Initiatives
Naruto had finally found the perfect spot for his afternoon nap. He was sprawled out on the floor of his apartment like a lazy housecat, one arm draped over his face to block out the light, when a knock came at the window. Not the door. The window.
He cracked one eye open. A masked ANBU was kneeling on the sill, his face hidden behind a porcelain mask.
"The Hokage wants to see you and the girl."
Naruto let out a long sigh through his nose.
He turned his head slightly, glancing toward the corner where Karin was busy unrolling a futon. For the last twenty minutes, she had been muttering to herself, complaining about how messy his place was, how it was ridiculous he only had one spare blanket, and how she absolutely refused to sleep on the floor without at least three pillows.
"Hey," Naruto called out. "The old man wants to see us."
Karin flinched and spun around, pushing her glasses up her nose. "What? Now?"
"Now."
She grumbled something under her breath, but abandoned her nest-building and followed him out the window.
They leaped across the rooftops in silence, the wind whipping through their hair. Naruto could feel Karin watching him from the corner of her eye. She was probably still trying to process that she wasn't alone anymore, that she had family.
He didn't blame her. He hadn't expected to find another Uzumaki either.
They landed outside the Hokage's office, and Naruto pushed the door open without knocking.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, pipe in hand. He looked more amused than annoyed by Naruto's lack of formality.
"Naruto, Karin. Come in."
Naruto stepped inside, hands in his hoodie pockets, his eyes half-lidded. Karin hesitated before following, standing slightly behind him as if she wasn't sure where she fit in this room.
"I see you're settling in well," Hiruzen said, his gaze shifting to Karin. "And I hear you've decided to stay with Naruto."
Karin lifted her chin. "Of course! He's family!"
Naruto yawned. "I told her she can't eat my ramen, though."
Hiruzen chuckled. "Of course." His expression grew more serious. "Now, about your status, Karin."
She stiffened.
"You were previously a shinobi of Kusagakure," Hiruzen continued, watching her closely. "They will undoubtedly be looking for you. Officially, you are still a part of their forces."
Karin scowled. "I hate Kusa."
The Hokage nodded. "I understand. But abandoning a village is not a simple matter. They may demand your return."
"They killed my mom." Karin's voice wavered slightly. "They treated me like a tool. I don't want to go back. I won't go back."
Naruto blinked slowly. "So they were harvesting you like livestock?" he asked, his voice flat. "Like they did to your mom? Once you served your purpose and left an offspring, they'd butcher you too?"
Silence filled the room.
Karin's breath hitched.
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose, his fingers tightening around his pipe. "That's quite an analogy, Naruto."
"It's accurate," Naruto said simply. "Humans do that all the time. Even to their own."
More silence. Karin stared at the floor, her hands clenched into fists.
Then, she straightened up. "I'm not going anywhere," she declared. "In fact," she jabbed a finger at the Hokage, "I quit being a shinobi!"
Hiruzen sighed. "It's not that simple, child."
"Why not?" Naruto tilted his head. "Just tell them she was eaten by a python and digested instantly."
Karin made a strangled sound. "What the hell, Naruto?"
Hiruzen blinked. "That's..." He hesitated, rubbing his chin. "That's actually doable."
Karin gaped. "Are you seriously considering this?"
Naruto shrugged. "Humans lie all the time anyway."
The Hokage let out a long, slow exhale, then finally nodded. "I will see what I can do."
Naruto took that as their cue to leave. "Alright. Bye."
He turned and walked out, Karin scrambling after him.
"That's it?!" she hissed once they were outside. "We're just leaving like that?"
"What else do you want?" Naruto asked, blinking at her.
"I don't know!" She threw her hands up. "A proper resolution?"
"We got one," he said simply. "You're dead now. Congrats."
Karin groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "I can't believe this is my life now."
Naruto stifled a yawn and kept walking. "Better than being livestock, right?"
Karin made another strangled sound but followed him anyway.
-
Naruto didn't get why Karin was so dramatic about the whole thing. She wasn't going back to Kusa. She wasn't getting harvested. She wasn't being used. What else was there to worry about?
But since she looked like she was still processing, he figured she could use a distraction. And what better distraction than food?
Especially when Ichiraku's was having a special offer.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He changed directions without explanation, and Karin, still grumbling under her breath, followed.
The ramen stand was warm and familiar, the scent of broth and noodles thick in the air. Ayame looked up from behind the counter and beamed. "Naruto! Welcome back!"
"Hey," Naruto greeted, already making his way to his usual seat.
Then Ayame's eyes flickered to Karin. "Oh? And who's this beautiful young lady?"
Karin blinked. "Huh?"
Naruto didn't hesitate. "Karin Uzumaki."
Ayame gasped. "Uzumaki?! Another one?"
"Yep," Naruto said, already reaching for the menu even though he didn't need it. "We're cousins."
Ayame clasped her hands together, her eyes practically sparkling. "That's wonderful!"
Karin adjusted her glasses, still looking a little overwhelmed. "Uh, yeah, I guess."
Then, Ayame's smile turned sly. "So, Naruto, is she...?"
"She is not my mate," Naruto said immediately. "We are not mating."
Karin made a noise that could only be described as a squeak.
Ayame blinked. "I wasn't asking that, but now I have to ask."
"I just answered," Naruto said, deadpan.
Karin turned red. "Why would you even say that?"
Naruto tilted his head, genuinely confused. "Because humans assume that all the time. And you were turning red, so I figured you were panicking."
Karin's face only turned redder. "I was not! I mean, why are you like this?"
"Like what?"
Karin let out a strangled groan, dropping her head onto the counter.
Ayame giggled behind her hand. "You two are adorable."
"We are not," Karin grumbled into the wood.
"She is my cousin," Naruto repeated, nodding toward the menu. "Now, I want the special, and she'll have..."
"I can order for myself, thank you!" Karin snapped, snapping back up and fixing her hair like she hadn't just been seconds away from combusting. "I'll have whatever he's having."
Ayame smiled knowingly and turned to start preparing their food.
Naruto leaned back, stretching slightly. "See? Now you have food. No more overthinking."
Karin shot him a look. "I am not overthinking."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm..."
"Your heart is still beating fast," Naruto pointed out. "Don't worry. I am not mating you."
Karin nearly fell off the stool.
-
Gaara sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers tapping against the surface of his gourd. His sand shifted restlessly, slithering and curling around his feet like a living thing, mirroring the agitation clawing at his insides.
He wanted to kill something.
No. He needed to kill something.
But not just anyone.
Naruto Uzumaki.
That name burned in his mind like a brand. The boy with glowing sapphire eyes and that unnatural, beast-like stillness. The way he had stood there, completely unaffected by Gaara's bloodlust, like a predator staring back at another predator. It was wrong.
No one was supposed to look at him like that. Not without fear. Not without understanding that they were prey.
"Gaara." Temari's voice was careful, hesitant. She was standing near the doorway, arms crossed, her eyes flicking between him and the shifting sand. "You should rest. The final stage of the exams is coming up. You need to be focused."
Gaara didn't respond. His fingers tightened against his gourd. His sand vibrated.
Temari sighed. "I know that look. You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
Kankurō, who had been lounging on the other bed, groaned. "Oh, for heaven's sake. Is this about Uzumaki again?"
Gaara finally looked up. His pupils were narrow, his expression blank, but his voice came out sharper than a blade. "He did not fear me."
Kankurō made a face. "Yeah, we noticed."
"He should have feared me," Gaara said, his voice eerily calm. "But he didn't. He didn't even react."
Temari shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe he just doesn't feel fear like normal people."
"Then he is not normal," Gaara murmured, tilting his head slightly. "He is something else."
Kankurō threw up his hands. "Who cares?! He's just some weirdo with a bridge named after him. If he's not scared of you, fine, whatever! That just means he's too dumb to realize he should be!"
Gaara's sand coiled. Kankurō shut up immediately.
"He is strong," Gaara said, his voice soft but heavy with something dangerous. "His instincts are sharp. His body moves like an animal. He kills without hesitation."
Temari frowned. "Then why didn't he kill you?"
Gaara's fingers twitched against his gourd. "I do not know."
That was what made his blood itch the most.
Naruto Uzumaki could have tried to kill him. But he didn't.
He should have fought like a human. But he didn't.
He moved with the instinct and unpredictability of a beast, but his strikes were controlled. He fought like someone who knew the world was full of monsters, but had decided he wouldn't be one.
It was insulting.
"Gaara," Temari said carefully, "you're doing it again."
He blinked. His sand had started creeping toward Kankurō's leg.
He exhaled slowly, withdrawing it.
Temari exchanged a look with Kankurō before sighing. "Look. We all know you want to fight him, but now's not the time. We have a mission."
Gaara's eyes flickered toward her. "Yes," he murmured. "The mission."
The invasion. The destruction. The blood.
But all he could think about was Naruto Uzumaki standing there with those too-bright eyes, utterly unshaken by him.
He wanted to carve that stillness out of him.
He wanted to break it.
Temari sighed again but didn't push further. Kankurō muttered something under his breath and flopped back onto the bed.
Gaara sat in silence.
His sand continued to shift.