On the ground lay two ninjas from the Village Hidden in the Grass.
They were Karin's teammates for the Chunin Exams. But the first thing they did upon seeing her wasn't to show concern, but to try and bite her.
Of course, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki weren't about to stand for that. They each sent one of the Grass ninjas sprawling with a kick. Were these guys out of their minds?
Sakura Haruno put an arm around Karin's shoulders, looking at the writhing Grass ninjas in disbelief. "What kind of teammates are these? Are they trying to drink your blood?"
"Yeah..." Karin wiped her glasses, her body trembling slightly as she explained softly, "That's how it is in small villages. It's a dog-eat-dog world there."
"How can they do that!" Sakura clenched her fist indignantly, then gently tried to comfort Karin. "Um, do you want to stick with us from now on?"
"No... it's okay." Karin forced a smile and shook her head. "After the Chunin Exams are over, I still have to go back to the Grass Village... Besides, my mission this time is to help them get good results."
Just as Karin was about to offer her arm to one of the Grass ninja's mouths, Naruto grabbed it, stopping her. He looked down at the bite marks covering her skin.
The blond genin's brow twitched as he studied the girl. "Karin, is there some secret about your body?"
"Hey, hey, hey, Naruto, that's a perverted thing to ask!" Sakura rushed over and slapped Naruto's hand away.
Karin composed herself and nodded. "That's right. Perhaps because my mother was from the Uzumaki clan, my blood can instantly heal people and restore their stamina."
"..."
The three members of Team 7 exchanged glances, then all turned to stare at Karin.
Sakura's eyes widened. "So the Grass Village sent you to the Chunin Exams just because your blood can heal them?"
"This constitution... is not bad." Sasuke couldn't help but recognize Karin's value. An ability that could instantly heal the injured was, in a sense, of strategic importance.
Naruto raised his hand. "Um, I have a question. My last name is also Uzumaki..."
"But you are not a descendant of the Uzumaki clan," Karin answered seriously, shaking her head. "All those with Uzumaki blood, without exception, have red hair..." As she spoke, she reached up and straightened a lock of her own red hair.
Naruto Uzumaki: "..."
He thought he might have found a relative, but it turned out his Uzumaki name was a fake. This was very awkward.
Sakura looked at the two Grass ninjas on the ground with a complicated expression. As a girl herself, she didn't want Karin to go back to a place like the Grass Village. But right now, Team 7 were just genin. They had no power to decide whether a ninja from another village could stay or leave.
"This is the simplest way..." Sasuke Uchiha threw two shuriken and said in a low voice, "Hey, Karin. You don't mind becoming a rogue ninja, do you?"
Before anyone could react, shuriken were sticking out of the throats of the two Grass ninjas, blood gushing out. Even sucking Karin's blood wouldn't save them now.
Sakura covered her mouth. "Sasuke..."
Even Naruto was a bit surprised by Sasuke's decisiveness. While they were still standing around talking, Sasuke had already killed the two Grass genin.
"If you still want to go back to the Grass Village, tell them they were killed by Konoha ninja." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Karin. "If you don't want to go back, then just become a rogue ninja..."
"But..." Karin lowered her head hesitantly. Besides the Grass Village, she had nowhere else to go.
Apparently, the members of Team 7 didn't quite understand the situation. The three of them seemed to think that betraying a village was a simple matter of just leaving.
For example, Orochimaru was a rogue ninja, and he had even managed to sneak into the Chunin Exams. His life seemed to be going pretty well. Team 7 didn't yet understand the vast difference between one rogue ninja and another.
However, there was someone present who did understand.
A figure jumped down from the branch of a large tree.
Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses and held out his hands to show Team 7 he wasn't a threat. He then turned to Karin. "If you really have nowhere to go, perhaps I can help arrange for you to join the village's medical department..."
"Senior Kabuto?" Sakura looked at him in surprise.
Sasuke gripped the short sword at his side. Because of Naruto's earlier judgment, he saw Kabuto as a very dangerous person.
Naruto looked from Karin to Kabuto. "Senior Kabuto, you can get Karin into the medical department?"
"..." The white-haired young man was silent for a moment before finding a suitable reason. "Medical ninjas are scarce in any village. After Lady Tsunade left, Konoha's shortage has become very large."
This was true. Ever since Tsunade established the dedicated medical ninja role during the war, all nations began developing their own medical departments to reduce losses. However, even in Konoha, the demand for medical ninjas was very high because so few ninja met the requirements.
"But..." Sakura looked at Kabuto with a troubled expression. "The village's medical department wouldn't rely on Karin's blood to save people, would they?"
"Oh? How could that be?" Kabuto's eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up the shrinking Karin, then he suddenly chuckled. "I will find a way for her to learn medical ninjutsu first... An Uzumaki clan medical ninja, how rare!"
Konoha would not force anyone. But the higher-ups could certainly provide Karin with the warmth of a home, making her willingly offer her blood. This was the terrifying aspect of the Will of Fire.
Kabuto remembered his Lord occasionally mentioning... back before he defected, he had tried to find like-minded ninjas in the village to pursue the truth of the world together.
In the end, not only did those ninjas not believe him, but they lectured him about how the Will of Fire was the right path. Pure nonsense. Fortunately, his Lord's will was firm...
Sasuke frowned and spoke up. "Won't the Grass Village investigate this? They're supposed to be allies of Konoha, right?"
"They wouldn't dare." A smile appeared on Kabuto's lips. "If the Grass Village loses in the Chunin Exams' arms race, they will need handouts from Konoha even more..."
"Handouts?"
"That's right." Kabuto nodded. "To get more missions, you need a client's trust. Only by relying on Konoha as an ally can the Grass Village secure missions in the ninja world."
Listening to him, what Kabuto said sounded very reasonable. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto could find any fault with it. From this perspective, it seemed that settling Karin wouldn't be a troublesome matter.
Sakura put her arm around Karin's shoulder and whispered, "Hey, Karin, are you willing to stay in Konoha?"
"Yeah..." Seeing Karin nod with a blush, Sakura said with excitement, "In that case, we can hang out together often in the future! Coincidentally, after the Chunin Exams, I'm also planning to go to the medical department to study!"
"Oh, Sakura wants to be a medical ninja too?" Kabuto said with a light laugh. "Perhaps I can also help. After all, I am a medical ninja." He smiled, appearing exceptionally kind and approachable. No one present could find any fault with him. He looked exactly like a helpful fellow villager.
Sakura looked at him with joy. "Senior Kabuto is also a medical ninja? Are there any conditions for learning medical ninjutsu? Is it very difficult?"
Just as Sakura was about to ask another question, Naruto interrupted her and looked at Kabuto. "Senior Kabuto, why are you here?"
This was the Chunin Exams. Anyone could be an enemy, especially a skilled ninja like Kabuto. Naruto couldn't help but be wary. Next to him, Sasuke's right hand had been on the hilt of his sword ever since Kabuto appeared, and he hadn't moved it.
"Because our team encountered a powerful man..." Kabuto's expression grew tense, and his body trembled as he spoke. "That man had snake-like pupils. He used a single ninjutsu and separated me from my teammates. If I hadn't run into Proctor Anko, who was hunting him... I'm afraid I..."
"The man you're talking about... is Orochimaru?" Sasuke's gaze froze. That was the man who had utterly humiliated him.
Sakura's face also filled with suspicion. After all, it hadn't been long since they had separated from Orochimaru. If he were to turn back now...
"Proctor Anko is hunting Orochimaru?" Naruto frowned. "I feel like her strength is probably no match for that guy."
He'd take the 'probably' out of that sentence. That woman was sent flying by one of his Rasengans. What was she going to use to fight Orochimaru? Her head?
"There shouldn't be a problem, right?" Kabuto pondered for a moment. "I feel that Proctor Anko is very rational. She should have a grasp on how to deal with Orochimaru."
"Then what are your plans now, Senior Kabuto?" Naruto asked. "Are you going to find your teammates?"
"No, we already obtained the Heaven and Earth scrolls. We agreed beforehand that if we were separated, we would meet at the central tower to ensure we pass the second exam." Kabuto held up two scrolls between his fingers, a worried look on his face. "It's just that now I'm all alone. If I run into that man..."
"Why don't we go together!" Sakura enthusiastically invited him. "We're also going to the central tower. And we can ask you some things about medical ninjas on the way..."
Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. No matter how they looked at it, Kabuto's explanation was flawless. There didn't seem to be any problem with him. And he was willing to help solve Karin's problem. Taking him to the central tower didn't seem like a big issue. After all, they were all ninja from the same village.
Most importantly, Kabuto was strong. Plus, he was a medical ninja. If they had to take care of two girls, Sakura and Karin, their own strength might not be enough. It wouldn't hurt to have another strong fighter.
After seeing Naruto and Sasuke nod, Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously pushed up his glasses.
With Kabuto on the team, the group became noticeably livelier. The white-haired, bespectacled young man was very talkative. No matter who spoke to him or what they asked, they always got a satisfactory answer. He was the kind of guy you couldn't dislike.
Sakura was clearly interested in becoming a medical ninja and didn't stop asking questions. "Senior Kabuto, is it very hard to learn medical ninjutsu?"
"Learning any ninjutsu is hard, and medical ninjutsu is no exception," Kabuto said with a smile, glancing at Sasuke and Naruto. "But the hard work is worth it, because you might save your companions' lives at a critical moment."
Sakura thought for a moment. "Senior Kabuto, won't a medical ninja be a drag in battle?"
"Never." Kabuto's eyes grew serious. "In a war, medical ninjas are vital. Entire squads will be sacrificed to protect them, because they might save ten people, or even a hundred."
Everyone present secretly nodded in agreement. Team 7's opinion of Kabuto grew more and more favorable. Sakura glanced at her teammates and firmed her own resolve.
Along the way, the many traps they encountered were all disarmed by Kabuto. His rich experience was eye-opening for everyone.
Sasuke watched as Kabuto skillfully led them around a trapped area and couldn't help but praise him. "If it weren't for Senior Kabuto, we might have all fallen into that..."
"These are just some small tricks," Kabuto said, shaking his head with a hint of worry. "However, in the face of a true master, traps are useless. This year's Chunin Exams are more dangerous than when I participated last year."
"Besides that man named Orochimaru, there must be another, more terrifying ninja. These traps are useless against them... You felt it too, right? That terrifying aura that swept through the Forest of Death, like a god. Even for just a moment, it made me unable to move... I can only hope we don't run into that enemy before we reach the central tower."
"That wasn't an enemy," Sakura chuckled. "And Naruto can only..."
"Sakura!" Sasuke sharply cut her off, then looked at Kabuto with some embarrassment. "That, uh, is Naruto's trump card for the exams... Senior Kabuto, you wouldn't want to know about that, right?"
"I understand." Kabuto chuckled and nodded, seeming not to mind Sasuke's secrecy.
"It's fine, Sasuke," Naruto said with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, I have plenty of trump cards."
Sasuke Uchiha: "..."
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Bonus:
Sasuke Uchiha: I'm trying to cover for you, damn it!
Naruto Uzumaki: Is there a need for that?
Sasuke Uchiha: What the hell do you mean, revealing your own hand?
Naruto Uzumaki: It's fine, don't worry. I have plenty of cards...
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P.S.Naruto: A Thousand-Year Deception — another fanfic I've worked on. It's almost finished, just a few chapters left! Feel free to check it out.