Overcoming the Odds.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Captured

With Karin all healed and ready to take back to the village for questioning, the group traveled the main road to make their way back to Konoha.

She was at the very front of the group and was being escorted by Kakashi who held the knot that tied her hands together.

As she walked, thoughts about her situation flooded her head. The whole day felt strange for her; one moment she was happily talking to the boy who held all her affection, and the next thing she knew that very same person abandoned her and left her for dead. It all felt surreal, she would have never thought that something like this would have happened to her, but now that it has she could only wonder where she went wrong. She continued to look downcast at the dirt road while they walked, and feelings of sadness and heartbreak made their way to her chest at remembering Sasuke's selfish actions.

Naruto kept glancing at Karin throughout the day. He saw the obvious sadness that she displayed throughout their trip back home and felt hints of guilt at his unintentional yet necessary accomplishment.

There was something about her that drew him closer whenever he looked at her, something he couldn't quite place about her. He stared at her, and as he did this he felt growing vibrations deep within his body and could see visions of the demon inside of him banging itself against the gates of its prison. Why was the demon getting so riled up?

He continued to stare at her while the vibrations and banging became bigger and louder, so loud it blocked any outside noise from entering his ears. The demon continued to bang itself against the jail that housed him, and Naruto found himself in a trance that he couldn't seem to break. Kyūbi continued his actions, and he realized the beast within him was trying to tell him something... What was it trying to say? The banging became immensely loud now, and for some reason, he felt an unbearable sadness overtake him.

"Naruto!"

And as quickly as the trance took him he was set free suddenly and unexpectedly.

Naruto looked to his left quickly where he heard the voice, and saw Sakura and Kakashi staring at him with utter confusion.

He looked at them with a confused face as well, as if they could provide an explanation for what he just experienced. He realized the group stopped walking as well, and he glanced at Karin and was relieved to see that she still looked down at the road and not at his staring face.

"What happened? I've been calling you for a while now." Sakura said with a voice full of worry. "Are you feeling okay?"

She reached for him and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. Naruto became irritated and removed her hand.

"I'm fine." He said with a biting attitude. "I just... had a daydream."

He then proceeded to wipe the tears that gathered at the corner of his eyes.

Kakashi exhaled, not really sure of what to make of his student's weird behavior. He turned around and lightly shoved Karin to make her start walking again.

"Are you gonna answer my question?" Sakura asked.

He looked at her weirdly. "You asked me something?" He said genuinely unaware.

"I did, but you were spaced out or whatever. How did you find them?" She repeated her question. "You never said how you managed to track them down or anything."

Naruto looked down at the road and answered the best way that he could. "I dunno... I just sort of did." He answered. "I was practicing taijutsu at our training grounds..." He thought for a second. "Then I wandered the forest for a bit and I heard people talking, I went to them and seen that it was Sasuke and that girl." He said in a somewhat disbelieving and odd tone... As if he couldn't believe how unrealistic it sounded to even himself. "Then I attacked them with shadow clones, then me and Sasuke fought for a while."