"These three toys are rather interesting," Sakura said lightly. "I bought them in a very strange little town. Even I couldn't figure out what makes them special—but they feel unusual. Take them. Consider them… souvenirs."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji accepted the dolls with puzzled expressions.
The craftsmanship wasn't particularly refined, but the colors were bright, and the texture was soft—like ordinary children's toys.
Naruto fiddled with the one in his hand—a small blue figure with blond hair and whisker-like markings on its cheeks.
Almost absentmindedly, he muttered:
"Toy Kingdom…"
The moment the words left his mouth—
"Rumble-rumble!"
A clear, cheerful childlike voice suddenly rang out from the doll in Naruto's hand!
The toy even twitched—then began moving in his palm.
"What?!" Sasuke and Neji nearly threw theirs away in shock.
Sakura smiled knowingly.
"Oh? I didn't expect you to know the activation phrase."
Sasuke and Neji stared at their own dolls in disbelief. After exchanging a glance, they hesitantly repeated:
"Toy Kingdom."
"Rumble-rumble!"
"Rumble-rumble!"
Two equally cheerful voices answered immediately—each slightly different in tone.
The dolls' eyes glimmered faintly, and their small bodies wriggled as if infused with life.
When Naruto carefully set his doll on the ground, it actually toddled forward on stubby legs—tap tap tap—before stopping and tilting its head upward as though looking at him.
It began wandering around nearby.
However, it couldn't stray too far from Naruto. Once beyond a certain distance, it seemed to lose energy and stop moving, requiring him to pick it up or call it again.
"They can move on their own? And respond?" Sasuke was genuinely astonished.
"Yes." Sakura watched the three animated toys with interest. "They have no combat ability, but they're amusing, aren't they?"
"It's unbelievable." Neji's Byakugan—capable of perceiving chakra networks—showed nothing unusual, only deep confusion. "Naruto, have you seen something like this before? We don't have this kind of puppet technique in the shinobi world… No, this isn't puppet technique at all."
Naruto nodded, thoughtful.
"Yeah. I've seen it once. In a very secluded town, almost isolated from the rest of the world. The people there… didn't seem to use chakra at all, but their way of life was different."
"The town was full of these self-moving toys. Almost every household had several. Kids treated them like normal playthings."
"A place like that really exists?" Neji murmured, a flicker of longing and confusion crossing his eyes. "It sounds… like a paradise."
A world without chakra conflicts. Only simple, cheerful toys?
It stood in stark contrast to the shinobi world he knew.
"A paradise?" Sakura repeated faintly, offering no firm answer. "Perhaps."
She dusted off her hands lightly.
"I've said what I should—and perhaps more than I should. I really need to go."
The air shifted once more toward farewell.
"Wait."
Sasuke suddenly spoke, brows furrowed.
"Karin. What exactly is happening on her side? She seems to be in conflict with the Divine Knights. Is there any way… to restrain or counter her?"
Though he shared a complicated past with Karin, the erratic and unrestrained nature she now displayed forced him to think practically.
Naruto and Neji grew serious as well.
Sakura considered it.
"If you encounter her in the future… avoid direct confrontation. Go along with her. Indulge her a little."
"That girl… responds better to softness than force."
"As long as you back down quickly enough, the chances of escalation are low."
Sasuke's expression darkened further.
Indulge Karin?
Even after all he had experienced, diplomacy of that sort was far more difficult for him than fighting a powerful enemy.
After a brief silence, Sakura added:
"As for why we clashed…"
"It's because Karin possesses a Devil Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit?" Naruto frowned. "I've read scattered records. Eating one often leads to death, doesn't it? And your organization is already so powerful—why care about something that risky?"
Sakura shook her head.
"You understand only part of it. Devil Fruits are divided into several types. Zoan-type fruits do indeed carry overwhelming primal instincts. They often devour the user's will, making them lose themselves. The risk is high."
Her expression turned serious.
"But the one Karin took from our organization… wasn't a Zoan."
"It was an extremely special—and extremely important—"
"Paramecia-type Devil Fruit."
"Paramecia?" Neji immediately caught the distinction.
"Yes." Sakura nodded. "Paramecia fruits possess wildly varied abilities. Some even touch upon the level of 'rules'—very strange powers."
"And the consciousness residing within the fruit actively seeks a compatible host."
"The one Karin took… its ability holds extraordinary significance—not just for us, but for the broader structure beyond this world."
Naruto's eyes sharpened. He noticed the subtle gravity in Sakura's expression.
"What kind of ability?"
Sakura did not avoid the question.
"Paramecia—"
"The Ope Ope no Mi."
"The 'Surgery-Surgery Fruit.'"
"Surgery?" Neji analyzed instinctively. "So… a medical-type ability? Precision, healing?"
"That's one way to look at it."
Sakura nodded.
Then her tone shifted, becoming difficult to read.
"But when taken to its ultimate extreme…"
"That kind of 'surgery' often becomes something done… for someone else's sake."
Her gaze lingered, carrying implications far beyond simple healing.
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