Chapter 57: Chapter 57 : Karin 4
Karin had no idea what to say. Though she was not a medical-nin, she realized the extent of the damage to her leg. The level of pain she had felt was far beyond anything she was accustomed to.
She was used to pain—her life had been filled with it—but this pain was different. It was a new, intense kind of agony, highlighting the seriousness of her wound. Seeing it heal instantly was astonishing.
She could only sit there, staring at the deer that had healed her as if by magic, and then at the boy who was watching her intently.
"So... did it work?" I asked, even though I knew the deer could heal nearly anything. My concern was more about the broken bone fragments in her leg.
Karin looked startled by my question and seemed to snap back to reality.
"Ah, yes... It... it worked. I can't feel any pain anymore," Karin replied, still in a daze. Even she and her mother couldn't heal such severe wounds with their blood.
It made sense; even someone like Tsunade would struggle with a wound of this magnitude. She needed extensive research and an entire operation to fully heal Lee.
Round Deer made it look easy. The Reverse Curse Technique was incredibly powerful—almost as much of a cheat as Hashirama's Cells if used correctly.
"That's good. But now that you've seen what my summon is capable of, you should understand what I mean, right?" I asked again.
"Yes, I won't tell anyone about this, I swear on my life," Karin immediately replied.
I looked into her eyes, unsure if she was telling the truth. I could only trust her based on her past and take her word for it.
"Okay, I believe you for now. I'm Shika Nara, by the way." I relaxed a bit and smiled.
Seeing me smile, Karin also relaxed a little.
"I'm Uzumaki Karin from Kusagakure," she said, thanking me again.
"Don't worry about it. As I mentioned, the Uzumaki clan had a good relationship with Konoha. Even though the land of Uzushiogakure no longer exists, I won't let a Uzumaki survivor die in front of me." I replied though I realized I probably shouldn't have mentioned Uzu.
"If Konoha really feels that way, why didn't you help us when we needed it?" Karin muttered slowly.
She couldn't have been there when it happened—she wasn't born then—so she must have learned about it from her mother.
"I'm not sure what happened, but we indeed failed to save the Uzumaki clan back then. I can't change the past, but I can protect you as long as I can. Since both of your teammates are dead, you're technically out of the exam. If you wish, I can guide you to the central tower. I'm heading there anyway. What do you say?" I replied, knowing she held some resentment towards Konoha. This resentment was likely inherited from her mother and probably wasn't very strong.
I didn't want to discuss Konoha too much with her, especially given her negative view. However, I would at least guide her back to the tower.
"Okay... thank you," Karin said with a nod.
"You want to fly again?" I asked, smiling. She seemed to have a bit of expectation building up. Being able to fly was quite a novelty for a ninja.
"Yes," she replied.
"Okay, then let's go," I said, making a hand sign to summon Nue.
I had planned to look around the forest a bit more, but there was nothing else for me to do here. Heading to the tower and resting was the best option.
---
Meanwhile, team 7 had been attacked by Orochimaru, and the events unfolded similarly to the anime. Orochimaru gave Sasuke the curse seal, and the fight between Sasuke and the Sound Village occurred as well.
However, there were some changes. Teams 9 and 10 were not involved this time, and the Sound team arrived later than expected, giving Naruto and Sasuke enough time to wake up and fight back.
The result was that the Sound team was beaten badly.
Later, Kabuto met with team 7 and, on paper, helped them pass the test.
xxx
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Chapter 58: Chapter 58 : Karin 5
All the way to the tower, I talked with Karin, and the girl finally opened up about her life, describing her experiences in the Kusagakure village and the monsters in human form who lived there.
"They are the reason why my mother died. I will never forgive them," Karin said, her emotions raw. It's understandable, given that she hasn't had anyone to confide in, and now that I'm listening, she's pouring out all her feelings.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed on the broad back of Nue while we flew toward the center tower.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know you had such a life," I replied, lying through my teeth. Although I genuinely felt sorry for her, this world is indeed dangerous and cruel.
Power is essential to survive here.
Seeing the girl breaking down completely in front of me, I couldn't help but sigh. She's only about twelve and has suffered perhaps more than anyone I know.
"I can't promise anything, but maybe I can do something about it. If I can, would you want to live here in Konoha?" I asked, rubbing my hair, already knowing that making this happen would be a drag.
There's no way I can hide her, and as a kunoichi from another village, there's also that complication.
Unless I get the Hokage's approval, it won't happen. I need to find a way.
Hearing me, she slowly looked up, as if questioning whether that's even possible. I could only smile, unsure myself.
"Again, I can't promise anything, but I can request the Hokage to make an exception for you. It might not be possible for others, but you are an Uzumaki, right? Maybe the Hokage will consider it," I said, not looking directly at her.
To be honest, it wasn't a big deal; after all, why wouldn't the village accept another Uzumaki? But the real problem was the shadow hidden in Konoha.
If that person targets her, what will I do? He probably won't until the Hokage is gone, but that's only for another month.
After that, Hiruzen will die, and Danzo will hold too much power until Tsunade becomes Hokage. Kidnapping Karin won't even be a secret objective then; he could do it in broad daylight using his elder status.
Sigh.
But I can't let Hiruzen stay in the Hokage chair either; the village will be doomed if he remains. For the upcoming conflict with Akatsuki, Tsunade must come.
Even though I plan to prevent this conflict from playing out as it did in the anime, Hiruzen still needs to go. With him here, I can't deal with Danzo, and I can't have that.
Sigh.
So, I have to get official permission from Hiruzen for Karin to become a member of the village and protect her during the short period between Hiruzen's death and Tsunade's arrival.
Alternatively, I might just hide her somewhere until Tsunade comes. Given the timeline, it won't be that long—most likely three months at best.
I thought and thought again, but neither option seemed ideal. While I was contemplating her future, she suddenly spoke up.
"Forget it, I don't want to stay here in Konoha."
I blinked in confusion, not understanding why she would say this suddenly.
"I'm actually not a kunoichi; I only know how to use chakra but have never received any formal training. And I don't want to live with shinobi if possible," Karin said, and I could sense the repulsion she felt toward ninjas. Clearly, her childhood trauma was speaking.
"I see!
Well, if that's the case, that's fine. Please don't think that all shinobi are like those you've seen in the past. There are good shinobi too, Karin.
It's fine if you don't want to live in Konoha. I have good connections with a nearby village and the Land of Waves. If you want, I might be able to arrange a normal life for you there. Though your red hairs are a dead giveaway, if you're willing to dye them, I'm sure no one will be able to find you there," I said, coming up with an idea.
Hearing this, Karin looked at me with a complicated expression. "Why would you do this for me, a complete stranger?" she asked, her face showing no particular emotion.
"Hmm... I'm not sure. I saved you because I wanted to, and you were an Uzumaki. Of course, your being cute was also a reason...
So now that I've saved you, making sure you're okay isn't a big deal. I'd rather you live here in Konoha. Honestly, there are many people here with good connections to the Uzumaki clan, and we already have a Uzumaki boy in our village.
You'd feel at home here, but if you don't want that, I won't force you.
Finding a safe place for you isn't that troublesome, so why shouldn't I?" I replied with a shrug, making her face furrow even more.
"Hmm... I'll think about it. Please give me some time." She replied after thinking for a bit, sounding more confused about what she wanted to do.
"No problem, take your time. We still have some time before the Chunin Exam ends here, so we don't have to worry," I said as I finally spotted the tower.
"We're almost there..." I added as I began to lower Nue so others wouldn't see her near the tower.
"From here on, we'll walk."
With this, I got off and helped her dismount Nue before the bird vanished.
"Remember not to say anything about the summon you saw me use here, okay?" I reminded her, to which she gave me an exaggerated look.
"I get it, I get it—won't say anything about your pets to anyone. Pinky promise," she said, her mood lifting slightly.
But a pinky promise?
She held up her pinky for me to hold, and I was dumbfounded.
What is she... five?
My smile might have indicated to her that she did something strange, as her face began to change.
"What? Isn't this what people do to promise they won't lie?" she asked with a huff.
"Yeah, yeah, they do." It was hard not to smile at how innocent she was in her own unique way.
xxx
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