Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden
Chapter Ten
"How have you been, sensei?"
Two women sat across from each other at a table in the corner of a small tea shop. Several others sat around them, but everyone kept to their own personal conversations, ignoring whatever else was going on around them.
"I've been well! And how about you? I see you just got out of the hospital?"
"Ah, yeah," Karibi said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "I was a bit overconfident in myself and let the enemy get the best of me," she explained as she recalled the very moment of her mission that she had been blindsided.
"Wow! You letting someone get the best of you?"
"I know, I know. Don't remind me," the 22-year-old groaned lightheartedly as her sensei laughed.
"And how are things with Naruto?" The older woman watched carefully for her former student's reaction, the redhead smiling slightly as she chuckled.
"The brat's a handful, but it's going well—I'd like to think." Riku smiled widely. "...It was tough in the beginning...actually, it's still a bit tough, but I'm trying my hardest, these days. Turns out, he brings out the best in me," Karibi stated with a shrug. "...And after awhile...I realized that I should be cherishing the one thing left from them instead of running from it." The young woman stared down at her cup of her tea as she smiled slightly, looking up after a moment to meet her companion's stare.
"...So, you've finally grown up," Riku stated quietly as the redhead chuckled.
"I guess I have." Karibi stared at her former teacher for a second before a curious gleam shined in her purplish eyes.
"Sensei, what happened to your leaf headband?" The woman in question blinked as she reached up to her forehead. Relaxing when she realized that yes, it was indeed gone, the 41-year-old smiled brightly.
"Ah, it's recent—I should have told you and Hana earlier." Karibi blinked. "I've retired now." That caught the young woman off guard.
"Wh—What?"
"I know, it's a bit of a surprise."
"You're not old enough to retire, sensei," the former student pointed out as Riku laughed.
"That's sweet of you."
"I'm being serious! You're still young and strong. So, why did you retire? When did you retire?"
"Ah, well, I'd been thinking about it for quite sometime, but it wasn't official until about two weeks ago." Karibi frowned as she leaned forward, placing her forearms on the table.
"...Is there a reason why?" she asked curiously before the brunette smiled.
"This may sound a bit weird, but I found someone a few years ago." Karibi's eyes widened.
"As in—"
"Yes, yes. It's exactly what you think," the resigned jonin said with a chuckle.
"How come we've never met him?! You've never even mentioned him before!" Riku laughed at the irritated look on the kunoichi's face.
"I've always kept my personal life and my shinobi life separate," the retired kunoichi stated evenly. "It's safer that way...especially when it comes to the things you love most." Karibi's face relaxed as her demeanor changed. The air around her tensed while she lost herself in her thoughts, a distant gleam in her eyes shining brightly.
"...When you get to be my age, you realize that at the end of the road, you have very little left of what you wanted," Riku explained as she glanced out to the rain. "And then you wonder, what was it all for? What was I supposed to be protecting, when everything and everyone I love is gone?" Karibi's eyebrows creased as a deep frown formed on her lips.
"If the village were to ever ask me of anything—if it were to ever need my help, I would be there in an instant, no questions asked. But...I wanted to live the rest of my life enjoying the things that I worked so hard to protect." Karibi nodded as she listened carefully to her teacher's words.
Even now, she was still learning so much from her.
"Well, then cheers!" Holding up her cup of tea, Karibi smiled happily, the older woman blinking before she nodded and held her cup up as well. "To the things we love most."
"Yes. Cheers to that."
*One Day Later*
His body was numb, but all he could see was darkness. He couldn't seem to move anything—not his legs, arms, not even his fingers. He could only stand in the stiffness of silence, waiting for something to happen.
"Kakashi!" Raising a brow, the masked jonin stared into the distance, watching as a spotlight began to shine down on someone. He frowned, the distance too large for him to truly make out what it was that he was looking at. "Kakashi?" the voice called out once again; why was that voice so familiar?
Suddenly, he was in front of the figure. He was standing just outside the ring of light she was standing in, and when his single eye fell on her face, his entire body tensed. "Rin..." The young girl smiled widely to him as she reached out of the light, gently grabbing his hand. The 26-year-old stared down at the little girl with regret in his eye, her hand ever so cold in his. Still, she continued to smile so brightly to him before she began to fade. His eye widened as he squeezed tighter to her hand, not prepared to let her go.
"Wait!" But his voice was ignored. And he could only watch helplessly as she began to fade. Darkness began to consume him once more, the light around Rin disappearing with her. The jonin's jaw clenched tightly shut as his hands formed tight fists. He began to feel himself falling, the rage and guilt and shame he had spent years taming slowly breaking free from their chains.
But then it stopped.
"Scarecrow." Relaxing, Kakashi's body suddenly jerked to a stop. He blinked a few times as he slowly turned, a redhead standing just a few feet away from him with the entire background behind her lit up. She smirked at him with her arms crossed, as if she were waiting for him to come to her, but he couldn't seem to move his legs. He could only stand there and stare, too hesitant to approach her.
She would just be another Rin. She would just be another Obito; she would just be another person he couldn't protect. And Kakashi didn't want that. What he wanted was for Karibi to live a long and prosperous life. He wanted her to glow and be happy and live on until her very last days. Because that was what she truly deserved. And he couldn't give her that. He couldn't give her the life she deserved.
"Don't be so stupid," the young woman's voice rang out. Kakashi frowned under his mask, but his muscles flexed within his entire body when Karibi suddenly popped up in front of him, the light following her and spreading through the darkness in which he was engulfed in. "Didn't I say we'd do this together?" The silver haired jonin stared at his friend as she smiled up at him, holding her hand out. He stared down at her open palm before he shook his head, shutting his eye.
Ignoring the woman's chuckle, the 26-year-old remained where he stood, his feet planted down on the ground. He didn't notice the sound of light footsteps that moved closer to him, and it wasn't until he felt warm hands on his shoulder and lips brushing his ear that he finally opened his eye.
"Open your eyes."
Kakashi blinked. His eyes fluttered open, his vision clearing and the haziness in his mind finally dissipating. When he could finally see perfectly, he found himself gazing up at a wooded ceiling. A groan slipped past his lips as the ache in his body became all too prominent to his mind.
"Finally waking up, I see." The jonin looked up to find a dark haired woman with a pink shirt and a blue skirt standing beside him, gazing down at him with an expectant look upon her face. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," Kakashi said honestly as he forced himself to sit up; that had been foolish. "It'll be a week before I can move normally," he explained, his voice strained from having to keep from groaning more.
"See. It's better if you don't move. So just lie down." The recovering ninja stared up at the stranger for a moment before he did as told; it had been awhile since someone had told him what to do.
From what Kakashi knew, he had concluded that they were probably residing in Tazuna's home. The woman was most likely the man's daughter, and if that was the case, then his students weren't far from were he was resting.
"Sensei! You're finally awake." As if they had been reading his mind, the three genin came into the room, Tazuna following after them. The jonin relaxed, seeing that each of them had remained in perfect condition; he had been able to protect them, at least.
"Look, sensei. Your Sharingan is amazing and all, but if it puts that much strain on you, then maybe it's not worth it." It was a strange feeling, having other people worry about him.
"Sorry." But he was glad. He was glad that he had them. He was glad that he had been able to protect them, and he was glad that he had been able to keep that promise he had made.
Now, all he had to do was get through the rest of this mission.
§
"Hokage-sama! You can't let them continue with this mission!"
Karibi had thought that when the Third had called her in for a meeting that he wanted to discuss when she could begin taking missions again. But upon arriving to his office, she had found a rather grave expression on his face, and that was when she knew there was something rather serious that he needed to discuss with her.
"I know you're concerned—"
"Concerned is an understatement—Hokage-sama, they're genin! They don't have the experience or the skill for an A-ranked mission!" Karibi exclaimed.
Hiruzen had received a report from Kakashi just that afternoon. And when he had read it, at first, he had been truly worried. But then, he began to read more of the jonin-teacher's message, and he had been relieved; if Kakashi was sure that his students could handle this mission, then he was going to put his faith in them and believe they could handle it, too.
"With Kakashi there, I believe they will be able to accomplish their mission."
"Kakashi is one jonin protecting—not only the bridge builder—but three genin. They don't stand a chance," Karibi pointed out. "You have to withdraw them from this mission!"
"Do you doubt the choice I have made?" the Hokage inquired gently, successfully calming the young woman down. She relaxed as she frowned, realizing her erratic behavior may have been out-of-line.
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama."
"Karibi, I understand you must be feeling worried, but you should have more faith in Team 7. And you should have more faith in Naruto," the old man stated with a smile. The 22-year-old hesitated before she nodded her head, forcing a smile across her face.
"Right."
"As for your condition, I think it would be wise if you waited a few more days until your next mission."
"Yes, sir." With a nod, Karibi turned and began to walk away. She stepped out of the office, shutting the door, and as she stood in the hallway, she grimaced.
What was she to do? While Naruto was out risking his life against a ninja like Zabuza Mamochi, Karibi had no other choice but to wait for his return. And then there was Kakashi, who was going to have his hands full. And she wasn't a fool; if he strained himself with his Sharingan, it would cost him.
With a frustrated sigh, the young woman began to walk aimlessly. She headed out of the building and down the street, hands in the pockets of her black shorts.
The wise words of her sensei began to haunt the jonin as she strolled down the dirt road. She glanced up at the sky, the storms clouds now gone and the stars twinkling brightly. She glanced down, her toes slightly damp from a puddle she accidentally stepped in. She stared at the ripples her foot created, her reflection wobbly and uneven.
When you get to be my age, you realize that at the end of the road, you have very little left of what you wanted.
That wasn't how Karibi wanted her life to be. That was never how she wanted her life to be. When she had started this all—when she had first received her Leaf hitai-ate, she had made a vow that what she would become and what she would do would be for the sake of her loved ones; it would be for the sake of protecting the ones she cared for. But then, without having any control, people were ripped from her hands, one-by-one. And although she still had people at her side that she loved, she wondered if it was all worth it. Risking her life, putting herself on the line, just for the people she loved to be taken from her.
What was she going to do if she lost them all?
Blinking, Karibi raised a brow as she looked up. She had surprised herself; she wasn't home. With a chuckle, the woman shrugged to herself before she jumped up, using her chakra to stay balanced on the wall of the building. She slid a window open and scoffed, shaking her head as she hopped into the room, landing with a slight bounce on a bed. She chuckled to herself before she shut the window and tugged her sandals off. Tossing them aside, the jonin smiled slightly as she stood from the bed and walked over to a dresser before she pulled a shirt out. And as she changed out of her clothes and into the large shirt, she moved with ease. She found herself comfortable in the empty apartment that was not hers, yet it was where she belonged.
Hopping back on the bed, Karibi buried herself in the thick blanket, curling up into a ball and hiding her face within the pillow; it smelled of Kakashi.
It had been ages since she had spent the night at his place. Living in the same apartment as Naruto made it a bit easier for her to sleep in her own bed at night. It was comforting to know that there was someone else around. And anyways, with the piles of missions that she and Kakashi had been taking on as of late, it was hard for either of them to really coordinate and see each other, so even being able to pop up at night and spend the night was difficult. But Karibi was there now, and although her friend was gone, everything about him lingered in the room.
And then she wondered, what would she do if she lost Kakashi?
The thought nearly shook the 22-year-old to her core. Just seeing him injured was enough to make the kunoichi cringe. So, the thought of losing him entirely almost hurt her physically. Because out of all the things in her life she had—out of all the wonderful people she loved in her life, she loved Kakashi the most. And if she lost him, well, she had no doubts in her mind that she would not recover; there would be no second chances for her after losing him.
"...Come home," Karibi whispered before she shut her eyes and sunk further into the bed.
*One Week and Three Days Later*
She had returned from yet another mission, and still, there had been no sign of Team 7. Karibi had been assigned to four missions already, and although she tried to distract herself, every time she returned home, she would wonder if Naruto had come back. And each time she found her empty apartment, she would leave and spend her nights in her friend's home—as if she had been living there all along.
Letting a loud and drawn out yawn emit from her mouth, Karibi stretched. It was early in the morning, and she was sure that most of the village was still stirring and preparing for the day. The sky was a mixture of blue, pink and orange, the sun just peeking over the horizon. And as the jonin walked through the opened gate, she smiled to Kotetsu and Izumo. The two chunin smiled back as she approached them at their station.
"You two seem to be having a fun early morning."
"We could say the same to you." Karibi chuckled as she glanced down at her mangled looking appearance. "You look like you just finished playing in a heap of dirt."
"Yeah, well, can't always have such a pretty face, can I?" the jonin teased with a smirk as Kotetsu chuckled, Izumo nodding.
Giving the pair a wave, the redhead began to head back down the road, but not before Izumo remembered something. "That's right, Karibi?"
"Hmm?"
"Thought you might want to know."
"Team 7 just returned a few minutes ago." A bright glimmer began to shine in Karibi's eyes as her expression lifted. Her smirk shifted into a wide grin as she nodded to the two before she began to hurry down the road. The chunin smiled after her as she disappeared into the village before they glanced up at the sky.
Today's forecast would be warm and sunny.
§
He was feeling pretty good. He was a little tired, but his body had recovered, for the most part, and he was ready to get to more missions and do some more training! After that last mission, Naruto was feeling stronger than ever and he was ready for the next challenge in his life.
But first, he wanted some ramen.
"Ribi-chan?" Stepping into his apartment, Naruto blinked, having expected his guardian to be sleeping or awake and bustling around his home. His brows furrowed together when he found the apartment empty, save for Kushito—who was perched by the window and sun-bathing happily. The blond frowned as he pulled his shoes off, ready to accept the slight disappointment that was creeping up on him.
Just as he toed off his sandals, the door behind him swung open, catching the genin off guard. He blinked and let out a yelp as arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly. With wide eyes, the 12-year-old looked over his shoulder before he began to smile, Karibi kneeling from behind.
"Ribi-chan!"
"You're back!" Karibi hugged the boy tightly as she let out a relieved laugh. After another moment, she stood up, releasing Naruto from her hold. The woman watched as he turned to look at her, an excited and proud smile stretching across his face.
"Boy, Ribi-chan, do I have a story for you! I've got so much to tell you! Believe it!" The redhead laughed as she nodded, planting her hand on top of the boy's head.
"Tell me over ramen, yeah?"
"Alright! This is turning out to be a great day already!" The 22-year-old chuckled as she knelt down once more and pulled the genin into her arms. He smiled as he hugged her back, enjoying the warmth of her welcoming embrace.
"...Ribi-chan, you're getting stuff all over me."
"Oh...maybe I should wash up before we go anywhere..."
§
He was exhausted. It had been awhile since he had to exert himself—especially with the Sharingan. Still, he was glad that the mission had fallen upon his team; they had all learned a lot from the experience.
Setting his pack down, the 26-year-old let out a sigh, happy to finally be home. He shut his door and left his bag on the floor. And as he slipped his shoes off, he paused for a moment. He blinked before he looked to the direction of his room, and then he relaxed. He let a small smile stretch across his lips before he made his way towards his bedroom, and when he walked through the doorway, he waited, a guest sitting patiently on his bed.
"Didn't I say we'd be back in no time?" Karibi sat on his bed as she stared at the wall across from her. She didn't bother replying as the older jonin raised a brow at her silence. He leaned against the doorframe and watched his friend carefully before he took a cautious step forward. He glanced around his room and finally took notice to the way a shirt was placed on the floor and the way his bed had been slept in. And then he realized that the young woman must have been staying at his place in his absence.
"...You shouldn't have worried so much." Karibi raised her head to snap at the man but stopped. Her eyes widened as she stared at a small charm hanging from Kakashi's finger as he held it out to her with reassuring smile. "I had this giving me all the luck and fortune I needed." It was the omamori she had given him for his birthday all those years ago.
It was worn out and tattered—the string where it hung from was frayed from all the times Kakashi used to fidget with it with his fingers. The green had faded but the stitching on the charm had remained as it was; he had kept it with him through every good mission and every bad one, as well.
Suddenly, said kunoichi stood to her feet as she turned to face her host. She quickly approached him and pulled him into a hug, catching him off guard. She didn't seem to mind his reaction. She merely held him tightly before she smiled more, the man wrapping his own arms around her figure and holding her close to him. He shut his eye and emersed himself in everything that was Karibi, lifting her slightly from the ground.
"Thank you," Kakashi heard the woman whisper. He squeezed tighter, the redhead in his arms letting out a quiet laugh. "Thank you for coming back."
Hello! I'm back with another chapter :)
Just as I said, I'm keeping to my word of one update per week. I know it may not be a lot, but I'm actually quite proud that I'm able to juggle all the things going on right now and still have time to post for this story! I've come to find that writing this eases the stress that I've been going through, and it's also just plain fun. Plus, I'm always happy to update for whoever is reading LOL
So, we've now come past the Land of Waves mission. No, Karibi did not play a large part in it for Naruto, but it just didn't feel right to plug her into that mission. I really feel that it was a huge step for Team 7 to go on that mission and to handle things the way they did, and I honestly didn't want to take that away from them by adding Karibi to the mix. It definitely would have been fun to write and interesting to see, though, so my apologies go out to whoever would have liked her to step in and change things up! Don't worry, there will definitely be other things that change with Karibi's presence in the original plot, now. Can't and won't say exactly what, though. I'm not one who likes to spoil things, for those of you who don't already know ;D
Thank you to everyone who's been reading! I know it's been a lot and a long journey, but I appreciate whoever has decided to give this story a shot, and I also appreciate whoever has stuck through with this until now! It truly means a lot, and I just hope that you all know that!
Thank you, again!
Reviews:
bored411: Yes! Land of Waves has come and gone. I addressed it above, but just in case, if you were hoping that Karibi would have jumped into their mission, I'm sorry! I would have loved to add her in, but it just didn't feel right to me. I feel like that mission was a great way for Team 7 to really bond and move forward with their relationship and teamwork, and I didn't want to take that away from them with adding Karibi into the mix. So if I've disappointed you, I'm terribly sorry! Hopefully future chapters make up for it if you decide to continue on reading :) There is definitely going to be more fluff coming with Kakashi and Karibi—as well as Karibi and Naruto, so be on the look out for that! It'll definitely be interesting, when Naruto decides to actually confront his sensei and guardian about their strange friendship. Who knows what will happen LOL Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
WindyCitySlayer1: I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter! I'm hopefully going to be able to stick with this once a week update process, and if that does continue, you will at least get one chapter every few days or so! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate you taking the time to do so!
korohoshi: Yes! I'm glad to hear that! It's very much reciprocated from my end, if that's not weird of me to say XD I definitely do like to take into consideration how readers view the story and where they want to see it go. In my head, I have an overview of what's going to happen, and I usually already have chapters written far ahead of time before I post, but it's not just about me, but about what people who read want to see and enjoy! So I try and accommodate to everyone! I definitely have to agree with you. Although I initially started this story out definitely wanting to convey the relationship Karibi and Kakashi have, the moments between Naruto and Karibi are far more important and far more fun and fulfilling to write! Her relationship with Naruto is sort of what molds her now, and her lack of relationship with Naruto when this first began was important as well. There will be more of Karibi and Naruto to come, so I hope you enjoy that! And I'll be sure to try and keep Naruto as in-character as possible! Glad to hear that I'm not screwing him up—seeing as he's the protagonist of this entire thing...his name is the title of the whole series LOL Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and sticking through with this story! I truly appreciate it, and I can only hope you will continue reading and enjoying!
ajwehri: I think, especially because it's Naruto, there's just no way around a sister complex situation with him and Karibi. You are right about her being one of the only people to really have a bond with him and recognize him (in this story, of course) and I think that is where it's definitely based from! I'm a sucker for Karibi and Kakashi moments, so I'm relieved to hear that you like reading through their moments! I'm sorry that Karibi didn't play much of a role in the Land of Waves arc. Just as I've stated above, I didn't think it would make much sense for her to show up—even if it would have been so interesting and so much fun to write it all! Team 7 needed to get through that mission themselves, and not with any help from Karibi. And they sure didn't really need her, in the end LOL As for Hana and Karibi, it definitely isn't the absolute end for them and their friendship! Can't say how, but they'll always be involved with each other no matter what :) Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate you taking the time to do so and to review! Thank you!
LilyVampire: I'm glad you're happy about the quick updates! I'm proud that this process has been working out so well. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep this up and you and other readers will have consistent updates and I won't drag like I did before ^_^; I think when OC's are added to stories, characters are bound to change and mold differently from the original plots. Kakashi is no different with Karibi! And I'm just happy that you're happy about it XD I know their relationship is very much a...slow-cooker, if you will, but eventually things will really get going, so hopefully you'll stick around for that! As for Sasuke...well, I can't say anything! Not going to spoil things, but I will say a relationship will definitely be born between Karibi and Sasuke as well as Sakura and Karibi! Thank you very much for reading! I truly appreciate you doing so!
bonitalito: Writing moments between Karibi and Kakashi is a lot of fun! Even when they have their more somber and serious moments, I still enjoy it because they've developed so much, so it makes me really happy to hear that you like them too! Subtles things like them doing stuff for each other without the other noticing is just so fitting, especially for someone like Kakashi because I, personally, never imagined him to be the type of character who does things for recognition. He just does them because he cares about the person! I hate Orochimaru too, so I understand where you're coming from. Can't say if things will change or not, but things will be happening no matter what, so you may just have to read on to see LOL I'm glad that you think Karibi fits with the plot and nothing seems forced for you. I didn't want Karibi to change too much or change too little and I wanted it to feel as though if someone like her was added to the plot, it would just seemlessly end up the way it has so far. Inevitably, some things will change and some things won't, but you'll have to wait and see ;D Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for reading!
lizy2000: Hi there! So happy to see that you've read and enjoyed this story so far! I know it's a bit long, but I wanted to be able to add Karibi's past and present into this because both are important, and if you notice, the story is actually split into parts, this current chapter being a part of the second "arc" if you will. Updates will happen once a week, so please be patient with me! I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy! Thank you so much for reviewing and reading and following! I appreciate the support and will work hard to keep improving!
AraelDranoth: Hello! First of all, thank you for your criticism and comment. I truly do enjoy getting feedback because it helps be figure out what I can do better and what I'm doing right. I appreciate all the good things you've had to say about this story, and truly do take it to heart. I'm terribly sorry that you're disappointed though! I do know and understand where you're coming from, and it makes a lot of sense. My fault lies in the fact that I am truly horrible with making decent summaries. Even when someone asks me to summarize a movie I've watched or another book, I'm terrible. So having to write one for this story was difficult for me. I wanted to be able to express that this story was about someone who had gone through trials and struggles in life and it was about someone who was connected to Naruto, but struggled with that, but it was also a love story too? It's quite a bit going on and I just couldn't seem to get it into the right words to summarize. I know the first part of the story was dragging with Naruto and Karibi moments and that it lacked that, but I also wanted to be able to get her past in because I don't think readers would have understood her actions towards Naruto presently without knowing why she was the way she was. Now that we're in the second part of the story, there is going to be much more of Naruto and Karibi and it remains focused a lot on them, but I'm truly sorry that it took me this long to get the story there and that it didn't match your taste! Perhaps I can go and rewrite the summary so that future readers and those who give this story a chance will not meet the same issue you have? Either way, I sincerely appreciate the fact you stuck with this story for as long as you have and I'm genuinely sorry that it wasn't exactly what you were looking for! I do appreciate your review and what you had to say, and whether or not you continue to read or not, I thank you for reading at all! :)