(Karin's POV)
Karin stared at Jugo's smiling face, her thoughts wandering freely. She couldn't understand her situation.
She didn't sense any lies in Jugo, she thought she was a good reader of character, chakra didn't lie after all.
But she couldn't connect this man to the previous, evil-filled killer.
Karin swallowed hard, finally grasping the question.
Did he want her to go with him? Why? Did he want to use her too?
As for the promise that no one would hurt her? Karin dismissed it as air.
Her entire life had been based on being hurt, Karin had long since lost hope.
But now her options were limited to denying it and risking the man in front of her breaking her neck, or accepting it and hoping she would become a good enough tool to survive.
Karin didn't need to think long.
-Okay. - She nodded, still a little fearful.
Jugo didn't seem to notice her inner thoughts, if he did, he didn't show it.
Instead, he smiled and helped the girl to her feet. - My name is Jugo, and this is Dosu and Kin. - he said, pointing to his companions.
Dosu looked strange, walking like a hunchback, all covered in incredibly long sleeves, his face almost completely covered. Only one eye stared at her expressionlessly. Behind him, a large the big straw coat hung from his back.
He simply waved at her without caring.
Kin, on the other hand, was a girl with black hair tied up in a similar outfit to Dosu's, but looser. She looked at Karin with a mixture of irritation, confusion, and dislike, but also nodded, saying nothing.
Karin thought Dosu didn't look so bad, but Kin seemed to dislike her.
-Okay, let's continue. - Jugo said, before removing Karin's forehead protector and tossing it aside. Karin looked at the forehead protector with some confusion.
There was no nostalgia in his eyes, just an acknowledgment that a phase of her life was probably over.
She watched the figures of her new "companions" slowly leave, then quickly sped up to keep up.
She didn't know what would become of her from now on, but she would live to find out.
(Karin's POV - End)
Jugo felt Kin's resentful gaze behind him and rolled his eyes, the woman really liked to think.
Hours ago, she had been so scared she didn't even dare look him in the eye, now she looked like a resentful wife who discovered her husband had a concubine.
Too bad, she wasn't his wife, so Jugo didn't even look at her.
Jugo returned to the elk and with the help of Kin and Dosu, began working on it. Karin, feeling pressured, quickly joined in.
She lit the fire and prepared a simple support of branches to roast the meat over it.
There were no seasonings there, Jugo hadn't remembered to bring them, but there were herbs in the forest. With the help of the animals, Jugo managed to get some. At least, although it was unsalted, the meat was still acceptable.
After eating, they dried some pieces of meat to make supplies.
Karin saw that they already had all the scrolls, more than a couple, in fact, but they didn't seem in a hurry to pass them on.
Confused, she couldn't help but ask. -Why don't you go to the tower?
-The hunt isn't over. - Jugo smiled at her and patted her head again.
Karin was a little confused at first, but hours later, when she saw another team shattered on the ground, she finally understood what the hunt was about.
It was a Konoha team. Most Konoha didn't kill, but not all are exact, like this team, who attacked them to kill.
Karin watched in confusion as Dosu and Kin walked away, unsure of what to do.
So she immediately regretted it when blood splattered over her.
Jugo, that chakra... utterly malevolent, the most sinister thing she'd ever felt.
It all happened so fast, there was no joking, it was simply killing.
One moment they were alive, the next, dead.
Karin watched this from the front row, her clothes splattered with blood and the brain matter of a ninja whose head had been punched open.
Looking down, she wanted to vomit, but she held it in.
She had already endured so much, even though this was heavy and she was scared, it could still be endured.
Jugo soon returned to normal while Karin was still frozen, trembling.
She watched his lunatic smile slowly die as calm returned to him. It was incredible to Karin, because the utterly evil chakra had become extremely gentle again.
So soft it seemed to resonate with nature itself.
-Karin. - She woke to Jugo's worried look. - Don't get so close next time.
Karin swallowed and nodded nervously.
If she couldn't sense his chakra, she would think this man was a psychopath, but instead, she thought he might have something inside him, something evil, but she didn't ask. She'd learned to survive in Kusa, don't ask, just do what you're told.
Jugo smiled at her gently. Normally, Karin would be even more afraid if someone did that after blowing a guy's head off with one punch.
But sensing Jugo's chakra, she didn't see a lie there, he seemed genuinely concerned for her.
Still slightly confused, she watched Jugo clean himself up.
Jugo, on the other hand, looked at Dosu, who understood and closed his eyes, then opened them with a strange expression. -I hear heavy breathing, two fainting people and one tired person.
Jugo paused for a moment, thoughtful, then said. - Come on, let's take a look.
The group quickly moved on again, Karin struggling to keep up. Jugo noticed and stopped, smiling at her. He picked her up like a princess, amidst Karin's shocked and embarrassed scream, and then started running again.
Karin felt Dosu's strange eyes and Kin's deadly glare, but for the moment, she could only close her eyes and try to hide her embarrassed expression.
Jugo didn't care. Karin was just a little girl now, she must have been about 12 and he didn't have such heavy tastes.
So, he just wanted to improve their relationship and help her, so that she could help him of her own free will.
Karin didn't stop him, so he just kept going.
Of course, Karin didn't dare stop him, she could only endure it, but when she felt the wind blow over her and the strong body embrace her, she opened her eyes just a fraction and looked at Jugo's soft face, sensing his chakra, she felt at peace for a moment.
Karin hadn't slept well last night. In fact, she'd been responsible for the majority of the shift, so feeling warm and safe, her eyes felt a little heavy as she drifted off to sleep.
Jugo heard Karin's breathing lighten and looked down in surprise.
With a faint smile, he adjusted Karin's position a little and let her sleep better. Kin was fuming behind him.
But she didn't dare say anything to Jugo, just glared at Karin with even more irritation.
Dosu pretended it had nothing to do with him.
Finally, they reached a clearing.
Jugo could clearly see a small girl with pink hair, above a large hole at the base of a tree, caring for a blond man with a fox whiskers and the other with a black hair like a duck's butt, they both fainted.
Jugo smiled, but he wasn't particularly interested in attacking. He couldn't let his madness run wild there, so it didn't make sense to him. But he'd promised Orochimaru to "test" Sasuke, so he could only help.
-Hey. Dosu, Kin. - Jugo called softly.
The pair looked at him. Karin also seemed to wake up at his voice. She looked around a little confused. She only managed to sleep for a few minutes, but soon realized she was still in Jugo's arms and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Jugo noticed her awake and placed her on the tree branch, gently stroking her head. The little girl lowered her head, her face flushed, not daring to look up.
Jugo stopped teasing the little girl and spoke to Dosu and Kin. -See that black-haired brat passed out? Go over there and attack, don't kill him. It's just to force him to fight and use the cursed mark that Orochimaru-sama gave him.
Dosu and Kin narrowed their eyes. Dosu finally spoke. - Is this a mission from Orochimaru-sama?
-Yes, you could say so. - Jugo agreed, sitting on the log and patting him side, beckoning Karin to sit down..
-Okay. - Dosu nodded, readying his weapons. Kin snorted at Karin, who sat down embarrassed but still agreed.
-Don't overdo it and kill him. In that case, not even I can save you from the fury of Orochimaru-sama. Besides, if it gets dangerous for you, you can ask me for help. - Jugo spoke calmly.
Dosu agreed, but deep down, he didn't think he'd need it. Just kidding, he was just a brat. Dosu was an experienced chunin, he wasn't worried.
Dosu didn't just hear the group below, there were actually several genin nearby, but he didn't care, they were just genin after all.
Jugo wouldn't say that among these genin, Lee and Neji already had Chunin strength, the Inoshikacho trio weren't easy to deal with either.
Of course, Neji hadn't arrived yet, but he would be soon.
Without the wind guy, Dosu had a good chance of falling here.
With a smile, Jugo watched the next event with Karin.
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--x--
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+19 chapters of The Legendary Mechanic - Triple Six on P_treon.
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