Finally, only Team 7's three members and the red-haired girl remained.
"Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke!"
Naruto, pulling Karin along, rushed excitedly up to the two of them, his face radiating pure joy, "Listen, Karin is from the Uzumaki Clan too… she's my family! But..."
His tone suddenly dropped, a flash of anger passing through his eyes as he recounted every detail of Karin's experiences in Kusagakure.
Kakashi listened quietly. His usually lazy, half-lidded eye grew imperceptibly darker upon hearing about the fate of Karin's mother.
"...And that's how it was!" Naruto finished, looking up at Kakashi with a nearly pleading expression, "Kakashi-sensei, you must have a way, right?"
"Let Karin stay in Konoha! She shouldn't have to go back to that terrible village!"
Karin nervously twisted the hem of her shirt, keeping her head down, afraid to meet Kakashi's gaze.
She was afraid. Afraid of hearing a refusal from this Jonin's lips.
Kakashi was silent for a moment, then finally raised a hand and gently rested it on Karin's vibrant red hair.
"Don't worry."
His voice was calm, "The village will take care of your identity."
"A small village like Kusagakure wouldn't dare question Konoha over a single Genin."
"Really?!" Naruto instantly cheered.
Karin's head shot up, her eyes behind her glasses filled with joy.
"That's great, Karin!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her vigorously, "From today on, you're a Konoha's Shinobi! No one can ever bully you again!"
"Y-yes!" Karin, dizzy from the shaking, nodded emphatically.
Watching the two celebrating before him, a flicker of something akin to disappointment passed through Sasuke's eyes.
"Is that all?" A cold voice cut through the air without warning.
Naruto and Karin's cheers died instantly. Both looked uncertainly toward the black-haired boy who had been leaning against the wall the entire time.
Sasuke slowly straightened up and walked over to them step by step.
He didn't look at Naruto. His gaze was locked intently on Karin.
"Those who killed your mother. Those scum who used you as a tool…" Sasuke's voice was quiet, yet it sent a chill down the spine, "You're just going to let it go?"
Karin's body jolted. The joy on her face vanished completely.
"Don't you want revenge?"
'Revenge?'
The word made Karin freeze completely.
She had thought about escaping, about seeking shelter, but she had never considered that word.
It was too distant, too extravagant.
"I..." Karin's mouth opened, but no words came out.
"Sasuke! What are you saying?!" Naruto finally snapped out of it. He stepped forward, shielding Karin, and retorted loudly at Sasuke.
"Karin finally escaped that place! The most important thing now is to start a new life! Revenge or whatever…"
"Shut up, idiot." Sasuke's eyes turned cold as he glanced at Naruto, "You don't understand anything."
He stepped past Naruto and looked again at the trembling red-haired girl.
"Let me ask you…" Sasuke's voice carried a tone of frustrated impatience, "Isn't hatred a natural emotion?"
"Isn't it right to wash away that humiliation with the blood of your enemies when they've taken your family and trampled your dignity?"
"Or..."
Sasuke's lips curled up in a sarcastic arc, "Have you gotten so used to being used like livestock that you've even worn away the will to fight back?"
"That's not true! I haven't!" Karin jerked her head up, refuting him through tears.
"Then prove it to me." Sasuke's voice remained icy, "Running away and seeking shelter only earn you pity."
"Only power, only crushing everyone who ever hurt you underfoot, can bring true respect."
His words tempted the suppressed hatred deep within Karin's heart.
"Sasuke, that's enough." Kakashi's voice intervened at the right moment. He walked to Sasuke's side, placed a hand on his shoulder, and stopped him from continuing.
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi's hand, ultimately just snorted coldly, and said no more.
The entire hall fell into silence.
Karin hung her head, her body trembling slightly. No one knew what she was thinking.
After a long while, it was Naruto who broke the silence.
"I might not understand all that complicated stuff you're talking about..." Naruto's voice was low, but he lifted his head and looked directly at Sasuke.
"But family is meant to be protected!"
He turned to Kakashi, then looked at Sasuke, took a deep breath, and made a suggestion no one expected.
"Kakashi-sensei, let Karin join our Team 7!"
"Huh?!" Kakashi and Karin were both stunned.
"Our team was missing one person anyway, right?" Naruto grinned, "Now that Karin's here, it's perfect! Three people is the ideal team size!"
He looked at Sasuke, his eyes filled with seriousness.
"I'll protect her, and I'll help her get stronger." Naruto paused, his tone carrying a hint of challenge, "Until one day, she doesn't need to run anymore… she can handle it all herself!"
"As for now, what she needs is a home, a place where she can feel safe. Not to be consumed by the flames of revenge."
These words caused Sasuke's pupils to contract almost imperceptibly.
Kakashi looked at his student, who seemed to have matured in an instant, then at Sasuke, who offered no further rebuttal.
"Sigh, you two really are something else." Kakashi scratched his head helplessly, a gratified smile finally appearing on his face.
"Alright." He said, turning his gaze back to Naruto, ultimately agreeing, "I'll discuss this matter with Hokage-sama."
"However." He added, his tone softening as he looked at Karin, "Karin's own wishes are most important."
Karin slowly raised her head, her eyes welling up with tears once more behind her glasses.
But this time, it wasn't out of sorrow.
She nodded emphatically.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Tower.
The recent unpleasant argument with Danzo over the Jinchuriki's ownership had already drained what little energy Hiruzen had left.
Exhausted, he rubbed the space between his brows. He couldn't focus on a single one of the mountains of documents piled on his desk.
That student of his, who had gone down the wrong path, had actually sneaked back into the village.
He had even clashed with Sasuke. And the strength Uchiha Sasuke displayed was beyond his expectations.
'What was his goal?'
'Was it for those eyes? Was that why he was targeting Sasuke, the sole survivor?'
An even more unsettling thought surfaced.
'Could Orochimaru's target have been Naruto from the very beginning?'
Hiruzen's brow furrowed deeply. He picked up his smoking pipe and took a long, heavy drag.
He was old.
Neither his mental nor physical strength could maintain the firm grip on everything he once held in his youth.
And others in the village were simply outmatched when facing an opponent of Orochimaru's caliber.
After a long period of contemplation, the ember in his pipe gradually died beneath the ash.
Hiruzen placed the cold pipe on the desk and took a scroll from a drawer.
'Whether it was concerning Orochimaru... or Naruto...'
'Having him return to handle it was the best choice.'
Ink spread across the scroll, eventually coalescing into a few hastily scrawled characters:
Jiraiya!
---
Check out My Patreon For 40+ Advanced Chapters:
Pat reon.com/IamPoorGuyToo