- Maybe this area, a little bit. - I said, trying to avoid upsetting her more than necessary.
- That's all right. I'm used to it. - She replied, as if the pain was something she knew how to deal with. But I knew deep down that no one should get used to such pain.
I moved on to the third cut and, as I touched her skin, she flinched a little, but remained silent. I continued with the ointment, and when she finally spoke, her voice was a little shaky.
- She was furious with Naruto on the day of the projects... I feared for him and stood up to her. - Karin spoke, almost as if she were explaining herself.
- Why did you allow that? Why did you allow him to hurt you like that? - I asked, not knowing if my voice sounded more angry or worried. I really didn't understand how she could allow such a thing.
She paused for a long time, and when she finally answered, her voice was low, filled with a fear I didn't know she carried.
- I feared that if she didn't attack me, she would go after him. - She said, the words so heavy that I almost couldn't process them. The fear Karin felt was palpable, and the pressure of her responsibility to protect those she loved was a burden I couldn't imagine carrying.
I was silent for a moment, trying to understand what she had said. I didn't have the words to respond immediately, so I limited myself to continuing to apply the ointment, knowing that nothing I could say would ease the weight Karin was carrying.
- Does anyone know? - Karin's question broke the silence between us, and I realized that she was wondering if anyone had already found out about the situation.
- "No." I answered immediately, without hesitation, because I knew it wasn't something that should be spread around.
- Suigetsu? Naruto? - She continued, as if thinking of all the people who might be worried.
- I would never tell them, nor would I give them any reason to be suspicious. They know that my grandmother is strict with me, but I don't want them to worry. I can handle it. - Karin's answer was clear, but I could feel the weight of her words. She was trying to hide her pain, trying to carry that burden alone.
I kept applying the ointment to her back, not knowing exactly what to say, but Karin's words hit me in a way that left me speechless.
- She's not like that with him, Naruto is too much like my grandfather and my father... but I... I am... this terrible, hard-to-love creature. - Karin's voice was full of pain, and I felt a tightness in my chest when I heard it.
- "Hm," was all I managed to say. I didn't know how to ease that pain. I didn't know what to say to convince Karin that she wasn't that. I couldn't. What she said sounded like something she really believed, but it wasn't what I thought.
- Damn, that stings. - She complained, and I grimaced when I saw her expression.
- Why the other marks? - I asked, already imagining that those marks were older, scars that had formed over time.
She cringed a little, as if the question bothered her, and the answer was harder to get out.
- Things I've said or done. Things I know. Things that I am. - Karin paused and, for a moment, seemed distant. - The bandages are in the box. - She indicated the box next to the bed, and I went over to get the necessary material.
Taking care of her back, I applied the bandages carefully, but the feeling that something else was behind her words didn't leave my mind. When I'd finished, Karin took a deep breath, as if she was finally managing to relax a little.
- It's easier with help. It's much better than any I've done. Thank you, Sakura. - She said with a slight smile, a smile that didn't completely hide her suffering, but still gave me some hope that she was allowing herself to trust me.
- At your service. - I replied with a smile, trying to keep the atmosphere relaxed.
Karin then turned and stared at me for a moment. I felt the intensity of her gaze, and something inside me made me want to believe that she was about to say something important.
- He's going to choose you, you know? - She said with a certainty that made me hold my breath. Those words hit me unexpectedly.
- I know. - I replied, even though I knew the words didn't say everything I felt. I knew that this path wouldn't be easy, but I knew I had to keep going.
- You're going to be queen of all this, mother of princes and princesses. - Karin continued, as if to give me a different perspective, something more positive, something to make me believe that everything would work out.
- I know. - I answered again, a little more quietly this time, but with the same determination.
- Promise me you'll make him happy. - She asked, and her hand squeezed mine tightly. I held her hand tightly, not knowing what the future held, but making a promise I knew I had to keep.
- You have to be happy too, we should tell Naruto. - I suggested, because I knew he deserved to know what was going on, but she shook her head quickly.
- "No," she replied, more firmly than I had expected. - "But when your queen... - Karin smiled almost gently, and I saw a softness that she rarely showed. - Things will get better, I know they will.
- Will you call me Your Brilliant Majesty when the time comes? - I asked, trying to break the tension with a joke.
- Oh, no. - She laughed, a sound that was rare from her, but which made my heart warm a little. - Of course not.
- And will I be able to call you 'chatapracaramba' without expecting you to choke me to death in my sleep? - I joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, knowing that this would help ease the tension between us a little.
- No, that doesn't sound like a good idea. - Karin laughed, but seemed to think for a moment, squeezing my hand. - If it turns out the way I imagine, I think "sister" would be fine.
I smiled, a genuine smile that I couldn't hide. Something had changed there. There was a connection, something deeper, something that I knew couldn't be ignored. From that moment on, no matter what happened, we would be together, and that gave me strength.
[author] Thank you so much for reading this far! Knowing that you made it to the end means a lot to me. If you like it and want to contribute, visit my Patreon and get early access to 25 chapters ahead: Patreon [/author]