The Good Wife

Human Nature

Human Nature

In the dark, abandoned back alleys of Mabashi, a group of men laughed as they threw a woman to the ground. She cried out in pain, but that only made the drunk men laugh harder. She tried calling for help, but no one could hear her.
"What should we do with her?" one of the men asked.
"Don't know," another slurred. The men chuckled darkly as they looked down at the terrified woman before them. She was beautiful, with pale skin and silver hair. Her figure was curvy, which added to her appeal. And the way she screamed...it just made the men more excited at the prospect of breaking her.
"P-please...just let me go," the woman begged. "I-I won't report it."
The men ignored her as they glanced at each other, trying to figure out who was going to have a piece of her first. The taller of the three decided to take action as he kneeled before the woman and grabbed her by her hair. She yelped, but once again they just found her pain humorous. Tears started to roll down the woman's cheeks. She knew she was doomed and she felt pathetic for not being able to defend herself. If it had been only one man she knew she would have been able to fight and run, but with three? It's impossible.
"You're so cute," the tall man sneered as he caressed her cheek. The woman cringed and closed her eyes, giving in to her fate.
And then someone yawned. The three men froze, suddenly aware that they were no longer alone. The woman slowly opened her eyes, surprised that no one has moved to touch her. The man had let go of her hair and the three men were now nervously looking around them.
"Fucking humans," a voice muttered. "Don't you have any decency?"
A man stepped from the shadows, his shoulders slouched and his hands tucked into his pockets. His long hair was a brilliant red, but in contrast he had two strands of black hair framing his face. His eyes were a deep vermilion with dark circles around them and his pupils were narrowed slits. His ears were inhumanly pointed and his cheeks were adorned with whisker marks.
"Who are you?" one of the men asked bravely.
"Who am I?" the red-headed man asked. "That's a brilliant question and I'm too pissed off to answer you. Just know this – this is my territory, human. And I don't condone raping or assaulting women. Ever. So you better run while I still feel merciful."
The three men glanced at each other and laughed.
"Merciful?" another asked. "What you going to do? Kill us?"
The red-head's eyes narrowed dangerously and he clicked his tongue. The three men gasped and stepped back, only now realising that the man before them had very long and sharp canines. This thing...it couldn't be human!
"W-what are you?" the third man gasped.
"Like I said, I'm too pissed off to even acknowledge your stupid questions. You have five seconds to get out of my sight or I'll be forced to act," the red-head hissed. "One."
The men yelped and scurried away, pushing past the red-head and into the night. The woman watched, amazed as her attackers ran for their lives. As soon as they were gone, she turned to face her mysterious rescuer.
"T-thank you," she whispered. She quickly wiped away her tears and stood up. Her tights were ripped and she had dropped her groceries when the men cornered her just outside the convenience store. She sighed. She'd have to go back and see if it was still there.
"This is yours, right?" the red-head asked as he held up a plastic bag. The woman's eyes widened.
"Yes, thank you!" she exclaimed as she took the bag from the stranger. He must have found it on the ground and then heard her pleas for help. She smiled weakly. It was good to know that good men still existed.
"You shouldn't go out alone this late," the red-head warned.
The woman smiled weakly. "I don't really have a choice. I work all day, so I can only run errands afterwards." She wasn't sure why she was telling this to a complete stranger, but somehow she felt like she could trust this man, despite his non-human appearance.
"Your name?" the stranger asked.
"Yoko," the woman replied, surprised he wanted to know.
"Yoko, huh? Where do you live, Yoko?"
Yoko blinked, doubt suddenly rising in her mind. Why did he want to know? Was he also planning something? Just because he saved her, didn't mean he had good intentions.
He must have noticed her discomfort, because he laughed. "Relax, Yoko. I just want to get you home safely. I'll walk you and then I'll be out of your hair...for good."
Yoko sighed in relief. "Oh. Thank you, Mister...?" She trailed off when she realised he had not introduced himself.
He smirked. "You may call me Kurama."
"Karin?" Sasuke called out his wife's name when he arrived at home. There was no answer, but Itachi did come running to the front door and jumped into his father's arms.
"Welcome home, daddy!" he chirped. Sasuke smiled and patted his son's head. He could hear movement in the kitchen, so he headed in that direction with Itachi on his hip, expecting to find Karin preparing dinner. Instead he found Suigetsu filling up his flasks.
"Where's Karin?" Sasuke asked.
Suigetsu shrugged. "No idea, I don't keep tabs on her."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and set Itachi on his feet. Of course Suigetsu never kept tabs on Karin, while Karin always had to know where Suigetsu was and what he was doing. It was the only way she was certain he wasn't doing anything stupid.
"If you're looking for mum," Masashi interrupted as he stepped inside, "then you're about an hour late. She left for a mission." Masashi held up a note as he said this. Sasuke frowned and snatched the paper from his eldest son's hand. True enough, it was a note from Karin stating she had left on a mission for Naruto.
But something wasn't right. Karin was already on maternity leave, so she should not be assigned any missions of any sort. At all. And although Naruto was dense, he wasn't stupid. He knew and understood the risks of pregnant women being in the line of danger. He would never give a mission to a woman on maternity leave.
So how come he did? Sasuke scrunched up the note and tossed it into the bin. It was time to talk to his best friend.
With the sun slowly setting over the horizon, the night life of Mabashi sprang into action. Lamps lit up the streets, while restaurants and bars alike filled up with patrons. Those with a more sinister idea of entertainment headed for the Red Light District, where the streets were much more flamboyant.
On 5th Street in the centre of Mabashi, Yoko had just started her evening shift at the bar where she had worked for the past three years. Dressed in her usual orange kimono, with her hair tied up and tucked into a white cap, she set to work diligently, ignoring the haunted memories from the previous night that crept into her mind.
She had scrubbed herself raw in the shower after she got home, before collapsing in bed and crying herself to sleep. She woke up with a headache and heavy bags under her eyes. She had to cover the dark circles with concealer so that her colleagues and boss wouldn't get worried.
Despite her efforts to appear normal, her friend, Risa noticed.
"You look exhausted," Risa pointed out as they both placed plates on trays in the kitchen to take out to customers. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Yoko lied. Risa was not convinced, but she did not push for details. Yoko appreciated this about Risa – she never pushed you. All her life, Yoko had been pushed around and forced to do things against her will by her father. Three years ago she had put her foot down and ran. And she has not looked back ever since.
Toshi, the bar owner suddenly appeared behind the two woman, his large figure towering over them. Yoko yelped when she saw him and jumped back, memories of the attack from the previous night still fresh in her mind. Risa and Toshi looked at her, worried.
"What's the matter with you?" Toshi asked, a frown on his face.
"Nothing, sorry," Yoko muttered. She willed her galloping heart to calm down. Toshi too did not seem convinced, but one stern look from Risa made him decide against questioning Yoko further. Instead he crossed his arms and cleared his throat. "There's someone here to see you."
"What, me?" Yoko asked, surprised.
Toshi nodded. "Weird looking bloke. He said you dropped something last night and he came to return it."
Yoko's eyes widened. Judging by Toshi's description, it could only be Kurama, but what had she dropped? And how on earth did he know where she worked? Filled with trepidation, Yoko asked Mimi, another waitress to deliver her orders. She then excused herself to go confront her saviour.
He was wearing the same clothes and his hair was still tied up in the same hairstyle. In fact, it was hard to believe that they had not seen each other in several hours. All eyes in the bar were on him, but he did not seem bothered by this.
"What are you doing here?" Yoko hissed when she reached him.
He gave her a toothy grin. "You dropped this."
He handed her her purse. Her eyes widened. She hadn't even realised it was missing!
"Thanks," she muttered, feeling guilty. He had obviously looked inside for contact details, which is how he knew where she worked. She had freaked out for nothing.
"Your hair..." Kurama whispered as he reached out and took a strand of her silver hair between his fingers. She froze, the contact unexpected. "You dyed it, right?"
"What? How do you know that?" Yoko asked, eyes wide. Not even Risa knew that her current hair colour wasn't her natural colour!
Kurama grinned. "There was an ID from Kusagakure in your purse with a photo of you and your name on it. Your natural colour is red."
Yoko remained frozen. She had completely forgotten that her ID from Kusagakure was still in her purse. She had told herself countless times to get rid of it, but for some reason she held onto it. Kusagakure held no more value to her and she had buried that part of her life a long time ago. Dyeing her hair had been the first step to burying her past. And now it came back to haunt her.
"What makes you so sure?" Yoko asked. "Maybe the red hair was also dye?"
Kurama chuckled while gently rubbing her hair between his fingers. "Red hair is a common trait for Uzumaki clan members. Tell me, Yoko, are you a ninja?"
"No," Yoko immediately replied. Because it was true. She wasn't a ninja. She hated the fact that her name was connected to so many high profile ninja, because it immediately meant people thought she was one too.
Kurama smirked. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"
"You're Kurama. You saved me and I am grateful. That is all I need to know."
Kurama laughed and let go of her hair. "I like you. You remind me of a certain blonde-haired, ignorant idiot."
"Glad you approve," Yoko muttered. "I have to get back to work. Thanks for returning my purse."
Yoko did not allow him to say goodbye. She was still freaked out that he had discovered her secret and she really did not want him snooping around and discovering why she had run from Kusagakure and hid her identity. In fact, she didn't want to see him again at all. Because deep down, something told her he was...different. And not in a good way.
"Why did you send Karin on a mission?" Sasuke asked the minute he stepped into Naruto's office. Naruto looked up, alarmed. His friend had not knocked, nor even said hello like a proper human being. Instead he burst in and started spouting nonsense.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Karin left me a note, saying she left for a mission," Sasuke stated. "Why on earth would you send a pregnant woman on a mission?"
Naruto frowned and put down his pen. He was currently in the process of writing Gaara a letter, requesting that he assist in finding Kurama.
"I did not assign her any missions, Sasuke," Naruto stated calmly. "Are you sure you read the note right?"
"Of course I did, you idiot!" Sasuke yelled. "If she's not on a mission, where the fuck is she?"
Naruto's eyes widened. Anger was visible on Sasuke's face and Naruto had to admit, things weren't adding up, so his anger was justified. Karin had left a note, stating she was on a mission, but there was no mission to begin with. So where was she?
"I don't know," Naruto muttered.
"You don't know!" Sasuke screamed. "She's nowhere! I looked everywhere. She's gone!"
With that Sasuke slammed his fists on Naruto's desk, sending paperwork flying. Naruto sat stock still, his eyes still wide.
"Have you found the 'mission' scroll, perhaps?" Naruto asked. "That way we might know where she went."
Sasuke sighed. "No, I didn't bother to look for it. I was angry at you and came straight here."
"Let's check the house first," Naruto suggested calmly, although deep down he was worried. What if this was the council's doing? What if they knew he was on to them, so they start attacking those he loved?
He really needed to get the letter to Gaara as soon as possible.
A pair of cold light blue eyes stared down at her, clearly not amused. Karin cringed under the intensity of the gaze, but it did not feel like it was her body that cringed. No, she felt disjointed, almost as if she was there, but at the same time not.
"I am disappointed in you," the owner of the blue eyes hissed dangerously. Karin looked up into those eyes again and nearly choked when she recognised the person's face. Long blonde hair in a braid, light blue eyes, fair skin and dressed in a long purple dress, she was instantly recognisable, but at the same time not. Karin wanted to ask her what was going on, she wanted to know why it felt like she had no control of her body, but she could not open her mouth.
"I'm sorry," Karin felt herself apologise in a small voice, but it wasn't her voice. It sounded nothing like her voice.
"Sorry isn't good enough," Yamanaka Ino yelled, causing Karin to step backwards and fall over her own feet, landing on her behind.
"I'm sorry," Karin cried as she wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry, Aunt Ino. I'm sorry!"
Ino sneered and moved to a wooden desk behind her and sat down. Karin took this chance to look around, to try and figure out where she was and why she did not sound like herself. And she really wanted to know why Ino, a different Ino to the one she knew, was treating her like the scum of the earth. And why had she called Ino 'aunt'?
It was the Hokage's office. Karin could tell just from the shape of the room. The desk was the same one Naruto had chosen when he was elected as Hokage and the view outside the window was exactly like the one she remembered seeing every time she went for a mission debriefing. But what really made it official that it was the Hokage's office was the series of portraits of the Hokage on the left wall. She recognised all the faces, but her blood ran cold when she realised that there weren't just six portraits. There were seven. And the seventh face belonged to Ino. An older Ino with absolutely no love on her face.
Karin's gaze shifted back to Ino, who was not sitting at the desk and shuffling through some paperwork. She finally found one in particular and threw it at Karin's feet.
"See that?" Ino asked. "That's your beloved Aunt Karin's file. She's a criminal, Hoshiko. And you allowed her to escape."
Karin stared at her own photograph. It was definitely her, but older and with short hair. Her name was not Uchiha Karin, but Uzumaki Karin and her marital status was divorced. It did not say who she had divorced, but Karin knew it couldn't have been Sasuke. She would never divorce him, not even in other worlds. At least, she could not fathom it.
"Do you realise the seriousness of what you have done?" Ino asked as Karin continued to stare at her own profile. "Listen when I speak to you, Hoshiko!"
Karin's head snapped up and she frowned. Hoshiko? Who was Hoshiko? Was that why she couldn't control her body, because it wasn't actually hers? That explained why her voice was different – she must be inside Hoshiko's body...or maybe she was dreaming.
But this did not feel like a dream.
"I'm sorry," Hoshiko apologised again. Karin shivered. It really felt like it was her talking, but at the same time not. It was not a good feeling.
Ino sighed and stood up, turning her back to Karin. "When your parents died, I took you in, I taught you many things, including my own techniques. I think of you as my daughter, yet you betray me like this."
"I'm sorry," was all Hoshiko said again.
"I should just give you to Hanabi to brand you with that seal," Ino hissed, "maybe as a branch family member you'll learn where your priorities should lie."
Karin's head snapped up, but Hoshiko was the one in control. "No!"
Ino turned around and narrowed her eyes. "You might be the daughter of Hinata and the rightful heir to the Hyuuga family, Hoshiko, but that does not mean you are safe from the seal. I can easily arrange Hanabi's son to be the next heir. He is, after all, much easier manipulated than you."
Hoshiko sobbed quietly as Ino words stabbed her very being. Slowly, Karin felt Hoshiko dragging her body across the floor, slowly crawling to Ino where she stood. Ino looked down at her, disgust evident on her face. Finally, with shaking hands, Hoshiko reached out to Ino and grabbed onto her dress.
"I'm sorry," Hoshiko sobbed. A hiccup escaped in between her sobbing. "I'll...I'll find her. I'll find Karin and bring her back."
Ino pulled her dress away from Hoshiko, causing her to fall flat on her face from the sudden force.
"As if you can," Ino hissed. "You're just a child."
With that Ino stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Hoshiko remained on the floor, her sobbing now loud wails. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Yes, aunt Ino," Hoshiko cried. "I am a child. But I'm the child of the Sixth Hokage. That's got to be worth something."
Karin felt her heart break for the strange Hoshiko. She still did not understand why she was seeing this, experiencing this strange event, but she knew it couldn't be a dream. And she wished she could comfort the poor child lying abandoned in the Hokage's office.
Karin's eyes fluttered open slowly and she grunted when pain shot through her arms. Her vision was blurry as she tried to determine where she was, because just a few seconds before she was still inside Hoshiko's body. Where was she now?
"Awake yet?" a voice asked. Karin turned her head to the source of the voice and saw a blob of purple. The owner of the voice laughed. "It will take awhile for the effects to wear off. You're going to be blind awhile longer."
"Where am I?" Karin rasped.
"Where no one can find you," the voice said. "At least until I want you to be found."
The voice was starting to sound familiar, and then the events played through her head like a record. Of course, Astra had drugged her. And how frustrating it was. Karin was a Jounin and she had so easily been tricked and incapacitated.
Astra moved closer to Karin and knelt down before her. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Enjoy what?" Karin asked.
"The vision" Astra replied as she traced a finger across Karin's cheek. "Did you enjoy seeing your so-called best friend treat poor little Hoshiko like a piece of garbage?"
Karin's eyes widened. "You...it was you!"
"Oh yes," Astra hummed as she stood up and moved around the room. "Ino taught me many things and Mind Manipulation was one of the techniques she made sure I excelled at."
Karin knew that she had to get out of here and fast. This woman was insane and a danger to the village. She had to warn Naruto...Karin struggled against the chains that bound her arms to the wall, which explained the pain she felt, but it would not budge.
"You're Hoshiko," Karin whispered, "you're the little girl. But why? Why did you show that to me?"
"To make you see the truth, of course. Everyone always fell at that bitch's feet and kissed her ass. But she was no hero, no wise leader that deserved worship. She was cruel, she was evil and she killed my father."
"But that's not what Ino in this dimension is like!" Karin exclaimed. She wanted to continue defending her friend, to explain to Astra that the Ino here was different, but Astra had already moved closer and gagged Karin. She sputtered, but no words could escape her mouth.
"Shush," Astra whispered as she tucked a strand of Karin's hair behind her ear. "It doesn't matter."
Karin struggled in her chains, hoping to somehow get free, but she felt drained. The chains were rubbing her skin raw and the pain was unbearable. Fear shot through her...the baby! What of the baby? That enough made her stop struggling. She had to keep the baby's safety in mind.
Astra laughed and patted Karin's cheek before heading to the door. "Don't worry, Karin. I'll be back. And they will find you. I'll make sure of it. You're my message."
Karin attempted to glare at Astra, but it did not quite work since her vision was still blurry. This just caused Astra to laugh more.
"I'm not going to kill you," Astra explained. "No, that's too obvious. I'm just going to make them stress for awhile. Naruto might be my father, but he really shouldn't meddle in my affairs. I won't harm his precious little Konoha. All I want is Ino."
Astra slammed the door behind her when she left.