Center of the battlefield.
Only after confirming that Orochimaru's presence had vanished from his sensory range did Naruto finally relax his tensed body.
He rose slowly, chest heaving,
regulating the ragged breathing brought on by the high-intensity fight.
"Hss…"
A searing pain flared across his neck.
Though the Cursed Seal of Heaven had been forcibly suppressed by the Adamantine Sealing Chains,
its foul Chakra still gnawed at his nerves like maggots boring into bone.
Naruto wordlessly produced a pair of black-rimmed glasses from a pocket dimension and slipped them on.
The moment the frames touched his nose, the lenses veiled the color of his eyes.
The lingering sharpness and chill vanished in an instant.
He once again resembled the calm, mild Genin of Konoha.
With a casual hand, he smoothed his disheveled clothes and hair,
completely hiding the Cursed Seal and the sealing formula on his neck.
"Um…"
Soft, timid footsteps sounded behind him.
Naruto didn't turn; he had sensed her long ago.
Karin stepped cautiously from behind the boulder where she'd hidden, hesitating as she took in Naruto's pallid face.
Then, as though steeling herself,
she hurried forward, rolled up her tattered sleeve, and offered a pale arm covered in bite marks.
She shut her eyes, stretched her arm toward his mouth, and said shakily,
"B-bite me!"
"My body is special… if you bite my skin, you'll recover Chakra and heal your wounds."
Having spoken, she instinctively hunched her shoulders, bracing for the pain.
"Oh?"
Naruto eyed the arm, surprise flickering in his gaze.
"No hand seals, no medicine—just one bite and you're healed?"
He did need to recover.
Right now, his Chakra was depleted, his spirit exhausted.
If he didn't replenish it soon, he would struggle against whatever came next.
Yet when he saw the dense lattice of bite scars on her arm, his brows drew together.
Some marks had faded; others were still red,
clearly recent, thick and shocking.
They were proof she had once been treated as a disposable commodity.
A tool… he stared at the overlapping scars and saw a reflection of himself.
One a "medicine," the other a "weapon."
Naruto didn't open his mouth; instead, he took a half-step back.
"What's wrong?"
Karin opened her eyes, flustered, afraid of being abandoned.
"Put your arm away."
His tone was flat, yet carried a quiet pride:
"You're a member of the Uzumaki Clan, not a throwaway item."
"Since I saved you, I won't treat you like cargo the way those Grass Ninja did."
Karin froze.
The words struck like a hammer against the softest part of her heart.
All her life, her only worth had been to be bitten.
Even moments ago, she had assumed that was the only way to repay him.
Yet this boy refused.
Not out of disgust, but to preserve her dignity as a human being.
"But… your injuries…"
Tears threatened to fall; she could feel how weak he was.
She pushed her arm desperately toward his mouth. "Just one bite, just one…"
"…Stubborn girl."
Naruto sighed in resignation.
He reached out, gently pushed the scarred arm aside, and clasped her hand.
"This will do."
While Karin stared, he took her slender index finger and bit it softly.
"Mm~"
The sensation at her fingertip made her tremble, her cheeks blazing.
This time there was no brutal tearing, only a slight sting.
As a bead of blood formed, pure vitality surged into him; his pupils widened.
The burning of the seal on his neck ebbed rapidly, and his depleted Chakra soared.
"This recovery speed… incredible!"
He marveled inwardly, gaining a new respect for the Uzumaki bloodline.
"With life force this dense, she could be far more than a medical-nin if trained."
Feeling her breathing quicken, Naruto released her finger in good time.
"You've helped a lot."
He met her gaze, his voice sincere.
"I-it's nothing…"
She hugged the finger to her chest as though it were a treasure, her heart pounding.
It was a feeling she had never known… being respected.
"From the scars on your arm… life in Kusagakure must have been hell?"
"A mountain of treasure you can't protect only attracts starving wolves."
He adjusted his glasses and said earnestly:
"If you never want to return to that hell, I can offer you a new choice."
"I can arrange a new identity so you can live like an ordinary person, or…"
He paused and extended a hand.
"If you wish, you can come with me."
"I'll teach you to wield that strength so you can protect yourself."
"Eh? C-come with you?"
Karin stared at the offered hand, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
No coercion, no threats—only an equal invitation and reassuring strength.
In that instant, her drifting heart seemed to find a safe harbor.
"I… I want to! I'll follow you!"
She nodded fiercely, her eyes reddening.
Naruto smiled faintly and nodded.
"Then keep up—don't fall behind."
With his Chakra restored, he formed hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Two Shadow Clones appeared and rushed to the unconscious Sasuke and Sakura, beginning basic treatment.
Done, Naruto turned toward the distant shrubs and spoke calmly:
"You've watched long enough—won't you come out and say hello?"
The bushes rustled.
Team 10's Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino exchanged glances and finally stepped out.
Having witnessed the fight, they were shaken to the core.
"Um… Naruto…"
Ino gulped at the forest, now reduced to ruins.
"That monster just now… is it really gone?"
At this moment, their attitude toward him was one of awe rather than fear.
Naruto was strong, but still within the realm they could grasp—
a combination of Ninjutsu, exploding tags, and Shadow Clones.
Only the sheer volume of Chakra surprised them.
Orochimaru's endless dirty tricks, eerie snake techniques, and sinister aura
were the true source of their terror.
"Yeah, chased off."
Naruto brushed it off, unwilling to drag them deeper.
He surveyed the battered trio and settled his gaze on Shikamaru:
"But the water here is already muddy; the real danger's just beginning."
"Shikamaru, as a friend, let me give you one piece of advice."
"Quit this exam—now."