Seven Colours (Naruto)

[Planeshunter]

I was asking how she did so without Chakra, as that level of subtle social manipulation seems like an unusual ability for someone like Ran to have.

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You're right, it is.
There are two possible conclusions to reach from that...

The placement doesn't really make sense, maybe 'And he digs at my height too' or 'And he also digs at my height too'?

I know, the 'with that' just seemed awkward/unnecessary, but I included '?' because I'm unsure if it's actually incorrect.

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I see. Rephrased things a bit, thanks!

I can't but think about how offended Sasori will be at that nickname...

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Dunno, he very bishounen-ish and all, but I don't really see him in drag. *Obliviously missing the point*

 

[LurkingInTheDeceit]

You're right, it is.
There are two possible conclusions to reach from that...

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The only two conclusions that exist:

Ran thought she was subtly manipulating the crowd to escape Konoha, but some other manipulator was the actual one doing so for their own goals (Escaping themselves? Helping others escape? Helping Ran escape?). This manipulation could very easily have affected Ran, being as vulnerable as the surrounding civilians.

Or the most likely conclusion... Ran has been replaced! By *checks* Alice Margatroid the Puppet Master herself! Brainwashed into believing she is 'Ran' only pretending to be Alice Margatroid! It's so obvious, everything adds up, the truth has been revealed! The only question left, is when did the switch happen? When she reached Konoha? After her test? During the blackmail? ...At birth?

 

[EmpirePlayer]

Not gonna lie, that conclusion had my mind instantly twig to that old Touhou x Naruto cross short. The one where Alice got stuck in the Narutoverse, promptly settle in for a bit and she eventually figures out a way back to Gensokyo and goes back in like, 6 chapters total.

...well she also ended up as pre-canon Naurto's friend and he decides to follow her back before Mizuki could fool him to grab the forbidden scroll. I can only imagine Pein's face in that world line.

Point is, imagine if Alice Margatroid met "Alice Margatroid".

...actually, isn't that name going to stick out like a sore thumb? Its a western name in a world where everyone has Eastern names.

 

[Planeshunter]

Or the most likely conclusion... Ran has been replaced! By *checks* Alice Margatroid the Puppet Master herself! Brainwashed into believing she is 'Ran' only pretending to be Alice Margatroid! It's so obvious, everything adds up, the truth has been revealed. The only question left, is when did the switch happen? When she reached Konoha? After her test? During the blackmail? ...At birth?

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I was thinking more along the lines of the second possibility being that she can do it when she actually bothers caring about people, but this is more amusing. More believable too...

...actually, isn't that name going to stick out like a sore thumb? Its a western name in a world where everyone has Eastern names.

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It is.
Now, if only there was an incident involving a medieval-european-like culture looming in the future she could take advantage of to slip in...
All else fails, she can claim to come from the Village Hidden in 'Murica the Clouds

 

[Breadnaught]

I was sitting on a carriage bound for Snow Country and nobody would hear of me again until that mess with the Stone of Gelel.

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Sorry Ran, but you're a bit mixed up. The Land of Snow is the setting for the first movie, involving Princess Gale and the climate change machine.

Eh, not like it matters. Unless that was somehow critical to your plans...

...actually, isn't that name going to stick out like a sore thumb? Its a western name in a world where everyone has Eastern names.

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It is.
Now, if only there was an incident involving a medieval-european-like culture looming in the future she could take advantage of to slip in...
All else fails, she can claim to come from the Village Hidden in 'Murica the Clouds

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... ah.

"I'll set up in Snow and pretend to be a deserter from the Gelel expedition! The perfect non-falsifiable cover identity!"

*Resistance fighters holding out against Doto and the new Princess Gale movie happens* *Naruto and company arrive in the area*

"... ah. My new cover identity might need some revision. I guess I can just be some chick with an odd name. It happens."

 

[Overpalada]

Going, to be honest, i liked most of the story and everything but this end was kinda ...weird let's say it was too much-left field to make any sense at all and if this was a manga or something like that I would say that it got axed and the author just shoved a random ending on it, for how much conflicted i am feeling right now.

 

[Lord Sunshine]

Great story! Hope Karin figures it out.

Thank you so much!

 

[saylin021]

Going, to be honest, i liked most of the story and everything but this end was kinda ...weird let's say it was too much-left field to make any sense at all and if this was a manga or something like that I would say that it got axed and the author just shoved a random ending on it, for how much conflicted i am feeling right now.

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Eh, this is less the end of the story and more the end to a part of a story. Also her faking her own death and leaving felt like it was foreshadowed enough to me. I still want more tho xD

 

[Planeshunter]

---

040 - Karin's Epilogue: Konoha isn't such a bad place.​

---

A shimmer in the air moves through the canopy of trees surrounding Konoha, barely visible against the irregular and shifting shapes of branches and leaves swaying in the wind. Unfortunately, 'almost' isn't quite enough stealth against trained shinobi.

The bark of a tree some thirty feet away shifts, revealing a buxom woman wearing Konoha's forehead protector and throwing a handful of kunai at the distortion. It explodes in a burst of smoke and the kunai thunk against something solid, but once the smoke dissipates, it's clear they've only managed to hit a poor, innocent log.

The Konoha kunoichi hasn't stopped to see the results of her throw though, having already jumped in a completely different direction while her hands go through a short seal sequence.

"[Ninpo - Sen'ei Jashu]" A mass of snakes burst from the sleeves of her jacket, rushing towards a nearby branch, where the same shimmer from before can be barely made out against the trunk.

This time, the attack is answered in kind, the [Transparent Escape Jutsu] dissipating to reveal a red-headed girl in a getup similar to her attacker.

"[Fūin - Kongō Fūsa]" Chakra chains burst from various points of her body, tangling with the snakes as she takes advantage of the fact her technique doesn't tie up her hands to prepare another seal sequence. "[Suiton—]"

Unfortunately, before she can finish it off, she's kicked off the branch by a second and identical buxom woman wearing Konoha's forehead protector. Karin falls heavily on the floor, a kunai at her neck ending the exercise, and she can't help a dismayed whine when the Anko she tangled techniques with waves cheekily at her and dissipates in a burst of smoke. A shadow clone.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, sweetcheeks!" Anko offers her a hand, smug smirk on her lips. "I'm a Tokubetsu Jonin. If a little munchkin like you could beat me I would've never been promoted in the first place."

"I know, sensei." Karin takes the hand, letting herself be pulled back up from the ground. "It still feels like I'm making no progress."

"Don't call me that." Anko protests automatically, already leading the way out of the training ground. Technically the Tokubetsu Jonin is only keeping an eye on a newcomer and known turncoat until her probationary period ends. Even if she spends the day helping her train. "And you are improving. That would've worked in the Land of Wind, where the heat causes the air to naturally shimmer…"

Karin's face lights up at the rare compliment. Anko isn't Shimada-mama but she clearly has the same opinion on coddling her charges. In the four weeks she's been in her care, she can count the number of times she's been praised.

"...As long as you had a way to avoid leaving footprints in the sand." She continues, turning to address a cheeky grin at her. "Which you don't."

Karin's mood sinks again. "I still have a long way to go..."

"Well, of course. But the training for stealth operatives is demanding for a reason. We shinobi are a paranoid bunch." For all that Anko-sensei claims their relationship to be strictly professional, she sure gives a lot of thought to Karin's options and future. "Are you sure you don't want to train as a medic-nin instead? I hear the really good ones get cushy jobs in the hospital, and the future Hokage is said to have a soft spot for her peers, you'd be set for life."

"I don't want to be a medic-nin. And I have no interest in being set for life." Karin doesn't really snap. She's too used to this old argument to feel anything but weary frustration, and maybe a bit of disappointment at sensei for refusing to see how bad an idea it is. "Infiltration and sabotage is what Ran suggested for me."

Sensei flinches slightly when Ran is mentioned, and her voice is much softer when she answers. "With that skillset you'll be called for assassination missions too, you're aware?"

"I have fought against being shoehorned into a support role all my life." Karin shrugs in turn. Killing people for her new Village is not ideal, but it's far from the worst possible outcome. "If that's what it takes for people to finally stop trying to shove me into a dysergic role, then so be it."

The trees finally give way, revealing a paved path towards civilization, and a pink-clad figure sitting on a nearby bench, gazing at the Village from this vantage point. Sakura is so absorbed in whatever is going through her mind, she doesn't notice their presence until sensei startles her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Ah! Karin, Anko-san!" She greets us with a wide smile once she gets her bearings. "Good work today!"

"Sakura." Karin nods with a soft smile. Of Naruto-nii's two teammates, the pinkette has been by far the easiest to get along with. Now that her cousin is away on a secret mission, the two of them have grown even closer. "Good morning. Any plans for today?"

The girl's smile wavers for a moment. "Just the usual." Visiting the hospital, then. Like every day they have no other plan.

Not only has Naruto-nii been away for nearly a month now. The rest of Sakura's team, Uchiha-san and Kakashi-san, have been lying unconscious in the hospital for almost as long, victim to some particularly nasty genjutsu by the hands -or rather the eyes- of the known traitor and S-class criminal Uchiha Itachi.

Karin nods again. At this point, there's little more the hospital can do for them, except ensuring their health doesn't deteriorate too much. All hopes lie in Naruto-nii and the oily pervert bringing back Tsunade. Sakura has been taking it understandably hard, training alone for long hours and sleeping far less than healthy.

Karin shivers to think how much of a mess the girl would be at this point, if not for Yamanaka-san's efforts to keep her socially active and engaged. As it is, the expert makeup she's using doesn't quite hide the bags under her eyes.

Karin remembers with an amused smile her first encounter with the blonde clan heiress outside the exams. She and Sakura are peas in a pod, and it was no surprise to learn the two of them were both best friends and bitter rivals. Karin would've stood beside Sakura even without the veiled threats and attempts at coercion, but she can respect people going the extra mile for a friend.

"Let me have a quick bath and we can go."

Reaching her new apartment is a brief endeavour. Compared with the Shimada home, it's a modest thing that reminds her of worse times, but she wasn't exactly spoiled for choice in the aftermath of the invasion and it has everything she needs to live.

For a moment, Karin is tempted to invite Sakura to join her in the bath. One of the things she misses the most since Ran… departed, is the skinship. It's not even a carnal thing. She will freely admit in the privacy of her own mind that Haruno Sakura is an attractive girl, but she simply doesn't hold a candle to... Not the point. What she misses is the trust, the intimacy. It doesn't get any more intimate than showing your naked back to a trained killer, after all. She's sure Ran would understand.

On the other hand, Sakura is just as sure to misread the proposal and reach conclusions Karin is nowhere near ready to deal with, so better not.

---

Hours later, Karin stretches under the evening sun on the rooftop of the hospital, nursing a sore forearm. As always and against her better judgement, she privately treated Sasuke and Kakashi with her [Heal Bite]. Which is frustrating because she can't exactly heal mental damage like this, but it at least helps with muscular atrophy.

It's something she does as a personal favor to Sakura and Naruto-nii, though. She's neither equipped nor willing to extend that courtesy to the entire hospital. And dealing with the looks and snide comments of self-entitled pricks who think she should do it anyway always leave her tense and in a foul mood.

"Karin!" Sakura's voice pulls her from her reverie, drawing her attention to the girl, and the tall figure wearing a strange green uniform who stands behind her. "Courier Ninja looking for you!"

Courier Ninja disappears once she proves her identity and accepts the delivery, consisting of a letter scroll and a small package. Karin's hand shakes when she recognizes the elegant yet functional writing style, and she has to blink away some inopportune tears to properly read the missive.

It's from Shimada-Mama.

"Karin.

I was sent Ran's belongings after the incident,
but I believe she'd rather you held onto this.
Your transferral to Konoha has been officially approved.
There won't be official consequences for leaving Kusa.
Chase your dreams and tackle them to the ground.
I'm proud to call you my daughter.
-Shimada Momoko."​

Short, curt and to the point, and yet incredibly emotional. Shimada-mama always managed to do that, somehow. This letter is getting framed and hanged somewhere she can see from the bed every time she wonders what she's doing living alone in a strange land, or whether getting up is really worth the effort.

There's more to the letter too. Shimada-mama isn't the sort to use the same adjective for two sentences in a row unless she wants you to take notice of it, so the repeat of the word 'official' clearly suggests there's some low-key resentment about her abandoning Kusa and she should be careful around her old colleagues until the waters calm down.

Business like usual, really. Karin has learnt to lower her guard around a few specific individuals in her old village, but she's never quite forgotten how she came into service of Grass, nor has the overall population made any effort to change her mind about it.

Her attention goes to the package. It's slightly heavier than she expected from something this size… maybe there's metal inside? She resists the impulse to shake it to hear how it sounds, carefully opening it instead and tilting it to let the contents slide into her open palm.

Once she does, the world becomes blurry again, any sound drowned by the blood rushing through her ears as her heartbeat picks up, and all her attention focuses on the golden circular shape in her hand.

Spoiler: It's Ran's locket.

A sudden touch on her shoulder has her turning around like a snake, locket protectively held against her chest as her other hand produces a kunai to gouge the eyes of–

"Karin? Are you okay?" Sakura's voice shakes her out of her daze, dragging her back to the present and making her freeze for a moment, body already coiled to strike in a way that's not obvious but there's no way a trained kunoichi like her has missed, either.

"Yes, I… Yes." Embarrassedly, she puts away the kunai and forces her body to relax. She coughs in her fist, trying to compose herself after the momentary lapse. "I need a moment to myself."

"I… Sure. I'll be downstairs, just come when you're ready."

As Sakura leaves with a last look back, Karin's thoughts go back to Ran, and that inevitably means remembering that horrible day, months ago. She's not embarrassed to admit she was scared shitless after repelling the wide-area genjutsu on the stadium only to realize that it was just the first move of a full-scale invasion and Konoha was under attack.

Everything was chaos, and her [Mind's Eye of the Kagura] only added to her confusion. Everyone was surprised, scared or enraged, usually a combination of them. And it all felt like an ugly hurricane around her.

To make things worse, Naruto-nii was called to action and she was more or less unceremoniously put behind bars. It took all she had to hold back the urge to lash out, resist the unjust imprisonment and show them she wasn't a pushover anymore, no matter how much she intellectually knew it would only make things worse. She doesn't blame them, her presence was a bit suspicious given the circumstances, but it was hard to restrain herself under those circumstances.

So, of course, she reached for the only source of strength that had never failed her before, one she knows so well, she can tell even the smallest shifts in her emotions: Ran.

Her chakra signature was unmistakable, like a lighthouse blazing through the storm of chaos. She was very agitated and a bit worried, probably locked in combat with someone who wasn't a small fry and Karin remembers biting her lip in worry with enough force to bleed.

But the panic in her signature receded after a while, giving way to relief and satisfaction. She had won, and Karin's cellmates gave her a strange look when she rapidly kicked the floor in excitement. In her mind, there was no doubt she would come looking for her and kick any Sand or Sound ass that dared get in the way.

But it didn't happen like that. After a while of remaining more or less stationary, radiating determination and focus, her signature suddenly wavered and completely disappeared.

Her heart sank, and she lost all sense of decorum in a -in hindsight, mortifying- fit of despair and betrayal, curling into a ball on the floor as the world and her senses stopped making sense, showing her the impossible. Feeling her heart sinking more and more by the moment, she tried her best to sharpen her senses, to prove herself Ran was still there, that there was some other explanation for her fading signature.

Her efforts caused all the feedback she was receiving to suddenly multiply tenfold, to the point where it became painful to keep watching. Sobs that she didn't notice letting out were interrupted by surprise and the intensity of the moment. As if breaking a dam and running free, she could suddenly feel so much more.

After she doesn't know how long, she caught Ran's presence again. Muted, but still there, standing at the gates of Konoha. For a moment she panicked, fearing she'd been captured by the invaders, but it didn't match the feeling she was getting from her. Ran was thinking about her, and beyond the muted, but still bright light that was her, the feelings were a confused tangle of regret, determination and… something Karin could only call promise.

That's when she understood, and stopped crying like a brat. Seriously, what was she thinking, doubting her like that?

She still dreads the moment Ran-chan learns about the fool she made out of herself back then, she can picture the fond exasperation as she hides a smile, making a snarky comment and teasing her about feeling appreciated. Then she'll proceed to put the incident in a place of honor somewhere in that perfect memory of hers and never let Karin live it down.

The haze of memories fade slowly, returning her awareness to the hospital rooftop and the tin locket in her hands. From underneath her shirt, she pulls out a matching trinket and runs a finger over the dull and scratched metal. If nothing else, it's obvious Ran cared about her own locket more than Karin ever did for hers.

With a sigh and a promise to figure out how to fix it up, she goes through their secret unlocking ritual. The lockets are blood-locked, but the matching pair can be used in a special way to skip that requirement.

It's been years since she last did this. Once the novelty of the super-secret lockets faded, there was never a reason to try again, but she still remembers the steps. Rub them together, spin your locket three times around its partner, blow your breath over them and turn half a spin counter clockwise. Now separate them, the lid will click open.

Then her breath hitches. She opened the locket out of nostalgia, without a goal or plan in mind. Knowing Ran, Kain expected to find some sort of utility tool, a secret last resort trick or treasure stashed away for an emergency. Actually, some sort of bomb was the most likely suspect.

Instead, there's that nostalgic photograph they took during Shimada-mama's birthday all these years ago, showing the two of them in the middle with their moms at their sides. Five words out of Ran's graceful calligraphy can be read on the other side of the picture, words whose meaning can be easily misunderstood by those who don't have the full story.

"Keep it safe for me."

Without realizing the wide smile on her face, Karin closes the locket back and wears the two of them around her neck. Then she walks out of the roof, a cheerful tune in her lips. Konoha isn't such a bad place, and Naruto-nii is a great cousin, but she can't wait until Ran comes back.

Spoiler: Gangrenous Patreon Plug

A friend explained to me in small words how stupid it was to have a Patreon and not use it, then proceeded to threaten bodily harm if I didn't at least insert a plug on my stories so… Here's my Patreon. It's not much, but it's mine. Don't feel obliged to anything but maybe consider a small pledge if you enjoy my works?

 

[Hashirama1710]

The reunion will be great

 

[guisniperman]

Lol, Ran failed to convince both her Mother and Best Friend that she died for realsies. That being said, 2 out of the whole world isn't that bad. Now, let's see if Mama is impressed at how Ran faked her death.

 

[Gregory Crey]

Lol, Ran failed to convince both her Mother and Best Friend that she died for realsies. That being said, 2 out of the whole world isn't that bad. Now, let's see if Mama is impressed at how Ran faked her death.

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It is the Shimada blood. She knew she shouldn't make Karin cry so she subconsciously let her know she is alive. Granted, she cried some, so Ran should feel miserable for making her Waifu cry!

 

[alethiophile]

Hmm, so Karin is a super-sensor now.

Kinda want to read some of her adventures as a Konoha-nin and Naruto's cousin. Could be interesting.

 

[Kotawa]

I'd think Ran wouldn't let herself ever live it down if she learned that she almost caused a total mental breakdown in you, Karin, instead of shaming you with it. You really ought to know better. Stupid Shimada-Uzumaki girl...

 

[Risen Ire]

Lmao. Task failed successfully I suppose. Leave it to Ran to do something like that.

Anyways, corrections:

Karin falls heavily on the floor, a kunai at his neck

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Her neck

except enduring their health

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Ensuring their health

the oliy pervert bringing

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The oily pervert
Greasy would also work, but it doesnt make the pun with Jiriaya using Oil Release.

 

[LurkingInTheDeceit]

Spoiler

barely visible against the irregular and shifty shapes of branches

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and shifting shapes*

It explodes in a burst of smoke and the kunai thunk against something solid, but once the smoke dissipates, it's clear they've only managed to hit a poor, innocent log.

Click to shrink...

kunai thunks against*

Karin falls heavily on the floor, a kunai at his neck ending the

Click to shrink...

at her neck*

dysergic

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I don't know this word, and I can't find a definition, might not be English.

Now that her cousin is away in a secret mission, the two of them have grown even closer. "

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away on a secret mission*

except enduring their health doesn't deteriore too much.

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ensuring their health*
deteriorate too much*

All hopes lie in Naruto-nii and the oliy pervert bringing back Tsunade.

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oily pervert*

Which is frustrating because she can't exactly heal mental damage like this, but at least helps with muscular atrophy.

Click to shrink...

but it at least helps*

She resists the impulse to shake to hear how it sounds, carefully opening it instead and tilting it to let the contents slide into her open.

Click to shrink...

into the open*

A sudden touch in her shoulder has her turning around like a snake, locket protectively held against her chest as her other hand produces a kunai to gouge the eyes of–

Click to shrink...

touch on her shoulder*

Sakura's voice shakes her of her daze,

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shakes her out of her daze*

she can tell even the smallest shifts on her emotions: Ran.

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shifts in her emotions*

But the panic on her signature receded after a while, giving way to relief and satisfaction.

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panic in her signature*

Without realizing the wide smile in her face, Karin closes the locket back and wears the two of them around her neck.

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wide smile on her face*

Quite enjoyed this one, though my sadistic side would've preferred her not knowing of Ran's survival.

Edit: Not sure that's accurate actually, it's more that I would've preferred some actual consequences/sacrifices to carry out her plan. I realise not being able to contact each other is a negative consequence on its own, but... idk, even Karin being pissed off about it, or vowing to become strong enough Ran won't ever have to make that kinda decision again, or strong enough to go with her next time...

The way she just accepted it, with the last line literally being 'she can't wait until Ran comes back', just feels weak? The impact of her faking her death honestly feels absent.

Does that make sense?

 

[auraofcalm]

All else fails, she can claim to come from the Village Hidden in 'Murica the Clouds

Click to shrink...

...a literal cloud cuckoolander? Nice.

 

[SolipsistSerpent]

Okay, still a few chapters behind but:

What? There was a genjutsu trap somewhere? Is this how Ran feels when she misses something?

Click to shrink...

Well, now Karin has a better understanding of her adoptive sister/love interest.

Neither of the three abilities in question [Adamantine Sealing Chains], [Heal Bite] and [Mind's Eye of the Kagura] are classified as Kekkei Genkai in the wiki, with Heal Bite not being even a hiden (secret technique) Then again it also claims that Karin 'awakens' her chains during the Fourth Shinobi War, which is both contradictory (you can't 'awaken' a hidden technique, only a bloodline limit) and patently untrue (she first used the chains against Suigetsu during a flashback of the three-year timeskip, way before the foundation of the group Taka.)

Click to shrink...

Some fandom wikis are very unreliable, that's why I prefer to site primary sources whenever possible

As far as Ran is concerned, the three of them are Kekkei Genkai and her Karin is bullshit.

Click to shrink...

Fair.

Which is something I can get behind, my Karin isn't going to honeytrap anyone while I breathe. Still, seeing her all dolled-up for once really made my day. She was so bashful about it she couldn't even look me in the eye without growing cherry red and looking away. It truly made it worth enduring my own treatment!

Click to shrink...

Because there's no way she's also affected by how good Ran looks after her own beauty treatment!

 

[Somethingsomething]

I really enjoyed the story up until the end. I think it's absolutely brilliant and I loved reading it. But I'm gonna be honest, this ending has lost me. I feel bad replying just to say that, but I felt it strongly enough that I had to say it. I just don't understand, I guess. Ran's great plan to avoid Boss Dude blackmailing her and separating her and Karin is to... Separate herself from Karin willingly?...

It was a really cool story nearly all the way through. I love Ran, I love Karin, I love Mother. I'm not gonna be reading anymore, but I just want you to know that I had a great time. Good luck with the final chapter, and with the sequel if you ever get around to it.

 

[kioras]

Shimada-mama knows the truth and thus Ran is going to be in for some serious training from hell when she is caught by her mother.

Naruto has a normal 3 year timeskip where the cast is trained by the Sannin.

Ran is going to spend that three years being trained by her mother. Running for her life.

 

[etulauna]

Probably my naruto bias showing through but...puppets? Really?

 

[V01D]

a kunai at his neck ending the exercise

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her

Sakura and her are peas in a pod

Click to shrink...

She and Sakura

tilting it to let the contents slide into her open.

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her open PALM?

 

[TheEyes]

I really enjoyed the story up until the end. I think it's absolutely brilliant and I loved reading it. But I'm gonna be honest, this ending has lost me. I feel bad replying just to say that, but I felt it strongly enough that I had to say it. I just don't understand, I guess. Ran's great plan to avoid Boss Dude blackmailing her and separating her and Karin is to... Separate herself from Karin willingly?...

It was a really cool story nearly all the way through. I love Ran, I love Karin, I love Mother. I'm not gonna be reading anymore, but I just want you to know that I had a great time. Good luck with the final chapter, and with the sequel if you ever get around to it.

Click to shrink...

Sort of. Remember that Ran's foreknowledge tells her that Orochimaru is going to kidnap Karin at some point, and there's not a damn thing that Ran, or frankly the rest of the Rain village, can do about it. The only groups that potentially can defend Karin from being kidnapped by Orochimaru are the Konoha, Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, and Ame (Suna probably couldn't), and of those groups the only one that might not be just as bad for Karin as Orochimaru is Konoha, and so Ran's plan was to somehow get Karin "safely" behind the walls of Konoha. Faking her own death was the only way she believed she could safely get Karin to leave "their" village and stay in Konoha, since if the two of them had defected together then the all-powerful super-secret Kusa ANBU (read: Ran's mother) would have been dispatched to kill them both; if it were "just" karin then Kusa wouldn't bother.

Probably my naruto bias showing through but...puppets? Really?

Click to shrink...

Kind of agree, but then Ran does have a point that it's one of the only super-secret techniques she could practice in a tiny underground lab.

Keep in mind though that Ran's weird Shimada blood means that, since she has no inherent bias towards any single type of release, she could potentially work out all of the combination elemental releases almost as easily as she could the single-element ones, and that could be huge.

 

[Melakias]

Kind of agree, but then Ran does have a point that it's one of the only super-secret techniques she could practice in a tiny underground lab.

Keep in mind though that Ran's weird Shimada blood means that, since she has no inherent bias towards any single type of release, she could potentially work out all of the combination elemental releases almost as easily as she could the single-element ones, and that could be huge.

Click to shrink...

She's also aiming to mix fuinjustsu with puppets as much as possivle, and once more, given the Shimada Blood, she will aim to excell.

 

[C-8]

Karin falls heavily on the floor, a kunai at his neck ending the exercise

Click to shrink...

Her

It seems I decided to binge read this story at the right time, just the Mother epilogue left.
I wonder what cruel punishment she'll make Ran suffer through after she comes back.

 

[TheEyes]

She's also aiming to mix fuinjustsu with puppets as much as possivle, and once more, given the Shimada Blood, she will aim to excell.

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I think the main issue that some people are having is that the best puppet user we've ever seen that didn't have some other magic cheat code was Sasori, and he was portrayed as more of a mid-boss than someone who was truly powerful in the Naruto world, making it seem like this isn't such a great path to real power. We'll have to see what the eventual successor to this story ends up with, though, since you're right that Ran's Shimada blood won't let her settle as a middling ninja.

 

[Bad Habits]

I think the main issue that some people are having is that the best puppet user we've ever seen that didn't have some other magic cheat code was Sasori, and he was portrayed as more of a mid-boss than someone who was truly powerful in the Naruto world, making it seem like this isn't such a great path to real power. We'll have to see what the eventual successor to this story ends up with, though, since you're right that Ran's Shimada blood won't let her settle as a middling ninja.

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Sasori was probably a lot better than we got to see since all the Akatsuki members were supposed to be super strong and almost all of them ended up going out like chumps. That said, S-Class seems to be more of a threat rating of "Yes" due to them having/being reliant some sort of special ability or skill that makes them all but invincible if you don't know the trick to it rather than a measure of raw strength. And Sasori was definitely a case of knowing the trick what with his Grandmother (the one who taught him) being there alongside Sakura who'd already beaten his poisons.

 

[Planeshunter]

Anyways, corrections:

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Spoiler

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her
She and Sakura
her open PALM?

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Her

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Fixed, thanks!

kunai thunks against*

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Actually, kunai is plural here.

I don't know this word, and I can't find a definition, might not be English.

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Antonym of 'synergic'. It's not exactly a common word, try looking for 'dysergy'.

The way she just accepted it, with the last line literally being 'she can't wait until Ran comes back', just feels weak? The impact of her faking her death honestly feels absent.

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I get what you're trying to say but... honestly, it didn't even occur to me. That's not something I can see Karin doing, at least not at this point in time.
The Epilogues are more like extra content that actually part of the story, so I wanted to end this one in a hopeful note. Especially because the next one adds very little to the story itself.

I really enjoyed the story up until the end. I think it's absolutely brilliant and I loved reading it. But I'm gonna be honest, this ending has lost me. I feel bad replying just to say that, but I felt it strongly enough that I had to say it. I just don't understand, I guess. Ran's great plan to avoid Boss Dude blackmailing her and separating her and Karin is to... Separate herself from Karin willingly?...

It was a really cool story nearly all the way through. I love Ran, I love Karin, I love Mother. I'm not gonna be reading anymore, but I just want you to know that I had a great time. Good luck with the final chapter, and with the sequel if you ever get around to it.

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That's more than fair.

Always sad to hear of someone leaving, but I'm glad you enjoyed the ride until now.

Probably my naruto bias showing through but...puppets? Really?

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Hey now, don't dish the puppets. They can do anything a shinobi can do, only better. And if you can't get them to do that, they you don't deserve to call yourself a puppeteer in the first place
After all, nothing is better that strength in numbers. Big things are combined small ones!

On a side note, most people think 'puppeteer' and their mind go to Sasori. Mine goes to Kakuzu and Pein.
...And Mecha-Naruto, but my mind does weird things from time to time.

Keep in mind though that Ran's weird Shimada blood means that, since she has no inherent bias towards any single type of release, she could potentially work out all of the combination elemental releases almost as easily as she could the single-element ones, and that could be huge.

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*Coughs*[Goton - Dairendan no Jutsu]*Coughs*

alongside Sakura who'd already beaten his poisons.

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This part always tickled me the wrong side. What kind of half-assed master poisoner only has one lethal poison?

 

[etulauna]

To be fair the pein thing only worked through bloodline limit magik eyeball bullshit.

I guess the kakuzu thing would work out alright.

 

[saylin021]

I really enjoyed the story up until the end. I think it's absolutely brilliant and I loved reading it. But I'm gonna be honest, this ending has lost me. I feel bad replying just to say that, but I felt it strongly enough that I had to say it. I just don't understand, I guess. Ran's great plan to avoid Boss Dude blackmailing her and separating her and Karin is to... Separate herself from Karin willingly?...

It was a really cool story nearly all the way through. I love Ran, I love Karin, I love Mother. I'm not gonna be reading anymore, but I just want you to know that I had a great time. Good luck with the final chapter, and with the sequel if you ever get around to it.

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I thought the main reason for her faking her own death was so she could work towards stopping the shitshow that is canon from happening the way it does, and being in Kusa would keep her from doing that? So by doing this she can get Karin into Konoha and herself free to work against canon.

Also unrelated to that, I'm pretty sure in Naruto we never really see the extent of what a puppeteer can actually do. It's also one of the skills you can be really creative with