Naruto landed in a thick patch of brush with Hinata on his back.
"Hinata, can you see what's happening underground?"
She nodded and activated her Byakugan, directing her gaze beneath their feet.
A minute later, she let the technique fade and gestured toward the ground.
"There's a base down there," she whispered. "I can see quite a few people who seem to be prisoners. But I can't find Sakura, Orochimaru, or Sasuke."
Naruto considered that.
Sakura had probably already met Orochimaru. He might have taken her farther underground, or into an area protected by barriers against sensory techniques.
Was Naruto going to bring her out?
Of course not.
Sakura had chosen to follow Orochimaru. Whether she lived or died there had nothing to do with him.
She had gone looking for her precious Sasuke. If she was happy following him, why should Naruto be the villain who dragged her away?
Besides, fighting Orochimaru inside his own hideout would likely force Naruto to use his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Why waste its power on something that offered him no benefit?
As for Tsunade's orders…
Danzō could answer for this failure. He was the one who had sent Root to interfere with the pursuit.
Having settled that, Naruto put Sakura out of his mind.
There was someone else he wanted to see.
First, though, he needed to leave Hinata somewhere safe.
He vanished with her.
Ten seconds later, he appeared alone inside the underground base.
The cell was barely ten square meters.
A red-haired girl sat in one corner, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was silent and motionless, almost swallowed by the shadows.
At Naruto's arrival, she slowly lifted her head.
Her face was pretty, but her eyes were dull and distant.
Then she recognized him.
Disbelief broke through the numbness. Her eyes widened, and hope returned to her face.
She struggled to her feet.
Chains rattled around her ankles as she stumbled toward him.
"Naruto… Naruto-kun…"
She reached out, almost afraid to touch him.
"Is this real? You heard me, didn't you? You really came to save me…"
Her arms closed tightly around him.
Then she began to cry.
Within moments, her tears had soaked through his clothes.
Naruto stood there, caught off guard.
"Uh… Karin. It's been a while."
…
Ever since Naruto had saved her in the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Exams, Karin had found herself thinking about him.
He wasn't the most handsome boy she had ever seen.
What stayed with her was the sense of safety she had felt beside him. His confidence made it seem as though nothing in the world could threaten him—or anyone under his protection.
But after that brief encounter, her life had become a nightmare.
Having failed the exam, Karin spent a few days in Konoha before setting off for Kusagakure with her remaining teammate.
The journey on foot took ten days.
They were nearing the Land of Grass when they encountered Orochimaru, who had fled Konoha.
Karin sensed him in time and tried to avoid him.
Her teammate made a mistake.
Their position was exposed, and the Sound Four attacked. Karin was badly wounded, but her [Physical Healing] kept her alive. She managed to get back on her feet and continue fleeing.
Orochimaru noticed.
He quickly guessed what she was and had her captured.
After that came the cell.
The blood samples.
The experiments.
Orochimaru tried using her blood to restore his damaged arms.
It failed.
Even after he took over Gen'yūmaru's body, the experiments continued.
He deliberately injured people, then sent them to bite Karin and draw on her healing chakra. He wanted to measure the limits of her ability.
Again and again, she was forced to heal them.
Her body became covered in wounds and bite marks. No matter how much she recovered, she could never escape the next experiment.
The damage went beyond her body.
Alone in the dark, she spent each day reaching for memories of happier moments.
Gradually, those memories began returning to the same person.
Naruto-kun…
Will you come and save me again?
She had prayed for it so often that the thought had become part of her days.
Then, today, someone suddenly appeared inside her cell.
A familiar presence.
Familiar chakra.
"Naruto… Naruto-kun…"
…
Naruto was still trying to decide what to say when an angry voice came from outside the cell.
"Karin! What's all that noise? Do I need to beat you again? You'll heal anyway!"
A burly man appeared beyond the bars.
He stopped when he saw Naruto.
"You! Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"The one who's going to kill you."
Naruto flicked his hand.
A blade of wind swept across the cell entrance and severed the man's neck.
With another small gust, Naruto cut Karin's restraints.
Then they vanished.
When he reappeared beside Hinata, his expression was awkward.
Karin still hadn't let go.
She clung to him with her face buried against his chest, apparently determined never to release him.
Hinata stared.
Who is she? Sakura…? Did she use the Transformation Technique?
"Hinata, this is Karin," Naruto quickly explained. "I met her during the Chūnin Exams. Orochimaru captured her afterward. She's been imprisoned here ever since."
"I believe you, Naruto-kun."
Hinata's gaze moved over Karin's torn clothes and the marks left on her skin.
"She must have suffered so much…"
The concern in her voice made Karin finally lift her head.
She looked at Hinata.
There was no hostility in the other girl's expression, only sympathy.
A little of the warmth Karin had almost forgotten returned to her.
"Karin, this is Hinata," Naruto said. "She's the girl I'm going to marry. Could you let go of me for a moment?"
He didn't want Hinata to be upset.
And standing there with Karin wrapped around him was becoming more embarrassing by the second.
"What…?"
Karin looked from Hinata to Naruto.
Her expression fell.
Slowly, she loosened her arms and put her feet on the ground.
Naruto gave her a moment before speaking again.
"What are you going to do now? Go back to Kusagakure?"
"No."
Karin looked straight at him.
"I want to go with you, Naruto-kun."
"With me?"
Naruto considered it.
Karin wasn't much of a fighter yet, but she would make an excellent support shinobi.
With proper training, she could become far more useful.
He possessed the [Uzumaki Clan Sage Body] himself and had studied medical ninjutsu. He had plenty he could teach her.
"All right."
He smiled.
"But you'll have to stay somewhere else for a while. Don't worry. I visit the place regularly."
He was thinking of the newly established Hidden Snow Village.
Taking Karin back to Konoha would create problems.
Tsunade would certainly question her. At the very least, she would want every piece of information Karin could provide about Orochimaru.
After that, Karin would likely be sent back to Kusagakure.
Konoha and Kusagakure were allies. The Leaf wouldn't simply take one of the Grass's shinobi into its own ranks without a reason.
Naruto had no intention of letting that happen.
"Will I get to see you often?"
Karin's eyes held a cautious hope.
"Of course," Naruto replied. "I still have some important things to take care of there."