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Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: A Vision With Background Music! Karin: I’m Totally Willing!

The third vision (if you counted Hinata's two consecutive ones as a single event) featured none other than Aoki Sora again.

Over the past few months, Sarutobi Hiruzen had quietly observed this young man. Apart from his obsessive habit of running laps, Sora didn't seem particularly extraordinary.

His genjutsu was a little unusual in that he could temporarily manifest small objects, but they were just tiny, fleeting creations. In a village like Konoha, overflowing with ninja clans and secret techniques, that was nothing remarkable.

Sharingan, Byakugan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Aburame clan, those who played with eyes, shadows, insects... Konoha's secret arts were everywhere. Sora's little trick barely registered.

And yet, he kept appearing in these visions.

Though it was clear now that Sora wasn't creating these illusions himself, the fact that he kept showing up in them meant there was probably something truly unique about him that no one had uncovered yet.

Hiruzen made up his mind. During this Chunin Exam, he would keep a closer watch on Sora.

And once the exams were over, it would be time to conduct a thorough investigation.

If this boy threatened the position of Hokage... no, if he posed a threat to the stability of the village...

A faint, sharp glint flickered in the Third Hokage's eyes.

Meanwhile, near Konoha's front gates...

The notice for the joint Chunin Exam had been released a month ago. Major villages like Sunagakure weren't in a rush. They were taking their time, planning to arrive just before the event started. Smaller villages, eager to scope out the exam grounds, had been trickling in early.

Right now, teams of genin from these smaller villages were entering Konoha after registering at the gate.

And they too had just witnessed the latest vision.

"Again with that Aoki Sora guy," muttered one of three genin wearing forehead protectors marked with the 'M' insignia.

"Every single time, it's him. And again, it's some gorgeous girl confessing her love. What's so great about him? Is it just because he's good looking? I don't think he's any better looking than me," scoffed his companion.

The red-haired girl standing between them said nothing.

Her name was Karin.

Unlike her two loud companions, Karin hadn't been focused on Sora.

Instead, she felt envy for that blonde girl in the vision.

Because that girl had a brother (even if he was troublesome) and the freedom to love, the freedom to confess to someone she cared about.

Karin, by contrast, had no family left. She was just a stray taken in by her village. Every day, she lived by following orders, using her small body like a tool, just to earn the right to survive a little longer.

That girl could love freely, could boldly pursue the person she wanted to be with.

To Karin, that kind of freedom was like the white clouds beyond the mouth of a well—beautiful, visible, but forever out of reach.

Even dreaming of it felt like a luxury.

If there ever came a day when she could have someone she loved, someone she could pursue freely...

She swore to herself she would be even bolder than that blonde girl.

She would give everything, risk everything.

Even if it killed her, it would be worth it.

Her red eyes shimmered with unspoken longing as she stared at the empty sky where the vision had faded.

"Karin, don't tell me you're thinking of going after that Aoki Sora guy too?"

Her teammate's annoyed voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I... I'm not!" Karin said quickly, flustered.

"Hmph. The way you were staring at that vision, and now you're all panicked—clearly you were thinking about it," the teammate sneered. "Don't forget, you're just an outsider we took in. Your job is to help us pass the Chunin Exam. If you start getting ideas, you'll be sorry when we get back to the village."

"Yeah," the other teammate chimed in, eyes full of scorn. "Try to run off to some 'Aoki Sora,' and we won't go easy on you!"

That Aoki Sora... so annoying.

He wasn't that much better looking, but somehow all these women were falling for him.

"I understand..." Karin said softly, more nervous now. "I wouldn't dream of going after Aoki Sora..."

And she meant it. She had admired the blonde girl's courage, not Sora himself. Sure, Sora had looked cool in the vision, but she wasn't some lovesick fool. They weren't even from the same village. And she didn't even have the freedom to think about love.

But just as she was thinking that...

Suddenly, the sky above shifted again.

Everyone froze.

"Could it be...?"

Two back-to-back visions weren't unheard of. Hinata's confession and Hiashi's death had happened like that.

Eyes turned skyward as another image unfolded.

And this time, it was different.

This vision came with background music, soft and oddly seductive, as if tinting the air itself pink.

"Karin, you're standing too close."

A calm, familiar male voice echoed.

"Oh, don't be so distant," came a woman's playful reply.

The drawn-out tone of her voice was full of teasing, every syllable practically dripping with flirtation.

"We're not kids anymore, you know."

Her body leaned in, pressing closer to the young man in front of her.

"If Lord Sora is thinking about marriage... I'd be happy to volunteer. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life this close to you..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The vision faded, leaving the world stunned into silence once more.

No one knew whether Sora had pushed the red-haired woman away, telling her not to interfere with his training, or if he had accepted her offer on the spot.

The world held its breath.

Then came a collective gasp of shock that echoed across nations.

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