Leaving the Hokage Building, the setting sun's afterglow bathed the entire village in a warm orange-red hue.
Sora held Karin's hand as they walked along the bustling streets.
Passersby—villagers going about their day—cast curious glances at the handsome young boy leading a pitiful-looking red-haired girl.
Sora paid them no mind.
His apartment wasn't far—just two streets away.
Opening the door, a fresh, clean scent unique to him greeted them.
It was worlds apart from the bloody, rotten stench of that broken shack in the Land of Grass.
He set Karin down on the entryway floor, then closed the door behind them with his free hand.
Click.
The soft sound of the lock engaging made Karin—who had just stirred awake and was still dazed—flinch violently.
She opened her eyes to an utterly unfamiliar environment.
And the "demon" standing before her.
Fear gripped her instantly.
She scrambled backward on all fours until her back pressed against the cold door, with nowhere left to retreat.
Sora didn't approach.
He simply stood there, looking down at her.
"Don't be afraid."
"From today onward, this is your home."
Home?
Karin froze.
She curled up in the corner like a startled stray cat, eyeing him with wary confusion.
Sora crouched down, bringing his gaze level with hers.
"You're not some monster that brings misfortune, nor a blood pack for anyone to gnaw on."
His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Your family is the Uzumaki clan of the Land of Whirlpools(UzunoKuni). The wife of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—Uzumaki Mito—was one of your people. Your clan was Konoha's greatest ally."
The barrage of unfamiliar names left Karin bewildered.
She only grasped one thing: she wasn't entirely alone.
She had a... family?
"So, you deserve a name you're proud of."
Sora reached out and gently lifted her chin.
The girl's body went rigid, but she didn't resist.
"Remember this."
"Your clan is Uzumaki. And your name is..."
"Karin."
"Then your name is Uzumaki Karin."
Uzumaki Karin.
The name struck like thunder in the girl's chaotic mind.
She stared blankly at the boy before her.
Tears suddenly rolled down from her red, swollen eyes without warning.
Not from fear or grievance.
But from an overwhelming, indescribable impact she had never felt before.
Sora released her chin and stood.
For this girl, it was nothing short of rebirth.
Watching her sob in hitches, he pointed impatiently toward the bathroom.
"That's the bath. Go clean yourself up."
He turned away, no longer looking at her, and began tidying the room on his own.
"Come out when you're done."
His back seemed distant in Karin's tear-blurred vision.
"I'm taking you to buy some new clothes."
The bathroom door made a soft sound.
Sora paused his tidying and turned.
Amid rising steam, a small figure emerged. Washed clean of all grime, the girl's skin was pale from lack of sunlight. Her flame-like red hair clung wetly to her cheeks, making her large eyes appear even more innocent and frightened.
She wrapped herself in an oversized bath towel, standing there awkwardly—like a forest fawn that had wandered into the human world.
Good. The asset's initial cleaning phase was complete. Presentation improved by fifty percent.
Sora rummaged through his closet, pulled out an old set of his childhood clothes, and tossed them to her.
"Wear these for now."
Karin jumped at the sudden motion but caught them instinctively. It was a faded cotton outfit, still carrying the fresh scent of sunlight and soap.
Clutching the clothes, she glanced at Sora pleadingly, then darted back into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she reappeared.
The clothes were far too big.
The sleeves hung down, covering half her hands. The pant legs bunched loosely at her ankles. She looked like a child playing dress-up in adult clothes—comical, yet it softened the heartbreaking aura of tragedy around her.
Sora nodded in satisfaction.
He sat on the sofa and patted the spot beside him.
"Come here."
Karin stiffened but shuffled over, sitting as far from him as possible, her body ramrod straight.
Sora picked up a clean towel, draped it over her dripping red hair, and began drying it with emotionless yet remarkably gentle motions.
His fingertips brushed her small head through the fabric.
Karin trembled sharply, nearly jumping up.
"Don't move."
His flat command froze her in place; she didn't dare resist further.
The towel rubbed through her hair, absorbing excess water. The movements were clumsy, unpracticed, but patient.
Warmth spread from the top of her head.
Unknowingly, Karin's tense body relaxed just a fraction.
"From now on, call me big brother."
Sora's voice broke the room's quiet.
Karin's hair-drying paused.
"I'm Akashi Sora. You can call me Brother Sora."
He added mentally: *Ah, the ninja world is great. Go out on one mission and pick up a wild little sister.*
Something impossible to even dream of in his previous life.
"Let's go." He tossed the half-dry towel aside and stood. "Time to buy you proper clothes, daily necessities, and a nice haircut."
He took Karin's hand.
Her hand was small and cool. Enveloped in his warm palm, it shrank instinctively but didn't pull away.
Sora led her out, opening the apartment door.
Outside, the sun shone brightly.
The streets bustled with life—a world of vitality. This was a sight Karin had never known. In the Land of Grass, her world had always been dark, damp corners filled with greedy bites.
The warm sunlight dazzled her; she could barely keep her eyes open, instinctively staying close to Sora's steps while clutching his sleeve tightly with her free hand.
Sora didn't take her to fancy boutiques.
He went straight into a simple, high-quality clothing store.
"Help this kid pick out a few fitting outfits," he told the clerk concisely.
The clerk smiled warmly at the sunny, handsome boy holding a red-haired girl's hand.
"Sure! What colors does the little miss like?"
Karin froze at the question, hiding behind Sora. Her lips moved, but no words came.
She had never "liked" any color.
"No need to ask her," Sora cut in. "Comfortable, stain-resistant, easy to move in—two sets of each style."
It was more an order than shopping.
"Got it." The clerk's smile faltered briefly but remained professional as she measured Karin and selected clothes.
Soon, several brand-new outfits were packaged.
Sora paid, then pulled Karin into the neighboring shoe store, buying two sturdy pairs with the same efficiency.
Then toothbrush, towels, cup...
All daily essentials were acquired in half an hour.
Karin drifted through it like a dream, passively led by Sora as he decisively arranged everything for her.
The new, clean items—hers—were carried by him.
It all felt unreal.
"One last thing."
Laden with bags, Sora brought Karin into a hair salon.
The stylist immediately understood upon seeing her vibrant but damaged, uneven red hair.
"Big bro, new hairstyle for your little sister?"
"Cut it short," Sora said simply. "Clean and refreshing—nothing blocking her vision."
Karin was seated in the chair.
When the stylist picked up the scissors, she stared at the cold metal gleam in the mirror and began trembling uncontrollably.
Scissors...
Would it hurt?
Just then, a warm palm gently rested on her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid."
It was Sora.
He had moved behind her unnoticed. In the mirror, his reflection was clear—those amber eyes calmly meeting hers.
That inexplicable sense of security returned.
Karin's shaking slowly subsided.
Snip, snip.
The scissors danced through her hair.
Strands of dry, yellowed locks—carrying all her dark memories—fell away.
The girl in the mirror transformed bit by bit.
The messy long hair vanished. In its place: a clean, neat red bob with slightly inward-curled ends, perfectly framing her still-gaunt cheeks.
Shedding the gloom and dishevelment, she revealed the cuteness and playfulness fitting for her age.
Sora eyed the refreshed Karin in the mirror and nodded approvingly.
Asset restructuring: initial phase complete.
From damaged raw material to a roughly shaped gem.
" Looks good," he praised—rare for him.
Karin stared at her reflection, stunned.
This... is me?
She cautiously raised a hand, touching her fresh short hair.
Leaving the salon, dusk had fallen.
Lanterns along the streets lit up one by one, warming and enlivening Konoha's night.
"Alright, new look complete." Sora shifted the shopping bags to one hand and announced to Karin.
"Tonight, you're joining us for the team dinner."
"I'll introduce you to the big brothers and sisters from before."
His face broke into that energetic, full smile again.
"Let them see the reborn little Karin!"
Team dinner.
Big brothers and sisters.
The words felt foreign to Karin.
She only knew she was about to meet those two masked "monsters" and the intimidating pretty sister.
Fear crept back.
Her grip on Sora's sleeve tightened.
Sora sensed her tension but said nothing.
Some things she had to adapt to herself.
He led her through the lively streets until they stopped at a shop with a sign reading "Akamichi BBQ."
Rich meat aromas mingled with sizzling sauce wafted through the curtain gap, irresistibly enticing.
Inside, voices boomed with laughter and chatter.
Sora lifted the curtain, stepped aside, and flashed a brilliant smile at the nervous girl behind him—who was nearly tripping over her own feet.
"Come on. Don't keep them waiting."
The moment the curtain parted, the noisy interior seemed to hush.
Several familiar gazes turned toward them in unison.