Chapter 50

The feeling of hopelessness, as if every move you make next was possibly your last, was never more prevalent in Karin's life than at this very moment. Absolutely the worst thing that could happen to them in this accursed forest had come to fruition. Forget about kissing any chance they had at becoming Chunin goodbye, any chance they could possibly leave here alive was now in question, especially after witnessing him neutralize Kouta in the blink of an eye.

They were screwed!

They were sosososososososososososososo screwed!

"KARIN!" The sound of her name snapped the girl out of her spiraling thoughts, her head turning towards the direction of her name. Her eyes landed on the form of her leader, his eyes furrowed into a glare aimed directly at her. "This ain't the time to get cold feet! Let Kouta bite you so we can fight this bastard together!"

"B-but-" she stuttered, unable to find the words needed to explain how bad of an idea fighting this guy was.

"Pretty stupid to take your eyes off your enemy." The Jonin's casual voice was enough to snap their head back to him. Thankfully, he hadn't moved, which they would soon hear why. "Rule...hmmm, let's see. We're gonna say this is number 3. Rule number 3 of being a Shinobi, never take your eyes off of your opponent. It's a rookie mistake, but I'll let it slide this once."

Her leader growled, his grip on his kunai tightening as the Jonin continued his little speech.

"Well? Aren't you guys here to challenge me? Don't tell me you're that scared. Kinda late for that now. It was your decision to come in here, so you have to live with the consequences."

Seeing an opportunity to potentially save their lives, Karin spoke up." W-we didn't know!" Two pairs of eyes landed on her. "W-we didn't know this was your territory, Jonin-san! W-we were just passing through looking for other teams! If we had known, we...we..."

Her voice trailed off, noticing the glare her leader was now giving her, but more aware of the way the Jonin did not at all seem sympathetic to her excuse.

"Forgive me for being frank, but I call bullshit." The Jonin stated simply, bringing his sword to rest on his shoulder. "Every forbidden territory protected by my clones gives everyone who enters fair warning that you should turn back." He held up fingers as he went down a list, "Nausea, dizziness, the inability to move forward, paranoia, and an indescribable feeling of doom or wrongness. All three of you felt one of these emotions when you entered my territory, and all three of you ignored it.

He looked directly at Karin, causing her blood to run cold.

"You are a sensor, correct? That means you felt it more than your teammates. It was your job to guide them out, yet you did nothing, said nothing, choosing instead to ignore your gut and go deeper into the forest."

"I...I...I didn't..." She stammered, not knowing what else she could say under the pressure of his stare.

He was right.

She had felt it—every bit of it. The unease, the sense of overwhelming wrongness. Her instincts had screamed at her to turn back the moment they crossed into his territory, but she hadn't spoken up. Maybe she was too scared of being labeled a coward. Maybe she had convinced herself it was nothing. Whatever her reason, she had ignored it—and now they...they were...Kouta was...

CLING!*

The echo of metal against metal broke her free from her head once more. The Jonin's sword was now held horizontally to his side, multiple kunai lying at his feet.

"KARIN! Stop standing there and get Kouta!" Shouted her leader, the Jonin's calm, almost bored expression contrasted sharply with the anger growing on his face.

"B-but he's a-" Karin tried to talk sense into her leader but failed to do so as his visible frustration with her inaction was palpable.

"You know," Naruto started again, "part of this test is about teamwork. Knowing how to rely on each other, how to trust your instincts, and when to listen to the people around you. You've already failed on multiple fronts. Makes me question how you even became Genin."

The words had the intended effect, much to Karin's horror.

"Screw you!"

"No WAIT!"

Before Karin could finish her desperate plea, her leader charged headfirst at the Jonin, kunai gripped tightly in his hand. It was a reckless move, one that made her heart sink even further into despair.

Naruto barely shifted, his eyes never leaving the advancing Genin. With a casual flick of his wrist, his sword intercepted the kunai, disarming the boy effortlessly. The kunai spun into the air before embedding itself into a tree far off to the side.

Her leader didn't have time to recover. Naruto's free hand shot forward, gripping his wrist and twisting it just enough to make him wince in pain. Before the Genin could retaliate, Naruto slammed his foot into his chest, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Rolling to his feet, her leader went through several hand-signs and shouted, "Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"

The large sphere of flame shot toward Naruto, the intense heat forcing Karin to shield her face. She peeked through her fingers just in time to see the Jonin raise his sword. It came down in three quick motions, and before her very eyes, the jutsu dissipated into thin air.

"You're not even trying to use strategy." The Jonin sounded disappointed. "If brute force was always the answer, half of you wouldn't be stuck as Genin."

Karin could see the frustration in her leader's face as he struggled to think of his next move. But what could he possibly do? No matter his age, he was still a Jonin—a fact he had proven. She couldn't even see his movements, much less a way to defend against them. They just didn't stand a chance.

Karin felt paralyzed, torn between her fear of the Jonin and her guilt for not stepping up. Her senses continued to scream at her to flee, but her legs refused to move. She could only watch as her leader staggered to his feet, defiance still burning in his eyes as he weaved through more hand-signs.

The defiance left not a second later as a fist crashed into his back before Karin could even warn him.

"A-another," Karin practically whimpered. Her limbs began to shake as the original joined the clone, placing his sword into the dirt before dashing forward. A fist slammed into her leader's face, followed closely by a kick from behind that forced him to a knee. An uppercut had his head snapping up and back to his feet before the clone grabbed his arm, spinning him into the ground with a harsh thud. A falling knee folded him, and finally ceased all his movements.

Karin's mouth hung open, unable to process the ease with which her comrades were defeated.

The clone faded in a cloud of smoke while the Jonin walked away from her leader's still form and towards-

"I-I give up!"

The words escaped her seemingly out of instinct. Her hands were raised above her head, showing him she meant no threat. Her eyes were wide, filled with panic as she looked at him in utter terror.

"I give up! Pl-please don't hurt me!" Shame mixed in with the fear as the plea left her lips.

She was pathetic.

A poor excuse for a Shinobi.

She knew that she shouldn't be here, that she wasn't qualified to be Chunin. It was her own selfish wish not to bring the team down, that if she pushed herself, then maybe, maybe things would be different. That they could grow, could see her as strong and not useless, that she was more than just her ability.

In the end, she couldn't do it. She was a coward.

Something cold and sharp pressed against her throat, making her shaking cease. Slowly, she peeked an eye open, her heart practically stopping upon finding the Jonin standing over her with his sword at her throat.

"Your scroll." His voice was curt, a sharp contrast from the bored tone he'd used previously.

Despite her blinding fear, she was able to reach into her pouch, going as slow as possible so as to not make him think she was trying anything, and pulled out the Heaven Scroll they had.

Naruto took it away from her, inspecting it thoroughly. A moment passed, and in a flash of light, the scroll was set ablaze before the Jonin casually tossed it over his shoulder to land on the ground and slowly burn away.

Though the action made her flinch, Karin couldn't help but be in awe at the jutsu that was casually performed without hand-signs. It was further proof that the gap between them was insurmountable.

His sword vanished from her neck moments later in a puff of smoke, allowing her to breathe freely once more. She then saw him cross his arms as his placid features returned.

"So, what have we learned today?"

Karin swallowed, her mind still struggling to focus on anything beyond the adrenaline surging through her body. Her heart still pounded as the Jonin stood over her, arms crossed, waiting.

"I..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She felt the weight of his gaze and the shame of her failure pressing down on her like a physical force. "I...should've trusted my instincts."

"And?" He prompted, raising an eyebrow, his expression unreadable but still somehow carrying an intensity that made her shrink further.

"A-and..." she hesitated, not entirely sure what the right answer was. "And...I...I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have been...a coward..."

The blonde's brow raised higher. "No, I'm a Jonin. I expected you to be scared. You could definitely learn to have more courage, but that isn't what this test is about." He raised a finger. "One, your teamwork sucks. I only observed you guys for a minute to figure that out, which is bad. And two," he pointed behind him to what she could only assume was the scroll, which was now in ashes on the ground, "You should have never willingly given me that scroll. Doing so has immediately disqualified your team from continuing."

The words took a few moments to register, and when they did, her stomach dropped.

"B-b-but...you said, you said that we had an option t-to give up our scroll! You never said we'd fail if we did!" Karin stammered, no longer knowing if she was scared, confused, or angry at this point.

"I did say that, and you are free to give me your scroll. But as I stated in the rules before, those scrolls are acting as important documents. They could be information-retaining secrets that must get behind enemy lines back to your village or documents that could be damning and potentially spark a war. By willingly giving up those documents, you have become a traitor to your village."

Karin couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But...but the rules..." She weakly said, to which the blonde slowly blinked.

"You literally had a question in phase 1 where your entire Genin career was put on the line if you answered and failed. It was meant to test your resolve as Shinobi. You really think that lesson wouldn't transfer over to the rest of the exam?"

Karin felt the blood drain from her face as the implications of her actions sank in. She had singlehandedly doomed her team, all because she was a coward.

She opened her mouth to argue, to plead, but nothing came out. What could she say? He was right. She had been so blinded by fear that she hadn't stopped to think about the consequences of her decision. She had failed as a Shinobi and as a teammate, again.

Her head slumped, any energy left in her leaving. She was a failure. Her team…they would never acknowledge her now. She had failed them, she was useless. Her only saving grace was her chakra. She…she was…

Naruto crouched down to her level, his intense gaze locking onto hers. "Being a Shinobi isn't just about strength or skill. It's about making decisions under pressure, trusting your instincts, and protecting what's important—your team, your mission, your village." A hand was placed on her shoulder, making her stiffen. "You failed your team today, but don't let this experience ruin your spirit. Keep pushing forward. Never forget who you are and the values you live by."

His words cut deep, but there was no malice in his tone. If anything, it felt like...like genuine encouragement. As if he was trying to give her hope.

He...he was trying to give her hope.

He…believed in her?

But, they were strangers. He didn't know her, and she didn't know him other than the familiarity she shared with his last name. They were Shinobi of opposing villages, so he shouldn't be nice to her.

But his eyes…his chakra…they…they do not lie.

He was giving her hope…

He believed in her…

Be it from the kindness or the exhaustion of the situation, Karin's lip began to tremble before tears began rolling down her face in streams that wouldn't stop no matter how many she rubbed away.

'...I didn't mean to do that,' were Naruto's inner thoughts while Sothis rubbed the bridge of her nose.

'Earth Style: Mud Wall!'

A wall of rock erupted out of the ground, blocking the oncoming fireball before dispersing in a cloud of dust. Behind the wall, Kurotsuchi went through hand-signs while barking orders to her teammates. "Akatsuchi, circle around! Katsuo, keep her distracted!"

Without hesitation, Katsuo lunged forward from the Taki-nin's right, his hands glowing with chakra as he summoned a barrage of stone shrapnel before flinging it at Fū. The mint-haired Taki-nin darted through the air effortlessly, her wings beating rhythmically as she evaded the strike with ease.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, rock-boy!" Fū taunted, continuously weaving through the trees as to make herself a harder target.

Akatsuchi followed Kurotsuchi's orders, silently flanking their opponent from the side, his massive frame surprisingly nimble as he moved between the trees. Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi kept her focus on creating diversions, using her Earth Style to raise pillars and walls to limit Fū's movement.

Fū, however, was far from cornered. She smirked as she twisted in midair, easily maneuvering around the obstacles with an almost playful grace. "You guys are adorable," she said, her tone mocking. "Do they teach you this in 'how to fail spectacularly' school?"

Katsuo growled, his temper flaring to new heights. "Stay still and fight, you flying cockroach!" he barked, sending another wave of shrapnel in her direction. This time, Fū deflected the projectiles with a gust of wind from her wings, scattering the attack like pebbles in a storm.

"What's wrong, rock-boy? Mad 'cause you can't be as awesome as this?" Fū retorted, flipping in the air to dodge a sudden strike from behind by Akatsuchi, who had finally closed in. Her expression shifted briefly to surprise at how quietly he'd approached, but it quickly returned to her usual smirk as she spun and delivered a powerful kick to his back, sending him flying into a nearby tree.

Something suddenly wrapped around her fist—a thick rope of what looked like clay that quickly wrapped around her arm, the material hot to the touch. Kurotsuchi smirked from her position on a nearby branch, her hand outstretched and gripping onto the other side of the thick substance. Pulling sharply, she found resistance. To her surprise, the substance held firm, tightening even further as Kurotsuchi planted her feet into the branch with chairs while her other hand held onto yet another clay substance that was wrapped around the tree she was on.

"The hell is this?" Fū complained, shaking her arm furiously to free herself from the binding to no avail.

"Earth Style: Clay Bindings!" Akatsuchi called out from behind her, a hand held out towards her as a rope of clay shot from his palm and latched onto her, wrapping around her left leg securely.

Even with his superior body mass, Akatsuchi found it hard to keep his feet planted as the Taki-nin pulled, dragging the older boy closer with a grunt.

"Fuck, let me go!"

The sudden appearance of Katsuo above the Taki-nin was the last thing the mint-haired girl saw before he brought down his fist on top of her, the impact enough to break through the clay and send her spiraling downward.

Seeing her opportunity, Kurotsuchi leapt from her perch, weaving through hand-signs before stopping and exhaling. 'Lava Release: Lava Ball!' The large sphere of molten rock was sent towards the still recovering Fū, who reoriented herself fast enough to dodge the attack by a hair.

Katsuo chased her landing, throwing a flurry of punches that the Taki-nin weaved around or jumped over. His strikes came with brutal precision, his fists crackling with chakra that caused the ground to quake with every step and the air to shift with every punch. One punch, specifically for her head, splintered a tree trunk behind her. She retaliated by spinning, a leg coming down in an axe kick that he blocked with his forearm, his free hand shooting out to grab her leg.

Unfortunately for the Iwa-nin, Fū was quicker. Her other foot shot out to smash right into his face, stunning him momentarily. Using her wings to stay afloat, she pushed forward, her fist crashing into his stomach, following through the strike, causing Katsuo to slide back. To her surprise, he actually stopped her. She was unable to defend against the uppercut that came, followed by a right hook.

Showing her tolerance for pain, she used the momentum of the hook to deliver a spinning back fist into the side of his head, followed up by a kick to his now exposed liver. A wince was all she received from her efforts as he grabbed her leg and began swinging her around like a wrecking ball before letting her go flying into the nearest tree, the impact splintering the wood.

Her vision blurred momentarily, the impact having rattled her more than she realized. Before she could reorient herself, something solid slammed into her gut, knocking the wind from her lungs. Her world was once again rocked, this time by a vicious strike to her cheek. Another, this time on the opposite side of her face, the taste of copper filling her mouth.

The third blow was caught in her hand, followed by the fourth into her other. Not giving her opponent a chance to break free, Fū smashed her forehead into his nose, the crack echoing in the forest.

She followed up by putting him in a clutch before ramming her knee into his face.

Katsuo stumbled back, blood pouring from his now-broken nose, his vision swimming. Fū didn't waste the opportunity. She surged forward, wings beating furiously as she spun into a roundhouse kick that connected cleanly with his temple. Once again, he tanked the hit, grabbing her foot once more before pulling her into a hook.

Fū was able to block with her forearm but winced at the power behind it. Doing so left her midsection unprotected, something Katsuo took full advantage of by crashing his fist into her stomach, quickly followed by a combination of an uppercut and a straight to her face.

Growling, Fū delivered a combination of her own, starting with a hook to his jaw, followed by an uppercut, then a hook and an elbow. Her next hook was countered by a vicious headbutt, the impact rattling her and knocking her off balance. The next thing she knew, his fist crashed into her temple, making her see stars. She was then left feeling weightless as he picked her up and tossed her.

Akatsuchi met her mid-air, his rock-coated fists crashing into her back and sending her careening to the ground. The landing was rough, the impact of her hitting the ground reverberating through the earth. When her wings were finally able to reorient her, she was forced to block a vicious right hook from Katsuo. The force of the impact sent her back several feet and nearly caused her to crash into a tree.

'The hell is he made of?' Fū thought, her bones aching from both hitting and defending against the boy's blows. Didn't help that his smug grin never left his face even once despite his now crooked nose.

Bringing her hands together, she opted for a jutsu where her fist failed. Before she could even get to the second hand-sign, something white crashed into her, taking her off her feet and sticking her to a nearby tree. Whatever the substance was, it hardened almost instantly, leaving Fū struggling to break free. Rock-boy suddenly appeared before her, his grin manic and his fist reeled back.

'Well damn.' Was her thought as the fist smashed into her abdomen, breaking them through the tree and the substance holding her. They broke through the other side, Fū being sent flying while the Iwa-nin landed, skidding a bit on his feet.

For a moment, everything went still. Dust hung in the air, obscuring the battlefield.

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi landed nearby, the former with her hands still in a sign. "Did we get her?" she asked, her tone uncertain.

The dust began to settle, revealing Fū on one knee, panting heavily but still defiant. Her vibrant wings were gone, and blood trickled down her forehead and lips while her once-playful smirk was replaced with a frown. "Not bad," she admitted, her voice strained. "But I'm not out yet."

"Seems she hasn't had enough." Katsuo grinned, cracking his knuckles, and prepared to continue.

Much to their confusion, the Taki girl stood suddenly and began...stretching. Creeks and pops filled the area as her limbs extended and joints popped. Her arms reached over her head while her back arched, her neck rolled, and her eyes closed, the frown on her face relaxing into a satisfied smile.

"Phew! You guys sure are strong! Can't remember the last time I got outplayed like that!" Fū said cheerily while bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Honestly, Naruto would have kicked your asses by now. Just means I have a long way to go before I catch up to him."

Whether it was intentional or not, her comment made Katsuo bristle in anger. He was about to shout but was stopped by Kurotsuchi's voice. "Don't fall for it. She's just trying to bait us."

"Bait? Huh? What are you talking about?" Fū questioned, looking genuinely confused by the accusation before she shrugged. "Eh, doesn't matter what's going through those pebble brains of yours. I'm still about to kick your asses."

Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes. "Your vibrato can only take you so far. You're outnumbered, and you're running out of options."

Fū grinning wasn't the response Kurotsuchi would have liked.

"Outnumbered? Yeah. Outmatched? Not a chance in hell." Team Aiko felt a shiver run down their spines as Fū's chakra flared. Around her, the air seemed to vibrate and ripple as an overwhelming presence seemed to grow. From her skin, a red, liquidity substance seeped through, flowing over her like a second skin.

Fū's grin widened, and her eyes were filled with an almost animalistic glee.

"Now it's time for the real fun."

"JI-JINCHUURIKI!" Kurotsuchi's warning cry echoed, but none were prepared for the new burst of speed the girl possessed as she charged.

She appeared before Katsuo in the blink of an eye, a fist aimed at his face. He was barely able to react, crossing his arms in front of him in a defensive position.

'CRACK!'

The force behind the punch was enough to send him flying through the canopy at breakneck speed, the trees shattering under his trajectory like brittle twigs. Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi barely had time to process the sheer power Fū had unleashed before she turned her attention toward them. Her grin had widened to something more feral, her blood-red chakra cloak flickering like flames around her petite frame.

"Who's next?" Fū's voice came out distorted, layered with a deep, growling undertone that sent chills down their spines.

Kurotsuchi bit her lip, her mind racing. 'This is bad. We don't stand a chance against a Jinchuuriki.' She glanced at Akatsuchi, who was already bracing himself, his hands glowing as he summoned two massive stone golems. The creatures roared as they lumbered forward, their footsteps shaking the ground.

"Akatsuchi, buy me time!" Kurotsuchi yelled, slamming her hands together to weave more hand-signs. "We have to knock her out or we're screwed!"

Akatsuchi nodded, charging at Fū alongside his creations. The golems swung their massive arms down toward her, but Fū's new speed was overwhelming. She darted between them, her chakra-coated fists smashing cleanly through one of the stone golems as if it were made of clay. Akatsuchi leapt forward, his fists encased in rock, aiming a powerful punch at her side.

Fū caught his punch mid-swing, the impact causing a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them. "Nice try, big guy," she taunted, twisting his arm and sending him crashing into his own golem. Akatsuchi groaned as he hit the ground. Seeing the Jinchuuriki dashing forward, he brought up his hands. His golem quickly reformed to shield him from the incoming bullet.

Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi completed her jutsu. "Earth Style: Grand Rock Mausoleum!" she shouted, slamming her hands into the ground. An earth pillar shot from the ground first, blocking Fū's strike before she could reach the downed Iwa-nin. Around her, more earth pillars erupted into massive stone pillars, each one converging to form an enormous cage around the Jinchuuriki. The cage shook from the powerful blows delivered from within but held firm.

Kurotsuchi breathed heavily, the chakra consumption of her jutsu taxing her reserves. But she didn't have time to rest. She needed to act fast. "We need to go!" she called out, her eyes darting around for any sign of their missing teammate.

"But Katsuo," Akatsuchi brought up.

"There's no time! He will-"

The sound of earth crumbling was the only warning they had. With a loud crack, a pillar was suddenly blown from the cage, sending rocks and dust everywhere. Before they could move, two massive tails shot from the debris, grabbing both Genin and constricting their movements. Both felt their skin begin to boil from the heat of the chakra, neither of them able to keep the grunt of displeasure from leaving their lips as Fū walked from out of the cage, rolling her shoulders.

"Y'know," Fū spoke, brushing some dirt from her shoulder. "That little cage of yours was actually pretty impressive. I've never had to work that hard before in this form. You must know a lot of crazy strong jutsu."

Kurotsuchi looked through squinted eyes, the pain of being boiled not numbing her defiance. "Y-you should have stayed in there." She hissed. "You-you're just delaying the inevitable."

Fū tilted her head at the comment. "That kinda lands flat when you're at my mercy. Oh well. It was a pretty good fight all things considered, so I'll be sure just to take your scrolls instead of breaking your legs like I promised."

The granddaughter of the Tsuchikage cursed under her breath at that.

Where the hell are you, Katsuo? She thought, her heart pounding as the grip of the tail construct tightened further.

A roar echoed from behind the Jinchuuriki. Katsuo came crashing in like a bullet, colliding into her side and sending her flying—releasing Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi in the process. The trio all landed on their feet, each of them struggling to catch their breaths while Fū landed on her feet, her tails reshaping behind her.

Katsuo gritted his teeth at the Taki-nin. He had put practically all he had behind that strike, yet she was still standing. If anything, he hurt himself more than her. His arm was practically limp, having lost its juice after defending the first punch that launched him into the canopy. The fact that she was now smirking after they had practically been kicking her ass before she pulled out that bullshit power only pissed him off further.

No longer wishing to become a punching bag, he reached to take a handful of the bandages around his arm.

"Katsuo," he stopped at the voice, turning to see the stern eyes of his female teammate.

"The fuck you want? We're getting our asses kicked over here! I can kill her if I go all out!" He argued, his grip on his arm tightening.

"If you do, you won't be able to complete our mission." She snapped back. Even though she was right, he still sought to challenge her.

"The fuck you expect us to do then?! You gonna sit here and hope for a goddamn miracle?!" He barked.

Instead of arguing back, Kurotsuchi turned her attention away from him and towards the patiently waiting Jinchuuriki. She only hesitated for a moment before she reached behind her and took out their scroll, to which both of her teammate's eyes widened.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Katsuo demanded, taking her by the collar of her uniform. Kurotsuchi matched his fury with a glare that was arguably more intense than his own, not backing down. "I got this! I can kill her! If I go all out, she can't handle both of-"

"I will not risk our mission to fuel your ego." Her words came out as calm, but the cold, underlying tone left no room for argument. Katsuo glared back at her, his jaw tightening, but he eventually released his grip on her collar with a frustrated grunt. Akatsuchi remained silent, his usual calm demeanor masking any objections he might have had.
"Is your lovers quarrel over now? I'd really like to get back to kicking your asses." Fū called, not helping to cool the Clan Head at all.

Kurotsuchi ignored the Jinchuuriki's taunts, stepping forward with the scroll in hand. Stopping halfway, she only paused for a moment before she held up their Earth Scroll. "This is what you want, right? We surrender, so you can have it, but only if you let us go."

The smirk on Fū's face slowly fell off until her features were placid.

"Really?" She asked, her tone sounding almost disappointed.

"You are clearly not someone we can face without sacrifice. We can never become Chunin if we died here." Kurotsuchi explained further, not that Fū cared.

Fū walked forward, stopping just in front of the Iwa-nin. She could see the sweat building on the girl's face from being within close proximity of Chōmei's chakra. Holding out her hand to the girl, Kurotsuchi immediately deposited the scroll into her enemy's, the Jinchuurikii immediately observing it closely for a trap.

Fū was visibly disappointed that it wasn't one.

A moment later, her chakra cloak vanished, along with her good mood. "Y'know, I was genuinely having fun fighting you guys. And here I thought you guys were gonna be stubborn till the end," Fū sighed, rolling her shoulders and tucking the Earth Scroll into her bag. "Guess I can't blame you, though. No point in getting squashed for nothing."

Kurotsuchi clenched her fists, taking her own advice and swallowing her pride. "We'll meet again," she muttered, her tone filled with resolve.

Fū smirked, turning her back on the trio. "Maybe. For what it's worth, you guys are pretty tough. Just not...me tough," she said, waving a hand dismissively as she walked away. "Better luck next time, rockheads."

Katsuo glared daggers at her retreating figure, his fists shaking with frustration. 'I swear, when it starts, I'll be sure to kill you first.'

Karin walked side by side with her superior in rank, the Jonin having taken it upon himself to escort them out of the forest. Next to them were two identical copies of him, carrying her teammate's on their shoulders.

The thought of her so utterly failing her team still cut deep. The consequences that would follow once they were out of the forest and her team was awake still frightened her.

There was no denying what she did. It wasn't something her teammates would easily forgive; if ever.

But every time the thought of her teammates' retaliation entered her mind, so did the Jonin's reassuring words.

His words were comforting—a strange thing for her to feel about someone meant to be her enemy, but the warmth refused to leave.

'Don't let this experience ruin your spirit.'

'Keep pushing forward. Never forget who you are and the values you live by.'

She repeated the words to herself, her gaze focused on the side of his head. Now that she got a better look at him, she couldn't help but notice his appearance. His blond and green hair that was spiky yet neatly kept, his bright seafoam eyes that held an intensity she couldn't look away from, and the barely visible whisker-like scars etched into his cheeks that gave him an almost feral charm. He looked so out of place for someone as fearsome as he was, but that contrast only made him more striking...

Karin's face flushed a deep crimson as she tore her eyes away from the Jonin, suddenly hyperaware of every little sound and movement around her. 'What is wrong with me?' She thought, shaking her head in an attempt to banish the strange feelings bubbling to the surface.

It was ridiculous. He had just humiliated her, defeated her team, and disqualified them from the Chunin exams. There was absolutely no reason for her to be feeling this way about him. And yet, she couldn't stop her heart from pounding.

Naruto wasn't entirely oblivious to the girl's flickering attention, and neither was Sothis—the latter of whom lay in the air next to him, her arm propping her head up as she smirked at the girl behind them.

Sothis floated lazily, watching Karin out of the corner of her eye. "Well, well," she said in a singsong tone that only Naruto could hear. "Looks like you've caught the attention of someone. She's practically staring holes into the back of your head, you know."

Naruto didn't show it, but the words had a feeling of guilt creep in. "I made her cry. It's only natural that she would be resentful."

Sothis chuckled softly at the ignorant response, her smirk growing wider. "Oh, my dear dense fool. So smart, yet still ignorant to the woes of maidens."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto's whispered protest only made Sothis chuckle more, her laughter like a melodic tease in his ears. She twirled lazily in the air beside him, the amusement in her eyes as radiant as ever. It only made him more frustrated that she refused to answer his question.

"N-N-Naruto-san!" The blonde turned to his name, finding Karin looking to the ground, her fingers poking together in a way that he thought was a nervous gesture. It made Sothis strangely laser-focused, practically in the girl's face as she awaited her next words.

"Yes?" Naruto asked, his voice neutral but curious, wondering what she wanted to say.

Karin bit her lip, her face still red as she fumbled over her words. "I-I just wanted to...uh..."

"Yes! Yes!" Sothis encouraged.

"Um, are you...uh..."

"Yes! Get it out, child!"

"U-u-um, y-y-you're an Uzumaki, correct?"

"Oof! So close!" The Goddess wailed, though her disappointment sounded more amused to the blonde than anything.

"...Yes," the blonde answered slowly, his confusion growing as he watched the girl's blush leave and her eyes widen in delight.

"Really? You're an Uzumaki? A real one?!" The girl exclaimed, a smile splitting her face, her mood doing a complete 180.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, not sure why she was so excited.

"Not at all! It's just, I've never met another Uzumaki before. You could say this is my first interaction with kin."

The sudden revelation made the blonde's interest in her grow tenfold. "Kin? You're an Uzumaki?"

Karin nodded emphatically, her excitement practically radiating off her. "Yeah! My mother was an Uzumaki. She told me a lot about our clan before she... well..." Her mood dropped, and Naruto didn't need to be a genius to point out the reason for her dropped mood. It didn't last long, though, before she was smiling again. "I've always wanted to meet another Uzumaki. This...this is like a dream come true!"

Naruto couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. There was something oddly comforting about meeting someone from his clan, even if she wasn't the first.

"So, um, are there more of us in the village?" Came Karin's next question, to which she immediately shrank upon him shaking his head.

"Unfortunately, no," the blonde answered honestly. "You're actually only the second Uzumaki I've ever met."

"Oh..." Karin was twiddling her fingers again. "Wh-what about the first? Are they here?"

'Promise, you'll ch-change it.'

The last words of his first apprentice echoed in his head briefly.

"No. I met her a long time ago. Don't know where she is now." He lied.

"I-I see," Karin said, her tone saddened. But after a moment, she perked up again. "B-but that OK! The fact that we are meeting now is practically destiny!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. "Destiny, huh? You believe in that stuff?"

Karin nodded fervently. "Of course! What are the chances that two Uzumaki would meet like this? That my team would be the first to run into you is more than just a miracle at play! It has to mean something! It's like in my...my...eh, hehehe." Karin's face was red again. Giggles escaped her, ones that sounded far too similar to a certain cyclops whenever his nose was in that orange book.

"She's so darn adorable!" Sothis practically squealed. "If you were not already betrothed to another, I'd encourage the courtship."

Naruto said nothing on that account, opting to continue walking the rest of the way out of the forest in silence. Thankfully, Karin was too lost in whatever fantasy that was in her head while Naruto was far too accustomed to tuning out the Goddess. They would be out of here in a few minutes-

A mass of memories suddenly had him stopping on a dime, his eyes wide as dinner plates.

*CRASH*

"-my team would be the first to run into you is more than just a miracle at play! It has to mean some-"

Ignoring words he had already heard once before, Naruto created a clone that appeared next to him. "You know what to do," was all he said to the clone before literally vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving Karin confused as the new clone rushed them out of the forest.

Appearing in a room at the Tower in the center of the forest, Naruto was met with two individuals. Hiruzen and Kakashi immediately grew serious upon seeing him. His presence meant something—something grim.

"He's here."

The words were met with action. The world stood still in a purple haze, and they vanished from the room and to their new destination.

As they had predicted, their query had appeared in the Forest of Death.

And he had just killed Hinata.

A/N: how were the fights? Good? Disappointing? Expected? Long? Too short? More next chapter and the following. Next chapter revolves mainly around Team 7. Was gonna skip their interaction with 'him' but felt it would have more impact if I wrote it out. Just means you get 4k words of action as well as how exactly Team 7 managed to kill Previous Naruto.

As always, thanks for the followed, favs, reviews, and have a DAMN good day!