Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden
Chapter Twelve
She had been up all night at her desk going through paperwork. The chunin exam was now just in only one week, and participants from other villages were beginning to cattle their way to Konohagakure. There had been so many genin traveling to the Leaf for the exam, it was difficult for Karibi to keep track of them all. But she had done her best, and she was proud of the information she had compiled for the Hokage.
Leaning back in her seat, the young woman sighed as she ran her fingers through her unbrushed hair. Wincing, her fingers caught on to some knots, tugging at her scalp. She yelped but kept her voice low, knowing Naruto was still fast asleep. With a heavy sigh, the young woman rose to her feet, quietly walking out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. She showered, drying off and changing once she was out, and as she walked out of the bathroom, Naruto emerged from his bedroom, still in his sleeping cap and pajamas.
"Finally awake, short-stuff."
"Man, I'm wiped." Naruto had been running around with his team doing mindless missions. Although he had been hoping for another exciting mission like the one to the Land of Waves, he hadn't been so lucky. Still, they were lucky they had something to preoccupy their time—even if the missions were more like chores.
And it still gave the blond opportunities to outshine Sasuke.
"You're lucky you're up now. Any later and you would've slept in."
"What time—I'm gonna be late!" Sprinting back into his room, Naruto began tearing his clothes off, sloppily changing into his usual outfit. Karibi shook her head as she gathered the files she needed before she strolled to the door, the 12 year old of the apartment tripping over himself before he reached her side.
"I'll see you later, Ribi-chan!"
"Stay out of trouble, short-stuff!"
"Yeah, yeah!" The genin disappeared around the corner before Karibi shut their front door and locked it. She chuckled at the young boy, heading to the railing and watching as the child ran off down the street.
With a smile, the 22-year-old hopped over the railing and landed on the ground as she did every morning. Keeping her stack of papers in a neat pile, the jonin made her way to the Hokage's office, humming to herself as she went.
These days, it seemed the young woman was glowing.
"Ah, Karibi." Hiruzen smiled as the redhead walked into his office. She held out the papers she brought to him as he took them and looked through them.
"All candidates that are eligible to participate in the exam. All neighboring villages' genin have been included—I've also notified them of the official date of the exam."
"Well done, dear," the Third said as he read through each profile. "I would like you to be there when I announce the exam date to the jonin teachers."
"Hai."
"Good. You will see my signal later this afternoon."
"Right."
"Then you are dismissed for now." With a bow, Karibi made her way out of the room, not noticing the smile across the Hokage's face as he watched her go.
§
"You're late."
"Sorry, sorry." Kakashi's excuses never worked on Karibi, so he never bothered coming up with one.
The burgundy haired woman sat at a table as her friend joined her, his shoulders hunched while the lazy look in his visibile eye gave off expressing what sort of day he was having. The woman smirked as she watched the masked shinobi sit across from her, letting out a sigh. "I see you had a rough day."
"It's the same with those three," Kakashi stated as Karibi chuckled and nodded her head. She eyed the man for a moment before she cleared her throat, turning and motioning for someone to come take their order for tea and rice balls. And as Kakashi watched her, a small, pleasant smile stretched across his hidden lips.
"So, I assume there was a reason you wanted to see me—other than you wanting to spend more time with me, of course," Kakashi stated humorously as the redhead across from him chuckled.
"The free rice balls."
"Right."
"...And there's one other thing." The kunoichi gave her friend a more solemn stare as he relaxed, his expression falling while he nodded his head. "...The Hokage has asked me to help plan this year's chunin exam." Kakashi's visible eye widened as Karibi took a bit of the small plate of riceballs that had been placed in front of her.
"Other villages have already been notified and many teams are actually on their way here—some have already arrived."
"I hadn't realized it was already coming up," Kakashi said as Karibi nodded.
"That's right." Popping the last of her first riceball into her mouth, Karibi watched as Kakashi let his eye fall to his tea, his thoughts rolling in his head. The woman smiled slightly before she cleared her throat, taking a sip of her own tea; there was an unnerving cloud of distraction and uncertainty forming around Kakashi that she wanted to ward off.
"It's sudden, which is why I'm telling you now," the young woman stated as she munched more. "I just want to make sure you make the right decision on whether you let your team participate or not," she stated honestly as Kakashi slowly nodded. "And I'm not going to tell you what to do. I trust your judgment. Even if I live with Naruto, you've seen his skills up-close. You know more than I do about his abilities and what he's capable of so far." The silver haired jonin nodded once more, leaning against the table.
"I appreciate the warning."
"I figured you would. Now, hand over those rice balls if you're not going to eat them!"
"Who says I'm not going to eat them?" And although they kept to themselves quietly, people couldn't help but noticed the young woman's bright smile and the unusual warm gleam in the man's eye.
§
She had been going through a dry period with patients, but that was a good sign; it meant that there was peace throughout the village.
Hana sighed as she readjusted her ponytail with a yawn. She sat in the empty and bland break room before she heard a knock on the door. Her brown eyes widened as she instantly recognized the familiar chakra presence.
"Hana, long time no see."
"Karibi?" The medic nin hadn't been expecting anyone, let alone her former teammate. "What are you doing here?" The redhead smiled as she stepped into the room, shutting the door.
"Do you have a minute?"
"Oh, yeah!" Karibi smiled as she took a seat beside the brown haired woman before she looked outside; the day was warm, the sky was blue and the sun was beaming brightly.
"I don't have long, but I just wanted to drop by and give you a bit of a heads up."
"Heads up about what?" Hana asked hesitantly as the younger one of them cleared her throat.
"The chunin exam is going to take place next week." Hana blinked at that. "Kiba will be eligible to participate, and I thought it was fair to give you a warning. It's not as if it's a huge deal, but you know how it can get," the former Team 2 member explained with a gentle smile.
"Wow, already? I wasn't expecting that."
"I think it's a little more startling when your own family is preparing to enter," Karibi pointed out as Hana nodded.
"...Is Naruto going to participate?"
"Well, knowing that bonehead, he will, and I think Kakashi has a lot of confidence in him and his team," the jonin explained as her friend nodded.
"...Thank you," Hana said with an appreciative smile as Karibi nodded. She stood to her feet as she began to make her way back to the door.
"I'll see you around, yeah?" Hana blinked before she smiled widely and nodded.
"Sounds good."
§
"Karibi? What are you doing here?" Said woman approached the double door to the conference room, smiling as Kurenai and Asuma met her at the entrance.
"Hokage-sama called for me."
"Hmm, is that right?" Asuma asked suspiciously. "You wouldn't happen to have any idea what this is about, would you?"
"I think we all know what this is about." Many other genin were coming from all different villages.
"I'm glad to see I didn't miss the party." Feeling an arm wrap loosely around her shoulders, Karibi looked to her left with lifted brows.
"On time, I see, Scarecrow."
"I tend to take these matters seriously," Kakashi replied back smoothly as Karibi rolled her eyes with a smirk. Kurenai raised a brow at the pair, noticing the way their bodies leaned into one another, and Asuma was quick to catch the way the Copy Nin's stare lingered on Karibi's lips as she smiled.
Something was different about them.
"I don't suppose we should keep the Hokage waiting," the youngest kunoichi stated as she stepped out from Kakashi's arm and headed inside. He followed behind the woman at a leisurely pace, Kurenai and Asuma trailing after their friends.
Karibi headed straight for the Third's side as he sat as his desk, blowing a think cloud of smoke from his pipe; it seemed his son had picked up the same habit as him. The redhead leaned forward and mumbled something to the man as he chuckled and nodded, the gathering jonin and some chunin mingling with each other for a minute before their fearless leader began to clear his throat.
"As some of you may have guessed, I have summoned you all here for one reason." The shinobi in the room listened carefully to Sandaime, the man gazing out back at them with a rather serious look; his eyes were gleaming with excitement, though. "It is that time of the year—it is time for the chunin exams." Murmurs filled the room as the jonin talked amongst themselves for a moment.
"One week from today, on July 1, the chunin exams will begin." The Hokage gave a definitive nod to his ninja before he glanced to Karibi, the young woman merely standing quietly at his side just as he had asked her to. "Right now, I would like to discuss the candidates for this year's examinations." The redhead's purple-hued eyes flickered to Kakashi for just a moment before she turned her attention back to her leader.
"Will this year's rookie-genin team leaders please step forward." Three jonin approached the Hokage, the man nodding to his son before he addressed the others.
"Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma—what do you say? Are there any in your squads that you would recommend for the exams?" Hiruzen asked. "Any genin who has carried out eight or more missions is techinically eligible for the examinations. Beyond that, it is your choice." Karibi glanced around the crowd watching from behind the three jonin before her gaze met Iruka's. She blinked before giving the chunin a subtle nod, the worried looking ninja smiling softly to her.
"So then, Kakashi. Begin." The 26-year-old respectfully nodded.
"I lead Squad 7. Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. I, Kakashi Hatake, recommend all three of these genin for the chunin selection exams." It was a rather controversial idea—sending in fresh genin to the chunin exams. Although it wasn't unheard of, when it happened, it was a bit surprising; especially from a man who had failed two teams prior to Team 7. And that had only just been to become genin. That meant that Kakashi had quite a lot of faith in his team, or they were just that prepared; it was hard to say.
Karibi fought from reacting, keeping a neutral expression on her face as Kurenai stepped forward, recommending all of her genin as well. And when Asuma had done the same, well, at that point the 22-year-old hadn't been surprised. Asuma also had Shikamaru Nara, and from what Karibi remembered from his file, he was rather smart when he decided to be.
And it had been a long time since she had seen or spoken with another Nara.
"Hold on, just a second!" A voice from the small crowd burst out, catching everyone's attention. Karibi raised a brow at Iruka as he frowned, stepping forward.
"Yes, Iruka? What is it?" the Third inquired curiously as the brunet shook his head.
"With all due respect, the nine names that were given—they were all my students at the academy," the chunin began. "I know their skills and abilities. And every one of them has had great progress, but it's too soon!" Iruka argued as the team jonin leaders gazed at him intently. "When they try now, they will be sure to fail the exam."
Kakashi turned to face the academy teacher full, and in the back of Karibi's head, she could sense the entire meeting and conversation slowly slipping from control. "When I became a chunin I was six years younger than Naruto is now."
"Naruto is nothing like you!" Iruka exclaimed irately as he moved further forward to meet Kakashi. "Are you trying to destroy him?"
"Well, they're always complaining about not being challenged enough. Maybe wiping out on the exams will teach them a lesson." His words had been cold, but his intentions had been true and honest. And anyways, he had faith that they wouldn't fail. "A little pain is always good." Karibi mentally slapped herself; when it came to teaching and nurturing, Kakashi and Iruka had slightly different approaches.
"Wh—What did you just say?!"
"Oh, nothing fatal, of course. There's no need to worry, Iruka," Kakashi assured, though the look on the academy teacher's face was far from being reassured. "Look, I know it's personal for you, and it upsets you—"
"That's enough, Kakashi," Kurenai intervened, knowing that things would skyrocket soon. The woman gave her friend a stern stare as he narrowed his eye at her in return.
"On the contrary, Kurenai. Iruka needs to hear this," the masked jonin stated before he looked back to Iruka. Everyone watched the discussion intently, no one daring to say a word; it was probably much safer to let them deal with the issue properly. "He needs to realize that they are no longer his students. They're mine." And although he sounded calm and collected, there was an iciness in the tone of his voice that made the chunin want to flinch.
"These exams could destroy the genin, and you know that—"
"You know, he's right, Kakashi." Karibi mentally groaned as the familiar voice rang out, catching everyone's attention. A familiar face appeared from the small crowd of ninja, his bowl hair cut and his thick eyebrows unmistakable. "You're putting a lot of pressure on them."
It had been a while since Kakashi and Guy had last seen each other, so Karibi was sure there would be a lot of competitive tension between them. And there was no one who knew better than Karibi just what that meant between the two rivals.
"I held my team back for a year so they could hone their skills and mature," the man in green said as Kakashi tried not to roll his eye. "You should let them enjoy their youth for a little longer."
Chuckles began to fill the silence after Guy spoke, Kakashi smirking with his eye. "Your concern is touching. But are you sure it's not just because you know your genin don't stand a chance against mine?" This was where it was going to start; their eternal rivalry never died.
"Uh, Hokage-sama, if you don't mind." Karibi finally spoke, catching everyone's attention. "I have a way to settle this issue once and for all."
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised a brow. "Please share your idea, Karibi."
"Iruka, you have every right to be worried, but Kakashi isn't wrong either," the redhead began as she glanced to the masked jonin. "So then, if you really want to know if the genin are ready, then you should see for yourself."
"See for myself?" Iruka repeated as Karibi smirked.
"Test them," she suggested as the Hokage smirked as well. "It can be like...like a preliminary portion of the exam." Karibi nodded at that as Iruka relaxed, exchanging a look with Kakashi.
"Then everyone wins. If they're not ready, then you can call it. But if they are, then Kakashi and Kurenai and Asuma have the right to proceed with their recommendation." Whispers filled the silence and tension as Kakashi exchanged looks with Karibi. She said nothing, turning her attention back to the chunin, who seemed to be lost in thought. Everyone else in the room kept their eyes focused between Iruka, Kakashi and Karibi, waiting impatiently for the decision to be made.
"Hmm. Well then, it's decided," the Hokage stated as he stood to his feet. "We shall hold a preliminary round for the genin." Hiruzen smiled from Karibi to Iruka. The chunin wore a concerned look upon his face, but he remained calm and relaxed. As for Kakashi and Guy, they exchanged glances before the masked jonin nodded, looking over at Karibi, who gave him a wink before she looked back to the Hokage.
"Well done, Karibi. This is exactly why I have asked for your help." The kunoichi chuckled.
"I'm just glad I got them to stop bickering. I don't think I could listen to that for much longer."
§
"Karibi?" The jonin stopped as she looked over her shoulder and relaxed, smiling as Iruka approached her. He smiled back to her and then sighed. "Have a minute for a round of drinks?"
"Iruka, I always have time for drinks." The brown haired man nodded in relief before he began to walk side-by-side with Karibi, and as they headed down the hall, an eye watched them curiously before a voice rang out.
"Jealous?" Kakashi threw a glance to the man approaching him, his cigarette nearly out by the small flame of his lighter.
"I don't have any idea about what you're talking about."
The chain smoker scoffed before he gave his comrade an irked stare. "You can dish it but can't take it, I see."
"If that's what you want to believe," Kakashi retorted back with a shrug before he began to walk out with the chain smoker beside him, Kurenai catching up to their side.
"No hard feelings, eh, Kakashi?" Said jonin let out a sigh as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. The 26-year-old smiled weakly as he nodded, Guy grinning at him as he always did.
"Now what's say you and I pick up where we left off? What'd you think? The day is young!"
"I'm not sure about that, Guy..." The four walked along side one another, disappearing down the hall, though Guy's laughter lingered in the silence.
§
"Iruka, I know you're worried, but I meant what I said." Karibi sat across from the chunin as they shared a bottle of sake; it was early, but it was also late enough for some leisure drinking. Tipping her head back, the redhead finished the last of her glass, Iruka nodding his head as he sighed.
"I know that Naruto has grown, but the chunin exams aren't to be taken lightly."
"You should know better than anyone. When it comes to his ninja business, Naruto is very serious." Karibi poured herself more to drink as she sighed; after all the work she had been putting in for the exams, she was ready for a break and some sleep. "I think we're all just used to seeing the kid as a brat...but I think he's grown and gotten stronger," Naruto's guardian stated as she smiled brightly.
"...You really think he's ready for this?"
"I don't think there's any real way to be ready for the chunin exams. But I think that Naruto has what it takes to get through to the end." Iruka stared at the young woman across from him before he relaxed and smiled, finishing his glass before he sighed. "And you know what? Let's say he does fail. Let's say that he ends up not passing, and he stays a genin. Then he gets up and learns to try harder and do better. That's what it ultimately comes down to." The academy teacher chuckled as he nodded his head.
"I see where Naruto may have gotten his gumption and strength." Karibi blinked at the comment as Iruka smiled softly to her. The woman relaxed before she shrugged.
"You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Iruka. When are you going to get yourself a girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?! I don't know about that! And anyways, how did the topic change so suddenly?" Karibi laughed as her friend scratched the bridge of his nose innocently before he began to chuckle as well.
Perhaps he needed to have a bit more faith in the genin; he was about to see for himself, just how strong they truly were.
§
It had been a long day. The sun had finally gone down, settling beneath the horizon and letting the stars and moon reign over the night. People began to return home, seeking refuge from the evening and resting for the next day. A young blond walked down the nearly empty streets after spending the day training; after running into the sand genin, he had been even more dedicated to getting stronger and better. As he strolled tiredly down the road, he never noticed the shadow behind him.
A loud yelp echoed through the night as a hand firmly and quickly grasped Naruto by the back of his neck. He tensed as he began to flail before he was released, a smirking woman placing her hands on her hips as the boy turned and pointed an accusing finger at her. "What the heck was that, Ribi-chan?!"
"How can you call yourself a ninja? I was walking behind you for five minutes and you didn't notice."
"Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Naruto snapped as he relaxed, happy to know that it was merely the redhead behind him.
"It wasn't as if I was concealing myself, short-stuff," Karibi stated as she gave him an unimpressed stare. "You should have been paying more attention. You would have noticed my chakra." The 12-year-old pouted as his guardian shook her head before patting the top of his head and walking ahead of him.
"You shouldn't be giving me any advice, Ribi-chan! You're the worst teacher in the village!" She couldn't argue there.
Continuing down the road, Karibi didn't bother waiting for Naruto, the young boy quickly running to catch up to the jonin. She glanced down at the boy before smiling and ruffling his hair like she always did. "Come on, kid. Let's get home. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
Hi there! So, forgive me! I'm a few days late on my update. I normally try and update a new chapter every once a week, but I was rather busy this week so I hadn't been able to sit down and update until now! It wasn't because of any writer's block or lack of interest, which is a good thing! But still, sorry to those of you who are always waiting so patiently for me to update. Hopefully, I'll have a quicker update this upcoming week after this! Can't make any promises, but I will definitely try :)
So, we're now on the cusp of the chunin exam! I always felt like this was the arc that really got the ball rolling for "Naruto". It introduced major antagonists and important characters as well as plot points that were carried out through most of the series. Adding Karibi to the mix and her new relationship with Naruto is going to be something fun and interesting! Some things will change and some things will be inevitable, but whoever continues to read will find out as you go! I always try and keep spoilers to a minimum LOL It'll also be interesting to see how Karibi and Kakashi's relationship carries out throughout this story!
Thank you to everyone who gave this story a chance, thank you to those who decided to stick around, and thank you to all of the readers who have favorited and followed this story! I hope that my hard work shows and that you will all continue to enjoy this story to the fullest! If there's anything I can do better or change, please feel free to let me know!
Thanks again!
Reviews:
ajwehri: Writing that chapter was the utmost fun for me, personally XD I think the idea of walking on tip-toes around Naruto about Karibi and Kakashi is just too much fun and hard to pass up. We'll see how long that progresses for and just what happens, though, just a thought, bad timing with Naruto may be happening more frequently in the future ;D Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
Queen62010: Hello! I'm so glad to hear that you are enjoying this version of the "Naruto" series and Karibi's involvement! I know that it took me a bit longer to update this time around, but I normally try to update within 7 days, at most, from the last time I updated. I hope not to have a longer period of time than that, but like I said before, I had run into some busy scheduling issues, so I had to prolong the update process a bit :P But thank you for being patient with me and thank you for reading, at all! I appreciating you doing so!
Rina Dragonfly: It was definitely a bit of both LOL He was just a hair from seeing the intimacy between Karibi and Kakashi, but also still half asleep. If he had seen them in that moment, he probably would have ended up thinking he was dreaming it all up XD Thank you for the review and thank you so, so much for reading and keeping up with this story!
Civic1980: Hi there! Yes, this awaited moment between Kakashi and Karibi finally came! I know they did technically share a kiss prior to this, but this kiss was definitely more meaningful in the fact that this kiss was about finally seeing true feelings for what they were and accepting them as they were. Only time will tell what happens between those two! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this story! I hope you have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy :)
bored411: I have that exact moment of Naruto's discovery just painted in my head. It's going to be a great chapter to write out :D Now that we've gotten into the chunin exams, I will say things will probably be a bit more serious from here on out. The entire theme of that arc and what happens is a bit more solemn and dark, so obviously the story will follow suit, but I do hope to try and keep the same humorous element to this story as it goes on! Karibi's interactions will definitely be interesting, especially with Orochimaru's re-entrance into her life and his official entrance into Naruto's life. Who knows what will happen ;D Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate the support!
Cinder Hahn: Yes! Our beloved Kakashi has finally opened his eyes to the truth. I always picture him sort of knowing the truth deep down inside, but I think that moment in the last chapter is when he actually accepted it and actually dealt with those actual feelings rather than just slightly acknowledging them and then moving on to something else. It'll be fun to see how things progress between those two now LOL Thank you for reading! I hope you will continue to read! I will continue to try and work hard!
WindyCitySlayer1: I'm very relieved to hear that you enjoyed that last chapter! If there's anything I could do better or that needs to be fixed, please feel free to let me know! I appreciate you taking the time to read and leave a review! Thank you so much :)
lizy2000: Kakashi's such a natural at being mischievous and sneaky, even if he's not meaning to. I'm sure you'll see more "sneakiness" from him in the future ;D Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed that last chapter and this chapter, as well!
LilyVampire: Yes! It was honestly terrible. I'm actually still somewhat recovering from that same sickness. Thankfully, I'm feeling so much better these days. Thank you for the thought! And thank you for reading this story, as well :D The moment between Kakashi and Karibi in the last chapter was definitely an important development in their relationship! Now it's just about seeing what happens from here on out between them and how they're going to deal with the direction their relationship/friendship is going in. It was actually a complete coincidence that I posted that chapter near Valentine's Day, but I just love the fact how it all came together that way LOL Thank you so much for reading, again! I hope you continue to read and enjoy!
Mr turtle: Hey there! Yes, Kakashi finally stepped up to the plate and did what he needed to do! Now we'll just have to see where that decision will take the two of them! With all the events that are to come, plus Naruto and his sister complex, it'll be entertaining, to say the least XD Thank you so much for reading and following this story up until! I appreciate you doing so and hope you will continue to enjoy :)
Weirdowaquill: Hello! Thank you so, very much for taking the time to read this story! I'm genuinely happy and flattered by your kindness and the fact that you like this story! I've definitely read my fair share of books/stories/poems that have made me tear up and feeling emotional, so I am honored that you felt that way towards this story :D I hope that you will enjoy future updates just as much, and I will be sure to continue to work hard on each chapter that I post! If there's anything that I can improve on, please feel free to tell me! I'm always looking for was to grow as a writer! Thank you, again, for reading! I appreciate it! Thanks!
Davina: Yes! It was such a happy and great moment between those two, but it's only the beginning for them and this part of the story, which means that there are trials to come, unfortunately LOL I always hated reading stories where the protagonist goes through hell, and yet, here I am writing a story of my own with my own protagonist going through hell...XD I suppose it'll all work out for everyone, in the end ;) Thank you so much for the review! I hope you will continue to read and enjoy!
LateNightOwl: Hello! I'm so glad to hear that you like this story and that you liked the last chapter! I know that it was very much fluffy, but I'm always down to write fluff, and Kakashi and Karibi are characters that deserve some fluff in their lives! And I'm also glad to hear that you enjoyed the companion story to this! It was just an idea I whipped together, but it was so much fun to write and I liked being able to portray more moments between Naruto and Kakashi, especially, just because I feel like in the series it's established that they're somewhat close and have a strong relationship, yet they don't really show that development! Sorry to ramble! Thank you so much for reading both stories :)
DeadBottle: Hi! First, I'm going to have to coin "marathoned" from you LOL And second, I'm sincerely flattered by your words! It makes me really relieved and proud to hear that someone thinks that highly of this story. I've truly put in a lot of time and effort and thought into it, so I'm glad that you are enjoying this story and think it's good! I know that this update took a bit longer than it should have, but I am definitely still updating and I will be updating until the end of this story! So there's nothing to worry about there :) Thank you so much for your kind words and for your support! Thank you!