The next morning, Naruto emerged for breakfast with Tsunami in his arms. Yukimi glanced at him, her eyes filled with subtle disappointment.
She had expected this outcome—there would definitely be more women by Naruto's side in the future. But they had only been together for a few days, and here he was, already with a second one. How many more would there be in the end?
Would he really, single-handedly, build an entire clan?
The thought of a clan led Yukimi to ask, "I remember there used to be a country called the Land of Whirlpools, and I think their people had the surname Uzumaki, right? It wasn't far from here, if I recall."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded casually while eating, replying absentmindedly, "Unfortunately, despite being innocent, they were wiped out by several of the great ninja villages who saw them as a threat. They united and destroyed both the Land of Whirlpools and its hidden village, Uzushiogakure."
"My mother escaped from there, and I took her surname. Now, there are hardly any Uzumaki left in the world..."
As Naruto said this, he suddenly paused, smacking his forehead as if something important had slipped his mind.
"What's wrong?" Yukimi asked, surprised by his reaction.
"I need to head to the Land of Grass!" Naruto slammed his chopsticks on the table and stood up abruptly.
In the entire world, only two Uzumaki remained alive—Nagato and Karin.
Naruto had no interest in Nagato, but Karin? She was someone he had to save. They could even restore the pure Uzumaki bloodline together.
But right now, Karin was suffering in the Land of Grass. He wasn't even sure if her mother was still alive.
"You're leaving now? Want me to come with you?" Yukimi stood up as well.
Seeing this, Tsunami also stopped eating breakfast and stood. She wasn't familiar with the affairs of ninjas and didn't catch most of the conversation between Naruto and Yukimi. She just hoped to meet Tazuna and Inari soon, though now wasn't the right time to bring it up.
"This is urgent. I need to move quickly on my own," Naruto explained, glancing at Tsunami. "She can meet Inari, but seeing Tazuna isn't a good idea right now."
Tazuna was set to be executed today, and a reunion would only lead to tears and pain. It was better to avoid unnecessary emotions.
Before Tsunami could say anything, Naruto vanished in a flash.
Tsunami opened her mouth, then turned to look at Yukimi.
"Don't look at me," Yukimi shrugged. "I'd love to help you, but I'm in the same position as you. I don't make the decisions here."
Tsunami could only sigh sadly, but she quickly composed herself. If she couldn't see Tazuna, at least she could meet Inari. She didn't want her child to see her in a weak state.
Naruto departed from the Land of Waves and raced toward the Land of Grass as fast as possible.
To reach the Land of Grass, he had to cross the entire Fire Country. Even for a ninja, this journey would take at least four to five days.
Naruto, however, didn't want to waste any time. He traded chakra with Kurama and activated his golden cloak mode, pushing himself to the limit.
Running without rest and sparing no energy, it still took him a day and a night to reach the border of the Land of Grass.
Along the way, he made sure to leave Flying Thunder God markings in multiple locations. Next time, he wouldn't have to rush.
The Land of Grass was in the midst of a war, engaged in violent conflict with neighboring small countries. The casualties were immense, and Naruto's heart grew heavy. This war was draining the life out of Karin's mother, forcing Karin to take her place as a healer.
"Kid, you're pushing yourself too hard," Kurama, sensing Naruto's urgency, warned him. "If you keep this up, you'll be in trouble if you run into any enemies."
Naruto sighed. "It's my fault for not remembering sooner. I don't know if I'm too late already, so I have to make up for lost time. But you're right—I'll rest before entering Kusagakure."
Karin was the last known Uzumaki female. She was far too important for Naruto to lose.
"If she's been harmed, I'll make the entire village pay," Naruto muttered, his eyes flashing with cold resolve.
Despite his rush, he held onto a sliver of hope—perhaps Karin's mother was still alive.
Regardless of his desperation, Kurama's advice was sound. When Naruto reached the outskirts of Kusagakure, he stopped to rest. Using Flying Thunder God, he transported himself to a nearby village to buy food and water, replenishing his energy.
Kurama hadn't drained too much of his chakra, so after about ten minutes of rest, Naruto was back at full strength.
Whoosh!
In an orange flash, Naruto zipped toward the center of Kusagakure. This wasn't Konoha—there were no protective barriers, and the guards were useless against him.
From his memory, Karin lived in a remote area of the village, in a lonely little wooden house. If you could even call it a home.
It wouldn't be hard to find, but there was no need—Naruto had already spotted Kusagakure's hospital.
If Karin's mother was still alive, she'd be there, serving as a human medical tool. If not, Karin had already taken her place.
It was still early morning, so Naruto expected to find one of them at the hospital. With his speed and stealth, he moved through the busy building unnoticed.
When he finally found what he was looking for, his heart sank. Karin had just been brought to the hospital by a Kusagakure ninja, taking her mother's place.
Unfortunately, her mother was already dead, lying in a small room, covered by a gray cloth.
Fortunately, Karin hadn't been tainted by anyone yet.
The Kusagakure ninja who had brought her here had tried to hide the truth, telling Karin that her mother couldn't treat all the wounded alone and needed her help.
But as they passed by the small room, the door was open, and Karin spotted the red hair and familiar shape of her mother's body.
"Mom!" she cried, rushing over. Before she could fully process her grief, her mother's arm slipped from under the cloth, revealing an arm full of bite marks.
"Ugh!" Karin gagged, horrified.
The Kusagakure ninja grabbed her roughly by the collar and dragged her away without any sympathy.
"Let go! Mom! Mom!" Karin struggled, crying loudly.
"We need to protect the village, and this is the only way," the ninja said coldly. "It's a shame your mother is gone, but many more people need healing."
He dragged Karin into a nearby ward filled with critically injured patients who groaned and screamed in agony.
As he spoke with the doctor, Karin tried to escape, but the ninja yanked her back.
"No! Let me go! Please!" Karin sobbed, helpless.
The ninja replied coldly, "We took you in when you had nowhere to go. It's time you earned your keep."
"And if they no longer have the ability to take care of her, what then?"
A voice, colder and filled with deadly intent, suddenly interrupted.