Kimimaro, Continue Fighting

In the heart of Kusagakure.

Inside a mud-walled hut, a sturdy Kusagakure ninja stared at a red-haired woman and a red-haired girl wearing glasses.

This Kusagakure ninja's gaze was burning with fervor.

An injured ninja from the Land of Grass bit into the red-haired woman like a starving ghost.

A miraculous thing happened; those injured ninjas recovered in no time, ready to continue the battle.

The red-haired woman's face was devoid of color, her exhausted appearance suggesting she might collapse at any moment, yet no one cared about her condition.

Injured ninjas kept rushing in, biting into whatever parts of the red-haired woman's body were still free of teeth marks.

"Karin, are you hungry? There is still a little food by the bedside; you can eat it."

"Mom, are you tired?"

"Yes, Mom is so tired. No matter where we go, it is not our home. Our home is already gone."

Karin, concerned for her mother, rushed over and tried to push away the person biting her: "My mother needs to rest, please don't bite my mother anymore!"

Her strength was too small; how could she possibly push these starving ghosts away?

"This little girl also has the abilities of the Uzumaki Clan. Even if your mother is gone, you can heal us instead. Or do you want to replace your mother right now?"

The red-haired woman hurriedly pleaded: "She is still young and doesn't know how to heal. I can still hold on."

She did not want Karin to endure this suffering.

"Hmph! As long as you help us repel the Kaguya Clan, you can live safely in the village with your daughter."

"Yes, the village will surely be victorious." The red-haired woman had no other choice.

The Uzumaki Clan was once a very powerful clan, but because this power was not eternal, the ninja villages that feared the strength of the Uzumaki Clan joined forces and destroyed the Land of Whirlpools, where the Uzumaki Clan lived. This forced the surviving members of the Uzumaki Clan to live under others' roofs, constantly worrying about whether they would be killed!

Karin buried her head and sobbed softly; she was afraid of losing her mother.

"It is so heated outside, yet you people are here taking turns biting a woman. This sight is truly disgusting." Naruto had searched Kusagakure for over half an hour, only finding the location of the Uzumaki clanspeople after catching someone in the know.

Naruto was not as conspicuous as the Kaguya Clan, and since he deliberately concealed his tracks, his appearance was somewhat abrupt.

Inside the hut, besides the Uzumaki clanspeople, there were four Kusagakure chunin, all of whom stared at Naruto in surprise.

"Who are you? You are not from the Kaguya Clan; how could you possibly get here?"

A leading ninja from Kusagakure roared in a mix of excitement and fear.

Matters must be resolved quickly.

Naruto sneered: "Evil deeds bring their own retribution. Those who possess power must uphold a kind heart, but also a heart of justice. I will not take your lives, but as for what your ultimate fate will be, I leave that entirely to the time that follows."

"Eight Inner Gates, Gate of Life, open!"

A massive surge of chakra erupted from Naruto's body; this energy clung to his surface like green flames.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Naruto moved like a blue beast, his feet blurring into invisibility.

In the blink of an eye, he took care of the four chunin in the room.

"Refreshing."

Naruto whispered lightly.

He had gained a clear assessment of his current strength. Naturally, he would not wait for his opponents to finish weaving hand signs to launch ninjutsu, only to foolishly comfort himself with the idea of having a duelist's flair.

The Eight Inner Gates was an explosion of the body's limits; while continuing to burn chakra, one would not choose to engage in a war of attrition with the enemy.

Naruto flashed to the side of the red-haired woman: "Ma'am, what should I call you? Come with me and leave."

The red-haired woman was too weak to stand: "There is still fighting ahead; how can you take us away?"

Naruto could see that the woman was still wary of him, but he did not want to explain too much. To complete the conditions of his sign-in mission, he had to ensure the Uzumaki clanspeople were completely safe.

Returning to Konoha was the best choice.

Kushina Uzumaki was the wife of the Fourth Hokage and also the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. Konoha was both wary of and valued Kushina Uzumaki. If they had the protection of Kushina Uzumaki, these two survivors of the Uzumaki Clan should be able to lead a stable life.

Not allowing for refusal, Naruto first hoisted the red-haired woman onto his back, then scooped up Karin with one hand: "Karin, my movement speed will be very fast in a moment. If you are scared, close your eyes, and whatever you do, don't scream."

Listening to Naruto's gentle voice, Karin said without much fear: "Yes, big brother."

"You don't need to worry. When I came in, I had already mastered all the environments and routes around Kusagakure. I have already figured out the locations of the fighting, so leaving is very simple."

Naruto said softly, yet his speed did not diminish. Like a gale, he traversed the flames, avoided the notice of the others, and left Kusagakure.

Kusagakure could not escape its fate of being completely annihilated by the Kaguya Clan.

Mountain spring water flowed down from the peak, forming a small lake at the foot of the mountain.

They were already far from the main battlefield, and about to enter the territory of the Land of Fire.

Whoosh!

A high-speed bone bullet nearly struck Naruto in the head.

"Damn!"

Naruto's hands were stained with Karin's blood.

"Ma'am, Karin, an accident occurred. This enemy is a bit tough to deal with. Stay to the side and protect yourselves; I might not be able to keep you safe once I go all out." Naruto looked at Karin and said with concern, "Karin, I'm sorry you got hurt. If you want to cry, it's okay to let it out."

Karin was not like an ordinary child; she wouldn't make a fuss or cry. Instead, she smiled while clutching her arm and said, "Big brother, I won't cry, and it doesn't even hurt."

"Good. I'm giving you a mission: protect your mother well." Naruto handed Karin three shuriken, though he didn't know if she knew how to use them.

Karin helped her mother hide behind a large tree.

"Karin, we can't escape."

"No, Mother, he will definitely be able to save us and get us out of here."

On either side of the small lake, the surface rippled under a gentle breeze. Naruto stood on one side, and Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan stood on the other.

"Friend, we aren't from Kusagakure. We have no conflict with you," Naruto said steadily. "How about you let us leave?"

Kimimaro wore tattered clothes, his white hair flowing, his emerald eyes sharp, and two red dots marked his forehead. "You came from the direction of Kusagakure. Perhaps you aren't from the village, but the people you rescued certainly are. I cannot let them leave."

Naruto did not know the extent of his opponent's strength, and their previous exchange had been too brief to gauge whether he could win.

"But I must take them away."

"My apologies."

Without a fight, there would be no resolution.

Tap, tap, tap.

Kimimaro locked his gaze on Naruto's movements and charged forward rapidly. The chakra beneath his feet churned the lake water, his control over his movements incredibly precise.

Naruto let out a cold sneer.

You want to block me? I'll kick you into scrap.