The Mark of Love

•The Pain of Death

Naruto opened his eyes to a blurry dark mess.

'Where... Am I?' He thought, focusing his eyes onto the dark wooden walls around him.

He tried to sit up, then howling out in pain. His body was covered head to toe in wounds and bandages.

A woman burst into the room, "Don't move! You'll be okay!" She yelled, crouching down in front of him and putting her arm in front of his mouth. "Just bite me it'll be okay!"

"Who..~?" He stammered, focusing on the glare in her glasses. Her face was too dark too see.

She groaned and forced her arm in his mouth, manually closing Naruto's jaw on her skin.

Naruto felt an instant chakra surge, similar to what he felt when Sakura healed him but much more powerful. Though despite her healing him, he couldn't hold onto his consciousness. He passed out again.

~~~~~

When Naruto woke back up, it was light out. The woman was folding clothes on the other side of the large room, and Naruto didn't feel any pain anymore.

When he felt fully awake and not foggy, he spoke up. "Where am I?" He called.

The woman jumped, running towards him and pushing up her pink glasses. "You're in the Hidden Sound, I found you at a bridge by our borders with the Land of Fire. It looked like there was a big fight.. A lot of blood and you laying alone in the middle of it all." She explained, leaving out a small detail.

While she spoke Naruto studied her face. She had dark pink, uneven hair. Pink glasses, and wore a black jumpsuit with a lot of pockets. Bite marks covered any part of her skin that he could see.. Even one on her cheek. Was that some kind of jutsu?

"Wait... Blood? I was alone? Are you sure? I-I need to find him--" Naruto rambled, sitting up painfree and studied his arms in shock. The last time he was conscious he couldn't even move, now... He was fine.

"Him? Who's him? Maybe I can help, I have great sensory skills--" She offered, wondering if Naruto's him was the man she'd seen being dragged away.

"His name is Sasuke--"

"Uchiha?" Her eyes widened, baffled that she didn't realize that man was Sasuke. "Wow... My names Karin Uzumaki and--"

"Karin Uzumaki!?" Naruto shouted, now even more confused than before. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Karin smiled. "I know all about you Naruto. That's the only reason I rescued you out there. After seeing all of that blood I would've assumed you did it but seeing who you were I thought- no way. Though now that you mentioned Sasuke... He probably did all of it. You're lucky to be alive." She smiled still, talking bad about Sasuke despite her crush on him.

Naruto clenched his jaw. The very last thing he remembered was telling the men that he didn't want to hurt them. Though he kept that to himself, seeing as her hospitality was only extended because she believed he didn't do it, despite him knowing he did.

"So.. Are we family.. Or something?" He asked, the Uzumaki name distracting him from her insulting his changed Sasuke at the moment.

She scoffed, "Hardley. I'm from an entirely different bloodline of healers, that's why you're healed right now. I'm an Uzumaki because my father was one, and I doubt he had anything to do with your mother Kushina."