Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden
Chapter Two
Hokage-sama, I don't think you understand what you're asking of me.
But I do.
Please, you need to reconsider.
I've already made up my mind. He needs you now more than ever if he is to stay on the right path of life.
How could I possibly steer him in the right direction when I don't even know which direction that is anymore?
You know, my dear. You've always known.
Karibi stared at the shut bedroom door across from her own bedroom, her jaw clenched tightly shut and her heart thrumming loudly against her chest. She counted to ten, telling herself to finally open the door, but after reaching ten—for the seventh time—her body was unwilling to move. With a gasp, she quickly turned around and retreated from the room, nearly sprinting into her own bedroom and slamming the door shut. She leaned back against it as she sighed, glancing down at the creature rubbing against her leg. She relaxed as she smiled, kneeling down and picking up her cat into her arms.
"...Kushito, I don't think I can do this," the 17 year old whispered as she pet the cat behind his ear. He let out a satisfied purr before hopping out of her arms and strolling to her bed. He jumped up and curled up, resting his head on the bed before glancing to the window and then back to his master. Karibi followed his gaze before she frowned; a hawk was circling outside of her room.
"...Looks like it's time," the redhead muttered as she let out a sigh before heading out of her room.
"See you later." And with that, Karibi was out the door.
§
She waiting outside of the academy. It had been years since the last time she had been there, but she was to meet Naruto and the Hokage once his class ended. Although she would have preferred anything else, the Third had made it clear that there was no getting around this; she was going to become Naruto's guardian one way or another.
With a sigh, Karibi sat down on an empty, wooden swing as she leaned against the rope that kept it attached to the tree branch above. She waited patiently before children came rushing out, meeting their mothers or fathers. She watched them for a moment while her heart sank, memories of her days in the academy making her want to tear the building apart.
"Is that you?" Looking up, the jonin raised a brow as she found someone looming over her. "Karibi?" Said woman blinked before she began to smile slightly.
"Iruka."
§
"So you're working at the academy now?" Holding out a drink to the teacher, Karibi smiled as she sat beside him on a concrete bench. He took the can with a "thank you," and proceeded to open it as he smiled back to her.
"Yes. I should be starting in the next month or so as a teaching assistant," he explained as Karibi nodded with a relieved gleam in her eyes; he was doing well.
He was different. It had been years since she had last run into Iruka, and since then he had grown up. He wore the usual Leaf uniform with his brown hair pulled back and his hitai-ae wrapped around his forehead. His expression was gentle—he was gentle. With the care of the Hokage and his good friend, Mizuki, it seemed he had been able to channel his grief and rage into something better; he was going to teach students and mold them into strong shinobi. And Karibi was truly happy, because that meant there was one less person suffering in the world.
"How are you?" Iruka asked.
He had heard about Karibi the Reaper. Stories about the Anbu were popular and gossiping of ninja was rather common, surprisingly enough. He hadn't seen her in a long time, but he had always remembered her kindness and the way she had helped him. So he was glad that she seemed to be doing well.
But he had no clue.
"I'm doing...well," Karibi said carefully with a smile. "I've recently been assigned as a jonin."
"Congratulations!" Iruka gave the young woman a genuine grin as she chuckled and nodded her head, sipping on her drink.
"Thank you."
"So what brings you to the academy?" Iruka inquired curiously as Karibi let out a exasperated sigh.
"I'm supposed to be meeting the Hokage for something," she said vaguely; the Third had wanted to make transitioning for Naruto as low-key as possible.
"Are you waiting for a student?" the teaching assistant asked as he glanced towards the school. "The younger children got out earlier, but the older students should be getting out soon," Iruka explained as Karibi nodded.
"That's when I should probably meet Lord Third," the redhead stated as Iruka nodded. He smiled as Karibi glanced to him.
"I never properly thanked you."
"Thanked me?" Iruka nodded as he stared down to his can, chuckling as he shook his head.
"You saved my life that night," he stated quietly as Karibi recalled the night they had met. "If you hadn't shown up to help me, I would have most certainly died." The young lady shrugged before she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You saved my life that night too," she said as Iruka blinked, eyes wide; if she hadn't stopped to help him, she would have probably got caught in the Nine-tailed's chaos. "So I guess we both should thank each other." Iruka hesitated before he relaxed and nodded, smiling as he held his hand out to Karibi. She smiled back to him, setting her empty can down and shaking his hand.
"Thank you."
§
The Hokage had been waiting patiently inside the teacher's lounge when Karibi had arrived. She had bid Iruka adieu and made her way inside. When she had sensed where the Third had been, she immediately went to meet him. With his back to turned to her while he stared out the window, Hiruzen watched as Naruto played outside, the other kids heckling him as they always did.
"...There's still time, Hokage-sama," Karibi said quietly in the empty room. "There's still time for you to stop from making this mistake." Hiruzen chuckled while he shook his head, looking back to the 17 year old.
"You may not realize it now, but what I am doing is not only for the sake of Naruto, but yours as well." Karibi raised a brow; she didn't understand.
"Today is just a formality. I want you to meet him and I want him to meet you and understand who exactly you are," the Third stated as he began to walk out of the room, the jonin following after him. "It's important that he is comfortable around you. He needs someone to guide him and he needs someone to show him the way." Karibi frowned; she was not the right person for this job.
Walking outside, Karibi and the Hokage stared out as the kids began to make their way to their parents. For a moment, the redhead felt a foreign emotion inside of her as she watched Naruto stand alone, watching the kids meet their families. She grimaced as she watched him intently, his hands slowly closing into tight fists. And that was when she realized what it was she was feeling.
She was feeling empathy.
"Naruto." The blond blinked as he heard a familiar, raspy voice call his name. He swiftly turned around and watched as the Hokage smiled at him, walking up to him with a woman at his side. Naruto had never seen her before, but she looked uncomfortable.
He wondered why.
"What do you want, old man?" the 7 year old asked as he eyed the Hokage suspiciously. Hiruzen chuckled at the child's spirit as he looked to Karibi, the redhead clearing her throat as she tried to remain as composed as she could.
"There is someone I would like you to meet."
"This lady?" Naruto asked as he crossed his arms, looking up at the stranger. She blinked before an irked expression came over her.
"Are you always this rude to everyone?" she asked as Naruto stared at her for a moment; she was looking at him—not like a monster, but rather, like he was just an annoying kid.
And that almost made him grin.
"Why don't you introduce yourself." Karibi frowned as the Hokage smiled, motioning for her to step forward. She hesitated before she took one step forward, closer to the child. He gazed up at her curiously as she stared back down at him, her expression unreadable.
"...My name is...it's Karibi Uzumaki." Naruto's eyes widened as his jaw fell slightly ajar; she had the same last name as him.
"U—Uzumaki? Bu—But that's my last name too," he said, shocked. Karibi sighed as she glanced to the Hokage, who merely smiled and remained silent; he was going to let things take its course.
"Look, it's a bit of a long story. When you're older, maybe I'll explain it all then." Naruto glared as he placed on hand on his hip while the other—he pointed a finger at Karibi's face.
"I'm not some dumb, little kid who doesn't know anything!"
"Who do you think you're pointing that finger at?!" Karibi snapped back in returned as she grabbed his finger and gave it a slight squeeze. He let out a yelp, pulling his hand away as the redhead glared down at the intolerable boy.
"Naruto, the reason I have brought Karibi here today is because she will be your guardian starting in the next few weeks." The pair both turned to the Hokage. Naruto blinked several times as Karibi frowned deeply. The blond glanced up to the 17 year old as she looked back at him with a weary stare.
"...My new guardian?" He looked back to Karibi, as if his eyes were seeking some sort of confirmation. She sighed before crossing her arms and nodding.
"From here on out, I'm watching over you."
"What about the other lady?" Naruto asked as the Hokage's eyes softened.
"I'm afraid she had complications come up. She was no longer able to watch over you." Naruto wasn't a fool. He knew exactly what that meant; she didn't want to be around him anymore.
Karibi relaxed as she watched the emotions play out on the young boy's face. There was confusion, and then realization, and after that there was anger, but the last one caught her off guard.
It was sorrow.
"Who needs her anyways! She was an old fart!" Naruto exclaimed defiantly as Karibi scoffed; he was a brat, to say the least.
Ignoring the child's last comment, the Hokage cleared his throat as he continued. "I think it would be wise if you two took time to get to know each other before we arrange your living situation." Karibi nodded while Naruto merely scoffed, crossing his arms. Hiruzen glanced from one Uzumaki to the other before he smiled and began to walk away.
"I'll leave you both to it, then." He said as Karibi bowed while Naruto mumbled something under his breath. And when the Hokage was gone, the two were left in an awkward silence.
"...You hungry?"
§
He had requested for ramen; Karibi would soon learn that ramen would be one of the only things he would want.
Sitting at the counter, the jonin watched curiously as Naruto ate his ramen rigorously. Surprisingly, Tseuchi seemed to be on rather good terms with the young boy—unlike most of the civilians, who all seemed to resent the young boy.
Karibi was ashamed to say that she was like them.
"How old are you?" Naruto asked after swallowing a big mouthful. The young woman blinked as she raised a brow.
"Why do you ask?"
"You don't look old enough to be a mom." He had a point.
Karibi shrugged as she sipped on her water. "I'm 17."
"Wow, only ten years older than me!" Naruto leaned his head back as he drank the ramen juice, Karibi staring intently like him.
He was blond, just like Minato had been. And he had his father's eyes as well. But his smile? That had been Kushina's smile; Karibi couldn't miss it. But that was what made it all so difficult. The more she looked at Naruto, the more she saw them. And the more she saw them, the more she remembered. And the more she remembered, the angrier she felt.
It was a never-ending cycle.
"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" Naruto's voice broke Karibi from her thoughts as she blinked, raising a brow.
"I'm not staring."
"Yeah you were," Naruto disputed as Karibi cleared her throat, turning away and sipping on her water.
"Just finish up your food, short-stuff."
"I'm not short!"
§
"This is where you live?" Karibi blinked as she glanced inside of Naruto's small apartment; it was a disgusting mess.
"Yep! This is home!" Naruto stepped inside, crushing garbage as he went. The young woman grimaced as she stepped over it, looking around.
It wasn't a terrible place. If it was cleaned up, the apartment would actually be decent. He had his bed beside the window to the wall to her right and the kitchen was just across from the room to the left. Straight ahead was a room that led to the bathroom; she didn't dare venture that far.
So this is where he's been living for the last few years. Karibi frowned as she approached the kitchen sink, dirty dishes piling up.
How had he been taking care of himself? All this time alone—how had he been getting by? Because, from the looks of it, Karibi had to assume it wasn't easy for him. After all, how could it be for any kid? And the thought made her feel guilty. She should have been there from the start. She should have been with him from the beginning. But she hadn't. She couldn't have. She didn't have the strength to stand by his side; she was weak.
"Alright, stop staring at me like that!"
"What are you talking about?" Karibi raised a brow as Naruto glared at her.
"You keep looking at me like that, and it's getting on my nerves!" he yelled as the woman narrowed her eyes.
"Who the hell do you think you're yelling at right now?"
"It's like how everyone else looks at me too!" Naruto snapped as Karibi relaxed, raising a brow. "Except it's different! You look at me like I did something to you! But why?! I didn't do anything to you!" Karibi frowned as she shook her head.
"Look—"
"That was how she looked at me too, you know." That made Karibi freeze; it seemed he had even picked up a habit from his mother.
"...Who are you talking about?" Karibi questioned after a quiet second.
"I'm talking about the other lady. Ms. Haruka." Naruto stared down at his feet as he kept his arms at his sides. "She was the nicest out of all of them, but she looked at me like I was just...some monster." Karibi felt her heart skin; she was as guilty as anyone.
"...With all the trouble you cause around the village, it's no wonder she thought that." Naruto blinked as he heard a playfulness in the woman's voice. He looked up with wide eyes as she smirked at him, turning and heading for the door. "You behave and I might get you some more ramen tomorrow after you get out from the academy." The blond's eyes widened as he began to grin.
"You really mean it?!"
"We'll see." Karibi threw a wave over her shoulder before she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto stood alone in his apartment for a moment, and though he was a bit lonely, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
As for Karibi, she appeared in her own home, panting as she leaned against the wall of her living room. She kept her eyes shut as she leaned her head against the wall, shaking it.
It was hard. It was going to get harder, and Karibi knew it. There was no easy way out. But she had to try, right? That was what she had promised Minato and Kushina all those years ago—that she would be the best big sister to Naruto. And although she had failed them, she wanted to at least try and make up for her mistakes.
So try, she would.
*Two Weeks Later*
It was always up and down with Naruto. One day they'd get along alright. She'd grab him from the academy and she would get him lunch. The Hokage felt it was good that they spent time together before they officially granted Naruto into Karibi's custody. And although she was dreading the day it all became official, she did her best to push aside her own feelings and get to know the kid. But then, the next day she would want to knock him up side the head. He was a terror sometimes. He would purposefully try and get on her last nerve. And although she did her best to keep it all together, it was getting harder and harder by the minute.
The nightmares made everything harder as well. She was hardly getting any sleep these nights. She could only see Minato and Kushina's dying faces. They were grabbing at her from their graves and Karibi couldn't breathe. And then she was staring up at the Kyuubi, and it was grinning at her—bearing its teeth at her and laughing. But then, an orange fog would consume the fox, and there would be Naruto; that was when the nightmare would tear through her.
"Please," he would beg as he cried, staring up at Karibi with his blue eyes. And no matter what she tried, she couldn't control her body. And she would hold a sword tightly up over her head. His cries would get louder and heavier before she swung and he screamed in pain.
And then she would awaken.
Leaning back on the swing, Karibi waited as she moved back and forth. She shut her eyes and sighed, the lightheaded feeling making it harder for her to breathe. Her feet dragged in the ground, bringing her to a stop. Her purple-tinted eyes watched carefully as children came rushing out of the building like sheep piling out to a meadow. She lazily stood to her feet, waiting as a familiar patch of yellow hair came into her line of vision.
Naruto came running out from the academy with a wide smile on his face. These days, he seemed to be behaving better. Although he still fell asleep in class, he wasn't so disruptive; the pranks never stopped though. Perhaps it was because the teasing from the other students had lessened over the last few days.
Or perhaps it was because he had someone waiting for him after class.
"Where's the fire, short-stuff?" Naruto slid to a stop right in front of Karibi as she dusted off her black shorts and smoothed out her white short-sleeved shirt.
"Did you forget?" Karibi raised a brow as the blond grinned from ear-to-ear. "You said if I was good and didn't get a warning from the teacher today that you would give me a special training session!" The redhead blinked as she tried to recall the memory.
"Did I?"
"You can't take it back now!" the 7 year old whined as Karibi sighed before glancing down at him. She smiled slightly as she nodded her head.
"Fine, fine. Lets go." And side-by-side, the two began to walk down the road together.
§
"Your aim is completely off. What the hell have they been teaching you at the academy?" Naruto frowned, his cheeks dusted pink. He frowned at all the kunai he had thrown as Karibi stared at the untouched targets incredulously.
"Shut up! I'd like to see you try!"
"Short-stuff, I'm a jonin. If I can't hit a simple target then we have bigger problems." The redhead pushed herself off of the tree she'd been leaning against as she strolled over to the young boy. He huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, sticking his nose up in the air. The 17 year old rolled her eyes before she pulled out five kunai.
Standing where Naruto had been standing, the young woman narrowed her eyes at the targets. "You have to concentrate. It's not about just throwing the knives hard. You have to be aware of the way you flick your wrist when you're throwing and just how much force you're putting into the throw." Naruto relaxed as he turned his full attention to Karibi.
She was nice enough. She wasn't like the rest of the grown-ups that he met. Sure, it wasn't like she was the nicest person in the village, but she didn't treat him like the others did. When she talked to him, she talked to him like he was an actual kid. And although he thought of himself as more than just a kid, it was nice for someone to treat him like he was normal rather than an abomination. So, yes, in someways, Karibi wasn't so bad.
And anyways, she got him ramen all the time, so that was a plus.
Quietly, Karibi smirked as she threw the first kunai flawlessly. It hit the dead center and she nodded in approval before she threw the next two at the same time. Naruto gapped at her precision, her fourth kunai flying right after the last two.
Just as the redhead prepared to throw the last kunai, she paused. Her eyes widened as her vision blurred for just a moment. She raised a brow as she lost her footing, a figure standing in front of her last target. Her eyes widened as she dropped the knife, fear consuming her.
It was Naruto with several kunai sticking out from all places on his body.
"What the heck was that?" Karibi snapped her eyes shut and squeezed them tightly at the blond's voice. She quickly turned to look at him as she stared in shock, Naruto looking up at her with a disappointed look on his face. "You hit all the targets and that last one you just messed up!" The redhead said nothing as she stared at Naruto before she let out a held breath.
Slowly, Karibi looked back to the target as she stared hard; there was no one there. "...My hand slipped." The jonin shrugged as she began to walk past Naruto. "And anyways, that was four more than you, short-stuff."
"Hey! Where are you going?" Naruto asked, alarm filling his voice as Karibi motioned for him to follow.
"Food." Deciding that the statement was enough, Naruto followed after the woman with a skip in his step before they headed back into town.
§
He had been chattering away, but Karibi hadn't been listening to a single word he was saying. She had been lost in her thoughts, remembering the vivid image of the mangled boy. It nearly brought shivers to her as she thought about what she had mistakenly saw, but she did her best to push the memory aside as she ate ramen for the fourth time that week. She stared down at her food, her appetite non-existent. Naruto, on the other hand, ate with enthusiasm as he carried the conversation with his mouth full.
He was just a normal kid. That was what he was. He ate like one, went to the academy like when, trained like one, and yet Karibi couldn't shake it. All of her emotions were coming to the surface, and she was having trouble containing them.
"Hey..." Karibi blinked as she looked up, surprised when she saw Naruto looking at her with a frown; if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was concerned. "You don't look so good," the blond commented as the redhead said nothing for a second. She stared at Naruto as she gripped tightly to her chopsticks before she forced a smile across her lips.
"Don't worry about it, short-stuff." Naruto frowned but slowly nodded his head before he glanced to her untouched bowl.
"You going to eat that?" Karibi blinked before she glanced down to her food. Slowly she began to smile before her laughter filled the air. The 7 year old raised a brow as Karibi lost herself in a fit of laughter. And after taking a few seconds to calm down, she nodded her head and sighed with a smile.
"Go ahead." With a grin, Naruto took Karibi's bowl and began to scarf the food down. The jonin watched before her smile softened.
"...After this lets get you home. There's someone I've got to go see."
§
"Karibi. You wanted to see me?" The young woman stood in front of the Hokage as he smoked from his pipe at his desk. He smiled kindly to her as she stared silently at him for a few seconds before she averted her eyes to the floor.
"I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at this. And I know we're going to have more bad days than good." Hiruzen listened carefully before Karibi finally looked up to meet his gaze. "I would like to try though..." He smiled widely as the redhead relaxed, her shoulders feeling just a tiny bit lighter than before.
"That's great to hear. I am relieved to see that you've come to this conclusion on your own." Karibi hesitated before she nodded her head.
"Me too, sir."
Good morning everyone! Here is a brand new chapter to this story! Finally, it's here! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a bit. I got extremely busy with some personal stuff, so I had limited time to actually sit down and update. I haven't forgotten or anything like that! I just needed time, which I now have more of :)
So, here is Naruto! I was extremely anxious while writing him, just because I've grown accustomed to writing Hiruzen and Kakashi and other characters, but Naruto is new for me. I hope that I've portrayed him correctly, and if not, PLEASE let me know so I can correct the situation! I worked really, really hard on this chapter because it was Naruto and Karibi's first meeting. No, it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't a bad start for them either. And I think that's pretty normal for any situation. When you first meet someone, it's not like an initial reaction of rage or happiness or fear. You feel out the other person and see what they're really all about. And I think that's what's happening between them. Everything is going to build up between them. And then we'll see how everything works. Because now, Karibi actually wants to try. I think seeing Naruto in person has really opened her mind up a bit...but nothing's perfect. I'm excited to go more into them!
Sorry for anyone who enjoys seeing Kakashi in chapters. The story from here will be more focused on Karibi and Naruto's relationship for a little. Not to say he won't be around! He's just no longer the focal point. He will be though eventually ;D
Please, please let me know what you thought! I always appreciate reader's thoughts so I can either figure out what I can do better or feel relieved about whatever you guys are enjoying! Thank you for reading this and following/favoriting! I hope whoever is reading this now will continue to!
Reviews:
RandomR15: I did see the revealing XD It was everything I was waiting for for the last 15 years! And I know people believed that it was anti-climatic, but I'm not sure what they were really expecting. From what we observed, we knew that Kakashi was going to be a pretty good looking man due to reactions, and he was human, so it wasn't as if he was going to have a strange face or any over the top features. I was happy! LOL Yes, Naruto and Karibi FINALLY meet. I know it was a long time coming, but I said he'd be here, so here he is! I hope that you enjoyed what I have of them so far. I'm always working hard to keep characters in-character and because Naruto's new for me, I'm not sure how I did. Hopefully well! Thank you so very much for reading! Hope you liked it!
Kit: Yes! Naruto is finally here. I know you've waited quite some time for this moment, so I hope it wasn't a let down and that I got it all right, or at least as right as I could. When you ask about Naruto pairing, do you mean who Naruto will end up with as a couple? Because if so, I plan on keeping him with Hinata. I always thought they were good for each other and complimented each other well! Anyways, thank you very much for reading and reviewing!
Cindy: It was definitely new for her and it definitely opened her eyes to a lot of things she's feeling and thinking! I hope that the moments with Naruto and Karibi were enjoyable to read! I worked especially hard because I know readers have been waiting awhile for this moment! I hope you liked it as well! Thank you very much for reviewing and letting me know what you thought! I appreciate it :)
korohoshi: Yes, in some way that was a bit of a filler chapter. Sort of something that was leading to the main event...an appetizer if you will X) Now that Naruto has finally met Karibi, things will begin to heat up from here. I just hope that I'm getting it all right for you and that you like what I post with them together! I'll continue to work hard, I swear! And I hope you will continue to read :) Thank you so much for reviewing!
KF: I'm happy that you were so excited! Like you said, it's not going to be easy for them. There are going to be a lot of things that Karibi has to personally work out and come to terms with, but you know, they always say that things work out for the better eventually LOL I hope that you like how I portrayed Naruto. I worked hard on him, so hopefully that shows. And I know that the update took a bit of time, but like I said, I have time now so updates should be sooner than later! Thank you for reading this story :) I appreciate you taking the time to do so, as well as taking the time to review. It means a lot that you like what I post! Thank you!
Davina: I'm sorry it took me so much time to update! I promise that the delay in updates won't happen again so soon...I can't promise it won't ever happen again, but I'll try my hardest to make sure it doesn't happen so often and so soon! Thank you for being so patient though! I hope that after being gone for a little bit that this chapter was a good one to read! Thank you again!
ajwehri: I am definitely still writing this! I'm sorry to have worried you :P I swear that it won't happen again in the near future! And I hope that you read this chapter and liked it! Naruto was new for me and writing Naruto and Karibi together was fun and nerve-racking. Hopefully it was enjoyable for you though! Please let me know what you thought! Thank you for reading/reviewing :)