Uzumaki...Naruto?
Karin opened her eyes slightly. This name seemed to have some kind of strange magic power, gently touching the place of deepest desire in her heart.
tribesmen.
She once dreamed that one day her tribe would rescue her and Mother, and escape from the hell of Kusagakure.
Unexpectedly, she could meet her tribe members here.
Karin looked at Young Naruto, whose blond hair was as dazzling as the sun, and instinctively felt a trace of doubt in his heart.
Uzumaki Clan, don't they all have red hair like her, like their mother in the memory?
Why is he blond...
But this thought only passed by for a moment, and was soon overtaken by another more direct and stronger feeling.
His Chakra... so warm.
Different from Kusagakure who are cold, rough, or predatory like Ninja Chakra.
In front of me is Young Naruto, who calls himself Naruto Uzumaki. His Chakra aura, even if it is revealed inadvertently, is like the warm sun in winter, with a vigorous vitality and a reassuring sense of tolerance.
The warm feeling came faintly through the air, making her cold and stiff body seem to relax a little.
Moreover, he had no ill intentions towards her.
Karin grew up surrounded by malice and bullying, and Sensing is almost instinctively sensitive to emotions.
She could clearly tell that the Young Naruto in front of her had no greed, disgust or pure indifference in the eyes of those Kusagakure Ninja when they looked at her.
In those blue eyes, there was concern, exploration, and a kind of... resonance that she couldn't fully understand, but made her heart feel slightly hot?
It was like suddenly seeing a small but steady burning flame in the long cold night.
Karin Those purple Red Eyes eyes that were somewhat dim due to long-term malnutrition and fear could not help but flutter with a faint but real light.
It is the light of hope, the throbbing like rain after a long drought.
She looked at the clean and warm hand extended by Naruto, struggling fiercely in her heart.
One voice was urging her to seize this possible only opportunity, while another voice was screaming to remind her of her "identity", her "unworthiness" and her suspicion of Naruto.
In the end, the glimmer of light defeated the fear.
Trembling, and extremely slowly, she stretched out her thin hand, covered with old and new scars, towards Naruto's palm.
However, just when her fingers were about to touch the warmth, the sleeves of her ill-fitting new clothes slid down due to the movement, revealing a bony forearm.
It was densely covered with old and new teeth marks of different shades.
Some have scabs and turned black, some are still red and swollen, and you can even see clear outlines of tooth marks, which is shocking!
That is the mark left by her being treated as a "mobile Blood Bag" and being bitten wantonly by Kusagakure Ninja. It is also the most direct proof of all her pain and humiliation!
Karin As if being burned by a hot soldering iron, his pupils suddenly shrank and the color on his face faded.
Extreme shame and self-esteem overwhelmed her like a tide.
How could she... how could she use such dirty and ugly arms to touch such clean and warm hands?
She suddenly wanted to withdraw her hand and hide those shameful marks under her tattered sleeves again.
But what moved faster than her was Naruto's hand.
The moment she flinched, Naruto's warm and firm palm reached forward without hesitation, and firmly, but extremely gently, held her hand that was covered with tooth marks and was trying to escape.
There was no dislike or hesitation. His palm was warm and dry, and the strength was just right, not allowing her to break free and not hurting her.
Karin's whole body froze, as if a restraining spell had been cast on him.
She lowered her head blankly, watching her ugly arm being held tightly by that clean and beautiful hand, feeling the unprecedented and real warmth continuously coming from the contacting skin, almost burning her.
She slowly raised her head and met Naruto's eyes.
There was no shock, disgust or pity in those Blue Eyes eyes as she expected.
There was only a heavy, heart-wrenching pity, and a burning anger that almost turned into substance.
The anger was not directed at her, but at those who left these marks on her body, and at all the suffering she had experienced.
Naruto held her hand tightly, as if to convey his strength and determination.
His voice was low and clear, and every word fell like a rock of promise:
"You must have suffered a lot in Kusagakure..."
It's not a question, it's a statement.
I saw it, understood it, and remembered it deeply.
Then, with a little force, he gently pulled Karin, who was still a little stiff and at a loss, from the corner.
He glanced past her at the two unconscious Kusagakure scum on the ground, then returned to her face, revealing a smile that was heavy but still full of sunshine power.
"Come with me."
He held her hand, turned around and walked towards the door with firm steps.
"In the future..."
"Konoha, this is your home."
Naruto held Karin's thin and cold hand and led her carefully around the two unconscious Kusagakure Ninja on the ground. He left the simple room full of depression and pain and stepped into the cool streets of Konoha at night.
The moonlight shines on the quiet road, which seems to be a completely different world from the violence and despair in the room just now.
Karin followed closely beside Naruto, with his head lowered and his other hand pulling at the tattered cuff uncomfortably, trying to cover the scars on his arm.
She still felt a little unreal, as if she were stepping on the clouds, and could only hold tightly to the warm and firm pull of Naruto coming from the palm of her hand.
However, just when they walked out of Kusagakure's station and stepped onto a relatively open street, Naruto paused slightly.
It's not because there is any abnormality in the outside world, but it comes from the deepest part of his body, Sealing Space.
An extremely strong, wild and restless Chakra sensation, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, violently impacted his consciousness.
What followed was the deep and serious voice of Kurama, echoing directly in the depths of my mind, with a rare hint of vigilance and confirmation:
"Naruto!"
Nine-Tails's voice is not as lazy or irritable as usual, but tight.
"I smell... that tanuki."
Civet cat? One-Tail Shukaku!
"Very clear, and full of instability and... rage."
"Shukaku? I understand."
Shukaku is an important part of Konoha Crush Plan, and Naruto is not surprised by this.
The top priority now is to take Karin to meet Third, although it will be easier for Karin to settle down later if Tsunade becomes Fifth Hokage.
However, it is better to do this sooner rather than later.
Now Karin is very insecure, and the top priority is to settle her down as soon as possible.
The future Karin will be a good helper.
As a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, she should also have talent in Sealing Jutsu.
Under the moonlight, Blond-Haired Boy led Red-Haired Girl through the silent streets, heading towards the Sarutobi Clan's clan Earth Flow.