š HEAR YE, HEAR YE, BRAVE SOULS! šāØ
š„ Let the drums of destiny roar as we welcome our newest LEGENDARY adventurersā¦ āļø Buddyschlym! āļø and āļø Moran! āļøšā”ļø Our journey just leveled UP with their arrival!
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Naruto moved like a blur through the dense forests, his body a streak of motion against the backdrop of trees and rivers. For two days, he had traveled at his top speed, his mind focused on one thing: reaching Kusagakure.
The Land of Grass was vast and lush.
As Naruto finally approached the village's borders, he slowed down, the faint outlines of Kusagakure coming into view. The village was larger than he had anticipated, with its many buildings and winding streets nestled within a dense canopy of greenery.
"This isn't going to be easy," Naruto muttered under his breath. "Finding two people in a place like thisā¦"
But then a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, not for anyone else, at least."
Closing his eyes, Naruto released his spiritual senses, a pulse of energy spreading outward like an invisible wave. With his vast chakra reserves and terrifyingly precise Observation Haki, the village unfolded before him like an open book.
Every heartbeat, every breath, every flicker of chakra in Kusagakure became clear in his mind.
He focused on finding two signatures that matched what he already knew. The Uzumaki Clan carried a distinct vitality, their chakra vibrant and overflowing with life energy.
Naruto had seen it in Kushina, and now, he searched for that same spark.
Within moments, he found itāa pair of signatures buried deep within the village.
"There you are," He whispered, his eyes snapping open.
Naruto moved swiftly through the village, sticking to the shadows as he approached the source of the first signature.
The area he arrived in was a stark contrast to the rest of the bustling village. It was tucked away in a forgotten corner, a cluster of old, dilapidated huts that looked like they could crumble at any moment.
Naruto frowned, his jaw tightening as he stepped toward one of the huts. He could feel the faint presence of a small chakra signature inside, but the life energy was weak, malnourished, and fragile.
Pushing open the creaky wooden door, Naruto stepped inside. The sight before him made his facial muscles twitch in frustration. The hut was practically barren, with no more than a single futon on the floor and a few basic utensils scattered about. It reeked of neglect and poverty.
In the corner of the room sat a small figure.
The girl couldn't have been older than seven. Her crimson red hair, a defining feature of the Uzumaki Clan, fell in unruly strands over her pale face. Her crimson eyes widened in fear as she noticed Naruto standing in the doorway, her small body trembling.
Naruto stepped forward slowly, raising his hands in a calming gesture.
"Hey there," He said softly, his voice gentle. "Don't be scared. I'm not here to hurt you."
Karin shrank back, clutching her knees to her chest. "Whoā¦ who are you?"
Naruto knelt down a few feet away from her, giving her space.
"My name's Naruto Uzumaki," He said with a warm smile. "I'm like youāan Uzumaki. I've been looking for you."
Karin blinked, her fear slowly giving way to confusion. "Youā¦ you're an Uzumaki too?"
Naruto nodded. "That's right. I came to take you out of this place. You don't have to live here anymore."
The girl hesitated, her crimson eyes darting to the door as if expecting someone to barge in. "Butā¦ but my momā¦ she's at the hospitalā¦"
Naruto's expression darkened. He already had an idea of what Karin meant, but he needed to confirm it. "The hospital? Why is she there?"
Karin fidgeted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sheā¦ she has to heal people. They make her use her chakra to heal the ninjas. She says it's her job."
Naruto's fists clenched, his knuckles whitening. He knew exactly what that meantāher mother was being used as a tool, forced to heal others until her chakra was drained.
"It's okay," Naruto said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "Stay here. I'll go get her."
He reached out and patted Karin's head gently, his touch reassuring. "You're safe now. I'll make sure no one hurts you again."
Before leaving, Naruto summoned a few shadow soldiers from the shadows around him. They emerged as tall, figures cloaked in darkness, standing silently at his side.
"Stay here and protect her," He ordered. The soldiers bowed in unison before taking positions around the hut.
With that, Naruto turned and disappeared into the night, heading toward the hospital.
The hospital was one of the larger buildings in Kusagakure, its stone walls lined with cracks and moss.
Naruto approached it silently, his senses spread wide to detect any threats. The faint chakra signature of Karin's mother was easy to locate, but as he drew closer, his anger began to bubble beneath the surface.
The energy was faint, almost flickering, a clear sign that her chakra reserves were dangerously low.
She was being drained and exploited until there was nothing left.
Naruto slipped inside the hospital, moving like a phantom through the dimly lit corridors. The guards stationed throughout the building never even saw him coming.
With swift, precise strikes, he knocked them unconscious, their bodies collapsing to the floor without a sound.
When he finally reached the room where Karin's mother was being kept, his worst fears were confirmed.
The woman was lying on a makeshift bed, her skin pale and her red hair dull and lifeless. She was hooked up to several tubes that seemed to be drawing chakra from her body, her weak form barely able to move.
Naruto's fists clenched tightly, his anger threatening to boil over.
Before he could approach her, the door behind him slammed open.
ZÅsui, a high-ranking shinobi of Kusagakure, stepped into the room. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark eyes and a permanent sneer etched across his face. His headband gleamed under the flickering light as he regarded Naruto with disdain.
"And who the hell are you?" ZÅsui growled, his voice filled with authority.
Naruto turned slowly, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion. "No one you need to know."
ZÅsui's sneer deepened as he raised a kunai. "You think you can just waltz in here andā"
Before he could finish, Naruto moved.
In a blur of motion, Naruto's hand shot out, tendrils of wood erupting from his palm. They pierced ZÅsui's body like spears, pinning him against the wall. Blood splattered across the room, the crimson streaks stark against the pale walls.
ZÅsui screamed in agony, his eyes wide with terror as he struggled against the wooden bindings.
Naruto stepped closer, his voice cold. "You think you can use people like tools and get away with it? You think I'll let you live after what you've done?"
ZÅsui's breathing was ragged, his face pale. "P-pleaseā¦ don'tā¦"
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "You're not getting out of this."
With a flick of his hand, Naruto summoned his shadow soldiers. The room filled with their ominous presence, their forms radiating malice.
"Massacre everyone in this village," Naruto ordered, his voice devoid of mercy. "Spare no one except Karin."
ZÅsui's eyes widened in horror as the soldiers vanished, their forms slipping through the walls to carry out their orders.
"Noā¦ pleaseā¦ stop them!" ZÅsui begged, tears streaming down his face.
Naruto ignored his cries. With a slow, deliberate motion, he placed a hand on ZÅsui's chest, tendrils of wood wrapping around the man's body.
"You wanted to drain someone's life? Let me show you how it feels."
The wood began to pulse with a low, ominous thrum-thrum-thrum, drawing ZÅsui's chakra and life energy into Naruto's hand.
ZÅsui's screams filled the air, raw and guttural at first, like a desperate animal's howl.
"Aaaaghhhhhh!" The sound cracked and faltered as his strength drained away.
The wood creaked and groaned, CRRRK, CRRRRK, as it tightened its grip. Chakra swirled violently, emitting a WHOOOSH with every pulse, as though the air itself was being sucked into the vortex.
ZÅsui's cries faded to pitiful whimpers, "uhhh... ahhh..." before silence overtook him entirely.
The final SHRIIIP of flesh and energy being torn away was punctuated by the sickening CRACKLE of his body collapsing inward. His skin shriveled with a dry, papery rustle, leaving behind nothing more than a lifeless husk.
The pulsating wood finally fell still, with a faint whine that echoed and dissipated into the tense silence.
With ZÅsui dealt with, Naruto carefully picked up the lifeless body of Karin's mother. She deserved better than to be left in this cursed place.
Exiting the hospital, he returned to the hut where Karin waited. The girl's eyes widened as she saw him, her gaze shifting to the still form in his arms.
Naruto knelt down, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"It's over," He said softly. "I'll take you somewhere safe."
Karin's tears flowed freely, but she nodded, clinging to Naruto as he carried her and her mother away from Kusagakure.
Behind them, the village burned, its screams silenced by the shadow soldiers who carried out their master's will.
By the time dawn broke, Kusagakure was nothing more than ashes.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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