Night.
Not long after Kusagakure's patrol team passed a small house again, the ground suddenly rippled strangely, and Shinji slowly surfaced.
Seeing no one around, he silently smiled. 'Kusagakure is really on tight guard.'
With that, he looked back at the small house behind him.
'It's time to find this little loli. I just hope her mental state isn't too difficult to handle.'
Inside the small house, a red-haired girl sat on the ground, hugging her knees.
When Kusagakure's patrol team passed by just now, the girl couldn't help but tremble. It wasn't until the sounds faded that she felt better.
Beneath her, only some dry weeds were simply laid out. Although it was already spring, she was still shivering from the cold.
"Mom—"
Karin murmured again. Every time at this moment, she would think of her mother. However, the tragic state of her mother's death became increasingly clear.
A barely audible sob, which did not leave the confines of the small house, could no longer be heard. She didn't dare to cry too loudly, otherwise, those 'companions' from the village would come looking for her.
Hmm?
Suddenly, Karin seemed to hear something, and her body involuntarily trembled.
"Who?"
The tears just now had blurred her glasses, making it impossible to see clearly.
But as soon as she asked, she thought of something. After a shiver, she extended her right hand. That right hand was covered in clear bite marks.
"Ah—"
Shinji, who had already snuck into the small house, couldn't help but sigh when he saw Karin, who was like a startled rabbit.
Karin became even more afraid when she heard this sigh, because this was not the voice her usual 'companions' from the village could make at all.
"W-who are you?" Ignoring the consequences, Karin asked.
At this moment, the dark clouds outside the window dispersed, and Karin gradually saw the person standing before her clearly.
A man?
But this man...
He's so handsome.
Due to the development of Yang Chakra, Shinji's hair was now completely white. In Karin's eyes, this man in front of her seemed like a legendary Sage.
"Karin." Shinji said.
"Eh..., yes, that's me." Karin was startled, then responded as if by instinct.
Shinji looked at Karin's arm, then at her face.
Finally, he spoke, "How about it? Do you want to leave this place with me?"
"Leave?"
Karin repeated the word, but the next moment, those terrifying memories clearly surfaced.
"No, they'll kill you."
Shinji was startled. He hadn't expected Karin to worry about his safety first.
But the next moment, he burst out laughing.
Hearing Shinji's laughter, Karin's body involuntarily trembled.
Seeing this, Shinji couldn't help but want to slap his own cheek. He knew she already had a stress reaction, yet he still laughed.
"Karin, let's go. I'll take you away." Shinji said again, still standing in place.
"Don't worry, no one can harm you."
Although it was the first time she had seen this man, his words inexplicably made Karin feel very warm.
But—
"No, you should leave quickly. They'll be here soon."
As one of the targets of the patrol, Karin clearly knew Kusagakure's patrol schedule.
Seeing this, Shinji helplessly covered his forehead.
Forget it.
The time was wrong, the place was wrong. It's better to take her away first. If he dragged this on any longer, something might really happen.
"Karin, don't worry, it'll only be a moment."
With that, Shinji's figure moved, and the next moment he appeared beside Karin.
A thin black thread was released from his finger. Karin, who was still looking terrified, instantly fell onto Shinji's shoulder.
Shinji couldn't help but rub his nose at the sight. Why did he feel like a suspicious old man now?
Pah!
Shaking off the random thoughts in his head, Shinji carried Karin and quietly snuck underground.
When Shinji reappeared, he had already arrived at the outskirts of Kusagakure. At this moment, Karin, who was on his shoulder, was still asleep.
Shinji looked back at the peaceful Kusagakure, thought for a moment, and a hint of coldness appeared on his face.
With a raised hand, an aura of destruction appeared in Shinji's hand.
It was a Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan, much smaller than the one he used on Eight-Tails in Moon Ring Gorge, and it felt light.
Shinji confirmed his target and headed towards the direction of the small house where Karin had been held. Then, without another thought, he quickly headed towards the Konoha forces that had already departed.
Boom—
A small mushroom cloud appeared above Kusagakure.
At this moment, Kusagakure, which had been incredibly quiet, instantly saw many ninjas surging towards the target.
However, when they reached halfway, they were left trembling all over by the sight before them.
The entire Kusagakure had been destroyed in half from the middle. As far as the eye could see, there was only the flames caused by the explosion and a massive basin.
—
"I say—"
Fugaku felt a headache at this moment, looking at Shinji in front of him, then involuntarily looking at the figure lying in the carriage.
"Shinji, what exactly did you go to do?"
Early the next morning, Fugaku saw Shinji approaching quickly. He was also carrying someone on his shoulder. This made Fugaku almost think Shinji had gone on some mission.
"Nothing much, just found a bloodline from Land of Whirlpools." Shinji shrugged very casually.
"Oh, a Land of Whirlpools bloodline." Hearing this, Fugaku first nodded, then looked at Shinji with disbelief.
"What did you say?!"
Shinji dug his ear in annoyance and looked at Fugaku. "A descendant of the Uzumaki clan."
"Really?" Fugaku asked in disbelief.
A descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
As early as when the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, Konoha had sent people to search for them. But there was almost no news.
Now Shinji was telling him that the person he brought back was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan?
"Don't worry, no one will suspect us." Shinji said helplessly.
Fugaku said, "What are you talking about?!"
"The Uzumaki clan are Konoha's partners, even our vests use their clan crest. Even if someone dares to come knocking, I will be the first to flatten them."
Shinji: "..."
Fugaku, oh Fugaku, you're so unfamiliar that I can't quite react.
Shinji shook his head helplessly. A descendant of the Uzumaki clan was not simple for Konoha. Even Naruto, a half-baked one, could exist as a Jinchuriki.
Karin was unlikely to be like that, but—
You know, some of the Fuinjutsu currently existing in Konoha require a pure Uzumaki bloodline to perform.