Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Prying the severed hand from her throat with all her strength, Karin clutched her neck and coughed violently.

"You can get up now."

When she followed the voice and looked up, her blurred vision gradually cleared.

Sasuke's handsome yet cold face was reflected in her crimson eyes.

He's so good-looking.

That was the first thought that crossed Karin's mind after surviving death.

For a girl barely twelve years old, no matter how tragic her past had been, there was still a small corner of her heart reserved for fairy tales and romance.

A princess trapped in a demon's grasp.

A handsome hero descending from the heavens to save her.

The reality wasn't exactly like her fantasy, but her heart still began beating faster.

"Th-Thank you... You are...?"

After staring blankly for a moment, Karin hurriedly thanked him.

Before she could continue, a cheerful laugh interrupted.

"Hehehe! Sasuke, you lost!"

Naruto walked over with his hands behind his head, grinning from ear to ear after helping Sasuke knock out the two Grass ninja sneaking up behind him.

So his name is Sasuke...

Karin silently committed it to memory.

"Lost what?"

"I beat more people than you did!"

"I even took down the boss! No matter how you count it, I win!"

"When did I agree to compete?"

With both hands stuffed into his pockets, Sasuke simply refused to acknowledge the contest.

Deep down, however, he quietly updated a mental record.

0 wins, 199 losses.

"The boss? Defeated?"

Karin froze.

She immediately turned toward where the Grass leader had been standing.

The man she had always feared—the arrogant, untouchable leader of the Grass ninja—was now lying on the ground with rolled-back eyes, no different from the rest of the defeated thugs.

"No way... He's a jōnin... and he was defeated just like that..."

Though Karin's world had mostly been limited to Kusagakure, she knew the leader was among the village's strongest ninja.

Yet these two boys, who looked about her age, had defeated him effortlessly.

Even though Naruto had been the one to do it, Karin barely noticed.

In her eyes, Sasuke had to be the stronger one.

Not only the leader—even the Grass ninja who had strutted around bullying her not long ago were now sprawled across the ground.

And it had all happened within minutes.

So this is the level of Konoha shinobi?

"That's ridiculous..."

She muttered unconsciously.

"Hm?"

Naruto tilted his head.

"Hey, Sasuke. Who's she? Just some random person?"

"She was wearing the same headband as the others."

"Oh. That's true."

Naruto looked at Karin's Grass Village forehead protector.

"But I never felt the same hostility from her."

Then his eyes landed on her hair.

"Red hair..."

"I feel like I've heard something about that before."

"That Grass ninja said she's from the Uzumaki Clan."

"Same surname as yours."

Sasuke deliberately made it sound casual.

Still, his eyes remained fixed on Naruto's reaction.

After all, unlike himself, Naruto had grown up alone.

Maybe clues about family would matter to him.

The Uzumaki Clan?

"She belongs to the same clan as your mother, Uzumaki Kushina."

Kurama's voice echoed inside Naruto's mind.

Then... does that make her family?

Naruto was surprised.

From Kurama's tone, it sounded like he knew who Karin was.

"...This old man isn't very familiar with human family relationships."

Kurama fell silent briefly before continuing.

"According to Minato, she's more like a clanswoman. Your mother's direct relatives all perished during the wars."

I see...

Naruto thought quietly for a moment.

Then he turned toward Karin.

"What's your name?"

"How old are you?"

"Me?"

Karin blinked.

The blond boy's eyes were sincere.

His chakra felt strangely warm and comforting to her.

For some reason, she found herself relaxing.

Then she suddenly remembered—

In his eyes, she was probably a prisoner.

Maybe this was an interrogation.

If she didn't answer honestly, perhaps he wouldn't remain so friendly.

Thinking that, she hurriedly replied:

"My name is Karin! I'm twelve years old!"

"Twelve too, huh..."

Naruto frowned.

"Then when's your birthday?"

"June... June twentieth."

"Urgh..."

"Older than me..."

Naruto's face immediately darkened.

Looking at how frail Karin seemed, he'd subconsciously assumed she was younger.

He'd nearly put on the attitude of an older brother just moments ago.

That would've been embarrassing.

Under Minato's guidance through countless dreams, Naruto had developed healthier eating and training habits.

His physique was far more developed than most children his age.

Even standing beside Sasuke, most people wouldn't assume Sasuke was older.

Since Karin belonged to his mother's clan, Naruto was genuinely happy to meet someone connected to her.

To him, that made her something like family.

Unfortunately, Naruto's expression was completely misunderstood.

Karin immediately panicked.

"I-I'm not lying!"

"I'm really not lying!"

"Please don't hit me!"

"Huh?"

A short while later—

Kakashi, Hinata, and Mei, having finished dealing with the bounty hunters aboard the ship, arrived as well.

"Kusagakure and the Uzumaki Clan..."

Looking at the fallen Grass ninja and then at Karin—who was currently having her injuries treated by Hinata—Kakashi let out a sigh.

"This is a serious matter."

"We'll need to report it to the Hokage."

"So, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto asked, "did you find anything out?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"The information about Jiraiya was fabricated."

"Karin's homeland has become nothing more than a convenient place for people like them to lure victims and set up ambushes."

"The fake lead was only meant to draw us here and coordinate with the ninja waiting in hiding."

Kakashi explained.

Then he looked toward the distant ruins of Uzushiogakure.

Finally, he turned to Naruto.

"Do you want to take a look?"

Among everyone present, only Kakashi knew Naruto's true origins.

The question carried no hidden meaning.

He simply wanted to give Naruto a reason.

A chance to visit the homeland where his mother had once lived.

After months of traveling together, Kakashi had become increasingly convinced that Naruto already knew the truth about his heritage.

Too many signs pointed to Minato's influence.

His fighting style.

The techniques he knew.

The way he treated people.

Even the fact that he already had a girlfriend at such a young age.

After all, Minato had been pretty successful in that department.

Unlike Kakashi, who still couldn't figure out what Mei was really thinking.

Unfortunately, Minato had never taught him that part.

Still, despite nearly half a year passing, Minato had never contacted him directly.

Kakashi assumed his teacher had his own reasons.

That was why he had never asked Naruto about it.

"I..."

Naruto was just about to answer when Kurama's voice suddenly sounded again inside his mind.

"Naruto."

"Minato wants you to leave a Flying Thunder God marker here."

"Then find an opportunity to visit the Uzumaki Clan shrine alone."

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