CHAPTER 41
KARIN UZUMAKI
"I am sorry," she spoke up in a small voice. Shinso-kun stopped as she turned toward her.
"What are you talking about?" he said with a frown.
Many people often forgot about her sensing abilities, and while their range and accuracy were a big advantage. The most important prowess was the ability to sense people's emotions. Emotions that she had felt shifted slightly as soon as he had seen her with the headband.
"I should have talked to you about my plan to become an active shinobi, but I…" but she was cut off mid-sentence.
"While that may have been better, this is your decision, Karin. And while I was a bit surprised, you don't have to seek my permission for something like that," he spoke softly as he began to walk towards her.
"Though, I do want to ask why would you make such a decision like this." He asked her, and Karin's fists clenched and she chewed her lips. How could she explain it! And then she felt his arms wrap around her lightly, as she was pulled in towards his body.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't wa…" encouraged by the sheer serenity and protectiveness of his chakra she spoke up.
"It was because of the invasion." And she felt his body stiffen at her words. His arms around her tightened and she felt his lips on her head.
"I am sorry for putting you through that," he said and Karin just pulled him closer.
"It is just that, I don't want to ever feel so helpless again. When your eyes closed and I felt your chakra extinguish and I couldn't do anything. I was hopeless. I couldn't do anything. I had just stood there as you faced that beast all by yourself. I just don't want to feel helpless like that ever again." She said heatedly, her faces wet with her tears as she snuggled closer into his choice.
"You were not useless. Don't you remember what Ladt Tsunade said,"—and he was now staring at her straight in the eye— "I came out of that alive only because of you. But if you want to be a shinobi, you can be a shinobi. This is solely your choice my princess. No matter your decision, I will always be a single call away."
And she could feel the sincerity as she stared into his eyes. He had always been like that, always supportive. Always ready to encourage her, there to support her. And she felt something shift inside her as she stared into those dark eyes, as he smiled at her. His hand had come up to wipe her tears.
"Didn't I say that tears don't suit you? And haven't you heard that shinobi don't cry, how can you break such a rule," he joked with a smirk and Karin felt a smile appear on her face as she saw him shake his head in a disappointed fashion.
At that moment, she pushed herself up, standing on her toes. Her face approached his, and before he could react, her lips had crashed onto his own. And she could feel the warmth shift from her lips to his own and then she felt his arms around her tighten as he leaned into her warmth. Karin did not try and get away as she reciprocated his emotions, her own arms tightening around his back.
And at that moment she knew that if a situation like the invasion rose again, she would gladly die a hundred times to protect him. But a part of her also knew that he would go much farther to protect her. Much further.
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SHIKAKU NARA
Shikaku watched as his son awkwardly tried to invite the newly appointed genin to their home for dinner. Seeing his struggle Shikaku decided to take pity on his son. Yoshino had been quite ecstatic when she had Shikamaru mention the girl's name in a casual conversation.
And while that discussion was between him and Shikamaru, about him trying to get a new intern in the department, she had jumped the wagon and taken the girl to be Shikamaru secret crush. She had been insisting on seeing the special girl that her son had fallen for, so it was time she got her wish.
"Sakura maybe you should accept his proposal. I have been wanting to invite you and your family for a dinner, perhaps this could be a good opportunity for your parents to see your classmates." He spoke up from and he saw the girl turn to face him. Her unique hair colour still a shock to him.
She looked conflicted, and he spotted the relief on his son's face.
"But this is too much Shikaku-san, you don't need to do this," she said nervously and Shikaku just waved his hand.
"Don't mind the small stuff, Yoshino has been asking me about it as well. If you don't accept then she will simply come and invite you herself," and that was a real possibility. A very real possibility.
The girl seemed a bit amazed and after a second or so nodded her head.
"Then, I am honored by the invite Shikaku-sama. Thank you for inviting me to your house," she said with a bow and Shikaku just waved her off.
"Don't mind it. Now, why don't you go and search the inventory about the regulations established during the Village's formation? Focus on the rules regarding application of seals and give me a report about it," this had been requested by Tsunade-sama and Shikaku had quite a bit of an idea behind such a request.
Minato had made a similar request, and Shikaku already knew what Tsunade-sama wanted to know. But this could be a good test for the girl.
"Of course, Shikaku-sama," she said with a bow and walked out of his office. His son sighed loudly as soon as the door closed. His shoulders slumping in a very similar way to his own, before he spoke up.
"Thank you for the assistance there," his son spoke up. And Shikaku got a good luck with his son.
"So, is she really the one," he asked with a slight smirk and Shikamaru just looked up at him in a resigned way. And Shikaku smirked as he saw his son in a very lazy tone.
"I don't know but she could be," and Shikaku thought about the girl in question. Sakura Haruno, the kunoichi that had graduated at the top of her class, and didn't that show. Her talent as a fighter was limited, but the girl had limitless potential when it came to memorizing and applying vast swathes of information. A skill that was much needed and valued in his own department.
"She is smart," he commented lazily. And Shikamaru nodded before saying the most accurate thing.
"Well, I am just gonna have to leave this to mom, I will go with whatever she decides. I don't have the patience to deal with such a drag," and Shikaku smiled at his son's words. Spoken likea true Nara. And if his guess was right, Yoshino was going to like the girl.
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TSUNADE SENJU
The report given to her by Shikaku was placed right in front of her. The details about the regulations were quite clear that within the confines of the previous rules she would not be able to change anything about the Hyuga affairs. But that was the catch, within the previous rules. And this gave her an opportunity to strike two birds with a single stone.
"Are you sure about their functionality, Shinso?" she asked her apprentice. The boy nodded his head.
"Of course, Tsunade-sama. I have checked them myself. You can go over the seals yourself if you want," he said in a confident tone.
And Tsunade was going to check the seal herself, this had to be perfect if she wanted her plan to work. And she examined the hanafuda earrings once more. They were quite simple, but if one were to look closely, one would spot the intricate sealing pattern drawn on them. A pattern that her student had come up with.
"What even gave you that idea?" she asked as she put them down. She saw him getting embarrassed for a second before he spoke up.
"Well, the idea isn't actually mine, I stole it," and Tsunade was surprised by that explanation. Moreson when he gave up the source.
"It is actually from the Kiri shinobi that stole the Byakugan. He intervened in our first mission, at that time I spotted a similar mechanism used by him," and now Tsunade was more surprised. Kiri's locator. The kid had met the man.
"Well, the design is well and good but we still need to convince the Head of the Hyuga clan to let this through. If he vetoes it along with Danzo, it would kill our plan." And that exact thing had happened when Minato had brought it up.
Shimura's in the civilian council and Hyuga in the shinobi clan. When two members, one from each side veto a motion they could kill it. And only three clans held the veto power in the whole village. The Uchiha, the Senju and The Hyuga. And on the civilian side, these were the Shimuras, the Hiastso, and Nara's civilian branch.
"I might have an idea in that regard," he said in a small voice. And he took out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to her.
"This is war buried in the reports of the police department files, I was able to obtain them. But if they get into the wrong hands, there will be quite a havoc," he added and Tsunade frowned as she opened the scroll. And her temper rose with each word she read.
Her impeccable control faltered momentarily and the edge of the table broke into pieces. Tsunade took a deep breath as she calmed herself down. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shinso.
"Is all of this true?" she asked in a serious tone. The room was still thick with her chakra. The boy nodded his head.
"How did you even know to look for something like this?" she asked with a frown. The boy did not reply for a moment before he shook his head slightly. Tsunade understood the gesture and raised her hand.
"Leave us!" and she felt the ANBU vanish. Only then did the boy speak.
"People can be really careless when they are drunk, moreso in a restaurant that has specially placed privacy seals. It is just that, those seals can be modified quite easily by a master." He said while looking a bit embarrassed.
And Tsunade was impressed by such a shrewd plan.
"I just listened into a couple of chats and got a couple of leads. The rest was just digging through old files and reports." He added. And Tsunade rolled up the scroll once more.
"I want you to burn all other such reports, and make sure that they aren't retrievable. And deliver an invite to the Hyuga clan head. It is time we ended this mess," she commanded and the boy got up with a nod.
"Of course, Tsunade-sama," and just as he was about to leave. Shizune entered her office, looking a bit worried.
"Tsunade-sama, I have grave news." She said hastily and Tsunade frowned as she heard those words.
"What happened?" she asked. And Shizune handed her the small booklet in her hands. Tsunade recognized the booklet as the Bingo Book. And she saw Shinso's expression as he stopped in his tracks.
"Kusa has just put a bounty on Karin's head," Shizune spoke up. But, this was expected, what was unexpected were her next words.
"They have declared it an S-rank bounty," Tsunade's eyes widened as she heard those words. She opened the Bingo Book and it was right there.
Karin Uzumaki-S-rank
S-Rank: Wanted Alive
But Karin had only been in service and had no official mission record. How had they even gotten this news.?Moreso, how were they going to pay for such a bounty? All this had a simple explanation. An explanation that could be summed up by her student's words.
"DANZO!"
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Karin's got an S-rank bounty. Danzo wants to teach Shinso a lesson, and Tsunade just labors away.
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