Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any characters related to the series
Chapter Thirty
His entrance had been anti-climatic—not that Naruto or Karibi had been expecting anything more. And in all honesty, the Uzumaki's were more irritated than anything else; it was about time he had finally come to their aid.
As Naruto scolded the man for his late arrival and his unnecessary entrance, Karibi took a moment to lean back against the wall. Her gaze remained locked with Kisame's, his thirst for revenge wafting off of his body and hitting her in persistent waves. Her fearlessness seemed to irk the Mist ninja more, but he kept silent about whatever qualms he had against her. Instead, he turned his attention to the sanin and narrowed his eyes.
"Jiraiya-sama, I must say, I'm a little disappointed. You're nothing but a lecherous old man with the disposition of a child." Karibi eyed the sanin, curious to his reaction; he seemed unfazed by the harsh comment.
"Don't mind what anyone has to say about me, especially this brat right here." Naruto rolled his eyes, unimpressed like the Mist ninja before him.
And then, a thought occurred to the blond.
"Wait! How do they know who you are?" The sanin glanced down at the young boy before his gaze wandered to the haggard jonin. She said nothing, her eyes locked on to the younger Uchiha lying on the ground; her gaze then lingered on the eldest Uchiha.
Ignoring Naruto's confusion, the oldest of the crowd turned and carefully set the unconscious bystander down on the floor. A wave of anger flushed through his veins, his eyes venturing over towards the Akatsuki members. "Using an innocent woman as bait—it's a cowardly tactic." With a deep breath, the man stood upright, his concern now focused on the redhead. "Drugging on anyone is an underhanded plan." Karibi growled.
"Did you think you'd be able to keep me from protecting Naruto?" The genin gaped at his caretaker, the jumbled thoughts in his mind meshing terribly with the chaos he was watching unfold. "I warned you," the woman hissed viciously, snarling at the pair while they gazed steadily back to her.
The pieces were slowly coming together, Naruto gradually realizing that the target for the two strangers had been him. However, his mind hadn't been quick enough to understand what it was the foreign shinobi wanted from him.
He couldn't understand until Jiraiya spoke.
"You're after the Nine-tails, right?"
He was caught completely off guard. The beast that was locked inside of him—the monster that everyone feared—why was it that they wanted it? The very thing that normally drove others away merely attracted the two, rogue shinobi, and it was a concept that was beyond Naruto. The young boy was utterly lost, his tired mind trying to process the astonishing information and the puzzling truth of the circumstances. There was far too much that he didn't understand and not enough time to learn. Yet everyone else around him seemed to be on the same page; it was frustrating.
"It's no wonder Kakashi knew so much. You were the one who informed him." Naruto blinked, his heart thumping loudly against his chest. The beat seemed to echo in his ears, the world pulsing with the quickening pace of his heart. And, again, everyone around him seemed to fully comprehend the circumstances, yet he was at a loss.
It was only angering him.
"Our number one priority at this time is the apprehension of the Kyuubi." A burst of wild laughter filled the air.
And then, Karibi was on the move.
As if she were one of Jiraiya's toads, the kunoichi leapt over the sanin's summoned creature. She moved with grace, flipping forward in the air and letting the bottom of her foot press hard into Kisame's chest; the unsuspecting ninja crashed into the floor. Jiraiya was quick to follow the woman's lead, grabbing Naruto by his shoulder and tugging him back as his summoned toad disappeared. The blond's yelp went ignored, the boy tripping over himself and landing in a heap on the floor. With his wide blue eyes, the genin watched as Karibi landed on the rogue Mist ninja, crouched down and her concentrated gaze set on her next target.
Launching forward, the jonin zoomed towards Sasuke, hoisting him up with her arms under his. She was precise with the way she maneuvered him in her grasp, avoiding contact with his broken limb. It took only four generous leaps before the two were at the other end of the corridor, Karibi breathing heavily to herself while Sasuke winced, his head spinning but his bearings still intact.
"Jiraiya!" Glancing over her shoulder, Karibi narrowed her gaze at said man, who smirked and nodded; Naruto continued gawking at the scene.
"Shit." Kisame grit his jagged teeth, using his blade to stand back to his feet. Turning his head a fraction to glare over his shoulder, he snarled at the woman—who returned his animosity with her own heated stare. "You—"
"Kisame." Itachi's voice was stern and crisp, his partner pausing at the intensity in his name. Every ounce of self-control was seeping from the Mist ninja, but he remained composed enough to turn his attention back to the problem at hand.
Taking on a sanin would be next to impossible.
"Looks like I'll be taking care of the both of you right here, right now." The confident gleam in Jiraiya's eyes was unsettling for the Akatsuki members, though their expressions remained stone-cold. "I—"
"Don't!"
Everyone was startled by Sasuke's sudden cry. There was a desperation that was hidden beneath the rage and hatred, his voice quivering as he glared at his brother's back. Karibi blinked, shocked that the young Uchiha had yet to fall unconscious from the pain of his broken arm. The boy paid her no attention, the ferocious look on his features almost unnerving to her.
"This has nothing to do with you!" Sasuke snapped, using his good arm to push Karibi back. "The only person who is going to kill him is me!"
"Sasuke, you're in no shape," Karibi warned, her voice low and her eyes heavy with concern. She could feel the wavering of his chakra, and the pain from his injury was still present. Yet he held his head high and let his fury consume him. And for a brief moment, she worried about the curse mark on his neck. She found herself fearing the worst for the Uchiha—what his loneliness and sorrow would make of him. And then she remembered what it had made of her; the thought made her heart sink.
"You can hate me all you want for this, but you're not going anywhere," the jonin stated decidedly, causing the boy to glare up at her; for a second, his hatred was directed towards her.
"This doesn't concern—" Sasuke's pupils shrunk, a shadow suddenly looming over them both. Karibi was already on the move, spinning on her heels and holding her arms up to block the leg swinging towards her. A deep grunt erupted from the kunoichi, her balance lost as she flew down the hall and skid against the floor. Her landing was harsh, a yelp falling from her lips when the side of her head hit the wooden floor.
"Ribi-chan!" Naruto darted forward, his initial reaction to tend to his caretaker. And had Jiraiya not been standing a few steps in front of him, he was sure he could have gotten to the woman's side swiftly. Yet the sanin held him back, holding him by his arm and tugging him behind his back. "Let me go!"
Stumbling backwards, the 13-year-old's back hit the wall. He gazed at his brother—who treated him like he was nothing but a fly on the wall. The young boy could only watch in silence as Itachi strode past him, his Sharingan eyes tracking Karibi while she moaned and began to shift from her position on the floor.
"Damn it." The rogue Leaf ninja had caught her off guard. She should have been able to sense him sooner—she should have been able to react faster. But in her current, fuzzy state of mind, she knew she was no match for him. She was hardly a match for the young man in a healthy state of mind; she knew better than to assume otherwise. Still, she didn't dare show vulnerability, forcing herself to sit on her knees while she caught her breath and let her vision straighten out.
"Karibi Uzumaki." Itachi's deep voice sent shivers down the redhead's back.
He hadn't expected anything less from Karibi. He had known her briefly in his time at the Leaf, and even thereafter, he had heard many tales about Karibi the Reaper. Itachi was smart. He was wiser than others would expect. He knew a strong, worthy opponent when he saw one. And Karibi was such. There was a conviction in her eyes and words that he hardly saw in anyone; when she had declared them dead for targeting Naruto, Itachi could feel to his very core that she had meant it. Even after the dose of the drug he had administered to the kunoichi, she had been able to break free and even function enough to stand against Kisame and himself.
No, she was not one to be trifled with.
"Just as I thought, it's as if your body is a never-ending fountain of chakra." The woman felt her lips twitch into a frown, his voice grower louder and he approached her.
"...You're not taking Naruto."
"I'm afraid that's not for you to decide."
"I'll die before you lay your hands on him."
"Then I suppose this is the end for you."
Sasuke watched with wide eyes, Naruto struggling against Jiraiya while Kisame kept the pair at bay with his sword. The younger Uchiha's body trembled as he watched Itachi leer down at Karibi, the jonin gazing back up at him with cold and bitter eyes. He couldn't hear what either of them were saying, though if he had enough chakra he would have just read their lips with his Sharingan. He didn't need his Sharingan eyes to know that Karibi was no match for his brother—not in her current condition. Whatever she had been through before he had arrived—it had taken a toll on her body; if she were to try and fight Itachi in that moment, she would surely die.
Naruto's hollering caught Sasuke's attention for a fleeting moment. His gaze wandered to his teammate, the blond frantically trying to push past his sensei and reach the woman. And for those few seconds, Sasuke immediately realized he had seen the desperation and terror and panic in the blond's eyes before.
He had seen it in himself.
Ignoring the numbing pain of his arm, the survivor rose to his feet, his eyes burning holes in his estranged brother's back. The malice he held towards his brother intensified when he began stalking towards him, the promise he had made years ago echoing in his mind.
He would kill Itachi if it was the last thing he ever did.
No more would his brother cause any more pain to anyone else.
"I won't let you hurt anyone ever again." Karibi blinked, Itachi's brow rising at the raspy voice behind them. The pair looked down the hallway, Sasuke's broken arm hanging limply in front of him while his other arm was held at his side, his hand balled into a tight fist. "I've waited my entire life for this very moment." With a blink of his eyes, his Sharingan had appeared one last time.
"Die!"
"Sasuke!" Naruto's jaw fell ajar as he watched his rival disappear down the hall. The feral roar of his friend reverberated through the silence, Kisame watching curiously from over his shoulder while Jiraiya grimaced deeply.
"Don't!" Although her body was begging for rest, Karibi couldn't stop herself. A low growl emitted from deep within the kunoichi before she thrust the bottom of her foot into the back of Itachi's leg. The man caught himself, remaining steady on his feet. Realizing the woman's antics was easy enough, and so Itachi kept his attention on his younger brother while a clone suddenly appeared behind Karibi. The weaker jonin grimaced, turning and just dodging a kick to her head.
"Sasuke! Stop!" she cried out, hoping her plea would be answered; her voice was ignored by both Uchiha's. "Ack!" A hand wrapped itself around her neck, the grip forceful and tough. The weight of her opponent was enough to send her back to the floor, the back of her head hitting the wood flooring hard. The pain thrummed throughout her entire body, her lungs suddenly burning for air. Itachi's clone was unmoved, his cold stare penetrating straight through her soul; her eyes remained squeezed shut while she wiggled underneath the rogue ninja.
His plans had gone astray. His mission had been to obtain the Jinchuriki, not cause a scene. But there were things that were out of Itachi's control. And so, he dealt with the circumstances as best as he could. He would take out whatever adversaries stood in his way in order to achieve what he truly wanted.
And if that meant lighting the match inside of his brother, then so be it.
The younger Uchiha didn't waste any more time, using what little strength he had left to sprint towards his life-long goal. Itachi remained steady, watching Sasuke's every move with precise eyes. Timing his movements in sync with his brother's, the rogue ninja pivoted to the left, avoiding the genin's fist with ease. He didn't even break a sweat as he pulled his leg back and kneed the boy in his gut. The boy sputtered, blood dribbling down his chin before he stumbled to the floor. Itachi merely watched in silence, Sasuke catching himself and forcing his legs to continue forward. Even when Itachi slammed the back of his hand into his cheek, Sasuke pressed on.
It wasn't until Itachi's hand was gripped tightly around his fragile neck that Sasuke finally stopped.
"Sasuke! Ribi-chan!" Naruto was bursting with anxiety and rage, the sounds of his struggling loved ones making his world darken. Kisame was sure to keep most of his attention on the pair before him; he would be a fool to think less of the sanin.
Gritting her teeth, Karibi's cheeks began to redden, her fingers digging into the clone's arms as she tried to free herself from its death grip. Itachi's doppelganger studied her movements in silence, feeling the way her chakra danced like a wildfire through her body; she reminded him of a ticking time-bomb.
"You're still too weak to fight me." Itachi's hand tightened around Sasuke's neck, the boy gasping while he clawed at the hand. The older Uchiha watched for a moment before he leaned in close, his lips brushing against his ears. "You'll need more hatred to defeat me."
And as their eyes finally met, Sasuke found himself lost in a pit of darkness.
"Sa—Sasuke!" Bucking her hips, Karibi managed to wrap her legs around the clone's torso. The unsuspecting shadow clone narrowed his eyes before he was tugged backwards, hitting the floor hard and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The jonin let out a gasp, drinking in the oxygen that her lungs begged for, and as she clutched tightly to her chest, she coughed several times before she looked over her shoulder at Sasuke and Itachi.
"Jiraiya!" Said sanin didn't need anything else. He was responding to Karibi's desperate plea with hands signs. Naruto watched with doe-like eyes, his sensei slamming his palms on to the wooden floors; the rubbery, pink substance oozing from the walls caught everyone's attention.
"Wh—What the hell..." The blond glanced from the walls to the ceiling and even to the floor, every surface of the hallway covered in the same pudgy material. Kisame's eyes darted around, as well, the tension in his shoulders growing as he turned his attention to the sanin.
"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!" Karibi let out a relieved breath, the cushioning beneath her somewhat easing the ache of her body.
The rogue ninja cautious examined their surroundings, Sasuke's body sinking further into the foreign substance—as well as Kisame's foot and the edge of his blade. Jiraiya watched, pleased with his work. "Welcome to the stomach of the Mountain Toad." Scoffing, Kisame attempted to free his foot with a tug; he only managed to sink further. "I've summoned the esophagus of my toad. Since you're wanted criminals, I'll turn you two into fodder for the stone toad."
Naruto was awestruck, uncertainty overwhelming him as his gaze flickered to Kisame; he could barely see Itachi from around the corner. "Don't move, Naruto, and you'll be fine. You too, Karibi." Said kunoichi did as instructed, her muscles crying out for rest.
Itachi glared down at Jiraiya; they had been had.
Now, it was time to go.
"Kisame." He didn't have to say anything else. His partner had worked with him long enough to know that they had over-stayed their welcome. Knowing they had no other option, retreating was the safest bet for the two. And so, the Mist rogue forced himself free from the sanin's jutsu—though he struggled for a moment to free his sword.
"It's useless!" Jiraiya hollered, directing more chakra into his palms. "No one has lived and escaped from this!" Still, the two ran.
"No!" Leaping to her feet, Karibi blocked the hallway. Itachi hardly flinched, easily evading the withering shinobi; Kisame dodged her punch and knocked her over without struggle.
"Shit!" The woman stumbled, the wall of the toad catching her and gently easing her to the floor. And although she would have liked to go after the pair herself, she knew she was in no shape at that current second. So, she watched intently as a suddenly wall of flesh began charging after the Akatsuki members. Her heart raced with the pair, the two just barely ahead of Jiraiya's attack. She believed the sanin when he said no one had survived this jutsu. But there was an itch she couldn't reach. There was an apprehension in side of her soul that would disappear. And although the walls around the rogue ninja were closing in on them, she still felt cautious.
It wasn't until her eyes caught sight of black flames that her suspicions were confirmed.
"Jiraiya!"
He had felt it. The pulsing power from Itachi. In that moment, he knew they had escaped.
Rising to his feet, the polished ninja darted down the hallway, leaving Naruto behind. The blond gapped before he quickly followed after the man. The two rounded the corner before skidding to a stop; at the end of the corridor was the hole in which Itachi and Kisame had escaped through.
"Ribi-chan!" Naruto hardly paid any attention to the dark fire Itachi had left behind. His focus was on his guardian, the woman leaning against the wall with heavy breaths. The moment he appeared at her side, she leaned into him and slowly deflated to the floor once more. Her head hung low, eyes shut and limbs numb. Naruto grimaced at the jonin's condition; he had only ever seen her in such a way a handful of times.
"Bastards got away..." She had never seen an attack like that before. "Have you seen that before?" Karibi's question went unanswered for a few seconds by the Toad Sage.
"...No." The redhead nodded, lifting her head and turning to look at Naruto. She smiled softly to the boy, who gazed back at her with worry in his eyes.
"Ribi-chan—"
"Thanks, Short-stuff." Her appreciation confused the genin.
"F—For what?"
"You were the one who saved me from that genjutsu drug." The jonin leaned her forehead against Naruto's, the metal of their head-bands lightly clicking together. "It's thanks to you." Naruto gazed with wide eyes at his guardian, the woman's eyes fluttering shut for a few seconds. He couldn't fight the embarrassment or the pride, his cheeks flushed pink and his heart beating loudly in his ears.
Although things had taken a turn for the worst, this moment had eased all of the tension out of his body.
"Naruto." The genin quickly looked to Karibi, the recovering woman smiling reassuringly at him. "Why don't you go watch what Jiraiya's about to do." She recognized the scroll the man had pulled out.
"Why?"
"Fuinjutsu—it's something that you should start familiarizing yourself with." Naruto's brows furrowed with perplexity, but he hesitantly did as told. Once he was sure Karibi was stable enough to stand on her own, he was hurrying to Jiraiya's side and watching him as he began scribbling on the scroll; his fire seal would be enough to investigate Itachi's attack.
Carefully, Karibi made her way back down the corridor, her hand pressed lightly against the flesh of the toad. Her vision blurred, but she remained steady, stopping when she noticed a hint of black between the crevices of Jiraiya's jutsu. "Oi." She didn't need to say much else. Jiraiya had somehow come to understand what she wanted and needed within the small amount of time they had spent together; Sasuke slowly began to peek out of the toad's throat.
"There you are." With waiting hands, the 22-year-old caught the boy before he fell to the ground. She winced from the dead-weight, though she was sure to keep him from collapsing. It was difficult to lean him against the wall, but the woman made sure to do her best, cupping his cold cheek and gazing into his hollow eyes.
"Sasuke!" Naruto was running to Karibi's side in seconds, sliding on his knees and bumping into the redhead. She stole a glance at the boy, looking back to Jiraiya as he lifted his foot and stomped against the floor; his jutsu began to dissipate. "What's wrong with him?" The genin's concern made Karibi's heart sink. So much had unfolded in such a little amount of time—he had no idea what he was doing or how he was supposed to react.
It was then she realized what she finally needed to do.
Before anyone could speak, a kunai was zipping past them. Jiraiya was the first to turn and look, though Karibi was the first to realize who it was that had joined them. Eyes widening, the woman twisted her torso to look towards the gaping hole in the wall, a shadow launching itself towards the sanin. The oldest of the ninja didn't have time to react as a foot closed in on his face.
"Guy! Wait!" Said jonin only realized his blunder after he sent Jiraiya tumbling to the floor.
Hello readers!
I send a great level of apologies to whoever is reading this. I meant to update this story much more than I have...but there were some things in my life that happened and I ended up going through a few transition that took up a lot of my time on top of everything that's already going on! We're living through some crazy times, and my life got a little crazier dealing with a few personal things. I lost track of the days and, well, here we are LOL But! I am grateful for the patience whoever is reading this has shown me! I would like to promise that I'll update soon after this, but I don't wish to make any empty promises. So the best I can do is promise that I will try my best! But I can always promise that this story will continue and will not be forgotten or left behind :)
We're getting to some important parts of the series and then this story, as well. There are a ton of things that are waiting ahead for Karibi and Naruto. I think this is going to be a big few chapters for the two of them! So much is about to unfold once we get closer to Tsunade and that sanin brawl and everything after. I'm super excited to get to that and for whoever is reading this to watch how Karibi and Naruto's relationship progresses! It's going to (hopefully) be good.
Thanks for all of the love that has been given to this story! I am appreciative for all of the support that has been shown throughout my time writing this :D
Reviews:
bored411: Karibi and Tsunade...that is something that I'm also looking forward to ;D So you and I are on the same page! LOL It's going to be a lot of fun getting that all out and seeing how they develop together. Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this chapter and this story so far! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and to read!
WindyCitySlayer1: Thank you! I'm super relieved to know that you are enjoying this so far! A lot of things are about to happen in the next several chapters, so hopefully you'll continue to enjoy! Thanks for taking the time to read this :)
Liyith: Hello there! Thanks so much for reviewing! Your words are too kind :D I'm just happy to know that you like this story so far, and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy if you continue reading! I need to take the time to rewatch Shippuden, it's so good! As you rewatch, hopefully you'll see the twist I throw in with Karibi and enjoy the little changes and tweeks I make! I try to stay loyal to the plot while taking into consideration how things would still be different with Karibi. Thank you so much for reading and for reviewing!
Michaaanmi: I can't believe that you read this in one sitting! I look back on this story, and after realizing how many chapters are up, I'm impressed! That being said, I take it as a huge honor that you liked this story enough to read it all at once! I'm grateful, knowing that you like it so far :) I've talked about this in previous notes that I've left in different chapters, but I put a lot of thought and time into creating Karibi and into how this story would be, and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed reading about her journey and seeing her relationships with Naruto and Kakashi bloom! Thank you! :D
TheMaximusExperience: Hi! I know this is probably now as soon as you may have hoped for, but I am going to do my darndest to try and update sooner than what I did today. I apologize for the wait! But I am so happy to hear that you have read this and like it so far! There is more to come, so if you continue to read, I hope you continue to enjoy! Thanks so much for the support!
Lunar678: I wish I had updated sooner...I'm trying to be optimistic about the next time I update! In my soul, I really do believe I'll get better with it once things in my life settle LOL But hopefully, you like this chapter! And hopefully you'll like future posts to come! Thank you!
Guest: I am seriously impressed and stunned that this was read in an entire day! I've read a story with a ton of chapters in one day and it's sucks you in and then leavings you empty when you're finished! So if your experience is anything like mine, I am very grateful to know that! Thank you so much! I'm going to try and update soon, as there is going to be a lot that happens with Karibi and Naruto and Karibi and Kakashi as well. And I can't wait to share that with you if you continue to read! I hope you will like what's to come :) Thank you so much for your time and for the review!
Guest: Hi! When I first wrote this story, there were definitely a lot of different Kakashi/OC stories out, but I put together Karibi in my head and was really excited about how this was going to go. I hope that you see the effort I put into Karibi and this story and I hope that you enjoy! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story!