Karin follows after her team mates, dragging her feet. After spending five days keeping them at full chakra capacity, she is worn out. After the way they've been treating her, she is glad that they didn't make it through the second round. Now, how to convince her teammates to let her visit the local academy?

"Hurry up Karin!" one of the boys orders her.

"I'm tired," says Karin. "Can't we rest before we head home?"

"You don't deserve a rest!" the boy snaps. "You stupid outsider, it's your fault we failed."

"If you hadn't left me, that Leaf team wouldn't have taken our scroll!" she accuses. "You know I'm not trained in combat!" it was part of the plan for her team to fail, so Sasuke had taken her team's scroll. Not that she would ever tell her team she willingly let their scroll be taken.

The boy turns around and slaps her. "You were supposed to be hiding!"

Seeing her opportunity, Karin starts crying and runs away.

"Hey, get back here!" she hears her teammates call.

But of course she doesn't. Using the shinobi jump that Sakura had taught her, she jumps up onto the nearest roof and back down the other side. She loses her team quickly and heads over to the academy. Once there, she heads inside to look for the man Naruto referred to as his big brother.

"What do you want?" asks the bored looking receptionist when she approaches him. His chakra is warm and welcoming, and his voice kind.

Karin smiles nervously and says, "I'm here to see Iruka Umino."

It turns out Iruka is proctoring the chunin exams, so they send the newest staff member - a replacement for someone called Mizuki - to get him.

Karin sits down to wait, but it isn't long before the chunin she's looking for shunshins into the room. She stands nervously and tries to stammer out, "I-I-I'm Karin, Naruto sent me-"

The chunin smiles reassuringly. "It's alright, Karin. Naruto told me you were coming. I would take you to the Hokage, but he's overseeing the preliminary round of the exams."

His chakra is so warm and friendly, Karin thinks happily.

"But I'll take you to the Hokage tower and see about getting you Leaf Citizenship," Iruka continues, for it is Iruka - Karin recognizes the scar that Naruto told her to look for. "Come with me." He gestures to her to follow him, and leads her out of the academy to the Hokage tower.

Karin is surprised to see a red haired man in a wheelchair sitting in the lobby reading a copy of Konoha's latest Bingo book. The man looks up at her and smiles. "Come here, little Uzumaki girl," says the man.

Iruka turns to the man. "Who are you?"

"I am Nagato Uzumaki, god of the Hidden Rain," the man says, putting his book down on his lap. "I thought Naruto was the only other Uzumaki left but it seems I was wrong. I see you've been living in the Hidden Grass, have they been kind to you?"

"Um..." Karin isn't sure what to say. "Not really."

"She's essentially their slave," says Iruka. "Naruto sent her to me so I can get her Leaf citizenship. Her name is Karin."

"There you are, little brat!" Karin hides behind Iruka as her minder stalks towards her. "You know you aren't allowed to leave your team."

"They left me in the forest!" says Karin, feeling brave. "I got attacked, and I could've died if Team Seven hadn't saved me!"

"What do you mean they saved you?" her minder demands. "You told your team they took your scroll!"

"Well that's because they did," Karin says, feeling scared again. "They said a team that abandons one of its members doesn't deserve to pass the chunin exams!"

"You little…!"

"They are right," Nagato says, calmly. "A shinobi who abandons his comrades is no shinobi."

"That is why Naruto has decided to keep his cousin," says Iruka. "I am sorry, but the Hidden Leaf will be taking Karin Uzumaki in as a ward. According to the peace treaty between the Hidden Whirlpool and the Hidden Leaf, every member of the Uzumaki clan has the right apply for and gain automatic Leaf citizenship."

"You wouldn't dare," says Karin's minder.

"Why not?" asks Iruka.

"Because if you do, the Village Hidden in the Grass will declare war on the Village Hidden in the Leaf."

There is a tense silence in the lobby. Everyone there is watching now.

"Damn," Karin hears a Leaf Ninja say from somewhere by the door.

Karin cannot help herself. She begins to cry. Her hope of finally having a proper home and family is shattering before her eyes.

"Would you declare war on the Akatsuki?" asks Nagato, suddenly.

"A-Akatsuki?" Karin's minder stammers out.

"Yes," Nagato says mildly. "I am Nagato Uzumaki, leader of the Akatsuki. I am also Lord Pein, god of the Hidden Rain." Six imposing figures seem to materialize from the shadows Karin didn't notice were there. "As a member of the ancient and noble clan Uzumaki I claim my right to take in Karin Uzumaki and raise her as my daughter. She will live with me in the Hidden Rain. If you have any objections, feel free to take it up with my subordinate, Hidan of the Order of Jashin."

Karin's minder goes very pale as Nagato speaks. Then Nagato brushes back his hair, revealing his rinnegan eyes.

Karin's minder collapses. "I-I w-won't contest your cl-claim!" he stammers out. Then he drags himself away as fast as he can.

"Do you mean it?" Karin asks, peeking out from behind Iruka and creeping towards Nagato. "That you're going to adopt me?"

Nagato looks at her with a soft smile on his excessively skinny face. "Yes, I do believe I meant that, even though I didn't quite plan to say it."

Karin smiles her first genuine smile since her mother died.