Saving Karin and Her Mother

Feng Yao looked at Kabuto Yakushi and told Orochimaru, "Kabuto's research abilities are only a little behind yours. He's worth training properly."

Orochimaru was genuinely surprised to hear Feng Yao rate Kabuto so highly.

Orochimaru knew what Kabuto was capable of. Otherwise, he would not have saved him and made him his assistant.

"Since you think so highly of him, Feng Yao, I'll certainly train him well."

"Good."

"Then proceed with the original plan. I'll notify you if anything comes up."

With that, Feng Yao activated Kamui and left Orochimaru's base in Amegakure.

Konoha.

Inside the Hokage Building.

The Konoha F4 had gathered once again.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also knew about Danzo's situation. To quell public outrage, Danzo had ultimately committed suicide.

In reality, Danzo had escaped by feigning death.

The Uchiha's actions left them both frightened and furious.

Now that the Uchiha had all but openly broken with the village, their old underhanded methods no longer worked.

Today, not a single member of the Konoha Military Police Force had even come out to maintain order.

Public order in the village had suffered as a result.

"Hmph!"

"Hiruzen, I told you long ago that we should eliminate the Uchiha as soon as possible, but you kept refusing!"

"Now look what's happened! They have a radical clan head like Uchiha Fengyao, with both strength and cunning!"

Danzo's eyes were wild. Almost all his Sharingan were gone, his entire right arm was gone, and so was his Wood Release!

He wanted another transplant of Hashirama cells, but the cells he possessed were incomplete to begin with. They also had a low compatibility rate and could easily turn against their host.

That very problem had occurred when he had Hashirama cells transplanted into his right arm.

Previously, his Sharingan and the Hashirama cells had maintained a balance!

This left Danzo deeply frustrated. He had Hashirama cells but could not use them, and losing an arm had further weakened his already unimpressive strength.

He probably could not even beat that old woman Utatane Koharu now!

To obtain better Hashirama cells, he would probably have to seek out Orochimaru.

But thinking of Orochimaru made Danzo somewhat regret exposing him so early back then...

Orochimaru's research into Hashirama cells really was impressive.

Root's losses were even harder to measure. He could not recruit anyone, either. The ninja clans would never provide personnel now.

He could only turn to the orphanages, which were filled almost entirely with war orphans and unlikely to produce powerful fighters.

In the past, he had always used them as cannon fodder.

Now he could only try whatever he could as a last resort.

Then it turned out he lacked the funds!

The Third Hokage told him that Root's funding had already been given to the Uchiha as compensation.

How Danzo hated them!

It was all the Uchiha's fault!

The Third Hokage's expression darkened at his words.

"Hmph, what good does saying all this do now? Our priority is figuring out how to deal with the Uchiha!"

"What else can we do? Declare the Uchiha rebels and have every ninja attack them!"

"Danzo, have you gone mad? That would only weaken the village and give the other villages a chance to invade!"

"Hiruzen, you're too cowardly!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

Bang!

Danzo rose in fury and stormed out, slamming the door.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura listened from the sidelines, but neither had any solutions.

The Uchiha had once wanted to reconcile with the village, but now they had all but brought their conflict into the open.

The village was like a powder keg now, and they truly could not think of a good solution.

Seeing that his two old friends had no good ideas either, the Third Hokage sighed helplessly.

In the end, he still had to shoulder everything himself.

The Third Hokage furrowed his brow.

The Uchiha's presence left him unable to rest easy. Uchiha Fengyao in particular gave him the same feeling he had experienced facing Madara Uchiha as a child, leaving the Third Hokage uncertain.

With no other options, he thought of Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had left the village.

With their help, he could feel a little more confident.

Having made up his mind, he immediately took out paper and a brush and wrote two letters.

He handed the letters to his two old friends and asked them to send people to deliver them.

Kusagakure.

"Get over here! I'm out of chakra!"

Uzumaki Xiang Nai was roughly dragged out by a Grass Ninja, who bit into her arm, already covered in tooth marks.

Agony shot through her arm. Uzumaki Xiang Nai gritted her teeth without making a sound.

She had long since grown used to this pain-or rather, had long since become numb to it.

She looked at Karin hiding behind the door and forced a smile.

But the rapid loss of chakra from her body still made her face turn a little paler.

She did not know how this life could continue, or what future Karin had.

Ever since their nation was destroyed, their Uzumaki Clan had lived on the run.

They had finally found somewhere willing to take them in, but the price was being used as human medicine.

She could already feel her life nearing its end.

She was not afraid of death, but what about Karin? She was still so young. Would she have to suffer the same fate?

Space twisted, and Feng Yao arrived inside Kusagakure.

Yes, he had come to save Karin and her mother.

Talking to Orochimaru about Otogakure had reminded him of Karin and her mother.

At this point in the timeline, Karin's mother should not yet have died from having her chakra drained.

Perhaps it was sentiment from his previous life, or perhaps it was because they were all victims of oppression.

Both made him unwilling to watch Karin and her mother suffer their fate.

So he had come.

He saw Xiang Nai's distinctive red hair, as well as little Karin hiding behind the wooden door.

"Huh? Who are you? Don't you know..."

The Grass Ninja noticed Feng Yao, an outsider, and immediately flew into a rage.

"Urgh..."

Before the Grass Ninja could finish speaking, Feng Yao slit his throat with a single stroke.

"Ah! Y-you're..."

Xiang Nai's eyes filled with terror, and she used her body to block Feng Yao's view.

What she failed to notice was that, far from being frightened at the sight of the Grass Ninja with his throat slit, Karin's eyes shone with satisfaction.

Karin looked at Feng Yao, taking in his long, dark blue robes, shoulder-length hair, and sharply defined features.

Feng Yao looked at Xiang Nai and Karin behind her.

"Would you like to come with me?"

Feng Yao's words stunned Karin and her mother.

"Where I live, no one will bully you or treat you as blood bags..."

Xiang Nai's voice trembled.

"B-but we're Uzumaki..."

"That doesn't matter."

Just then, a large number of Kusagakure ninja arrived.

They surrounded Feng Yao, Karin, and her mother.

"This outsider killed Huangshan!"

"I knew outsiders couldn't be trusted!"

"Kill him, then lock up the mother and daughter and keep using them as blood bags!"

Xiang Nai went pale with fright. Taking Karin's hand, she backed toward Feng Yao.

"Sir, please take Karin away. I'll only hold you back..."

In her eyes, Feng Yao was probably a jonin, but with so many people attacking him, she and Karin would only become burdens.

Only by staying behind could she ease the pressure on him.

"Mom..."

Karin looked at her mother's anxious face, utterly at a loss.

"Both of you, come stand beside me."

Feng Yao looked at the Grass Ninja as though he were looking at insects.

Xiang Nai looked at Feng Yao and chose to listen to the boy, leading Karin over to his side.

Feng Yao said nothing.

Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, activate!

A golden chakra skeleton rose from the ground, rapidly filling out with flesh and blood until it became a Half-Body Demon God dozens of meters tall!