Shine like the Sun

They had good luck with the weather, and so the ride was as short as could be expected, and uneventful. 

They docked in a small settlement, the place where all vessels to Uzushio arrived and departed. The land was technically part of Grass country, but everyone knew the small town was loyal to the land of Whirlpools, and thankfully, after the reconstruction of Uzushio, there had been no disputes between both countries. 

At least once a day a ship left from the mainland and traveled to Uzushio and back, but smaller boats could be contracted at the outposts to take tourists and sellers to the islands at any time. 

Alongside the docks was the largest building in the settlement; an office building where all ninja mission requests from outsiders arrived at the outpost. Mission requests were written in scrolls with summoning seals, transported to the mission desk on the islands, and responded to within the hour. Despite this, there were always a minimum of two jonnin and four chunnin at the outpost to take any truly urgent missions, or to dissuade any trouble should it arrive. 

It was to this building that Konan-sensei took the scroll Chiba-baachan had sent her, and here that she had to formally accept the C-rank mission they were undertaking. 

Merchants from Uzushio traveling farther inland than the outpost tended to contract ninja to protect them, as was the custom everywhere, and so Naruto, Haku and Karin helped their clients unload their merchandise.

There were three separate carts, two horses, one donkey, and 5 people. 

Two of the vendors where selling food; their carts full of still live squid, clams, crabs, shrimp and more… just thinking about it made Naruto’s mouth water. These were frequent travelers. They would visit the mainland twice a month for a couple of days each trip, and then return. As such, they tended to contract one of the chunnin at the outpost.

It was the last merchant that had requested a team led by a jonnin. It was a cart full of sea based jewels. The cheaper wares were colorful seashell and sea glass objects, but there were also polished coral jewels, and pearls, significantly more expensive. White, pink and black pearls, of different sizes and made into beautiful ornaments. The jeweler had everything with him, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, hair ornaments, hats and shawls with woven into jewels... The jewel vender tended to travel the mainland for months, selling to everyone from travelers to the wives of powerful Daimyo's. After he had exhausted all of his commodities, he returned to Uzushio, considerably richer than he'd left. He would probably contract a foreign ninja on his return trip. Naruto’s team was only responsible for seeing them into Kusagakure. 

Konan-sensei returned to the group, and they set out. 

Karin, as their main sensor, sat on one of the fish-caravans, eyes closed and concentrating on all surroundings, ready at any moment to alert them to danger. Her range was a couple kilometers wide, and Naruto, Haku and Konan took a triangular formation within this range, ready for unexpected movements. 

There was a low chance of attack on an escort mission such as theirs, and therefore Karin felt comfortable expelling large quantities of chakra, trying to expand both her perception’s range and her chakra reserves, in preparation for the exams. 

She was an Uzumaki, but she was far behind Naruto in chakra quantity, even without counting his additional reserves. 

The trip didn’t encounter any enemies, but one of the carts stumbled on a particularly large rock and broke a wheel, and replacing it took longer than expected. 

They arrived at Kusagakure at dusk.

Exhausted, they parted ways with the vendors. Konan-sensei received their payment, and then disappeared once more, going in search of the village administration, to inform of their arrival. 

The three gennin were left to their own devises, and after a couple minutes wandering around, Naruto's stomach decided for the three of them to go in search of dinner. They found a small food stall serving ramen, and sat down to eat. Konan-sensei appeared besides them when Haku and Karin were finishing their first bowl, and Naruto was ordering his third. 

“The delegation has decided to leave tomorrow.” said Konan-sensei without preamble. She looked at the menu behind the cook, and ordered some dumplings. 

“Tomorrow?” asked Karin, her voice tight. 

Both Haku and Naruto turned to look at their teammate. She was frowning, her red eyes narrowed behind her glasses. She caught Naruto’s eye, but with a small shake of her head, looked away. 

“Because of our late arrival.” said Konan-sensei, ignoring the sudden tension. "If we were to leave now we would have to make camp for the night inside the land of Fire, and the grass ninja would rather not. We leave tomorrow at 0400. We’ll look for lodgings after we finish our food.” 

Karin sighed, and looked down, but said nothing. Haku, as was usual when they wore their mask, remained quiet as well. 

Naruto slurped his noodles, thinking. 

The night before they had left Uzushio, the Uzumaki’s in the village had gathered at Chiba-baasama’s house to wish the departing gennin well and offer recommendations for the exams. 

Karin’s mother, Naruto's aunt Akane had taken him aside when he’d gotten up to leave. She’d gripped his shoulders tightly, and with an intensity she rarely showed, begged him to promise to take care of his cousin. 

It wasn’t a difficult promise. Though very talented, Karin was mostly a non-combat ninja, and Naruto was. In his mind, Karin was his responsibility. He was his cousin’s protector- and the fear in his aunt’s gaze had rattled him, momentarily. 

He’d forgotten all about it in the morning of course, what with the excitement and anticipation… but now he wondered. 

They found an inn at the outskirts of the village that Konan-sensei was familiar with, and prepared for bed. Konan-sensei took a room for herself, and the three gennin took another. 

They were unusually quiet as they got ready for bed - laying their bags one besides the other - Naruto closest to the window, Karin in the middle and Haku closest to the door. They hadn’t been together long, but already they had fallen into at least one routine - Karin was always in the middle, no matter the activity. 

Even after turning off the lights and murmuring good night, Naruto lay awake, staring at the ceiling. 

It was almost a relief to hear a rustling to his side and for Karin to snuggle up to him, hiding her face in his shoulder. 

“Naru,” she whispered, “I feel horrible being back here."

It didn’t take a genius, and Naruto certainly wasn’t one, to tell as much. 

“What’s up Kaachin?"

For a while, Karin was silent, breathing slowly, her face pressed into his side. 

“They didn’t want to let us leave…” she started to say, “back when Chiba-obaasama came to get us.”

“There was this man… he made mama work so hard, and she was so scared all the time… the day after obaasama left, mama smuggled us out in the night. She carried me and she ran all the way to where obaasama was. Obaasama's chakra is so bright, so warm... it was easy to find, even for me, but she was exhausted afterwards, she slept for days. And then we were told mama had been declared a Kusa missing-nin, even though she’s only a C ranked ninja…"

She shook her head from side to side, clenching her hands into fists.

"and… and I’m scared Naru, the longer we’re here, that someone will recognize me and force me to stay."

Naruto frowned. 

He turned towards Karin, so that their faces were close together, their foreheads almost touching. 

“Don’t be stupid Kacchin,” he whispered harshly, and then looking at her unhappy face, softened his expression. 

“It’s been years since you where here, no one will recognize you, you’ve changed.”

It was true. Karin had been 6, same as Naruto, when she’d arrived at Uzushio. She’d been a timid child, hiding behind her choppy, short hair. She’d been thin, and pale.  

Seven years later, she’d grown out her hair. Though still spiky, it now reached down to her waist. Her skin had darkened, out in the Uzushio sun, though Naruto’s bronze completion was still a couple shades darker than hers. 

And her confidence and attitude where miles away from her shy past. Karin was loud, sometimes louder than Naruto, outspoken and full of energy. 

There was a picture in one of Chiba-baasama’s photo albums, of when Naruto had just arrived at the village, when he was 6 and Karin 7… and he liked to look at it only to see how far they’d come. In the picture, both Naruto and Karin stood in front of the Clan’s main house, Naruto wringing his hands in his shirt, a small, hopeful smile on his face, his shoulders hunched. Karin standing straight, looking blankly forward. 

In contrast, their gennin picture showed Karin with her arms thrown around both her teammates, bringing them close to her, matching grins on her face and Naruto’s, smiling as wide as their faces would let them. 

Haku’s mask was slightly askew, knocked around by the sudden movement, their one visible eye slightly wide, their mouth in a small, surprised ‘oh’ shape. Konan-sensei was behind them, smiling as well. 

Back in the darkness of the room, Karin still looked unconvinced. 

“Besides,” Naruto whispered fiercely, “you know I wouldn’t let anyone take you. And Haku would’t either. And Konan-sensei would kick anyone’s ass that we hadn’t gotten to already.”

Karin’s face began to loosen. It wasn’t a smile yet, but it was progress. 

“I know…" she began, "it’s just... mama was so scared, of me taking the exams. People die. And it's usually foreign ninja…unexperienced ninja. I’m scared, is all.” she finished.  

Out of the relative darkness, Haku’s soft voice rang out. 

"I’m scared as well,” they said. 

Naruto wasn’t surprised, exactly, that Haku had been paying attention, but he was glad to hear their teammate join the conversation. 

“There will be Kiri ninja at the exam as well. Unlike you, I’m not worried of being recognized… at least I don’t think anyone is left alive who could. And I left Kubikiribōchō at home. But still, like you, I am scared.”

Karin turned back around, so she was no longer giving Haku her back, and after a bit of shuffling, she pulled them both towards Naruto, so they were all close enough to see each other’s faces, somewhat, even in the dark. 

Naruto smiled at Haku, extremely pleased to see the other teen refer to Uzushio as home. 

“Kiri ninja are stupid,” he said, in solidarity to his teammate. He could see Haku smiling, at that. 

“And the Kusa ninja who tried to force you to stay in this... inferior village is stupid too,” he said, poking Karin in the ribs and making her squeal, before covering her mouth with her hands and giggling.

“And any Konoha ninja who stand in our way.” he said, just for good measure. 

He heard another giggle, and was unsure if it had originated from Karin or Haku. 

“And Ame ninja” said Karin, her voice, finally, back to normal. Her confidence back.

“So that Konan-sensei isn't left out, even in spirit” she said, stretching out her arm into the air, and twirling her wrist dramatically. 

It was Haku, who was giggling, Naruto noticed.

“She’d be pretty angry, if she knew we were still awake.” they pointed out. 

Agreeing and murmuring quietly, they moved around until they were comfortable. They snuggled back into their bags, closer together than they had been at the start, murmured goodnight again, more heartfelt, this time, and listening to each other’s even breathing, finally went to sleep.