Treating Karura

Inside the tavern, Karura and Senju Genma shared another glass of fine wine.

Karura had drunk a lot. Though her body was already in terrible shape, she still had a little chakra left, so she wasn't drunk, nor had the wine eased her sorrow.

Seeing the dejected look on Karura's face, Senju Genma's eyes flickered. "Come to think of it, I have a way to heal you. Do you want to hear it?"

"Even Lady Chiyo was at a loss. What could you possibly do?" Karura pressed her lips together, but hope showed in her eyes.

If she could become a ninja again, who would willingly go on living as an ordinary person?

But the hope in her eyes quickly faded.

She was from the Land of Wind, and Genma was a Konoha Ninja. Even if he really had a way, he would never help her.

Unfortunately, Genma wasn't a normal person. His intentions were clear, and he knew what he really wanted, so he asked, "Do you trust me?"

Karura was silent for a long time before finally answering, "I do."

She didn't know why she'd said that.

Perhaps it was because she wanted so badly to become a ninja again. Or perhaps it was because Genma had saved her once before.

"Look into my eyes!" Senju Genma said, activating his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Genjutsu: Mangekyō Sharingan!

"You..." Karura, still recovering from her severe injuries, was even more vulnerable than an ordinary ninja. The moment she saw the Sharingan, she fell under the Genjutsu and became like a mindless puppet.

Without wasting time, he pulled Karura to her feet, and the two of them headed to an inn in the oasis town.

Once they entered a room at the inn, Senju Genma and Karura sat facing each other on the bed.

Genma slowly reached out toward Karura, then... snapped his fingers.

"Hey! Wake up! Are you all right?"

Karura came to her senses and jolted in fright.

She shrank back and hugged her knees.

"Where is this? What did you do to me?" The scene before her seemed like something she'd seen in one of Shueisha's late-night publications, and she couldn't help but grow tense.

Senju Genma said, "This is an inn. Don't be so nervous, all right? I haven't done anything."

Karura checked herself and found that nothing seemed amiss, so she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Then why did you bring me to an inn?"

Karura regarded him warily.

She'd been a ninja for years and had read plenty of Shueisha publications. A host of unspeakable possibilities sprang to mind.

Whatever the case, the place they were in and the way they were sitting were both far too strange.

Besides, she was an ordinary person now. If Senju Genma tried anything, should she accept it? Or accept it?

She'd accept it, then.

"Didn't I say? I'm going to treat your injuries. We can't exactly do that out in the open."

"I have an ability that should be able to heal you. It'd be too much trouble to explain, so I brought you here instead." Senju Genma spread his hands. "What did you think I was going to do?"

Karura's face reddened, and she lowered her head.

After a while, Karura asked in a muffled voice, "It's nothing. Is what you said true? Can you really heal me?"

Genma replied, "We'll have to try and see."

Karura raised her head and looked into Genma's eyes. "What do I have to do?"

Genma met her gaze. His eyes turned red, and black lines formed patterns in his irises.

"Are those... Sharingan?" Karura asked.

In truth, Karura couldn't be sure what kind of eyes they were. They only looked a little like the Sharingan. Since Genma was a Konoha Ninja, she'd asked.

Still, even though she'd discovered Genma's secret and knew he might kill her to keep it, she wasn't afraid at all.

"That's right." Genma admitted it without hesitation, as if he had no reservations about Karura at all.

Karura was stunned. He'd just admitted it? Did he realize how much of a stir it would cause for someone from the Senju Clan to possess the Sharingan? Even though she'd grown up in Sunagakure, she'd heard plenty about the enmity between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan!

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell someone?"

"First, after our two encounters, I trust you as a person." Genma blinked and said casually, "Second, right now, I'm the one holding the knife and you're the one on the chopping block. What can you do?"

"Besides, I have a kind heart. Seeing you suffer like this pains me."

"And besides, I'm a Konoha Ninja. Once I've healed you, what do you think will happen if you tell Sunagakure about me?"

"In wartime, it'd make no sense for a ninja from an enemy village to help you for no reason, would it?"

It was all bullshit. Karura didn't believe a word of it, and neither did Genma.

The truth was that Genma had used Sharingan Genjutsu to explore Karura's memories and learn what kind of person she was. He'd also planted a contingency with the Genjutsu.

Karura was fundamentally kind, deeply affectionate, and considerate toward others. In short, she was a good person, and she had a fair amount of affection for him.

So, to satisfy his own desires, Genma chose to treat Karura.

Karura looked at him suspiciously. She'd heard that the Senju Clan was a clan of love, but wasn't this love a little excessive?

She looked up at Genma, and a sense of reassurance welled up inside her.

She couldn't help it. That face really did radiate boundless compassion. It was incredibly comforting.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Good." Genma reached out toward Karura.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me your hand. I need to check your condition."

Karura held out her hand. Genma gripped it firmly, and a green glow appeared over his palm.

After examining Karura's body with Medical Ninjutsu, he found that her injuries really were severe. Not only were her internal organs damaged, but her bones and muscles had suffered extensive trauma as well.

It was only natural that Chiyo couldn't heal her. Even Tsunade might not be able to. Luckily, Genma had a special method.

With a thought, he activated Oonamuchi, and an eerie light flashed in his left eye.

If even Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu might not be enough to heal Karura, then Genma's certainly wouldn't be.

However, Oonamuchi could absorb and release life force. Since Medical Ninjutsu couldn't heal Karura, he'd restore her body by replenishing her life force and letting it heal itself.

Just like Genma's Sage Body, an abundant life force could automatically heal injuries without the need for Hand Seals.

Green life force flowed down his arm and into Karura's body.

Karura tried to speak, but the influx of life force interrupted her.

To her delight, she found that her body was beginning to heal itself. The heaviness weighing on her was fading away.

Who knew how much time passed? Outside the window, the sky darkened, and Genma finally finished treating Karura.

He let go of Karura and exhaled deeply.

Genma had life force to spare. He'd absorbed who knew how much with Oonamuchi's power over the years, but the drain on his ocular power was all too real.