Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any characters related to the series

Chapter Thirty-one

"You're ridiculous, do you know that?"

"B—But, Kari-chan! Of course, I would have reacted differently had I known who was here!"

Guy's sudden and heroic arrival had not gone as he had originally envisioned. He knew who he was after, and he knew that he had to help Sasuke. What he hadn't accounted for was running into Jiraiya, Naruto or Karibi. The only reason the jonin had known the Uzumaki's were present was due to his familiarity with their chakra and energy; Jiraiya was somewhat unknown to the jonin. And so, the youth of Konoha couldn't help himself as he prepared to fight to the death. He was ready to use every ounce of his strength to protect Kakashi's students and to protect his dearest friend.

He realized a little too late that they didn't need much protecting, at all.

With a rolled-up piece of tissue stuck up his nostril and a swollen cheek, Jiraiya listened to Karibi and Guy chatter back and forth. Though he was a proud sanin, the shinobi wasn't proud enough to pretend he was infallible; Guy's kick was deadly.

"I used the reflection from my hitai-ate, and when I saw his figure, I let the flames of burning juvenescence consume me! I'm sorry!" His sheepish smile only irritated the Sage more.

"What kind of apology is that?!"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Karibi rolled her eyes. Deciding with her better judgment to let the two work out the kinks of their meeting themselves, the kunoichi turned her focus to the unconscious Uchiha. She frowned at his state, his dark eyes glazed over and his mouth hanging open. Although Itachi had only left Sasuke in his genjutsu for a brief moment, she could still see that his attack had taken a toll on the boy. He had used the same jutsu on Sasuke that he had used on Kakashi; it made her stomach roll.

"Sasuke..." Looking to Naruto, the woman's gaze softened. His regret and sympathy and worry oozed from his gleaming, blue eyes, his lips held in a tight line.

"Naruto—"

"What happened to him?" Naruto's pleading eyes made Karibi's heart ache. "What did that bastard do to him?!" At first, she wasn't sure how to answer. She wanted to give the boy some peace of mind, but she had told herself she would never tell him lies; she wasn't sure what the hell Itachi had done to Sasuke.

"A jutsu—something like a genjutsu. Itachi used his Sharingan and gave Sasuke a hit mentally," the jonin explained softly, Naruto gritting his teeth. His soul was teeming with puzzlement and rage and despair. He still didn't understand the circumstances, but he knew that this had been his fault. Sasuke's brother and his comrade had been chasing after him. And because of that, Sasuke had gotten pulled into this mess; he had suffered because of him.

"We need to get Sasuke to a medical team as soon as possible." Jiraiya's low tone went right over Naruto's head.

Karibi's frown deepened as she watched the boy in her charge fall lost in his thoughts. She could see a darkness sweep over his eyes as his hands balled up into tight fists. It was a familiar kind of darkness—a darkness she had seen in Kakashi, Sasuke; it was a pit she had been trapped in too many times before.

"Naruto—"

"Why did he have to do that to Sasuke?" The blond snarled at the memory of Itachi's attack, Sasuke's grunts and cries of pain haunting his mind. "How could he?! And for what?!" Guy felt his shoulders sag at the weight that suddenly pressed down against Naruto's shoulders. He watched as the genin squeezed his eyes shut, standing in front of Sasuke with his shoulders hunched.

"This was because of me! That bastard wanted me! And I just stood there like some first-rate idiot! Too scared to do anything to protect him and you!" Karibi's eyes widened at the way Naruto looked to her with disappointment in his stare.

"Oi, Naruto!" The kunoichi narrowed her eyes at the 12-year-old while the two men remained quiet; this was a conversation best left for the Uzumaki's. "It's not your job to protect me or Sasuke. So don't—"

"It is! They hurt you and they hurt Sasuke because they wanted me! And I let them!" Naruto shook his head, too stubborn to listen to reason; it made his guardian scowl. "All this time, I've been talking about getting stronger and getting better—and I haven't grown one bit. I'm still the same as I was before!" He remembered the moment in the Land of Waves—he remembered the stalling and the fear and the uncertainty.

He felt it now.

"...So then, you feel like you're the same." Naruto blinked, Karibi's gentle voice gaining everyone's attention. "You feel like you're still weak—too weak to defend the people you care about." The redhead watched Naruto carefully, her expression blank but her amethyst eyes bright. "If that's the case, what the hell do you plan to do about it?" The younger Uzumaki gazed in awe at his guardian, taking note of her every feature and move as the seconds ticked by. Silence draped over the four for a moment, Naruto and Karibi locked in a stare.

"...You can either sit in your self-pity and hate yourself for not doing enough and not being enough..." Karibi's gaze softened. "...Or you can get back on your feet, and you can decide to become stronger and do better. Knowing that you'll fall along the way and fail more times than not...you can get back to it and keeping going until you can't." There was a steadiness in her voice that reeled Naruto back down from his frantic mind frame. He could hear a confidence that she had for him and slowed his racing heart and eased his teetering fears. And the small smile that had crept upon her lips made his darkening eyes shine bright once more.

Jiraiya watched quietly, his eyes dancing from one Uzumaki to the other. The dynamic between the two had grown even from when he had first met them, and it was rather astonishing, really. From what Jiraiya had heard, their history was rocky. However, one would not guess that staring at them now. There was an obvious love the two shared, and it made the sanin want to let out a breath of relief; either of them could have fallen off the tracks, so he was happy to see they were keeping each other from falling apart.

"...You're not the only one who needs to get stronger, Short-stuff." Karibi let out a tired breath, reaching up to run her fingers through her knotted locks of hair. She let her attention wander to Sasuke, her exchange with Itachi replaying in her memory. The grimace upon her lips was enough to show she was unhappy with herself, as well; had she not fallen for Itachi's tactic, things could have played out far differently.

"...She's right." Turning their heads, the pair looked to the Sage, who stared at Sasuke with a frown. "I thought I was respecting Sasuke's feelings by waiting for a right time—but I should've jumped in sooner." That made Naruto's gaze soften.

"It looks like he and Kakashi have fallen from the same jutsu." Guy took note of every detail of the Uchiha's condition, his symptoms similar to Kakashi's.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei, too?!" Naruto's eyes widened.

He was utterly lost.

Silence fell over the group, a heaviness settling in the air. Naruto let his eyes fall to the floor while Jiraiya and Karibi glanced at one another before looking back to Sasuke. It wasn't until Guy finally spoke that the void was filled.

"It's times like this that I wish she was still around." Immediately, Jiraiya and Karibi knew who Guy spoke of.

"...That's exactly who we're going to look for." The statement made Guy's eyes widen, Naruto blinking as he noticed the sensei's reaction.

"Wait! You can't really mean—"

"Yes. I do."

"Huh?" Naruto gazed up at the adults as if they were speaking an entirely different language. "Are you talking about your inspiration?" He had thought that was for the man's book.

"That's right, Naruto." Jiraiya began to smirk. "Princess Tsunade with the symbol of "Gamble" on her back."

§

"You should come back to the village with me."

"I'm not leaving Naruto's side. Especially not now."

"Kari-chan—"

"Guy, I'll be fine. I've gotten enough rest." Karibi stood with her pack strapped securely to her back, a comfortable smile stretched across her lips. Her friend gazed back at her, the hesitation gleaming brightly in his coal shaded eyes.

They had taken an hour to recover from the attack and to get their things together. Karibi had suggested that the party head off as soon as possible, but Jiraiya had insisted that they rest; with what little chakra the woman had left, he knew traveling so quickly would only slow them down. And so, everyone took a moment to themselves to collect their thoughts and their composure. Although the stiffness had ebbed away, there was still an uncertainty that lingered over everyone. With how quickly things were tearing at the seams, it was only natural for everyone to have their doubts. Still, they managed to remain composed, keeping their energy high and their thoughts positive.

Glancing over her shoulder, Karibi smiled gently when Naruto and Jiraiya emerged from the hotel. Naruto's stale expression paired with Jiraiya's cheeky smile was enough to tell the redhead that the sanin was pushing the genin's buttons.

"Naruto is in good hands—having both of you with him." Amethyst eyes were quick to flicker back to Guy, the jonin smiling proudly at her. "Whatever is to come in the future, I'm sure he will be ready." Karibi tried to smile.

"Maybe you're right." Before Naruto and Jiraiya joined them, the woman let her smile fall.

"Kakashi—"

"His condition hasn't changed much." Guy had hoped that the next time he saw Karibi, he would have good news for her; unfortunately, Kakashi was still unconscious. "It's hard to say how long he'll be that way. If you're able to really find Lady Tsun—"

"We will." The determination in Karibi's eyes was one that Guy did not take lightly.

"I wish you good luck." The kunoichi nodded.

"...Take good care of Sasuke and Kakashi...And I'm sure I don't have to ask about Lee." That made the older jonin smile widely.

"Ready to go?" Looking back, the friends watched as Naruto and Jiraiya approached them, the blond's eyes instantly fixated on Sasuke. Karibi didn't bother addressing the boy's obvious concern, the woman nodding her head and looking back to Guy.

"I'm sure the Leaf's finest will make it back alright?" The man in green beamed confidently.

"Of course!"

"With a dynamic kick like his, he'll be just fine." Jiraiya's sprightly smirk eased Guy's guilt.

"...Jiraiya-sama..."

"Hmm?" Said sanin waited patiently, Guy bowing his head.

"Please make sure to bring Lady Tsunade back." The oldest of the bunch didn't have time to reply.

"There's no doubting us! We'll bring her back no matter what!" Guy had been thrown off by the young boy's immediate response. Sure, he knew Naruto well enough—after all, he was in the care of his close friend. But the time he spent with Naruto was far and few. What he knew of Naruto was what he saw on the surface.

What he had learned about Naruto in the last few hours had much more depth.

"Naruto! You've got guts, and I like that about you! So, take this."

Karibi and Jiraiya wore similar, deadpanned expressions.

"Whoa!" In Guy's grasp was a green jumpsuit.

Exactly matching his and Lee's.

"This is—"

"You're not wearing that." Naruto and Guy began to pout.

"But!"

"No!"

"Kari-chan!"

"Hell no."

"Ribi-chan!" Jiraiya's exasperated sigh went unheard.

§

There was no exact or correct direction. Even still, Jiraiya walked with purpose, and so Karibi trusted him; at least, enough to get them where they needed to go.

She was lost in her thoughts. There was chaos in her brain that she was having difficulty reining in. And with that came the exhaustion of her body. As much as she wanted to feign control, the drug she had been given and the extra chakra she had spent against Itachi and Kisame had taken a toll on her. But there was too much to do and not enough time. If she was going to keep Naruto safe and save Sasuke and Kakashi and help Lee, she needed to keep marching forward—no matter what the cost was.

Her wandering thoughts to the Nine-tailed fox were also distracting.

Naruto strolled beside Karibi with a distant gleam in his blue eyes. Karibi knew the boy well enough to realize that he was deep in thought—pondering over the last several hours.

He wasn't someone that needed control or wanted power just for the sake of power. What he wanted was to be on equal footing with those around him. He wanted to be strong to protect others and to prove to himself that he was capable of accomplishing his dreams. But his encounter with Itachi had only shown the opposite; he was nowhere near on equal footing with anyone around him, and he was not strong enough to protect others around him.

He was only proving that he was so far from his goals.

Why was it that Itachi wanted Naruto? What use could he be to the group the rogue ninja came from? And how long had this been an issue? For Jiraiya and Karibi seemed to have already predicted an encounter like this would occur; it was beginning to make more sense—why Karibi had wanted to come with them on their journey. Even Kakashi had already crossed paths with Sasuke's brother. So much so, his sensei had fallen prey against the Uchiha. So, why?

He couldn't stop thinking about it.

"...You alright?" Looking up at the attentive voice, Naruto met his guardian's patient eyes.

"Yeah...I was just..." His voice died away, his brows furrowing and creasing inward. Karibi frowned, her eyes meeting Jiraiya's for a swift moment. "...You guys know why they want me, right?" The jonin didn't answer.

This was a tedious conversation. This was a conversation that needed to be prefaced by an entirely different conversation—a conversation that Karibi had been holding back for five years. But there was a harsh reality that she was forced to face; there was always going to be someone chasing after Naruto and the Nine-tails. It was a danger that he would have to one day face, himself. And if he was going to do that, then he needed to know everything.

She needed to empty the skeletons in her closet.

The stiffness in Karibi's shoulder was unnoticed by Naruto, the sanin a few paces ahead of them taking note of it quickly. He remained quiet, initially, wondering what Karibi would say and do. But when her silence dragged on longer, the man realized that the woman, herself, had no idea what she was going to say or do. And so, he relieved the redhead of the stress for the time being.

"It's not you, exactly, that they're after." Naruto's blue eyes flickered to Jiraiya's. "It's what's inside of you that they want."

"The Nine-tailed Fox?" The blond was puzzled. "Why would they want something so evil and dangerous?" It was hard for Naruto to imagine anyone wanting something that had drove so many people away.

"...The Kyuubi is a demon with unbelievable strength. It can destroy anything in its path, and people have feared it since the very beginning of its existence." Karibi flinched, quickly shifting her body away from Naruto's and turning her head; she didn't want him to see the expression of disgust she was wearing. "It's hard to say for sure what they plan to do with the Kyuubi, but since its sealed inside of you, my guess is that they want you so they can control it."

So, that was the truth. For the rest of his life, Naruto could be a target for anyone who wants power and control. For anyone wanting to cause pain and destruction, they could chase after him. They could continue hurting the people around him and tearing down those he cares about. And the thought, alone, was enough to shake him. He didn't want to see Sasuke suffer like that again. He didn't want to ever think about his sensei falling against a man like Itachi again.

He never wanted to watch anyone try and kill Karibi like that again.

It had taken her a moment to collect her composure, but once the redhead was ready, she turned back to Naruto with a gentle expression. His hands were bunched into tight fists, his eyes pasted to the dirt below. Whatever qualms or concerns he had, he kept them to himself. And as the breeze brushed past the three, Karibi found her insides twisting more and more.

"Nar—"

"I'll get stronger." Karibi and Jiraiya blinked, Naruto looking up and smiling with a steady tone in his words. "There's no other choice. I'll get stronger, no matter what." His proclamation made Karibi grin.

"Alright! Let's go find this Tsunade lady! And once we do, she can help everyone, and we can get to more training!" Karibi let out a huff of relieved laughter before she looked to meet Jiraiya's gaze. The man met her eyes, his lips curling upward in a proud smile.

"Let's go."

So! There we go! I would like to take moment to commend myself for the quick update LOL I can't guarantee that another update will come as quickly as this did, but I'm hopeful that it will.

This chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but it's all just a part of the build up at this point. A lot of things unravel and start happening with Naruto and Karibi and once Tsunade comes into the picture, it's show time! This point of the series is pretty important just because of everything going on. Not to mention the amazing battle between the sanin that we get LOL so it's going to be interesting to see how things go with throwing Karibi into the mix. There are going to be things that she's dealing with on top of that which will be exciting to see!

Thank you so very much to taking the time to read this story! It's been a long journey already, and there's still so much to go! I am grateful for the support and love that whoever reads this is giving :)

Reviews:

bored411: It definitely wasn't fun for them, but it was fun LOL I'm also looking forward to Karibi and Tsunade :D It's going to be so great to write out how their interactions are going to be. Hopefully you'll enjoy once we get there. And I hope you continue to read and enjoy as I post more! Thank you for taking the time to review :)

WindyCitySlayer1: Thank you so much! I'm quite proud at how quickly I was able to post again LOL I'm going to try and post again soon, but until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I appreciate you reading and following and reviewing this! Fingers crossed that I'll be back soon ;D

cantleavethisempty: Hi there! I usually like to respond to reviews like this, and since you've left a few I'll just compile my response into this one message! I'm glad to hear that you're liking the flow of this story so far. When I first posted, I was a little hesitant about posting and sharing as I'm (not as much now) a newer writer. I probably have a bunch of edits that I should make for older chapters but that's a project for another day LOL I've never really experience "breaking" but I have experienced loss and death. And I think (not to speak for everyone because individual people react so much differently to different things!) no matter who you lose it does have some sort of effect on you. Don't want to get too philosophical (because then this reply could go on for days XD) but I guess the meaning of everyone's existence and whether or not it does actually mean something just depends on the person and how they feel about it and themselves. Everyone has their own opinion about everything and I think what might break one person might not break another. But then, I really don't know much about anything LOL Karibi, as a character, I think has withstood a lot of different events and traumas, and as I thought through her experiences and how she would react and who she would become after, I tried to take into consideration her "personality" (which is obviously hard since I pretty much just made it up in my head LOL) and then also her surroundings as I think environment has a lot to do with a person's development as well as the people that they surround themselves with. And I guess in a sense, she has broken multiple times in her own perspective, but like a lot of different things in life, some things can be fixed even when they break, and some things can't. And at this point it's just seeing which type of broken Karibi will be. And well, you're not really wrong, the dead can't care, they don't have the ability to (unless we get into ghosts and spirits and again, I could go on about that for days LOL). For this story and Karibi it's really about living in memory of people. These important pieces that were a part of Karibi's life now gone, and it's really about how she decides to move forward from that. Some people take those sort of things into consideration and some don't! Suffering is definitely a part of character development, but suffering is not the only thing that builds a character up. There are lot of things that build character that are positive, which, again, my own opinion! And as far as "seduction" missions go, I don't really have that type of mission written into this story, there was never really an occasion for that to take place. Do I think seduction missions are written a lot in different stories? Sure. But do I also think that seduction missions probably would happen or be assigned? Yeah. But not really in this story has it come up! And I wasn't sure how else to respond to reviews. I wanted to find a way to reply back to comments and reviews just to show my appreciation for them, and I found that this is really the best way for me to go about doing that after talking to a few other people when I first started writing! This was a long response, but I wanted to make sure I got back to the reviews you left! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this story! It's going to have it's downs but it's also going to have it's ups so I hope you enjoy all of it, and if not, sorry to hear! Everyone's allowed to have their opinion (just as long as it doesn't jab at a person's character or worth or demean another person's existence!) so no apologies please for anything! :)