Akuma searched the town for nearly an entire day, looking for Tsunade. But even after visiting every gambling den, he couldn't find her. Realizing his efforts were in vain, he decided to head to another town in search of her.
Leaving the small town behind, Akuma walked into the forest. As he continued on, he noticed Karin struggling to keep up. Her steps were unsteady, her face pale from exhaustion after walking all day. Seeing this, Akuma turned to her and said flatly,
"It's getting dark. We'll rest here tonight."
Relieved, Karin let out a deep sigh before dropping to the ground. Meanwhile, Akuma began breaking tree trunks with his bare hands to build a shelter. Within an hour, he had finished constructing a sturdy hut out of logs.
Karin sat nearby, watching him work in awe. She couldn't take her eyes off his raw strength. Then, as silence stretched between them, she suddenly realized something and asked,
"Um… can you tell me your name?"
She had been so nervous around him this entire time that she hadn't even bothered to ask. Akuma glanced at her and simply replied,
"Akuma."
With that, he sat down beside the shelter and began meditating, offering no further explanation.
Seeing that he wasn't interested in talking, Karin quietly went inside. A few minutes later, her stomach growled—she was starving. She had been walking and working all day, and the exhaustion had finally caught up with her. Back when she had teammates, she never had to worry about food or safety. But one of them had died during the Chūnin Exams, and another had been gravely injured. Just days later, that injured comrade also passed away on the journey back to their village.
On her return, she had encountered the men who attacked her. At first, she thought if she helped treat their wounds, they might escort her back safely. Instead, they broke their promise and betrayed her. Luckily, Akuma appeared and saved her.
She had nowhere to go. Even her own village no longer felt like home it only carried pain.
The first time she met Akuma, she had been terrified of his chakra. Being highly sensitive, she could usually gauge a person's nature from their chakra alone. But his was unlike anything she had ever felt—cold, so cold it had frightened her. And yet… the more she focused on it, the more comfort she found in that icy presence. It was like drinking cool water in the heat of summer.
She couldn't explain why, but Akuma's cold aura made her feel strangely safe. Slowly, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted to sleep with thoughts of him lingering in her mind.
Karin woke to the sound of a loud noise. Looking up, she saw Akuma standing before her, holding out a cooked rabbit.
"Here. Eat this," he said. "We still need to walk tomorrow, so prepare yourself."
Karin stared at him wide-eyed, like a startled cat. He placed the rabbit in her hands, and she quickly snapped back to her senses.
"Thank you," she murmured before eating hurriedly, too hungry to resist.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Akuma return to his meditation. Swallowing a bite, she asked softly, concern lacing her voice,
"Akuma-kun… aren't you going to sleep?"
She had never once seen him rest. Not a yawn, not even the faintest sign of fatigue.
Then her cheeks grew warm as an unexpected thought crossed her mind. But… if Akuma said yes, there's only one shelter. That would mean… we'd have to sleep together.
Her heart skipped a beat. The very idea sent heat rushing through her body, and she quickly lowered her gaze, afraid he might somehow read her thoughts just by looking at her. She clutched the rabbit tighter, nibbling nervously as her mind raced.
Her blush deepened, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Why am I even thinking about this? she scolded herself. But the more she tried to push the thought away, the redder she became.
Akuma glanced at her but said nothing, closing his eyes once again.
Realizing her questions would likely be ignored or met with cold stares, Karin felt disappointment creep in. But then, a small smile tugged at her lips. At least he had cared enough to feed her when she was hungry.
That thought alone eased the weight in her chest. She finished the rabbit, warmth spreading faintly through her as she lay back down inside the shelter. Closing her eyes, she drifted into sleep holding tightly to that small comfort.
By morning, when she opened her eyes, Akuma was already training intensely. Even from a distance, she could feel the raw force behind his movements. Every punch and kick shook the air. He tore through trees with his bare hands as though they were nothing.
Karin stared in awe. She had never seen anyone so strong. His overwhelming power left her both fascinated and intimidated.
After several minutes, Akuma stopped his training and began walking toward the next town. Karin hurried after him, hesitating before asking,
"Um… Akuma-kun, why are you looking for the legendary medical-nin, Lady Tsunade? If you're injured, I can help. I'm also a medical-nin."
Without slowing, Akuma replied flatly,
"I want something from her. If she refuses, I will kill her."
Karin froze, her stomach twisting. Akuma was powerful, far stronger than anyone she had ever known but compared to a legendary Sannin like Lady Tsunade, he was still painfully outclassed. Panic surged through her. "Y-you can't seriously be thinking of fighting her! Lady Tsunade isn't just strong; she's on another level. You'll die. From everything I've read and heard, during the Second Shinobi World War she..."
But Akuma ignored her words and kept walking. Growing desperate, Karin cried louder,
"Can you just stop for a moment, please!"
Finally, Akuma halted. He turned, his gaze locking onto her.
Karin's breath caught as her legs gave out. She collapsed to the ground, trembling. His eyes glowed a piercing red, radiating suffocating darkness that froze her in place. It wasn't just his gaze, his chakra pressed down on her like an icy weight, crushing the air from her lungs.
Looking down at her, Akuma said coldly,
"Walk. Do not talk."
Then he turned and continued forward, leaving her shivering in his wake.
It took Karin a long moment to gather herself, but eventually she forced her legs to move and reluctantly followed.
As she caught up, Her senses screamed a warning. Gasping for breath, she sprinted to Akuma's side. "Akuma-kun!" she cried, her voice trembling. "I feel… several dark chakras ahead of us."