"Eh?"
Karin looked blankly at Menma, whose expression had suddenly become slightly gentler.
"Heh, actually, I have a similar feeling. That is also the reason I didn't attack you. My name is Menma Uzumaki. What about you?"
Menma looked at Karin with a peaceful expression and spoke softly.
"Karin. My name is Karin."
Karin said somewhat timidly.
The sudden reversal of the situation left Karin's small head unable to process things immediately.
Mainly, she had actually been prepared for this red-haired boy not to believe her at all. After all, that would be the logical development. They were from different villages and meeting for the first time. Most importantly, what she said had absolutely no substantial proof. It sounded like a purely fabricated lie—who would believe her?
So, if Menma didn't believe her, or even wanted to attack her, Karin felt that would be normal.
It was just as she had said herself.
She had no room to choose.
Karin knew better than anyone how her mother had died. After her mother's tragic death, she had endured hellish treatment. She was terrified that in the future she would end up just like her mother, forced to bear one or even several children without even knowing who the father was, and then die miserably.
That kind of future was not the future Karin wanted.
So, she wanted to gamble here. Even if, in her view, the probability wasn't even one in ten thousand, she was willing to bet everything.
And now, she had won the bet, yet she felt overwhelmed.
Ah? Does this mean he believes me?
Karin felt a very surreal sensation in her heart.
Looking at the bewildered, and even slightly lost Karin...
Menma smiled gently, the expression on his face becoming much warmer.
Looking at the young girl before him, Menma couldn't help but recall the scene he saw twelve years ago when he first arrived in this world.
'Menma, I'm sorry to make you bear such a responsibility, but you are the older brother. The older brother must protect the younger brother. You must eat well, rest well, and grow up well together with Naruto. Don't pick up bad habits from Jiraiya-sensei... and... and... sorry, Menma, sorry... Naruto... sorry...'
The tear-stained face of that woman, who also had red hair.
For twelve years.
It had been engraved in Menma's mind.
It was true that they were just "cheap" parents he had picked up in this life, and he indeed had no emotional history with them. But his life in this world was given by them; that was undeniable.
If he felt absolutely nothing...
Then Menma would truly be a cold-blooded animal.
Father, Mother, we indeed don't have much emotional bond, but you gave me this life. I acknowledge this debt of birth. However, the path I choose is destined to run counter to Naruto's.
Menma took a deep breath, a very determined look appearing in his eyes. Subconsciously, he reached out his right hand and gently patted Karin's small head.
Karin seemed startled by Menma's action and instinctively wanted to flinch away, but in less than a second, she forcibly suppressed the urge.
Menma keenly noticed this and naturally retracted his right hand immediately.
"Karin? It's a very nice name. So, Karin, what are your plans next? You probably don't want to return to the Hidden Grass Village, right?"
Menma looked at Karin. Although he already had a plan in mind, he still wanted to ask what Karin's own thoughts were.
"Me? I don't know either. I've lived in the Hidden Grass Village since I was born. My mother passed away several years ago... I don't know where I can go."
Hearing Menma's question, Karin was stunned for a moment.
Then, a bitter expression appeared on her face.
For Karin, who was only twelve years old, she truly didn't know where her future lay.
"Then..."
"Can I follow you? Join the Hidden Leaf Village? I'm very useful! Just like I said earlier, I am a sensory ninja and a medical ninja. If you talk to the relevant people in your village, I should be able to join the Leaf, right?"
Just as Menma started to speak, Karin seemed to suddenly think of something. Her eyes lit up, and she looked up at Menma, asking with a look of hope.
Hearing Karin's words, Menma was also stunned subconsciously.
He hadn't expected Karin to be so thorough. This wasn't just a question of trust anymore; she basically meant to entrust everything to him, right?
Could first intuition really be this strong?
No.
No room to choose?
Recalling the sentence Karin had just spoken, Menma suddenly understood.
When a person has no choices, they truly grab onto whatever straw they can find.
However, joining the Hidden Leaf Village? That's truly a whimsical idea. I'm about to defect from the Leaf myself.
Menma thought to himself with some amusement.
But after hesitating slightly for a moment...
"Following me is naturally fine. However, Karin, are you willing to trust me?"
Menma looked at Karin and asked with a very serious expression.
"Ah? Of course I'm willing to trust you!"
Karin was startled at first, then nodded furiously.
"That's good. Follow me for now. I will arrange a true future for you."
Whether out of sympathy or personal intent...
Menma was definitely going to help Karin.
This was the correct course of action, both emotionally and logically.
Although Karin was a bit confused and didn't quite understand what Menma meant, she understood his words. In that instant, to say Karin had no hesitation, no fear, and no confusion would be a lie.
But in the end, she chose to believe in Menma.
The reason was still simple.
Among the choices currently available to her...
This felt like the most reliable and reasonable course of action.
"Mhm!"
Therefore, Karin hesitated no longer. Looking at Menma, she nodded heavily in response.
"In that case, let's go!"
Menma nodded with a smile and extended his right hand to Karin. Karin looked at Menma steadily, then without any hesitation, placed her right hand in his.
Whoosh!
Immediately after.
With a leap, the two of them left the spot together.
Leaving behind the cold corpses of the two Grass ninja lying in pools of blood.
And this was exactly what was happening all over the Forest of Death.
Killing—that is a ninja's trade, after all.