"But… none of you are hurt…" Karin pleaded, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "If it's just chakra depletion, you can recover after a rest…"
"Cut the crap!" the tall, skinny Kusagakure ninja snapped, losing patience. "Rest? Who knows what other horrors lurk in this cursed forest? What if we run into those two monsters… Hurry up, stretch out your arm!"
The short, stocky Kusagakure ninja, already irritable, stepped forward and grabbed for Karin's arm.
"Don't be ungrateful! You and your mother are nothing but tools for our recovery. Know your place!!"
"Eh!?"
The word "tool" made Uzumaki Karin cry out involuntarily!
Despair and numbness welled up in her heart.
Watching the two "companions" whose faces were turning hideous, she closed her eyes in resignation, bracing for the stinging sensation of chakra draining away.
Her mother's frail face surfaced in her mind again—perhaps… this was the fate of those born with such special constitutions!!?
…Yet the expected bite never came.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Only the rustle of wind through leaves and her own frantic heartbeat broke the silence.
Driven by doubt, Karin carefully, tremblingly, opened her eyes.
The sight that greeted her made her hold her breath, pupils shrinking sharply.
The two Kusagakure teammates who'd been fierce moments ago now looked like chickens with their necks wrung—lifted off the ground, each held high by a single hand gripping their throats!
Their faces were flushed from lack of oxygen, bulging eyes fixed on the hand crushing their necks. They clawed frantically at it, legs kicking uselessly, gurgling choked sounds.
They recognized the newcomer… and couldn't even think of resisting.
They tried to beg, but couldn't force out a single syllable, terror filling their eyes.
Tejima Shinichi didn't spare them a glance, his calm gaze settling on Karin, who had just opened her eyes in shock.
Karin stared blankly, her mind a blank sheet.
The afterglow of sunset outlined Tejima Shinichi's figure in dark gold from behind.
Against the light, she couldn't make out his full face—only a sharp jawline and those calm eyes within the shadows.
Behind Tejima Shinichi, Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū appeared, scanning vigilantly for ambush, then looking down at Karin sitting on the ground, seemingly dumbstruck.
Tejima Shinichi's brows knitted at the bite-covered body and terrified eyes of Karin!
'Uzumaki Karin!?'
He was surprised—by sheer coincidence he'd stumbled upon this Uzumaki clanswoman with her special constitution.
Even as the thought flashed through his mind, Tejima Shinichi's hands moved without hesitation.
His arms exploded with terrifying force!
Splurt! Splurt!
Dull bursts rang out!
The two Kusagakure ninjas' necks were instantly crushed by Tejima Shinichi's grip!
Hot blood, shredded flesh, and shards of crushed throat bones and windpipes sprayed outward like burst berries!
Scalding droplets and gory flecks splattered across Karin's face and clothes.
The thick metallic stench flooded her nose.
"Eeee…!"
Karin convulsed. The warm, sticky feeling on her skin scared her out of her wits.
She watched in horror as Tejima Shinichi casually tossed the twitching corpses aside, then turned that dreadful gaze on her.
She curled up, hands clamped over her mouth, face bloodless, terror filling her bespectacled eyes.
For an instant, Karin thought Tejima Shinichi's arrival was a light that could drag her out of this living hell!
But the blood and minutiae splattered across her face, and those indifferent eyes, shattered the fragile hope just born.
This was no light… this was… something far more terrifying than those two Kusagakure ninja!
He'd killed—so brutally, so directly… what would he do to her next!?
Crush her as casually as he had those corpses?
Karin felt life held no more hope—!
Tejima Shinichi paid no attention to her fear; he flicked the filth off his hand and asked calmly,
"Who has the scroll?"
The sudden question made Karin flinch. Terror blanked her mind for several seconds before she reacted.
With a trembling hand, she pointed at the lanky Kusagakure ninja's corpse. Her lips quivered as she spoke,
"On... on him..."
Before Shinichi could motion, Kobayashi Takeshi behind him stepped forward. Using a special technique he rummaged through the corpse's ninja tool pouch and quickly pulled out a scroll.
"Perfect... Shinichi, it's the Heaven Scroll! Now we have both—we can head straight to the Central Tower!"
Hearing this, Tejima Shinichi gave a slight nod.
"Mm."
At that moment Satō Yū, who had stayed silent, raised her kunai and aimed the blade at Karin slumped on the ground:
"Kill her?"
The words shot Karin's heart into her throat; it nearly leapt out of her mouth!
She shut her eyes in despair, awaiting her fate.
Shinichi sensed the no-nonsense killing intent in Satō Yū's voice and was greatly pleased.
He had always appreciated these two teammates—neither outstanding in strength nor talent, yet their ninja ethos never faltered: decisive, vigilant, utterly ruthless, never wasting words on irrelevancies.
Exactly the comrades he needed!
Shinichi gave a faint shake of his head, signaling Satō Yū to lower her kunai.
Then he stepped forward, stopping in front of Karin and looking down at the red-haired girl drowning in terror.
"You're from the Uzumaki clan, aren't you?" Shinichi asked. "What's your name?"
Karin's eyes snapped open as though clutching the last straw; she answered hastily,
"Y-yes! I'm Uzumaki Karin! I'm useful! Please don't kill me! My chakra can heal, can sense..."
She rattled off her "value" any way she could, begging only to survive.
Shinichi said nothing, merely watching her.
Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū also kept silent; though surprised by Shinichi's move, they would never question him now.
When Karin finally calmed from her frantic pleas, Shinichi spoke again, throwing out a question that stunned everyone:
"Ever thought of joining Konoha?"
Karin was dumbstruck, her eyes huge behind her lenses, certain she'd misheard.
Kobayashi and Satō exchanged a look of shock.
'Join... Konoha?' Karin's mind spun. 'So... he's after my body after all?'
A wave of grief and powerlessness welled up.
To her it meant stepping out of Kusagakure's wolf lair only to plunge into what might be an even bigger tiger's maw.
Yet did she have a choice? Refuse and she'd likely die on the spot.
She lowered her head, lips bloodless, and finally nodded in resignation. Her voice was tiny: "...Yes."
Shinichi read every nuance of her reaction; naturally he understood the dread and reluctance inside her.
But he needed to promise her nothing, nor soothe her feelings.
Time would prove everything!
Shinichi stepped closer, reached out, and lifted the Kusagakure forehead protector from Karin's head.
His fingertips brushed her forehead and she couldn't help shrinking back.
"Keep up."
He tossed the protector aside and turned toward the Central Tower.
Kobayashi and Satō followed without hesitation.
Karin stood staring at the forehead protector on the ground—the symbol of her painful past—then at the three receding backs.
She bit her lip and finally trotted after them, falling in silently at the rear.
No one ever cared how Kusagakure felt, nor whether this might spark diplomatic trouble.
After all, in the ninja world, places like Kusagakure exist precisely as buffer zones and battlefields when great powers clash.
Before true strength, what voice or human rights could they claim?
Besides... Tejima Shinichi was already acknowledged throughout Konoha as the next Hokage!