Feeling the violent energy emanating from the real waterfall, Naruto's heart sank.
It seemed this wouldn't be a simple matter.
A woman who looked exactly like Karin, dressed in the same outfit, stepped out from the waterfall.
"Hey!" the doppelgänger called out as soon as she appeared. "When are you planning to return to the Land of Grass?"
Naruto hid nearby, silently observing without interrupting.
Karin, who was sitting cross-legged on the stone, was startled by the sudden question and nearly fell backward.
"W-What? Why?" she stammered.
Her reflection — her true self — frowned impatiently. "Have you forgotten?"
"The Land of Grass used you and your mother as tools to heal their injuries and restore their chakra. They even killed your mother."
"They broke their promises. They never trained you to be a ninja. Do you really think you're one of them?"
"When you failed the Chūnin Exams, they tried to strip you of your title and turn you into a living weapon. Have you forgotten all that?"
"Perform well? Hah! How many from that pathetic Grass Village can perform well?"
"In fact, you were the only one who came back alive — without losing your limbs."
"Have you really forgotten everything?"
The reflection stepped closer, glaring down at Karin. "Go back to the Land of Grass and kill them all! Otherwise, you'll never gain the power you desire!"
Karin bit her lip, clearly uneasy. "Forget it," she muttered.
"It's pointless, even if I go back."
"And have you forgotten?"
"I've been homeless all this time, with no one to rely on. Everyone I meet just wants to use me — even Orochimaru, only for his experiments."
"But… Naruto cherishes me. He keeps me safe."
"Meeting Naruto was the only stroke of luck I've ever had in my life."
"So… I just want to keep things as they are. Nothing else matters."
The two sides argued fiercely.
Her reflection clenched her fists and shouted through gritted teeth, "Coward! Fine! I'll take revenge myself! You can just live in your pathetic guilt, loser!!"
Karin slumped to the ground, staring blankly ahead, unable to respond.
Her reflection turned sharply and spotted Naruto watching from the sidelines.
"Naru… Naruto-kun?" the reflection's furious expression instantly shifted into a twisted smile, and she lunged toward him.
Karin, who had been drowning in guilt moments ago, immediately snapped back to her senses when she heard that voice.
She spun around — just in time to see her reflection rushing at Naruto with crazed eyes, as if she wanted to devour him.
Luckily, Naruto caught her easily with one hand, preventing her from crashing into him.
Karin's temper exploded. She charged forward and punched her reflection square in the face.
"Damn it! If you have something to say, then say it! Why are you attacking Naruto-kun, you psycho!!!"
In that instant, the world around them turned into black-and-white lines.
The reflection's deranged face darkened, and she was sent flying several meters before crashing to the ground.
She propped herself up, clutching her red, swollen cheek, and shouted furiously, "You useless coward! You don't even have the guts to take revenge! How dare you stay by Naruto-kun's side?"
"Go to hell! Don't worry — I'll live a better life in your place!!"
She lunged again.
At that moment, Naruto raised his hand and hurled a kunai with a paper bomb attached straight at the waterfall.
BOOM!
The explosion rippled through the waterfall, disturbing the chakra within it.
Karin's reflection froze, her expression dulling as her entire body began to dissolve into nothingness.
Karin trembled and turned to Naruto, her eyes filled with both fear and hesitation.
Naruto gently pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry. I'll never hate you."
"Naruto-kun…" Karin's tears spilled over, sliding down her cheeks.
She couldn't even describe the emotions swirling inside her.
Even after seeing the darkest part of her heart, Naruto still didn't abandon her.
Was this… love?
But why did her reflection vanish so suddenly?
Confused, Karin asked Naruto.
To her, Naruto always seemed omniscient — as if he knew everything.
Naruto explained, "This waterfall contains a special type of chakra. When the water flows over it, the chakra's current creates a unique illusion — one that manifests a person's inner self."
"When I threw the explosive tag, it disrupted that chakra flow."
"Once that chakra disappears, the reflection fades away with it."
In other words, the "true self" shown by the waterfall was actually a powerful illusion formed from chakra.
Naruto wondered if such an illusion could be replicated by ninja techniques.
Determined to test it, he began forming hand seals, channeling his chakra the same way the waterfall did.
But… it failed.
"It's okay, Naruto," Karin comforted him. "You're already strong enough. Even if you can't learn it, it's no big deal."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'm not disappointed — it was just an experiment."
Still, he couldn't help but think.
Since the waterfall wasn't a living being, its chakra must have been closer to natural chakra.
Natural chakra — once absorbed — becomes Sage Energy.
Could it be that to recreate the waterfall's illusion, one needed to use natural chakra?
But Naruto didn't yet have the ability to use it.
He made a note to test it later, once he mastered Sage Mode.
That's right.
Soon, he planned to use the simulator to gain that very ability.
Sage Mode — a power that could even be stacked with Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
When that time came, Naruto's strength would rise to a whole new level — practically a living buff monster!
Now that he understood the waterfall's chakra mechanism, the place no longer held any secrets for him.
Naruto turned to Karin. "Let's rest for a bit. Then we'll head to the Land of Grass."
"Huh?" Karin blinked in confusion. "Not the Land of Snow? Why the Land of Grass?"
Naruto smiled. "Of course, the Land of Grass."
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