When he brought Karin back home, he found the house completely empty.
Haku had gone off on a mission with Kakashi, and Naruto was at school.
He laid Karin down on the bed and went to tidy up the room she would be staying in. Thankfully, Kiyosuke's house was quite spacious, with a spare room she could use.
...
Around noon, Karin woke up and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, feeling a bit lost.
She sat up, put on her glasses, and stepped out of the room. In the living room, she found Kiyosuke snoring away on the sofa.
Sensing someone's presence, Kiyosuke stirred awake—his instincts honed over the years. When he saw Karin, he said,
"You're up. Come on, let's go get something to eat."
"Yes."
Karin obediently followed behind him.
As they left the house, Kiyosuke handed her a key.
"This is the house key. Memorize the door number so you don't walk into the wrong place."
"Okay." Karin took the key and clutched it tightly.
"Kiyosuke-sama, good afternoon!"
Along the way, several people greeted Kiyosuke. He responded to each one politely.
One of them asked curiously,
"Kiyosuke-sama, is she a relative of yours?"
Everyone knew Kiyosuke lived alone, though he had taken in two children. This girl must be another he had adopted.
How kind of him.
As expected of Kiyosuke-sama.
Kiyosuke ruffled Karin's hair with a smile.
"Yeah. This is Karin, Naruto's distant cousin. She's living with me now and still unfamiliar with the village. Please help her out when you can."
"No problem at all, Kiyosuke-sama!"
"Hahaha, Naruto's cousin, huh? What a cute girl!"
Thanks to Kiyosuke's efforts, Naruto was now well-liked. Though he was mischievous at times, he reminded people of a young Obito—always eager to help others. The villagers, once wary of Naruto, had gradually come to accept and even adore him.
The smiles on their faces were genuine.
Karin stood frozen, taken aback. Back in Kusagakure, no one had ever smiled at her and her mother like this.
Never.
To those people, they were nothing but tools.
Just tools.
But here... the kindness was real. No one was pretending.
"Karin, say hi to everyone."
"Yes!" Karin said loudly. "My name is Karin. I look forward to getting to know you all!"
"Hahaha, she's got a lot of energy!"
"Yeah, she's full of spirit!"
"Hahaha, kinda like Naruto, isn't she?"
"I'm taking her to get something to eat. See you all later."
...
After saying goodbye to everyone, Karin asked curiously,
"Um, Kiyosuke-sama... who's Naruto?"
"Well, you could say he's your distant cousin."
"Cousin?"
"Yeah. His mother was from the Uzumaki Clan, so by bloodline, that makes him your distant cousin. Oh, and his father was the Fourth Hokage."
"I see."
Karin nodded, intrigued to learn more about this cousin of hers.
After lunch, Kiyosuke went to find Kurenai, who happened to be off-mission, and asked her to help Karin pick out some clothes and daily necessities.
That kind of thing wasn't exactly Kiyosuke's area of expertise.
...
"So, why are you here?" Kiyosuke asked, turning to Asuma.
Back in the village, Asuma had grown a beard and was puffing on a cigarette. He snapped,
"You're asking me? I was on a date with Kurenai, and you're the one who interrupted!"
"Oh? So I interrupted your date—big deal," Kiyosuke replied. "Don't forget who helped you strategize, who chased off your love rivals when you weren't around. Bastard. Push me too far, and I'll steal her from right under your nose. I doubt Kurenai would turn me down."
"Bastard! Kurenai is devoted to me!"
"Is that so? Want to put it to the test?"
Kiyosuke gave a cocky smirk, one that looked like it belonged on a certain blond troublemaker.
Asuma shuddered.
"Forget it. Nope. Not risking it."
"Hmph." Kiyosuke snorted. "Only you would go for a childhood friend. Seriously, you're not even twenty yet—why do you look and act like someone's grumpy uncle? I weep for the future of Captain Shinnosuke's son."
Honestly, Asuma's face could pass for forty. His older brother Shinnosuke looked the same.
Guess the Sarutobi genes were just that strong.
Even Konohamaru, who was just a baby, already looked like he had a long road ahead.
Was there no such thing as a handsome Sarutobi?
"Kurenai likes me just the way I am," Asuma said smugly.
Well, Kurenai did seem to go for more mature types.
And Asuma... definitely looked the part.
"I'm a little surprised by Kurenai's taste, but hey, to each their own."
"Hey, are you insulting me? By the way, is that girl from the Uzumaki Clan?"
"Yeah. I brought her back from Kusagakure yesterday."
"She doesn't look like she's had it easy."
"No. You could say just being alive was painful. She just lost her mother last night."
He took a cigarette from Asuma, lit it with his hand, and took a long drag.
The familiar flavor calmed him.
"I'm her guardian now. She's family."
Asuma went quiet for a moment, then smiled.
"I've got good news for you—we're getting engaged."
"You haven't even proposed yet."
"I did! While you were away a few days ago. I proposed, and she said yes."
Kiyosuke: "…"
"I can't believe I missed something this big. Damn it!"
"Don't hit me! Help!! Not there!"
...
After the usual chaos, Kurenai watched her fiancé and her old friend brawling like children.
They'd been like this since forever—some things never changed.
But honestly... she kind of liked it that way.
Kurenai helped Karin buy a bunch of things, then returned home with Asuma to drop them off.
...
In the afternoon, Kiyosuke took Karin to the Konoha cemetery. They bought a burial plot and laid her mother to rest.
The girl cried for a long time.
Kiyosuke didn't try to comfort her. Sometimes, it was better to let someone grieve on their own.
The Uzumaki Clan wasn't like the Uchiha. They didn't fall into darkness so easily.
After she had wept until her eyes were swollen, Kiyosuke used his medical ninjutsu to ease the redness.
"Come on. Let's go pick up your cousin."
"Okay."
Karin held onto the hem of Kiyosuke's shirt as they walked to the Ninja Academy to wait for Naruto's class to finish.
...
Soon, Naruto came bounding out of the school with his backpack on one shoulder and Hinata holding his hand.
Behind them were Kiba and Chōji, with Shikamaru dragging his feet at the rear.
Sasuke also stepped out, trailed by a group of squealing girls.
When Naruto spotted Kiyosuke, he lit up and shouted,
"Kiyosuke-san! You're back!"
"Kiyosuke-sama," Hinata murmured shyly from behind Naruto, her face beet red.
"..."
Damn it.
Even the kids?
Bastards! I'm drinking tonight. And I'm beating up Asuma.
"..." —Asuma.