Karin looked towards Jiraiya.
("He's the Pervy-sage Naruto was talking about?")
Karin then saw the look on Jiraiya's face as though he was complimenting Naruto on picking her up.
("He sure is a perv…") Karin concluded.
…
"Old man,"
"Karin…." Naruto went ahead and explained her situation to Hiruzen.
"Hmm…" Hiruzen thought
("This might turn out to be troublesome if the grass village wishes to pursue the girl…")
("Seeing that they did tell her to not think about returning, it should be safe…")
("On the other hand we do have a strong reason to keep her here since she was originally a Uzumaki, to begin with…")
("But the problem is if she knows the grass village's secrets…")
Hiruzen looked at the duo.
"You said you were Uzumaki?" Hiruzen confirmed again.
"Y-Yeah!" Karin stuttered as she corrected her glasses.
"The Hidden Eddy village's Uzumaki clan used to be considered as distant blood relatives of the Senju clan and close friends of the Hidden Leaf Village's."
"In view of the old friendship, I will help you out," Hiruzen explained his view on the matter.
Karin became happy from the bottom of her heart as though she had been brought home again. Tears flowed out as she cried in happiness.
"Thank you Old man," Naruto said as he Hiruzen smile back as well while holding the smoke pipe in his hand.
…
"Naruto!"
"I need to talk to you," Hiruzen said.
Naruto had a tacit understanding of the comment, he walked Karin out of the room and closed the door.
"Naruto!"
"Jiraiya here will be taking over your training."
"He will educate you in the arts of infiltration and espionage," Hiruzen said.
("Infiltration and espionage?")
("Is he planning to employ me under ANBU?") Naruto thought.
"Young-man!"
"I want to hear you introduce yourself" Jiraiya spoke in a loud voice.
"Yes, Sir!"
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
"My favorite food is miso ramen, cup ramen…"
"My dream is to become the greatest Hokage…" Naruto concluded as he recited all three lines in one breath.
Jiraiya closed his left eye and looked towards Naruto with his right.
"Aren't you going to ask me to introduce myself?…."
("Oh boy! It has been a long time since I have seen him do this…") Naruto screamed with glee in his heart.
"Please let me know of your greatness…" Naruto asked in a happy voice.
"Thank you for asking me!"
Jiraiya placed a leg in the front as he bent his knees in a horse stance position and raised his two arms with open palms with one facing Naruto and the other in the opposite direction and spoke in a proud voice…
(Cough!)
Hiruzen coughed in an attempt to remind Jiraiya of his imagery in front of Naruto.
Naruto's eyes gleamed with stars as they totally admired Jiraiya's performance.
Jiraiya understood that his first impression had been established perfectly and approached Naruto.
"Naruto!"
"Pack up your bags and meet me at the village gates by 5 pm today evening."
"We will be going on training for a period of three weeks," Jiraiya spoke as he approached the door.
Meanwhile, Naruto was on cloud 9, getting to hear the rare yet familiar words he had always wanted to hear as he nodded in happiness.
Jiraiya left the office, while Naruto turned back to the Third Hokage.
"What is it Naruto?" Hiruzen asked.
"It's about Karin…" Naruto explained Karin's ability to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen thought for a while and then finally arrived at a conclusion.
"I will let her train some basic medical ninjutsu for now…"
"I have a person in mind, but it depends upon her training," Hiruzen said.
"I have one more person whom I would want to recommend for the same training, Old man!" Naruto said.
("This boy has a lot of requests today…") Hiruzen thought.
"Go ahead."
"It's Sakura from my team," Naruto said.
"Naruto!"
"Medical ninjutsu cannot be learned by everyone…" Hiruzen said.
"I am sure she has a good talent for it," Naruto said as he walked towards the door.
"Bring that girl in on your way out," Hiruzen said.
Naruto nodded to his order. He opened the door and sent Karin in.
Hiruzen spoke to Karin about her living arrangements and training while Naruto waited outside the door impatient to meet Jiraiya again.
Karin walked out of the door.
"Yo!" Naruto smiled towards Karin.
…
…
…
Karin and Naruto walked together until Naruto reached his house.
"Usually a boy would be the one to walk the girl home…" Naruto said as he scratched his head feeling shamed.
Karin blushed upon his comment.
"Karin!"
"Yes!" Karin sprung up as though being awakened from her daydream.
"Show me your arms," Naruto said.
Karin thought a bit before she brought her arms up towards Naruto.
Naruto lifted her sleeves to see the bite marks all around her arms.
"Naruto…." Karin murmured as she looked towards him.
"Karin!"
"I will help you, but I don't want you to tell anyone about this," Naruto said as he looked into her eyes.
Karin felt her heart rate speed up as she saw Naruto's face just a few centimeters apart from her face.
She nodded yes, unconsciously as she stared into the deep blue eyes of his.
Naruto stealthily activated his six paths healing prowess to heal the marks that were present not just in her arms, but all over her body.
Karin felt a soothing feeling as she stared at Naruto with her dreamy eyes, almost falling into a trance.
"It's done!" Naruto smiled.
Karin snapped out of her dream mode as she looked at her arms, she was stunned to see her arms which had skin like that of a newborn baby.
It was smooth like a girl of her age should have.
Karin who had healing power to heal countless could not understand why she would not be able to heal her own body which had these scars that she had to come across just to serve as a nightingale to others who treated her like trash.
Naruto's position in her heart was cemented after all the lengths he had gone through today to make her feel safe and have a place to call home.
However, this made her feel all the more hopeless when she was reminded of Naruto smiling towards Hinata.
….
"Naruto-kun!" A high pitched voice interfered at this moment.
"Hinata!" Naruto screamed as he instantly appeared by her side.
"Take this" Hinata said as she handed him a healing cream.
…
Naruto spread the cream all over his face, and it had instantly healed him.
"huh?" Karin and Sakura were shocked at how fast it worked.
…
"Thank You!" Naruto smiled as he looked at Hinata.
Karin felt her hopes die down, as she knew this smile all too well.
…
Naruto took the opportunity to bring Hinata over to a separate spot, a few meters away.
….
….
"Blerg!" Hinata spurted out blood,
"HINATA!" Naruto screamed almost feeling the same impact on his heart.
"Hah!" Hinata exhaled as she slapped Neji's palm aside to send a palm towards him.
….
"Hah!" Neji exhaled as he sent a palm in a manner of an uppercut, which completely caught Hinata off.
Hinata was sent flying.
….
("NOT NOW!")
("NOT NOW!") Naruto repeated to himself barely able to keep himself controlled.
Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Karin noticed Naruto trying hard to maintain his anger.
….
Knowing that she could not run anymore, she unconsciously injected some chakra onto the seal Naruto gave her.
(poof!) Naruto appeared behind her, while at the same time the jounin appeared around Neji.
Hinata fell into Naruto's arms.
"Naruto-kun…."
"You did well Hinata, take some rest," Naruto said to her, after which she lost her consciousness.
Naruto then placed his hand over her chest as he healed her heart which was injured by Neji's palm strike using his six paths power, stealthily.
….
….
….
Karin looked towards Naruto.
("At this young age, he can love a girl like a man would love a woman. Truly! She is blessed") She thought.
"Naruto!" Karin called as she set herself in motion.
"Hm!" Naruto raised his head.
(CHU!) Naruto's eyes widened.
Karin had kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank You," Karin said as she looked towards Naruto with tears flowing out her eyes.
She then turned around walking away slowly.
"Karin….." Naruto stared at her departing back which looked pitiful as she walked away silently weeping to herself as she left the street.
…
(Bang!) Sasuke punched the bark of the tree he was standing on as he observed Naruto and Karin from a distance.
…
"Naruto, who is that girl?" Sasuke asked while they set traps for a beast.
"Oh, Her name is Karin….." Naruto introduced her and started to talk about who she was to Sasuke back in his world…..
"She was also in the Akatsuki with me?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes!"
"Was she a strong fighter?"
"More like a super nerd version of Sakura who would shamelessly stick with you, along with her abilities to heal."
"It was you, who had rescued her from Orochimaru back then…." Naruto said.
….
….
….
However, what Sakura did not know was Ino walking by them at the moment as she slipped a bit and fell on Sakura.
"AH! Sorry Sakura," She shouted as she fell.
(CHUUUUU!!!!!)
The impossible had happened.
Karin stared at Sakura with wide-open eyes, whereas Sasuke turned back too.
("W T F ?") Sasuke thought since Naruto had already told him that he would marry Sakura in the near future.
Sakura kissed Naruto.
….
"The reason I acted as the big brother you desired was…because I wanted to measure your vessel." Itachi interrupted
"You have the potential to become my opponent…in order for me to measure my vessel."
"You hated me…"
"And you continued to have the desire to surpass me, That's exactly why I will allow you to live…"
"for my own benefit."
"You are someone who could be able to use Mangekyou Sharingan just like me."
"However, on one condition."
"That you must kill your closest friend…"
.
.
.
"One day, when you have the same eyes as I do..."
"Come and stand before me!"
….
…
….
Sasuke jumped from the tree as he landed in front of Naruto.