Night fell.
Under the pale moonlight, the ruined surroundings looked desolate.
The wooden house standing there felt somewhat out of place.
In the clearing before it—
a campfire burned brightly.
Over the flames hung a skinned wild wolf, its insides cleaned and its meat roasted to a golden color.
Fat dripped occasionally.
Crackle—sizzle—
The oil fell into the fire, releasing bursts of sound.
The air was filled with a mouth-watering aroma.
Sitting nearby, the timid young Karin stared at it.
She couldn't help swallowing.
Her stomach betrayed her with a loud gurgle.
Her face immediately turned red with embarrassment.
She quickly turned her head away.
"Hungry, Karin?"
Turning the roasting wolf with a stick, Ren tore off a piece of cooked meat.
A leaf appeared in his palm, wrapping the meat carefully.
He handed it to her with a gentle smile.
"Eat."
"Careful, it's hot."
Inside the wooden house—
Tsunade and Shizune were examining Nanako Uzumaki and treating her frail body.
So dinner preparation had fallen entirely to Ren.
"Huh…?"
Karin froze.
She didn't know what to do.
She hadn't expected the first piece of meat to be given to her.
She stared blankly at Ren.
His tone was warm.
There was no arrogance.
No trace of contempt in his eyes.
His not-so-tall figure seemed to shine in the firelight.
At that moment—
Karin felt she would never forget the gentle, handsome face before her.
"Thank you…"
Her nose tingled.
Behind her glasses, her eyes reddened and filled with tears.
No stranger had ever treated her this kindly.
In Kusagakure, people treated her and her mother like outsiders.
They mocked them.
Ordered them around.
Always with disdain and arrogance.
"You're a really good person!"
Karin bit into the fragrant wolf meat.
The taste felt unbelievably delicious.
The best food she had ever eaten.
But tears still streamed down her cheeks.
Her body trembled as she sobbed.
"There, there… don't cry."
Ren gently rubbed her head, smiling softly.
Inside, however, he sighed.
The ninja world truly was a place where suffering was compared only by degree.
Some people thought Konohagakure was rotten—
that beneath its sunlight lurked dark secrets.
But for many others—
that same place was a paradise they could barely dream of.
A place with peace and stability.
At that moment—
Shizune leaned out from the wooden house.
"Ren, could you cook some porridge?"
"Nanko's body is very weak."
"She can't eat greasy food yet."
"We need to help her recover slowly."
"Got it."
Ren nodded with a smile.
He turned to Karin, who was anxiously looking toward the house while clutching her roasted meat.
"Don't worry."
"Tsunade is one of the greatest medical ninjas in the world."
"Your mother will be fine."
"Thank you… thank you so much!"
Karin nodded repeatedly.
Tears kept falling despite her efforts to stop them.
No one had ever treated them this kindly.
In Kusagakure—
people claimed they had taken them in.
But every day her mother returned exhausted.
The bite marks on her body grew more numerous each day.
She never got a day of rest.
And all they received were a few pieces of bread.
Sometimes even stale ones.
Under Karin's curious gaze—
Ren took out a scroll and opened it.
Strange sealing symbols covered its surface.
He formed a hand seal.
Poof!
A cloud of smoke appeared.
Before Karin's astonished eyes—
rice, a cooking pot, and seasoning suddenly appeared.
They had been stored inside the storage scroll.
"Eh?!"
Karin stared wide-eyed.
But her timid personality kept her from asking questions.
Ren noticed and explained gently.
"This is a storage scroll."
"You can seal items inside it."
He extended two fingers.
Clear water flowed from his fingertips into the pot.
After washing the rice and adding water—
Ren pressed his palm to the ground.
"Earth Style."
The ground trembled slightly.
Two short earth walls rose on either side of his hand—
forming a simple stove.
He placed the pot on top.
Then he moved burning wood from the campfire beneath it.
Soon the porridge began cooking.
The whole process was smooth and practiced.
Karin watched with wide eyes.
Her mouth hung open.
She looked completely stunned.
"Is… is that ninja magic?"
She stared at Ren in amazement.
"And the wooden house earlier…"
"You're amazing!"
"It's nothing special."
Ren rubbed her head again.
"My name is Chiba Ren."
"You can call me Brother Ren."
"Brother… Ren."
Seeing how friendly he was, Karin gradually relaxed.
She no longer seemed so nervous.
"Want to learn?"
Ren asked with a grin.
"I can teach you."
Karin's eyes lit up.
But she still asked timidly,
"Really… can I?"
"When you finish eating," Ren replied,
"I'll teach you how to extract chakra."
In the ninja world—
everyone possessed chakra.
Most people simply didn't know how to refine or use it.
Especially members of the Uzumaki Clan.
They were born with powerful chakra.
Even someone like Nanako—
who had never learned ninjutsu—
could still heal others using her natural chakra.
Ren thought while chewing his roasted meat.
"This girl's talent… is even better than Shizune's."
"She could perfectly inherit Tsunade's teachings."
Originally, he planned for Danzō to bring the mother and daughter to Konoha.
But since Tsunade had already taken them in—
perhaps persuading Tsunade to accept Karin as a disciple would be even better.
After all—
Karin possessed rare abilities even among the Uzumaki.
Her potential was immense.
Her chakra control was also excellent.
Ren was confident he could master all of Tsunade's medical knowledge.
But he knew he would never remain confined to medical work.
He studied medical ninjutsu mainly because it was useful—
and because it would help him develop powerful techniques in the future.
Strictly speaking—
he wasn't driven by a healer's compassion.
He was a pragmatic person.
Once he finished learning—
he wouldn't spend his days in hospital wards treating patients.
Compared with him—
Karin was far more suitable to inherit Tsunade's legacy.
To become a true healer—
a genuine medical master capable of saving countless lives.
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