Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

After Kurama disappeared, Minato looked around the endless white space and sighed.

"Looks like we'll have to stand while we talk."

Kakashi blinked.

"Does that mean there used to be furniture here?"

Minato nodded at the completely empty world around them.

"Kurama-sama can create anything inside Naruto's mental world."

"It isn't physically real, of course."

"But I had hoped he'd at least leave us a couple of chairs."

"K-Kurama-sama?"

Kakashi looked confused.

"Sensei, what exactly is going on?"

"And why are you calling the Nine-Tails 'Kurama'?"

"There's no need to rush, Kakashi."

Before answering, Minato's expression became serious.

The man standing before him was no longer the child he remembered.

This was an adult.

A shinobi who had experienced life, loss, and war.

So Minato asked the question he truly cared about.

"Kakashi."

"In the current shinobi system, how do you think the ninja world can face an enemy—or multiple enemies—that no shinobi can possibly defeat?"

...

Meanwhile, outside Naruto's apartment.

Next to a garbage bin.

Karin had been sitting there in a daze for quite some time.

"Third day..."

"It's already the third day."

"He still hasn't come back."

"No..."

"More accurately, I still haven't run into him."

Her shoulders drooped.

"And the blond guy didn't come out today either."

"The last two days, around this time, he'd leave with his girlfriend."

"Then I'd ask him whether Sasuke came home the night before."

Maybe they were busy.

Yeah.

That had to be it.

She kicked a pebble absentmindedly.

"Why didn't I shout louder back then?"

"If I'd yelled louder, maybe he'd have heard me."

"Unless..."

A terrifying thought appeared.

"Unless he did hear me and deliberately ignored me?"

"Am I annoying?"

"Maybe I am..."

"But I only wanted to thank him for saving me..."

She continued muttering to herself as she slowly stood up.

After waiting all morning, she finally decided to leave.

She took several steps.

Turned a corner.

And immediately crashed into someone.

"Ow!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Rubbing her forehead, Karin bowed repeatedly.

She didn't even pick up her glasses first.

Years in Grass Village had left scars she hadn't yet escaped.

Whenever she interacted with others, she instinctively lowered herself.

Placed herself in the weaker position.

"It's fine."

"Just watch where you're going next time."

The person didn't seem bothered at all.

After casually replying, he continued walking.

"Yes, yes!"

"I definitely will nex—"

Karin froze.

That voice.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She looked up.

Her heart nearly stopped.

The black-haired boy had already walked several steps away.

His clothes were slightly dirty, as though he'd just returned from training.

Yet strangely enough, the fan-shaped crest on his back remained spotless.

But none of that mattered.

She only needed one glance at his profile.

Just one.

And she recognized him instantly.

"U-Uchiha Sasuke!"

The name exploded from her lungs.

Far louder than she'd intended.

Incredibly loud.

"Hmm?"

Sasuke paused and turned around.

He looked at the red-haired girl.

After searching his memory for a moment, he matched her current appearance to a much thinner and weaker-looking figure from before.

Naruto's clanswoman.

Her name was...

"Karin, right?"

"Are you looking for Naruto?"

"N-No!"

"I'm looking for you!"

"?"

Sasuke looked puzzled.

Not only because she was looking for him.

But because she seemed incapable of speaking at a normal volume.

Was she practicing some kind of voice-based technique?

"T-The thing is..."

"Um..."

Karin suddenly became dizzy.

Three days of waking up early.

Three days of staying out late.

Several consecutive shouts.

Her brain instantly ran out of oxygen.

The world tilted.

She stumbled backward.

This is so embarrassing—

Before she could fall—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

"!"

Karin's eyes widened.

"You're this weak?"

"Have you not been eating?"

Sasuke frowned.

Wasn't this girl under Konoha's protection now?

She was Naruto's clanswoman.

She had been rescued by Team Seven.

How could she look like she hadn't eaten properly?

The concern in his voice instantly revived Karin.

She raised her head.

And found herself staring directly into Sasuke's face.

His expression remained calm.

His eyes remained indifferent.

Yet through Karin's filter...

Everything changed.

In her vision.

Sasuke was glowing.

Radiant.

Sparkling.

Looking at her with deep affection.

"I-I wanted to thank you for saving me."

"So I wanted to invite you to dinner..."

"You don't need to."

Sasuke interrupted immediately.

Then he reached into his pocket.

"If you're hungry, use this to buy food."

"Huh?"

A money pouch landed in Karin's hands.

She blinked.

Completely confused.

Sasuke glanced toward the garbage bin she'd been hiding beside.

Then at the faint smell lingering on her clothes.

To his credit, he showed absolutely no disgust.

Nor did he deliberately create distance.

But he had clearly misunderstood something.

This girl looked hungry.

Weak.

Half-starved.

And now she was talking about treating him to dinner?

Obviously she was struggling financially.

So Sasuke arrived at a perfectly logical conclusion.

She was asking for help.

Then he produced a key.

"This is for the room on the second floor of the building to the east."

"If you don't have anywhere to stay, you can live there."

"No one will bother you."

"The village is probably treating things cautiously because you're not originally from Konoha."

"But things will improve."

"If you need anything, come find me or Naruto."

After saying that, Sasuke turned and walked away once again.

Leaving Karin standing there alone.

Staring blankly.

She looked at the pouch in her left hand.

Unaware it happened to contain money Sasuke had recently set aside for rent.

Then she looked at the key in her right hand.

Silence.

Several seconds passed.

Then suddenly—

Her eyes exploded with light.

"Wait..."

"This means..."

Her entire face turned bright red.

"This is..."

"An engagement gift and a marital home?!"

The scream echoed through the entire street.

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