"Kousei!?"
Karin looked the girl up and down in disbelief, then reached out and touched Kousei's face as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
She gave it a slight pinch...
'Hmm… not a Genjutsu.'
Kousei seemed to have expected Karin's reaction and maintained a smiling expression, allowing Karin to pinch her cheek.
The group who had come to see Karin off looked confused, while only the 'old couple' and Boruto, who had heard the whole story, realized what was happening.
Clearly, the young girl before them should be one of the 'comrades' Karin had mentioned.
They just weren't entirely sure about Kousei's identity yet.
Karin circled around Kousei, observing her, still seeming somewhat incredulous.
"Karin-nee, you've changed quite a bit too," Kousei said, also looking at Karin. After all, Karin now resembled Nagato from back then, with her once red hair completely white and her glasses removed.
Fortunately, she didn't need to maintain that overdrawn state long-term, and Naruto, who mastered Yang Release, provided timely rescue, so she didn't end up as emaciated as Nagato.
"No, no, no! You're the one who's really changed!" Karin exclaimed exaggeratedly, gesturing at Kousei's height.
From a tiny little bean to now even taller than Boruto.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, the joyful surprise on Karin's face froze.
"Wait, Kousei, you..."
She nervously gripped Kousei's shoulders with both hands, pulling her closer, her eyes fixed on the young face that could already be called beautiful.
At this moment, Karin's eyes shone with disbelief, followed quickly by heartache and sadness.
A conjecture had already formed in her mind.
Even though Karin often grumbled about Naruto being partial during Kousei's stay, she actually spent the most time with the optimistic and sunny little Kousei.
During baths and bedtime, it was usually her and the other two women in the team who took care of Kousei.
Over time, though she never said it out loud, Karin had already accepted Kousei as a comrade in her heart.
From Karin's perspective, only the three of them had entered the Ryumyaku. So Kousei's presence here likely meant she had waited too long without their return and had taken the initiative to come looking for them.
Judging by Kousei's current appearance, that waiting period couldn't have been short.
Kousei seemed to sense Karin's thoughts. Her small hand gently patted the back of Karin's hand, calming the slightly trembling fingers.
"Karin-nee, is there any food here? I've traveled a long way and I'm really hungry..."
Kousei changed the subject, looking towards the group not far away.
Surprisingly, she didn't seem surprised by the thirty-something Seventh Hokage standing nearby.
She didn't even show curiosity or inquiry when looking at Boruto and the other children.
"Yes! Of course!"
Karin quickly gently picked up Kousei and walked towards the seeing-off group.
Even though Kousei wasn't that small anymore, she could still be carried just like before in front of the 'abnormally developed' Karin.
With this sudden turn of events, the original send-off had to be postponed.
…
On the streets of Konoha, passersby looked curiously at the group walking in the middle.
Two girls, one tall and one short, held hands at the front, followed by none other than their Hokage.
Sasuke didn't show his face in the village often, so some younger people didn't recognize him, but Naruto frequently 'enjoyed himself among the people'.
"Ah... Hokage-sama!"
"It's Seventh Hokage-sama!"
"Hokage-sama!"
Watching the enthusiastic greetings from the people around, Kousei showed no surprise on her face.
"Hmm... As expected of Kousei's father, I suppose."
Hearing this, Karin looked down at her, seeming to want to explain something.
"Kousei, actually that's not..."
"I know."
Kousei shook Karin's hand in return, giving her a warm smile.
Originally, Karin was leading the way to the legendary [Yakiniku Q] for a feast, after all, she knew the little girl's appetite was no small matter.
But as they walked, Kousei took the lead.
And judging by her familiarity, she didn't seem unfamiliar with the terrain here at all.
"Hmm... Ichiraku Ramen! Of course, you have to eat this when you come to Konoha Village."
Before everyone knew it, Kousei had led them into the ramen shop.
Uncle Teuchi, now Grandpa Teuchi, greeted them warmly when he saw Naruto bringing a group to his shop.
Kousei also ordered in a very proficient manner.
By now, Karin finally sensed something was off. She looked at Kousei, about to ask something, but heard the other speak first.
"Konoha Village in the year 72 is still quite interesting, right? Karin-nee."
"Kousei... you..."
Kousei gently shook her head, signaling to talk after eating.
Seeing this, Karin couldn't press further, so she went upstairs with the others to a private room.
Yes, Ichiraku Ramen now has private rooms.
Teuchi's speed hadn't slowed much with age, and perhaps he possessed some mysterious bloodline.
Soon, everyone's ramen was served.
In front of Naruto was his usual Tonkotsu Miso Chashu Ramen. Boruto and Sasuke chose the relatively lighter Spicy Leek Ramen.
As for Karin and Kousei, they both chose the legendary Super Large Bowl Pork Miso Chashu Ramen.
"Kousei-chan… can I call you that? That portion is really big, you know."
Perhaps because he felt an inexplicable fondness for her since their first meeting, Naruto smiled and reminded Kousei.
"No problem. Don't underestimate Kousei's appetite, Seventh Hokage."
Facing this Naruto from another timeline, Kousei didn't call him 'Dad', which made Karin's eyebrows twitch.
Seeing this, Naruto just smiled and didn't say anything.
And so, the mealtime whirlwind began.
Soon, two or three empty bowls were stacked in front of Naruto.
For someone who often used shadow clones for office work, replenishing stamina was quite important, so his appetite was naturally not small.
But when he looked up, there were already seven or eight large empty bowls stacked in front of Karin and Kousei.
'What!!?'
The Seventh Hokage's face was full of disbelief.
He had learned about Karin's large appetite during their days together, but he wondered how the little Kousei managing it.
'Where did all that ramen go?'
Naruto looked at Kousei's still flat stomach, completely baffled.
Looking at Sasuke and Boruto beside him, they had already finished their battle.
Meanwhile, Karin and Kousei seemed to have just warmed up.