Time passed second by second, and it went on like this for a full ten long minutes.
During that time, Karin actually drank five whole bottles of the Water of Life one after another.
Orochimaru, who had been silently observing the whole time, finally spoke slowly, "Mm, that should be about enough..."
The moment his words fell, Rengoku, who had been watching closely, suddenly noticed that the life force that had been continuously flowing into Tsunade's body sharply slowed down.
If the previous flow rate was 100, now it was probably only around 10, a full ninety percent decrease.
Seeing this, the heavy weight hanging in Rengoku's chest finally dropped, and he let out a long breath.
Just now, Tsunade's body had clearly needed an enormous amount of life energy to support this difficult evolution process.
No wonder Orochimaru had waited for him to return before proceeding with this step.
Time continued to pass. Another five minutes later, Orochimaru made another gesture, indicating that everything could stop now.
Then, he said softly to everyone, "Alright, you should all go back and rest well. I'll take care of things here."
Hearing this, Rengoku quickly reached out and gently wrapped an arm around Karin, who was already extremely drowsy and almost unable to stand, preparing to take her home first.
After all, Karin had just drunk a large amount of the Water of Life. Right now, her eyelids were drooping heavily, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
In a daze, she murmured, "Is it over, Shishou?"
Rengoku replied gently, "It's done. Go to sleep first, I'll take you home."
"Mmm... mmm... Shishou, carry me..."
Along with that soft murmur, Karin slowly closed her eyes and drifted into a sweet dream.
Looking at Karin curled up in his arms like a little kitten, Rengoku couldn't help but feel a surge of tenderness.
He extended his arms and gently lifted her up in a bridal carry.
Karin's body was held in Rengoku's embrace in a princess carry, her head naturally resting against his chest.
Feeling her steady breathing and the slight rise and fall of her body, Rengoku unconsciously slowed his steps.
After adjusting how he held her, he began walking toward Karin's home.
His pace was steady, and Karin, held in his arms, slept soundly the entire way like a quiet little cat.
It was early summer, and a gentle breeze drifted by, bringing a refreshing coolness that felt incredibly comfortable.
Even in her sleep, Karin seemed to feel the cool air. She shifted slightly in a daze and burrowed deeper into Rengoku's warm embrace.
Rengoku lowered his head to glance at her and couldn't help but smile.
Before long, he arrived at Karin's front door. A shadow clone rose from his shadow, reached out, took Karin's small hand, and placed it on the door handle.
Then Rengoku lightly tapped the back of her hand with his finger.
A soft "beep" sounded, and the door unlocked.
This was a chakra-recognition lock made with advanced technology. As long as specific chakra was input, the door could be easily opened.
Because chakra has unique properties and characteristics, perfectly imitating it isn't easy.
As a result, this kind of chakra-recognition lock had always been very popular on the market, with impressive sales.
A closer look revealed a small scorpion emblem, about the size of a fingertip, engraved above the latch.
This was a creation of the genius puppet master, Sasori of the Red Sand.
As everyone knew, Sasori had extremely high mastery in the design of mechanisms, hidden weapons, and all kinds of intricate devices. Items made by him were often both practical and artistic.
Just as Rengoku was about to push the door open and go inside, the door was suddenly pulled open from within.
A beautiful figure appeared at the doorway. It was Kasui, and she was holding a delicate box in her hand.
When Kasui saw Rengoku carrying the sleeping Karin, she was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and respectfully bowed to him, "Lord Rengoku."
Rengoku smiled and nodded at her, speaking softly, "She's a bit tired, so she fell asleep on the way. Seeing her like this, I brought her back first."
Kasui had already known about the relationship between the two.
In her view, someone as outstanding and exceptional as Rengoku being with Karin was undoubtedly Karin's good fortune.
So seeing the two so close, she had no intention of objecting.
She gave a slight nod, offering Rengoku an apologetic smile, and said softly, "I'm really sorry, Lord Rengoku, for troubling you."
Hearing that, Rengoku's gaze drifted to Karin, who was still immersed in a sweet dream, and he replied gently, "It's no trouble at all. I like Karin."
Kasui understood the double meaning in his words, and a bright smile blossomed on her face.
Then she bowed to him once more with utmost seriousness and said sincerely, "I need to hurry to the laboratory to assist with work. I'll probably be quite busy for a while and won't be able to come home to take care of Karin."
"I hope Lord Rengoku can take a bit of extra trouble to look after her in my place."
Rengoku smiled and nodded lightly, indicating that he understood.
In truth, Karin was already grown up. There was no need for someone to take care of her. It was obvious Kasui was making space for the two of them.
With a crisp "click," the door closed.
Rengoku carried the still deeply asleep Karin and walked into the bedroom with light steps.
After entering, he looked around the room with interest.
Time had flown by, and five full years had passed in the blink of an eye, yet the bedroom hadn't changed much. Only a few delicate decorations had been added.
A closer look showed that most of these new items were in shades of purple, giving the whole room a warmer, more romantic feel.
Holding Karin, Rengoku walked to the bedside and gently placed her onto the bed.
But just then, he turned his head to look at her.
Karin slowly opened her eyes. With that drowsy, half-awake look, she resembled a little kitten that had just woken up, her gaze hazy and unfocused as she looked at him.
Rengoku spoke softly, coaxing her, "Be good and go to sleep."
After saying that, he carefully removed her shoes and gently covered her with a blanket.
Karin didn't seem to want him to leave. She instinctively reached out her small hand, tightly grabbing the corner of his clothes, and muttered, "Shishou, don't go. I miss you so much…"
Seeing this, Rengoku's heart softened. He reached out his hand and gently rubbed her soft cheek, comforting her, "When you wake up and open your eyes, I'll be the first thing you see."
But Karin still refused to let go. She stretched out her arms again, wrapping them around Rengoku's waist, pressing her small head firmly into his chest like a clingy child, murmuring repeatedly,
"Shishou, stay with me…"
After hesitating for a moment, Rengoku finally gave in to her pleading. He slowly took off his shoes, then carefully sat on the edge of the bed, and finally lay down beside her.
Feeling his presence, Karin was overjoyed. Like an octopus, she fumbled her way to wrap her arms around his long neck, her whole body pressing heavily against his broad chest.
After adjusting herself a few times, she finally found the most comfortable position, her breathing becoming steady as she quietly fell into a deep sleep.
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