"Karin?" Raizen froze for a moment, looking at the child in the woman's arms. Red hair, a face strikingly similar to the Karin he remembered from the anime—there was no doubt. This was the young Karin.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru was supposed to find her in the Grass Village. Her mother's red hair was the signature trait of the Uzumaki clan; it couldn't be a mistake.
Raizen thought quickly and made his decision. He formed another Rasengan, blowing the cell door wide open.
"Thank you, Lord!" The woman reached out to hand the child over, her eyes full of lingering reluctance.
Raizen didn't take the baby. "Keep holding her," he said gently.
The woman looked confused. "Does the Lord not wish to take Karin away? Then why...?"
Raizen smiled. "You're coming with us. A child can't grow up without a mother's love, can she?"
The woman was stunned. "You... you would take me too? I'm just a useless burden!"
Raizen glanced at the woman's arms and legs. Noticing there weren't many bite marks yet, he realized she hadn't fully exposed her abilities to the Grass ninjas in exchange for Karin's safety.
"Don't worry about it. One more person makes no difference. With those two 'ultimate bodyguards' I hired outside, a few Grass ninjas are nothing. Just come with me."
"Thank you, Lord!" The woman dropped to her knees in gratitude.
Raizen stepped forward and touched Karin's forehead. It was burning hot. "Let's move. We can't delay the child's treatment any longer, or the fever might damage her brain."
"Mhm!" The woman nodded.
"Stay behind me." Raizen led the way, with the two women and the child following closely.
"Lord! Save us too!" prisoners in other cells shouted, seeing the escape. Raizen ignored the pleas of the hardened criminals and led his group out of the cavern.
By the time they reached the entrance, the battle was over. Hidan was wiping blood off his scythe, while Kakuzu sat leisurely on a rock.
"The client is out," Hidan noted as they approached.
Kakuzu frowned slightly. "Client, this is more than one person. Protecting an extra mouth requires extra effort."
"Lord, please don't abandon us," the woman whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Raizen gave her a reassuring look and turned to Kakuzu. "I'll add another 500,000 Ryo to the reward."
Kakuzu's face instantly split into a radiant grin. "The client is truly generous! A little extra effort is no problem at all."
Raizen said, "Let's go. We need to find a clinic to treat this child first."
Reiko spoke up. "Raizen-sama, I know a place nearby with a medical ninja."
"Good. Reiko, lead the way."
They returned to the small tavern from before.
"Sir, you—" The contact's eyes widened at their swift return.
Reiko stepped forward. "Sam, this child has a fever. Get Kawako-san to come out and treat her immediately."
"Lady Reiko! You're back! Thank goodness!" Seeing Reiko safe, the man's heart finally settled. "I'll get Lady Kawako right away!"
A moment later, a curvaceous woman followed him out. "Where is the patient?"
"Here," the mother said, stepping forward with Karin.
Kawako performed a quick check. "The child's constitution is weak, she's malnourished, and she's caught a severe chill. That's what triggered the fever. I'll give her some nutrients and fever-reducing medicine. It should break soon."
To wait for Karin's recovery, Raizen decided to stay the night.
Creak— The sound of a door opening and closing echoed in Raizen's room.
"Reiko? Is something wrong?" Raizen stood up, looking at her in confusion.
Reiko walked up to him. "Thank you, Raizen-sama, for coming all this way to bring me home."
Raizen smiled. "You're the mother of my child. It's only right that I came for you."
Reiko sat boldly beside him. "Raizen-sama... let me stay with you tonight."
Raizen's eyes widened as he chuckled. "Reiko, are you trying to take the 'mission' again?"
Her face flushed. "This time, it's not for the money. I want to give Raizen-sama a son!"
"Then I suppose I'll be in your care, Reiko."
"It's no trouble. Anything for you, Raizen-sama, is worth it."
The next morning, the good news arrived: Karin's fever had broken.
"Keiko, have you decided? Are you coming to Konoha with me?" Raizen had revealed his identity to the woman, and she had told him her name: Keiko Uzumaki.
"I will be in your care, Raizen-sama," Keiko said with a bow. She was homeless and had nowhere to go. Raizen offering them shelter was a miracle; even if she didn't think of herself, she had to think of Karin's future.
The group disguised themselves and set off. Raizen purchased a high-quality carriage to accommodate Keiko and Karin, while Hidan and Kakuzu took the roles of drivers.
Hidan sat on the bench, laughing. "A carriage is nice! Saves the legs."
Kakuzu grunted. "This thing is expensive and fragile. Two legs are more reliable."
Under the "protection" of two S-rank criminals, the journey was smooth. Two days later, they reached the black market town near Konoha where the mission started.
Raizen paid the balance and added a 100,000 Ryo tip for each of them. Kakuzu looked like he wanted to hug Raizen and call him "Daddy."
As Raizen drove the carriage away with the three women, Kakuzu stared at the fading dust with a massive smile. One million seven hundred thousand Ryo for such an easy job—this was the best business ever.
"Hidan, give me your 100,000. I'll keep it safe for you."
"Screw off! The client gave this to me."
"Like you know how to manage money!"
"Who cares?! I'm buying ritual offerings for Lord Jashin!"
"Lord Jashin is a load of—"
"Shut it, Kakuzu! Disrespect Lord Jashin again and I'll butcher you!"
"Try it. I'll rip your head off and kick it like a soccer ball... Wait, Kakuzu, I just realized who that guy was!"
"Which guy?"
"The client!"
"Who was he?"
"Take out that mission scroll from your pocket."
Kakuzu pulled out the scroll and unrolled it. The picture on the "Seeking Heirs" flyer was an exact match for the man who had just left.
"It's him! The guy who's 'Seeking Heirs'!"
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