Karin pointed in a certain direction, and Naruto dug out the survivor.
But the boy clearly had no experience with such destructive forces.
Even after being rescued, he lay limply on the ground, as if he had lost all will to live.
Naruto shook his head slightly. "Karin, do you realize how dangerous it was just now?"
"Of course I know," Karin replied, lowering her head. "But I wanted to help… I didn't expect Naruto to be this strong."
After a moment, she brightened up. "Still, I survived, didn't I?"
Seeing Naruto's serious expression, she quickly avoided his gaze and said guiltily, "I… I was wrong. From now on, I'll obey orders and stop running around…"
Naruto shook his head. "Forget it. Let's not dwell on that. Let's meet up with Sasuke and the others."
Naruto found Sasuke and Sakura along with Karin.
During the battle, Sakura had dragged Sasuke away to a safe distance, so both of them were unharmed.
But the critical problem was this:
While Naruto was away, Sasuke had been attacked by Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had planted the Curse Seal of Heaven on Sasuke's neck.
Now Sasuke lay unconscious, and the chakra coursing through his body radiated a dark, malevolent aura.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He sent a Four Elephant Seal into Sasuke, suppressing Orochimaru's curse seal entirely within the sealed space.
Then Naruto, along with Sakura, took Karin and Sasuke to the hospital.
Many Chūnin exam candidates who had been removed from the site were already there.
When they saw Naruto, their faces expressed both gratitude and fear.
Gratitude — because Naruto had acted to stop Shukaku and prevented further casualties.
Fear — because Naruto's attacks were intense and indiscriminate, leaving several injured on the battlefield.
Not long after, Gaara was brought in as well.
At this point, the Sand Ninja's sealing team had already dealt with the Shukaku seal.
Elite Jōnin Baki of Sunagakure and an ANBU officer from Konoha were also present, discussing how to handle the aftermath.
Gaara, finally unconscious, could rest — the poor boy was able to sleep at last.
Three hours passed while the hospital treated the injured.
In the ward, three beds were lined up: Karin, Sasuke, and Gaara.
Inside the room were Naruto, Sakura, Temari, and Kankuro.
Outside in the corridor stood Baki and the ANBU officer from Konoha.
Although Karin had insisted she didn't need treatment, Naruto knew this kind of injury couldn't be taken lightly.
Karin was now sleeping soundly. Sasuke remained unconscious. Naruto and Sakura were assigned to guard them.
Kankuro walked in, wearing a confused expression.
Sakura instantly tensed. "What are you doing here? Stop!"
He was a ninja — and from another village. Even though they were allies on the surface, any unannounced approach was suspicious.
Kankuro quickly raised his hands. "I didn't bring any weapons. I just came to say thank you."
Sakura relaxed slightly. "Thank me?"
"Yes." Kankuro approached Naruto and bowed respectfully. "You're Uzumaki Naruto, right? Thank you for what you did for Gaara."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid of him? His tailed beast chakra went berserk. He should've died, but I stopped him. Aren't you relieved?"
Kankuro shook his head. "No. Gaara's character isn't what people think. Though he's hard to get along with now, he was a kind child growing up. We were cautious of him… understandably. But he's my brother."
Naruto nodded. He didn't need to respond further — stopping Shukaku was his mission, and any gratitude was incidental.
Yet one question piqued Naruto's curiosity.
"Can I ask you something?" he said.
Kankuro blinked but nodded. "Yes. If it doesn't involve secrets, I'll answer."
"Why do Sand Ninja paint their faces like that?" Naruto asked, staring at the intricate lines on Kankuro's face.
Kankuro paused, then smiled proudly. "It's not a secret. For a puppet master, the patterns indicate their rank — similar to the way villages assign Genin, Chūnin, and Jōnin ranks."
Naruto made a face. "Looks ugly…"
Kankuro: "..."
Temari, watching from the side, burst out laughing. "I've complained about that for years. Those patterns are just an old tradition!"
Even after Gaara's tailed beast chakra went berserk, the Chūnin exams were not canceled.
The Kazekage was on his way to Konoha.
Inside the hospital, Karin woke up first.
Originally, she planned to return to her village after waking.
But she changed her mind. She no longer intended to take the Chūnin exams, nor did she plan to leave Konoha.
As an Uzumaki, her decision quickly reached Hiruzen Sarutobi.
When Karin saw the legendary Hokage for the first time, she hesitated at the door.
Fortunately, an ANBU behind her encouraged, "Go in. The Hokage is very kind."
Heart racing, Karin stepped inside.
Seeing the legendary ninja, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled warmly. "Are you Uzumaki Karin?"
"I am," she said obediently.
Hiruzen didn't waste time. "Since you don't want to leave Konoha, would you like to become a ninja of our village?"
Karin blinked in shock. "Me? A Konoha ninja… like Naruto?"
Hiruzen smiled, having already made up his mind. His intelligence was impeccable — he already knew about Karin's abilities and potential.
"Yes. You'll become a Konoha ninja, just like little Naruto."
Karin's eyes widened. "Master Hokage… don't you worry I might be a spy from another village? Letting someone join so easily… it doesn't seem like you!"
Hiruzen shook his head. "No. I trust Naruto's judgment. Once you join, you'll be part of our family. The village will provide you with protection and resources."
He was already aware of Naruto's perverted tendencies. Even if Karin were a spy, her loyalty to the village would grow through her bond with Naruto.
Moreover, Karin was an Uzumaki. If she stayed and had a family here, the Uzumaki lineage could be reborn in Konoha within a few decades.
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