City of Night

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Uchiha Manor- 2 Days Before Battle

"What's bothering you, princess?" Suigetsu looked at Karin curiously and she ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh as she turned to look out the window. "I'm just thinking." He raised an eyebrow as he regarded how serious she was. "Thinking about what?" She shrugged. "Everything."

"That really narrows it down," he said sarcastically, setting his enormous sword down before falling onto the Mizukage's couch and stretching himself into a comfortable position. "But I won't bug you."

Karin chuckled despite her grim mood, grateful for her companion's constantly cheerful demeanour. "You're not bugging me." He grinned widely. "Good to know."

"It's just," she started and turned away from the window to look down at him. "Imagine how differently my life could have panned out if Ino hadn't turned me into some obsessive and possessive bitch like her." Her voice cracked suddenly as her face crumpled with anguish and regret. "It could have been so different. I could have been a person people actually liked. I could have made friends. But now," her voice lowered. "I guess I'll never know what that's like."

Suigetsu's usual arrogant and cheerful expression vanished when he saw how distressed she really was, by the pain clearly evident in her eyes and by the tension in her shoulders. Karin was rarely this vulnerable and barely ever truly expressed what she was feeling. She usually hid her emotions too well for anyone to read, being as careful and cautious as she was.

Suigetsu sat up and angled his body toward the window to face her. "If it helps," he offered, "I like you." Karin giggled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, but I didn't think you were the nice type." She blinked with surprise when she saw a protective possessiveness suddenly break past his carefree mask. "I can be nice if you need me to be." He said seriously. He watched her eyes water and the first tear fall. "I can be anything you need me to be."

Karin half laughed and half sobbed before moving to sit beside him on the couch and resting her head on his shoulder. "You don't really come across as sweet and sensitive either you know," she commented, wiping away her tears.

He winked and grinned toothily, "I'm nicer then I look. It's the shark teeth that give people the wrong idea."

Karin laughed. "Or it could be that you're an arrogant jerk most of the time."

He shrugged. "That too," he agreed.

The door flew open and Mei Terumi stalked in. Karin could tell by the tall woman's expression that Ino had upset her, again. Her furious expression, cold enough to freeze anyone to ice and also hot enough to melt you on the spot, softened when her eyes fell on Karin's tear streaked face and both teenagers stood and bowed their heads respectfully. "Mizukage." Karin felt like she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"The Yamanaka child seeks you, youngling."

"I understand."

xxxxxxx

Sakura moaned at the shrill, high-pitched ringing in her ears as she stirred. Her body was stiff from lying in one position for too long and her head was ringing too. Other than that, she felt completely fine. Her body felt as good as new, besides being stiff, but Sakura could see the large patches of dried blood from healed cuts along her arms and legs as well as rips and tears in her clothes, and she knew that the explosion would have killed her if Suigetsu hadn't pulled them into one of the abandoned buildings before the flames had turned them to ash.