Ten years at last, little Karin, we finally meet!

In the 53rd year of Konoha, Tōka had been on Earth for ten years.

The incident stemmed from the Kirigakure, resulting in the complete annihilation of Elite Squad dispatched by Kumogakure and Sunagakure.

The Four Great Nations immediately entered into a cold war without gunfire.

The Kumogakure deliberately targeted the Iwagakure, even deploying a large force at sea to create the appearance of an impending attack on the Land of Earth.

The Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was no pushover either. He knew perfectly well that the Land of Lightning had suffered such a heavy loss in the Third Shinobi World War that it no longer had the capacity to wage war.

The Tsuchikage's unwillingness to suffer a loss meant that the Iwagakure's reaction was bound to be exceptionally intense; so what if they called for reinforcements to put on a show?

The people of the Land of Earth are no fewer than those of the Land of Lightning!

The day after the Raikage deliberately allowed a large number of Cloud Ninja to operate on the border of the Land of Earth, Ōnoki personally led a thousand troops directly into a neighboring Small Nation.

He adopted a stance that said, "If you dare to land, I dare to fight," displaying an even more aggressive attitude than the Raikage!

Meanwhile, on the West border of the Land of Fire, things were equally turbulent, with numerous small-scale clashes occurring between Sunagakure Shinobi and Konoha Ninja from time to time.

Rasa couldn't attack Konoha, but he could annoy the Third Hokage.

In fact, that's exactly what Rasa did!

The Land of Grass is situated in the center of the four countries: the Land of Earth, the Land of Rain, the Land of Waterfalls, and the Land of Fire. This time, the Iwagakure) has set up its battle formation against the Kumogakure), making it look like a major battle is about to begin.

Although no real fighting broke out, small-scale skirmishes were inevitable.

The ninjas of the Land of Grass, intimidated by the power of the Iwagakure, were forced to go to the Land of Waterfalls and join the Iwagakure's forces to fight against the Kumogakure.

In other words, the ninjas of the Land of Grass were Ōnoki fodder forcibly conscripted by Tsuchikage, Onoki!

Although Kusagakure did not want to face Kumogakure, one of the Five Great Nations, they were even less willing to face Iwagakure, another of the Five Great Nations, which was right next door.

Left with no other option, the Kusagakure had to send ninjas to deal with the Kumogakure.

For a Small Nation, a small-scale battle might be the decisive one.

The hostile relationship between Iwagakure and Kumogakure has been deadlocked for nearly two years, Kusagakure has reached its limit, with the number of wounded increasing exponentially.

What sustained them for so long was a woman, a red-haired woman who had fled to the Land of Grass and settled there. Biting her skin would allow them to quickly recover from their injuries and regain their chakra.

But on that day, this woman died!

This news was a devastating blow to the Grass Ninja; their only means of survival was now useless!

In the Land of Grass, in a secluded Forest.

Frosty mist swayed on the rice seedlings, moonlight danced on the stream, and silhouettes in the Forest danced with the spirits of the wind.

The chirping of insects hidden in the shade of the trees broke the silence of the night sky from time to time.

A very handsome young man strolled leisurely through the Forest, a faint smile playing on his lips.

A pair of deep, dark eyes that seemed to draw you in at a glance.

As he moved, the trees, flowers, and even the wind seemed to sway to some mysterious and wondrous rhythm.

Naturally, an overwhelming sense of intimacy emanated from them, almost like a homage to a king, as they all gathered around Tōka.

"Orochimaru's information seems to be about this place, right?" Tōka, but he could say he wouldn't get lost in the same place twice.

Rustling...

The wind rustled the leaves.

A simple, old-fashioned cottage gradually came into view, nestled in the shade of trees.

"Oh? Found it!" Tōka noticed a red-haired kid squatting in front of the house, idly poking at the mud on the ground with a twig in his hand.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded.

The little devil suddenly raised his head, revealing a chubby little face that looked incredibly cute with his neat red hair.

"Get up!" The burly man wearing a Grass Forehead Protector approached coldly and said in a cold tone.

Seeing the little girl squatting on the ground just staring blankly at him without making any other move, the burly grass ninja impatiently reached out to grab her...

Puff!!

An invisible energy fluctuation flickered, and blood spurted out from the neatly severed arm.

The earth... was dyed red.

The burly grass ninja, belatedly realizing what was happening, suddenly narrowed his eyes, then revealed a look of terror, letting out a miserable roar as he clutched his severed arm and knelt on the ground.

The pain stimulated his nerves, almost causing him to faint.

A ripple-like movement spread through the space, followed by the graceful, slow steps of a figure.

"What a handsome big brother..." Looking at the man's profile, the little girl blushed slightly, her eyes glazed over, and she looked incredibly adorable with a lovesick expression...

"Who, who are you? Why did you attack me?" The burly man from the Grass Ninja clan stared at Tōka as if he had seen a ghost, his tongue trembling as he spoke.

"You want to attack me?" Tōka took his hand out of his pocket, raised a finger and slowly shook it. "I have absolutely no interest in you!"

"Then what about you?" The burly man from the Grass Ninja clan stared at Tōka in horror, fearing that the boy in front of him might suddenly kill him.

"I just thought your hands were dirty." Tōka had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were unusually cold.

Karin was one of the team members he valued; in other words, Karin was one of the people Tōka intended to take as his disciple.

How could you let dirty hands touch such trash?

Upon hearing Tōka's words, the burly man from the Grass Ninja clan felt despair. This was the world—a world where the strong could do whatever they wanted!

He understands this principle deeply, which is why he is here.

"Karin." Tōka's voice suddenly rang out. The red-haired little girl behind him was slightly startled before realizing that the handsome older brother was calling her.

Karin subconsciously looked up at Tōka's profile. For some reason, even though the handsome older brother was looking straight ahead, she felt as if he were being stared at directly.

Tōka tilted his head and glanced at Karin, then casually flicked his finger. A sharp Kunai, which was tied to the Ninja Tool Pouch on the trouser leg of the big grass ninja, whistled through the air.

Puff!

The Kunai landed right in front of Karin's feet, startling her so much that she fell flat on her backside.

"Do you want to see your Mom?" Tōka's lips curled up slightly, revealing Fox- like smile.

A mysterious and eerie Demonic Sound echoed in his words, making it irresistible to refuse, and Karin was also unwilling to refuse the handsome older brother.

"Yes!" Karin nodded firmly, her red eyes filled with anticipation.

She had been waiting for a long time, from the time she woke up in the morning until now, but she hadn't seen her Mom. She longed to see her Mom, but would she really be able to?

"Pick up the Kunai in front of you and stab it into this guy's chest." Tōka said calmly, her tone unusually gentle. "If you do it, I'll take you to see your Mom."

"What?!" You want this brat to kill me? Before Tōka could finish speaking, Karin was still in a daze, but the big man from the Grass Ninja Village was the first to shout and get up.

The burly man knew he was no match for Tōka, but since he was doomed, he was determined to fight to the death!

"Shut up!" Tōka glanced coldly at the burly man from the grass ninja clan, his gentle aura suddenly shifting, and a savage and domineering aura that shook the mind swept out wildly.

Thump!

The burly man's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees like a lump of mud.

"Can't you do it?" Tōka looked at Karin quietly, his tone returning to its usual gentleness.

"I, I..." Karin supported herself with her hands behind her back, involuntarily moving backward. The pungent smell of blood made her chest feel sore, as if she would vomit at any moment.

Although Karin was only six years old, she knew what it meant to Kunai someone in the chest with a kunai.

Kill...

Why?

This handsome older brother wants her to kill someone?

"Never mind if you can't do it." Tōka reached out and pinched Karin's cheek; it was so soft and smooth, it felt really nice!

Karin dared not be angry or speak, until she felt her cheeks go numb and she no longer felt like she was herself, only then did she see Tōka let go of her hand.

Puff!

An invisible energy surged forth, flying straight towards the burly man from the grass ninja village. Before he could react, an ugly head shot into the sky.

Blood gushed out like Fountain from the clean cut.

An invisible Repulsion Field surrounded Tōka's body, keeping the blood out, but Karin wasn't so lucky.

Blood splattered on her hair, face, clothes, and even inside her shoes, leaving a sticky feeling.

The glaring crimson color made it impossible to tell whether it was her natural hair color or simply stained so bright red by blood.

Silence, a deathly silence.

A gentle breeze caressed my face in the Forest, and the leaves rustled against each other.

Finally, a cool yet gentle voice rang out.

Are you still going to see your Mom?

Karin, still in a daze, raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Not going? Then I'm leaving." Tōka turned around as soon as she said that, and was about to take a step when she found that a gentle force was pulling on the hem of her clothes.

"Um?"

Tōka tilted his head and looked at Karin.

"I... I want to see Mom..." Karin said fearfully to Tōka. She didn't know why she was like this; she should be afraid, she should refuse.

Yet, inexplicably, from the bottom of my heart, I felt a sense of closeness.

Karin had a vague feeling that the handsome older brother in front of her wouldn't harm her.

"Then let's go." Tōka snapped his fingers, and the surrounding space shook. Black Runes spread out and swallowed the two of them whole.

The Small Woods suddenly became quiet.

The wind blew gently, carrying away the scents of Tōka and Karin, but the cold corpse on the ground could never be taken away.

The night grew deeper.

At the Kusagakure Hospital, two dark figures, one large and one small, stepped out from the Void.

"Hospital?" Karin stared blankly at the wounded being hurriedly carried into the large house, the air thick with the smell of blood and disinfectant.

"Let's go." Tōka stretched out his palm and drew a circle in front of him, casting a passively triggered Genjutsu on the two of them.

Genjutsu - Disguise.

By deliberately minimizing their presence, making themselves instantly noticeable and easily overlooked, this Genjutsu successfully conceals all attributes, turning them into an insignificant passerby!

Any gaze directed at the two of them would be averted after only a fraction of a second.

Tōka's vision encompassed the entire Kusagakure Hospital, including a woman with red hair...

"Um, it should be a woman covered in teeth marks."

Soon, Tōka led Karin to an abandoned Storage Room, where a woman's face was covered with a white cloth the size of a handkerchief.

She lay Budong on the bed.

The air was thick with the scent of death.

Upon seeing the woman's familiar attire, Karin felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, the chill freezing her hands and feet.

Karin moved mechanically, hesitant and fearful, yet a force propelled her forward; she wanted to know for sure who was lying there...

After all...

Is it Mom?

Karin stretched out a trembling little hand, but just as it was about to touch the small piece of white cloth, she pulled it back as if she had been electrocuted.

Hesitation crossed her small face; she was worried that she might actually see the scene she least wanted to see.

What to do?

"What are you afraid of?" Tōka waved his hand impatiently, and a gust of wind swept out, instantly tearing away the white sheet covering the corpse.

The woman's face was revealed...

Tōka quietly slipped out of the room...

Tōka appeared on the top floor of the Kusagakure Hospital. The noise, painful shouts, and confused groans from downstairs made his ears ring.

Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp.

This is the law of the world. Tōka has no pity for these grass ninjas because Iwagakure is so powerful that they are sent to the front lines as Battlefield fodder.

Nearly two years of small-scale frictions, accumulated over time, amount to an astronomical sum.

The bulk of the burden fell to the Kusagakure, which in turn chose to have the weaker members of the Kusagakure bear the responsibility.

Physical Healing is one of the abilities of the Uzumaki Clan. By biting their own skin, they can quickly restore their own or others' chakra and injuries.

Karin's mother died from overexertion and treating too many wounded patients.

Who should be blamed? Kusagakure Kumogakure? Iwagakure, who forced Kusagakure into Battlefield?

Or perhaps it's Kusagakure itself?

"Ha... weakness is the original sin!" Tōka leaned against the wall, looking up at the sky. The moon hid behind the dark clouds, and the light suddenly dimmed.

Squeak...

With a soft sound, the rooftop door was pushed open.

Karin walked step by step to Tōka, her head down staring at her toes, two fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her dress.

Tōka stared blankly at the top of her head, remaining silent.

"Can you take me away from here?" Finally, Karin mustered her courage and looked up at Tōka, her beautiful Red Eye filled with helplessness, expectation, and fear.

My Mom is dead, her body covered in grotesque teeth marks.

She didn't know how to face what might happen next...

If you are an angel sent from heaven, please take me away!

"From now on, you are my disciple." Tōka stared intently into Karin's eyes, his seemingly casual face conveying a very serious feeling.

With a gulp, Karin nervously swallowed, her small hands clenching the hem of her clothes, crumpling the tattered garment into a ball.

A glint of Ice Blue light flickered in Tōka's pupils, revealing his true eyes!

"Ōtsutsuki Tōka's Disciple!" 12946