Title:: New Beginnings
...
The door creaked open as a figure walked into the dimly lit room. Shun stepped into the dilapidated house.
Karin, recognizing him, greeted with a mixture of relief and surprise. Mei, however, remained unaware of Shun's connection to her daughter.
"Karin, you're safe," Shun said, his voice carrying a calm reassurance. Mei, noticing the unfamiliar voice, tensed, a protective instinct awakening within her.
"Who are you?" Mei's gaze narrowed, her eyes assessing Shun with suspicion. She knew nearly all the Jounins and Chunins of Kusagakure and Shun wasn't a familiar face.
She had previously come to an agreement with Genshiro that as long as she lived, Karin would be spared from the treatment she got.
That was why she jumped at the first opportunity to allow her child to leave the village and become a Shinobi.
Even if becoming one was life threatening, it was better than having her daughter ending up in her situation.
"Mom, this is Shun. He helped me during the weeks we were apart," Karin explained, her tone a delicate balance between seeking understanding and maintaining trust.
Mei's expression remained guarded. "Why haven't I heard of you before?"
Shun, sensing the unease, spoke with a measured sincerity. "No need for hostilities. I'm not from Kusagakure. As an older Uzumaki, you should have heard of my clan before. The Tengoku Clan."
Mei's eyes widened for a split second before her protective instincts heightened. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
Shun met Mei's gaze without flinching. "I only want to help and protect Karin. She's important."
The air in the room seemed to crackle with tension as Mei scrutinized Shun. Karin, caught in the crossfire, spoke softly, "Mom, he's trustworthy. Please, I trust him."
"You..."
"You don't need to look at your daughter like that Uzumaki-san. I'm Tengoku Shun and I took an interest in your daughter's talent and wish to teach her as her teacher."
"I was already aware of her predicament as soon as I met her. It's rare to see a stray Uzumaki, so I sent a couple friends to find her origins. This led me to you."
Mei's eyes softened, torn between skepticism and her daughter's plea. Shun, sensing the delicate balance, spoke again, "I understand your concern. I've only ever acted with Karin's well-being in mind."
"A-alright, please come in. Sorry I can't entertain you properly." She said with a wry smile.
Shun smiled at that and shook his head. "You don't need to bother yourself. I, however, would like to take a look at your body."
"What!?" Both Karin and Mei glared at me. Karin even went an extra mile to stand In Front of her mother protectively.
"You're just like the rest of them I see." Mei said resignedly.
"What's the matter with you two? Look..." Shun sighed and raised his hands to show a green coated palm, signifying his status as a medical nin.
Seeing their attention had been had, he continued. "I'm a medical nin myself and I wish to take you both out of the village, but first, I would like to treat the scars on your body. You wouldn't happen to want those, do you?"
Mei's eyes softened once more as her gaze towards Shun changed for the better.
The fact that Shun was a medical nin was a plus in her book. The very reason why she was in this situation was due to the lack of medical nins in Kusagakure.
And with her in the village, no one thought it to be a good idea to learn.
Their limited mindset only had them thinking of the present and not the future. Even with their future mindset, they only had their eyes on Karin should Mei kick the bucket.
Her body made it so she could heal any and all forms of illness. That was godsent in a way, but unfortunately, as the possessor of such a unique body constitution, she couldn't heal herself.
Karin didn't really understand what the green light on Shun's hands were but she knew Shun wouldn't hurt her mother, her protective side only got the better of her, making her stand against her protector.
Noticing her blunder, she hurriedly wanted to bow in apologies but found she couldn't. Looking up, she saw Shun smiling at her, and at that moment, she felt his goodwill towards her.
As for Shun, he knew that no woman would want to have scar on their bodies, no matter how mentally strong they were, so after a few seconds of contemplation, Mei nodded her head.
...
Shun's POV
As Mei allowed me the sight of her body, her emaciated form spoke of relentless malnourishment, harsh treatment as well as chakra exhaustion.
A map of bite scars adorned her skin, silent witnesses to the struggles endured in a place where survival left its indelible mark. The entirety of her body was riddled with marks of different sizes.
'I'm truly sorry for this...' I shook my head at her body before proceeding to heal her.
If I hadn't allowed her to live a couple more years, she could've been dead earlier on, leaving this painful life, but as a mother, I would like to believe she wouldn't want to leave her daughter to suffer the same.
"If..." I muttered.
"Hmm?"
"If you were given an option. A couple years back, to end this life. Would you have taken it?" I asked. I didn't feel guilty. No, I just needed to see how my actions affected her.
Whether I made the right choice or not. Whether my interference was a necessity or just mere thought.
"Never!" She resolutely said.
"Why?"
"And leave my daughter in this world? I would rather endure a lifetime of suffering than let her suffer the same." She said with a fierce light causing me to die.
"So it was worth it..."
"Yes. It was definitely worth it." She answered.
"I see. Then I hope you enjoy your freedom. Any ideas?" I changed the topic as I smiled.
I smiled because it was a necessity.
As a God. A Creator. I know that actions within a certain boundary have Consequences.
If living was an action. Death would be the consequence.
No matter what, everything happens for a reason, and all choices, whether good or bad, end up leading to one destination. Death.
The Question then was, Was It a life worth living? Was it a Happy Death? Did you one live the life they deserved? Did one die a death worthy of the Status?
All these were questions the human mind doesn't usually go to till their last moments. But what if they knew the moment?
What if they knew when they would meet their end? Would their life be any different? Would their death then be on their own terms?
All these were questions that I could answer, but yet, the human mind is so complex that it makes simple hard and hard simple.
"Are you listening, Sensei?"
"Of course, but I'm sure you know, your mother can't really follow us as we'll be traveling round the world." I asked the excited girl.
Seeing color return to her mother's face as well as the marks she had grown accustomed to seeing recede, she brought up a couple of plans she had already made in hopes of this day.
Hearing my question, she deflated visibly causing Mei to chuckle. "Shun-san. I'm really grateful for what you've done and what you're doing for my Karin. But I would ask you to please continue taking care of her."
"Kaa-san!" Karin shouted in horror. To her, it seemed like her mother just sold her off to me.
Seeing their two reactions, I smiled and shook my head. "You don't need to ask me. I'll do my best when it comes to her. And as for you, I know the perfect place, I'm sure you will like it."
Turning to Karin, I continued. "I am not separating you from your mother. You said you wanted to be strong. Or have you forgotten about your Naruto-kun?"
"Naruto-kun?" Mei asked with a raised eyebrow causing Karin to blush and hide her face in her hands.
"Hm. He's an Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto, the son of Kushina Uzumaki. You might know of her."
"Kushina-chan?!" Mei asked in surprise. "She's still alive?"
"As I expected, you do know of her." I nodded and said. "She is alive in a sense and dead too in a sense."
"Of course I know her, we all played together in our childhood. It wasn't until we had a bloodline test and she was determined to be the strongest of us all that she was taken away from Uzushio." Mei recounted.
"I see. Well, she had a relatively bad life here in Konoha until she met her prince charming." I chuckled as I recalled how restricted Kushina was in Konoha till Minato made a name for himself.
"Prince Charming? She's a princess?!" Mei asked in surprise
"Eh? No... Yes....No, well, yes, in a way, she is, or was. Anyways. Karin, if you don't get stronger Hinata-chan will take him away y'know?"
Karin blushed even deeper at the mention of Naruto. "S-sensei, that's not fair!"
Mei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Hinata, you say?"
"Hmm, a Hyūga. As for Naruto..." I then proceeded to give her a summary of Naruto's unfortunate life after the death of Minato and Kushina's coma.
Mei's eyes softened as she thought about her childhood friend. "I'm glad to hear she found happiness. But what does this have to do with Karin's training?"
"Well," I continued, "Naruto is one pure kid; he has goals and all. His determination, the bonds he formed, and overcoming challenges. He's one great Shinobi in the bud."
Karin, still blushing, mumbled, "I... I do admire Naruto-kun's strength and kindness."
Mei chuckled, "Well, if it helps you grow stronger and find your own path, then I'm all for it. Just promise me you'll come back to visit."
Karin beamed, "I promise, Mom!"
"See? Simple, and I'll even be the one to personally send her back periodically, so fear not." I said with a reassuring smile putting the two at peace.
....
As the trio walked back to Konoha, the lush greenery surrounding them seemed to resonate with a newfound sense of freedom. Mei, despite her weakened state, walked with determination, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and curiosity.
Karin, excited about the prospect of training and the adventures ahead, occasionally stole glances at her mother, ensuring she was holding up well.
Shun, leading the way, maintained a watchful eye on both.
The journey on foot provided an opportunity for conversations. Mei, curious about the changes in the shinobi world, asked Shun about recent events and developments.
Shun, in turn, shared stories of the changing landscape, right from the third Shinobi war till date.
He also made mention of some events that happened following the destruction of the Uzumaki clan.
Mei couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia hearing about Naruto and Kushina, her childhood friend.
The realization that she had missed so much weighed on her, but she found solace in the fact that Kushina had found happiness.
'What a woman.' Shun thought. Although he knew the Uzumaki were, to an extent, inherently good natured, seeing the woman accept everything around her with so much peace couldn't help but admire.
"Ne, Sensei." Karin called out.
"Hmm?"
"Why are we walking? If we continue like this, we won't make it to Konoha in days."
"Oh, I am aware." Shun answered nonchalantly and continued his gist with Mei.
"How about my training then? If we don't start soon, I'll lag behind." Karin pouted.
After getting used to Shun's flying abilities as well as his teleportation, walking now felt bothersome to her.
"Listen Karin, I once told this to my brother a couple years back." Shun began seriously as he turned to Karin. "Walking is a Jutsu on its own. You won't know its value now, but soon, you'll come to understand."
"How is that possible? How can walking be a Jutsu? You're messing with me right!?"
"Listen to your Sensei, Karin. He knows what he's saying." Mei shushed her daughter much to her despair.
Looking at the combination of Shun and her mother against her, Karin could only pout and swear to get back at the duo in the future.
As for Shun, he was actually waiting for Tsunade's arrival at Konoha before he returned.
…