#itachi doesn’t have a problem he’s just concerned about the kids’ health. yeah.

[yowyowyaoi]

*Itachi sitting on the front porch with a bowl of candy in his lap*

*a child comes up to the house in a costume*

Child: Trick or treat!

Itachi: Before I give you anything, I’m going to ask you a riddle. If you answer correctly, I’ll give you five pieces of candy. If you answer incorrectly, I get to eat ten. Agreed?

Child: O-Okay …

Itachi: Very good. Now then … “What goes up, but never comes down?”

Child: Um … um … the sky?

Itachi: No; the correct answer was “Age”. *starts unwrapping candy and popping it into his mouth* Better luck next time.

*the child leaves dejectedly as Kisame comes out the front door*

Kisame: Itachi, are you sure you’re not too chilly out here? Do you want me to bring you another blanket?

Itachi: I’m fine, don’t worry.

Kisame: *looks into the bowl* Goodness, another bowl nearly empty? *takes it from him* That’s the third time I’ll have to refill it tonight! You must have had a lot of happy kids getting all this candy, eh?

Itachi, trying to subtly wipe the chocolate smears from around his mouth: Y-yep …

[phoenixyfriend]

For Karin's backstory, do you usually go for anime one? I prefer datebook backstory, even though it's not detailed. Because manga showed one panel of Karin being experimented on with her arms showing bite marks. So I always believed that healing bites ability is result of Oro experiments. It makes more sense to me. Also, I am uncomfortable of anime backstory. And grass village confuses me. Didn't they still exist after the fourth war? I guess in fic, we could just say it no longer exists.

I love this question.

Okay, so the short version is that I usually do a mix of the two. I’m going to do a quick rundown on the differences between the two backstories for anyone who isn’t familiar. This means we’ll be touching on some very questionable subjects, because the anime went to some very concerning lengths. It’s going to be under a cut, because... yeah. Long.

The only solid canon, as in from the manga, that we have for pre-Orochimaru Karin is the Chuunin Exams flashback, wherein she is in a Kusa (Grass) headband, and is saved from a bear by Sasuke, which kicks off her crush on him.

The first backstory we received from Karin was in the databooks; this backstory came out prior to the Exams flashback in the manga. It stated that Karin was living in an unspecified village, sensed an army coming to destroy it, and tried to warn the rest of the town. Nobody believed her, so she ran to hide (I think in some nearby foothills/forest?), and everyone else was killed. Orochimaru then came by, tried to recruit her, and then let Sasuke convince her. Sasuke didn’t really have to do much beyond saying he was Oro’s student in order to get Karin to come along.

Now, given that Kusagakure still exists post-timeskip, at least in the Blood Prison movie, the village that was destroyed wasn’t Kusa. Either Karin was in a different village, or Karin’s backstory doesn’t include the village destruction element. I tend to go with ‘a different village,’ but I’ll get to that later.

The anime gives us a different backstory, one that takes Karin’s Kusa headband from the Exams as fact.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Karin’s backstory is not presented as a backstory, but rather an alternate timeline from her Eternal Tsukuyomi dream. I don’t know what the animators were thinking, deciding to use this hell as her dream of a ‘perfect world,’ but at this point the dream is treated as her default anime background so like??? Sure. Sure. We’ll use it, but we’ll also judge Studio Pierrot for it, because there’s “I don’t like this character” and then there’s “I’m going to have this character’s dream of a perfect world include over a decade of violating her health and bodily autonomy on a level of systemic abuse that is truly horrific, edging on fucking csa” because fuck you I guess? I’m still mad. I’d have been okay with the backstory as backstory because it fits her personality, but why the hell was it presented as her Eternal Tsukuyomi dream???

Listen LISTEN Eternal Tsukuyomi is supposed to be a perfect world for each individual You DREAM WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST and they gave her a decade of physical and medical abuse, bordering on extended csa, only to die at sixteen because they'd 'used her up.’ like???

When I say SP had a grudge against Karin...

Anyway. Anime backstory:

Karin’s mother (unnamed) came to Kusagakure following the destruction of Uzushiogakure, and was granted refugee status in exchange for working at the hospital, having a similar ‘bite me and you’ll heal’ power as Karin does in canon. We don’t know who Karin’s father was; he may have been a Kusa citizen, or an Uzushio man who died prior to Karin’s mother’s arrival in Kusa.

Karin’s mother dies at some point during Karin’s childhood, having been used as a chakra healing battery to the point of dying of chakra exhaustion. At this point in the anime, Kusa orders that Karin must take over her mother’s duties as a healer, because such a technique is too useful to just leave alone. The bites start out on her forearms, eventually going all over her body, including areas that, despite the intent not being sexual in nature, do qualify as child sexual abuse.

She is bitten on the chest and thighs, by people she barely knows, with minimal consent on her part. She is a minor. This is csa and I hate that people forget this, or choose to exclude it to more easily vilify her.*

(Manga canon also has her with bites on her chest, at sixteen, most of which we can assume are not Sasuke since he seems to not know that biting her chest is provides better healing when she tells him to do it. Again: underage, coercion, chest bites, violation of bodily autonomy. It’s long-term csa in every canon. It may not be explicitly stated, but this is the most explicitly shown example canon has of this particular kind of trauma.)

Now, again, this is her Eternal Tsukuyomi (for some fucking reason), and not her technical backstory, and in that context she just... never gets out. She keeps getting used and abused, the bites eventually even covering her face, and then she dies before hitting twenty.

...so how do we reconcile this?

Elements we have:

Kusagakure headband during the Chuunin Exams (manga canon)

Saved by Sasuke, causing her crush; implies she was very poorly treated by the people around her prior to their meeting (manga canon)

No visible bite marks on her arms during the Chuunin Exams, but with the caveat that the marks are also not visible during Boruto, so it’s possible that Kishi, and in turn SP, just didn’t feel like drawing the scars. (manga canon)

Karin’s healing abilities were present at some point prior to Sasuke recruiting her to hunt down Itachi, but it’s unclear if it is a Kekkei Genkai or something nurtured by Otogakure. (manga canon)

Kabuto’s abilities during the Fourth War include Karin’s ‘rejuvenation’ and ‘life force,’ which implies that it may be a Kekkei Genkai but leaves it frustratingly ambiguous.

Experienced a village destruction, followed by Orochimaru taking her on, due to a Cassandra Truth incident, using Sasuke to convince her to join Oto (databook)

Her mother came to Kusa at some point post-Uzushio destruction; iirc Uzushio fell when Kushina was a teenager, so Karin’s mother either spent a decade or so wandering around prior to deciding Kusa was better than nothing (possibly when she got pregnant), or lived in Kusa for a period of time prior to becoming pregnant. (anime)

Karin was forced, via coercion, to use her healing abilities while in Kusagakure following her mother’s death (anime)

Kusa still exists post-timeskip (anime)

Here’s what I usually go with:

I do think Karin was a Kusa genin. The databook and anime both state that she joined Orochimaru after Sasuke, so she’d have no reason to wear the headband during the Exams other than actually being a genin of Kusagakure.

I err towards the biting being a Kekkei Genkai, which means that it fits with the anime’s suggestion of Kusagakure having used her as a chakra healing battery prior to her arrival in Oto. THIS IS OPTIONAL in other people’s readings, because it’s not manga canon and it’s obviously an incredibly hard subject to work with.

So, Kusa kid, dead mom, chakra healing battery, genin at the Chuunin Exams, then... Otogakure. In order to work in the databook’s element of the destroyed village, we either have to wipe Kusa off the map, or it’s another village.

I’ve generally gone with stating that Karin was on a long-term mission as a healer in a larger civilian village, or possibly the country’s capitol (though that’s less likely). Kusa was obviously willing to send her away temporarily, as with the Exams, so if the price was right, they’d probably send her out on out-of-village missions as well. Would she have a team? Maybe.

Given her poor treatment in this scenario, and the implied distrust/abuse of refugees in the anime, it’s possible that any teammates she had either didn’t trust her as a person, or didn’t think her skills were as good as she claimed. Possibly they assumed that they’d be able to fight off a smaller attacking force, and that Karin was exaggerating or mistaken when insisting that they evacuate. In any case, whoever was with her, if anyone was, also died in this attack.

The army was very likely sent by Orochimaru, and it’s plausible that Karin was actually the main target. I imagine that a spy would have gotten word to Oro about a redhead with extreme healing abilities, and Orochimaru going “Gotta catch ‘em all, Ooh! An Uzumaki!” and deciding that the healing abilities played well enough into the immortality plan to be worth sending an army (and then going in person, with Sasuke) for.

Given how canon played out, she was worth it.

------------------

* Okay the reason I harp on the CSA thing in particular: there was a significant period of time where two headcanons were prevalent: that Sasuke was sexually abused by Orochimaru in his time as Oro’s student, and that Karin was a wannabe rapist.

The Sasuke thing was based on a manga cover and one of the anime openings, but had no actual textual basis beyond Orochimaru being a queercoded villain, which is a whole different problem. The Karin thing was based on a fan’s mistranslation of a single panel, along with later arguments failing to take slang into account and often had by people who don’t actually speak Japanese.

Ultimately, I’m furious that a large portion of the fandom painted a canon CSA victim as a wannabe rapist while pushing that same backstory element onto a different character which they often put as her hypothetical victim, oftentimes just to get her out of the way for shipping purposes. This is a long-standing grudge.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Nine: Folk Singer ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Divine Light ] [ AO3 Link ]

They’ve been on the road for nearly a week without respite. And while Sasuke has no qualms about roughing it out of doors, he has concern for his brother’s condition. After all, despite having a light mage with them...he’s not yet been fully cured. While she has the inner talents for it...she lacks the knowledge to truly apply it.

Hence the hare-brained quest to make it back to the abandoned capital of her people to find - or so they hope - the proper information to heal him completely. Until then, she’s using what she’s learned by trial and error over the years to keep him stable...but the travel is wearing on him. It’s easy enough to tell.

“One night’s stay isn’t going to be enough,” he insists the evening before they’re set to enter the next town on their route. “We have to take at least two in order to let him recover properly.”

“...I’ve no issue with that,” is her reply. “We can balance a good pace with proper rest. For now, I’ve managed his symptoms well enough. A few days’ break from our journey won’t hinder us in the grand scheme of things.”

“Good. And...don’t tell him it was my idea. He’ll only insist otherwise.”

She gives a small, knowing smile. “I’d guessed well enough. Should it come from his healer’s lips, he’ll surely listen.”

Satisfied, he retires to a place by the fire he’s started with his own fire energy. Part of him is still wary of that woman...even if he can’t precisely name why.

Coming up from nearby, Hinata puts a stopper in her waterskin. “There...that should last until we get to town tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry about it too much - we’ll be staying in town a few days.”

That earns a blink. “...really?”

“Itachi needs a break - light mage’s orders.” Might as well lay it on for her sake, too.

“...oh! Well, that’s good...maybe we can pick up some supplies. Do some trading, or...m-maybe find some small jobs while we’re there for some coin.”

“So long as we’re careful. Don’t need to stir up any trouble. Not every city is friendly to our kinds, remember?”

“I know,” she replies softly, sitting beside him. “But people will pay for the convenience of ven. You just have to know who’s sincere, and who would turn you in.”

“And that’s not always so easy to see.”

“True...but something simple, just for a few gold, wouldn’t hurt.”

“Mm…” Sasuke doesn’t agree either way. He’d rather just lay low and rest...but she has a point. True, he can hunt well enough...and her skills mean never running out of water. But a few basic supplies and comforts they can come across while still back in civilization certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Maybe even just something simple...like those sweets his brother has always liked. Sasuke’s always been the sort to spoil his elder brother. Perhaps a bit backwards, but...given their difference in health, it’s to be expected.

He takes first watch, the night quiet as the rest of his party sleeps. Itachi gave no argument to the light mage’s insistence he rest, and Sasuke breathes a quiet sigh of relief. Some respite from the road and saddle will do him good. Let him regather some energy and spirit before they take the next leg of their journey.

Hinata takes the second half of the night, and they all rise come sunup. Tearing down camp as they’re by now well-practiced, the group saddle and mount their horses before continuing down the path.

By noon, the city’s in sight. A humble place, but clearly of decent size. They soon merge into traffic of carts and other riders all looking to get to the same place.

“Feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been in town,” Hinata notes. “Especially one like this!”

“A welcome break,” Sasuke agrees, looking to the tiered stone walls. It looks decently fortified, swaths of land having been cleared for several acres to make farmland from what was once forest. They pass through farms first before arriving to the city proper.

Hoods on, they pass with the rest of the traveling crowds without problem. Sasuke can sense a few others like them - those with far brighter, colored auras than the blessless mor around them.

Immediately, they’re swept into the bustle of town. They pull to one side to reorganize.

“We’ll find an inn, first - lay claim to some rooms, then see about resupplying. Otherwise...I suppose we’re all free to do what we must until we’re rested. Just take care not to draw undue attention. Last I heard, this place is fairly tolerant of elves...but best to be cautious. Keep your heads down, and we’ll take our leave without any trouble.”

The party all nod, heading further in. Clearly a town of trade, finding an inn with rooms to spare takes until late afternoon, stabling their mounts and finding two rooms: one for each pair of men and women.

“I’d best tend to Itachi for a time. Would you two mind scoping out some supplies? I’m sure you know well enough by now what to look for. Otherwise...you’ve the evening to yourselves!”

Sasuke nods, heading out with Hinata into the streets. Markets are busy, but they replace worn cloaks and lacking foodstuffs, ensuring they have what they need before leaving in the following days.

“...oh!”

Turning as Hinata pauses, Sasuke perks a brow. “...what?”

“Do you hear that?”

“...hear what?”

“Music!”

Before he can clarify, she walks briskly in another direction, forcing him to follow as not to be separated. They both know their inn, but best to remain together.

In a square not far, seated along the rim of a fountain, is what appears to be a bard. One leg atop the other, umber hair twisted into two piled braids atop her head, she strums a loot and sings heartily to the crowds. Several have stopped to listen...and a few even make to dance.

“Look! A folksinger!”

“...what?”

“They sing traditional songs! You know, like auditory history. Tales of battles and sieges, and other events. They turn it into s-song, and keep traditions. It’s easier to remember when set to music and rhyme. I know a few, but...well, I’m not one to sing.”

Sasuke eyes the gathering a bit warily. It seems jovial enough...but he’s not eager to attract attention to themselves. “...do you want to sit and listen?”

“Can we?”

“So long as we’re still and quiet.”

Only lightly burdened, the pair find a nearby bench, perching atop it to take in the sounds for a time. Sasuke knows none of the words, or even the tales told, but he patiently takes it in. While he’s studied plenty by scroll and tome...there’s something pleasant about a history lesson set to rhythm and rhyme.

Beside him, nodding in time, Hinata smiles and listens attentively. At one point, he sees her mouth along, familiar with whatever particular ballad is sung.

...he almost wishes she’d sing. Something tells him she must have a beautiful voice.

Between songs, the bard gives smiles and nods of thanks as spare coppers and silvers are given into a chipped wooden bucket.

“...do you think it safe to give her some?”

Sasuke glances to his companion. “...I can think of better ways to spend our coin.”

“But we’ve sat and enjoyed her craft! She should be rewarded for her talent, and the work she gives it.” Making up her mind, Hinata rises despite Sasuke’s momentary rebuke.

In the end he relents (it’s not like he can ever stop her once she’s made up her mind), watching as she gives the tip and even a curtsy to the musician. The woman smiles and laughs in turn, bowing in return as best she can over the instrument in her lap.

Around Hinata, several kids take to dancing as the music starts up once more. Amused, Sasuke watches as they weave to and fro, making the path back a bit laborious. But eventually she makes it, sitting with a breathless laugh. “Well...this has been fun! I can’t remember the last time I got to hear music…”

“Maybe we need a bard in our party,” Sasuke muses, earning a soft snort.

“I think we’re crowded as it is. As grand as our adventure is...I don’t think it yet w-worthy of song.”

“Not yet, perhaps...but maybe someday.”

“Maybe someday.”

With that, the pair make their way back to the inn as evening falls. The rest of their party is down in the belly of the inn eating, and they quickly join them.

“Have a good romp through the city?” Itachi asks, and Sasuke is glad to find him already brighter-eyed.

“Aye. Stopped and listened to a bard for a time...and I think we’ve all we need.”

“Well, we’ll be here until the morn after next - we’ve time to make sure nothing is missed.”

With full bellies, they retire to their rooms: the women to one, the men to another. “Goodnight,” they all call, shutting doors and getting ready to sleep.

“Did you know any of the bard’s songs?” Itachi asks once tucked into bed.

“No...I’ve no talent for music, nor interest. But Hinata seemed to recognize one or two.”

“She seems the sort, yes. Perhaps we can see if she is there again tomorrow, this bard. I’d like to sit and listen for a time, enjoy the sun…”

“I’m sure we can.”

“Perhaps you can have a dance,” the elder brother mumbles, clearly slipping into sleep.

Perking a brow, Sasuke doesn’t answer. In truth...he did consider it...but, well...maybe tomorrow.

                                                             .oOo.

     Oooof it's late, so I'll be brief~      More crossover with my original fantasy verse! This time we find our heroes having a bit of a break. Poor Itachi needs it. And at least the rest can also benefit from a little time off the road. A little music always helps rejuvenate the soul~      But yeah, on that note...I need sleep, lol - thanks for reading!