Karin was utterly panicked.
Just moments ago, she had solemnly promised her two "companions" that she would never defect to that Aoki Sora guy. And now?
The very next scene showed her future self clinging to that very man.
And not just clinging to him, she even called him Lord Aoki Sora!
Worse, she had pulled out every seductive move in the kunoichi handbook!
This…
Was this really her future self?
Why the hell would her future self sell her out like this?!
Those two "companions" of hers had already been jealous and resentful toward [Aoki Sora] to begin with. They looked down on her as a foreigner being sheltered in their village, treating her like a disposable tool. And now they'd just witnessed that very "tool" betraying them—throwing herself at the very man they loathed most.
So when the video finished playing, Karin wasn't just stunned by the shameless, sultry behavior of her future self. She also instantly sensed what was about to happen.
"I... I swear I wasn't thinking about defecting to him!" she stammered, pale-faced. "Just now, I was just admiring that girl named Temari…"
She was terrified, desperately trying to explain herself.
Right now, she was still too weak. She couldn't afford to lose the shelter of Kusagakure, the Hidden Grass Village, which was also sheltering her mother. She had no strength to resist them.
Even though Kusagakure had basically worked her mother to death.
"Liar!"
One of the Grass ninja barked angrily, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"You freeload off us, and now you want to jump ship to your precious 'Lord Aoki Sora,' huh?!"
"No wonder you were so quick to agree when we told you to go to Konoha for the Chūnin Exams!"
"You're planning to use this trip to find your [Aoki Sora] and defect to him, aren't you?!"
"You planning to get cozy with him so he can come back and get revenge on us?!"
The second Grass ninja joined in, his tone equally furious.
After all, they had long treated Karin with contempt—mocking her, bullying her. And now the person they used to treat like trash dared to "betray" them? Worse, she wanted to find someone strong to back her?
What if she actually succeeded? What if one day she returned to settle the score?
Their guilty consciences flared.
Seeing the video of Karin pledging herself to [Lord Aoki Sora] had sparked more than just anger—it stirred deep-rooted paranoia.
They didn't care for long-term strategy or possibilities like "leveraging Karin to build ties with someone powerful." That sort of thinking was far beyond them.
All they felt was fury at a disobedient tool, and guilt-ridden fear that their past bullying might finally come back to haunt them.
"I... I never thought about it like that..." Karin trembled, her voice small and choked.
She really hadn't. That thought had never even crossed her mind.
"Still lying, huh?!"
One of the Grass ninja snapped.
WHAM!
The next instant, his foot shot out.
It slammed into Karin's stomach and sent her crashing to the ground.
"Ugh...!"
She hit the dirt hard.
But she didn't dare fight back.
The Grass ninja who'd kicked her stepped forward without hesitation, crouched beside her, and yanked her hair back—then slammed her face into the ground.
"Say it! What the hell are you plotting, you two-faced bitch?!"
"You damn traitor!" the second ninja cursed, kicking her in the side.
"I... I'm not..." Karin whimpered.
"You still talking back?!"
The first ninja snarled and pulled her head up by the hair again—then slammed it down even harder.
THUD!
"I really didn't..." she whispered, helpless and humiliated.
She never came to the Chūnin Exams with any secret plan to find Aoki Sora.
And besides, didn't he already have [Hinata] and [Yugao] confessing to him months ago? Both were total beauties. Even if she wanted to get involved, how could she possibly stand a chance next to them?
Not to mention she was from another village. Why would she ever fall for someone like that "Aoki Sora"?
The video had to be fake. Fabricated. A lie...
"Hey."
Just then, a calm male voice cut through the chaos.
"You two. That's enough, don't you think?"
"?!!"
Everyone froze at the sound and instinctively turned toward the voice.
Standing atop a low wall just beyond the street was a young man wearing a Konoha forehead protector.
He was still quite young, but the face was unmistakable.
He had already appeared in several prophetic videos, each time being confessed to by a different beauty—
It was Aoki Sora!
The two Grass ninja instinctively shrank back.
The real deal had arrived.
Was he here to save Karin?
So they were involved!
And worse, this was Konoha turf. If a fight broke out...
"She's part of Kusagakure," one of them quickly blurted out, clinging to the only defense he could think of. "We're just disciplining our own. You people from Konoha have no right to interfere!"
"Yeah!" the second Grass ninja echoed. "We're here for the joint Chūnin Exams. Just because you've got home field advantage doesn't mean you can meddle in our business!"
"You planning to butt into every other village's affairs too?"
"Hm, you do... kind of have a point," Aoki Sora said, tapping his chin.
He really didn't have any standing to get involved.
"So, I won't interfere then."
"?!!"
"....."
The Grass ninja's faces lit up.
But Karin's heart sank.
She had thought, just maybe, that someone had come to save her. Anyone. It didn't matter who. Anyone willing to stand up for her.
But the one who came was Lord Aoki Sora.
And that Lord Aoki Sora... had listened to a few lines from her bullies and decided to turn a blind eye?
Sure, they weren't wrong. Konoha technically had no authority to step into Grass Village matters. But still...
Was he really going to just walk away?
Was that the kind of man her future self was supposed to fall in love with?
No way!
Even if she died, even if they dragged her out of Konoha and beat her to death, she would never fall for a guy like that!
"However-"
Just as she thought that, Aoki Sora spoke again.
His voice was calm, deliberate.
"I usually train anywhere I like, even in places like this. It's nice and open. So if I decide to [practice] a jutsu or two here, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"If anyone gets hurt, well... just be careful. Today's [new technique] hasn't been tested much."
As he spoke, his gaze sharpened.
And then, in his hand, without warning, a long katana shimmered into existence.
As the blade was drawn, it roared to life.
Flames burst forth along its edge, flaring like the wings of a fire phoenix.
"All creation to ash, [Ryūjin Jakka]!"
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter