In a secluded corner of the Hidden Grass Village.
Inside a small, dome-shaped wooden hut.
"No."
A sharp voice filled the small room.
A little girl with crimson hair and glasses looked like she was about to cry. "I just went last time. Why do I have to go again?"
The woman with crimson hair smiled. "Don't worry, Karin. Mom will be fine."
"But..." The little girl, Karin, bit her lip, her face filled with worry.
Her mother's voice was weak, and her condition was clearly not good, a fact even a child could easily notice.
"Hurry up."
A third person's voice, cold and emotionless, echoed in the air.
Without anyone noticing, a sturdy middle-aged man was standing at the door.
The man had a square face and a cold look in his eyes.
Karin recognized him. This man was an elite jonin of the Hidden Grass Village, Kameda Shimon.
Whenever he came, he would take her mother to perform some kind of special medical work.
Karin's mother reached out and touched Karin's cheek. "Using your ability to help everyone is the condition for us to stay in the village."
"But..."
"Stay here and don't wander off. Mom will bring you back some food."
After comforting her daughter, Karin's mother left with Kameda Shimon.
Before leaving, Kameda Shimon glanced at Karin, his eyes harboring ill intentions.
Karin's body trembled with fear under his gaze.
By the time she came to her senses, the two had already left the hut.
Karin cried out for her mother and ran outside, but her mother was already gone.
Karin collapsed onto the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. Her eyebrows were drooping, and she looked incredibly helpless.
Her mother's health had been getting worse lately, and she was very worried that one day she would never see her again.
After the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, they lost their home and became refugees. As dependents, they had no other choice.
Karin hugged her knees to her chest, her head buried deep in them. Her lonely figure was like an abandoned cat.
As the sun set in the west, the sky seemed to draw a curtain, and the surrounding light became dim.
"When will Mom be back..."
Karin mumbled, praying that her mother would be alright.
As if her prayers had been answered, faint footsteps approached from in front of her, and the sound grew closer.
The place where they lived was far from the center of the village, so hardly anyone came here.
"Mom..."
Karin's face lit up. She raised her head, and in her swollen, reddish eyes, the figure of a young man with white hair and green eyes, draped in a gray cloak, was reflected.
Realizing it wasn't the mother she had been longing for, Karin's trembling eyes showed a look of disappointment.
Tōshirō followed the winding path to a small wooden hut and immediately saw the girl with the vibrant red hair.
There was no doubt that a person with this hair color was from the Uzumaki clan.
I've finally found you...
The corners of Tōshirō's mouth curled up, and a look of pleasure appeared on his face.
"Who are you—!"
Karin looked at the stranger in front of her, her slightly trembling eyes filled with wariness.
Tōshirō noticed Karin's swollen, teary eyes. His gaze narrowed. He knew that life as a dependent must have been miserable, and he smiled sympathetically. "It's a pathetic fate for ninja who have lost their homes."
Karin stood up and took a step back. "You're not from the village, are you?"
The corners of Tōshirō's mouth curled up. "Even though you're a little kid, you've got a sharp mind."
"What do you want to do... I'm warning you, if you try anything, everyone will come here immediately."
Karin said, trying to sound brave despite her fear.
She said this, but in reality, even if she died right there, no one in the village would even spare a second glance.
As an outsider, her status in the village was even lower than that of a dog.
"Would you... like to become my companion?"
Upon hearing these words, Karin's eyes widened in surprise.
Tōshirō's mouth tilted to the side, and his eyes narrowed into a harmless, gentle smile.
However, this only seemed to make Karin more afraid. She huddled her body, looked at the mysterious young man in front of her, and said timidly, "I don't understand what you mean."
"What, was I not clear enough?"
Tōshirō shook his head and sighed. "In the end, you're just a kid."
He added an explanation. "Let me put it this way: I want to do some things that are difficult to do alone. To do that, I need some companions to help me."
Karin looked at him with confusion.
It wasn't that she didn't understand his words; she just didn't understand why Tōshirō would seek out a little kid like her.
Suddenly, she seemed to understand something. Her eyes widened. This person was just like the people in the Hidden Grass Village, wanting to use her body.
Tōshirō continued, "Of course, in exchange, I won't just have you work for me. I can help you achieve some of your personal wishes."
"Wishes...?"
"That's right." Tōshirō's expression was kind, and his voice was full of a gentle persuasion.
Karin felt that the person in front of her was not a good person. But thinking about her mother, whose life was hanging in the balance, she gritted her teeth and risked everything. "In that case, I want you to help me save my mom."
"Your mom...?" Tōshirō said with interest.
Karin, with a teary face, told Tōshirō about the tragic fate of her Uzumaki clan and her personal encounters.
After finishing her story, she continued, "You want me to work for you for this very reason, don't you?"
Tōshirō didn't deny it. "That's not wrong, but there are other reasons as well."
"Other reasons?"
"Let's deal with the small fries around us first."
Tōshirō glanced around.
"Small fries?"
Karin didn't quite understand.
Suddenly, several dark figures emerged in unison. They were all wearing the same clothes and headbands; they were ninja from the Hidden Grass Village.
The corners of Tōshirō's mouth twitched in a dismissive sneer. He looked back at Karin's shocked expression and said with a smile, "It seems you're not as unpopular as you thought."
The Hidden Grass Village didn't disregard the mother and daughter. On the contrary, they valued them greatly. They were just trying to devalue them to exploit them.
Otherwise, so many people wouldn't have gathered so quickly after Tōshirō made contact with Karin.
"You brat, who are you!"
The leading Hidden Grass ninja pointed at Tōshirō and demanded sternly.
Although he looked like a child on the outside, a person who could sneak into their village so silently was clearly no ordinary individual. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gathered so many people before confronting him.
"A brat?"
Tōshirō's face grew cold. "How dare you say that."
The next second, as if he had thought of something, Tōshirō's expression returned to normal. "But never mind. In a way, I am indeed a brat. Besides, I don't need to argue with a bunch of dead people."
"What did you say...?"
A brat daring to be so arrogant! They had so many people here; there was no way they were afraid of him.
A Hidden Grass ninja quickly made some hand seals. Chakra gathered in his throat, and he spewed out a blazing fireball.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.
This jutsu came from the famous Uchiha clan and had a large attack range, a strong destructive power, and a long range.
Faced with the fireball, Tōshirō stood still like a scarecrow, placing himself right in the path of the attack.
BOOM!
With a loud crash, the Hidden Grass ninja had already imagined his enemy being scorched by the hot flames, but the attack was completely blocked by a sudden ice wall.
All the Hidden Grass ninja present, including him, had their eyes widened in shock. "This is... Ice Style..."
(End of Chapter)
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