The entrance to Kusagakure was bustling with activity.
Konan and Naruto, after a simple disguise, looked like an ordinary mother and son.
Passing shinobi and civilians paid little attention to the seemingly average pair, never suspecting that the combined bounty on their heads was nearly two billion ryo.
They were walking gold mines.
Of course, ignorance is bliss.
If anyone recognized Konan and Naruto, they wouldn’t be facing a windfall but rather a catastrophic disaster.
“Sensei, why are we here?” Naruto asked, glancing around the village and seeing nothing particularly special about it. He looked up at Konan, his face full of curiosity.
Over the past six months.
Since the battle at Uzushiogakure, Konan had devoted all her effort to training Naruto. And Naruto, in turn, had come to accept Konan as his teacher.
A deep bond had formed between them.
For Naruto, who had always been starved for affection, Konan was not only his teacher but also a motherly figure.
Konan patted Naruto’s head and said calmly, “I heard that a remnant of the Uzumaki clan has appeared in this village. Do you want to see them? If you don’t, it’s okay.”
Naruto was shocked, “There are members of my clan here?”
He quickly nodded, his face lighting up with curiosity.
From Konan, Naruto had learned much about his past, including the history of the Uzumaki clan.
After the clan’s destruction, the remaining members were scattered across the ninja world, living in hiding.
For example, Nagato had fled with his parents to Amegakure, hoping for a peaceful life, only to watch his parents be killed by Konoha shinobi during the war.
Naruto’s mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki after coming to Konoha and later married Minato Namikaze, living a relatively happy life until they both died due to the Nine-Tails attack, leaving newborn Naruto behind.
Naruto’s childhood was marked by loneliness and suffering.
In summary, the surviving members of the Uzumaki clan seemed cursed by fate, with none leading happy lives.
Therefore, when Naruto heard that some clan members had survived, he sincerely hoped they were living happily and safely.
The teacher and student walked down the main street of Kusagakure.
“Hey, is it that house? Why are so many people lined up outside?” Naruto noticed a building with a sign that read “Medical,” and many people were waiting in line.
It seemed his relative was a medical ninja.
In the ninja world, medical ninjas were highly respected due to their crucial role in healing and saving lives.
Seeing the busy clinic, Naruto felt relieved and smiled innocently.
His unknown relative seemed to be doing much better than he had.
Konan noticed Naruto’s expression and shook her head slightly, saying nothing.
They approached the clinic.
The queue was filled with Kusagakure ninjas, all injured from a dangerous mission, impatiently urging those in front to hurry.
Patients emerged from the clinic looking rejuvenated, their wounds miraculously healed.
“Wow, amazing medical skills!” Naruto exclaimed, his eyes wide. He turned to Konan excitedly, “Sensei, I get it now. You must want to invite this doctor to join us.”
Konan didn’t reply to Naruto but instead headed towards the entrance.
“What are you doing? Don’t cut in line!”
“Where did this woman come from? No manners. Are you even a Kusagakure ninja?”
Seeing Konan about to cut the line, the Kusagakure ninjas shouted at her.
Konan said nothing, merely waving her hand, causing several paper shuriken to fly out from her sleeve, sealing the mouths of the shouting ninjas.
Then, they exploded.
“Ahhh!”
Screams echoed as the injured ninjas clutched their bleeding mouths, writhing on the ground in agony.
Seeing this, the others realized Konan was not to be trifled with and backed away in fear.
Inside the clinic, once their eyes adjusted to the light, Konan and Naruto were met with a shocking sight.
Unexpectedly.
The clinic lacked medical equipment and supplies, with only a dilapidated wooden bed in the middle.
On the bed lay a woman with long red hair, her face pale, lips parched, and body emaciated, looking like she was on the brink of death.
Even more horrifying.
Her clothes were torn by the Kusagakure ninjas, but not to assault her. Instead, her arms, thighs, and abdomen were covered in large, bloody bite marks.
Even now, two ninjas were biting her arm, eyes gleaming as they greedily sucked some energy from her body.
They were so engrossed they didn’t notice Konan and Naruto enter.
Naruto followed Konan inside.
“What… what is this…”
Naruto was stunned by the scene, his previous smile vanishing. The red-haired woman was undoubtedly his relative.
She was skeletal, covered in scars, barely human, not a patient but a doctor.
The Kusagakure ninjas had tortured her into this state.
Naruto had once admired medical skills, but now he saw the horrifying reality.
The red-haired woman endured the excruciating pain without crying out, for in the corner of the room, a little red-haired girl watched, tears streaming down her face.
As a mother, she had to be strong before her daughter.
“Karin, don’t cry. Mommy’s okay…”
The red-haired woman looked at her daughter with a gentle smile, as if the pain she was enduring was insignificant.
“Mommy…”
Karin sobbed, her eyes swollen from crying.
Like her mother, her body was also covered in bite marks, barely able to stand, in no better condition.
In Karin’s memory.
From a young age, she and her mother had lived a nomadic life, struggling to survive in the harsh ninja world.
After the Fourth Great Ninja War erupted, they fled to Kusagakure to escape the conflict.
They finally settled down, thinking it was a new beginning, but their distinctive red hair revealed their Uzumaki lineage.
Due to the Uzumaki clan’s special chakra, Karin and her mother were reduced to being used by the Kusagakure ninjas as living medical supplies.
To protect her daughter, Karin’s mother chose to sacrifice herself, enduring the torture without complaint.
If she survived today.
According to her agreement with the Kusagakure ninjas, Karin would become a genin of Kusagakure, securing a chance to live.
Karin’s mother used her life to buy a future for her daughter.
Even if it wasn’t a great future, as long as Karin lived, there was hope.
“Karin, remember, you must live well…”
With her last words, Karin’s mother’s hand fell limply, and her eyes slowly closed.
She had held on by sheer willpower and was now completely spent.
“Mommy!”
Karin rushed to the bed, sobbing uncontrollably over her mother’s body.
“This woman died? My wounds aren’t healed yet.”
“Forget it, grab the kid. Biting her will work too.”
The two Kusagakure ninjas spat on Karin’s mother’s body and then turned their attention to Karin.
But as they reached for her.
“Let go of her!”
A youthful voice shouted from behind.
The ninjas turned to see a strange boy and impatiently scolded, “Where did this brat come from? Get lost!”
But before they could finish, they locked eyes with Naruto’s Rinnegan.
The rings within his eyes radiated a mysterious, unsettling aura, paralyzing them with fear, and rendering them immobile.
Whoosh.
Naruto darted forward, leaping into the air, landing two fierce punches on their faces, sending them sprawling, bloodied, and unconscious.
Seeing Naruto’s fury, Karin cowered in the corner, trembling with fear.
Naruto approached her, took a deep breath, placed his hands on her shoulders, and firmly said:
“From today on, no one will hurt you again. I, Uzumaki Naruto, promise you that!”
Once.
Naruto thought he was the most miserable child in the world, with no parents, facing discrimination and isolation in Konoha, and growing up lonely.
But now, seeing Karin’s plight, he realized his suffering was nothing in comparison.
So.
Naruto, always kind-hearted, decided to protect the red-haired girl before him with all his might.
“Uzumaki… Naruto.”
Karin whispered his name, staring blankly at him, surprised to find they shared the same surname.
Another Uzumaki.
And the warmth and determination in his eyes made her instinctively want to believe him.
But.
Before she could ask why Naruto’s hair wasn’t red, he turned and stormed out.
His chest was filled with a burning rage, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to release its fury.
Konan didn’t stop him, instead watching him go before gently taking Karin’s hand.
Outside on the street.
Hundreds of Kusagakure ninjas marched toward the clinic, brimming with hostility.
“It’s that brat and woman! They attacked our men and are trying to take the Uzumaki mother and daughter.”
One ninja pointed at Naruto and Konan, reporting to the village leader.
The Kusagakure leader, a sinister-looking middle-aged man, glared at them and coldly ordered:
“Attack and kill them!”
At his command.
The ninjas brandished kunai and swords, surging forward.
Even if the opponent was a child, they showed no mercy.
Naruto stood expressionless as the enemies closed in, weapons aimed at his head, ready to cut him to pieces.
At the critical moment, Naruto spread his arms wide, his eyes flaring with a burst of light, and shouted:
“Shinra Tensei!”
Boom!
A massive repulsive force erupted from his body, like an invisible hammer striking the crowd. The Kusagakure ninjas were lifted off their feet and thrown in all directions, crashing into buildings and walls around the street.
In one move, dozens were incapacitated.
“What?!”
The Kusagakure leader watched in horror, eyes wide as saucers, his expression one of utter disbelief.
In a panic, he turned to flee, stumbling over his feet.
But in the next moment, an immense gravitational pull yanked him back towards Naruto, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward.
Bansho Ten’in.
Thud.
The Kusagakure leader landed at Naruto’s feet, staring up in shock and fear as Naruto thrust a black rod into his chest.
“Who… who are you?” the leader croaked, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to speak.
“I am Uzumaki Naruto,” Naruto said coldly, and with a final push, the leader fell lifeless to the ground.
“Naruto, you never cease to impress me.”
Konan stepped forward, her voice filled with approval. She was thoroughly satisfied with her student’s performance.
Under her guidance, Naruto learned to master the abilities of the Rinnegan in less than six months, including powerful techniques like Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten’in.
Naruto’s talent seemed even greater than Nagato’s, adapting remarkably to the Rinnegan.
It was clear that Naruto had inherited the exceptional genes of his parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
That day, a massive fire consumed Kusagakure, reducing it to ashes. Every Kusagakure ninja was killed, without exception.
No one knew what had transpired there.
A few days later.
Konan and Naruto, now joined by Karin, returned to their hideout in the Land of Tea, reuniting with Gaara and Fuu.
Karin was also a prodigy.
Like Nagato and Naruto, she possessed vast chakra reserves. Anyone who bit her skin could heal wounds and replenish their chakra almost instantly.
Additionally, Konan discovered Karin had extraordinary sensory abilities.
With proper training, Karin could become an exceptional medical and sensory ninja in the future.
Just as Konan had supported Nagato, Karin would become Naruto’s invaluable ally.
The new Akatsuki was taking shape, growing stronger each day.
Konan felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
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