The wound on Naruto's face, inflicted earlier by Orochimaru, wasn't serious.
With just the Nine Tails' chakra, such injuries were easily healed.
But Naruto hadn't left yet—not because of the injury, but because he wanted to get a better look at the red-haired kunoichi standing before him.
Earlier, when he was moving alone, he had run into this girl from the Hidden Grass Village.
She had come out to fetch water but encountered a mishap—a large black bear had chased her down.
Terrified, she kept running but eventually tripped and fell. Just as the bear's massive paw was about to strike her, Naruto had arrived in the nick of time, defeating the bear in a single blow.
And that was how he met her: Uzumaki Karin.
"This is just a coincidence…" Naruto murmured to himself.
He hadn't expected to run into one of the last remaining members of the Uzumaki clan with just a random act of heroism.
"A coincidence?" Karin still didn't understand the situation.
Naruto slowly removed his white fox mask, revealing a sunny, handsome face. His golden hair glistened brilliantly in the sunlight.
With a gentle smile, Naruto extended a hand to the frightened girl still sitting on the ground.
"My surname is also Uzumaki," he said. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
"We might both be from the Uzumaki clan."
"The… Uzumaki clan…" Karin repeated softly, stunned.
---
Elsewhere, in the spectators' realm—
Uzumaki Mito: "To think the only two remaining members of our clan would meet during the Chūnin Exams… Could this be fate? A sign that the Uzumaki legacy is being blessed once more?"
Inuzuka Kiba: "Marry! Marry! For the sake of the Uzumaki clan, they must get married!"
Of course, while Kiba said that aloud with excitement, inwardly he was thinking—
If Naruto marries Karin, then doesn't that leave both Sakura and Hinata wide open?
Sasuke's already defected, and Neji doesn't care about women… This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Hyūga Hinata: "Is Naruto-kun… really going to marry Karin to restore the Uzumaki clan?"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Don't worry, Hinata. That Naruto over there might consider it, but my Naruto—our Naruto—only sees you as his daughter-in-law!"
Hinata: "I… I…" Her face flushed bright red.
How could Kushina say such things with so many people listening? It was way too embarrassing!
---
Back to the scene—
Uzumaki Karin: "I didn't realize it was Naruto who saved me in that world. I never met Sasuke there…"
Hozuki Suigetsu: "Wait, you don't like Sasuke, do you? Ugh, forget it. He only cares about chasing power now anyway."
Karin: "Who even are you?! You're so annoying!"
At this moment, Karin was still young and naive.
In the original Chūnin Exams, she had only fallen for Sasuke because he appeared gallantly and saved her. But Naruto from this alternate world… he had a different kind of charm—stronger, warmer, more reliable.
If I were the Karin from that world, she thought, what choice would I make?
"As a member of the Uzumaki clan… I should take responsibility…" she whispered to herself.
Just have ten children with Naruto…
Her imagination spiraled, and her cheeks grew red from embarrassment. Strange, dreamy thoughts filled her mind.
---
Naruto looked at Karin seriously.
"I'm planning to rebuild the Land of Whirlpools," he said.
"You? All by yourself? That's impossible!" Karin exclaimed.
She didn't mean to be rude—after all, Naruto was still just a teenager. To rebuild an entire country? It sounded like a fantasy.
But before she could say more, her stomach growled loudly.
She looked down, embarrassed.
She had been sent out alone to find food and water because she was the weakest in her group. That's when the black bear had attacked.
Naruto smiled gently—none of the coldness he had shown to the Konoha shinobi earlier remained. It was like he was a completely different person now.
"Stay here. Don't move," he said with a warm grin. "I'll go make you some barbecue."
He turned and walked toward the corpse of the black bear he had taken down earlier.
A gift from nature, Naruto thought.
Karin stared at his back. Though he wasn't very tall, his frame was powerful—honed by constant training.
This version of Naruto had a far more refined figure than the one she remembered seeing on the white screen.
Kinda… reliable, she thought, almost unconsciously.
Could it be that rebuilding the Land of Whirlpools… isn't just a dream?
But she quickly shook her head.
No… that's too naïve. The Whirlpool Country, once so powerful, had formed an alliance with Konoha… only to be abandoned.
When the Ninja World War came, Konoha failed to provide support in time, and the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed.
Although Karin didn't hate Konoha entirely, she still harbored deep doubts. Her mother had told her clearly: Konoha had enough time to help but didn't.
So deep inside, Karin had always been skeptical of the Hidden Leaf.
Yet Naruto… even though he was a Konoha ninja, made her feel safe.
---
In the spiritual realm—
Uzumaki Kushina: "If Konoha had helped just a bit earlier… maybe the Land of Whirlpools would still exist."
Minato Namikaze: "Kushina… we couldn't help it. The Second Hokage had just died. The Third Hokage had too much to deal with. Many villagers didn't even support his leadership. By the time word reached us, it was already too late…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Kushina, I… I'm truly sorry. We let the Uzumaki clan down. I am ashamed of the trust your people placed in us."
---
Meanwhile, in the Akatsuki hideout,
Uzumaki Nagato scoffed coldly.
The truth about what happened back then is shrouded in lies.
The Third Hokage's apology meant nothing to him.
"Only through pain can the world understand peace," he muttered.
"Once I destroy Konoha with my own hands… then we'll see if they truly understand what regret means."
---
Back in the forest clearing, Naruto pulled out Zabuza's blade and began cutting up the black bear. He quickly built a simple grill using nearby materials and got to work.
From his storage scroll, he retrieved some spices and cooking tools.
Since learning how to seal items into scrolls, Naruto had taken to carrying not only ninja tools but also daily necessities—seasonings, cookware, spare clothes, and even his fox mask.
Soon, the grill began to sizzle with the delicious aroma of roasted meat.
Karin couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
She had never smelled anything so tempting before. Kusagakure was just a small village, and her family had lived as refugees. Meat was a rare luxury—only available during festivals.
Seeing her drooling, Naruto didn't hesitate. He picked a perfectly grilled slice and handed it to her.
As she took a bite, her eyes widened.
The flavor was rich, tender, and melted in her mouth. It was heavenly.
Overwhelmed, Karin actually began to cry.
---
Kakashi Hatake: "Seriously? It's that good?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "When I tasted Naruto's grilled fish in that world, I had the same reaction. That boy is shockingly gifted in cooking!"
Akimichi Chōji: "Arghhh! I'm starving just watching this! I want Konoha barbecue right now!"
Akimichi Chōza: "Calm down, Chōji. When this is all over, I'll take you to eat yakiniku, I promise!"
Back in the present, Karin stared at the black screen showing her younger self devouring the meal. She couldn't help but drool again.
In Kusagakure, getting to eat something like grilled meat? Practically a miracle!
Nowadays, aside from the Five Great Nations, most small villages were barely surviving.
---
Uchiha Madara: "That damned Naruto… He's using Fire Style to grill meat?!"
Senju Hashirama: "Madara, didn't you once use Fire Style to cook fish for me?"
Madara: "Shut… Shut up!"
---
Just as Naruto and Karin were enjoying their barbecue in peace, two rude voices rang out:
"Hey, hey, hey! You little bastard! You're hiding here, eating in secret!"
"Get over here! I'm injured and need your blood to recover!"
Two ninja from Kusagakure emerged from the trees—Karin's supposed teammates in the Chūnin Exams.
"Your… blood?" Naruto looked at Karin.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
Then he noticed her arms—covered with bite marks, both old and new.
That's when Naruto understood.
So this… is what they've done to her…
With a snap, the skewer in his hand broke into pieces.
This time, Naruto was truly enraged.
The Uzumaki clan—his clan—had fallen so low that others dared to treat its members like this?
He clenched his fists.
He wouldn't allow such pain to continue—not for her, not for anyone in the Uzumaki clan.
Not anymore.