Stream of past

Interlude #1: What happens next?

Karin was helping Naruto pack. It had been 2 months since the funeral and the blonde was in much brighter spirits. He still had moments of relapse, where he would go quiet and stare at the wall for a while, but he was doing better. Jiraiya suggested a scenery change might do him some good, and offered to take Naruto out of the village for a training trip. At first Naruto refused, he didn't want to leave Karin and the village, but as he mulled over his thoughts, and with a few encouragements from Karin and Kaka-sensei, he accepted the offer.

"Ok, you officially have all your bags packed. I made you some tuna sandwiches for the road and I sneaked in some instant ramen in a scroll. Are you ready?" asked Karin.

Naruto hummed from his place on the bed. He was holding a picture of team 7, the first one they ever took together with Kakashi-sensei. Karin's hand on his shoulder startled him.

"Naruto? Are you ok?"

"I...yeah, I was just thinking. I'm really gonna miss this place. I've never really been out of the village before for so long. Like, yeah we took a few missions, but they never lasted for more than 2 weeks. Longest I've been gone was a month..."

"It's going to be ok Naruto."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I know. I'm just...nervous I guess. I wish I could talk to Sakura-chan. She always knew what to do..."

Karin gave him a one armed hug. "Me too, but knowing Sakura she'd probably tell you to do what you think is best. To trust your abilities and to come back safe, or she'll be forced to feed you your liver...or something like that." They both laughed as they thought about the pink medic threatening him. "Oh! That reminds me, I have something for you." Karin got up and rummaged through the chest they hauled in to put her belongings into. She pulled out a tiny box that she threw at Naruto's head. He caught it before it could hit him.

"What's this?" he opened the box and found two silver studs. "Earrings?"

"They belonged to Sakura." Naruto sucked in a breath as he heard that. "She lent them to me for the Konoha Ranks Convocation and...I never got to give them back. I just thought...well since you miss her so much, you might...want something to remember her by."

"Karin..." Naruto launched himself at his cousin and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, this is the best gift you could have gotten me."

Karin hugged him back. "Of course Naruto, I know how much Sakura meant to you. I also have another gift that's specifically from me."

"What is it?"

"Well, my mom told me that there was this tradition back in Uzushio where people would place seals containing their chakra on their loved ones. It was their way of giving them a hug from afar. I was...wondering if you would be ok with that?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course you can! Oh man that's so exciting! Can you place it anywhere? Can I pick? How big is it? Is it gonna hurt like a tattoo? More importantly, can I place one on you?"

Karin laughed. "Yes to the first two, as big as you want me to make it, probably and yes, you can place one on me too."

"Awesome!"

Karin laughed at her cousin's excitement and went to pick up her sealing kit. A gift from Sakura and Tenten for passing the genin exam.

...

Naruto ran at Jiraiya and excitedly showed him his right shoulder where Karin placed her seal. The redhead smiled softly at him, her own seal containing Naruto's chakra was on the back of her neck, just above the one from her mother. She was glad she met Naruto and was now able to impart the few Uzumaki traditions her mother imparted to her. She heard steps and turned around to see Kakashi-sensei and a reluctant Sasuke walking towards them.

"Yo." said Kakashi, giving them a 2 finger salute once he neared them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" exclaimed Naruto as he ran at them. "...and Sasuke. What are you doing here?"

"We came to say goodbye." said Kakashi as he ruffled his hair. "Good luck on you journey, Naruto. Try to stay out of trouble, ok?"

"Hey, it's not like I go looking for it, trouble looks for me."

"Yeah, yeah." seeing how uncomfortable Sasuke looked, Kakashi decided to make it worse by leaving the two alone to talk to Jiraiya and dragged a reluctant Karin with him. These 2 needed to have a talk.

"So...You're leaving." said Sasuke awkwardly.

"Yeah...Ero-sennin thought it might be a good idea."

"I see...Good luck then."

"Thanks..."

Awkward silence descended upon them once more. The two of them haven't said a word to each other since that fateful day when their world turned upside down. Naruto sighed. He really didn't want to leave the village without talking to Sasuke, but he didn't know what to say.

"Look Naruto-"

"Listen here, Sasuke-"

They both stopped as they talked over each other, Sasuke told him to go first.

"Look, Sasuke...I'm...still mad at you about what happened. That day in the forest is one of the worst days in my life...and I live in the red light district. I...know on some level...that it wasn't your fault. It...it was an accident, but no matter how much I think about it...I still get mad. I...I don't know if I can forgive you right now."

Sasuke nodded. "I understand, I wouldn't forgive me eith-"

"But I want to someday." interrupted Naruto. "I can't get past it now, but I want to some day...when I'm less angry. I don't...I don't want to lose one of my first friends so..." he offered him his hand. "Future-friends?"

Sasuke stared at the hand in front of him in shock, not believing what was happening. He gave Naruto a barely there, shaky smile and shook it. "Future-friends."

"Naruto, it's time to go!" said Jiraiya.

"Coming!" yelled Naruto before turning back to Sasuke one last time. "See ya when I get back."

"See ya. Try not to get eaten by a bear out there dobe."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever, teme."

Sasuke looked at him leave, after hugging his cousin and declaring to her and Kakashi that he will get stronger and not let anyone else die on his watch. Sasuke watched him until the blonde and his new sensei were nothing but specks on the horizon, Sakura's hitai-ate glinted in the sunlight from where it was wrapped around his forehead.