Karin and her mother

"Fight as you retreat! Send someone to Konoha for reinforcements now!" the leader of Kusagakure roared. "And bring that woman here immediately! Use her to heal our wounds!"

"Yes!" his subordinate hurriedly answered, then turned and left.

In Kusagakure, there stood a small wooden house far from the village center.

Inside, a red-haired mother and daughter slept in each other's arms, huddled together on a single bed.

The mother's brow was tightly furrowed, as though even her dreams offered her no peace.

Bang, bang, bang!

Just then, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

A man's anxious voice rang out. "Uzumaki Kanako! Get out here! The leader wants you to work!"

Inside the house, Uzumaki Kanako jolted awake. Hearing the shouting outside, her face immediately turned deathly pale.

She had already worked for hours on end during the day. Now, just when she had finally managed to lie down and rest for the night, they were calling her back to work. Wasn't this going to kill her?

Was the leader trying to kill me?

Looking at her daughter Karin sleeping soundly beside her, Uzumaki Kanako gritted her teeth. In the end, she got up, dressed, and prepared to go outside.

Bang!

Before she could, the man outside brutally kicked the door apart and rushed in.

"Uzumaki Kanako! Hurry up!" the man urged.

Uzumaki Kanako suppressed the sorrow in her heart and asked, "Has something happened? Keep your voice down. I'll go with you, just don't wake Karin!"

"Right! Your daughter, too!" Had Uzumaki Kanako not mentioned Karin, that might have been the end of it. But her words gave the ninja an idea, and he grabbed the sleeping Karin by her hair and lifted her up.

Karin felt a sharp pain in her scalp as she slept and jolted awake. Finding herself dangling by her hair in someone's grip, she was stunned with terror.

She frantically struggled, but she couldn't break free.

"You! What are you doing?! Stop! Don't touch Karin!" Uzumaki Kanako cried in horror, hurriedly stepping forward to stop him.

The male ninja shoved her away and threw Karin onto the floor. "The village is in serious trouble, and there are too many wounded. We'll need both of you tonight!"

"What?! Karin is still so young! Didn't you say you would wait until she became a ninja before doing that to her? Why are you going back on your word?!" Uzumaki Kanako pleaded desperately.

"Enough nonsense! If the village falls, neither of you will live either!" the male ninja snapped.

Normally, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly, but this was a critical moment. He had no patience for explanations or pointless chatter with the two of them.

So he dragged Kanako along and carried Karin, heading straight for the leader.

Throughout the journey, Kanako kept pleading through her tears, but it did no good.

Suddenly, a figure dressed in white appeared ahead of the three of them.

He blocked their path.

"Who are you?" The ninja noticed that although the man before him wore no forehead protector, he carried a long sword at his waist. He immediately grew wary, stopped, and demanded an answer.

The figure in white was, of course, Uchiha Sora.

He had sent the six Impure World Reincarnation ninja and Zabuza to capture Kusagakure's leader. Rather than join the battle himself, he had been strolling leisurely around the village.

His purpose was simple: he wanted to see whether Karin and her mother had already arrived in Kusagakure.

To his surprise, he had actually run into them.

"From the looks of it, you're taking both mother and daughter to use as healing tools?" Uchiha Sora murmured, his gaze settling on Uzumaki Kanako's tearful face and Karin's terrified expression.

"Hey! I asked who you are! Why are you blocking my way? I've got an important mission! Stay out of my way!" the male ninja roared impatiently. Raising his hand, he hurled two kunai at Uchiha Sora.

"In such a hurry to die?" A cold glint flashed in Uchiha Sora's eyes. He tilted his head to dodge the two kunai, then vanished in a blur. With a simple Body Flicker Technique, he appeared in front of the male ninja.

He reached out to grab him. The male ninja raised an arm to block, only for Uchiha Sora to kick him in the stomach. Spit flew from his mouth as he doubled over, clutching his belly in pain.

Before he could react, Uchiha Sora's hand closed around his neck and lifted him off the ground, leaving him dangling in midair.

"Urgh... ah!"

The Grass Ninja groaned in agony, his legs flailing wildly. He tried to pry Uchiha Sora's hand loose with both hands, but his efforts were futile.

"Y-you... who... are you?" he managed to ask as his consciousness began to fade.

Beside them, Uzumaki Kanako and Karin stared, dumbfounded.

Looking at the strikingly handsome Uchiha Sora, who seemed like a god descended from heaven, they had no idea whether to run or do anything else. They were completely at a loss.

"You don't deserve to have anyone from the Uzumaki Clan," Uchiha Sora said coldly.

He tightened his grip, snapped the man's neck, and tossed him aside.

Then he turned his gaze toward Uzumaki Kanako and Karin.

"W-what do you want?"

Having watched Uchiha Sora kill without mercy, Uzumaki Kanako hurriedly shielded Karin, gathering her daughter into her arms. Though her voice still trembled, she did not back away.

Seeing both of them braced as though facing a deadly enemy, Uchiha Sora gave a gentle smile and softened his voice. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you."

"Save us?" Uzumaki Kanako froze.

Uchiha Sora nodded. "My arrival will change Kusagakure. From now on, you won't have to serve as healing tools for ninja anymore. You can live here in peace."

He paused. Seeing that they still seemed dazed, he added, "Come with me. I'll take you to this village's leader."

With that, he walked away at an unhurried pace.

Uzumaki Kanako gritted her teeth and followed him.

The three of them made their way to the battle zone.

By then, Kusagakure's ninja were steadily losing ground, and their leader had already been wounded.

The villagers nearby were fleeing in all directions.

At the sight of the fighting before them, fear flickered in Uzumaki Kanako's and Karin's eyes, as though it had brought back memories of their former lives, wandering from place to place.

Uchiha Sora casually sliced apart a falling boulder, helping a civilian escape. Frowning slightly, he immediately ordered the six Impure World Reincarnation ninja to rein in their attacks and avoid harming civilians as much as possible.

Of course, some accidental injuries were inevitable.

"I'd better end this battle quickly!" Uchiha Sora frowned slightly as he surveyed the chaos he had created with his own hands.

After all, he was about to take over Kusagakure. He couldn't destroy too much of it or turn its villagers against him.

He formed hand seals and activated Multiple Shadow Clone, creating hundreds of clones to rescue the ordinary villagers caught in the battle zone.

His original body headed toward Kusagakure's leader.

P.S. I'm going on a blind date tonight, so there'll be extra updates tomorrow! Please tap the update reminder and watch some videos. I get ten cents for each video, so take pity on your author and watch them. Help me put some food on the table, or I won't even have enough money to buy my date dinner...