"Uzumaki… Karin!?"
Yakumo blinked, then looked at Naruto in surprise.
"Is she… a relative of yours, Naruto-kun?"
"Half and half…" Naruto shook his head slightly.
Though he bore the Uzumaki name, he wasn't truly of the Uzumaki clan by blood.
"Alright. Let's go."
He withdrew his gaze and reached forward, pushing open an air door in front of him. The two stepped into the Hidden Grass Village.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Naruto instantly sensed how different this village was from Konoha.
Unlike the bustling and warm atmosphere of the Leaf, this place was suffocating. The people on the streets rushed past with their heads down, as if always afraid of something.
The few shinobi they saw wore fierce, sullen expressions.
"Naruto-kun…"
Yakumo clung to Naruto nervously.
"This is normal," he replied calmly.
"Small villages often live in fear of war. Shinobi here are colder, more brutal."
Yakumo slowly nodded, absorbing the information.
"Now then…" Naruto's eyes drifted to a passing shinobi, and he licked his lips.
A chill flashed through his eyes.
"Let's ask someone for directions."
He wasn't sure exactly where Karin was, but a chakra as unique as an Uzumaki's wouldn't go unnoticed in a small place like this.
He quickly picked a target.
Staying hidden within the air door, he followed a shinobi's path. Then, at just the right moment, he opened a new door behind him.
"...What was that sound?"
The Grass shinobi paused, glancing behind him. He'd just heard a door creak open out of thin air.
But as he turned—
Naruto's hand snapped out and gripped his throat like steel, yanking him violently through the air door.
"Creak."
The door closed silently behind them.
Inside the spatial pocket, Naruto threw the shinobi to the ground, planted a foot on his chest, and leaned down coldly.
"Where is Uzumaki Karin?"
The man choked but held firm, gritting his teeth.
"Who are you? Why have you infiltrated the Hidden Grass!? Surrender now, before our ninja—"
While speaking, his hand crept stealthily toward his weapon pouch.
Naruto didn't even look at him. He turned to Yakumo with a calm smile.
"Yakumo, I'll leave this one to you. His mouth is too hard. Make him talk."
Yakumo nodded, excited.
"Got it!"
She approached the captive, eager to finally be of help to Naruto. Her eyes glinted, and with a soft whisper—
"Genjutsu."
Immediately, the shinobi froze. His struggles ceased, his eyes grew vacant.
But only for a moment.
Soon, he began to wail, thrashing wildly, his voice filled with agony.
"AAAHHHH!! FIRE! THERE'S FIRE EVERYWHERE!! IT'S HOT—WHY IS THERE LAVA!?"
Though nothing surrounded them, his skin blistered and burned, his clothes igniting with invisible flames.
As if he truly were drowning in a sea of magma.
Naruto watched quietly, a faint smirk curling on his lips.
"Nicely done, Yakumo."
He had known it—if Yakumo could suppress her heart demon and recover her health, her combat power would skyrocket.
In the original story, even while frail, she'd nearly taken out Kurenai and Team 8.
In terms of raw talent, Yakumo was no weaker than Uchiha Itachi. It had only been her body that held her back.
Now with her demon sealed and her body healed, that restraint was gone.
The first genjutsu-type Kage-level powerhouse in the shinobi world…
Naruto smirked.
He knew well—being strong alone was never enough. Even monsters like Pain or Obito built organizations to gather allies and hunt the Tailed Beasts.
He would need strong followers too.
And Yakumo… was the beginning.
These thoughts passed through his mind in a flash.
Encouraged by Naruto's praise, Yakumo intensified her illusion.
The shinobi's screams reached a new pitch.
His whole body convulsed in phantom pain. His flesh steamed. His mind shattered.
And at last—
"OKAY!! I'LL TALK!! PLEASE, STOP!!"
"Uzumaki Karin, right!? The red-haired brat!? I know where they are—her and her mother!"
"They live in a rundown building on the western edge! It's where we go to heal after training!"
"You'll see them right away—they're always there, waiting for us to bite them!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Her mother? He'd nearly forgotten.
Yes, in Karin's backstory, her mother was still alive when she was young.
The village exploited their bloodline—biting them to heal from injuries—until her mother died from chakra exhaustion. Her dying wish was for Karin to escape…
"Naruto-kun, should I let him go?" Yakumo asked, pointing at the still-screaming shinobi.
Naruto glanced down.
"Kill him."
"Okay!"
Yakumo's eyes lit up as she pushed her chakra further.
The man's body convulsed one last time, engulfed in ghostly flames. His screams faded as he burned to ash.
Yakumo let out a satisfied breath.
Naruto stared at her for a long moment.
There was… something wrong with her.
She wasn't just capable of killing—she seemed to enjoy it.
When she saw his expression, Yakumo's cheeks turned red. She lowered her head and whispered shyly,
"I'm sorry… I don't know why, but… I don't hate this kind of thing. And I'm just happy I could help you, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto gave it some thought, then smiled and patted her head.
"No, you did well. We'll be fighting the Hokage one day. Killing will be normal for us."
Yakumo smiled sweetly, eyes filled with happiness.
Naruto then opened a new door and stepped through the space behind space.
In no time, they emerged elsewhere in the village.
Before them stood a crumbling house—its roof barely intact.
Inside, a red-haired mother and daughter waited quietly, too weak to even speak.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, ice flashing within them.
Found you.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]