'Damn Kakashi left the root huh...' I sat there deep in thought.
The news hit harder than expected, he was still one of my favourite characters. It's not like he's leaving the village but seeing him often was definitely nice.
But there are other things to focus on now.
Our paths will cross sometime else...
Today is the day I finally get to meet my future very overpowered subordinate Karin. I heard that Bird just dropped her mother and herself off in the room next to Kabuto's room which is literally just a few seconds away from my own.
She has already been told about her situation by Bird and is already starting to learn about how to be a good servant.
With her mother doing the same.
I've never seen Karin's mum in the manga or anime so there isn't much of an opinion to be had on her besides some pity. Being bitten every day is a forced method for healing which in any case is STUPID.
You have an Uzumaki and you don't bree-, train her up with her talents?
At least she doesn't need to worry and food anymore.
I'll provide them with everything they could possibly want. The only caveat is that they become my servants, not a bad thing to be fair. Their life in the land of grass was obviously a curse. Especially for Sumiko.
"One can never truly be grateful without comparison," I murmur.
'I should make some pizza for the five of us now as a treat.'
With that thought I start to head to the kitchen, wanting to make some food.
--A few hours later--
"Bird, call over my new family members!" I say in a neutral tone as I'm currently bringing the extremely hot pizza over from the kitchen.
"Un..." Bird responds using the body flicker.
With this, I was able to bring the two pizzas over to the dining table. While Kabuto was bringing over some drinks.
A couple of seconds after I finish setting everything up I see three people walk out of the hallway, with two of them sporting the signature red hair.
Looking at Sumiko she was skinny and had a pale complexion. She had beautiful piercing purple eyes, and bright red hair that only reached her chin while wearing clothes that fully covered her body for obvious reasons.
Karin on the other hand was similarly skinny with red eyes instead.
Both of them needed food.
And I brought pizza.
Shit...
This was awkward.
"Welcome! Just enjoy dinner for now Karin, Sumiko, we will talk after alright?" I say the last part softly trying to soothe them a little.
The mother, hearing this does a long which looks excruciatingly painful. While the girl stared at me with stars in her eyes. The smell of the food obviously got her attention as there's nothing better than this!
I'm a chef hehe.
'A good time to cement myself into her life, to be honest.'
Bird after taking half of a pizza proceeds to body flicker out of the room as per my orders.
She went to give the other Root members who were guarding the place some food.
Poor souls.
Let pizza heal them!
"I just want you guys to relax around me and treat me like family, we will be seeing each other every day for the upcoming years as you guys are going to be my servants so I think we should start to talk to each other more," I say cheerfully as I dig into the food.
The three after seeing me take the first bite, started to eat themselves.
"This is amazing!" Karin says scoffing the food down.
Sumiko who looked worried at her daughter's manners, took a look at my face.
Seeing this I just give a warm smile to reassure her it's alright.
Sighing she takes a bite herself after a few blows. Taking in the taste her face visibly brightened as her eyes started to water. Kabuto seeing her reaction, looked amused as he started to dig into the food with a little hint of grace.
Both the mother and daughter duo were now crying as the atmosphere was a little sombre.
"Thank you so much Shimura-sama. I'll do my best to help you." Sumiko croaks out which makes me frown.
Hey, don't hurt yourself.
You need to be alive to be useful!
Getting up from my seat, I walk up to the mother and daughter duo and bring them into a soft hug. The two not expecting such a thing were stiff as a boulder, but after a few seconds gave in as they both cried their hearts out.
"Don't worry about getting bitten or starving ever again, you're safe now. With me..." I softly add at the end which didn't get past Kabuto.
While it was weird for a kid to be comforting them, it seemed to work as Sumiko had her whole weight pressed up on my body. Which was very light due to my training and her apparent lack of fat.
While Karin had tears staining my clothes, fully adapting a Koala.
Just like that, the morning went by pretty fast as we all ate food until we filled ourselves up to the brim not being able to even take another bite of pizza. Kabuto mostly stayed silent and didn't talk much which was pretty much his character.
He will mellow down to them sooner or later.
"Karin before you go I want to give you this," I say as I grab a schedule that was made for her.
Karin seeing this quickly walks up to me and gently grabs the paper while looking at it.
()()()
{Training Schedule: Monday to Friday}
(7:30am-9:30am) Physical Conditioning
(11:00am-3:00 pm) Academy
(3:00pm-4:30pm) Seals
(7:00-8:30pm) Chakra control exercises
()()()
"This won't be happening until a couple months down the line. So if you want to get stronger, just rest properly alright," I tell her smiling.
I need to be gentle and coddle her a little as she is currently the most vulnerable I think I'll ever see her. I won't baby her too much but I won't pressure her as much which wouldn't matter as she is a smart girl.
She knows what she needs to do.
Looking over I see her mother's sharp gaze. Reading everything to make sure nothing was harming her baby.
'Sumiko is a strong person, reminds me of determined single mothers back on earth...'
--POV Karin--
"Karin before you go I want to give you this." I hear Master call out to me.
Hurrying to his side I slowly grab the paper as I start to look at its contents.
'So I'll be training huh, this is so I will get stronger!'
Raiden has been so nice to me so I want to pay him back for all that he has done. If he didn't want me as a servant I would probably be used immediately as a healing factory for that stupid village, mark my words when I get stronger that village will be burned to the ground by me.
But before I get into any darker thoughts I hear master speak up.
"This won't be happening until a couple months down the line. So if you want to get stronger, just rest properly alright." Raiden says smiling.
"Umu." I hum out still clinging to him.
'I will be the best servant!' I cheer myself up as I plan on training as hard as I can!
(POV Sumiko)
"Goodnight darling," I whisper into my daughter's ears. Kissing her forehead she for the first time in years looked peaceful.
'I will keep this peace.'
A determined expression planted itself on my face as I looked around the room. Luxurious, clean, comfortable and best of all safe. But everything comes with a price.
When the deal with the higher-ups of the land of grass was made there was collateral.
My healing.
Now it still should apply.
No matter how kind Shimura-sama is, there is a price to pay. I will never let my daughter starve and scavenge the streets for food again.
Getting up and silently leaving the room, right outside the doorway was a child. With an empty look in his eyes he just stared, the eerie presence was all over the dark corridor as the child no longer looked like a warm sun.
The little hairs on my skin shot up as the once-warm corridor seemed to be swept up in a gentle breeze.
"I'll reassure you, you're value isn't your kekkei genkai. But your bloodline..." He says barely over a whisper.
My eyes involuntarily looked away from his at the pressure. Despite Shimura-sama still being a child, the unnatural stillness made him look.., Unnatural.
But I reminded myself.
'Anything for Karin.' My resolve steeled.
"I offer you this. A pathway into medical ninjutsu, you can heal without suffering like you've had before. Or... Just stay a normal servant and let Karin take all the burden." His eyes gleamed as goosebumps were all over my body.
The whisper of the devil
And I'm about to accept.
"I understand..."
(Time Skip - Few Months)
---POV Raiden Shimura---
"You'll be attending the academy in a few months, what's your choice?"
Hearing this my thoughts ran rampant.
'Was there a reason to hold back? Of course not.' A grin spread on my face as the decision was made right there and then.
The choice of whether I'll graduate early.
"Ojisan, I'm going to graduate early. I'll become the youngest Jounin of Konoha." I say.
Which sounded more like a statement that made the old man in front of me happy. Nodding at my words Danzo said he would use some connections to help me graduate before it was even necessary to attend a single class.
Seeing that the conversation was finished, I started to walk out.
Before my hand reached the door his familiar voice rang throughout the room.
"Make the Shimura proud." He says looking down at his paperwork.
"I don't disappoint."
...
A few hours later you can see three kids jogging around Konoha in the morning. These kids are all wearing miniature Anbu getups with very weird sandals that shouldn't really hold up in a real battle.
These three kids include my two new subordinates and me!
They are doing pretty well with one of them training for the first time. They're quite fired up trying with each of their own having goals that need to be achieved. We were currently doing some laps around Konoha to get them used to the village.
Especially the layout so they don't get lost.
A sort of introduction to important places like the academy.
"Karin how do you have so much energy," Kabuto says in a resigned voice, plopping onto the ground.
Karin looking at Kabuto starts to grin.
"It's because you always focus on theory. Isn't he stinky master?" She says as she hides behind me giggling. Her personality now was completely different from when we first met, her mother and herself integrated into my life seamlessly.
Thanks to the diet and months of training, it didn't take long for her bloodline to skyrocket her abilities.
Things such as her stamina were monstrous surpassing even Kabuto.
Despite the age gap.
"Let's rest up then head back, it has been quite a bit since we have started jogging-."
As I try to finish my sentence a blur of green speeds past us shouting something.
"Such youth, training in the morning!" Konoha's green beast shouts as he disappears off into the distance.
"Shimura-sama does that guy have a brain tumour. I can help" Kabuto silently grumbles out as he's massaging his legs making Karin and I laugh out loud, Kabuto hearing us laugh starts to smile looking at the ground.
Kabuto while the few months his Uzumaki friend has been resting, reached the level of a solid Genin. Not too shabby if I say so myself.
Now that I think about it I need a third subordinate to finish off the team, I'll ask Danzo today if there is anyone near Kiri who has a kekkei genkai as maybe finding someone like Haku would help the team tremendously.
Karin the sensor, Kabuto the Support while you get me the all-rounder. While Karin with the [Eye of Kaguya] could still also be a ninjutsu spammer. She's like a second support who is my lifeline in a crunch situation.
No way would I want her to run out of chakra in a pinch.
I'd rather get another subordinate with ninjutsu capabilities.
She'll also learn seals so that's another caveat to her importance.
A sensor, seal master who can heal me with a bite and use chakra chains to horde off-tailed beasts.
We need someone as a mid-range fighter or someone way more in the back who can do ninjutsu combos with Karin.
I'm not gonna graduate at the same time as them so I want to give them a third subordinate. The reason is Kabuto is becoming a Genin through being a medical ninja instead of the conventional academy route.
Karin needs a friend that she can bond with.
Either way.
Just a few more days...
I'll thrash that exam!