New Arrangements

The late-autumn sun filtered through the branches, scattering mottled shadows across the courtyard. Golden petals blanketed the ground, and whenever the wind blew, they whirled into the air as if dancing a silent dance.

Uchiha Sasuke sat cross-legged in the middle of the courtyard, eyes closed. The Two-Tails Matatabi scroll lay open in front of him. The Sealing Tags on it had been removed, and its black runes shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

His hands formed the Contract Seal, his breathing steady and slow. He seemed to have melted into the wind. Above his head, a faintly visible phantom glowed a ghostly blue.

Matatabi looked like an enormous cat, curled up in the air above Sasuke's head. Its two tails swayed lazily back and forth. Its eyes were half-lidded, its amber pupils reflecting Sasuke's tiny figure.

The contract between Beast Tamer and Tailed Beast had been established, at least in its initial form.

This wasn't a Jinchuriki's seal, which suppressed and controlled a Tailed Beast. It was a deeper connection—one that linked their chakra and connected their minds. Matatabi could sense Sasuke's emotions, and Sasuke could sense Matatabi's thoughts.

On the other side of the courtyard, Karin Uzumaki was doing the same thing.

The Five-Tails Kokuō scroll lay open in front of her. White steam seeped out of it, forming a thin mist around her. Through the haze, the faint silhouette of a white steed was visible, its four hooves treading the empty air and its mane fluttering in the breeze.

The Five-Tails was much quieter than the Two-Tails. It didn't fuss, cry out, or make trouble. It was like a silent statue, standing guard at Karin's side—but the power concealed in that silence was more terrifying than any commotion.

Uchiha Naro sat beneath the veranda. He set down his book and looked at the two children.

"That's about enough." He stood and walked to the middle of the courtyard.

Sasuke and Karin opened their eyes at the same time and looked at Naro. Sasuke had already deactivated his Sharingan, his black eyes clear and bright. Karin's emerald-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight like two gemstones.

"Lord Naro," they said in unison.

Naro nodded and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard.

"You two have established an initial contract with your Tailed Beasts. You may not be Kage Level yet, but with the Tailed Beasts' power backing you, you can already make your way in the Ninja World. All you lack now is combat experience and practical experience."

Sasuke's hand clenched slightly. He had guessed what Naro was about to say.

"You're both talented, and the thing you've been hoping to do for so long is finally within reach." Although Naro hadn't been at their side every day lately, his spiritual awareness had kept an eye on them. "Sasuke."

Sasuke stood up and walked over to Naro, under Mikoto's watchful gaze.

Naro didn't speak right away. Instead, he glanced at Mikoto, who stood by the courtyard gate. She leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her expression as still as a pool of water. But the fingers gripping the frame had gone faintly white, betraying her emotions.

"Sasuke." Naro turned his gaze back to the boy before him. "What do you want most?"

"To kill Uchiha Itachi, that traitor, and the people behind him." Sasuke's voice was quiet, but each word seemed forced through clenched teeth. "To avenge the Uchiha Clan who died unjustly."

"And after that?"

"Restore the Uchiha Clan's glory."

Naro nodded. Ever since he had arranged for Mikoto to take Sasuke away from Konoha in secret, under the watch of Konoha's Anbu, he had known Sasuke would develop thoughts like these. And that was without considering the repeated visions of his clan members' final moments, which Sasuke had endured so his Sharingan could evolve.

"Have you thought carefully about who, exactly, you want revenge on?"

Sasuke fell silent. Since leaving Konoha, the person he hated most was the older brother who had protected and loved him ever since he was little. He trained relentlessly every day, always treating Uchiha Itachi as his imagined opponent. As for anyone else, Sasuke had never really stopped to think about them.

"Uchiha Itachi was the one who carried out the massacre, but behind him were Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō. There were also the Root and Anbu, who helped carry it out. And you could say that the whole of Konoha was complicit—the people who heard the cries for help but did nothing. There may even be others hiding deeper in the shadows."

Naro's voice was calm, as if he were discussing something inconsequential. "Have you ever really thought about how many people you'll have to kill before your revenge is complete?"

"I don't know." Sasuke's breathing quickened. "But I know who I'll start with."

Naro looked at Sasuke, his eyes full of hatred, then at Mikoto, who had been watching him all along. In the end, he decided not to say anything more. He had already changed part of Sasuke's fate and given him the chance to choose his own future. The rest depended on how Sasuke himself chose to move forward.

"You can decide for yourself what to do about revenge. As for restoring the Uchiha Clan's glory..." He paused, then looked toward Mikoto by the gate again. "Your mother will choose a wife for you. You don't need to worry about that."

Mikoto's cheeks reddened slightly, but she didn't object. Sasuke's face, meanwhile, turned bright red.

"Lord Naro, I—"

"Don't rush. I haven't finished." Naro raised a hand to stop him. "I'm giving you your freedom. Starting today, you and your mother can leave here and do as you see fit. I won't restrain you anymore, and I won't assign you any more missions."

Sasuke froze.

"Your mother and I had an agreement. I promised her that I would help you resolve the problem deep in your soul." Naro stood up, stepped in front of Sasuke, and touched his forehead with his right index finger.

Sasuke felt warm energy flow in through his forehead and travel along his chakra pathways into his mind. It wasn't chakra or Natural Energy, but something gentler and more encompassing. It was like a pair of hands gently opening a door in his mind.

Knowledge flooded in.

The principles of ninjutsu, the structure of Sealing Jutsu, ways to break genjutsu, techniques for channeling force through Taijutsu... And much more, things he couldn't name.

The knowledge wasn't jumbled. It had been organized clearly and sorted into categories, like a library where every book sat in its proper place.

Naro withdrew his hand.

"Something very ancient lives deep in your soul. Its name is Indra. It will influence and assimilate you little by little. There's no way to deal with it for now. When the time comes, your mother will contact me. Then I'll come."

Sasuke touched his forehead. Nothing had been left behind, but he could clearly feel all the different kinds of knowledge in his mind. It was more useful than being given a weapon outright.

"Lord Naro, I—"

"You don't need to thank me." Naro waved his hand and pointed toward Mikoto at the gate. "Your mother paid a tremendous price for this deal. If you want to thank someone, thank her. Go on—she's been waiting a long time."

Sasuke turned and looked at his mother at the gate. Mikoto's eyes were red, but she was smiling. There was no sorrow or worry in that smile, only pride.

Sasuke walked over and stopped in front of her, head bowed. "Mother, I—"

"Come on." Mikoto reached out and stroked his head.

They walked out of the courtyard side by side.

When they reached the gate, Sasuke stopped and turned around. He bowed deeply to Naro. Mikoto bowed as well, then took Sasuke by the hand, and they disappeared beyond the gate.

The courtyard fell quiet.

Karin stood beside the stone bench, still silent. She watched the direction Sasuke had gone, a trace of envy in her eyes, but more than that, resolve.

"Karin." Naro turned his attention to the little girl who had endured inhuman abuse since childhood.

Karin walked over and stopped in front of him.

"As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke has his own path to follow. As a member of the now-extinct Uzumaki Clan, you have yours."

"Yes." Karin nodded earnestly.

Naro clapped his hands. With two poofs of white smoke, a man and a woman emerged and appeared before Karin Uzumaki. "I'm entrusting these two to you."

The man was tall and powerfully built, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. A metal helmet covered his head, leaving only his eyes and mouth exposed. He wore heavy armor, with an enormous iron fan at his waist. He looked like a fortress on the move. His expression was placid, as still as a pool of stagnant water, but a volcano lurked beneath that calm.

The woman was tall and slender, with silvery-white hair falling over her shoulders. Her expression was cold, her gaze keen. She wore a white bodysuit beneath a pale blue short jacket, wooden sandals on her feet, and two short swords at her waist. Her lips were pressed tightly together, as if she were holding something back.

They were Han and Yugito Nii, whom Uchiha Naro had brought back and stripped of their Tailed Beasts.

Karin's pupils contracted slightly. She knew who they were.

No—not personally. She had heard about them recently: the Two-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure. While getting to know Kokuō, she had also learned about Kokuō's and Matatabi's former Jinchuriki from Mikoto's intelligence.

"They're no longer Jinchuriki," Naro explained to Karin. "I extracted the Tailed Beasts from their bodies and kept them alive, so I let them stay. From now on, they'll be with you."

"With me?" Karin looked at Naro, confused.

"Yes. As your guardians." Uchiha Naro stood up, stepped in front of Karin, and touched her forehead with his right index finger.

As with Sasuke, warm energy flowed into her. But the knowledge she received was more extensive than Sasuke's, including things Karin couldn't understand: doctrine, the organization's structure, rules of conduct, detailed instructions on using Sealing Technique: Tongcang, and ways to train in all kinds of ninjutsu for everyday life...

"What is all this?" Karin closed her eyes and absorbed the knowledge in her mind. After a while, she opened them and looked at Naro, puzzled.

"From now on, Shisui will be the leader of the Juexin Sect, you'll be its saintess, and Han and Yugito will be its guardians. I want you to start in the Land of Waves by the sea, spreading the doctrine and gathering followers."

Karin recalled what she had learned about the Juexin Sect from Uchiha Naro: "The old gods veil the sun; a new order rises. We awaken our hearts and keep the flame burning. Our true home lies in the Great Void; the Yellow Heaven awaits us."

"That's the organization's slogan." Naro wrote the twenty-four characters in the air with a finger imbued with magical power. "Its meaning is simple: the old age is about to be swept into the dust. The old gods, the old order, and the people who once stood above everyone else can't stop the new sun. We awaken our own hearts and light the flames to illuminate the road ahead. 'Our true home lies in the Great Void; the Yellow Heaven awaits us' gives our followers hope: as long as they do good deeds, Heaven will protect them in life, and after death they'll go to a better place."

Karin nodded and continued listening as Naro explained everything about the Juexin Sect. Although all this knowledge was already in her mind, there was still some distance between having it and truly understanding and accepting it.

"The core teaching of the Juexin Sect is to shift the blame for the contradictions that created the 'current state of the Ninja World' onto the wanton conduct of ninja. It teaches that the true purpose of ninjutsu should be to protect and help the people, and to aid the development of the Ninja World—not to serve as a tool of war between ninja."

"Everyone can learn ninjutsu and then work toward the development of the Ninja World. The good deeds of everyone who strives to do so will accumulate and keep spreading, and they will be cherished by Heaven and Earth."

"Lord Naro, this..." Karin raised her head when she heard this.

"What is it?"

"This is completely opposite to what everyone in the Ninja World believes." Karin spoke tentatively. "Everyone thinks ninja are above the rest, and that civilians can only be protected or sacrificed. You say everyone can learn ninjutsu..."

"Why shouldn't they?" Naro asked her in return.

"What is the nature of ninjutsu? The application of chakra. And what is chakra? A combination of physical and spiritual energy. Everyone has a body and a spirit. The only difference is how much chakra they can refine. Ninja aren't the only ones who can learn."

Karin couldn't answer. Her understanding of ninjutsu and chakra was still limited to learning and practical use. She had never considered their true nature.

"Of course, this won't happen overnight." Naro's voice softened. "It's too early to talk about that now."

"The Juexin Sect's main task in its early stages is to win people's hearts and spread kindness. Let civilians know that someone cares about them and is willing to help. Let them know that ninjutsu can be used to farm, build houses, and treat illnesses—not just to kill."

As Naro spoke, he drew a symbol beside the twenty-four-character slogan: two overlapping equilateral triangles, one upright and one inverted, forming a hexagram. A ring of intricate runes surrounded the hexagram like a circle of flames.

"This is the organization's symbol, the hexagram, and our recognition sign, the Three Mountains Seal."

Naro raised his left hand, holding up his thumb, index finger, and little finger, with the middle and ring fingers bent and his palm facing outward.

"When you see one of your own, make this gesture. They'll return the same gesture. If the sign isn't right, stay alert immediately."

Karin tried the gesture. She did it perfectly.

"Leader, saintess, guardian, Lujue, Shoutan, Shemo." Seeing how attentively Karin listened, Naro continued explaining. "Shisui is the leader, responsible for interpreting and passing down the doctrine. You're the saintess, responsible for spreading the faith and managing the followers. Han and Yugito are the guardians, responsible for security and combat. A Lujue is in charge of each country, a Shoutan is in charge of each town, and a Shemo is an ordinary follower."

"Recognized followers—that is, Shemo—can learn one ninjutsu for everyday life from a Shoutan, free of charge. For example, Earth Release: Soil Loosening Technique or Water Release: Rainfall Technique. These techniques aren't for combat; they're only for improving people's lives."

Karin was stunned by Uchiha Naro's generosity. She raised her head and asked, "You'll teach them for free?"

"For free." Naro nodded. "But only ninjutsu for everyday life. You can't start learning offensive ninjutsu, Sealing Jutsu, or genjutsu until you reach the rank of Shoutan. The higher your rank, the more techniques you can learn, and the stronger they are."

"Where will the ninjutsu come from?"

"I'll provide it in the early stages. Later, the organization will have to develop new techniques on its own, suited to society." As he spoke, Naro summoned the Ghost Bone Banner from his Purple Mansion.

"The Juexin Sect can pass on knowledge through the Ghost Bone Banner. You won't need to carry scrolls everywhere. You'll only need to set up a Tongcang Sealing Formation, and followers can receive knowledge through it."

As Naro spoke, Karin found the Tongcang Sealing Formation in her memories: a complex formation with a hexagram symbol at its center and twelve runes surrounding it.

"Sealing Technique: Tongcang—this is one of the Juexin Sect's core techniques. It can cross time and space to connect to the Ghost Bone Banner and pass on knowledge. Followers can learn the ninjutsu their rank allows them to access anywhere there's a Tongcang formation."

Karin stared at the formation, her eyes lighting up. As a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, she had a natural sensitivity to Sealing Jutsu. The formation's design was ingenious, more intricate than any she'd seen, yet its logic was as clear as a straight line.

"That's incredible..." she murmured.

After finishing his explanation of the Juexin Sect's general structure, Uchiha Naro stroked Karin's head and said with a hint of emotion, "When you were little, you saw a lot of humanity's ugliness in the Land of Grass. You've seen a more realistic Ninja World than Sasuke has. Ninja prey on civilians, civilians prey on the weaker, and the strong prey on the weak. No one cares whether you live or die. Your mother died in a place like that, and you nearly died there too."

"I know you've always hated this world. You hate ninja, the people who stand above everyone else, and the people who turn a blind eye when others are dying."

"Now I'm giving you a chance to change this world. Not with hatred, but through good deeds. Not by killing people, but by saving them. Are you willing?"

Karin raised her head. Her emerald-green eyes were full of determination. "I'll make the Juexin Sect flourish. Not to make you happy, but so that more people like me won't have to live that way anymore."

Naro nodded approvingly. He had always known Karin's nature. She was a tough blade of grass that could survive even in the desert.

"Go. Start in the Land of Waves. It's poor, miserable, and largely neglected. The civilians need hope. They need someone to tell them that life doesn't have to mean nothing but suffering."

Karin bowed deeply to Naro, then turned and walked over to Han and Yugito. "Guardians, let's go."

Han nodded and followed behind Karin. Yugito looked at Karin, then at Naro. Her lips moved, but in the end she said nothing. She turned and followed them.

The three left the courtyard.

Karin walked at the front, her red ponytail blazing like a flame in the sunlight. Han followed her, his towering figure like a mountain. Yugito brought up the rear, her silvery-white hair fluttering in the wind.

Shisui drifted out of the Ghost Soul Banner and stood beside Naro. He watched in silence for a long time as Karin walked away.

"She's only six, and she has to take on something so difficult." Shisui's voice was very soft. "Preaching in a place like the Land of Waves, gathering followers, building an organization... Even adults might not manage it, let alone a child."

"She isn't an ordinary child. Besides, she has you behind her." Naro dismissed Shisui's concerns.

Shisui didn't say anything more. He looked toward the courtyard gate. The sunlight fell across the threshold, and a few leaves Karin had stirred up as she left were still spinning on the ground.

"I hope she succeeds." Shisui finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of a sigh. "I hope the Juexin Sect can really change this world."

"It will," Naro said. He turned and walked back beneath the veranda, picking up his teacup. The tea had gone cold, but he didn't ask anyone to change it. He simply drank it. "It's only a matter of time."

Shisui stood beside Naro, but Karin's quiet recitation kept ringing around his soul, again and again, like she was memorizing a lesson or making a wish: "The old gods veil the sun; a new order rises. We awaken our hearts and keep the flame burning. Our true home lies in the Great Void; the Yellow Heaven awaits us..."