Severing Orochimaru's Head with a Wind Clone

"But before I send you away, I'm going to heal those wounds."

Naruto pulled back Karin's sleeve, revealing rows of bite marks covering her entire arm.

"Ah!" Hinata cried out. She stumbled back several steps, a chill crawling over her skin.

Karin lowered her head and tried to pull her arm away. She didn't want Naruto to see how ugly it looked, but he held on tight.

"Naruto-kun, I... I..." Karin burst into tears.

"Hey, it's all right. Let me heal you."

Naruto held her arm with his left hand. A soft green light shone from his right as he gently brushed it over her scars.

"With your constitution, these marks should heal quickly," Naruto said softly. "Maybe it's because the wounds inside haven't healed yet."

Karin kept her head down, her shoulders shaking as tears fell to the ground.

Sympathy and sadness filled Hinata's eyes. She quietly took hold of the hem of Karin's clothes from behind.

"H-how do you know about my constitution?" Karin asked through her sobs.

"Because I'm the same!" Naruto lifted the system's concealment of his hair color.

Karin looked up through her tears. Before her eyes, Naruto's yellow hair gradually turned red—exactly like hers.

Beside her, Hinata stared at Naruto's transformation, mouth slightly open. His secrets and how much he had changed amazed her more and more.

"No wonder I felt close to you the first time I saw you. We're from the same clan!"

Karin murmured the words, then started crying again.

"Hey, what's wrong now?" Naruto asked helplessly.

"Does that mean I can't marry you someday?" Karin asked, worry in her voice.

Naruto opened his mouth. He wanted to tell her that people from the same clan could marry, though he had no idea why the silly girl didn't know that.

But