At the Training Ground.
Shinji walked over.
"What did you promise me? Weren't you so sure of yourself back then?"
Shisui turned helplessly toward the suddenly appearing Shinji. "Hey, could you stop showing up out of nowhere like this..."
"Don't change the subject!"
Shinji shot Shisui a glare.
Then he looked at Karin, whose face was full of surprise and delight.
"Almost. Almost. If you start treating 'almost' as good enough now, you'll always fall short in battle!"
"Your enemies will exploit that little gap and find countless openings to kill you!"
Karin's smile froze.
She timidly lowered her head.
Karin's mother lowered her head in fear too, not daring to look directly at the man before her... because he wasn't wearing a mask!
He was a handsome... boy?
Karin's mother had never imagined that the person who had caused such an uproar in the village would be this young!
"Shinji..."
Shisui frowned slightly. He wasn't spoiling Karin. As Body Flicker Shisui, how could he not understand how deadly "almost" could be?
But...
What Karin needed now was care and encouragement.
She needed to build confidence first. It was an essential quality for anyone who hoped to become strong, and after all her years of hardship, Karin was still far too sensitive!
Shinji looked at Karin, who seemed like a frightened fawn.
He fell silent for a moment.
Then he stepped forward and crouched in front of her.
"Karin, I'm not saying you haven't been training hard. You're a sensible child, so you should know this world isn't peaceful."
Shinji stroked her hair. "I know you've never had ninja training before, but danger can strike at any moment. We shouldn't count on luck, and we certainly can't depend on anyone else to keep us safe, not even me or Shisui..."