Author’s Notes: Possibly gonna be a multi parter here folks. Slight Haremy bits so bear with me.
After the war ended, it was time for rebuilding, a time to look to a bright tomorrow, and a time to seek forgiveness. Sakura had to seek forgiveness from Naruto for her lies, Naruto needed to make sense of the new life that would await him, and Sasuke he would have to seek a road to redemption for his crimes.
Shortly after the end of the war, and though he tried Sasuke couldn’t redeem himself in his eyes yet. He couldn’t stand the fact he hadn’t done anything to ear their forgiveness yet. ”Come on Karin. We’re leaving…” Sasuke said coldly as he stood at the gates of the village, staring at the girl who would follow him to hell and back.
“…Sorry Sasuke-kun…” began the red head as she looked down, she clutched her arm nervously as she looked for the courage to say the next words, “I want to stay here…I need to walk my own road for now …”
The words not only caught Sasuke off guard, he expected Karin to follow him like she had so willingly in the past. He figured he still had his hold over her. “…Why…?” dryly the raven haired shinobi asked, not conveying any emotion as he looked at her.
She pulled her arms behind her back and nervously rocked on her heels, glancing to the side and looking at Naruto as she meekly said, “I…I have my reasons…”
“…I understand. Dobe, you look after her…” Sasuke said as he turned and walked out of the village, he was unsure why, but he knew she must have a reason after all she was enamored with him. He decided to leave while he could, it would be better if he was alone anyway.
“Out with it! Why do you suddenly want to stay here? And what's with the way you are eyeing Naruto!?” Sakura began interrogating the red head not wasting anytime. It was like she felt threatened by her all of a sudden, as if she was afraid Karin was after Naruto romantically.
“That is between me and Naruto-kun!” Karin chimed cheerfully as she looked at Naruto happily before moving behind him seeing glints of jealousy in the pink haired kunoichi’s eyes.
Years had passed since that night, and to this day Karin still hasn’t told Naruto her reason for staying, but it had to be a good reason. Naruto was on his way to see the current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, but as he walked down the street he had a look of frustration on his face. The reason was a good one, Karin on his right, Sakura on his left, and both were arguing, he wasn’t even sure why they were arguing anymore.
Now in the three years, their wardrobes had changed a good deal, Naruto’s was a great improvement. He had upgraded himself to a fur coat, black fur trim, a red orange fabric, with black flames rising up from the bottom of the coat, a black t-shirt, and black cargo pants. A very professional look, the stories about who helped get the outfit put together varied from person to person, one story claims it was Karin, another says it was Ino, no one really knew who helped piece together the outfit.
“You need to let go of Naruto’s arm! He can’t be seen with a whore!” Sakura exclaimed as she looked at the red haired kunoichi in displeasure. Sakura’s appearance wasn’t all too different in the three years she had let her grow longer, her outfit remained the same, except for smaller aesthetic differences, she had remained the same.
“Oh hohoho!! What’s wrong little girl? Are we jealous? Awww don’t worry, I'm sure you will get breasts one day!” said Karin as she kept her grip on Naruto’s arm. She like Naruto had opted for a new wardrobe in her three years, her Chinese style to of a deep azure blue, black pleated skirt, and silken sleeves akin to the kind a priestess would wear, as well as keeping her thigh highs. She had taken the position of most beautiful Kunoichi in Konoha by storm.
“I have breasts! I just don’t need to look like a prostitute!!”
“I'm not a prostitute!!! Naru-kun, save me!!! The mean lesbian is going to hurt me!!!”
“Don’t call me a lesbian you skank!!”
“ENOUGH!!!” shouted the blond as he held his head in frustration with the two he had enough of their constant bickering. He was tired of being the peace keeper in this, the two just argued and argued whenever they were around him. He looked at both girls in frustration as he said, “I like you both very much, but for the love of the Rikudou Sennin!! COULD YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP!? I'm tired of you always calling Karin-chan a whore. And I'm tired of you calling Sakura-chan names all the time!!! I'm going somewhere so I can actually get some peace and quiet!! Alone!”
After he said these words the two kunoichi stood dumbfounded. They had never realized they would push Naruto this far with their arguments, he after all had a saintly tolerance for most things but the arguing must have gotten a little out of hand.
Moments later, Naruto had reached Ino’s house and knocked on the door, he had come to know Ino as a voice of reason in the recent years. Now naturally he could be dating her, but it was pretty much platonic between the two.
The blond kunoichi opened the door and looked at Naruto, seeing the look of irritation on his face. She knew what had happened, and she knew that he had come to her for something he wasn’t entitled to around them. “I know, I could hear it from here. I’ll go get you a Ramune and some aspirin” she said in a supportive manner as she looked at him tenderly.
“Thank you Ino-chan…” he said as he walked into her house rubbing his temples just glad to be away from the two girls for the time being. He needed to be around someone he could just talk to normally. It was the one thing he needed right now, he followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“Here you go.” the platinum blond said as she put a bottle of Ramune and some aspirin in front of the orange clad shinobi. She took a seat across from him, as he was taking the aspirin as she said, “You’re going to have to eventually pick one of them, that’s what it’s all about really.”
“…I know. But it’s not easy I can’t quite forgive Sakura-chan for what she did. It wasn’t a true confession of love. She was lying to me for my sake, I know, but it was the fact she lied to me, about loving me.” he said as he looked across the table at the blond, wishing it could be easier, than the two girls made it.
“I know I told her it was a bad idea. I told her to tell you the truth.” responded the purple clad girl as she looked at him, she didn’t really care for the fact that he had to play mediator all the time.
“And Karin-chan, she’s well, she’s honest with her emotions, probably too honest. And to be truthful, I can’t tell if she’s genuinely in love with me or what.” He said as he stared at the marble inside of the bottle of carbonated drink.
Ino just stared at him for a moment, she could understand somewhat since it seemed like things were complicated for him. One girl he couldn’t quite forgive and a girl who was hard to read, especially for a guy like Naruto who was not used to affection from a girl having been ignored constantly when he was younger.
‘I wish I could help him…he really doesn’t deserve to be put through this so often.’ she thought to herself, she blushed faintly as she realized that Naruto had grown to be the best looking of the guys in the rookie nine. She tended to try and ignore it since she wanted to be his friend through most of it since it was ridiculous what those two girls put him through.
In truth Ino wished she could find a guy like Naruto, after it turned out that Sai was either asexual or gay it was hard to tell. It was an awkward situation in all truth of the matter she couldn’t quite explain the whole story since it was more painful to her than anything.
“Why does Karin act that way? Did she ever explain why she wanted to stay and not go off with Sasuke?” asked the kunoichi as the thought popped into her head, she didn’t quite get it. She thought Karin was Sasuke’s blindly loyal self appointed girlfriend.
“…Well…I know. But it’s something between me and her…” he said quietly as he stared at the crimson marble in the bottle. He remembered quite well her reason for wanting to be with him, and not Sasuke since it actually went back to when he met her.
It had been said that Sakura had joined Sasuke, and Naruto had gone to find them. He was wishing he had told her what he knew about Sasuke maybe it would have stopped her. As he rushed through the forest he saw a girl with crimson hair, standing at the side of the road, something seemed odd about her as if she were waiting for him.
He dropped to the ground and looked at her expecting an attack, “I recognize your chakra. You must be looking for Sasuke-kun…” she said quietly as she looked at the blond. Her stern expression ceased soon enough as if she were relaxed by his chakra.
“I am…I think the teme brainwashed a friend of mine.” he said with agitation to his voice, he was worried about Sakura, he had to do anything to save her.
“I’ll help you…he cast me aside like a broken tool. But he didn’t brainwash her…she joined him willingly.” the redhead responded as she pointed to the east indicating that to be the direction Sasuke was. When he nodded his head the two of them moved in the direction she had indicated, they had their own agendas but for now they were one in the same.
About half an hour into their search, the kunoichi took note of the boy’s chakra, she felt so much more comfortable around him than when with Sasuke. It was something she had never felt before, she then quietly said, “Your chakra, it’s really warm…I could almost get used to being around you…”
“…Warm?” Naruto asked as he shifted his gaze to her for a moment, he was perplexed by what she was saying. It was strange.
“…I'm a sensing type, and compared to Sasuke-kun you feel really warm. He always feels so cold so full of hate…” she quietly explained, as she kept moving with the blond as they the continued to their destination.
Naruto could understand her now that she explained what she meant, he then said kindly, “That’s because he has been consumed by hatred and revenge…he let it control him. But I…I want to help people even him…after all the wrong he’s done.”
‘He wants to help people…?’ she thought to herself as she continued to spring from tree to tree as she quietly looked at Naruto realizing he was different than Sasuke. She could really follow him, it was so much different than anything she ever felt, this compassion he held. It was somewhat attractive, maybe more redeeming than just physical appearance, but the noble nature he had was more important than anything in her eyes.
It was in that moment that the Kusanagi Sword of Sasuke ran Naruto through and pierced him to a tree. “Stay out of this Naruto…” he said as he pressed his foot to Naruto’s abdomen and ripped the sword from the blonde’s body.
“Sasuke-kun!! What are you doing!?” Karin screamed as she rushed to support the weakening body of the kind hearted Shinobi.
“…Keeping him out of the way…you should stay out of the way too…” he responded before he rushed off into the distance of the forest, abandoning the two as if they were a hindrance to whatever he was planning.
Karin could only helplessly watch as Sasuke disappeared into the horizon, she helped Naruto to the forest floor and leaned him against a tree. “Naruto-kun…” she began quietly as she removed her cloak and opened her shirt, she would have to endure a little pain, “Bite me…if you don’t you’ll bleed to death.” she quietly finished as she kneeled in front of the blond bulling his head closer to her neck.
“…I’ll be fine…I'm a Jinchuuriki…” he said in objection, feeling as if he didn’t need to rely on her.
“Do it! I need to be of use to you…” she said as if it wasn’t a request but rather an order, and as she said that the blond bit into her neck and siphoned her chakra away, only taking what he needed to kick start the Kyuubi’s chakra so he could heal.
“…It is something very personal between me and Karin-chan…” he said with a faint smile, as he remembered what it was between him and Karin. He knew it was beyond friendship and possibly deeper than just adoration for him.
“…Have you taken the time to think about what you want? Stop worrying about what Sakura or Karin want. Your heart is yours…don’t sacrifice your happiness just so one of them doesn’t get hurt.” Ino said as she offered some advice to Naruto wanting him to be happy, since he deserved his own happiness.
Naruto shook his head lightly, since he was a selfless person he never thought about himself. He just couldn’t be selfish like that, wanted others to be happy if he had to forsake his own.
“…Naruto…not to sound selfish or anything…but…” she began, as she fidgeted with her thumbs since it was somewhat embarrassing, she then said in a hushed voice, “Would you spend the day with me…?”
Naruto just blinked since it was unusual, he didn’t expect this from a girl he had purely been friends with, he then guardedly asked, “…What are you asking Ino-chan?”
“I…I want to spend one afternoon, where I’m more than just your friend. I can deal with Karin, because I can tell the two of you share a special bond from something. But Sakura…she doesn’t deserve you…and I will not lose to her.” she responded as she stood to her feet and looked at the blond, she would not let Naruto be subject to Sakura’s cruelty again. She had her chance, she had her chance for the past six years, and she never realized what she had.
“Sakura, she only wants what she can’t have. She couldn’t have Sasuke either.” she said as she clasped her left arm as she moved towards where he was sitting looking at him in a warm hearted way as she said quietly, “I just want to see what its like to actually be with a guy who feels.”
Naruto looked at her seeing the fact she was trying her best to be strong, but he could see in her eyes, her heart was in pain. Naruto knew that look in her eyes, he had seen it so many times when he looked into the mirror, and he quickly stood up and pulled her into an embrace. “For today, we can be more than just friends we can be each other’s rock…”
Smiling sadly she nodded her head as she buried her head into his chest, she just wanted to be with a good man just once. ‘Karin…I don’t mind losing to you…but I won’t let you have him so easily...’ she thought to herself as she clung to the good hearted Shinobi, just knowing for once she had someone who could be her shoulder to cry on, to be there for her that is all she wanted.
As this was going on, the two warring kunoichi, were discussing the matters of the temporary armistice. Because they had driven Naruto away with their fighting, they had to come to terms of how to deal with their issues.
“…You better explain to me why you cling to Naruto so much. I'm sick of it…you don’t even know him!” Sakura exclaimed as she looked at her nemesis with disapproval, as if she thought Karin wasn’t fit to be around Naruto.
Karin blushed some, she knew she had to come clean about it someday, the reason she was so fond of Naruto and why she had to be around him. “Because…I appreciate him. I don’t treat him as a surrogate for Sasuke-kun. I don’t expect him to change. If he changed his chakra wouldn’t be as warm as it is and furthermore, my chakra flows with his…” as she said this she unbuttoned the top few buttons of her top and pulled it open show her bite scars, and pointing to a particular scar.
Sakura’s jaw gaped in shock at the symbols of her sacrifice numerous times she had been bitten, numerous times she had suffered, Karin had done this for others.
“When Sasuke-kun ran Naruto-kun through…I made one last sacrifice…and had him bite me to save him, because even the Kyuubi chakra couldn’t save him alone. But with my Chakra…he was able to survive. I can still feel my chakra intermingled with his. That…that is why I love Naruto-kun, something you wouldn’t understand…” the redhead explained as she buttoned her top up once again desiring to leave Sakura to think this knowledge over, because this was her testimony of her love for Naruto. She could have tracked him down if she wanted, but she respected him too much to track him down when he wanted to be alone.
“…You really do love him…don’t you?” the red clad kunoichi said with some resignation to her voice.
“…I do…” was all she said as she walked away slowly, she didn’t bother to look back. She didn’t need the permission of this girl to feel the way she did. She knew the bond that was shared between her and Naruto and that was stronger than any bonds that Sakura had with him.
Sakura clenched her fists as she looked at the redhead, her eyes narrowing as she said, “I won't lose to you.”
Karin stopped and glanced back at Sakura and just as quickly turned back and kept walking, just casually saying, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. But for his sake, no more arguing around him…it…it breaks his heart whenever those he cares for fight…”
