Kurotsuchi looked at the tiny, harmless Nine Tails in Karin's arms.
Her entire worldview was crumbling.
A tailed beast…
So weak?
Seeing how fond Karin was of it, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little pleased.
But soon, his expression turned cold as he shifted his gaze to Kurotsuchi.
Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly waved her hands and said, "Don't worry, I won't run away! My chakra's sealed anyway—if I did, I'd probably get killed by some wild animal before I got far…"
Hearing that, Naruto nodded slightly, reassured.
Then he went to study the First Hokage's ninjutsu scrolls.
Around noon, Karin came running in a panic. "Naruto, it's bad! That girl escaped!"
"If she reports back, we'll be in trouble!"
Naruto, however, didn't seem worried. "Don't panic. She can't escape."
He closed his eyes and activated Kagura's Mind Eye.
Half the Land of Earth fell within his sensory range.
Since Naruto had already left his mark on Kurotsuchi—and memorized her chakra pattern—he quickly located her.
She was currently begging a passing merchant for help.
Naruto sensed the Flying Thunder God mark on her body and activated the technique.
Kurotsuchi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
She turned stiffly and saw Naruto standing behind her, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"I…" Her scalp tingled as fear shot through her.
Not wanting to anger this unpredictable man, Kurotsuchi quickly turned around and bowed deeply, ninety degrees. "I'm sorry! It's my fault! I won't do it again!"
Naruto said nothing. He simply grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Then his cold gaze turned to the merchant driving the carriage.
The merchant froze, forcing a nervous smile. "N-Ninja-sama, I… I don't know anything."
Naruto didn't kill innocent people for no reason.
But this man was clearly a citizen of the Land of Earth. If he informed Iwagakure, it might cause unnecessary trouble.
Still, Naruto knew his time here was nearly over, so he didn't bother too much.
He reached into his system space and pulled out a stack of silver coins, handing them to the merchant.
The man's eyes widened with delight as he accepted the silver respectfully.
"Don't tell Iwagakure about this for seven days," Naruto said calmly.
"Yes, yes! Of course, Ninja-sama!" the merchant stammered with a forced grin. "I'll do exactly as you say!"
And with that—
Naruto and Kurotsuchi vanished before his eyes.
The merchant blinked, rubbing his eyes as if waking from a dream.
But the heavy silver in his hands told him it was all real.
He stood there for a while, dazed.
First someone asked for help, then he was threatened, paid in silver, and finally—
the strangers just disappeared.
"…I must've met a ghost," he muttered.
Naruto brought Kurotsuchi back.
This time, he didn't give her any freedom. He tied her up and locked her inside a room.
That night, as Naruto and Karin were about to rest, he remembered the prisoner next door.
He walked in with some rice balls and a bottle of water.
Kurotsuchi hadn't eaten all day and was dizzy from hunger.
When she saw the food in Naruto's hand, she swallowed hard.
Naruto brought the rice ball to her mouth, but Kurotsuchi scoffed, "Untie me, I can feed myself—mmph!"
Naruto shoved the rice ball into her mouth.
"Mmmph—!" she grunted, glaring furiously at him.
Naruto said calmly, "If you spit it out, you won't eat again for the next three days."
Kurotsuchi froze, then reluctantly chewed the rice ball, glaring at him as if she wanted to kill him.
After giving her some water, Naruto left the room.
When he returned to the bedroom, Karin was lying on the bed.
She lifted the blanket slightly and gave a playful smile. "Naruto-kun, come here~"
Naruto: "…"
Well… what happened before had already happened, so he didn't hold back this time.
Not long after, Kurotsuchi in the next room heard faint noises.
She gritted her teeth and muttered in disgust, "You two animals…"
Time passed quickly.
The merchant kept his promise and told no one about Kurotsuchi.
But Iwagakure had already begun to notice something was wrong.
Why hadn't Kurotsuchi returned from her mission?
As one of the key figures in the village, her disappearance soon caught Ōnoki's attention.
He immediately sent out search teams to find her.
And the leader of the investigation wasn't just anyone—she was one of the village's best sensory and stealth operatives, an Anbu known as Moon Shadow, capable of turning invisible and concealing her chakra completely.
Her involvement showed just how seriously Ōnoki took Kurotsuchi's disappearance.
Naruto, meanwhile, was exhausted.
He finally understood what the phrase "Hero's Grave" truly meant.
Karin was just too enthusiastic… and way too open-minded.
After a few days of this, Naruto's legs were starting to feel weak.
Even worse—he realized his combat power had started to drop.
"Is it because of… too much of that?" he wondered grimly.
Determined to resist temptation, Naruto took a deep breath and opened the door.
He was about to use every ounce of willpower he had to push Karin away.
But surprisingly, today she didn't pounce on him like usual.
Instead, she rested her chin on her palm and said teasingly, "Naruto-kun, want to try something exciting?"
Naruto wanted to refuse—but before he could speak, Karin quickly made a hand seal.
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Poof!
A puff of white smoke filled the room.
When it cleared, standing before Naruto was Kurotsuchi—or rather, Karin disguised as her.
And her outfit… was far too revealing.
"Hiss—" Naruto's eyes twitched. "This is…"
'Kurotsuchi' smiled seductively, placing her long legs over Naruto's shoulders. "It's called roleplay~ I learned it from one of your books."
Naruto reached out, holding her smooth leg, and sighed.
"Sorry, system… as for the training missions—let's talk about them tomorrow."
Today… he was defeated once again.
In the next room, Kurotsuchi overheard their conversation.
When she realized what they were doing, she clenched her fists in rage.
"You perverts! Why the hell are you pretending to be me?!" she shouted furiously.
But before she could say more, Naruto gagged her again.
And just then—
Kurotsuchi sensed a faint fluctuation in the air.
Her eyes widened.
That shape… that chakra presence…
It had to be Moon Shadow, the Anbu elite!
He was finally here!
After so many days… she might finally be saved!
But—
Her hope froze instantly when she realized Moon Shadow had also been drawn in by the noises from Naruto and Karin's room… and didn't even notice her.
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