A few days later.
In the Land of Grass, on the outskirts of Kusagakure.
A lone, secluded grass hut sat far from the village's central area.
Emerging from the inner parts of the village, a red-haired woman, exhausted and pale, staggered alongside a bald, fierce-looking man wearing a Kusagakure headband.
The woman was extremely weak.
Her steps were unsteady, as if she could collapse at any moment.
But sheer determination kept her on her feet.
What made one's scalp tingle with discomfort were the numerous bite marks covering her arms and even her neck.
The bald man next to her remained completely indifferent, not even bothering to extend a hand to steady her.
He ignored her fragile condition, paying no heed to her well-being.
He acted as if he couldn't care less whether she lived or died.
"Mom."
Just then—
A red-haired girl, about seven or eight years old and wearing glasses, heard the commotion and rushed out of the hut, running over to meet them.
"Karin."
A hint of light appeared in the woman's dull eyes as she looked at her red-haired daughter.
She embraced the little girl warmly.
"This is your reward for today's hard work. Rest well," the bald man said coldly, tossing two pieces of bread at them.
Looking at the woman, he said indifferently, "The front lines are getting more intense. Tomorrow, we'll need your abilities again to treat Kusagakure's wounded!"
"Wait! My mom is already so tired. Why won't you let her rest for a bit?"
The young girl, her fists clenched tightly, looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Karin, don't say such things…" The woman comforted her daughter, picking up the bread and lowering her head respectfully. "Yes, I understand, sir."
The bald man angrily replied, "You have lost your home and would be no better than beggars, barely qualified to survive at all… Kusagakure has given you shelter, so it's only natural that you work hard to repay us."
"I'll come to get you in the morning."
With that, he turned and left without another word.
"Mom…"
Watching her mother, who was clearly on the verge of collapse but forced to pretend she was fine, Karin's lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.
"If you keep going like this… you'll die!"
"Don't worry, I can hold on," the woman said softly, comforting her daughter.
"As long as I keep working hard for them, we'll eventually be accepted into Kusagakure as full members. We won't have to live outside the village anymore."
"Be good. You must be hungry. Eat up."
The woman gave her daughter a faint smile, tearing one of the pieces of bread in half and keeping only a small piece for herself, giving the rest to her daughter.
"Are they our targets?"
In the distant forest—
Several shadowy figures watched silently, hidden from view.
They had been observing for some time.
"No mistake."
"That striking red hair… she must be a member of the Uzumaki clan!"
"Those bite marks… how tragic…"
"The Uzumaki clan's chakra can heal themselves or others. Those Kusagakure folks must have taken them in for that special ability."
"It's not that Kusagakure doesn't know her worth; they simply lack skilled medical ninja. So they've turned her into their personal healing slave."
"That girl probably has the same bloodline as her mother—likely the same ability."
"The Uzumaki clan's vitality is indeed remarkable. She's been overusing her chakra to heal those Kusagakure soldiers, yet she's still alive."
"Enough talk. Lord Danzo has ordered us to bring them back to Konoha."
…
Seeing the Kusagakure ninja leave, and confirming that no one was watching—
"Swish… swish…" Several dark figures darted forward.
Suddenly, they appeared before Karin and her mother.
"You…"
The red-haired woman's face changed, but before she could speak, she and her daughter both fell unconscious.
Using a Genjutsu, the Root members quickly subdued them.
Without wasting time, they picked up the mother and daughter and quietly headed away from Kusagakure.
…
Meanwhile—
In the Land of Fire, just outside a small village.
Kiyoshi, traveling with Tsunade and Shizune, paused, turning his gaze toward the northwest.
"What's wrong, Kiyoshi?" Tsunade asked.
Closing his eyes to sense the distance, Kiyoshi pointed northwest and said, "About twenty or thirty miles away, I sense a powerful chakra presence, though it feels unstable, almost… weakened."
"That direction…" Tsunade looked in the direction Kiyoshi had indicated.
Just then, a passing villager noticed them, his face paling. "You must be travelers, right? You absolutely mustn't go there."
"Hm?" Shizune asked curiously. "Is there something wrong over there, sir?"
The villager recalled something, his face filled with dread.
"About twenty miles away lies a ruin called Kubisaki Castle. Decades ago, it fell to an invading army, and its lord, Koza Kubisaki, took his own life. The castle, where he lived, still stands."
"It's said that before he died, he cursed the place. Now, it's nothing more than a haunted ruin."
"Over the years, many have tried to enter the castle to find the treasures Lord Kubisaki left behind, but none have ever returned alive."
"Oh?"
Tsunade raised her eyebrows.
"Kubisaki Castle? A curse?"
Shizune, holding Tonton, instinctively shivered.
"Interesting…" Kiyoshi thought, realizing where they had ended up.
No wonder he sensed such a strong chakra signature.
He remembered the story: Kubisaki, foreseeing his inevitable defeat, had used a summoning jutsu to call his creature before death.
Using a forbidden technique, he merged it with the castle itself, creating a trap that would devour any intruders.
But decades had passed since then.
The creature, bound by contract, was likely on the verge of death.
Kiyoshi suggested, "Let's go have a look, Tsunade-sensei."
Though he had already formed a contract with the creatures of Shikkotsu Forest, it didn't mean he couldn't sign others.
Besides, that summoned creature's abilities were impressive. It specialized in Genjutsu, an unusual type of summon.
Even if he didn't need it, it could be a powerful ally for someone like Tenten or Ino.
"Alright! Let's go see what we can find." Tsunade replied, fearless as ever.
With her skill, a mere curse was hardly a concern.
And with the strong chakra presence, it was clear that the origin of the haunted castle lay ahead.
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