The night road stretched long and silent.
Sora carried Karin on his back; the girl's faint breaths brushed against his neck, steady and even.
She was asleep.
That saved him a lot of trouble.
A proper asset should stay quietly in storage, without making unnecessary noise.
His thoughts had already flown ahead to Konoha.
How should this Uzumaki orphan be placed?
Hand her directly to the village? No—that would be giving away a trump card and inviting unwanted scrutiny.
Adopt her himself? That was the choice that maximized benefits.
But a thirteen-year-old Anbu jonin suddenly wanting to adopt a little girl of unknown origins...
What story could he spin to make the old fox, the Third Hokage, believe it?
Dawn gradually broke.
Even shinobi needed brief rest after an all-night forced march.
"Stop," Sora's voice broke the silence.
He found a clearing in the woods and carefully lowered Karin from his back, letting her lean against a large tree.
Yamato tossed the heavy sack from his shoulder to the ground; inside lay the unconscious Hizuki.
Kaede leaned against a tree with arms crossed, saying nothing, but her scrutinizing gaze spoke volumes.
Itachi stood in the shadows, his presence barely perceptible.
Sora pulled a few soldier pills and a piece of hard bread from his tool pouch, offering them to Karin.
"Eat something."
Karin's body shrank back sharply, burying her head in her knees as she trembled.
Troublesome.
Sora sighed inwardly.
He switched to his energetic smile. "Don't be scared. How can you grow tall if you don't eat? Look at me—I ate well as a kid, and now I'm a captain."
The girl trembled even harder.
Kaede finally couldn't hold back.
"Akashi Sora, what the hell are you up to?" She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Where did you get this girl? And don't give me that child-bride nonsense!"
"I told you—it's a long-term investment for the village," Sora replied righteously.
"Investment?" Kaede laughed in exasperation. "Do you think this is buying cabbage at the market?"
"Senior Kaede, have some faith in your captain's strategic vision." Sora patted his chest. "Once we're back in the village, you'll see."
Seeing Kaede remain unmoved, he decided not to waste more words.
"I'm going to take a quick break."
With that, Sora turned and walked deeper into the woods.
Kaede watched his retreating back, full of suspicion.
Yamato approached. "Leave him be. The captain has his own considerations."
"Considerations? He's just insane!"
Deep in the woods.
After confirming no one was around, all expression vanished from Sora's face.
He bit his finger and slapped the ground with one hand.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof.
A cloud of white smoke dispersed, revealing a palm-sized toad with a small scroll strapped to its back.
A messenger toad from Mount Myōboku.
"Yo, Sora kid, what now?" The little toad spoke in human tongue, looking half-asleep.
"Urgent message." Sora wasted no time, quickly pulling out a blank scroll and ink, scribbling rapidly.
The handwriting was messy, but the content clear.
"To the Perverted Sage:
During my mission, I found an Uzumaki clan orphan—pure bloodline, exceptional talent.
I plan to adopt her and make her a future asset for Konoha.
I need your support on this matter.
—Sora."
He rolled up the scroll and tucked it into the tube on the toad's back.
"Deliver this to Master Jiraiya as fast as possible."
"Got it, got it—you sure know how to boss toads around." The little toad grumbled before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
With that done, Sora's mind immediately shifted to the next problem.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
How to report this?
Say he casually kidnapped an Uzumaki? That would be suicidal.
He needed a perfect, irrefutable reason.
War orphan.
Yes—that was it.
During the mission report, he could "casually" mention discovering a pitiful girl in a dark corner of the Grass Country's black market—treated as a "blood pack" to be bitten at will.
She bore the Uzumaki clan's bloodline, descendants of Konoha's most loyal allies.
Yet now living a life worse than animals.
Emotionally, Konoha owed the Uzumaki clan.
Logically, protecting allies' descendants was Konoha's unshirkable duty.
He, Akashi Sora, as the discoverer, was willing to take on this responsibility—adopt the child, raise her, and let her contribute to the village.
This narrative seized the moral high ground while showcasing his sense of duty and loyalty.
It would also satisfy the old man's urge to preach about the "Will of Fire."
As for the girl's origins?
In a place like that, lives were cheaper than grass—who would investigate a few deaths?
Perfect.
Sora mentally gave his plan full marks.
He straightened his clothes, reapplied his carefree smile, and returned to the camp.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting!"
His arrival shattered the heavy atmosphere.
Kaede rolled her eyes at him.
Karin remained curled up, unmoving.
Sora approached her and offered his canteen.
"Drink some water."
This time, his movements were gentler.
Karin hesitantly raised her head, eyeing the canteen, then Sora's grinning face.
Fear overpowered thirst. She buried her head again.
"Tch." Sora grew slightly impatient.
Just then,
Uchiha Itachi, who had been silent like a shadow, suddenly spoke.
His gaze fixed on Karin.
"Her chakra..."
Itachi's voice was flat, yet it made everyone pause.
Sora turned to look at him.
"It's very unique," Itachi continued, his dark eyes betraying no emotion.
"She can clearly 'see' it, and it's recovering rapidly on its own."
Kaede and Yamato's attention snapped to her.
The Uzumaki clan's powerful self-healing.
Had Itachi seen through it with his Sharingan?
No—not yet.
Itachi hadn't awakened the Mangekyo; what he saw was likely just surface-level chakra flow.
"Oh? Really?" Sora feigned interest, leaning in.
He crouched down, examining Karin again.
"Looks like I really struck gold this time." He grinned, then reached out and ruffled her messy red hair.
The girl's body stiffened sharply.
But this time, she didn't pull away.
Sora's palm was warm.
Utterly unlike the cold, despair-filled shack.
"Alright, rest time's over." Sora stood and clapped his hands. "Let's move. We need to reach the village before dark."
He turned naturally, crouching slightly.
"Get on."
Karin stared at his back, hesitating briefly.
Ultimately, she cautiously climbed on.
Her small arms gently encircled his neck.
The team set off once more.
With Itachi's comment as a foundation, Kaede's suspicions lingered but grew less aggressive.
She merely glanced complicatedly at the girl on Sora's back from time to time.
A child with special chakra.
Was that why Sora had insisted on bringing her, even breaking regulations?
Konoha's gates loomed in the evening glow.
"We're back at last!" Sora stretched. "Barbecue! My barbecue!"
The gate guards eyed them warily—especially the two bulging sacks.
Sora flashed his Anbu credentials and mission scroll.
"A-rank mission complete. Target captured."
After verification, the four entered smoothly.
"Disband here!" Sora waved. "Yamato, take this guy to the Anbu interrogation unit. Kaede, Itachi—you can head home and rest."
"And you?" Kaede asked.
"Me?" Sora pointed to himself, then to Karin on his back. "I'm off to the Hokage's office to report my 'extra harvest.'"
"Don't forget the team dinner tonight!"
He winked at them, then carried Karin straight toward the Hokage building.
Yamato hoisted the sack and followed silently.
Kaede watched Sora's back, said nothing, and turned away.
Itachi lingered, watching Sora vanish around a corner.
Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his signature pipe, buried in a mountain of paperwork.
The fallout from Danzō's disappearance was far greater than anticipated.
A knock sounded.
"Enter."
The door opened.
Akashi Sora entered, a red-haired little girl on his back.
His face bore his trademark bright smile.
"Hokage-sama, I'm here to report!"
Hiruzen looked up. Seeing Karin, his pipe hand froze mid-air.
The office air carried the scent of old scrolls and sharp tobacco.
Hiruzen removed his pipe, tapped out the ash, and fixed his weathered yet sharp eyes on the overly young Anbu squad leader.
And the sleeping red-haired girl on his back.
...
"I've reviewed the mission report. The A-rank renegade Hizuki has been transferred to interrogation, and the forbidden scroll is secured. The third squad performed excellently."
Hiruzen's voice was aged and steady, betraying no emotion.
"All thanks to your leadership, Hokage-sama, and the team's unity."
Sora gently set Karin down, letting her lean against his leg, his energetic smile flawless.
He didn't rush to explain her origins—instead, he flawlessly distributed credit first.
Hiruzen gave no reaction. His gaze eventually settled on the frail girl.
"So, Captain Akashi, care to explain this 'extra harvest' of yours?"
Here it comes.
Sora noted it inwardly, but his expression shifted seamlessly—his sunny smile gaining just the right touch of gravity and indignation.
"Hokage-sama, I must report this in detail."
He took a deep breath, as if gathering words, but truly building emotion.
"In the Land of Grass, while pursuing the target, I stumbled upon this child in the darkest corner."
His voice carried natural weight, echoing in the quiet office.
"In that place, lives are cheaper than weeds. This child, due to her unique constitution, was kept like livestock by hyena-like scum—as a healing tool to be bitten at will."
As he spoke, Sora gently lifted Karin's tattered sleeve, exposing her arms.
The overlapping old and new purple bite marks looked even more horrifying in the bright light.
Hiruzen's lips tightened around his pipe as he saw the scars.
"At first, I thought she was just an ordinary pitiful soul." Sora's voice gained measured passion. "Until I discovered the blood flowing in her veins—that of the Uzumaki clan!"
"Hokage-sama! The Uzumaki clan! The wife of the First Hokage—our village's most loyal, steadfast allies!"
"Their descendant now lives worse than dogs outside our walls! If word spreads, where would Konoha's honor stand? How could the spirits of the First and Second rest in peace?"
Every word rang with conviction.
He elevated the issue to Konoha's political reputation and historical legacy.
Hiruzen smoked silently, haze obscuring most of his face, hiding his true thoughts.
Old fox.
Sora sneered inwardly.
Moral leverage alone wasn't enough.
He needed to add fuel.
"Hokage-sama, I know I'm just a lowly new squad leader." Sora stepped forward, posture earnest. "But I'm willing to shoulder this duty! I request permission to adopt this child—raise her in Konoha, give her the best education, and let her contribute to the village!"
"Let her know that the light of the Will of Fire shines on every ally of Konoha—and their descendants!"
The speech was righteous, brimming with youthful zeal and responsibility.
A perfect embodiment of the "Will of Fire."
Hiruzen's eyes finally gleamed as he set down his pipe.
He recognized the girl's value.
Pure Uzumaki bloodline—vast chakra reserves, tenacious vitality, exceptional sealing talent.
"You have great sense of duty, Sora." He spoke slowly, voice aged. "But adopting a child is no small matter. You're only fourteen yourself—still a child. How will you care for another?"
Probing and deflecting.
Sora's smile unchanged, inwardly prepared.
"You're right, Hokage-sama. However, I've already discussed this with my teacher."
He casually dropped the name.
"Master Jiraiya was deeply pained and angered upon hearing it. He believes Konoha cannot allow an ally's bloodline to suffer outside."
"Teacher said if the village faces difficulties, he'll personally handle the child's placement."
Jiraiya.
The moment the name left Sora's lips, the office atmosphere shifted.
Hiruzen's movement paused.
Jiraiya again.
This kid was getting better at leveraging his status as disciple of a Legendary Sannin.
"So Jiraiya knows too?"
"Sora, you've done well. Not only strength, but this heart—you're truly Minato's junior brother and Jiraiya's successor."
"Your actions have shown me the true Will of Fire."
The old man began preaching.
That meant complete capitulation.
Sora mentally scored his performance perfectly, face humble and flattered.
"So, Hokage-sama, you mean..."
"I approve." Hiruzen decided firmly. "The child is yours to raise. The village will register it—from today, you are her legal guardian."
"As for schooling..." Hiruzen glanced at the still-sleeping Karin. "At her age, direct enrollment in the Ninja Academy might be too much. I'll specially approve her as an auditor to adapt first."
Success.
Sora achieved everything.
Not only guardianship of Karin, but her official entry into Konoha's education system.
Her identity would be fully legitimized.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Sora bowed precisely ninety degrees—impeccable.
"Go." Hiruzen waved, returning to his files. "Take her home."
Sora said no more, took Karin's hand, and left the office.
The door closed.
Hiruzen looked up toward Sora's departure, eyes profoundly deep.
An Uzumaki orphan...
Akashi Sora...
What would this combination bring to Konoha in the future?
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