Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters related to the series
Chapter Eighteen
It was strange for Karibi. The only person she really ate with anymore was Naruto—and of course, Kakashi. These days, her list of lunch companions had shrunk due to everyone's busy schedule. With that being said, now she was out to lunch with someone she barely knew. She didn't mind though. She could use the fresh company after being in the same room with the same people for the last few hours.
"Chunin exams finally over?" Karibi looked up from her nearly empty plate of rice balls as Genma raised a brow at her, seemingly entertained by the way she ate so quickly; it was as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"After an extra round of preliminaries, it's finally over. At least, for the month."
"Right." Genma ate at a leisurely pace, his day open and his schedule free. He would have been spending the afternoon with Raido, but the man had been sent on a mission for the Hokage. And so he opted to spending his one free time with the young woman before him.
"Do you always stare at people when they eat?"
"Depends, are they eating like a vulture eats a carcass?" Karibi abruptly came to a halt with her narrowed eyes, glaring at her new companion, the man remaining composed before he took a bite of his own rice ball.
"Lady-killer, aren't you."
"Some would say so." Karibi stared wearily before she smirked and shook her head; at least his sense of humor wasn't so bad.
"...I worked shortly with the Fourth back when he was still around." The 22-year-old completely froze as Genma suddenly spoke, his eyes watching her carefully as she stilled; he had been waiting for the right time so finally say something to her. Amethyst eyes remained on the table, but the tokubetsu jonin knew very well the redhead was listening. "He was a good man. Don't know why, but I thought you should know," he stated evenly while Karibi's expression softened. She slowly looked up to meet Genma's gaze before she smiled slightly and nodded.
"Thanks."
"Yeah."
After that, the rest of the meal was spent in a comfortable silence.
§
They'd been walking aimlessly together. Karibi didn't say much, lost in the distant memory of her former guardians as Genma enjoyed the warmth of the summer day. He didn't bother trying to start up a conversation with his companion; he wasn't particularly in the mood for talking, and it was obvious that Karibi felt the same. Just being around someone else and burning time was enough for the two of them. But after a few more minutes of silence between them, the kunoichi finally looked up and gazed at Genma with shy eyes.
"...What was it like?"
"What?" The tokubetsu jonin raised a brow as he looked to Karibi, the redhead staring at him with a curious gleam in her stare.
"What was it like working with Minato-san?" Genma relaxed before he turned to look forward and shrugged.
"Wasn't very long. I was placed under him just before the Nine-tailed fox attacked," he explained carefully, Karibi remaining stone-faced at the mention of the attack. "He was a fair leader, that much I'm certain of. And he had a good sense of humor." Genma smirked slightly.
"...Sometimes, I like to hear what other people have to say." The brunet looked over to the redhead as she sighed while rubbing the back of her head. "My memories of them get hazy, and I begin to have a hard time recalling certain things I loved about them. But then I hear other people and what they have to say, it all comes back to me," the woman mumbled before she chuckled to herself.
"...Hey." Karibi pulled herself away from her sinking thoughts as Genma nodded to the small sake shop to his left. "How about a drink?"
§
As it turned out, Genma was a funny kind of guy. He was relaxed for the most part, and that made it easier for Karibi to be around him and easier to talk with him. They spoke briefly about the chunin exams before Karibi asked him about his personal experience as a ninja. She returned the favor when he asked her the same question before she lightly touched on Naruto. Genma didn't pry on any details; he didn't care enough, and he didn't think Karibi was interested in sharing. After that, the conversation wheel was up for grabs, and so the 29-year-old asked the redhead her thoughts on people outside of their world; outside of the the shinobi lifestyle. She curiously inquired as to what he was talking about, and then the man brought up a woman he was seeing casually and about how she was not a kunoichi, herself; she was a shop keeper on the other side of the village. Karibi didn't have much personal experience with intimate relationships, but she added her two cents here and there when she found it appropriate to. For the most part she merely listened as he spoke of the woman, a small smile on his face the entire time.
"Can't be easy for you," Karibi pointed out as Genma raised a brow, finishing his third cup of sake.
"What can't be easy for me?"
"Having to balance out your personal relationship and your work life," she commented offhandedly as Genma shrugged.
"I just tell myself it would be the same if I had any other busy work schedule."
"Except the part where you could die at any second," Karibi pointed out dryly with a scoff as she poured herself another glass of warm sake. She noticed the minor stale look on Genma's face before she smiled sheepishly and waved her comment off. "I mean, all people could die at any second, if you really think about it."
"You have a morbid way a thinking sometimes, don't you."
"Guilty as charged." Genma chortled before he swirled the liquid around in his cup.
"Truth is, it's harder to keep people out than to let them in." Karibi paused as she stared at the drink in her hand. She glanced to Genma as he stared out the window of the shop and gazed out at the people. "It's especially hard to keep out the ones that will fight to stand by your side." The 22-year-old repeated his companion's words in her head before she chuckled to herself and threw her head back, gulping her entire drink.
"You're an interesting guy to hang around, you know that?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Take it however you'd like."
§
The two had parted ways near the end of the afternoon, not before Karibi asked to stop by a dumpling shop—which had confused Genma, seeing as they had eaten only a few hours before. He didn't question the young woman, though, when he saw her head in the direction on the hospital. Being as smart as he was, the 29-year-old was able to piece the puzzle together, and as Karibi disappeared into the distance he smirked to himself before he shook his head.
The Copy Ninja was, very much, loved by this woman.
Making her way down the corridor of the hospital, Karibi paused when she noticed a new batch of Anbu at the door, four now outside of the door instead of the two that had been originally stationed there by Kakashi. She raised a brow as she approached the room, the four looking at her and tensing.
"The Hokage has granted me permission to enter and exit when I please," she explained with a curtness in her words; she held her to-go box of food in her hands tightly. The four nodded, recognizing her chakra and trusting her presence. Karibi said no more before she entered, hesitating when three more Anbu were stationed inside of Sasuke's room.
"There was an incident." The redhead look to the window that Kakashi leaned against, his gaze turned out to the evening sky. Karibi frowned before she nodded to the three Anbu, heading in the masked jonin's direction.
"What sort of incident?"
"It's been taken care of for the time being."
"That does almost nothing to make me feel better." Turning to look at the 22-year-old, Kakashi smiled from under his mask, noticing the box in her hand.
"For me?" he inquired, successfully changing the subject.
Karibi glanced down at the nearly forgotten food and then nodded, handing the older jonin the box. "I had a feeling you'd be here."
"You know me too well," the 26-year-old said lightheartedly as he set the box on the window sill and glanced over to Sasuke, the heart monitor beeping quietly at a steady rate.
"How is he?" Karibi queried as she approached the bedside and frowned down at the 12-year-old.
"He's managing."
"That's always good to hear." Karibi was going to try and remain as positive as possible; she wasn't going to make any promises, though.
"So, Naruto asked you to be his trainer?" Karibi let out a huff of laughter as she turned back to Kakashi, approaching his side and standing by the window.
"Shot that idea down before it could even begin."
"You never were made out to be a teacher."
"Absolutely not." Karibi nearly laughed at the thought. "I can barely teach myself, let alone a brat like Naruto," she pointed out before she looked up at her friend. "And you?"
"...I have a feeling there's going to be someone that's going to need me," he responded evenly; Karibi's eyes flittered over to Sasuke.
"Anyways." Kakashi began to make his way to the door as Karibi watched him. He looked back at her as he smiled, his eye shut and curving to match his expression. "It's been a long day. You should head back." The redhead hesitated in the room as she gazed at Kakashi before she nodded and followed after her friend.
"You plan on staying here?"
"Just for tonight," the older jonin answered simply; Karibi nodded in return.
The pair made their way down to the lobby before Kakashi walked his friend outside. They stopped by the side of the path, the sun setting behind the horizon as the evening sky began to settle above them. They gazed up at the stars before looking back at each other, the younger one of the two frowning.
"...I'm worried."
"There's nothing to worry about," Kakashi assured as he placed a hand on top of his junior's head. "For now, focus on the work Hokage-sama gives you. And stay out of trouble." Karibi scoffed.
"As if you're allowed to give me advice like that." Kakashi chuckled before he sighed, sliding his hand to the back of Karibi's head and pulling her close before he placed a solid kiss to her forehead. She shut her eyes and relaxed, leaning into his body and placing her hands delicately on his chest.
After saying goodnight to one another, Kakashi remained by the side of the path, Karibi walking away and shrinking into the distance. The young man stayed in that spot until his friend was long gone, and then he turned back around and headed inside, his shoulders sagging and his hands in his pockets.
He was going to be ready for whatever the future brought.
§
Surprisingly, Naruto had yet to return home when Karibi had arrived. She had been expecting him to be back and begging for food. But perhaps she had underestimated the blond; he had been dedicated to training and finding someone to train him. Deciding to not linger too much on the thought, the redhead began making something to eat, setting out a plate of rice and beef before she took a seat on the couch and let out a long and exaggerated sigh.
She was thinking about Sasuke and Orochimaru, and she was thinking about the final stage of the chuunin exam as well as the Kazekage's arrival. She was also caught up in thoughts about Naruto and who was going to train him. But the thought that seemed to set her off was the memories of a time she had tried to forget.
Shivering, Karibi opened her eyes and blinked several times. She winced when she sat up, her neck stiff and slightly numb from falling asleep in the position she'd been sitting in. A yawn escaped her lips before she noticed a blanket laid out on her lap, and when she looked over to the kitchen, the plate she had left out for Naruto was empty and in the sink. A smile stretched across her lips before she stood up and walked to the door across the way. Quietly, she twisted the knob and pushed it open, peeking in and seeing the blond fast asleep in bed. His arms hung off as he lightly snored, a trail of drool dribbling down his cheek.
"You're a mess even when you sleep," the woman muttered before she gently placed Naruto's arm back under the covers and wiped his face with the back of her hand. She grimaced as she quickly rubbed her hand against her shorts and mentally groaned; she was going to shower before heading off to sleep anyways.
"Goodnight, short-stuff." And with a lingering stare to the window, Karibi shut the door and made a b-line for the shower; she needed to clean up and sleep.
*Three Days Later*
It was rare for Naruto to be home now, so Karibi had grown accustomed to mornings without seeing the blond. It was unusual of him to be such an early riser, but he was taking the last part of the chunin exam seriously, so the jonin was happy about that. Still, her mornings had become quiet, like they used to be, and the redhead wasn't sure how she was to spend her time anymore—other than cleaning up the cup ramen containers that Naruto would leave behind before he'd head out for the day.
Stepping out of her room dressed for the day, Karibi yawned. She ran her fingers through her hair, unknotting a patch as she strolled into the kitchen. Grabbing the empty ramen cup, the 22-year-old tossed it into the trash as she rolled her eyes. "Is it so hard to throw it into the garbage on your way out?" she muttered with exasperation to herself as she opened her fridge and began to search for food. Opting for left overs from the night before, Karibi took a seat at the table. And just as she was about to take a bite, a surge of chakra and a cloud of smoke appeared in front of her.
"Karibi-san." Trying not to act as annoyed as she felt, said redhead set her chopsticks down.
"The Hokage sent you?" she inquired to the Anbu before her. The shinobi nodded before he spoke.
"Hokage-sama would like for you to attend a meeting. You have five minutes."
"Right. And what's this meeting about?"
"It's a grave matter, Karibi-san...Hayate Gekko was found dead."
§
"Some of you may not have heard the news." All the jonin available sat before the Hokage as he sat at a table with his two council members at his sides. He set his uniform cap on the table out of respect before he continued to explain. "Hayate Gekko's body was found near Kikyo Castle last night.
Karibi sat on her knees with a deep grimace across her face. It was just last afternoon that she had seen Hayate. They had been discussing terms for the tournament in order to avoid any issues like with Hinata or Lee. He had seemed completely fine—nothing out of the ordinary. But then what had happened to lead to his death? This wasn't just an accident or some coincidence.
"This is definitely the work of Orochimaru." Karibi looked back at Anko, who was seated directly behind her. Her frown deepened at the proctor's words.
"Although it's likely, we shouldn't jump to any conclusions." Kakashi's calm voice broke through the tense air around Anko, Karibi glancing at him before looking forward and keeping her attention on the Third. "We think Hayate was on the trail of a Sound ninja spy, Kabuto." Of course, it had to have been that bastard. "No doubt Orochimaru is up to something, but we don't know—"
"Well, I say we cancel the chunin exams and go after Orochimaru."
"You should know better than that, Raido," Karibi replied back as she looked to the man two spots away. "You think you can take on one of the sanin?"
"Karibi." The redhead stopped and quieted down, the Hokage giving her a stern look before he turned his attention to Raido.
"Unfortunately, we cannot cancel. He revealed himself to Anko and specifically said not to cancel the exams," the Hokage explained. "You see, these exams have brought together ninja from every allied nation." Karibi tried not to linger on the memory of Orochimaru's face as she kept her hands folded in her lap. She counted to ten in her head repeatedly, hoping that would ease away some of the tension in her body.
There were only a few things in life that really scared the young woman. She had seen a lot and been through a lot, so to hold little fear—even for death, was not uncommon among ninja. But if she was afraid of anything, it was Orochimaru. He was a being of his own league. He was not the devil nor was he a demon—he was a creature bred from a deeper darkness entirely with an unmistakable power, and Karibi wasn't sure if there was anyone now that could take him on.
"There are two things we know about Orochimaru." Karibi ripped herself away from her thoughts as she looked up to the Third. "He has an abiding grudge against the village and his power is great. So great—he could crush a village entirely on his own. And any village would fear him enough to keep him on their side."
"Impossible," Raido hissed with a solemn expression. "No village in the alliance would betray another."
"...Well, the Alliance Treaty is only as binding as any other verbal agreement." The scarred man tensed at Kakashi's words as he looked back at the masked man from the corner of his eye. "As we found out during the last Great Ninja War." The memories were all still too vivid for Kakashi.
"In any case, until we gather more information, this is all just idle speculation," Hiruzen proclaimed.
"We've dispatched Anbu Black Ops to every village to gather more information," the old woman on Hiruzen's left explained. "We would be fools to act too hastily. That might be what our enemy is aiming for."
"When and if the time comes, we will gather the strength of the Hidden Leaf Village and fight if we must." And although it sounded good with words, Karibi was unsure of how exactly the future was going to play out for everyone.
"For now you are all dismissed. If there is further discovery of anything pertaining to Hayate's death, I will call forth upon you." The jonin nodded before they all began to stand. The redhead in the front row caught the Hokage's attention and nodded as she began to make her way over to him.
"For the rest of the exam, you will be coordinating with Genma Shiranui."
"Yes, I'm aware, sir," Karibi said as she nodded.
"Good. Debrief him on whatever he needs to know and catch him up."
"Will do, sir."
"And Karibi?" Said woman paused as she went to turn and leave. "Don't do anything reckless." The 22-year-old nodded at that. He had no need to worry about such things; when it came to Orochimaru, Karibi was anything but.
§
"I'm sorry about Hayate. He was a good shinobi."
"Ah. Thanks."
"Were you close with him?"
"Close enough." Close enough where it hurt.
Karibi sat across from Genma as he read through papers from the file of information she had handed him about the exams. He read through each profile of the remaining genin, his eyes catching her gaze only when he read through Naruto's information; for the time being, this would be a good enough distraction.
"So, this is it."
"That's right." Karibi leaned forward as she got a better look at the papers sprawled out on the table. "They're all pretty talented."
"Nervous about having the kid in there?" The older jonin must have been referring to Naruto.
"It's hard to tell if I'm nervous or excited. Maybe a bit of both."
"You train him at all?"
"Not particularly. I've given him some tips about his taijutsu and his aim, but other than that, no," Karibi explained as Genma handed her the file back. "I happen to be an awful teacher, so training him isn't something I want to tackle."
"Right."
"Well, if you've read through everything, that's all I've got." Genma nodded before he stood, the pair making their way out of the room.
"Looks like I'm all caught up then."
"Looks like it."
"Hungry?"
"Was about to ask you the same thing."
"Food it is, then."
§
Much to Karibi's surprise, she found herself enjoying Genma's presence more than she thought she would. Talking to him, one wouldn't be able to initially tell, but he was funny, and he was mellow, so that made Karibi more relaxed around him, in turn. Still, in her mind she knew what she was doing; she was trying to find a distraction—someone to keep her busy. Genma was no fool, either. He understood what it was the young woman was seeking, but he didn't particularly mind. He had no other plans, and truth be told, Karibi was one of the more tolerable people around the village—in his opinion.
And after losing Hayate, this seemed like a good enough time to make new friends.
"So, you're not interested?"
"Not even a little bit."
"You don't sound very confident."
"You know, I never would have taken you for a gambler." Karibi smirked at Genma as he shrugged, keeping his senbon securely between his lips as he finished his tea.
"Not much of a gamble. After reading his information, that kid from the Sand sounds like a nightmare." He was trying to coax Karibi into betting who would make it to the final match.
"I wouldn't count some of those genin out just yet."
"You putting your money on the kid?" Genma inquired casually as Karibi blinked. She thought for a moment before she softly smiled and nodded her head.
"Yeah. Yeah, I am."
§
Waving goodbye, the redhead watched as her companion began to walk down the street. Her gleaming eyes lingered on him when he met with a pretty, young lady, who's soft smile could make the coldest of hearts melt. She smiled slightly at the way Genma seemed to suddenly brighten, the two walking away together and their arms brushing with every step they took. Karibi apprehensively removed her gaze after a second longer before she turned and began to walk away herself. She continued to smile to herself, and as she walked, she pondered to herself and wondered what life would be like if she had someone she romantically cherished so much. She wondered what it would be like to have someone to love to the end of her days, who made her entire world brighten just as the woman had done for Genma.
"Yo." And then, she stopped wondering completely.
Smiling, Karibi turned and watched as Kakashi began to approach her. She waited patiently with a happy gleam in her eyes that nearly made the man want to swallow her whole in a warm embrace. "How's Sasuke's condition?"
"Fine as usual. Nothing to worry about."
"And—"
"No sign of him." There had be no signs of Orochimaru.
Nodding, Karibi relaxed, her steps in sync with Kakashi's. "So then, what brings you here?"
"Felt like stretching my legs," the jonin stated evenly.
"Tired of sitting around all day?"
"You could say that." He had really just been tired of seeing the same four walls day in and day out.
"How is Naruto doing?" Kakashi inquired as Karibi shrugged.
"Kid found someone to train him, I'm assuming." Kakashi said nothing as he gave a side-glance to his companion.
He was unsure of whether or not telling his best friend who was training Naruto would be a good idea.
"I'm sure he's in good hands," the masked shinobi simply stated as Karibi nodded.
"He's got some good judgment here and there, so I have a feeling he'll be ok." Karibi glanced over at Kakashi before she raised a brow.
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Are you prepared for training Sasuke?" Kakashi thought for a moment before he shrugged.
"I'm as ready as I can be. In the end, it'll be up to Sasuke on whether or not he'll learn anything from what I teach him."
Karibi knew that Kakashi was taking this close-to-heart. She could see through her friend, and she knew that he could see a lot of himself in Sasuke. And the kunoichi couldn't say she didn't either. Sasuke was much like Kakashi in a way. He was smart, skilled, confident in himself, and just like Kakashi had once been, he was cold and calculating. The only difference between them was the fact that Kakashi had been able to overcome all of the tragedies and hardships in his life.
It was time to see if Sasuke could do the same.
"Come on." Kakashi blinked as he felt a hand encompass his. He relaxed at the warmth that spread throughout his body, Karibi leading the way as she held tightly to the man's hand. "I could go for a few drinks." Kakashi didn't bother pulling away. He merely let Karibi tug him along before he smiled under his mask.
He was grateful for all the people who had impacted his life. After everything that had happened to him, Kakashi was sure that he had turned out alright. And although there were still many obstacles that were ahead of him, he was ok. He was sure that he could overcome whatever came in his direction as long as he was holding this hand; as long as Karibi was at his side. And then, the silver haired jonin couldn't help but squeeze tightly to the woman. Because he wondered what his life would have been like had Karibi not been there to ease him through the bumps. And he realized it was a cold and bleak sort of world. Having the young woman in his life had changed his course entirely, and he was truly grateful for her. He could only hope that Sasuke would find people to cherish just as Kakashi cherished everyone that was close to his heart.
Because, in the end, there's nothing stronger against hatred other than love.
Look! I'm still around! Rather proud of myself on that one! I'm hoping to keep this up for awhile and not disappear again...but we'll all have to wait and see how that goes.
I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday! I'm telling myself 2018 will be a little brighter and a little better than 2017, and so far it's been true! I wish everyone luck as they start the new year and I hope that your lives are filled with nothing but positivity and happiness.
So, moving along with this story. I admit, this was a slower chapter, but as some may describe it, this is just the calm before the storm. A lot is going to be unfolding, and I think as we move forward with this story, there's going to be a lot going on. Especially between Naruto and Karibi, I think some things are going to start unraveling and their's going to be a lot put to the test between these two. However, I won't say anything else! You all know by now I'm not one for spoilers LOL
I want to give a sincere thank you to everyone who has been sticking around for this story and following along this far! I want to say I super, super appreciate everyone who is following, favoriting, reviewing and reading! I'm really happy I decided to share this story with you guys, and I can only hope that you continue to enjoy what I post. This started off as an outlet for myself, and I've come to really enjoy it and enjoy this story. I only hope you guys feel the same way!
See you all next chapter!
Reviews:
WindyCitySlayer1: I am also happy I updated LOL I told myself this is not a story I can just abandon. I've had a plan in my head about this story for so long, and now that I'm sharing it, I think it would honestly just be a waste for me to just leave things off randomly. So I'm going to try and continue to work hard and keeping updating as regularly as I can! I appreciate you faithfully reading and keeping up with me, even through the long drags of time where I go missing! I hope you continue to like this story! Thank you so, so much!
Taffdog19943: Hi there! I'm so glad to hear that you like this story thus far! I hope that you'll continue enjoying and reading! And I super appreciate you giving this story a chance in the first place! I hope you had a great New Year and I hope that my hard work continues to show through each chapter you read :)
bored411: Hello! Yes, I think it would only make sense for her to realize things are amiss, but with everything happening, it's not going to be easy for her to address everything. There is going to be a lot happening, especially with Naruto and Jiraiya beginning their training. But I'll let you see as you read ;D Thank you so much for taking the time out to review, and I hope that you continue reading and liking this story!
lizyeh2000: Please don't thank me! Thank you for reading! And for taking the time to review! I hope that you enjoy this chapter and future chapters to come! And I also hope you had an amazing Christmas and New Year, yourself! Thanks, again!
BrideOvAlucard: Hello, there! First, thank you for reading. Second, thank you for reviewing! It always humbles me when people take time to comment their thoughts-good or bad! So I genuinely appreciate it! As a reader myself, I can see where you're coming from with OCs following very strictly to the plot of shows or mangas. As long as writers can make it work and have it make sense to the character and to their story and the show's plot, I think it's not bad! However, in this case with Karibi, I really don't think it would have made any sense for her to go along in the Mist Arc, so I'm relieved that you agree and saw that too! As this story moves along, you will see Karibi flowing with the plot and then branching off here and there. I've always aimed to put my own twist in this with Karibi, so hopefully that continues to come through! As for Karibi and Genma, I'll be honest and say that this will not end up in a love triangle! I think it would definitely be interesting, but with the way Karibi and Kakashi's relationship as evolved I don't think that a love triangle with any character would end up happening. But you never know, things do change LOL Again, thank you so, so much for reading and reviewing! I sincerely appreciate it! I hope that you continue to read, and if you do, I hope you continue to enjoy!
MarinaNina: Hi! Yes, I'm also glad to be back. I sort of lost sight of things during this past year, so hopefully I'm able to stay on track. So far, I think I'm doing really well but this year just started...so we'll see XD I hope that I don't go off disappearing again, but if so, I'll be back LOL Thank you so much for reviewing and reading and following along with this story!