Karin wished the wound on Sasuke's face (and jaw) were greater. Something so small gave her no excuse to use her heal bite (which she'd missed letting Sasuke use, though she would never say it aloud) as they sat on the floor in her apartment. Inwardly she had forgiven him, but she wanted to try to make him a bit more repentant. After all, he'd thrown her to the side and stabbed her! Who could forget that? A simple apology couldn't quell the physical and emotional trauma she'd felt...but look at those onyx eyes, and how soft they were when she treated him. How could she make him suffer more?
Easily. She contemplated a worse fate for the brunette.
The look on his face told her that he knew what she was thinking, though he said nothing of it. He almost seemed resigned to making "it" up to her. Sasuke was as he had been when they'd met in the Chunnin Exams (and again when he had asked her to be part of his team) and she couldn't ask for more.
"Your wound isn't that bad. Who hit you so hard?" A bit of frustration gave a certain edge to her voice as she placed a handmade bandage on his left cheek.
"Sakura." He replied simply, his gaze never leaving her face.
"Why would you piss of the strongest konoichi in the village? Are you that stupid?" She hissed.
"So she could understand."
Karin glanced at him curiously. His words seemed cryptic, but, by the way he turned away from her, she knew he'd done it for Sakura's benefit. "Does it have to do with Naruto?"
A small smirk pulled at the corner of Sasuke's lips. "Doesn't it always?"
The redhead let out an exaggerated sigh. "Did you HAVE to interfere? Not everything is your business, Sasuke."
"They're fools," he mused, though his voice became softer and quieter when he continued, "fools that belong together, just like you and I, Karin."
She shouldn't have been surprised by his bluntness, but his words left her momentarily speechless. "W-Well, I..." Her cheeks flushed marginally as she stood and walked to the front door. "I'm done patching you up. Time for you to leave, Sasuke." Her squared her jaw as if his previous words had no real affect on her, though the Uchiha had definitely seen the slight blush. It unnerved her. "Don't think I forgive you or anything, you haven't even made up for half of the stuff you've done."
After a pause he stood, approaching to the door as if he didn't want to leave, before his onyx eyes turned to look into hers. With a nod, he exited her house with his hands in his coat pockets, though he stopped on the sidewalk and glanced at her, his eyes softening for a moment as he opened his mouth, his voice carrying his sincerity into the wind.
Karin's eyes widened somewhat, unable to tear her eyes from his form as he disappeared down the street. Once he was gone, she pulled the door closed and closed her eyes, leaning back against it.
"Thank you."
He hadn't needed to add to it; she understood him. The emotion in his eyes- though for a brief moment- told her everything.
Thank you for everything, Karin.
She wouldn't chase after him, but she had forgiven him. The konoichi slipped off her glasses, her scarlet irises cast to the ceiling. "You're welcome." Maybe someday they would be together, but not today.
Ahoo...
