Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"it is as expected!"

Upon hearing this surname, Naruto grinned, his smile even brighter than before. "I also have the surname Uzumaki, and my name is Uzumaki Naruto!"

He pointed to himself, then to Karin, his tone full of natural intimacy.

“We must be of the same kind! I knew it! When I bumped into you earlier, I felt something pulling me, and I was right!”

"Same race?"

Karin's eyes were filled with disbelief; the word was too distant for her.

She instinctively pointed to Naruto's dazzling blond hair and stammered, "But...but, your hair..."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Naruto asked, rubbing his neat head of blond hair in confusion, completely not understanding what she meant.

Karin's voice lowered: "Our Uzumaki clan usually has red hair, but yours is gold."

"I don't know why this is happening."

Naruto scratched his head, equally puzzled. "But the connection between bloodlines can't be faked!"

She wanted to ask more questions, but Naruto's smile vanished without warning.

His gaze fell on Karin's arm, and his tone suddenly became low.

What happened to your hand?

Naruto noticed that she had been subconsciously hiding her arms behind her back since earlier.

But then he inadvertently saw some shocking teeth marks, which were clearly not something she could have made herself.

Karin's body stiffened abruptly, and she instinctively hid her arms even deeper.

"It's nothing..." She avoided Naruto's gaze.

"Naruto, you grew up in Konoha, right?"

Karin's voice carried a hint of bitterness, "She is different from the me in Kusagakure."

She paused for a moment, looked into Naruto's clear eyes, and decided to confide in him after all.

"After the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, our Uzumaki clan lost our homeland..."

She slowly recounted her experience.

From her mother taking her to live under the roof of others in Kusagakure, to the Uzumaki clan's special constitution that is both "protection" and "curse".

"By biting onto our skin, we can quickly restore chakra and heal injuries..."

Medical ninjas are a rare strategic resource.

And they, in turn, became "mobile blood bags" that were endlessly abused.

Karin's voice grew softer and softer, and her mood became increasingly dejected.

When she spoke of how her mother was bitten to death by her so-called "comrades" during a mission, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Naruto listened quietly, the smile on his face long gone.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, a surge of anger rising within him.

When Karin finished telling her story, he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

"Is this how that village treated you?"

Karin didn't turn around, but lowered her head even further, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.

As Naruto looked at her bright red hair, a soft spot in his heart was pierced with pain.

He stepped forward, stood in front of her, and said, slowly and deliberately, "I will find a way to get you out of that village."

Karin suddenly raised her head and looked up at the boy in front of her.

"At worst..."

Naruto scratched his cheek, seemingly a little embarrassed. "At worst, I'll just ask Sasuke for help!"

"Sasuke?" Karin murmured the unfamiliar name.

"Ok!"

The moment Sasuke was mentioned, Naruto's eyes lit up, and he grinned, his face filled with admiration.

"He's a very handsome and incredibly strong ninja! You'll definitely like him!"

However, Karin simply shook her head, offering no agreement.

In her eyes, the blond boy in front of her was her sun at that moment.

Those azure eyes were clearer than any sky she had ever seen.

Naruto was in a good mood after his brief conversation with Karin.

A blood relative...

She is also willing to accept herself.

Moreover, both of them were equally eager to have a home.

that is really good!

Naruto grinned, smiling silently. He had a family now!

During the rest of the journey, Naruto was unusually talkative, chattering away as he described everything about Konoha to Karin.

From the deliciousness of Ichiraku Ramen to Sasuke's perpetually grumpy face, and then to Kakashi-sensei's strange little book that he never lets go of.

Karin mostly listened quietly, occasionally humming in agreement, but her eyes, hidden behind her glasses, never left the figure in front of her.

Finally, after passing through the last dense forest, a magnificent tower appeared at the edge of their vision.

"We're here! That's the central tower!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, pointing ahead.

Karin looked at the tall tower, then at Naruto beside her, her steps faltered slightly, and a hint of unease flashed in her eyes.

"I'll leave you here."

She said in a low voice, "I don't have the scroll, I can't get in."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Without a second thought, Naruto grabbed her wrist, his palm warm. "Since we're family, of course we should go in together! Leave the scroll to me!"

He pulled the still somewhat bewildered Karin along and rushed to the tower's gate.

"Hey, you inside, listen up! We've got the Scroll of Heaven and Earth! Open the door now!"

The heavy stone gate rumbled and slowly rose upwards.

The blinding sunlight shone in from outside the dense forest, casting long shadows of the two people.

Naruto turned around, grinned at Karin, and then pulled her along as they stepped inside.

A golden figure and a red figure stood side by side.

Sunlight poured down, shining on them and casting a warm glow on their golden and red hair.

Inside the tower's main hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been waiting for a long time, witnessed this scene...

The pipe in his hand trembled slightly, and his eyes glazed over for a moment.

That dazzling blonde hair, that striking red hair...

His thoughts seemed to travel through time, returning to many years ago.

Two familiar figures seemed to slowly overlap with the two young children before them at this moment.

"Minato, Kushina..." Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured unconsciously, his eyes even becoming a little moist.

The other Konoha genin who had arrived earlier in the lobby also showed surprised expressions when they saw Naruto holding the hand of a strange girl as they entered.

"Congratulations, Naruto, you have successfully passed the second test."

In the end, Kakashi was the first to come to his senses, stepped forward, and gave Naruto a relieved smile.

He glanced at Karin, and although he didn't recognize her, he still said gently, "And this is...?"

"She's my family!" Naruto declared proudly, patting his chest.

This answer stunned everyone present.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recovered from his brief daze, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and forcibly suppressed his surging emotions.

He looked at Naruto, then at the red-haired girl who was clearly a little uneasy, and slowly spoke, his voice much gentler.

"Alright, Naruto, let her rest for a bit. Come here, I have something to say."

In the following time, the Third Hokage announced the official end of the second exam.

All successful candidates were informed that a final battle would be held a month later to determine whether they could be promoted to Chunin.

These words caused quite a stir and generated a lot of anticipation among the crowd.

Naruto clenched his fists; the final test...

He subconsciously searched for that familiar figure in the crowd, but couldn't find it.

Oh, right, Sasuke didn't participate.

Thinking of this, the flames in Naruto's eyes burned even brighter.

He absolutely has to win!

We must show Sasuke, the Hokage, and the whole village just how powerful Naruto Uzumaki really is!

I must become someone my family can be proud of!

As he thought this, he turned to look at the red-haired girl who was being guided to rest by the medical ninja, and a bright smile bloomed on his face once again.

Chapter 67 Jiraiya joins in!

The crowd inside the tower gradually dispersed, and the noise and excitement subsided.

In the end, only the three members of Class 7 and the red-haired girl remained.

"Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke!"