The training ended with a dull thud.
Sakura was sitting on the stone floor, massaging her forehead. Sweat stuck her pink hair to her face.
"My head is going to explode. Literally. I feel like my chakra is trying to escape through my forehead. It's... irritating."
Hinata and Shizune were leaning against the back wall, trying to catch their breath. Both were exhausted. An hour of one-sided sparring against Tsunade left you like that.
"My ribs... I think I heard a 'crack' the last time she blocked me," Shizune murmured, running a hand over her torso.
"It was... a very... fast pace, Tsunade-sama," Hinata said, her voice strained.
"Fast?" Tsunade's voice boomed in the sealing room. She was in the center, without a single hair out of place, not a drop of sweat. "That was a light jog. You're slow. If an Akatsuki moved at that speed, he'd be bored to death before you could counterattack. Sakura, your control is better, but your timing is garbage. Hinata, your reflexes are good, but you hesitate. Shizune... you're thinking too much about your ribs."
"Yes, ma'am!" the three said in unison.
In the opposite corner, Naruto snapped Kushina's diary shut. The old leather released a small puff of dust.
"Phew! I'm done! My brain is fried! Totally cooked!"
He stood up, stretching his back, which cracked loudly.
"Seriously, my mom wrote some really complicated stuff! How is everyone? Ready for ramen?"
"We just finished," Sakura said, raising an eyebrow. "And you're already thinking about food? Typical."
"Hey, reading burns a lot of calories! Brain calories!"
"Good," Tsunade said, cutting off the chatter. Her tone turned serious. "Enough for today. You've made progress."
Naruto caught Shizune's eye. They both knew that was a white lie. The "progress" had been minimal, but Tsunade knew they needed to hear it.
"However," Tsunade continued, and the air in the room tensed again, "the plan isn't complete. Physical training is one part. Healing is another."
She turned slowly, her gaze fixed on the figure who had remained silent in the farthest corner.
Karin, who had been watching absolutely everything, analyzing every blow, every chakra fluctuation, every word, jolted as if she'd been hit by an electric shock.
"Y-yes, Lady Tsunade!"
"Karin."
Tsunade walked toward her.
"Your Chains training yesterday. It was pathetic."
Karin shrank. "I... I was trying..."
"You were trying not to scream. I saw it. I gave you a simple order: focus on your anger, your pain, and channel it into the Adamantine Chains. Instead, you just stood there trembling."
"It's just not easy!" Karin snapped, her fear replaced by a flash of frustration. "You say 'anger' like it's a tap I can just turn on! My whole life... I've tried not to feel it! I've tried to hide! And now you're asking me to pull it out... I don't know how!"
"That's exactly the problem," Tsunade said, unfazed. "Your anger is unstable. You have no control over it. But that's not your fault."
Karin looked at her, confused. "It's not?"
"No. It's because you lack the foundation. The power."
"Power? I have plenty of chakra! More than I can control!"
"Chakra isn't power..."
Tsunade turned to Naruto.
"Naruto."
"Yeah, grandma?"
"It's time..."
"Got it!" Naruto said, standing up and stretching with a grin. "Just in time for the Uzumaki OS update!"
Sakura sighed. "Please don't call it that."
The color drained from Karin's face. She turned pale.
Okay... okay, it's now. The ritual. The... Falna. Sakura-san said it was just a touch. And blood. And on the back. And that it didn't hurt. She said Naruto was... respectful. She said he didn't look.
But how can he not look? He's right behind you!
And Hinata-san said it was 'warm'. How can something with blood be warm? Blood is always... connected to pain. To bites. To having something taken from you.
This is so weird. But what if it doesn't work on me? What if I'm different from them? What if my chakra is too... weird? Or too... dirty? What if he rejects it? What if...?
"W-wait..."
Karin's voice was barely a whisper. Everyone in the room stopped.
Naruto, who was rubbing his hands together, looked at her with concern. "Something wrong, Karin? Need to use the bathroom or...?"
"No!" she said, blushing. "I... I just... What... what does it feel like? Exactly?"
She bit her lip. "I sound like I'm picking out a tea. But... Sakura-san said it was 'weird'. Hinata-san said it was 'warm'. Shizune-san said it was 'overwhelming'. Those are three very different things."
Naruto laughed, a bright sound that eased the tension a little. He scratched the back of his neck.
"Oh, it's great! Seriously! Well, it's a little weird at first," he admitted. "You feel like a... BZZT! You know? Like when you touch metal in winter! But not cold! And then it's like a WHOOSH! Like getting a bucket of warm water dumped on you! And suddenly, BOOM! Stats! It's like leveling up in a video game, but on your back!"
There was a silence.
Karin blinked. "...BZZT? WHOOSH? BOOM?"
Sakura opened one eye from the floor. "Naruto, that is the worst explanation in history. Seriously. Video game? Stats? What does that even mean?"
"Well... you know! Numbers! Skills! It's great!"
"Karin, ignore him," Sakura said, sitting up. Her tone softened. "It's not a video game. And it doesn't go 'BOOM'."
She looked at her own hands. "You feel a tingle. It's intense, I'm not going to lie. Like... like when your foot falls asleep, but all over your back. And it's... very, very warm. But not painful. And then... you feel more... you. More solid. It's hard to describe, but... the world feels a little sharper afterward. It's good. Don't worry."
Karin nodded, processing that. "Solid... I like 'solid'." She looked at Hinata.
Hinata blushed a little, as always, but her voice was firm. "I-it feels like... like sunlight. When you've been in the dark for a long time. It just... fills you. It's not scary. I promise."
"And it doesn't hurt," Shizune added. "It's... sudden. But it's a feeling of... gain."
Karin took a deep breath. She looked at Naruto. He was the deciding factor. Her trust in him.
"And... you... you'll be there? You'll... control everything?"
Naruto gave her a thumbs-up, his smile bright and absolutely reassuring. There was no nervousness in him. Pure confidence.
"Of course! I'm the one doing the jutsu! I'm the Host of the Falna Party!"
"Stop calling it that!" Sakura yelled.
"Don't worry, Karin!" Naruto continued, ignoring her. "I'm already a pro at this! I'm the best back-updater in the Five Great Nations!"
Karin took a deep breath, and then let it out. A small smile formed on her face. "Back-updater... you're an idiot."
"The best idiot you'll ever meet!"
"Okay," she said, standing up. The trembling in her legs was almost gone. "I trust you, Naruto."
Naruto's smile widened. "All right! Update protocol! Let's go!"
He rubbed his hands together and walked to the center of the bunker.
"Okay, standard procedure. Karin, on your knees, back to me. Lift up your shirt... you know, just the back."
Karin blushed furiously, a deep red that clashed with her hair.
"I-I don't need you to announce it to everyone! I know!"
"I was just being clear!" Naruto said, turning around to give her privacy as she got settled. "Professional! That's what I am! I should start charging for this."
Karin knelt on the cold stone floor. Her hands trembled visibly as she gripped the hem of her shirt. She took a deep breath and lifted it, exposing her pale back to the cool bunker air.
Sakura and Hinata moved to her sides. They both gave her encouraging looks.
Shizune watched with Tsunade from a few steps back, a notebook and pen ready. This was science.
Right, here we go, thought Sakura. She's the fifth girl. I wonder what crazy skills she'll get. She's Uzumaki, like him. More healing? Or something offensive? I hope she's not stronger than me... No! Calm down, Sakura! She's an ally! Focus! Although... a little competition is good...
Let's see this, thought Tsunade, crossing her arms. The real test. Two Uzumaki bloods. The Falna reaction should be... interesting. The blood affinity should boost the transfer. What will come of this?
Okay, okay, okay... here it comes, thought Karin, squeezing her eyes shut. I'm kneeling. My shirt is up. I'm exposing my back... to him. To... to Naruto. He's going to touch me. Blood. A seal. It's going to hurt. Why doesn't it hurt? He said... what if they lied to me? What if it hurts like the bites but they didn't want to tell me? No. No. Naruto wouldn't lie. Sakura-san wouldn't lie. Hinata-san... she can't lie.
Naruto turned around. He saw she was ready. His face became serious, focused. He bit his thumb. A drop of bright red blood welled up.
Here it comes...
Naruto's blood-covered finger touched her back.
Ah! Hot!
Karin's mind went blank. All her panic, all her nervousness... evaporated.
It's... so warm. It's not... it's not like the bites. The bites are... cold. They're sharp. It hurts. They take. They're always taking something from me.
This... this isn't taking anything. It's... giving? I feel... my chakra. Everyone else's chakra... I can always hear them. It's so... loud.
But now... the noise... is... fading? It's... quiet. For the first time in my life, everything is quiet. I feel... calm. I feel... empty. No... not empty. Calm. Alone. But... not lonely. Just... me. Is this what normal people feel like?
The familiar blue interface flooded Naruto's vision. The text scrolled faster this time.
[ACQUIRING FIFTH BELIEVER: KARIN UZUMAKI...] [UZUMAKI BLOODLINE DETECTED... MAXIMUM BLOOD AFFINITY WITH HOST...] [SYNCHRONIZING UZUMAKI BLOODLINE... APPLYING HOST BONUSES...] [GENERATING FALNA...]
KARIN UZUMAKI (LEVEL 1) ABILITY/STAT STRENGTH: H-120 ENDURANCE: G-295 DEXTERITY: G-215 AGILITY: G-225 MAGIC: F-385
DEVELOPMENT ABILITIES (Passive):
[Uzumaki Vitality (Superior)]: Bloodline ability. Grants an immense chakra reserve and a rate of stamina recovery and cellular healing far above average. Allows her body to withstand high-cost techniques and passively neutralize poisons.
[Kagura's Mind's Eye]: Sensory specialist ability (Evolved). Allows the user to sense, track, and identify chakra signatures at great distances. (Evolved Falna Effect): Can now perceive the emotional "color" of chakra, allowing her to instantly identify states of fear, anger, deception, or loyalty. Background sensory "noise" is filtered, allowing for conscious focus.
MAGIC (Jutsu/Active Techniques):
[Uzumaki Scapegoat]: Active healing ability (Evolved). Replaces her "Bite" ability. Karin no longer needs to be bitten. She can actively extract poisons, chakra curses (low-level), and fatigue from an ally in physical contact with her. Transfers the negative effect to her own body, where her [Uzumaki Vitality] neutralizes it. It is an act of will, not passive sacrifice.
ABILITY (Active/Unique):
[Chains of Perception (Kagura Fūsa)]: Active bloodline ability. Allows her to manifest the Adamantine Chains, but with a unique Falna purpose. She can launch a "chain" of pure, almost invisible chakra that "anchors" to a target's chakra signature (limit of 5 targets). As long as the anchor is active, she can track the target's exact location from miles away and sense their emotional fluctuations (fear, deception) like a living polygraph.
YES! YES! I GOT IT! thought Naruto, his excitement almost breaking his concentration.
"Uzumaki Scapegoat"! 'NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE BITTEN'! Hahaha! Take that, world! This changes everything for her! It's over! No more pain! No more being... being used! She decides!
And "Chains of Perception"! A living Akatsuki tracker! A lie detector! Grandma Tsunade is going to flip out! This is... this is perfect! We're the best team in the world! Seriously! No one can stop us now!
Naruto pulled his finger away, breaking the connection. The warm glow on Karin's back faded, but the feeling of calm remained.
Karin stayed kneeling for another second, just... enjoying it. Enjoying the silence in her own head.
Slowly, she lowered her shirt and stood up. She turned around.
Her eyes opened.
"Karin... are you okay?" Sakura asked, stepping forward.
Karin looked at her hands. She flexed them. "I... I feel..."
She looked up, and the three kunoichi took a step back. The usual fear, the anxiety... was gone. In its place was a sharp calm.
She smiled. A genuine smile, without fear, without nervousness.
"Calm. And strong. Very strong."
"Good!" Tsunade said, approaching. Her tone was analytical, as if she had just tested a new medicine. "Report, Naruto. Now. What did we get?"
Naruto was vibrating with excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It's amazing, Grandma! Her stats are huge for Level 1, especially Endurance and Magic! Endurance G-295 and Magic F-385!"
"F-385?!" Shizune almost dropped her notebook. "That's... that's higher than Sakura-chan's when she started!"
"Hey!" Sakura said, offended. "I'm not an Uzumaki! Obviously she'd have more 'Magic'!"
"Exactly," Tsunade said, dismissing the complaint. "The Uzumaki lineage is pure 'chakra'. Those are the basics. What about the skills, brat? The details!"
"Okay, okay! Development Abilities! She has 'Uzumaki Vitality (Superior)', which is like mine but... well, superior! And 'Kagura's Mind's Eye (Empathetic)'!"
"Empathetic?" Karin asked, testing the word.
"Yeah! It says you can now feel the 'emotional color' of chakra. You can tell if people are lying, scared, or loyal! And it filters out the background noise!"
Karin closed her eyes. "I... I think I can feel it. Sakura-san, you're... a little annoyed about the 'Magic' stat, right? But also... excited."
Sakura blushed. "I was not... well, maybe a little!"
"And Hinata-san," Karin continued, "you just... feel... kind. And Shizune-san, you're nervous about... paperwork?"
"I'm always nervous about paperwork!" Shizune said.
"And Lady Tsunade..." Karin looked at the Hokage. "You are... satisfied. Like a cat that caught a mouse."
Tsunade chuckled. "I like this skill. What else?"
"The best part!" Naruto said, his voice lowering a bit, becoming more serious. "Magic... she has something called... 'Uzumaki Scapegoat'."
Karin tensed. "That... I don't like that name. It sounds... like what I already did."
"No!" Naruto said, almost shouting. "It's the opposite! Karin, listen! 'Active healing ability. Replaces her "Bite" ability.'"
The color drained from Karin's face. "What?"
"Karin," Naruto said, his voice soft now. "You don't have to be bitten anymore."
Silence. Karin stared at him.
"...Repeat that."
"You don't have to let people bite you to heal them anymore," Naruto said, smiling.
Karin brought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes went wide. Her knees seemed to buckle.
"No... more... bites?"
"No!" Naruto said. "Now you're in control! You can 'actively extract' poison, or damage, or fatigue from someone just by touching them! It passes into your body, and your 'Uzumaki Vitality' just... burns it away! Destroys it!"
Karin started to shake. Sakura and Hinata moved closer, placing hands on her shoulders. Tears welled up in Karin's eyes, but this time, they were of pure, absolute relief. She covered her face and let out a sob that seemed to come from the bottom of her soul.
"Never... never again...?" she whispered through her hands.
"Never again," Naruto confirmed firmly.
"That... that's..." Sakura whispered, feeling a lump in her throat.
"It's... wonderful, Karin-san," Hinata said, squeezing her shoulder.
"And that's not all!" Naruto continued, giving her a moment before dropping the other bomb. "She has another one! It's called 'Chains of Perception'!"
Tsunade straightened up. "Chains? The Adamantine Chains?"
"Yeah, but evolved by the Falna! They're not for... you know, smashing things! They're for tracking! It says she can launch an 'almost invisible chakra chain' that 'anchors' to a target's chakra! She can track them from miles away! And...!"
"And what?" Tsunade demanded.
"And as long as it's anchored, she can feel their emotional fluctuations! It's a lie detector and a tracker, all in one!"
Tsunade smiled. Finally. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the smile of a predator. A smile of pure, cold tactical satisfaction.
"Well done, Naruto. Well done, Karin. That's the kind of weapon we need. A foolproof tracker that's also a lie detector. Akatsuki won't know what hit them."
The atmosphere in the bunker was victorious. Karin was still wiping away tears, but she was smiling now. Sakura was patting her on the back. Hinata looked ready to faint from excitement. Shizune was writing so fast her pen was smoking.
Naruto stretched, feeling the day's tension fade. "Phew! What a day! Well, I guess that's it for now. I've updated everyone!"
The four kunoichi, Sakura, Hinata, Karin, and Shizune, looked at him. He suddenly realized he was the center of their new power. The "back-updater."
Naruto put a hand on his chin, adopting a thoughtful 'scholar' mode that fooled no one. His tone became academic and strangely serious.
"Although... this gets me thinking."
Sakura narrowed her eyes. She immediately sensed the danger. "Thinking about what, Naruto? I know that face. That's not your 'thinking' face."
"Sure it is! It's my 'deep thought' face!" he protested. "I've been... very close to your backs lately. Very... observant. I've been gathering data."
"Data?" Shizune repeated, warily.
"Yeah! I've seen Shizune-neechan's. I've seen Sakura-chan's. I've seen Hinata-chan's. And now Karin's. That's a pretty good data sample, don't you think? I've even seen grandma's back."
The girls stared at him, not understanding.
"I'm going to need to do much more thorough fieldwork for my report," Naruto continued, looking at the ceiling as if solving a complex equation.
Sakura stepped forward. "Naruto. Report? What report?"
Naruto raised a finger, his face lit with a mischievous, innocent smile.
"Why, my official report for Grandma Tsunade! To scientifically determine...!"
He paused dramatically, making sure he had everyone's attention.
"...which one of you has the cutest back in Konoha!"
There was a second of absolute silence. The air froze.
"Eep!"
Hinata was the first to fall. Her eyes rolled back. A small, comical puff of steam came from her ears, and she collapsed backward in a perfect faint.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelped, surprised.
"Naruto-kun!" Shizune covered her face, horrified. "Please! That is completely inappropriate! You can't say those things! Lady Tsunade is right here!"
Karin turned redder than her hair. Her reaction was one of pure, absolute embarrassment. "Na-Naruto! You were... you were... looking!? You said you were professional! H-how shameful!" She hid behind Shizune, using the Hokage's assistant as a human shield.
Sakura said nothing.
She just cracked the knuckles of her right hand.
CRACK.
An ominous green aura began to surround her fist.
Naruto's smile froze. He saw the fist. He saw Sakura's glare. He saw Hinata on the floor. Total panic took over his face.
"It was a joke!" he said, backing away, holding his hands up. "A tactical joke! Yeah! To measure your reactions! It's part of awareness training! And you passed! Congratulations!"
"I'm going to teach you 'training,' you moron!" Sakura growled, advancing.
"NO, WAIT, SAKURA-CHAN! MY ARM! THINK OF MY GOOD ARM! IT'S THE ONLY ONE I HAVE!"
"I'M GOING TO MAKE IT MATCH THE OTHER ONE!"
"AAAAAHHHH!"
Naruto shot out the door, with Sakura hot on his heels.
Tsunade, watching from the corner, crossed her arms. She shook her head, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You're on your own, brat. You opened your mouth."
The sealing room rumbled with the sound of a seismic impact, followed by a very, very familiar scream that was cut off abruptly.
*****
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