34 Chapter 33 (1/2)
The trip back home was too fast for everyone's liking. Not everyone could bear with the Hiraishin's trip. Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sakura and I were the ones that were fully unaffected by it whilst the others weren't faring much as disorientation was common for those who don't usually travel via Hiraishin. We arrived at the Hokage Tower with most of my friends bawling on the floor ready to puke.
”You're back? ANBU! Apprehend Uchiha Sasuke, now!” Tsunade-senpai exclaimed as she was surprised to see the frozen Uchiha. I held out a hand as two ANBU suddenly appeared out of nowhere making their way towards us.
”Wait, not right now. Itachi's jutsu is running its course. We can't risk it right now, senpai. This must happen,” I said as I immediately hovered in front of my stoic teammate as did Sakura and Naruto along with the redhead.
”Very well, Director,” the ANBU collectively said as they now paid attention to the redhead.
”Who's this then?” she asked.
”This is one of Sasuke's new companion. The other two had fled the scene in hopes of not crossing my path with me on my worst bad day yet,” I explained as I walked towards Senpai's desk and stood next to her as I looked at the redhead directly. ”Introduce yourself.”
”I, my name is Karin,” The redhead said stutteringly and then she noticed that Sakura was healing Sasuke's wound. ”What are you doing to my Sasuke, you damn forehead!”
”What's that? Wanna fight?!” Sakura immediately retorted. These two were too similar than we wanted. Fangirls, I was shivering already when I came to that conclusion.
”Knock it off, you two,” I said, irritated and they both glared at me with fiery eyes. Well, two can play at that game, so I glared back with the help of my Rinne-Sharingan.
”Sorry, Shinigami-kun,” Karin said as she bowed down to her knees and shivering.
”No fair! Nee-sama told you to not use it to your advantage,” Sakura whined. I made my way to the redhead.
”Whatever, my mood is still not improving right now. I just lost a friend to gain back an old friend,” I said as I stuck out my tongue at my teammate to which she was as expected, fuming. ”Do you want Ibiki-San to do it or me, Senpai?”
”Well, your ways are the fastest and efficient. Have at it then,” Tsunade-senpai agreed with a chuckle and I brought my hand to pat the girl's cheek. She blushed at the contact and made eye-contact with me. With that, my mind quickly went into her mindscape. This ability of mine was immensely handy compared to the Yamanaka's clan jutsu and a tad less impactful to the victim's psyche compared to Ibiki's top tier Torture and Interrogation techniques. When I was done, she was reduced to a shivering mess on the ground. It was expected because she had been forced to live through her memories once again and it was nothing but nightmares.
”She and her mother were a fugitive in Kusagakure, they are Uzumakis. When her mother died of chakra exhaustion healing the Kusa Nin and she had taken the helm after the late Uzumaki. Sometime later, Orochimaru took her in and kept her as a warden when the snake had done his research on her. That is until Sasuke recruited her. She just has nowhere to depend on,” I said for other's sake. ”I understand that Uzushiogakure had a long-standing alliance with Konohagakure, senpai. I request that you leave her under my care. She had suffered enough. Karin, get up. I'm sorry I did that.”
I pat the girl's head and when she looked at me, she had a look of despair. I smiled at her with my most honest intent. She then proceeded to hug me tightly.
”You're an Uzumaki? My name's Uzumaki Naruto, I am the next Hokage in line. We must be related, y' know!” Naruto fondly said in a un-Naruto way and Hinata's team was surprised to see the change in the blonde. Well, Karin must be the closest thing he had to a blood relative minus Tsunade-senpai that was a Senju who were distant relatives of the Uzumaki. I understood my best friend's point of view. The said girl was still hugging me and unmoving. After living the way she had, I understood that she may not be in the mood of catching up with another Uzumaki.
”All right, Karin. You are to stay with Hikari here and I must remind you that you are under the direct supervision of the Konoha ROOT Director. If you showed any signs of betrayal to Konoha, you will be promptly taken care of. So, please take your time and watch this village. We are an ally of the Uzumaki and my clan, the Senju are your distant relatives,” Senpai said and Naruto himself was surprised to hear that. He was mad because it was only then that he had found out that he was related to Tsunade-senpai. Karin merely nodded at my senpai still not letting me go.
”Now, for Sasuke, we shouldn't move him around too much. I suggest that Naruto teleport him to a secure room with two squads of my men guarding it. Sai can take care of that. Sakura should be there to monitor Sasuke's condition that is if she's up for it. If he wakes up and only if he wakes up at all, he will change for the better, I promise,” I announced as I cradle the girl Uzumaki in my hands. ”It seems that I have a guest to attend. Naruto, fetch me some ramen after you're done and come by.”
I took off running towards my home with the woman in my arms. When I was inside, I was immediately haunted by despair and loss. It's been a while since I was in here, and last time, Hitori and I had a very good time together even if it was brief. My eyes began to water due to an uninvited pain that wrenching up my heart.
”What's wrong, why are you in despair?” the Uzumaki asked as she sobbed. I raised my eyebrows at her comment. I was sure that my face didn't give anything away to her and yeah it didn't, plus, she wasn't even looking at me.
”Are you a sensor?” I questioned as I steeled myself and walked towards the bathroom with her in hand. She nodded and then sniffed loudly.
”Your chakra had been baffling me since I met you. It rotates as much as a feeling and people can only be one type. Yours are death itself when I first met you, but it changes too rapidly now, it's despair. Why?” she said as she shivered.
”That's perhaps a question for another time. Now, as my apologies for intruding your fragile mind, let me help you come back up from that 'hole' that I had pushed you over,” I pleaded as I turned on the shower and water came raining down on us, I decided to bathe in its soothing flow as I carefully sat down on the ground and surrenders to the tears, ”because I need to pick myself up too.”
My eyes were distant as I remember my Hitori. Sakura could give me a beating right now, but I need this. I need to release this despair that was taking over me by the minute. I was then touched on the cheek by a warm hand despite the coldness of the shower. I looked down to see the red eyes searching into my soul.
”Why are you in despair and loss?” she pried yet again. I took the chance to smile at her. It was weak but a smile nonetheless.
”I had once lived here with my fiancé,” I began and she withdrew her hand as a polite gesture and I grabbed it before placing it back on my face. ”She had died sacrificing her soul to bring me back from death. I am still mourning.”
With that, I rested my forehead onto hers. It wasn't long before I heard a knock on the doors and hurriedly changed into my towels.
”Fresh set of clothes are at the cupboard here. That must be Naruto,” I said as I made my way to the doors. The boy was carrying too much ramen in his hands including a huge plastic of instant ones that a Kage Bunshin of his was carrying. I guess he was compensating to the new Uzumaki here in the house.
”You're a lifesaver, Naruto. Come in,” I gestured him in and made our way to the kitchen. ”Food's here, Karin-san.”
”Yy-yes!” She hollered and I had Naruto narrowed his eyes on me.
”What?” I asked.
”Nothing. Get changed,” the boy smirked at me.
”It's not like that, idiot,” I yelled as I made my way to my room and changed into a set of ANBU black suit before I walked back down. Naruto was serving us food and as it turns out he had made a trip to Yakiniku Q before he got here. We sat down in bickering back and forth as we would always do before she made her way into the room.
”Uh, Hi,” she said and I was stunned, she wore the grey kimono that we placed for our guest just in case they wanted to stay the night. I had to admit, she was immensely gorgeous. Naruto was withholding a good laugh and was struggling to let it out.
”I could see why you two hooked up,” he teased and the redhead tossed a metal pail at my best friend.
”What's the big idea, idiot?!” she yelled holding up a fist at the boy. I cleared my throat and told her to sit to which, she followed instantly with a blush on her face.
”Well, let's eat. These ramens are our favourite dishes in Konoha,” I said before we dug into our food.
”You said that you're an Uzumaki, then why are you aren't a redhead?” she suddenly asked as she dug into her third bowl of ramen. I guess Uzumakis are ramen addicts.
”Well, I got my hair from my Dad, Yondaime Hokage and it is said that I got my ramen addiction from my Mom, Uzumaki Kushina,” Naruto explained and she dropped her finished bowl of ramen. Yep, Uzumakis are addicted to ramen.
”Kushina-ohimesama is your mother? You're the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?” she demanded.
”Yeah, I am a jinchuuriki. What about it? I don't know my mom much, she died with my dad, saving me from the damned fox,” Naruto asked irritatingly, expecting the redhead to recoil in disgust.
”There's a reason why Mito-Jouousama and Kushina-ohimesama could contain the Kyuubi. Only the main branch of the Uzumaki had the chakra reserve and endurance to do so. With a wide range of fuinjutsu at our disposal and the main branch special ability, that's why people attack our home,” Karin explained. ”My mother told me that, people at Uzushiogakure was so closely knit together that our enemy didn't realize about the main branch's existence. It was the main branch men who sacrificed themselves to get all of us to safety.”
”So that means,” my eyes widen at the revelations and the redhead bowed at my best friend.
”What?” Naruto's denseness was back with us.
”Baka, you're the heir of Uzushiogakure. You're a prince,” I said as I slapped my forehead.
”My mom's a princess?” my best friend smiled indulgently and then he repeated the words like a mantra over and over again until he cried in the happiness of finding out his mother's past. We continued our feast until after midnight and I had Naruto stayed the night because he had already slept in my dining room. I didn't have the heart to wake him up so I wrapped him up in a blanket and address the situation with Karin-san.
”So uhm,” I began and she immediately blushed red. ”You will be sleeping in my bedroom. It's upstairs, please make yourself at home. Wait here for a bit, I want to take out the futon for myself.”
I was going to my bedroom but the girl hugged me from behind.
”Don't leave me. Your chakra is so wayward that I don't know what will happen to you. I felt like I couldn't leave you alone. You're my guardian for now, right? Guard me then,” the girl was on the brink of tears. I too was baffled at her behaviour. Most sensors would see the general gist of people chakra and shrugged it off or remembered it. She might be the most sensitive of them all so far, a bit like me? My eyes then widen to the fact. Since the Uzumaki and Senju are my brother's kin, there's a chance that his kin would have my powers. I must had been weirding or scaring her out or something. I reached for her hands and broke it off of me. I then pulled her up towards the bedroom and placed her on the bed whilst I sat at the wall near the bed.
”Sleep then. I will keep watch,” I avert my gaze from her. ”I was worse than this. My current state is what I would call the sanest I've been since I arrived here and it was all because of her. And here I am breaking my promise of not wallowing in my despair anymore. I am a failure.”
She must have been noticing something else as she instead sat down next to me and laid her head on my lap. She fell asleep as quickly as she did and I am convinced that this particular habit that was evident also with my friend is from his Uzumaki's blood. I fell asleep a few hours later after a moment of meditating and resolving issues in my head. Suddenly, I felt unburdened, no pain and worse--sleepy and I just had to indulge.
The next morning, I was awakened to the smell of instant ramen cup brewing downstairs and I guess that Naruto had an early start to his day. I opened my eyes to a pair of red eyes that were looking into my eyes and in a surprise, she knocked her head into mine.
”Fuuuuuuu...” I winced as I rubbed my forehead.