Under the moonlit night,
A pair of snake-like eyes emerged from the darkness.
Orochimaru's expression remained calm—no one could tell what he was truly thinking.
Karin was surrounded by a group of Sound Ninja with nowhere left to hide.
Orochimaru's hoarse voice broke the silence. "Uzumaki Karin, I saved you. Why did you betray me?"
Karin didn't hesitate. She answered confidently, "Because you wanted to kill me! It's that simple!"
At this point, Karin had already accepted her fate.
She couldn't escape, and her outcome seemed inevitable.
So rather than plead, she decided to speak her mind—it made her feel a little better.
Orochimaru chuckled. "It's just an experiment."
"But!" Karin suddenly became agitated. "I've seen your so-called 'experiments'—they aren't even human anymore!"
If she lost her humanity, Karin knew she'd have no face left to show anyone.
Orochimaru shook his head slightly, laughing at her for being so attached to her human form.
Karin, of course, couldn't understand.
Without wasting another word, Orochimaru turned to his subordinates. "Capture her. Bring her back to the lab."
The moment his command fell, the Sound Ninja prepared to act—
Until a calm voice came from above.
"Hey there."
"Orochimaru, could you please stop attacking her?"
"She's my friend."
The Sound Ninja froze in place.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he looked up. A faint shadow stood above them.
There, floating in the air, was Naruto.
He was wearing pajamas, hands in his pockets, and looked down at Orochimaru with calm, steady eyes.
He didn't exude killing intent—but Orochimaru still felt a chill run down his spine.
The Sound Ninja scoffed when they saw a young blond boy.
"Who's this brat? How dare you talk to Lord Orochimaru like that!"
"That's right! If you're so bold, come down here and I'll smash your head in!"
The group shouted angrily, ready to attack the moment Orochimaru gave the word.
But Orochimaru held them back. His face twitched slightly, and he spoke in as calm a tone as possible.
"Uzumaki Naruto…"
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki who left Konoha—the one who defeated four members of the Akatsuki alone.
Among those Naruto defeated was Uchiha Itachi, who could kill Orochimaru in an instant…
and Kisame, whose strength was monstrous.
Naruto's current power had far surpassed Orochimaru's expectations.
Orochimaru forced a smile. "Let's go," he ordered his men quietly.
"We can't afford to provoke this one… not yet."
When Naruto fought Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, Orochimaru had received the news almost immediately.
After all, Itachi's body had once been his own vessel—Orochimaru knew exactly how terrifying that strength was.
Itachi alone was near the level of a super Kage.
And yet, Itachi, Kisame, and two other Akatsuki members together had still been defeated—chased across the world by Naruto.
Orochimaru couldn't even imagine how strong he had become.
So he could only choose to back down—for now.
Orochimaru and his subordinates quickly retreated into the night, leaving only Naruto and Karin behind.
Karin's body suddenly felt weak.
After running so far and enduring so much, her nerves finally relaxed.
Now that she'd been rescued by Naruto, relief washed over her—then darkness.
Her vision blurred as she fainted.
Naruto hurriedly caught her and carried her back to the hotel to rest.
…
Early morning.
A bird chirped softly by the window.
Karin opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling.
The faint sound of street vendors echoed from outside.
Everything felt so peaceful.
"I'm…" Karin blinked, remembering the events of last night. A flicker of surprise filled her eyes.
So this is what peace feels like?
For the first time in years, she was free—no one controlling her, no one hunting her.
But then, her heart tightened again.
She quickly activated Kagura's Mind Eye, searching for Naruto's chakra.
He was nearby—in the next room.
Karin got up, washed quickly, and walked over.
When she opened the door, she saw that familiar blond hair.
Naruto sat cross-legged at a low table, a pink-covered book in one hand and breakfast in the other.
Karin's sudden entrance caught his attention.
Seeing her standing there awkwardly, Naruto smiled. "I bought breakfast for you. Let's eat together."
Karin's red eyes softened as she stared at him.
She didn't know why, but whenever she was near Naruto, the constant sense of danger that haunted her simply vanished.
Maybe it was because he was strong.
Or maybe… it was something else.
Either way, being beside him made her feel safe.
"Yeah," Karin nodded softly and sat across from him.
Naruto quietly put away Jiraiya's book—it wasn't something he wanted to read in front of a girl anyway.
He had to admit, though—Jiraiya's writing was good.
Just… too short and updated far too slowly.
The two ate in silence, enjoying a rare moment of calm.
After finishing, Naruto asked directly, "Karin, have you awakened any of the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques?"
So far, the only Uzumaki technique Naruto knew was the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
He hadn't yet learned Kagura's Mind Eye, though he knew it wasn't an organ-based ability like the Sharingan.
Meaning that even if he hadn't awakened it naturally, he could still learn it through practice—with Karin's guidance.
Karin didn't hide anything. She nodded. "Yes. It's a secret technique that allows me to sense chakra across great distances."
"Please, Naruto, let me stay with you. I can help you replenish chakra—and act as your eyes."
"And I can cook, clean… and if you don't mind, I can also… w-warm…"
Her voice trailed off as her face turned crimson.
She just wanted to prove her worth.
But Naruto's next words cooled her hopes instantly.
"I want to learn that secret technique."
Learn… the secret technique?
In that moment, Karin realized the reason Naruto had saved her.
He hadn't done it just out of kindness—he wanted to learn Kagura's Mind Eye.
It was that ability that had helped her escape Orochimaru.
Her heart sank with disappointment.
But since it was Naruto's request, she couldn't refuse.
"…Okay," she whispered softly. "But if you haven't awakened it naturally, it'll be very difficult to learn."
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