Chapter 54

"Karin," Naruto said softly, his thumb gently wiping a grain of rice from the corner of her mouth.

'How... how does he know my name?' Karin's cheeks flushed again at his touch. He hadn't asked her name, nor had he introduced himself since appearing.

Naruto tilted his head, then placed a finger to his masked lips. "Because I can read minds," he whispered conspiratorially. "Even if you don't say a word, I know what you're thinking."

"You're so amazing!" Karin breathed, genuinely awestruck.

"Just kidding," he said, affectionately ruffling her hair. Karin was technically older than him, but a life of malnutrition had left her small and frail. Standing next to him, they looked more like a big brother and his little sister.

A harsh voice shattered the warmth of the moment.

"Get out you fuc-"

A villager who had just arrived, one who hadn't seen the earlier carnage, pointed a finger at them. Before he could finish his sentence, a thin red beam lanced through his chest.

"M-monster..."

Unlike the energy blast that had vaporized its target, the Death Beam left a body behind, a far more gruesome sight for the ignorant villagers. Naruto's instant, lethal response to the slightest provocation sent a wave of terror through the crowd. They screamed and scattered.

*Tzzt, tzzt, tzzt.*

Three more identical beams shot out, cutting down the villagers at the front of the fleeing mob.

"Who said you could leave?" Naruto's voice was quiet, yet it boomed like thunder in their ears, freezing them in their tracks. They froze, barely daring to breathe, terrified of drawing another one of those deadly red beams.

'Now that you're here,' he thought, 'leaving isn't an option.'

Just as he was about to deal with the rest of them, a commotion rippled through the crowd.

"The Elder has arrived!"

'So, the main player finally decided to show his face, did he?'

Another red beam flashed, and the villager who had shouted collapsed, a smoking hole in his throat.

Naruto brought the finger that had just unleashed the beam to his lips. "Shh," he whispered. "I told you all to be quiet."

'When did he say that?' the villagers thought in unison, their minds racing with panic.

"Oh, right, I didn't say it then," Naruto said, tapping his forehead lightly as if just realizing. "I'm saying it now."

The remaining villagers were paralyzed with fear, their hearts filled with a bitter regret. Why had they come to watch? It was all her fault. It was all because of that bad omen.

An old man with a powerful presence stepped through the parting crowd. He walked with firm steady steps. A deep scar from a blade ran from his forehead down across his right eye to his chin, giving him a fierce, battle-hardened look. Around fifty Kusa-nin followed him, their combined presence radiating aggression.

His eyes swept over the scene, his frown deepening as he took in the dead villagers. His sharp gaze finally settled on Naruto. He grunted, his eyes flicking from Naruto to the girl cowering behind him. A wave of killing intent rolled off him. "So," he snarled, "this is all because of you."

Karin flinched, instinctively clutching the back of Naruto's clothes.

Naruto simply raised a hand and waved, and the Great Elder's overwhelming killing intent vanished instantly.

Naruto simply raised a hand and waved it dismissively, and the Elder's suffocating killing intent vanished as if it had never been there. The man's chakra was impressive, on par with Mui from Hozuki Castle. He had to be the strongest ninja in Kusagakure. Naruto mused. 'Still, this guy's chakra is far lower than Karin's.'

"To shrug off my killing intent so easily... you have some skill," the Elder said, his eyes narrowing. "No wonder you could cause trouble in my village."

'He must be from one of the major villages. But which one?'

"Great Elder," one of the nearby villagers whispered, pointing a trembling finger. "He's the one who killed Takeda-sama, Yuichi-sama and many others."

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Naruto asked softly, slowly raising his finger again.

"Stop!" the Elder commanded.

He had barely gotten the word out before a red beam flashed past his face. By the time his voice faded, the villager was already on the ground.

Naruto's faint voice followed. "The wind must have been too loud. I didn't hear you."

'A ninjutsu with no hand seals? A Kekkei Genkai?' The Elder's frowned in anger as he stared at the body in the growing pool of blood. He was wary now, the boy's power far beyond what he had anticipated. His own confident aura diminished as he spoke again, his voice a low growl. "With your strength, do you really find it interesting to kill civilians?"

"Interesting?" Naruto pointed a thumb at his own chest. "You're asking me if I find this interesting?" A perfect, cruel arc formed on his lips beneath the mask. "Of course I do."

He then turned his back on the Elder and spoke to Karin, his tone earnest. "Look, Karin. Sometimes, violence can solve a lot of problems. As long as your fist is big enough, and hard enough, everyone will respect you. It's the only way to protect yourself. That's the law of this world."

The relatively simple Dragon Ball world was a stark contrast to the Naruto world, which seemed to overflow with disgusting people. It was so bad, Naruto had even entertained the thought of destroying the entire planet.

The Elder's face was now utterly livid. "Hmph." He squinted, his one good eye glinting with a dangerous light. "You've taken Kusagakure's 'property' and killed our shinobi. Do you think so little of our village?"

The 'property' he spoke of was Karin. No one here had ever treated her as a person.

"Property?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. The word ignited a cold fury in him, and for the first time, a raw anger bled into his voice. "She is my clansman. Maybe the only family I have left in this world." He spat the words out. "And you call her property? Good. Remember your words and actions in the pure lands."

'Clansman.' 'Family.'

The words echoed in Karin's mind. They were so foreign, words she had only ever heard her mother whisper about. She still had relatives? In this world?

Her eyes instantly welled with tears. 'Mother... so I wasn't alone after all.'

But just behind that wave of relief was a tiny pang of disappointment.

'Just a remnant of a Uzushiogakure clan,' the Elder thought, and to his own surprise, he felt a sense of relief. He couldn't afford to offend one of the major villages, but a refugee from the Land of Whirlpools? What was there to fear? A trace of greed flashed in his eye as he looked at Naruto. If he could capture this one, Kusagakure would have another 'blood bag, perhaps a steady supply of them.

Failure wasn't a possibility. The boy was burdened with the girl. Even in a fair fight, his chances were slim. This was Kusagakure, their home turf.

"Attack!" the Elder commanded. The Kusa-nin sprang into action, forming a tight triangular formation that completely surrounded Naruto and Karin, cutting off every possible escape route.

"Surrender," the Elder declared, looking at Naruto with an air of complete confidence. Dozens against one. This was a guaranteed victory. "You're surrounded by us."

"Hahaha! I'm surrounded by you?" Beneath his mask, Naruto's lips curved into a sarcastic smile. He wagged a single finger at the Kusa Elder. "No, as a great man once said, 'I am not locked here with you. You're are locked in here with me!"

===============

Dear Readers and Fans,

For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further. 

https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8

(no space)

You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.