Chapter 27
Naruto and Karin sat in the living room, sealing scrolls scattered across the floor as Karin practiced Fuinjutsu. Her brush trembled slightly, ink smudging where precision was required. Naruto watched closely, his eyes sharp with focus.
"Wrong. Do it again," Naruto said, clicking his tongue. "And you call yourself an Uzumaki? Control the brush and your chakra together, not separately."
Karin pouted, glaring at the scroll. "Damn it, it's hard." Naruto shook his head with a sigh. "Of course it's hard. Do you think anyone can learn Fuinjutsu? Work properly, or no food for you."
"You heartless bastard," Karin muttered angrily, crossing her arms. Naruto ignored her completely, his attention still on the flawed seal. His silence only made her more frustrated.
(Naruto-kun, you wanted to talk?) Hinata's voice echoed gently through the telepathic seal. Naruto leaned back slightly. (Yeah, wait until Ino joins.)
(Waaah, Hinata! Naruto is bullying me!) Karin complained immediately, trying to gain sympathy. Her voice carried exaggerated misery through the mental link.
Hinata listened calmly before replying. (Karin-san, Naruto is doing this so you won't stay weak. You know what happens when you can only accept your fate, right?)
Karin fell silent at that, her expression dimming slightly. (I'm sorry… I'll work harder. But he's asking me to draw storage seals when I barely understand the basics.)
(Hey, don't accuse me.) Naruto cut in. ( I gave you beginner books and notes written by me. Do you know how long that took?) His tone held a rare hint of seriousness.
He had written every note himself, carefully compiling knowledge he wasn't supposed to have. As a jinchūriki, Fuinjutsu had been restricted from him, and only his Six Eyes allowed him to master it.
Karin's situation made things worse. She was supposed to be dead to the outside world after the Forest of Death, and letting her roam freely would attract unwanted attention. Naruto had no intention of dealing with Danzo's interference.
Until Tsunade became Hokage, Karin would remain hidden. Naruto still had preparations to make, especially regarding the Third Hokage.
(Yooo, did you miss this beautiful kunoichi?) Ino's cheerful voice cut through his thoughts. Naruto smiled slightly. (Of course. Anyway, now that you're both here, I need to tell you something.)
He explained everything—his meeting with Temari, the seals, and the deal he had proposed. He didn't hide anything, laying out his reasoning clearly.
There was a brief pause before Ino spoke again. (…Are there going to be more girls?) Naruto blinked, confused. (What do you mean?)
(Why the Suna princess?) Hinata asked calmly, though her tone held curiosity. Naruto answered honestly. (Because I don't have a better option. One brother is unstable, the other is obsessed with puppets. She's the only one with potential who might listen.)
He wasn't lying, though he conveniently left out his thoughts about saving Shikamaru from future trouble.
After all as a good brother of shikamaru how can Naruto watch him getting beaten up? And Shikamaru always believed in Blonds are troublesome. So Naruto wanted to deal with the trouble for his good brother.
A small, amused smile tugged at his lips at that private joke.
(Fine. I'll be fighting her in the third round anyway, Ino said with a grin. I'll see if she's really worth your attention.)
(And you, Hinata?) Naruto asked. (Are you ready for Neji?) Hinata's response was immediate. (I won't lose. Losing to him would be an insult… to you.)
Naruto chuckled softly. (Good. Then both of you train hard.)
(We will.) ×2
Naruto turned toward Karin with a smirk. "So, I was bullying you?" Karin stiffened instantly. "N-no! You weren't!" she said quickly, panic obvious in her voice.
Naruto suddenly grabbed her wrist and tickled her without warning. "Naruto—stop—haha—!" Karin burst into laughter, tears forming in her eyes as she struggled to escape.
After a moment, Naruto let go, satisfied. "Good. Now get back to training. Keep the doors locked, and don't let anyone in." His tone turned serious again.
"If I stay home too long, someone might start asking questions," he added, wiping her tears before heading out. Karin watched him leave, her cheeks slightly red.
"Stupid guy…" she muttered under her breath, though a small smile lingered.
Naruto walked through Konoha's streets with his hands in his pockets, his gaze scanning lazily. Then he paused, noticing a familiar blonde figure walking ahead.
Activating his Six Eyes, he chuckled softly. 'She overdid it,' he thought, observing Temari's exhausted movements and strained chakra flow.
In the next moment, he closed the distance and casually draped an arm over her shoulder, causing her to stumble slightly. "Yo, how was training?" he asked with a grin.
Temari snapped her head toward him, clearly irritated. "You bastard! Who puts their arm around a girl like that?" Naruto blinked innocently. "What? Aren't we best friends?"
"Who's your friend?" she shot back immediately. Naruto clutched his chest dramatically. (How cruel… you abandoned me after getting the gravity gear.)
Temari flushed slightly. for some reason she genuinely felt like she did something wrong. before catching herself. (Don't twist things! You're the one who gave me that gear!) she snapped at him through the telepathic seal.
Naruto just laughed As warm Yang chakra flowed into her body, easing her fatigue and soothing her muscles.
Temari froze for a moment, feeling the warmth spread through her. It was gentle yet powerful, like standing under sunlight after exhaustion.
She turned to him, about to speak, but Naruto cut her off. "No need to thank me. Let's grab some Ichiraku ramen. You're hungry, right?"
She hesitated, but eventually nodded. No matter the intension Naruto had given her the gravity gear, and healed her just now "Fine." They walked side by side toward the ramen stand, the earlier tension fading.
"Old man! Two special extra-large ramen with extra meat!" Naruto called out cheerfully. Temari immediately protested, "I can't eat that much!"
(Don't worry, Naruto replied mentally. With the gravity seal, your body burns more energy. You won't gain weight.)
(Really?!) Temari asked, her eyes lighting up with unexpected excitement. Naruto just smirked.
As they sat down to eat, Ayame glanced at Temari curiously. "Naruto, who's your new friend?" she asked with a smile.
Naruto shrugged casually. "Oh, her? Just the Suna princess. Daughter of the Kazekage." Temari rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it.