325.Greater Potential

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Back inside the castle, Kaito began organizing the materials Sasuke had collected from the fortress, burying himself in the vast sea of written records. 

Sasuke, however, had yet to receive a detailed explanation from Kaito or the others regarding the earlier incident. 

Frustrated but with no other recourse, he could only sulk in silence before dragging his team members into an intense training regimen. 

Neji and Suigetsu adapted well to the brutal sessions, but Karin suffered immensely. 

As a specialist in both sensory and medical ninjutsu, combat was not her forte. 

Yet, when it came to training, Sasuke was utterly merciless. 

Days passed, and no matter how much she cried, whined, or threw tantrums, none of it worked. She still ended up battered and exhausted every single day, pushed to her absolute limits. 

"Listen to me…" Karin clutched Hinata's hands tightly, tears streaming down her face. "That bastard Sasuke has no idea how to treat a girl with care!" 

Even if she had an incredible healing ability, that didn't mean he had to beat her half to death! 

"I'm a girl! A girl!!" she roared. "And he even hit my face! My face!!!" 

"Uuuuuuu…" She released Hinata's hands and covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. "Every day feels like hell… And…" 

She hiccupped mid-cry. 

"...And… if this keeps up… I'm gonna start hating him…" 

"Um…" Hinata stared at her blankly, unsure how to respond. "Hang in there?" 

"WAAAAHHH!!!" 

Karin suddenly wailed even louder, making Hinata flinch. 

"Hang in there?! If I hang in there any more, I'll die!! Uuuuu…" Karin glared at her accusingly. 

"I-I'm sorry," Hinata stammered meekly. 

"Hinata… hic…" Karin grabbed Hinata's shoulders, her grip unsteady from her sobs. "We're friends, right…? I even… hic… helped you yell at that… hic… bastard brother of yours… Uuuuu…" 

"R-Right?" Hinata's voice wavered slightly. 

"Hic… What did you say? Uuuu…" Karin glared at her, dissatisfied. 

"Y-Yes," Hinata quickly nodded. 

"So then… hic…" Karin seized her hands again, eyes brimming with desperate hope. 

Hinata tilted her head. "So…?" 

"PLEASE BE MY TRAINING PARTNER!!!" Karin bellowed. 

"Eh?" Hinata blinked. "Okay." 

"Uuuuu… I just… hic… can't stand training with those stupid boys anymore… hic…" Karin continued to grip her hands like a lifeline. 

"Okay, I'll do it," Hinata repeated firmly. 

"You mean it?" Karin stared at her, needing absolute confirmation. 

Hinata nodded resolutely. "Mm." 

"Uuuuuuu…" Karin immediately pulled her into a crushing hug. "Thank you… Uuuu…" 

Who would've thought I'd ever be this desperate to escape Sasuke… 

Karin marveled at her own predicament internally. 

Hinata, still in her embrace, blinked before offering a small smile and gently patting her back. 

... 

The next day, outside the castle. 

"Uuuuuu… Just let me go!! I'm a medical ninja!!!" Karin shrieked as she scrambled away, arms flailing. 

"You're slacking again!" 

A dark figure closed the distance in an instant, delivering a sharp kick to her back that sent her face-first into the dirt. 

"Damn it! You bastard, Sasuke!" Karin punched the ground in frustration. 

Sasuke walked over, his expression cold. "Get up. Again." 

"Uuuu… You jerk! Absolute jerk!!" Karin wailed, refusing to move from her sprawled position. 

"Stop acting like a child." Sasuke nudged her lightly with his foot. 

"No!" Karin lay there like a lifeless fish, all ambition drained from her. "I need a break!" 

"Tch." Sasuke clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Even medical ninjas have to fight on the battlefield." 

"Hmph…" 

There's no one on any battlefield worse than you, you freak. 

Karin grumbled internally, still stubbornly glued to the ground. 

"Hey, Karin, you look pathetic!" Suigetsu's mocking voice rang out. "Even the Hyūga princess is putting in more effort than you!" 

"Uuuuu…" 

The mention of Hinata only deepened Karin's despair. 

"Uuuu…" 

That traitor! 

She turned her head to glare at Hinata, who was currently sparring with Neji. 

"Stabilize your stance." 

Neji's voice was sharp as he effortlessly deflected Hinata's strikes and sent her stumbling back. 

Hinata staggered several steps before regaining her balance, quickly resetting her stance. 

"Again!" 

"Yes!" 

Neji lunged forward, and the two engaged in a rapid exchange of Gentle Fist techniques. Before long, Hinata's movements faltered, her guard breaking under Neji's relentless assault. 

"Be more decisive!" 

Neji didn't hold back, striking her shoulder with enough force to make her wince. 

"Yes!" 

Hinata gritted her teeth and charged again. 

That girl… 

Karin watched, stunned, as Hinata kept getting knocked down but refused to stay down. 

She's really going all out, huh…? 

"Hey, Sasuke, why don't we have a sword match instead?" Suigetsu suggested eagerly. "Karin just needs to learn how to run away, right?" 

Sasuke glanced down at Karin, still sprawled on the ground, and sighed. "Fine." 

Drawing his blade, he smirked. "But don't expect me to go easy on you, Suigetsu." 

"Water Release: Hydraulic Arm!" 

Suigetsu's arms swelled with chakra-enhanced water as he swung the massive Kubikiribōchō. "Hahaha! Who do you think you're looking down on, Sasuke? I'm not Karin!" 

CLANG! 

Their blades clashed, sparks flying as the two gradually moved farther away in their duel. 

"…What the hell." 

Karin slowly pushed herself up, dusting off her clothes. 

"That jerk Sasuke… Couldn't he have tried a little harder to convince me…?" 

She removed her glasses, wiped her tears, then put them back on before silently sitting on a nearby rock, watching both fights unfold. 

"If you keep this up, you'll fall behind." 

A calm voice spoke from behind her. 

"Huh…?" 

Karin turned to see Kaito standing there, observing Sasuke and Suigetsu's battle with a faint smile. 

"W-What?!" Her jaw dropped in shock. 

"Surprised you didn't sense me?" Kaito chuckled. 

"Y-Yeah…" Karin hung her head dejectedly. 

"See? Even innate talents can fail you sometimes," Kaito mused. "Willing or not, once you've chosen the path of a shinobi, there's no turning back—even for a girl like you." 

"I…" Karin nervously twisted the fabric of her shirt. 

"Keep at it, little Uzumaki." Kaito's eyes glinted mysteriously. "Who knows? You might have hidden talents waiting to be uncovered." 

With that, he turned and walked back toward the castle. 

"Sasuke likely has some Uzumaki clan records in his possession. Try earning his recognition."

*****

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