Shattered Sun

Not weak

Sakura had been silent since Naruto leveled that frightening gaze on her but she's also more receptive of his orders. She quickly checked on the girl. Sasuke took note how Naruto almost flinched when she said her name's Uzumaki Karin. He smiled at her instead over his shoulder, "Funny that. My name's Uzumaki Naruto. Do you think we are related somewhere?"

Karin followed them to the tower after that, watching Naruto with wide eyes full of interest. She drifted close to him but noticed the once blonde's discomfort and so kept a polite distance. She then asked, "Have you...always been in Konoha?"

Naruto didn't look at her but nodded, "Yeah...Uzumaki was a clan affiliated with Konoha before Uzushio's fall. In fact, the Shodaime's wife was Uzumaki Mito,"

Karin blinked, "Wait...we are...welcomed here?"

"Yeah..."

She pondered before asking, "Do you think...do you think I can move here?"

Naruto tilted his head, "Why don't you meet up with Hokage-Jiji? He has always been on the lookout for Uzumaki survivors. He never did get over failing to get to Uzu in time,"

They reached the tower on the final day, Sasuke feeling stronger than when he first woken up in the forest after whatever it was the Orochimaru did. Naruto's pacing was just...perfect...for Sasuke to heal and get a better bearing. Iruka greeted them after Naruto wordlessly opened the scrolls in the tower before either Sasuke or Sakura can argue. Karin left to guest side of the tower, knowing that she's not going to be welcomed as she came without her team.

She looked at Naruto and hesitatingly waved, "See you...uh...cuz?"

Naruto waved back, "Sure,"

He still didn't look at her. But though she smiled a sad smile at the odd treatment, she noticed that he treated his teammates similarly. She didn't feel any malice from him, just a deep sense of sadness, which confused her. He didn't seem to be sad because of team but rather simply sad. She wondered what had happened to him. But most importantly, if he's truly an Uzumaki then she had found family. Mother always told her that family's important to Uzumaki.

She'll help him. She didn't know what she can do but she'll find a way...

Iruka smiled at them in greeting but frowned when he noticed how Naruto seemed to flinch, his face turned to the floor while his hands gripped white as they tremble at his sides. He asked, "Naruto, are you alright?"

A deep breath and the once blond smiled with his eyes perfectly crinkled to a squint, "I'm fine, Iruka-sensei!" But he can't hide the way his voice failed him, almost breaking at the end. He looked like he was on the verge of crying but he continue to smile, forcing his lips to stretch in a parody of cheerfulness. He need to get through this. He have to get through this.

Iruka couldn't do anything more than sending them off to the arena where the prelim will take place...

Sasuke looked at Naruto, worry gnawing in him. He caught Kakashi's eye and tried to inform the Jounin with his gaze on Naruto's oddly fragile state of mind. Kakashi nodded but truly the man can't do anything. Naruto had insisted on joining the Chuunin exam. Sakura gripped his sleeve, her own verdant eyes full with worry.

It seemed she had finally decided to look beyond her comfort zone and realized that the Shinobi world was more than just romantic adventure. She has begun to notice Naruto's odd behavior. Naruto's strong from what she told him, oddly so. But at the same time he's strangely fragile and it was that fragility that worry them.

Odd how when he was the weakest member, he was also the strongest mentally. But now that he's physically stronger than them, he's also the weakest of them emotionally. Sasuke felt that an emotionally weak Naruto was simply wrong. Like the world had gone dark...