If Only Things Were Different

Chapter 10

Shisui and Karin jumped from one tree to another after learning the Akatsuki is set to find the Sanbi and that the Leaf Ninjas are fighting with them. Shisui had his crows gather information for him and they have also learned Asuma's death through them.

All the information they've gathered so far angers Karin more and drove her to train insanely in order to have her skills develop enough to kill Pein.

But it was too late when they arrived, the Akatsuki had already have the Sanbi in their hands.

"Nii-san," Karin said.

"I know, that Akatsuki possesed a sharingan." Shisui watched the masked person intensely, "a new member of the Akatsuki."

"He didn't steal it," she informed.

"Then, there's five Uchiha survivor."

"Nii-san," Shisui studied his sister's face, "let me master that technique."

Shisui let out a sigh before nodding, succumbed to his sister's desire.

Karin was seating on top of a boulder, her eyes are softly closed, she's concentrating, trying to read inside her heart. Her desire, her control, her mission. She's trying to find ties between all of them, everything that she worked for. Her family, the Kikuchi, the Uchiha, their blood.

Once she's done, she opened her eyes and saw Shisui resting under the tree's shade with bento beside him.

"Nii-san," she said and hopped off the boulder and walked towards her brother, taking a seat next to him.

"So?"

"I've decided," she smiled and reached for the bento Shisui had set while she's meditating, "I will master that fusing technique and use it to kill him."

"Then we must hurry and get you started and have my eye back."

After eating and resting a bit, Karin stood by the center of their training ground and started releasing a fire through her right palm which isn't hard for her to do, she then started to manipulate it to form into a ball which again, is easy for her. She maintained the fireball and slowly release a wind through her left arm. She had trouble maintaining the fireball as she drew the wind out of her left palm and after a minute of trying to draw it out, a small wind came out causing the fireball to popped as all her focus diverted towards the left palm.

Karin groaned but Shisui only grinned. From what he saw, he knew his sister would succeed in drawing two natures at once and merging them. And once she does, she'll be the first-ever shinobi to do so.

Karin continued her training for hours and she would get the same result although she once succeeded in drawing wind for a few seconds before the two nature disappear. And it gave her even more motivation to master the technique.

On the other hand, Shisui is training for his taijutsu, without the Sharingan, he isn't the feared Shisui Uchiha for his one of a kind Sharingan mastery. And he couldn't rely on Karin who just mastered her dojutsu if there's an enemy that would attack them.

As the Akatsuki on the move and ANBU Root continuously sending out forces from time to time to gather information, they could be found at any time.

Shisui jumped high, focused his chakra on his feet and run on the tree, he jumped again and this time focused his chakra on his left foot, targeting the next tree.

As soon as his foot hit the tree, it penetrated deeply and he pulled back. Using his right foot, he leaped and landed on a branch.

He looked at the spot where he landed his blow and he was satisfied that his skill in taijutsu hasn't changed.

'Maybe I could power it up as I train?'

"Argh!" Karin yelled in frustration causing Shisui to avert his gaze from the tree to his sister.

"Karin?" he said and hopped down. When he landed, he dashes beside his sister who's panting and sweating, "Karin."

"I can't get it!" she's mad at herself.

"Hey, don't push yourself too much."

"But at this rate how can I--"

"We still have time, Karin."

"How do you know?"

"As long as the Akatsuki hasn't completed the process and as long as Danzo hasn't made his move, we're still fine."

"But the Root--"

"Shh," Shisui hushed her, "let's go get some rest."

A week later, Karin is still not able to master the technique she's trying to try. Every time tries to merge them, the fire nature would spin hard, growing bigger and bigger sucking in the wind element and burst into a massive purple fire with a white core.

But she wanted the fire in the center as the wind nature is moving around it. Having the wind to penetrate towards the enemy and once the wind cuts through, the fire would spread, burning the target.

"Karin," Shisui said, wiping his sister's temples, "maybe that's how they merge?"

"Nii-san, you know what kind of fusion I wanted."

"Yes, that's great but it's impossible. You end up creating a giant purple fireball with the wind maintaining it as its core."

"I won't give up!"

Karin moved away from her brother and started concentrating to merge both of her nature when they heard an explosion.

"What the--" Karin said.

"Its from the Leaf's direction," Shisui said.

"What?" Karin's feet started moving and ran towards the said direction, she didn't know why but the vision of Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura in danger scares her.

"Hey, Karin!" Shisui ran after her. This is the only time he's seen Karin so reckless.

"Karin!" Shisui grabbed her shirt, forcing her to stop, "what are you doing?"

"If it is the village, they need us!"

"You are now a missing-nin, you can't just come to their rescue. If you get caught, who knows what that bastard Ibiki will do to you!"

Before Karin could spit her words to her brother, she sensed someone coming, three people coming towards their direction.

"Nii-san,"

Shisui read her expression and grabbed her to hide. Karin concealed their presence and waited for them to pass by them before coming out from where they hid.

"What's the root doing amidst all that?" Shisui asked.

"Making their move," Karin looked at her brother seriously and he knew what she had in mind.