Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any characters related to the series
Chapter Twenty-four
"So, you're really not going to tell me what you taught Sasuke all this time?"
"What did you teach Naruto?"
"I asked you first!" Karibi and Kakashi walked in sync, their pace equal and their eyes on the path ahead of them. They approached the aisle where they had sensed Sakura, surprised to see Guy and Lee, as well as Ino and Choji in the stands. Karibi cringed at the sight of Choji's chip bags sprawled all over the floor, and she had to fight every instinct inside of her telling her to clean up his mess as efficiently as possible; it was difficult.
"I didn't realize Lee was able to leave the hospital," the older jonin quietly pointed out as he began to head down the steps towards where the others had been standing. Karibi nodded hesitantly, her gleaming eyes glued to Guy and his student.
"I hadn't either. He was bedridden last time I saw him." Leaving the conversation at that, the two stopped when they caught everyone's attention.
"Hello, Guy." Said man smirked as his pupil looked back with a wide-eyed gaze. "How're you feeling, Lee?" Had he not been so busy with training Sasuke, Kakashi would have been sure to pay the boy a visit.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Realizing that Sakura had finally noticed him, the man turned to the girl—concern was ever so obvious in the way her eyes gleamed and in the way she stared so intently at him.
"Ah, sorry, Sakura. You must've been worried. We should've kept in touch." Karibi rolled her eyes while Guy merely scoffed, placing a hand on his hip and shaking his head; sometimes, his friend could be so dense.
Surprisingly, to those who knew her well, the young girl didn't bicker or badger her sensei. Instead, she took his apology as it was and turned her attention back to the fight, catching everyone else off guard; in that moment, Karibi had realized how relieved the young girl had been for her teammate's safety.
"...Sensei, there was...you must've known about the mark on Sasuke's neck." Tensing, Karibi blinked, Kakashi's brows raising at the girl's conversation topic. "Is it..." She wasn't sure what to say and how to say it. She had so many thoughts racing in her head, and all she wanted to do was run down into the arena and hold Sasuke close to her; every time she looked at him, it as like she was going to lose him.
"It's no longer an issue." Light sea-green eyes widening, Sakura turned to look at her sensei, the man giving her a reassuring look. "So, that's that." And that was all he would say on the matter.
Eyes scanning the stadium, Kakashi began to count down the number of ANBU stationed around the stands, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Karibi. "Only eight?" he pointed out quietly while the woman beside him frowned.
"That was the highest number of ANBU that Sandaime would allow."
"What could Lord Hokage be thinking?"
"Well, there's no telling how the enemy is going to strike," Guy added in a hushed tone, glancing back at the pair before his gaze returned to Sasuke and Gaara. "The ANBU Black Ops have probably been dispersed and placed around key parts of the village." Karibi nodded before the crowd began to cheer, the excitement overwhelming their feelings of concern.
"All we can do is wait to see what happens. This is what Orochimaru wanted, so if he strikes, it'll be soon." And it made Karibi want to shrink and hide.
"Kakashi!" Wanting to lighten the mood, Guy turned to look at his best friend with a wily smirk. "I'm going to be carefully watching your pupil—to see if your training was any good. After all, I'm still your rival." Kakashi didn't bother answering, at first, his eyes tracking Gaara and Sasuke. He then felt an elbow nudge him in the side, Karibi's eyes also on the genin, but an amused smile threatening to cross her lips.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?"
§
Karibi had to admit it—she was impressed.
Sasuke had become much faster. And his speed made his attacks stronger. Even against Gaara's sand defense, the Uchiha was able to evade it all and move past it to get to the other genin; the thought that Kakashi had done this impressed Karibi even more.
"So. I guess he did learn a thing or two." Kakashi glanced to the woman beside him, a small smirk stretching across his covered lips.
"Did you ever doubt me?" The redhead grinned, bumping the man in the side playfully; he merely chuckled.
"Well, the only reason Sasuke could master this kind of tai jutsu was because of knowing Lee." Said genin's eyes widened as he swiftly turned to the best of his abilities to look at the jonin; having a crutch and feeling as sore as he did made it all so difficult. "Of course, he had to work very hard to master it. Even with his sharingan." Lee was flattered and worried all at once.
There was no way that Sasuke could beat Gaara with just taijutsu alone.
"...What else did you teach him?" Kakashi looked to Karibi with a raised brow as the woman eyed him suspiciously.
"What makes you think there's anything else?"
"Because you're not an idiot." The older shinobi chuckled, nodding his head towards the battle.
"I think you're about to see."
Gaara had warped all of his sand around him like a globe, shielding himself from any of Sasuke's attacks.
Almost.
"Ribi-chan!" Frowning at the disturbance of the fight, the assistant-proctor turned her head at the sound of her moniker, watching as Naruto and Shikamaru sprinted towards her. She raised a brow, seeing the concern etched on the blond's face, and quickly turned to him with her full attention.
"What is it? What's wrong?" she questioned instantaneously as the boy ran up to her and stopped just a few steps ahead of her.
"It's the fight! You have to stop it!" That caught her off guard.
"What?" Kakashi turned to Naruto at that, his exasperated expression appearing through his mask.
"The guy Sasuke's fighting—he's completely different than the rest of us!"
"What are you talking about? Slow down, short-stuff." Crossing her arms, Karibi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"He—He thinks his point in life is to kill people! Don't you get it?! If this continues, Sasuke will die!" Karibi's eyes widened before she blinked, the pedestrians in the stands glancing at the blond with confusion and fear in their eyes; he was causing quite the scene. "Please! You've gotta believe me!" A grimace appeared on Kakashi's face, the man looking at Karibi with a curious gleam in his one eye.
"Well? What do you think, assistant-proctor?"
"Are you worried?"
"Are you?"
"Kakashi."
"I'm asking for your opinion. Do you think this needs to be called?" Karibi thought for a moment before she looked back to Sasuke, who was now testing Gaara's globe of sand.
"...I don't know."
"Oh, come on! You've gotta do something, Ribi-chan! Now's not the time to sit around and talk!"
"You're right, so shut up and watch." The woman narrowed her eyes at her friend, the man's tone towards Naruto not one she approved of. Still, she remained composed, knowing that Kakashi merely had a point to prove to them all; his apologetic glance was enough to sooth her simmering anger.
"Keep your eye on Sasuke. He's about to surprise you." And just as Kakashi had said, he did.
§
The static of his chakra chirped—much like the sound of birds. A chaotic ball of chakra formed around Sasuke's hand as he charged towards his opponent with no remorse.
"You always wondered why I insisted on training him myself." Everyone looked to Kakashi as he smiled upon Sasuke. "It's because he's like me."
Karibi turned to look back at Sasuke, astonished that he was wielding the one jutsu that always seemed to astonish her every time she saw it.
"What is that?" Sakura inquired with astonishment in her voice as Guy intently watched the sprinting genin.
"It's a jab—a jab like no other," the bowl-haired man stated as he glanced back at his rival. "It's the only weapon in Kakashi's arsenal that he didn't copy from someone else." That had taken everyone's breath away. "It's the weapon of choice for assassinations." This was leading to many curious questions about Kakashi; the genin had to wonder—just how powerful and lethal was their sensei?
"The secret of the jab is in the speed in which it's delivered and the ninja's ability to focus his chakra at the point of impact," Guy explained thoroughly while the genin listened intently—their eyes never leaving the sparks of bright blue chakra that exuded from Sasuke's hand. "Once these two elements—speed and focus—have attained a certain level, the chakra actually becomes visible and creates a sound that you're currently hearing. It's like birds chirping."
Karibi watched the Uchiha with every ounce of concentration she had, her eyes glued to his hand. She tried to find the right words to say, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. The awe she was experiencing was inexplainable. She had watched Kakashi use that same jutsu before; she'd seen him use it enough times before. He had told her just how much work and effort and time he had put into creating that jutsu, and now there was Sasuke, using it like it was nothing but a breeze. And she had realized, in that moment, just how much potential he had to do so many wonderful things.
He just needed the right push.
"It's that sound that gives the technique its name," Guy said as he smirked. "Chidori; One-thousand Birds."
§
"Karibi-san?" Looking over her shoulder, the kunoichi raised a brow curiously at an ANBU member bowing behind her.
"What is it?"
"Hokage-sama wishes for your presence," the shinobi announced unceremoniously, Kakashi glancing from his friend to the stranger behind him.
"For what reason?" the silver-haired man queried, trying to keep his suspicions to a minimum; something in his gut was telling him that the situation before him was amiss.
"I'm afraid that is confidential." Naruto blinked as he looked from the ANBU to his guardian, feeling impressed by the fact that she seemed to be so important. He didn't catch the way Kakashi's jaw clenched or the way the jonin brushed shoulders with the woman and slid a fraction in front of her, his visible eye narrowing.
"That's fine." Kakashi looked to Karibi as she smiled, though the glimmer in her eyes revealed she was being cautious of the ninja. "Kakashi?"
"Right." The two shared a look before the redhead followed after the special ops shinobi, Guy examining the two with puzzlement before he looked to his rival. Kakashi's gaze lingered on the pair before he let out a tired breath and turned to the man in green. Though no words were exchanged, it was obvious by the way they glanced at one another that they were on the same page; it had all gone over the genins' heads.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Looking over at Naruto, the 26-year-old relaxed, forcing himself to smile at his student.
"What is it?" The blond shrugged.
"You're just actin—"
"Aah!" Gaara's shrill screech filled the air, catching everyone off guard. "My blood!" he screamed frantically.
Everyone watched in horror, the pain ever so evident in the way Gaara's voice echoed in the stadium. His cries bounced off all the walls and reverberated through everyone's head, Sasuke cringing as he felt something suddenly grab his arm that had infiltrated the Sand genin's orb. He yelped and grunted as he felt claws dig into his skin, trying to tearing his entire arm from his forearm down off from his entire limb. Thinking quickly, the Leaf genin focused his chakra to his hand, igniting the Chidori once more.
And as his screams continued to sound through the air, Karibi blinked.
"What the hell?" Stopping in her tracks, the woman looked over her shoulder and back in the direction she had come from. The dim-lit hall nearly quivered with the sound of the scream, causing the 22-year-old to grimace. "That can't be Sasuke." The pitch was all wrong and the battle had been in the genin's favor when she had left.
"Yes, it is a curious situation." Karibi's eyes immediately drifted to the ANBU in front of her, the man looking back at her from behind his porcelain mask. She narrowed her eyes at him, clenching her hand into a tight fist and taking a threatening step forward.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"So, I've been found out. I suppose that's to be expected from Karibi the Reaper."
"I suppose it is." The two gazed intently at one another before the stranger shrugged.
"She's all yours."
Eyes widening, the woman swiftly span around, deflecting a shuriken flying towards her with a kunai. The high-pitched "clack" made her ears tense, but the kunoichi was sure to stay alert while someone threw a punch towards her face. Reacting quickly, Karibi ducked and lunged forward, driving her weapon into her opponent's gut and listening as he cried out in pain. She didn't bother lingering on him for much longer, shoving him to the ground and placing her hands on the floor. She swung her legs up into the air, kicking the shinobi approaching her from behind in the jaw and sending him flying back into another of his teammates. And as she flipped backwards, her eyes took a moment to examine her surroundings; four other Sound shinobi were rushing towards her.
With a graceful landing, the kunoichi molded several different signs with her hands before placing her palms flat on the dusty floor and focusing chakra towards the tips of her fingers. "Reito kabe!" Without warning, a thick layer of ice sprung from the ground, blocking the four shinobi that had been readying their weapons. Each cried out in pain, the density of the ice causing several of their bones to break and shatter as they collided into it; this gave her just enough time to run back towards the stairs.
"Stop her!"
The only thing Karibi could get straight in her mind was the fact that she needed to warn the Hokage. Whatever was happening—it had been setup. A trap was in place, and something terrible was going to happen. So, she ran as quickly as her legs could carry her, not looking back. She ignored the hollers and orders behind her, her eyes focusing on the shadows that were casted down on the steps. Her lungs burned and her calf muscles twitched with each step she took, but the thought of stopping had never crossed her mind.
Abruptly, the redhead slid to a halt as the ANBU who had approached her, initially, suddenly appeared a few steps in front of her. Having no time to react, the woman grunted as the shinobi pulled his arm back and thrust his open palm towards her face. With the reflexes she had, Karibi turned her head just an inch to the left, the heel of the man's palm brushing her cheek; had he hit her in her nose, she was sure he would have broke it. She cried out and stumbled back, using the wall to steady her balance, but in that moment where her guard had been let down, the man struck.
Pulling out black cuffs, the ANBU swiftly latched two of them on to the woman's wrists, one around her neck and two more around her ankles. Karibi let out a guttural growl, swinging her fist and missing her target, just barely. Her knuckles collided into the wall, causing a hole to form around her fist and the stone to crumble to the floor. She ignored the blood that trickled down her fingers, pushing herself off the wall and creating hand signs.
"Summon—" Her plan had been to summon her lynx and order it to assist in relaying the message of attack to the Hokage, but the moment her chakra coursed through her veins, a sharp shock jolted through her body. Her amethyst eyes widened, pupils dilating, and her entire body jerked as tremors of excruciating pain rolled through her from head-to-toe.
"Tsk, tsk. Those cuffs were specifically designed for you, Karibi-san." Falling to a knee, the woman said nothing, panting as the pain slowly subsided and her vision cleared. Her head hung low and her body trembled as the man before her smirked from beneath his mask. "They're made to send electric pulses through your body when you use your chakra. The more chakra you try and muster up, the more painful it becomes. And for someone like you, that can be problematic, don't you think?" The kunoichi said nothing, carefully rising her feet and lifting her head to glare at her enemy.
"What the hell are you planning?" The masked shinobi shrugged before he turned to leave.
"You'll figure it all out shortly." With that, he disappeared, leaving Karibi with seven Sound shinobi.
"Shit." The woman looked over her shoulder at the approaching ninja, her hands immediately tugging at the cuffs locked around her wrists. Pulling hard, the woman grunted, failing miserably to release herself from the bindings; she was someone who relied heavily on her chakra—even when using tai jutsu.
This truly was going to be problematic.
"Surround her!" Watching as the offending shinobi circled around her, Karibi gritted her teeth before looking down once more at the cuffs. She shook her head, deciding to deal with them later; she had bigger issues at hand.
"So, who am I killing first?" Her eyes gleamed with animosity and hatred, the blood-lust she had pushed aside slowly rising to the surface. Her veins pulsed with adrenaline and a hint of excitement, a wide smirk spreading across her lips.
It had been ages since she had felt like this.
Felt like a monster.
As Karibi awaited for her impending battle, those sitting in the arena slowly began to feel a strange drowsiness consume them. Feathers floated before them as their eyelids began to weigh down and shut. Within seconds, everyone was fast asleep—save for the ninja who had casted the gen jutsu and those strong enough to see through it.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as smoke bombs went off around him. The sound of kunai soaring through the air caught his attention, and as the haziness cleared, he grimaced at the sight of Raido stumbling backwards against the wall; he'd been hit.
"R—Run, Hokage-sama." And as he slid to the floor, his blood stained the wall.
A chill ran up the Third's spine as a kunai was pressed firmly to his throat, a warm body pressed against his from behind. He narrowed his eyes, remaining still and composed while his captor jumped into the air and carried him along on to the rooftop. And as they landed on the tiles, four more figures jumped up, perched on each corner of the roof.
Sound ninja, the old man deduced as he glanced to his people and glanced to whatever ninja he had remaining awake.
He scolded himself severely for not being able to see this coming.
Watching from a distance, Kakashi narrowed his eyes, a dark violet rectangular shield forming around the Hokage. Guy grimaced while glancing around at the others, his eyes lingering on Gaara before he looked back to his fearless leader. "That's a barrier jutsu," he pointed out as Kakashi nodded.
"They've outwitted the Black Ops. And they're supposed to be the best." Deciding to take matters into their own hands, Kakashi and Guy began to make their way down the steps towards the Hokage. Not making it down three steps, the pair stopped when someone appeared in front of them; the one who had begun this all.
"Why are you here?!" Guy exclaimed, the man in the ANBU attire slowly standing to his feet. "Lord Hokage is in danger!" Kakashi glared, the masked man placing his hands together and holding up his index and middle finger. Within seconds, four Sound ninja appeared at his sides, causing the Leaf jonin to mentally groan.
"What a nuisance," Kakashi muttered while Guy shook his head.
"An enemy masquerading as ANBU Black Ops." They should have seen it coming.
"So, he was the one who summoned Karibi away. That means the Hokage never asked for her to begin with," Guy pointed out quietly while Kakashi nodded, feeling his chest clench and tighten.
"It makes sense. Karibi is the only ninja who would be able to break through the barrier around Hokage-sama," the former ANBU stated as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Question is, where is she now?"
§
Heavy pants filled the silence, blood splattered on the walls and floor. Bodies littered the hallway, the light flickering on-and-off. The aftermath of the battle had been gruesome, but Karibi was still standing, her own blood mixed in the fray of her opponents'. The sound of her steps scraping against the floor resonated through the still of the moment, a sharp gasp tumbling from her lips.
For the most part, she had come out relatively fine. But she had been stubborn—she had forced herself through the pain and had used as much chakra as she could muster. Still, she didn't care. Because it had ended this drawn out fight, and she now had the chance to head back to the arena; from the sound of things, she had been too late for her warning.
Ignoring the ache in her body, Karibi dragged herself down the corridor. She moved as quickly as she could, her movements sloppy and haggard. Her head span, but after blinking several times, she was able to gain back clear vision and control over herself; the faster she went, the more help she could give.
Sprinting up the steps, the kunoichi tried not to panic as the millions of possibilities ran through her head; her worst fears could be coming to life. After several seconds, the jonin appeared from the darkness and stumbled outside, taking in her surroundings as quickly as she could. She took note of the barrier around the rooftop in which the Hokage was perched upon, the civilians all sleeping soundly—from what she assumed as a gen jutsu—and there were Leaf and Sound ninja battling all over the stadium. But the thing that caught her attention the most was Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru; Pakkun's presence had nearly thrown her off guard.
A relieved breath fell from Karibi's lips as she smiled softly. Her heart rose from the bottom of her chest, some of her fear alleviated from her mind. Had she had more time to rejoice, she would have gone over to the blond and held him for a moment, but there was too much chaos exploding around her.
She needed to act, and she needed to act quickly. There wasn't much time for her to try and think her options all the way through, but she needed to make sure she didn't make a mistake. And so, she looked around at all the scenarios around her and tried to decide where she would be most helpful.
She was still cuffed, meaning she was still cut short on chakra. No matter where she went, she was going to be weaker than she wanted to be. But she still had enough fight in her to try and assist in taking out the Sound ninja that were disbursed around the stadium. At the center of the arena was Genma and a Sand jonin—the same jonin that had been leading Gaara's team. She could also go with Naruto—who she assumed was going after Sasuke; both the Uchiha and the redheaded Sand genin were gone, which led her to believe Naruto had gone after them. But in the state she was in, she was unsure of whether she would be helpful or a crutch to him and the other genin.
And then, there was the last option.
The Hokage was strong—one of the strongest shinobi in the village. But he was unlike how he was when he was in his prime. Old age had worn him down and had made him wither. And although she had no doubt in her mind that he could take care of himself, she still worried. He was the man who had fought to put her back on the right path when she had lost her way. He was the one who had pushed her towards Naruto and had given her another chance at a family. And he was the one who had held hope for her when she had none for herself. Not only that, but it was obvious that the Leaf ANBU were having problems with the barrier placed around their leader. And even though she was in a dangerous predicament with her chakra, she had no doubt that she could get through and give assistance to the Third.
In that moment, her mind had been made up.
Taking a step forward, the redhead prepared to launch herself forward, but her eyes widened as she caught sight of a Sound ninja appearing behind Naruto. For a split second, time stopped—the man's arm held back with a kunai held tightly in his hand. Her blood ran cold as the unsuspecting genin sat on the floor with a wide-eyed stare. And as her heart beat thrummed inside of her ears, she found herself suddenly screaming.
"Naruto!" The blond looked up at the sound of his name, Karibi's catching his attention. He blinked before he followed his guardian's gaze, fear momentarily consuming him at the unexpected enemy behind him. And as the older man swung, Naruto felt a breeze brush past him; the Sound ninja was suddenly gone.
Stiffening, the three genin watched as a flash of green zoomed past them. The sound of a pain-filled groan filled the air over the sound of metal clashing against metal. Their eyes widened when they found Guy's fist shoved into the enemy ninja's gut, a smirk spread across his lips.
"So—So fast," the wounded Sound shinobi choked out as the man in green pushed his fist further into his target.
"Not just fast, but powerful, too." With one more shove, Guy watched as the Sound ninja bust through the wall, falling to his demise. He cried out as he spiraled to the ground, a giant hole in his place.
"Naruto!" Looking away from the gigantic hole that had been created by Lee's sensei, said boy watched as his caretaker landed in front of him, cupping his face and smiling. "Thank you, Guy." Said jonin nodded, frowning at the sight of his friend; it seemed she had been in a rather tedious scuffle of her own.
"R—Ribi-chan. What happened to you? What's going on?" Naruto had been shaken by the way Karibi's white shirt had been stained red, her lip cracked open and a gash on her temple allowing a trail of blood to dribble down the side of her face. His blue eyes also took notice of the black cuffs around her wrist, but the woman gave him no time to linger on it.
"There's no time to explain."
"She's right." Looking up, everyone watched as Kakashi landed in front of them, his gaze lingering on Karibi before he looked back to the genin. "I'll be explaining this next mission to you, now."
§
"What happened?" Kakashi quickly wrapped an arm around his childhood friend, jumping into the air and dodging a kunai and paper bomb. He frowned deeply at the way the woman clung to him, her body quivering as they landed on the ground; her legs gave out, and she would have fallen had the man's arm not been around her waist.
"I can't explain it all. These cuffs—I can't use my chakra well." The jonin crouched down behind a set of chairs, the older of the two holding the woman's hands in his, and his visible eye examining the bindings carefully.
"I've never seen anything like this before," he muttered, giving a hard tug on the bindings and grimacing; they wouldn't budge. "What happens when you use your chakra." Karibi tried not to cringe at the memory of the pain which spread through her body when she attempted to use her chakra.
"Nothing good."
Kakashi quickly placed a hand on top of the woman's head, gently pressing her further down behind the seat as another kunai flew past them. The man stood up briefly, creating handsigns and pinching his thumb and index together in front of his mouth. "Fireball Jutsu!" A ball of fire hit the two Sound ninja heading towards them, their screams filling the air before they fell to the ground and rolled down the steps. The silver-haired jonin ducked down again, looking to Karibi.
"You can't fight against Orochimaru. Not like this."
"What do you expect from me? I refuse to run away."
"I'm not asking you to run away. But you need to accept the fact that you're restricted with your chakra until those cuffs are removed."
"That barrier the Hokage's in can't be broken through by the anyone else."
"And there's no chance you'll be able to get through without killing yourself." Karibi glared at her comrade, the man staring back at her heatedly. "That's not a risk we can take. Hokage-sama can take care of himself."
"Not against a monster like Orochimaru!" The woman tried not to let the fear appear on her face, but her friend had always been able to see right through her facade. And although he sympathized with the kunoichi, the stern look he was giving her indicated that he was not going to let her push herself any more than she already had.
"...Don't make me do this. I don't want to run like some coward." But the quiver in Karibi's voice was a sure sign that she was going to give-in to Kakashi no matter what.
"This isn't cowardice. This is strategy. By now, I'm sure the village has already suffered casualties. Support is limited, and someone like you is needed to make sure whatever outside forces are trying to infiltrate the walls are stopped." She hated the way he could twist his words in his favor; he was right, and although she didn't want to admit it, there was no other choice. "The last thing that I would ever call you is a coward, Karibi."
With a hesitant nod and a last glance to the Hokage, the redhead nodded. "Take care. You and Guy should—"
"I know. Try your best to use as little chakra as possible," Kakashi retorted back as his friend nodded, gazing at him with a solemn look upon her face.
"I'll try." And with that, she was gone.
Hi everyone!
I'm so sorry...it's been several months since I've last updated this story! It's not that I've necessarily been MIA, as I have been working on another project on my page, I've just been in a funky place as far as this story goes. It took a bit, but I've finally jumped over that hurdle and I'm back again. I'm happy to be back, as well! It's been quite sometime since I've reviewed this story, but I've rediscovered my love for it. I'm hoping to get another update posted within the next couple of weeks. On top of working on another story, I've just been busy with life in general.
So, the bomb has gone off! We've now come to the climax of this arc! Now, it's time to see how it's all going to unravel and how things will play out from here on out. I've been working on what I think makes sense in regards to how some things could and could not change with Karibi thrown into the mix of all of the chaos that's already developed in the "Naruto" series, itself. So I'm excited to write it all out and get it out for you guys!
Also, a random side note, I have changed my user name. Just wanted to address that in this story, so that whoever is reading is not as confused. I plan to update my profile after this as well just so that whoever explores that's known me as my previous username will be informed!
Reviews:
WindyCitySlayer1: I'm glad you found the last chapter interesting! I've been playing around with some ideas about how the rest of this arc will be for Karibi, so I'm hoping after what careful thought I've put into it, you'll enjoy reading and feel that is makes sense for her! Thank you so much for your support throughout this story, and I hope that you continue to read, and if you do, I hope you enjoy what's to come!
bored411: So we're at the mess! Just scratching the surface of it, but we're finally at this final battle of the Chunin exam! Hopefully what I've written and what I write will be enjoyable for you to read! Thank you for reviewing :)
Sky318: Hello! I'm sorry, I'm unfortunately not fluent in any other languages other than English, so for what you wrote, I had to use google to translate. That also didn't quite help because the translation came out a bit strangely. But I think I understood the gist of what you were saying? I think everyone reacts differently to certain things, and Karibi happens to just be a character that lingers and has a little darkness sprinkled into her life! It's always an up and down experience with anyone who's experienced trauma, so you'll be seeing more of that as you read! Thank you for taking the time to review and read this story! If you continue to read, I hope you enjoy!
NaruNaruNaru: Hi there! Thank you for taking a moment to give this story a chance and to read it! I will disclaim, in the beginning of this story, there is not as much Naruto/Karibi interactions. However, there is going to be a chunk of this story coming up that is solely going to be really about those two. And even up until now, the story has shown more of their relationship and their chemistry. I am relieved to hear that you like Karibi as a character! I think in some ways it can be challenging to post an OC story just because, for me personally, I want to make sure that the OC makes sense with the universe/series that I'm writing about and trying to find a balance of how much depth and humor and drama, etc. to write into the character. So, thank you so much! I really do appreciate it! There will be much more Naruto and definitely much more Kakashi to come ;D
PrismRootStarlight: Hello, hello! First, thank you for reading this story! And I also want to say thank you for leaving reviews! And thank you for your kind words :) I'm glad to hear that you like Karibi! It comes up a lot, but I always talk about how I want to make sure any OC I write makes sense to the original series and fits in. It's something I worry about as a writer. So I'm truly happy to hear that you enjoy reading about her! And I'm glad to hear that you also enjoy Karibi and Kakashi moments! There will be more of those to come LOL Thanks again!
Moonacre BunBun: Haha~hi! I would just like to say, thanks for reviewing! You're hilarious, but also, I've been where you are as far as being emotional about stories and fanfics XD I'm just genuinely happy to hear that you like the story and Karibi enough to have that kind of reaction! As a reader, I know what it's like to read a story like that! Thank you so much! I can only hope that you'll continue to read and continue to enjoy future posts.
TheWalkingRed: Hi there! Sorry that you spent a huge chunk of your day on this story, but also, that's so great to hear :D Thank you so much for supporting this story as you have! I've said this before, but I've truthfully put a lot of thought and effort into this story, and although it's not perfect, it brings me genuine joy to know that there are readers who like this! Thank you so much for your kind words and for leaving a review! I started writing as an outlet and found that it now is something important to me, so thank you! This story is definitely not abandoned! Though I warn you, I do tend to disappear from stories time to time. I give you future apologies now! Thank you, again!
Guest: Hey! Thanks very much for reading this and reviewing! I'm hoping that updates will be a bit more consistent for the time being...but I don't want to promise as I hate breaking them! So I will just say I will do my best to post new chapters! I hope that as you read, you like what's posted :D