wasn't. She continued to try and gain some semblance of control over her body as she felt someone scoop her up. She coughed and gagged, her body moving too fast for her comfort. She quickly shut her eyes as flashes of light began to blind her. Swirls of colors appeared behind her shut eyelids, making the girl want to vomit.
"We must get to the hospital immediately!"
"Hai!" And that was the last thing Karibi heard before she fell back into oblivion.
§
Feet pattered loudly against the floor as two chunin came sprinting into the Konoha Hospital. They rushed up to the front desk, asking for the room in which their friend was resting in. Then, they were off again. They excused themselves as they turned sharp corners and nearly bumped into several strangers and nurses. Finally, the pair had arrived to the room they were directed to and quickly they slide the door open.
"Karibi?!"
Hayase and Hana had been informed by Riku-sensei about Karibi's condition just minutes earlier. They had been nervous for their friend, for upon returning from a mission, they had not heard from her once. They wanted to give Karibi space, but they two had been becoming more and more anxious as the days passed. Finally, their sensei had approached them at their normal table at the dango shop with a solemn expression on her face; she had returned from speaking with the Hokage.
The two members of Team 2 stood in the doorway and stared quietly at a slumbering young girl. They grimaced, exchanging glances before they walked further into the room.
"She's extremely fragile right now. She was forced into a genjutsu for weeks." That was what Riku-sensei had told them; Karibi was emotionally and psychologically unstable. Still, they had to make sure she was safe. They were her friends, after all; they had to stick together.
"Oh, Karibi," Hana whispered as she stood by her teammate's bedside, watching her as she slept. Hayase crossed his arms as he shook his head.
"Who would do this?"
"I don't know, but Riku-sensei made it sound like the person was strong." Never had Hana seen her sensei look so afraid of someone before.
"Well, whatever the case is, we'll be here for her when she wakes up, right?" Hayase smiled as he gave Hana's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, the 12 year old smiling and nodding.
"Yeah."
*Two Weeks Later*
"Hey! You want anything to eat?" Looking away from the window, Karibi blinked as she stared blankly at her sensei. The woman smiled widely, waiting patiently as her student merely continued gazing upon her silently. Keeping the smile on her face, the brown haired woman waited before Karibi slowly looked back out the window. "Well, if you're hungry, just let me know." Still, the 10 year old gave no answer.
Shutting the door to Karibi's room, the 29 year old closed her eyes and leaned against it, her lips curving downwards. She shook her head before standing upright and sluggishly walked over to the kitchen, taking a seat at the table. She nearly collapsed on to the chair as she let out a heavy sigh.
Karibi had been released from the hospital two days after she had awoken—which had been two more days after she had been found. During that time, she hadn't said a word to anyone. She was worse than before. There was this emptiness in her eyes. It was as if she truly was dead inside. And even after Minato and Kushina had passed, at least there had been a sorrowful gleam in her eyes. Now, it was as if there was merely nothing.
And it was truly terrifying.
Riku rubbed her face as she took a deep breath, trying to remain as composed as she possibly could. The bags under her eyes indicated the lack of sleep she was suffering from and her slow reactions to things was an example of just how little energy she had.
The Third Hokage had immediately contacted Riku when news of Karibi's disappearance had been discovered. She had been shocked, but a part of her had known someone would some day try to pull off a stunt like taking the young girl. Once she had been told of the upsetting news, the Hokage had given her strict orders to remain calm and to await his next orders. And after too many days, he had finally found where Karibi was taken and by whom she was taken by. And upon their arrival back to the village, the young girl had been unconscious and was taken to the hospital, where the brunette had met her fearless leader.
Feeling her head jerk down, Riku jumped, blinking several times; she had almost fallen asleep.
He had warned her about Karibi's condition. And he had warned her that she could wake from her unconscious state and have several different reactions. But most importantly, he had warned her of who it was that had taken the young girl in the first place.
Orochimaru.
Standing up, Riku quickly walked over to the window, sliding it open and breathing in the evening air. She leaned her head against the frame, trying to ward off the guilt she felt inside of her soul.
How could she have let things come to this point? She had been assigned to be Karibi's sensei personally by Minato. And she had let the passed man down. He had trusted her to take care of Karibi and keep her safe, and when the young girl had needed her most, where had she been?
That was why she was there. She was going to make it up to the young girl. She was going to make sure that Karibi knew she wasn't alone—that she was not suffering by herself. She wanted to make sure that the young girl had someone to help her through whatever chaos was going through her head. This time, she wasn't going to let anyone down; she would be the sensei that Karibi needed her to be.
Two knocks on the front door caught Riku's attention. She raised a brow before she walked cautiously to the door before, recognizing the energy behind the door. A smile stretched across her face before she opened the door, her two other students waiting patiently for her. "Sensei!"
"What are you two doing here?" Stepping aside, the woman let her two students stroll inside, softly shutting the door after they entered.
"Just here to keep you company," Hana stated as she sat on the couch, Hayase sighing as her rubbed his neck. Riku frowned as she stood behind the couch, leaning forward and looking down at the pair.
"If you're here to speak with Karibi, I'm afraid now's not a good time." The two glanced to each other before looking to the door.
"...Has she said anything yet?" Hana inquired gently as the brunette sighed and shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. I've tried everything. I've resorted to just giving her time." But it seemed that just wasn't good enough for one of the team members.
Huffing, Hayase stood to his feet as he marched to the shut bedroom door. With force, the young man twisted twisted the doorknob but stopped, bumping into the wood and wincing; Karibi had locked it from inside. Growling from frustration, Hayase began to knock his knuckles loudly against the shut door.
"Karibi! Open up!" he snapped as his demand went ignored. His sensei and teammate watched quietly as their eyes softened, the 12 year old knocking more. "I know you can hear me! Stop ignoring us and open the damn door!"
"Hayase—"
"No! Enough is enough!" he exclaimed angrily. "We've given her space, we've given her time. And it's about time she finally decided to let us in instead of acting like a brat!"
"Hayase, enough!" Riku barked as her student shot her a heated stare. "When she's ready, she'll come out."
"She can't hide in there forever!" Hayase pointed out as he knocked three more times to emphasize his point. "She's never going to be able to move on like this!"
"Hayase." Hana approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He stared at her with flames burning in his eyes before he relaxed and let his arm fall to his side. He turned to face the shut door before he placed his hands on it and leaned his forehead against it.
"...Sorry, Karibi," he said quietly. "I just...We all want you to get better soon," he stated as he sighed, Hana smiling before she spoke.
"And until you do, we'll be waiting," she said encouragingly. "Don't worry, Karibi."
Their kind words fell upon deaf ears.
§
An onyx eye stared out aimlessly into the night, the one gaze tired and lazy looking. And as the ANBU with only one visible eye sat quietly at a table, the person across from the shinobi watched carefully.
The air was cold and the breeze was sharp, causing many of the villagers of the Leaf to seek refuge in their homes. There were only a few who were brave enough to ignore the icy wind. Guy had barely noticed the change in the weather. He was always a naturally warm person, so it made little difference to him. As for his companion, he was aware of the season but paid no attention to it whatsoever. He didn't mind the cold so much. It was a bit refreshing, actually.
Especially these days.
Guy frowned as he stared at his silent friend. He had been begging Kakashi to come out with him for weeks now, and he was honestly surprised that the silver haired ninja had finally agreed to meet him out somewhere. But he was happy, for that was a good sign. And even though he was barely saying anything, it was better than getting the cold shoulder from the ANBU; he was tired of being ignored.
As for Kakashi, he had been rather back and forth lately.
Meeting Kinoe had been different. The young boy who had been able to manipulate wood—he had been a breath of fresh air for Kakashi. They were different, but there were things about them that were similar—that Kakashi found he could relate to. And meeting him had given Kakashi a brighter outlook on things that were happening in the village; it helped him cling to the small inch of hope that he had left.
But since meeting Kinoe, Orochimaru had escaped. He had slipped right through Kakashi's fingers, but the ANBU had nothing to say or show for it; all he had was the memory of the fear he had felt course through him when he had seen the gleam in the pale man's eyes. And since then, the silver haired shinobi had yet to visit Karibi.
From the reports he had seen, Kakashi knew that Karibi's condition had been critical. Traces of drugs had been found in her blood and she had been locked under a strong genjutsu for days-on-end. She was barely conscious when the Hokage had found her. Having gone straight after Orochimaru, the ANBU hadn't had a chance to see her until she was admitted to the hospital, and even then, he hadn't dared to step foot into her room. He merely stopped by outside of her window once; he was still upset with himself for the entire blunder.
He was relieved. Truly, he was. But he was also filled with guilt. He should have known what was happening. He should have been there before she had been taken. He should have done more for her. There must have been something he could have done to help her. And that was why he kept his distance. He was doing his best to come to terms with what he was feeling before he faced the young girl. For it was the guilt he felt that continued to pull he into the darkness. It was that everlasting shame that was always haunting him that brought about the nightmares.
"Oi, Kakashi!" Looking up from where he was staring, said ninja looked to Guy, who was grinning at him impishly. He stared for a moment before he relaxed, giving his friend a lazy look.
"Hmm?"
"What's say we have another challenge?"
"Guy, I'm not really up for—"
"No! This challenge will be something simple, yet taxing! A competition of dedication and endurance!" the ninja in green exclaimed as Kakashi sighed.
"What is said challenge?"
"A dumpling-eating contest!" The masked ninja nearly chuckled.
"What terms should we agree to?"
"The man who eats the most wins!" Guy exclaimed with a wide grin. "And since I came hungry, I know I won't lose!"
"We'll see," Kakashi stated as his eye gleamed. His friend beamed, excited for the new challenge and for something different; it was more than wonderful to see Kakashi being more like his usual self than the cold and cut-off version of himself.
Before the pair could order their dumplings for their competition, they were approached by an outside presence. A shadow loomed over their table as they looked up from their seats, staring at a haggard looking Hayase.
Guy blinked before he raised a thick brown. "Hayase? What is it? You don't look so good," the 15 year old said hesitantly as the junior shook his head, shooting Guy an annoyed look.
"You always know what to say to piss me off, Guy." Right now, Hayase was at his limit.
Turning his attention to the silver haired ninja, the younger boy of the three narrowed his eyes, Kakashi blinking. "I don't know what it is about you. I can't stand you, to be completely honest, but Karibi's always liked you a lot." Kakashi tensed at the name. "And right now, I think you're the only person Karibi will really react to seeing." The ANBU raised a brow.
"What's wrong with Karibi?" Guy asked as Hayase sighed and shook his head.
"I can't say much. But right now she's not herself, and me and Hana have done everything we can, but it's not working," the tired chunin explained. "She won't talk to anyone. She just pretends like we're not there! And to be honest, I don't think I have enough patience left to deal with this nicely," he said honestly as Kakashi frowned, Guy's eyes widening.
"If I had any other choice, I'd take it, but obviously I'm desperate," the 13 year old said as he sighed, letting his shoulders sage. "You have to go talk to her, Kakashi. You've got to say something and snap her out of whatever trance she's in, because whatever we're doing? It's not working," Hayase stated evenly as Kakashi sat quietly. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds as Guy glanced from one friend to the other before his older friend spoke.
"I can't." Hayase's jaw fell open at that.
"What the hell did you just say?"
"Whatever she needs, I can't help her," Kakashi said gently as he gazed up at the fuming young man with a relaxed look. "Right now she needs—" People around them gasped as the sound of clattering cups and screeching chair legs against the floor caught everyone's attention. As patrons of the small shop whispered, Hayase had both hands gripping tightly to Kakashi's shirt as he pulled the ninja to his feet, both Guy and Kakashi's tea tipped over and spilling every where. Guy was on his feet, ready to cool Hayase down, but he waited, seeing his other friend's calm demeanor.
"Don't you try and sound like you know what Karibi needs!" Hayase yelled as he snarled at the more skilled ninja; he didn't care whether Kakashi was stronger than him or not. "What the hell would you know about what Karibi needs, huh?!"
"Hayase, put Kakashi down," Guy said carefully as Hayase growled before slightly shaking Kakashi.
"No! He needs to hear this! Because he thinks he knows everything, but how could he?! How could he know what Karibi needs when he's never around for her?!" Kakashi felt a jab at his chest. "You talk like you really know, but you don't have a clue what she's going through because you're not there for her—not like we are! You don't see her how we see her! So don't act like you're better than me and don't act like you know what's best for Karibi!" Shoving Kakashi back, Hayase turned and began to stomp away, not bothering to look back.
"I knew this was a waste of time," he muttered to himself before he pushed aside the flaps of the shop and headed back down the street.
Guy and Kakashi stared after the angry chunin for a moment before they turned to the owner, who was now approaching them with a startled look on her face. The ninja in green immediately smiled as he apologized profusely to the woman, who smiled weakly and shook her head, asking if they were still interested in food. And all the while, Kakashi stared after Hayase, his words echoing in the silence of his mind.
You're not there for her!
He couldn't find the will to disagree.
*Four Weeks Later*
She hadn't spoken to anyone. She chose to stay on her own. The good news was she no longer locked herself inside of her room. She had emerged from her bedroom one afternoon as Riku tidied up the apartment. She had caught the woman off guard, but her sensei had been so relieved that her student had finally come out; she had thought that Karibi was finally making a step forward.
But upon coming out from her room, Karibi didn't acknowledge the older woman. She was silent and zombie-like. And although that had been disheartening for Riku, she kept up her positive attitude and proceeded to try and be as present to the 10 year old as possible. She continued staying at the young girl's home and had been placed under a mission-hiatus by the Hokage until Karibi was fit to be on her own for short periods of time. Having spoken with the village council, the Third had found it wise to have someone keep an eye on the young girl in case anyone else tried to steal her away; he was also personally worried over Karibi's well-being.
Now that Karibi was out and about, she spent most of her time training. She focused on molding her chakra and toning her body. So much had been happening over the last two months that she hadn't had the time to truly practice her jutsu and hone her skills. And now that the village was nearing the end of its winter season, the outdoor training grounds were nearly empty. That meant the redhead was able to train in peace.
Stepping out on to a thin sheet of snow, the 10 year old glanced up at the blue sky. She stared blankly for a few seconds before she slowly walked down a hill, making her way over to the target posts. Stopping a few feet away, the girl bent over and reached for her toes, stretching and letting her muscles breathe. Pulling out several kunai, Karibi stared at the targets before she took a deep breath and darted forward. She immediately sprinted towards a tree to her right, jumping up and pushing off of the trunk. She soared high through the air and as she swung her legs over her head, she threw her knives. Landing gracefully on the ground, the redhead turned to look; she had hit every target right in the middle.
"Not bad." She didn't react. She didn't even flinch. Karibi merely stood back up to her feet before she made her way to the targets and pulled out her knives.
He was not greeted by Karibi's usual, bright smile nor was he given a "hello" or "Kashi-chan". He was completely ignored, and although he had prepared himself for that reaction, Kakashi was still almost offended by the girl's silence.
He had waited longer than he should have to approach the young girl. Even after Hayase had exploded at him, he still waited. Because he had been too weak to face her—because he had been unsure—because he had been a coward. He was too apprehensive. He didn't want to see Karibi the way she was. He didn't know what to do if he saw her. Too many thoughts were racing through his mind. And he wanted to help Karibi, not make things worse for her. Still, no matter what he did, it seemed he was always causing more trouble.
But he was there right now, and in the end, he supposed that was what really mattered; he was trying to make things right.
Kakashi lingered behind the redhead as she tugged her kunai out from the targets. She stuffed them neatly back into her pack before she turned and walked back to where she had been standing. She didn't bother looking in Kakashi's direction. It was as if he hadn't spoke at all. But he knew she had heard him, and he knew that she could see and feel him.
"...Do you remember the first time we really met?" the masked ANBU asked, knowing he'd receive no answer. He took a few steps towards Karibi as she pulled out shuriken, twirling one around her index finger. "You didn't say a single thing," the 14 year old continued. "You didn't speak to anyone at all...just like now." The 10 year old tossed a shuriken into the air before swiftly catching it and chucking it at a target. With a hard "thunk" the weapon embedded itself into the target post right where Karibi was aiming.
"...The first time I ever spoke to you, I said..."
It's important to say the things you want to say before it's too late. Bottling it up inside...it only hurts you.
Finally, Karibi reacted.
Her skin crawled as she came to an abrupt pause. She was holding on to a shuriken and staring daggers into the target she was aiming for. She could hear Kakashi's voice from that very day—telling her what she needed to hear. And she was beginning to get angry.
Swiftly, Karibi turned as she glared heatedly at Kakashi. He stood behind her with his hands in his pockets, a pale gray cloak hanging over his shoulders. The young girl said nothing for the first few seconds before she shook her head, turning back around to face her targets. "What do you want?" her voice was colder than Kakashi could have ever imagined it to sound, and it was almost like a shard of ice was pricking him in the gut.
"I was just checking up on you."
"It's been over a month. So why are you here now?" She wasn't petty enough to be angry that he hadn't come to see her. Truth be told, she couldn't care less if anyone came to see her. She was merely stating facts and asking questions at this point.
"...It can't be easy—dealing with what you've had to deal with." Karibi scoffed at that.
"If you're here to pity me, then you can leave," she stated bitterly as she shook her head, throwing her shuriken hard. She cursed as she missed the target completely, her concentration completely ruined.
"I respect you too much to pity you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because, as surprising as this may seem, I was worried," he said honestly; he noticed the way Karibi hesitated before she carried on.
"...Worried?"
"Why do you sound surprised?" the silver haired ANBU asked, taking several more steps closer to his companion.
"This coming from the person who hasn't come to see me once?" Karibi let out a short and cold laugh; Kakashi nearly winced at her words. "Don't make me sick," said said as she looked over her left shoulder and gave the young man an empty stare.
"Karibi—"
"I'm not the naive kid I was three years ago, Kakashi," Karibi stated as she turned back around to face forward. "I know the truth," she said quietly as she narrowed her eyes. "I don't have anyone left that cares about me."
Orochimaru's words had somehow stitched themselves to Karibi's mind. Perhaps it was from being stuck in his lair for so long, or perhaps it was the genjutsu pills he had been giving her, but his words had become her reality. What he had said was her truth. She truly believed that there was no one left for her to love, and she truly believed that there was no one left that cared for her anymore.
But she was just so wrong.
Glaring, a flame ignited in Kakashi's body before he suddenly appeared behind Karibi. The young girl's eyes widened as she turned to face the young man. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it hard and making her wince. She nearly cried out when he began to pull her along, not saying a single thing to her as she tried to free herself from his grasp.
"Where are you taking me?" she snapped as she jerked her arm, trying to escape the ANBU. "Let me go!" She was not strong enough to break from his hold.
After a few minutes, the two stopped in front of a diamond shaped, black stone. Karibi's gaze immediately softened as Kakashi let her wrist go, slowly walking up to the monument and staring softly at it. "...Do you know what this is?"
"Of course I know," Karibi said as the older shinobi turned to look back at her.
"Then you know whose names have been engraved on to this stone," Kakashi stated as Karibi frowned; that had been the most emotion she had shown since the 14 year old had started talking with her. "...And if you know whose names are on this stone—if you know who sacrificed their lives for you, how can you say that there's no one who cares for you?" She could hear the way Kakashi's voice trembled and the way it nearly cracked; he was holding back his anger.
Turning to shoot Karibi a cold stare, Kakashi narrowed his eye. "How could you ever insult Minato-sensei like that?"
"Shut up!" Karibi snapped as she gave Kakashi a furious look. "You don't get to say that to me! Not you!" she yelled as she shook her head.
"Minato-sensei and Kushina-san loved you. They did everything they could to make you happy, to show you that you were truly important to them," Kakashi said as he glanced back to the stone. "That was why they died that night. Because they were trying to protect you."
"And look what good it did them!" Karibi shouted back as she pointed to the stone. "They're dead and all they get is a rock and a demon-baby!" She gritted her teeth as she stared menacingly at the stone. "They were all I had! They were the family I thought I could never have! And now they're gone and I'm left with—with what?!" she yelled as Kakashi's eye softened. "I'm left with an empty apartment with all of their stuff and a cursed kid!" She hadn't even noticed the tears that were rolling down her face.
"How is that fair?"
"It's not."
"So then don't try and lecture me, Kakashi Hatake!" Karibi barked as she shook her head. "Don't try and make me sound like I'm the bad guy!" She choked on a sob before she began to weep, a sudden outlet of emotions opening and pouring out of her; she hadn't felt anything this hard and this much in quite some time.
Slowly, the one-eyed ninja approached the crying girl. He stopped with only a step or two between Karibi and himself, and he stared quietly as the 10 year old wept. With all the gentleness in himself, Kakashi placed his hands on the girl's shoulders. He gave them a slight squeeze, feeling her shutter under his touch as she continued to cry. Her head was hanging low and her tears were ice-cold against her skin, but Karibi didn't care. For at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to cry every tear in her body. She wanted to weep and sob until there was nothing left and there were no more tears in her eyes.
"...You're not alone," Kakashi stated softly as he smiled slightly under his mask. "You've just been too blinded by your sadness to see it." Karibi finally looked up and met Kakashi's gaze, sniffling as she stared through her blurry vision. "And you're right," the older shinobi of the two said. "I don't have any room to lecture you. So I'm not going to." Karibi let her head hang low once more, leaning against Kakashi's chest.
"All I'm going to say is there are people who care about you. So no, you're not alone." He looked down at the young girl as she cried against him. His hands were placed on the back of her shoulders, sending a warmth through her body as she quietly cried. Suddenly, Kakashi felt arms pulling him in as hands clutched tightly to the back of his cloak. His one eye widened momentarily as Karibi hugged him tightly, leaning her head against his shoulder and squeezing her eyes shut.
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she held her friend. "I'm really sorry." Kakashi relaxed before he hesitantly wrapped his own arms around Karibi.
"Don't be sorry. Just...Just don't forget what I said." Karibi nodded as she kept her eyes shut. She shivered as Kakashi pulled open his cloak, wrapping it around the girl's figure and shielding her from the cold. The pair stood in each other's arms before finally pulling away after a few minutes, Karibi remaining in the shelter of the ANBU's cloak.
"...I'm sorry," the redhead whispered as her companion blinked. "This couldn't have been easy for you either..." Kakashi's eye softened before he placed his hand on top of Karibi's head.
"It's ok...we'll be ok."
§
"You did a good thing, Kakashi." Looking over his shoulder, said shinobi watched as a brown haired jonin approached him. He relaxed as Riku smiled at her three students, Karibi bowing to Hayase and Hana before the male of the team rolled his eyes and pulled her in for a hug. Hana laughed as Karibi smiled softly, hugging him back and then giving Hana a hug after separating from the young man.
"...I did what I could," Kakashi said quietly before Riku looked down to the young man.
"...Sometimes, I think we sometimes forget that other people suffer too," the 29 year old began. "And sometimes, whether its by rage or sadness or even love, people are just clouded by their emotions and its hard for them to really relate to others." Kakashi listened carefully before he looked up to the jonin. "But sometimes? Sometimes we understand the best when we're able to be around other people who genuinely do understand how we feel. It's not just words and it's not just about being able to say, I know how you feel. But it's about really understanding and identifying with those emotions." Kakashi slowly looked back to Karibi, the 10 year old wiping some stray tears as Hana tucked a piece of red hair before the girl's ear.
"And I think that's why you two get along so well." Riku watched with a smile as Kakashi said nothing. "I think you two just understand each other a bit more than others do." The silver haired young man said nothing before shrugging. He turned and began to walk away, not before Karibi looked over to him and smiled, giving him a small wave. He nodded in return before walking away, Riku smiling after him.
Yes, Karibi truly was blessed to have the people that cared about her in her life.
Yes! Here we are! It's been longer than I intended it to be for an update but I've finally posted something. Sorry for the longer wait than usual. I've been suddenly busy as of late, but I'm hoping that my schedule will clear up or I will be able to incorporate some time to work on this story and my other story that I've been writing. I can't make any promises on when I will update again, but just know that I will! I swear it!
There are only four more chapter left until this first part of the story ends! And then we move on to Naruto! I know this has been a long read and we haven't been able to see any or much of Karibi/Naruto, but it is coming, and I just hope that the read was enjoyable enough for whoever is here. I really did work hard on this story and I plan on continuing to work hard! I hope my efforts show through what you're all reading :)
Until next time!
Reviews:
skg1991: Hello! First off, thank you for taking the time to read this story! I know you said you've been waiting for Naruto, so I'm sorry it's taken so long to get to that point in the story. I just felt it would be good for readers to know where Karibi comes from and why she acts the way she does towards Naruto. But you have only four more chapters to go, and then I promise there will be a lot of Naruto time! Thank you so much though for sticking with this story and for toughing it out. I hope it was at least enjoyable for you to read and I hope that you will really like when Naruto comes into play! When he does, please feel free to let me know what you think! Thank you again!
CopyNinjaHokage: Hi there! Glad to hear that you're liking this story so far! It's honestly always a relief to know that readers are enjoying what they are seeing. I will work hard to post more chapters and better chapters and I just hope that you will stick around to see where this story goes! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate the support!
Cindy: Hello, Cindy! Thank you for reviewing and thank you so much for reading! It's great to know that you are happy with my story! I've been working hard on it and have been putting lots of effort into it. Hopefully it will show once you read more and once I get further into the story. I appreciate you taking the time to write me your thoughts and your feelings about this story, and I hope that if/when you continue to read, you will be happy with how each chapter turns out! If there's anything you need answering or are curious about please don't hesitate to ask! Thank you so much, again! :)