Chapter 25
Ino looked at Naruto with narrowed eyes, her voice echoing inside both his and Hinata's minds through the telepathy seal. "So… you have a Grass kunoichi staying in your house?" Her tone carried clear suspicion, making Hinata quietly wait for Naruto's explanation.
Naruto sighed slightly before replying mentally. "She's an Uzumaki. I couldn't just leave her there." His answer was simple, but firm, showing he had already made up his mind.
Hinata tilted her head slightly, her voice soft but curious inside his mind. "Do you know her personally?" There was no accusation in her tone, only a need to understand.
"Not personally," Naruto admitted. "But she's one of the few Uzumaki survivors. I can't just let her die, can I?" His words carried quiet weight, reminding them of what that name truly meant.
Ino and Hinata exchanged a brief mental glance through the seal before responding. "That's true…" they both agreed, though a faint uneasiness still lingered. The thought of another girl staying with Naruto wasn't something they could ignore so easily.
Soon, they arrived at Naruto's house, stepping inside calmly. Karin, who had been waiting in the room, already sensed their presence through her Mind's Eye of Kagura. Two strong chakra signatures approached alongside Naruto, both nearing jonin level.
Still, compared to Naruto's vast chakra reserves, they felt like small puddles beside a vast lake. Karin quietly observed them, her sharp senses analyzing everything in silence.
"Yo, done adjusting?" Naruto asked casually, raising his hand in greeting. Ino and Hinata stood beside him, their attention fully focused on the red-haired girl in front of them.
Without saying anything, Hinata walked into the kitchen and began taking out the food they had brought earlier from her wrist storage seal. Her movements were calm and natural, as if she already belonged there.
Karin looked directly at Naruto, confusion clear in her eyes. "You're also an Uzumaki… then why is your hair blonde?" Her question was blunt, but genuine.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, son of Kushina Uzumaki," Naruto replied simply. There was no hesitation in his voice, only quiet pride in his identity.
Hinata returned with the food, placing it neatly on the table as everyone gathered. What followed wasn't a normal conversation—it quickly turned into an interrogation led by Ino and Hinata.
They asked precise questions while silently communicating through their telepathy seal, sharing observations and thoughts. Naruto noticed immediately that he was completely excluded from that mental conversation.
Sitting back, Naruto simply ate his food while watching the scene unfold. He didn't interfere, knowing they were trying to understand Karin properly in their own way.
As Karin slowly revealed her past, the atmosphere shifted. Ino and Hinata's expressions softened, their earlier wariness fading into quiet sympathy as they listened.
By the end of it, their attitude toward her had clearly changed. The tension was gone, replaced by a silent understanding that this girl wasn't a threat—but someone who had suffered just like Naruto.