"Izayoi-kun, you're here!"
Izayoi arrived at the villa with Hanabi in tow.
Before they even entered, a young girl's voice reached their ears.
In a flash, Karin's figure appeared out of thin air in front of Izayoi and Hanabi.
Her crimson eyes, the same color as her hair, locked onto Izayoi, and then, as if she had discovered something, a joyful smile spread across her face.
"Yes, this time it's my real body," Izayoi nodded with a smile. "You've worked hard these past few days, Karin."
"Not at all, not at all," Karin shook her head repeatedly, her face filled with gratitude. "Compared to life in the Grass Ninja Village, this place is like heaven. I was just helping you purchase materials from the Hidden Sand Village, yet I get to live in such a nice house and receive so much payment. I feel undeserving."
"No, you've been a great help," Izayoi said, reaching out to pat Karin's head under Hanabi's pouting gaze. He gently stroked her now smooth and glossy red hair, which had been dry and brittle just a while ago, and smiled. "There are very few people in this world I can trust, and you are one of them. I'm grateful for the shortsightedness of the Grass Ninja Village. If it weren't for their foolishness, I wouldn't have been able to find my clansman during the Chunin Exams."
"Hehe... I'm also very fortunate to have met you, Izayoi-kun. I won't let you down," Karin said, enjoying the head pat while giggling and making a firm promise.
Hanabi observed Karin, who seemed almost ready to tie a headband with the word "loyalty" on her forehead, and her eyes showed a thoughtful expression.
So, this woman is Oniichan's clansman.
It seems Oniichan isn't cheating.
That's right, if he were, he wouldn't have brought me along.
With that thought, Hanabi's hostility toward Karin instantly vanished.
After chatting with Karin at the entrance for a while, Izayoi led Hanabi into the villa.
Along the way, Izayoi introduced Hanabi and Karin to each other.
Upon learning that Hanabi was the younger sister of Hinata, who had taken great care of her in the Death Forest, Karin's affection for Hanabi soared, treating her like her own little sister.
"Hanabi, you can explore the villa with Karin-nee. If you get bored, you can also go out and play," Izayoi said, patting Hanabi's head with a smile. "Oniichan has some things to take care of now, but I'll come back to spend time with you once I'm done."
"Mhm, mhm…" The precocious Hanabi nodded understandingly. "Oniichan's matters are more important. Karin-nee can keep me company."
"Then I'll leave Hanabi in your care, Karin," Izayoi said, turning to Karin with a smile.
"Don't worry, Izayoi-kun. I'll take good care of Hanabi," Karin assured him with a serious expression.
With that, Izayoi entrusted Hanabi to Karin and made his way to a locked door.
Opening the door, a staircase leading downward came into view.
Descending the stairs to the bottom, he arrived at a spacious basement.
However, the basement was now quite crowded.
Rows of figures stood there, lined up in perfect order.
At a glance, there were nearly a hundred of them.
And that wasn't all.
In one corner of the basement, there was a table with several large Sealing Scrolls placed on it.
All the figures were dressed in identical uniforms—black cloaks embroidered with red clouds.
Most of the figures had bandages wrapped around their faces, their eyes lifeless.
They were ordinary puppets, with a small portion being human puppets crafted from corpses.
Apart from the Black Hoe Family, some were rogue ninjas hunted by shadow clones during this period.
As Izayoi activated his Tenseigan and walked over, he began to infuse their Chakra Cores with Chakra, much like charging a battery, while murmuring softly, "Whether the system has hidden mechanisms depends on you. Whether upgrading Talents is a hellish difficulty or an easy one also depends on you!"
"But I believe the Akatsuki and 'Lord Danzo' will be very pleased with the grand gift I have prepared next."
After fully charging all the puppets in the basement and the Scrolls, Izayoi finally returned upstairs, taking Hanabi and Karin for a stroll along Sakura Street.
On the way, Izayoi turned his attention to Karin. "Karin, how's your recovery going?"
"I'm fine now, full of energy," Karin replied with a grateful smile. "Thanks to Izayoi-kun's treatment and the medicinal meals prepared by the shadow clones."
"So, what are your plans for the future?"
Izayoi asked, "We have enough materials now, so we won't need to replenish for a long time. Do you plan to stay here and help manage my assets, or continue on the path of a ninja? Either way, I'll teach you Ninja Techniques and help you grow stronger."
"I'll do whatever you want," Karin said firmly. "Whatever Izayoi-kun needs me to do, I'll do it."
"I like your answer, but I want to know your true feelings," Izayoi said, gently patting her head. "After all, you're not just my subordinate; you're also my clan member, my family. Whatever you choose, I'll help you achieve it."
Looking at Izayoi's sincere expression, Karin's eyes uncontrollably welled up with tears.
How well someone treats you isn't determined by their words or promises, but by their actions.
Karin had seen the cruelty of the Grass Ninja Village firsthand.
She had even foreseen her own future, imagining she would end up like her mother—suddenly dying one day due to extreme physical weakness.
If life in the Grass Ninja Village was hell, then this period of time felt like heaven to Karin.
After Izayoi's shadow clone took Karin away from the Leaf Village, she was brought to Sakura Street. Not only was she given a large villa to live in, but she was also entrusted with the key to the vault, allowing her to freely use the billions of coins inside.
Knowing she didn't know how to spend money, the shadow clone took the initiative to purchase a large amount of ingredients and medicinal herbs, hiring professional chefs to prepare medicinal meals for Karin, helping her recover from her severely depleted body.
Moreover, the shadow clone took her to clothing stores, where she had numerous beautiful outfits tailored for her. Some of the fabrics were so expensive that she could never afford them even if she worked her entire life.
Even the jewelry in the safe was hers to choose from.
Once her body had mostly recovered, the shadow clone taught Karin the more comprehensive ninja basics of the Leaf Village, as well as the training methods for Tree Climbing and Water Walking.
He even lent Karin Kurosuki Raiga's Lightning Blade and guided her in practicing Lightning Release Nature Transformation.
Once she mastered Lightning Release Nature Transformation, the Shadow Clone would teach Karin the technique of Lightning Release Chakra Stimulation Cells.
Such meticulous care and attention, yet all he asked in return was for Karin to make a trip to the Hidden Sand Village to purchase some materials.
He didn't even follow her secretly, completely unafraid that Karin might run off with the large sum of money.
This level of care and trust often made Karin secretly hide away and cry, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.
The young girl had long been captivated by Izayoi, becoming like Haku and Kimimaro Kaguya—willing to give her life if it meant she could help Izayoi.
Izayoi was her sky, her god, her everything! So, after wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Karin looked up at Izayoi and grinned, saying, "Izayoi-kun, I want to become a ninja."
By becoming an all-around ninja, she could help him even more!
Naturally, Izayoi had no idea what Karin was thinking.
Hearing her words, he grinned back and said, "Alright, then I'll help you become one of the greatest female ninjas."
Just as the two shared a smile, Hanabi suddenly made her presence known.
"Oniichan, what about me?"
Looking at his adorable little sister-in-law, Izayoi couldn't help but pinch her cheek and laugh, "Hanabi, you'll definitely be one of the greatest female ninjas in the future."
"Hehe… I'll remember that! When I get back, I'll tell my sister that Oniichan said I'm better!" Hanabi stuck out her tongue and made a playful face.
Izayoi chuckled a few times, smugly adding, "Oniichan said 'in the future.' Right now, your sister is definitely the best."
"Eh… how can that be!"
Suddenly, Izayoi imitated Hanabi's behavior from a few days ago, clutching his chest and pretending to be heartbroken. "Hanabi actually wants to trick Oniichan? You've hurt Oniichan's fragile heart. It'll take ten—no, a hundred massages to make it better."
"Oniichan, I'm sorry…"
Hanabi immediately threw herself onto Izayoi, nuzzling her head against his chest, then looked up with a cute pout. "Hanabi promises, will Oniichan forgive me?"
"Oniichan was just joking. Come on, let's go see the cherry blossoms!"
Once again, Izayoi was utterly charmed by his little sister-in-law. He playfully tapped her nose and pinched her soft, collagen-rich cheeks.
Then, with both hands under her arms, he lifted Hanabi up, turned her around, and placed her on his shoulders, effortlessly slipping into "mount mode." With his sister-in-law and Karin in tow, he set off to enjoy the cherry blossoms.
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