---
Kushina looks at Karin's red hair, senses the chakra in her body, and thinks, 'This child must be from my clan.'
Naruto pushes the timid Karin, who tugs at the corner of his shirt, forward and says, "Don't be afraid; everyone here is family. Tell us about yourself. How did you end up in Kusagakure? Has everything been okay?"
Jiraiya, standing nearby, hears Naruto refer to him as family and smiles happily.
Kushina looks at Karin with concern. "Yes, I might even be your aunt!"
It has been a long time since anyone has shown Karin such kindness, so she slowly begins to share her story.
In her memory, when she was very young, she wandered with her mother, who told her that their homeland had been overtaken by bad people.
They end up in the Land of Grass, where they are taken in by Kusagakure.
But outsiders like them aren't easily welcomed; they are grudgingly given a place to stay, and even finding food is a struggle.
One day, the shinobi of Kusagakure discover that Karin's mother has a special ability—anyone who bites her and absorbs her chakra can heal quickly, even from wounds deemed incurable.
From that day on, Karin's mother often goes to the hospital to help in exchange for food. She also begins wearing long-sleeved clothes all the time, even in the hottest weather.
Little Karin always thinks her mother is just working hard.
This goes on for a long time until one day, when Karin is waiting at home for her mother as usual, what comes instead is her cold, lifeless body. Karin sees her mother's arm hanging off the bed, covered in bite marks.
Karin cries, terrified, but the Kusagakure shinobi don't let her go. Instead, they take her to the hospital.
Unfortunately, Karin has the same ability as her mother.
So, Karin falls into the same fate. Day after day, she is bitten by different people to heal their injuries.
Even when she sleeps, she fears someone will come to take her to the hospital, as if she were born for this purpose.
The shinobi of Kusagakure tells her, "You and your mother are just outsiders. The village has taken care of you for so long; you have to give something in return."
Now, Karin's arms, shoulders, and legs are covered with dense bite marks.
Karin is deeply scared, with her mother's tragic fate still fresh in her memory. She doesn't know when she will die just as miserably. She hates her abilities.
As she recounts these memories, Karin's shoulders tremble, and she begins to cry.
Jiraiya looks out the window silently. He has witnessed many tragic things, but to do such a thing to a child... Kusagakure...
Minato clenches his fists, his knuckles turning white.
Tears well up in Kushina's eyes. She understands the pain and helplessness of living in a foreign land.
She has experienced the agony of sealing the Nine-Tails when she was young, but now she has her own home and can protect herself. But this child...
Kushina embraces Karin and comforts her. "Good girl, I'll be your mother from now on, and you'll be my daughter. No one will dare to bully you again!"
Karin, still terrified of Kusagakure, says, "But what if they come for me again..."
"They wouldn't dare!" Kushina's red hair flares up. "I still have to settle the score with them. If they so much as whisper your name, I'll blow their heads off!"
Minato adds with a reassuring smile, "I'll handle Kusagakure. Don't worry, you're my daughter now, and your father is the Hokage."
Looking at Kushina's flowing red hair and Minato's warm smile, Karin suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of security. She throws herself into Kushina's arms. "Mom—! Waaaaahhh..."
Karin cries, releasing all the grievances, pain, sorrow, and fear she has held in for so many years.
Kushina holds her close, one arm around her, and gently strokes her red hair, as bright as her own, with the other.
Time seems to pass slowly as Karin's voice grows hoarse, and her crying gradually subsides into small sobs.
Naruto, watching the scene, turns to Minato and asks, "Dad, do you know how many Kusagakure shinobi made it to the second round?"
Minato looks at the report Ibiki has submitted to him. "There are nine in total, including Karin."
"So that means there are six left."
"What are you planning?"
"Of course, I'm going to collect some interest. My sister's been bullied; how could I, her big brother, not do anything?"
However, Minato pulls out a file on Karin from the candidates' materials submitted by Kusagakure and says, "But according to this, Karin is older than you, Naruto."
"Huh?" Naruto is embarrassed. "So I'm the younger brother?"
"There's one more thing." Minato, trying to lighten the mood, pulls out another report. "Care to explain why you got a zero on the written test?"
"Ah, that—"
Kushina, noticing that Karin has calmed down, teases Naruto. "Getting a zero on a test, Naruto, now you have to call Karin 'sister.' I'll let it slide for Karin's sake, but otherwise..."
Naruto glances at Karin, who has wiped her tears and put her glasses back on, and reluctantly says, "Sis-sister—"
"Well, little brother with a zero on your test, please take care of me," Karin responds solemnly, then looks at Naruto's conflicted expression and bursts into a giggle.
"Hahaha..." The whole room joins in the laughter, and Naruto's earlier wounds are momentarily forgotten.
"Well, I should go and report to the main body." Naruto's clone suddenly looks away. 'We're just a clone after all. Let's make the main body suffer with this,' and then resolutely dispels himself.
...
The clone's memory returns to the original Naruto, about an hour later.
Along the way, Naruto and the others defeat a team from Otogakure and take down a tiger and a bear, all while continuing their journey.
Naruto, who has just lectured Sasuke on the famous saying, "Set fire to the mountain, sit in the bottom of the prison," suddenly stops and looks up at the sky.
"So I'm destined to be the younger brother?"
It isn't so bad with Kimimaro, but even Sasuke is older than him, and now there's Karin, who's also older.
Naruto sighs, thinking back to when he was three and used to say offhandedly that it would be nice to have a younger brother to boss around, or a younger sister to look after...
Sasuke notices Naruto's pensive look and asks, "What's wrong?"
Sakura also stops. "Did you sense an enemy?"
"No," Naruto snaps out of his thoughts and says determinedly, "I just want to do something!"
---
Read upto 20 chapters ahead on P@treon.
https://www.p@treon.com/Iamxeno
Drop some PS if you like the fanfic.
Thank you for reading.