Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden
Chapter Eleven
"Today is gonna be the day! Today, I show Sasuke who the hell he's messing with! No more him trying to steal all the glory! And—" Karibi sighed as she rubbed her head, setting a plate of food down in front of Naruto. She plopped down in the chair across from the talkative boy with a tired expression, her ears ready to fall off. from the sides of her face
It had been like this for the last week. It was non-stop chattering about how annoying Sasuke was and about how Sakura was in love with Sasuke and how Naruto had to show Sasuke who was the boss. The only problem was, by Naruto caring so much about what Sasuke thought, it seemed to distract him and make him look even worse in front of his rival. But, of course, when Karibi had tried to explain that to the young genin, he merely yapped on and ignored her words; it was a habit he developed whenever he wanted to avoid logic.
"Not that I'm not supportive of you and your cause, Naruto, but I've got to run." Quickly finishing off her breakfast, Karibi gulped down her water before she grabbed her forehead protector and wrapped it around her head. "I've got to meet Hokage-sama. You just make sure to stay out of trouble. And for the last time, maybe you should worry less about what Sasuke's going to do and worry more about what you're going to do."
"Oh, don't worry Ribi-chan! Sasuke's not gonna know what hit him today!" Her message had gone straight over his head.
Sorry, Kakashi. I did my best. The rest is up to you.
Heading out the door, the jonin leaped over the railing and landed on the ground with ease. She began to make her way to the Hokage residence. Her walk had been quiet and short, most of her thoughts revolving around what the Hokage could possibly want to see her for. She arrived to the building without any trouble, making a b-line for the Third's office. Knocking three times, the young woman only had to wait for a second before she was called into the man's office.
"Ah, Karibi. Thank you for coming."
"Of course, sir. What would you like from me?" the redhead asked curiously as she stood before her fearless leader.
"After careful thought, I have decided to ask you to assist in planning this year's first chunin exam." Karibi's eyes widened, having not expected that from the Third.
"Me?"
"That's right," the man began as he smoked contently from his pipe. "The chunin exam will be held here in the Leaf Village this year, and as a result there is much planning to do," the old man explained as the young woman nodded.
"Two weeks from now the chunin exam will begin. I would like you to meet with proctors for all three parts of the exam. You may already be acquainted with Anko Mitarashi and Hayate Gekko, but there is someone you may not be familiar with who will be in charge of the first part of the exam."
"The written portion?"
"That's correct."
"Who is it, if I may ask?"
"His name is Ibiki Morino." Karibi blinked; that was a new name.
"Heis currently the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force." The jonin nodded at that as she kept her hands locked behind her back; through her shinobi career, she had worked very little with the Torture and Interrogation Force.
"I would like you to meet with these three and prepare for the chunin exam. I want a list of all genin that are eligible to participate from each of the participating villages—our own as well."
"Right." Giving the Hokage a bow, Karibi began to make her way out of the office. She stopped at the door before she turned around.
"Hokage-sama, is there are reason why you picked me?" she asked curiously as Hiruzen blinked before smiling, adjusting the hat on his head.
"I have my full trust in you, Karibi." Without saying another word, the Third looked back down to the scroll before the woman shrugged, turning and heading out of the office.
*Five Days Later*
"Ah, thanks for your hard work, Karibi-san."
"No problem. Thank you, as well." With a nod, the redhead gave a slight bow to her fellow shinobi, making her way out of the filing room. In her arms was a stack of papers that she had gathered of all possible candidates for the upcoming chunin exam. She frowned to herself as she let out a groan; she hadn't done this much paperwork in her life.
"Karibi?" Looking up, the young woman smiled as she met a familiar masked man in the hall. He glanced down curiously with his one eye at the papers in her arms. "This is unusual for you."
"I know. I haven't done office work in years. But I have some things the Hokage wanted me to look through."
"I see."
"What are you doing here?" the kunoichi asked as Kakashi held up his mission report.
"Just finished up the last of our missions for the day." The young woman chuckled.
"And how's the team?" she inquired innocently as she began to walk alongside Kakashi, the pair making their way down the hall. Karibi tried not to laugh at the exasperated gleam in her friend's eye.
"It's the same as ever. After all of that time of teaching them teamwork, it doesn't seem to have made a difference." But Karibi could hear the playful tone in his voice; he was proud of his team, and that was a fact.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But, you have to admit, at least they stay motivated." The 26 year old shrugged as they entered an office.
"Oh? What a coincidence." Kakashi and Karibi looked away from one another as they met a familiar pair of red eyes. Karibi smiled as the man beside her nodded, remaining calm and neutral as always.
"Just finished a mission, I see."
"I assume it's the same for you too, Kurenai?" Said woman nodded at Kakashi's question before she smiled to Karibi.
"Long time no see."
"Agreed. Must be hectic with the genin," the redhead said understandingly as Kurenai nodded with a fond glimmer in her eyes.
"And I see Hokage-sama has you running around and working hard," the 24 year old pointed out as Karibi chuckled.
"Seeing as it's been awhile, why don't we meet for a round of drinks tonight?" the red-eyed woman suggested. Kakashi glanced at Karibi, who met his gaze and shrugged.
"I'm free after I go through this stuff."
"Kakashi?"
"Why not." The masked jonin moved past the two women as he approached Iruka, who was sitting at the table. The pair briefly spoke with polite smiles before the jonin turned and made his way back to Karibi, who caught Iruka's gaze and threw him a wave. The chunin waved back with a wide smile before his attention was grabbed by another reporting ninja.
"So then, drink?"
§
The night was young, and the village was bustling with people everywhere. The air was warm and the breeze was gentle, the sound of laughter being carried by the wind every so often. Deep in the village, was a common bar for many shinobi who had the free time to enjoy themselves. Most people who frequented the bar were rather familiar with each other—seeing as they all worked for the Hokage and for their village. Two jonin sat at table near the bar, talking amongst themselves. One man sat in the usual jonin uniform, his forehead protector tied like a bandana around his head and his brown hair just about shoulder length. A senbon stuck out from his mouth, much like a piece of hay or a toothpick would, which was how most people tended to recognize him in a crowd. His companion had a more noticeable trait about him, the weal-like scar running over the bridge of his nose drawing lots of attention from strangers. He didn't care too much about that though; he wasn't the type to fuss much over what others had to say about it.
The two sat at their table and chatted, sipping on their drinks and enjoying the peaceful evening. As the man with the scar mentioned something about a woman he was seeing, a voice called out his name, catching his and his companion's attention. Looking over his shoulder, the tokubetsu jonin smiled.
"Karibi."
"I didn't expect to see you here, Raido." The two knew each other through the Hokage. Although they hadn't worked extensively together, Karibi found his work-ethic and dedication to his job inspiring, and he enjoyed the young woman's company.
"How have you been?" the brown haired man asked as the 22-year-old shrugged.
"A bit busy. I'm sure you've heard the Hokage speak about the chunin exam."
"Ah. I see. So, he's asked you to assist him?" Raido inquired as Karibi sighed and nodded.
"That's right." Glancing to the man across from Raido, the redhead blinked before she smiled and held her hand out.
"Sorry, what's your name?" The man with the senbon in his mouth smirked as he shook the stranger's hand.
"Genma Shiranui."
"Karibi Uzumaki." They had never met personally, but Genma had heard of Karibi the Reaper—having worked briefly with the Fourth Hokage, he had known of Karibi for quite some time, even before her days in the Anbu.
"Nice to meet you."
"Ah, you too. I'm guessing you work under the Third?" the young kunoichi asked as Genma nodded.
"That's right. I work with this guy, here."
"Ah," Raido confirmed with a chuckle. Karibi nodded before her amethyst eyes scanned the small bar. She smiled when she caught sight of her friends before she looked back to Raido and Genma.
"We'll have to catch upon some time soon."
"Agreed," Raido said as the young jonin turned to Genma.
"It was nice meeting you, Genma. I'm sure we'll see each other around."
"Yeah." The 29-year-old watched as the stranger walked away, heading towards a table just across the way. Raido gazed at his teammate with a raised brow before he narrowed his eyes. Pulling his leg back, the scarred man lightly kicked his companion in the shin, the man's senbon nearly falling from his lips.
"Ah—what the hell was that for?" Genma snapped as he shot is friend an irked stare.
"Don't."
"Don't, what?"
"Don't even think about trying anything with her." Raido gave the younger jonin a glare.
"What if I happen to really like her?"
"Shut up."
"On a serious note, that's the Karibi that I'm thinking of, right?" the jonin asked as his friend glanced over to the redhead and nodded.
"That's her. She's one of the best in the Leaf, I'd say."
"I'll take your word for it." Genma smirked as he eyed Karibi a bit longer. "Not that I'm interested, but she's not half-bad looking."
"I wouldn't say that so loudly." The 29-year-old looked over to his teammate, Raido chuckling slightly as he noticed the man sitting beside the woman of topic. "She has someone who's rather protective of her." Genma blinked before he looked back at Karibi's table. He recognized everyone—Kurenai, Asuma, Karibi and then the last one at the table. Realization came over him before he smirked more.
"So, that's how it is with them."
"Don't feel too bad. If there's anyone worth losing to, it's him," Raido said with a shrug, though the playful tone was audible. Genma stared for a moment longer before he chortled to himself, finishing off his drink.
"I guess you're right about that." And although he was no longer looking, his gaze had not gone unnoticed by the man sitting beside Karibi.
"Kakashi? What are you staring at?"
"Hmm?" The masked jonin glanced down to Karibi as she eyed him suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Your glass is still half full while our glasses are all empty," the 22-year-old pointed out with a laugh, Kurenai smirking as Asuma chuckled, pouring himself some more to drink.
"I happen to know how to pace myself, no thanks to you."
"Too bad Guy isn't hear to challenge you to a drink off," Kurenai joked as the one other woman at the table laughed more, nearly spitting the rest of her drink out.
"Let's face it, he'd be drunk under the table by Kakashi."
"Who would like to make a wager?" Asuma asked with a smirk as he lit a cigarette. Kakashi rolled his visible eye before it danced around the bar, watching as two other jonin ordered another round of drinks.
"Seeing as we're all free tomorrow, I'll go get us another round," Karibi offered as she noticed Kurenai setting the empty bottle of warm sake down on the tray. She glanced to Kakashi as the man looked back to her before he sighed, standing to his feet and following after the young woman. The remaining two at the table chuckled before they gave each other knowing glances.
"So, you want to tell me what's been distracting you?" Karibi asked casually as she made her way to the bar. Kakashi raised a brow as he shrugged. Karibi shot her friend an irritated glance before she turned her attention to the bartender. The young man watched quietly with his hands in his pockets as his friend spoke with an older woman, asking for more sake. And as she spoke, the 26-year-old beside her casually looked back to the table he'd been eyeing earlier. He watched as the pair chuckled with each other before the jonin with the scar caught Kakashi's gaze. He nodded as the Copy Nin nodded back before he turned his attention back to Karibi.
"Looks like he noticed." Genma raised a brow as he glanced over his shoulder to Karibi and Kakashi. He blinked as he watched the redhead carry a small tray of sake, her companion walking just a step behind her with his arm around the small of her back, guiding her to the table. The silver haired jonin tossed a look back to the pair, his stone-like gaze lingering on Genma, who merely stared back unphased. And after the pair was seated back at their table, the 29-year-old looked back to Raido, who smirked at him and shook his head.
"I didn't realize looking was a crime."
"Only if you're looking at someone who had Kakashi's attention first."
§
"...What is it?"
"You tell me."
"I don't know what you mean."
"As in what has been bothering you all night?"
Kurenai, Asuma, Karibi and Kakashi had gone their separate ways just a little after midnight, Asuma walking Kurenai home and Kakashi walking with Karibi. The first pair walked away, the smoker's arm wrapped around the woman's shoulder as they headed out. Kakashi and Karibi exchanged smirks at that; the unofficial couple had always tried to keep their relationship inconspicuous, but after drinks, it was always obvious—just how close they were. And as for Kakashi and Karibi, they walked side-by-side at a leisurely pace, the redhead's fingers brushing her companion's accidentally every so often.
"What makes you think something's been bothering me?" the masked jonin inquired innocently as Karibi scoffed.
"I happen to know you better than you give me credit for," the Reaper said with a chuckle. "Let me guess...there was a woman who caught your attention?" The silver haired jonin chortled weakly.
"Not exactly that."
"...There was a man that caught your attention?"
"Well, you're not far off." Karibi blinked as Kakashi smiled cheekily at her from beneath his covering. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes and then shook her head.
The rest of the walk had continued on in silence. Neither spoke, they merely enjoyed the peace of the night as a warm, summer breeze brushed past them. Karibi tucked a piece of hair behind her ears as she smiled, Kakashi quietly watching her with a fond gleam in his eye.
Karibi had never shown interest in other men. Not as long as Kakashi had known her—at least, not in any intimate way. With everything that happened in her life, the last thing she worried about was having any kind of relationship with someone. Even now, she was far too busy with missions and Naruto to even think twice about finding a romantic partner. But the shinobi was curious. Because she was human, after all. And that meant that she had a heart, and she felt emotions, and she felt lust and love.
"Did you mean to walk me to my door or were you just not paying attention?" Kakashi blinked as he looked over to Karibi; indeed, they were now standing in front of her door. The young woman laughed as she smiled.
"I must not have been paying attention."
"How chivalrous of you," the redhead stated dryly as her friend chuckled.
What if, one day, Karibi found someone. What if, somewhere down the line, she met a nice man and they hit it off, and then she was suddenly gone. What would Kakashi do then? Because, for so long, she had been there—holding his hand and being there for him. Could he be the good friend he was supposed to be and let her go? After all, that was his job. As her best friend, all he wanted was what was best for her.
No.
What Kakashi wanted was to keep her for himself. He didn't want to share her with anyone. He wanted to monopolize her and never let her go. The thought of sharing her with someone else made his insides burn. It made his gut twist, and it made his heart clench tightly in his chest. All he wanted to do was make her happy. He wanted to make her smile and laugh and protect her, and he wanted to never let anyone see those sides of her she only showed him. That was what he truly wanted. That was all he had ever wanted.
Her.
The jonin narrowed his eye as he took two steps closer to the unsuspecting woman. She raised a brow and watched as shadows of the night cast down on his face. He stood in front of her with less than an inch between them, his single gaze piercing through both of her eyes. The man could nearly feel Karibi's body trembling as she pressed her back firmly against the door, her eyes filled with confusion and wonder.
"...Kakashi?" she managed to squeak out, said jonin not saying a thing. He merely continued to stare her down, and it was almost like his eye could burn through her skin. Karibi was so warm and her cheeks were a light red. She nearly flinched when she felt her friend move his hands to both sides of her head, placing them against the door. She was trapped, and she felt suffocated. And yet the heat emitting from the man's body was alluring and comforting. And she found herself suddenly reaching up and tucking her fingers beneath his mask; from the way the silver haired ninja patiently waited, the young woman took that as a sign to continue.
Her fingers were shaking uncontrollably. Her heart was racing and her breaths were coming out shallow. But still, she continued, finally pulling down the man's mask and revealing his true face to herself.
She'd never ever asked nor had she ever pried to look and see what was under the mask. Karibi hadn't cared about seeing his face, because that was never what it had been about. It had been about how she could connect with Kakashi and understand him—it had been about how he could see right through her and how he could read her so easily. She didn't need to see his face to know just how important she was to him and how important he was to her. So, the thought had never crossed her mind.
Even that first time she had kissed the man bare on his lips. She hadn't kissed him because of his good looks. She had kissed him because she had wanted to show him just how much she cared for him—just how much she loved him. She had wanted to convey her feelings without words so he would know, because that was what was important to her.
"...Wow..." The redhead had tugged his mask down in a swift motion. And as the tips of her fingers grazed his skin, a shiver ran down her back. He stood before her, his face now exposed as well as his heart—for he would only show those he trusted most and those he loved most, his face.
And he truly was brilliant.
His face was narrow and his jawline was strong and chiseled. His nose was shaped perfectly and had a slight curve to the bridge, and the end of the scar from his covered eye peeked past his forehead protector, stopping just at his high cheekbone. The shadows of the night made his pale skin look dark, his thin lips looking softer than Karibi would have imagined. And had the atmosphere been different, she would have chortled at the small mole that sat on the left side of his chin; she would soon find that she would love that small part of his face the most.
"...Is this ok?" Karibi whispered hesitantly as she watched—for the first time—the jonin smile. She could feel her stomach flutter at his expression; seeing his lips stretch and curve upward was a surreal experience.
Without hesitation—without thought—without remorse, Kakashi leaned forward and captured Karibi's lips with his. His hands lifted from the wall as he wrapped them securely around the young woman's hips. He felt her shiver at his touch and nearly smirked before her hands found their way to his face. His body shook with excitement as he felt one of Karibi's hands rest against the side of his neck while the other slipped into his hair. His lips moved slowly, enjoying the way the woman's mouth fit his so perfectly. Acting instinctively, the silver haired jonin slipped his tongue into Karibi's mouth, and a moan broke the silence of the night—the sound causing Kakashi to press his body flush against Karibi's.
That familiar taste of Karibi's lips consumed Kakashi as he tilted his head more, Karibi's tongue dancing against his. Smacking of lips echoed in the night, the pair staying glued to one another for a few more minutes. Had they been given the chance, they would have stayed their for an eternity—lost in the other's heat. But reality pulled them apart, a sharp and chilly breeze causing the young woman to quake.
Using all of his self-control, the 26-year-old slowly pulled away, not before Karibi chased after his lips, leaning forward and pressing her mouth against his. He leaned into her warm touch, the two staying pressed against each other for one more second before the young woman pulled her head back. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed over. Kakashi merely smiled as he stared down at his disheveled friend for a moment longer.
"...It's getting cold," the silver haired man whispered as Karibi nodded, though she didn't pull away from him. Instead, she leaned her forehead against his chest, burying herself in the shelter of his embrace.
"...Look at what you do to me," she said quietly as she shook her head with a weak chuckle. Kakashi merely smiled as he pulled his mask back up, keeping his arms around the woman. "...Only you. It's always only been you." And that was all he needed to hear.
Suddenly, lights flickered on in the apartment behind them. Kakashi snapped his head up as Karibi tensed in the man's arms. They blinked before the door to the young woman's home creaked open, a yawning blond blinking away the sleepiness as he stared outside.
"Ribi-chan?"
"Naruto!"
"Sensei?" That had been more confusing to him.
Kakashi stood several, large steps away from Karibi as the guardian to the blond kept her arms folded over her chest with a weak smile.
"Why are you up, short-stuff?"
"I was thirsty, and I thought I heard people outside. It was only you guys, though," he said sleepily while Karibi relaxed and smiled. She placed her hand on his head gently before she nodded.
"Get back in, it's cold."
"Ok." With a loud yawn, the boy in his pajamas turned and headed inside. "Night, Kakashi-sensei."
"Right. Goodnight." Kakashi smiled under his mask as Karibi paused at the door. She looked back at her friend before smiling widely at him. He chuckled as he nodded and turned to leave, not before the woman quickly pulled him back towards her and planted a firm kiss to his lips, through his mask.
"Night." And with that, she was inside.
Standing alone, Kakashi remained outside the apartment for a few, long moments. He blinked before chuckling and relaxing. He turned and began to head back home. He glanced up at the cloudless sky and smiled softly.
Little did he know, this was just the calm before the storm.
Hello whoever is reading! Happy belated Valentine's Day! I hope everyone had a nice weekend, and whether or not you had a Valentine or not, I'm here to say that you are very much loved by somebody :)
So, I've been keeping up with my weekly updates! I've come down with a heavy sickness this week, so I've been doing nothing but resting and trying to recover. Although I know it's for the better, being isolated and "quarantined", if you will, has been rather boring. Thankfully, it's given me time to write and focus myself! So much so, I have actually written a...companion story to this! It's a short little something that I wrote when a random thought came into my mind and it's during the time that Karibi was unconscious in chapter 30. It's really just centered around Naruto and Kakashi, but it was a fun little idea I had thought of while I was lying here sick. So, if interested, please feel free to give that a read! If not, that's fine too :)
Thank you for those of you who have decided to stick with this story up until now! I appreciate everyone who has supported this and has given this a chance! And I also appreciate everyone who's following/favoriting/reviewing! You are very much loved and appreciated by me :D Thank you, again!
Reviews:
bored411: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It makes me very happy to know that you're enjoying this story thus far! I definitely think that it'll be interesting if/when Kakashi and Karibi's relationship grows just because they both do have that same fear of not wanting to lose the other. It will definitely be interesting! And trust me, there will be plenty of fluff to go around between them XD Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate you doing so!
Cinder Hahn: There are definitely moments in this story that will make you happy and sad! A lot of the beginning was a bit darker and a bit more depressing, but as we go further along, things will be more even with happiness and sorrow...sort of LOL I'm just happy that you had any sort of reaction to this story, at all! And I'm more happy just to know that you're reading and enjoying! Thank you so much for your review and thank you so much for even reading! I appreciate the support!
LilyVampire: I think that Karibi is the kind of character the puts on a show for people, especially when it comes to how she feels. I don't think she really likes other people even knowing she can be vulnerable, but when it comes to Naruto, it's definitely a more sensitive topic. It's more raw for her just because of her history with him and their relationship that they've built and all the hardships that they have gone through. And although she regularly isn't very sensitive to him and isn't always so gentle with him, her caring about him comes out! As for Sasuke...all I'm going to say is that there will definitely be some interacting between him and Karibi! But, as you might know, I'm not one for spoilers, so you'll just have to wait and see for that ;D Thank you very, very much for reading! I hope you enjoy this and continue to enjoy!
ajwehri: I know! A small part of me wishes to know what it would've been like had Karibi gone to the Land of Waves mission, but I think it just would've been sort of awkward and pointless to have her there. And it definitely wasn't a feel-good moment between them, but I think it was an eye-opening conversation for Karibi. Can't say for sure, but everything will happen the way it's supposed to happen, good or bad :D There will definitely be more fluff between Naruto and Karibi and just more moments between them in general coming up in these next couple of chapters, especially now that we're getting into the Chunin Exam arc! So that'll be exciting! Thank you so much for taking the time out to read this! I appreciate you supporting this story, and I hope you will continue to read and like future posts!
lizy2000: Thank you for reading! I appreciate the support from you and am so happy that you're still enjoying this story! This all started off with the idea of Naruto having someone to guide him and someone to be there for him, so I agree with you on the thought that it's nice for him to have someone to come home to. He, of all characters, deserves it! Thank you, again, for reading! I hope you enjoyed and will continue to enjoy! I will continue to work hard! Thanks, again!