"Allen-sama! This idiot... is he really Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? And he actually possesses the bloodline of our Uzumaki clan?"
Karin stared at Naruto's peak-stupidity style of offense, finally unable to resist clutching her forehead and complaining.
She could hardly believe there was someone so intellectually challenged in this world, let alone that such a person could become a Jinchuriki, a weapon of war. If not for the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, he probably wouldn't even pass the Genin graduation exam, right?
Allen nodded with a smile. "That's him. But I suggest you don't underestimate the kid. Though his personality is a bit scatterbrained, his talent as a ninja is top-tier. For starters, the sheer amount of Chakra he consumes just to create Shadow Clones is enough to make many Jonin envious. Moreover, as a Jinchuriki, once he learns to mobilize the Nine-Tails' power, he will instantly become one of the top combat assets of the Great Nations."
"I still think he's a fool! On the other hand, that Uchiha survivor is performing quite impressively. Also, that pink-haired girl isn't bad; at least she can see through the essence of that Ice Release Secret Jutsu."
Despite being around the same age, Karin put on the air of a senior, pointing fingers and critiquing the youngsters of Team 7. However, given her current strength, she truly did have the right to do so.
"Indeed. Every member of the team Kakashi is leading has remarkable talent; in time, they will surely become excellent shinobi. But for now, it's better to let them understand the cruelty of the ninja world. Are you ready? Once Zabuza fails, it'll be our turn to take the stage."
As he spoke, Allen donned an unfamiliar Root organization mask. His originally violet eyes instantly bled into red, and two black tomoe surfaced within them.
The Sharingan?!
Seeing this, Karin's expression shifted slightly. In a voice filled with astonishment, she asked, "Allen-sama are you also of the Uchiha—"
"Don't guess blindly. I have no relation to the Uchiha clan. It's just that my body is unique; I possess the ability to devour and fuse all genes. Whether it's Uchiha, Senju, Hyuga, or Uzumaki, I can filter and integrate them. Take my Sharingan, for instance, I can activate it freely without the need for intense emotional trauma." Allen explained meaningfully.
"Devouring... fusing... filtering..."
"I see! No wonder you asked for so much blood from the Kekkei Genkai ninjas. You were collecting their genes."
Karin was undoubtedly a very clever girl; she immediately connected the dots regarding the purpose of his cooperation with Orochimaru. After all, in the entire ninja world outside of the Five Great Nations, Orochimaru's subordinates held the highest concentration of Kekkei Genkai users, even if most were just children kidnapped from god-knows-where.
"Exactly. You are the first person to know this secret; remember not to let it leak out." Allen reached out and gently stroked the girl's red hair.
Karin clearly loved this intimate interaction. She subconsciously squinted her eyes, a look of enjoyment crossing her face. It took several seconds before she responded with absolute determination: "Please rest assured! Even if I die, I will never let a third party know this secret."
"Good. I believe you."
With those words, Allen vanished from the spot instantly.
At the very moment Kakashi used Chidori, intending to pierce Zabuza's heart, Allen appeared out of thin air between the two. With one punch for each, he sent them both crashing to the ground.
Zabuza, completely caught off guard, was knocked unconscious immediately. He lay flat on his back, totally blacked out.
Because Kakashi had his Sharingan active, he managed to catch a glimpse of that flickering afterimage. He decisively wove signs and used a Substitution Jutsu, narrowly escaping a grim fate.
The moment he landed, he noticed the two crimson pupils beneath the mask. His face paled instantly as he spoke in a tone of disbelief, "The... Sharingan? Is there another surviving Uchiha in this world besides Sasuke and Itachi? And that mask... you must be a member of Root!"
"What, you seem surprised?" Allen intentionally made his voice sound raspy and hollow.
"Who exactly are you? Why do you have the Sharingan?" Kakashi demanded loudly.
"Apologies, I have no intention of answering any of your questions. All you need to know is that you will die here."
Allen went through the motions of weaving a few signs and then violently exhaled a massive fireball from his mouth.
BOOM!
The searing heat forced Kakashi to retreat. He was stunned that a mere C-rank Jutsu could achieve the effectiveness of an A-rank spell when cast by this opponent.
…
On the other side, Karin had also donned a Root mask and intervened in the battle between Haku and the Team 7 Genin.
In a single encounter, Haku's arms were broken once again. He went rolling and sliding over ten meters across the ground, completely stripped of his combat capability.
However, she paid no mind to her former subordinate. Instead, she cracked her knuckles and asked Naruto and Sasuke with a cold sneer, "Brats! Are you prepared to die?"
"Die... die?!"
Feeling that raw, unmasked malice, Sakura couldn't help but shiver. She couldn't believe that Haku, who had just rendered the three of them helpless, was taken out of the fight by a single punch from this red-haired woman. The terrifying impact and the air pressure generated the moment that fist connected were horrifying even from a distance.
"Hmph! Today, I'll teach you that being a ninja isn't a game of playing house! People actually die!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Karin used a Body Flicker Jutsu to close the distance, driving an elbow strike straight into Sasuke's abdomen.
THUD!
"GAHHH!!!!"
Cough, cough, cough!
Though she hadn't infused the strike with Chakra or Nen, it still nearly knocked the wind out of Sasuke. He clutched his stomach and slumped to his knees, his face twisted in agony.
What he found even harder to believe was that even though he had his Sharingan active, he couldn't track the trajectory of her attack, and his body couldn't react in time.
This feeling... it was exactly the same as when he faced his brother, Itachi!
Power! Overwhelming power!
"Young Master" Sasuke realized immediately that this red-haired female ninja was on an entirely different level from him.
In contrast, the thick-headed Naruto failed to realize this. He once again used his signature Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, sending a sea of clones swarming forward.
The result? They were instantly popped by Karin's devastating punches. After the original took a kick to the gut, he joined his "bestie" Sasuke, kneeling on the ground while clutching his stomach.
"How... how is this possible! This person's Taijutsu is even stronger than Kakashi-sensei's!"
Sakura was completely paralyzed by Karin's overwhelming combat prowess, standing frozen to the spot. She knew that with her physical constitution, a single hit from one of those punches would likely rupture her internal organs and kill her instantly.