"What the hell are you dawdling for?! Get the fuck up, you bitch!"
Uzumaki Karin stumbled along, her eyes squeezed shut. A Grass ninja flew into a rage. He grabbed a fistful of her red hair and yanked her upright.
"Ghk!"
A few scarlet strands drifted to the ground. The pain forced Karin's eyes open. She pushed herself up, offering a heartbreakingly beautiful, frail smile.
Just like the 163 times before. Praying changes nothing. The gods are too busy. Why would they care about the suffering down here?
Maybe it's all fate. If I just… give up… the pain will stop.
Her small, tightly clenched fist slowly relaxed.
There was no one to talk to. Every day was fear. Any moment, she could be dragged out, used as a medicine, bitten, drained. Numbness had settled in.
She was tired. Compared to the physical pain, the mental torture was worse. Just… give up.
Karin stood straight on her own. No longer needing the Grass ninjas to push her, she walked willingly toward the village center.
"Oho? The living medicine finally learned some sense."
"See? Should've been this obedient from the start. Made us rough you up for nothing. Behave well later, and we'll get you some meat tonight."
The Grass ninjas chuckled, making jokes at her expense.
Karin just walked in silence. Whether she resisted or not… the result was always the same.
"Holy shit, I actually found her! These dog eyes work great at night!"
Just as Karin was about to abandon her last shred of hope, an elated voice cut through the darkness. It was so full of life it ignited the stubborn embers in her heart all over again.
"Who's there?!"
The Grass ninjas panicked, scanning their surroundings. The next instant, a swarm of paper seals shot through the air.
Swoosh! Slice!
Neck arteries were severed clean. Blood blossomed into crimson flowers.
A figure descended from above amidst the falling bodies. His pristine white clothes remained utterly unstained. He extended a hand toward Karin with elegant grace.
"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere no one will hurt you."
"…Okay!"
Karin looked at the dead Grass ninjas, then back at the figure. A fire seemed to blaze in her eyes. She nodded firmly, decisively, and took his hand.
It can't be worse than this. And he's so handsome… How could he be a bad person? Karin thought silently.
The figure was, of course, Qianyu—possessing the same peerless handsome features as the esteemed readers.
He'd come straight from home, not even bothering to change clothes or hide his devastatingly good looks behind a mask. Once the Paper Dance was active, who wouldn't recognize him?
Masks, no matter how thin—even 0.001 cm—were never as comfortable as wearing nothing at all.
Whoosh!
Qianyu pulled Karin close, scooped her into a princess carry, and took to the sky with a flap of his paper wings.
Timing-wise, Shikaku and the others should have already made their exit. He'd caught his target Uzumaki. Time to retreat.
Heh. Can't believe I actually bagged her. Mission success, maxed out. Sweet!
This must be Karin's mother, right? Looks just like her, minus the glasses. Especially that lovestruck expression.
Qianyu glanced at the blushing woman in his arms.
But this… excessively generous figure? Pressing against him in a rather distracting way. If memory served, the canon Karin was… flat. Did she get her build from her father?
"My name is Uzumaki Karin. Thank you for saving me. Can I know your name?"
Away from the hell of the Grass Village, Karin felt like she was breathing again. It felt like a dream.
Her heart was pounding. Partly from the close contact with this incredibly handsome man. Partly from the dizzying uncertainty and hope for a future she couldn't yet see.
If this is a dream, or a vision before I die… please, never let me wake up. That's my final wish. Please.
She wrapped her arms tightly around Qianyu's waist, squeezing her eyes shut, her little face scrunched up in fervent, silent prayer.
"Uh. I'm Qianyu. I'm… a ninja from Konoha."
Karin was pressing closer. The… generous pressure was becoming… pronounced. Qianyu gritted his teeth, focusing all his willpower. His reply came out slightly stuttered.
"Konoha? I heard it's a big place. Are you… taking me to Konoha?" Karin lifted her head, blinking her big eyes.
If she wasn't resilient, if she wasn't inherently bright and lively, she'd have long become an emotionless tool. She was a tough little weed. Now, free from the parasitic grasp of the Grass Village, her vitality surged back with shocking force.
"Yeah, I'm taking you to Konoha. Um, you don't look so good. Let me treat you first."
With incredible perseverance, Qianyu steered the conversation back on track. He went through all this trouble for an Uzumaki. The reward was the whole point.
I, Qianyu, offer my bro Nawaki's lifelong singlehood in exchange for a golden legendary SSR!
Having mentally sacrificed Nawaki, Qianyu began channeling chakra into Karin, starting the healing process.
"Wait! What are you doing? Let me go!"
Karin's face paled. She struggled in Qianyu's arms, trying to push him away, but his hold was unbreakable.
Her condition was terrible. Years of being used as an unlimited medicine by Grass ninjas had drained not just her chakra, but her very life force.
And now, to help her recover, Qianyu was using his own life energy to heal her? That couldn't be!
"Stop! You'll drain your own potential! Your lifespan!" Karin pleaded, her voice desperate.
He'd already saved her from hell. That was a debt she could never repay. How could she let him sacrifice his vitality for her too?
"It's fine. As long as you get better, a little life force is nothing. Hold still. Don't struggle."
Qianyu waved it off, speaking casually.
Not only was this amount of vitality a drop in the bucket for him now, but the harder the treatment, the greater the sacrifice, the richer the system's reward would be. He wanted to invest more in Karin.
For an Uzumaki, blindly pumping in life force and chakra should do the trick. Qianyu was already anticipating the completion reward.
"Qianyu… Why are you so good to me? Why didn't I meet you sooner?!"
Unaware of his true motives, Karin was deeply moved, thinking he was doing this purely for her. Tears welled in her eyes. She clung to him, refusing to let go.
Thus, Qianyu endured immense pressure once more. And Karin gained a rather… direct understanding of the pressure emanating from him.
Karin shuddered. She leaned close to his ear, her voice a soft whisper. "They were afraid I'd kill myself… so no one dared touch me. You… you can, if you want."
"Wait, why are you telling me this… Mmph!"
Qianyu tried to push her away to continue the treatment, but his words were swallowed.
Come to think of it, he'd never treated anyone mid-air before. This was a new challenge.
Half an hour later.
As a massive amount of chakra finally flowed into Karin, repairing the hidden damage from years of depletion, the system prompt chimed.
[Ding! Treatment successful. Congratulations, Host, on obtaining [Uzumaki Bloodline!]]
(The canon Karin won't be born for another six or seven years, and it should be through a normal marriage, guys. Relax!)
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