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Several more days passed. Kagaya and Haku finally met the person Orochimaru had sent at a seaside location.
Red hair, a pair of glasses, crimson pupils. She wore a pale yellow jacket, black hot pants, and standard shinobi sandals.
It was a girl.
She stepped off the boat and observed Kagaya and Haku on the shore.
"Hmm, so it's you two? The people Lord Orochimaru told me to help."
Kagaya nodded. "Yes."
The girl clapped her hands together. "Great, that simplifies things. Since I ran into you right away, I assume you're in a hurry. Tell me, who is the person you're looking for? The sooner we find them, the sooner this is over."
Kagaya shrugged. "Unfortunately, we've already found the person we were looking for."
The girl frowned, an expression of annoyance on her face. "Hah? You already found them? Then why did you call me all the way here? Seriously. Well, that works out. I'll just head back on the boat I came on."
Kagaya spoke up. "Wait."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Your sensory abilities seem exceptional?"
"Of course."
"How about following me instead?"
"Hah? Are you joking?"
The girl looked at Kagaya with incomprehension.
Kagaya smiled slightly. "I mean it literally. It's easy to understand, isn't it?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "I have no reason to abandon Lord Orochimaru and follow you. That's that. I'm leaving."
Kagaya frowned slightly but didn't press further. Having this person's assistance would be good, but not having it wasn't a disaster—just a great pity. Nagging wasn't Kagaya's style.
"That is truly a shame."
The girl gave Kagaya a strange look. She could tell this person seemed very eager for her to follow him, yet strangely, he gave up so easily. Normally, if someone was that eager, they would try harder to obtain what they wanted.
"What a strange person."
As she said this, the girl subtly sensed the chakra of the person before her.
In the next instant, she froze.
The chakra she perceived was cold, dark, filled with hatred. This should be a person overflowing with resentment. That's what she initially thought. However, a strange sensation emerged. That chakra, so icy, so dark... yet at its very core was a warmth so profound it was startling. And the mass of cold chakra was protecting that warm chakra.
It was an incredibly bizarre scene. Like a pride of lions protecting a single lamb. It was deeply unsettling.
"It must be very hard, isn't it?"
Unconsciously, the girl spoke those words to Kagaya. Being that cold, yet still protecting that remaining "warmth"... it must be exhausting.
Kagaya was confused. He didn't understand what the girl was talking about.
"What are you saying?"
But the girl answered with something entirely different. "What's your name?"
"Uchiha Kagaya."
The girl's eyes couldn't help but flicker with emotion.
"Uchiha..."
Kagaya pointed to the boat at the shore. "Since you're unwilling to follow me, you'd better leave quickly. The boat will depart soon."
The girl smiled slightly. "You're right. Well then, goodbye, Uchiha Kagaya."
Kagaya clicked his tongue, a hint of regret in his expression. "Goodbye. Let's part ways here."
With that, Kagaya turned and left with Haku.
The girl watched Kagaya's retreating back, smiled again, then turned towards the direction of the boat.
'I... I sensed the danger, so I ran. I...'
As she turned, a bitter smile touched her lips.
Recalling the chakra she had just sensed—the mass of cold chakra protecting that ball of warmth...
'Are you holding on?'
She clasped her hands behind her back and began walking towards the boat with cheerful steps.
'Yes, that's it. As long as I act cheerful, I won't feel sad.'
Meanwhile, Haku looked up and asked, "Kagaya, who was that? You wanted her to follow you?"
Kagaya sighed softly. "That person is Karin. A powerful sensory and medical ninja. It seems she's become one of Orochimaru's subordinates now."
Haku said, dazed, "I see... Kagaya really knows a lot."
Kagaya scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "Haha..."
He knew all this from the original story. Only with Haku could he speak so openly about what he knew. With others, even if he knew, he had to feign ignorance—otherwise, it would be too troublesome.
"Hey! Uchiha Kagaya!"
Suddenly, a voice called from behind. Kagaya turned to look.
It was Karin. She stood by the boat, calling out to Kagaya with a bright smile.
Kagaya spoke with a hint of exasperation. "What now? Do you still have something to say?"
"Did you run away?"
Karin asked a seemingly nonsensical question.
Kagaya narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you referring to..."
"I ran away. I ran away like a coward," Karin said, her smile sunny. Yet, for some reason, Kagaya felt that smile looked more like crying.
"Because I was born with strong sensory abilities, I sensed the danger in advance... and I ran. So, I became the survivor."
Hearing this, Kagaya's eyes widened in realization. He now knew what Karin was talking about.
"I didn't run away," Kagaya replied.
Karin smiled. "How brave."
"No. I watched them being killed. I didn't have the courage to intervene. At that time, I lacked the power to save them. I was powerless."
As Kagaya's words fell, Karin's smile vanished.
The two stood in silence, looking at each other.
After a long while, Kagaya spoke first. He pointed to the boat behind Karin. "The boat is about to leave. You'd better go."
Karin adjusted her glasses. "You're right."
Then, she turned and boarded the boat.
Kagaya also turned and began walking away with Haku.
'Karin, of the Uzumaki clan, huh?'
The Uzumaki clan was also annihilated. So similar to the Uchiha. Different experiences, but the same result.
The sound of water came from behind. It seemed the boat had set off.
Haku looked at Kagaya cautiously. "Kagaya, the conversation you just had... was it about...?"
Haku had a rough guess about what Kagaya and Karin had discussed but wasn't entirely sure.
Kagaya nodded, looking ahead. "Yes. It was about the annihilation of a clan."
Haku covered her mouth. "Then, that person also..."
Kagaya gave a wry smile. "Perhaps there's some kind of law in this world. People with special abilities seem destined for such a fate."
With Kagaya's words, both he and Haku fell silent, walking slowly towards the inn where they were staying.
"Hey, you! You'll treat me well, right?"
Suddenly, a red-haired girl popped her head next to Kagaya and spoke.
Kagaya was taken aback. "You didn't leave?"
Karin puffed out her cheeks. "Didn't you ask me to follow you?"
Kagaya rolled his eyes. "But you refused."
Karin blushed, speaking awkwardly. "That... that was because... because..."
"Because what?"
"I was... embarrassed!"
"Hah? What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"Grrr... It's not like... not like..."
"Hmm? Not like what?"
"Not like you're ridiculously good-looking!"
Karin blurted out the last sentence quickly, then covered her face and ran ahead.
As Kagaya grew older, the superior genes of the Uchiha clan became more apparent. The current Kagaya could definitely be considered extremely handsome.
Still, Kagaya rolled his eyes again.
"Hey, you! Do you even know where we're going? Why are you running ahead so fast?"