Chapter 60: Shino Aburame's Deduction, The First Underling

Chapter 60: Shino Aburame’s Deduction, The First Underling

While Hinata Hyuga finished off the remaining enemies, Izayoi crouched beside Karin but didn’t ask about her injuries.

Instead, he rolled up his sleeve and extended his forearm toward her, smirking. “Take a bite. That’ll make those bite marks on your hand disappear.”

At his words, tears streaming down Karin’s cheeks froze mid-fall. Her eyes widened in shock, mingling disbelief with sudden hope as she stammered, “Does this mean… you’re also—?”

“Yeah.”

Izayoi nodded, weaving a white lie. “Our hair colors might differ, but our ancestors must’ve been kin. I recognized your uniqueness the moment I saw you.”

“Th-That’s… wonderful.”

Karin bit her lip, bowing her head as quiet sobs escaped.

Her shoulders trembled.

Tears rained down, blurring her glasses before splattering onto the ground.

She… was no longer an orphan.

She… had clan kin!

In that moment, Karin longed to wail her heart out.

But fearing rejection, she stifled her cries into soft, trembling whimpers.

Izayoi said nothing, simply watching Karin release her emotions. Hinata stood silently beside him.

Shino Aburame, unwilling to interrupt the reunion, turned to the corpses to search for their scrolls.

Yet his mind churned with speculation.

Red hair. Unique healing abilities. Clan kin…

These keywords felt oddly familiar, like something his father had once mentioned.

Suddenly, Shino paused mid-step, as if a thought had struck him.

Adjusting his sunglasses, he resumed walking toward the bodies.

He now understood the source of Izayoi’s immense chakra reserves.

Uzumaki Clan bloodline!

History books recorded that the Senju and Uzumaki Clans were distant blood relatives. Before Konoha’s founding, the Uzumakis lived in the Land of Fire. After Konoha’s establishment, they departed to form Uzushiogakure on a remote island, remaining eternal allies.

Izayoi’s ancestors must’ve either belonged to the Uzumaki Clan or intermarried with them during the Warring States Period. Generations diluted the bloodline, erasing surname and traits—until Izayoi’s generation awakened it anew.

The more Shino pondered, the more certain he became. No other explanation fit.

Now he grasped Izayoi’s intent in recruiting the girl.

Kagura Shingan—Uzumaki’s legendary ability must’ve awakened in Izayoi!

Karin wept for minutes before finally calming herself.

“Here.” Hinata knelt, offering a handkerchief.

“Th-Thank you,” Karin whispered, accepting it.

After drying her tears, Izayoi extended his arm again. “Take a bite. You’ll heal faster.”

“No… I’ll rest. I’m fine.” Karin shook her head, shrinking back.

Before this kin, she felt more timid than before her comrades.

Like Naruto, Haku, or Kimimaro discovering love, acceptance was light piercing darkness for this forsaken orphan.

Once you’ve seen light, you can’t endure darkness again.

Her earlier stifled sobs, her current hesitation—all stemmed from fear of rejection.

Izayoi noticed her anxiety, chuckling. “Don’t worry. My chakra’s strong enough. Hurry and recover—otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll collapse any second. Now, bite!”

His tone hardened at the end.

“Y-Yes!” Startled, Karin gingerly took his arm, glancing nervously at Izayoi, then at Hinata’s gentle smile beside him. “I-I’ll trouble you then.”

She opened her mouth, barely grazing his skin.

“Harder. It’s fine,” Izayoi encouraged.

Meeting his reassuring gaze, Karin blinked, gradually applying more pressure.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Her frail body surged with warmth, like a parched wanderer gulping icy water, a starving soul feasting on delicacies, a frozen traveler basking by a hearth.

The bite marks vanished before her eyes.

Her malnourished skin flushed with color.

Her pale face regained vitality.

Even her vision sharpened.

This… this was an entirely different level.

Karin stared, stunned.

She’d healed herself with medical ninjutsu before, absorbed her mother’s chakra as a child.

But neither compared to Izayoi’s chakra.

To save a critically injured person, she’d drain her reserves—perhaps even risk her life.

Yet Izayoi might expend only slightly more chakra than this.

What quality was this?

Izayoi, unaware of her thoughts, would’ve smirked had he known.

This was the value of combining Ōtsutsuki bloodline with Physical Healing.

After replenishing Karin’s strength, Izayoi stood, extending his hand. “Kin of mine, will you follow me from now on?”

“C-Can I?” Karin’s voice trembled with excitement.

“Of course.”

He nodded, adding, “But that means leaving the ninja path. I can’t promise you’ll rejoin Konoha.”

“I’ll go! I’ll go!”

Karin nodded fervently.

Becoming a ninja meant nothing to her.

Her dream had never been a title, but a home.

When her mother lived, her home was in the Village Hidden in the Grass.

After her mother’s death, she’d been adrift.

Now, she’d found kin again.

A new family.

“Good. My shadow clone will escort you to safety.”

Izayoi formed a single-handed seal, creating a clone to pull Karin up. Patting her shoulder, he said, “I’ll find you after the exam.”

“Y-Yes… Yes!”

Karin nodded, unafraid of betrayal.

A few more days together, and her loyalty would rise so high, she’d probably count the coins if he sold her.

That was the loyalty of this world’s orphans.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end