The ward's door hinges turned, letting out a soft creak.
The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet intensive care ward.
Uzumaki Kana shrank back instinctively like a startled rabbit, clutching Karin tightly in her arms.
Her eyes were filled with alertness, a reflex honed over years in the hellish Grass Village; any slight movement could signal a new round of torture or exploitation.
However, when the door opened completely and a red figure burst into her sight, Kana froze.
That head of red hair, as dazzling as a flame, flowed freely under the midday sun like a burning life force.
Uzumaki Kushina stood at the doorway. The moment she saw the mother and daughter on the bed, she unconsciously loosened her grip on the gift boxes.
The carefully selected boxes fell to the ground with a thud, making a dull sound, but no one cared about those expensive material things at this moment.
Kushina's gaze passed over Kana's pale and thin face, landing immediately on the arms exposed outside her sleeves.
Although they hadn't met before, she had often pestered Minato for updates and naturally understood the suffering they had endured.
There, dense clusters of old and new bite marks overlapped like some ugly tattoo, recording the subhuman treatment she had suffered for over a decade.
Even though these wounds had been treated and the marks had faded significantly, their ferocity made it easy to imagine the torture she had undergone.
The air froze at that moment.
Minato Namikaze stood behind his wife, holding the finger-sucking Naruto with one hand. He didn't rush them, simply watching the scene silently, his eyes full of pity.
"You..."
Kana looked at the woman with the same red hair in the doorway, her dry throat making a raspy sound. "Who are you...?"
She didn't dare to be sure.
During countless days and nights in the Grass Village, she had fantasized that her clansmen would come to save her, that there were actually survivors from the Land of Whirlpools.
But as time passed, this fantasy turned into despair.
She thought that she and her daughter were the only ones left in the world with Uzumaki blood.
Kushina didn't answer. As if afraid of shattering a dream, she softened her footsteps, walking to the bedside one step at a time.
She reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling. She wanted to touch Kana's arm but stopped just before hitting those scars, as if they were red-hot iron that made her heart quiver.
"I'm Kushina."
Kushina's voice carried a hint of a sob, and her eyes turned red instantly. "Uzumaki Kushina."
Upon hearing the name 'Uzumaki,' a layer of mist suddenly rose in Kana's numb eyes.
That was her surname.
A surname she was once proud of, which later became a curse.
"Uzumaki..." Kana murmured to herself, tears silently breaking through and sliding down her thin cheeks. "There really are... still clansmen..."
The next second, Kushina could no longer control herself. She suddenly leaned down and hugged this clanswoman, who was older than her but so frail she looked like she could be blown away by a breeze.
"You're safe. No one will ever bully you again."
Kushina buried her head in the crook of Kana's neck, her tears wetting the other's hospital gown. "This is Konoha, our home. As long as I'm around, no one will lay a finger on you!"
Feeling the body heat and the familiar, warm chakra fluctuations from the embrace, Kana's tense body finally began to soften.
She raised her scarred hands and gently returned Kushina's hug, letting out a cry she had suppressed for years.
It was a release of survival after a catastrophe, the relief of a drifting boat finally finding a harbor.
Caught between the two, Karin almost couldn't breathe. She struggled hard and poked half her head out.
Her red eyes timidly observed the group of people before her.
Although she wasn't even a year old, due to the environment of the Grass Village, she had already awakened the Mind's Eye of the Kagura at such a young age, and her sensory abilities far surpassed normal people.
In her sensory world, the chakra inside the auntie hugging her mother was like a blazing flame, warm but not scorching.
And the blond man standing at the door was like a gentle sun; just being near him made one feel at ease.
The strangest part was the boy in the blond uncle's arms; within that tiny body, a very deep chakra was hidden.
"Yo, little one, what are you looking at?"
Just as Karin was curiously observing, a somewhat playful voice suddenly rang in her ear.
Startled, Karin quickly shrank behind her mother, showing only a pair of eyes as she looked warily toward the source of the sound.
A purple toad was perched on the shoulder of a tall man with a full head of white hair.
The toad's golden horizontal pupils were staring at her with great interest.
"That's Mr. Gamakon. You can call him Gama-kon. He's a... well, a rather special summoning beast."
Minato walked forward with Naruto, his explanation tinged with teasing. "Don't be afraid, he doesn't bite."
"Who says this Sage Sovereign doesn't bite?"
Gamakon rolled his eyes and jumped from Jiraiya's shoulder onto the bedside table, bringing his gaze level with Karin's. "My bite hurts a lot. But... seeing as you're a little brat of the Uzumaki clan, I'll look out for you."
Karin blinked, seemingly trying to confirm if this toad was joking.
She could feel a terrifying power hidden inside this small toad—a power that was ancient and natural, far scarier than any ninja she had seen in the Grass Village.
"Alright, stop scaring the child."
Tsunade walked in, followed by several small carts piled high with gifts.
Her voice instantly broke the somewhat tragic atmosphere in the ward. "Why are you all blocking the door? Move aside, let us put these things down."
As the gifts were brought in, the spacious special ward inevitably became crowded.
Tsunade sighed helplessly. "As expected, is it still too much? Even though I thought I'd picked out only a few."
Kana wiped her tears, looking at the mountain of gift boxes with a sense of helplessness. "This... this is..."
"Meeting gifts."
Kushina let go of the hug and sniffed, a brilliant smile appearing on her face even though tears still hung in the corners of her eyes. "They're all for you. There are clothes, supplements, and toys for Karin."
"It's too much... we can't accept them..." Kana instinctively tried to refuse.
In the Grass Village, obtaining anything required paying a price in blood.
So many gifts made her feel instinctively panicked.
"Accept them."
Minato stepped forward, holding Naruto out slightly. "This is also to celebrate our two families coming together. See, Naruto is very happy to meet you too."
As if to cooperate with his father's words, little Naruto waved his chubby hands and gave Karin a toothless smile, letting out a giggle.
Looking at the sun-like baby, the wariness in Karin's eyes finally dissipated a bit.
She tentatively reached out a finger and poked Naruto's cheek.
Soft and warm.
Naruto grabbed Karin's finger and didn't let go, instead laughing even more happily.
This scene brought knowing smiles to the faces of the adults present.
The meeting was very warm. Karin was looking timidly at everyone; although she knew these people weren't bad, they were still somewhat unfamiliar.
Seeing the atmosphere was right, Minato spoke at the appropriate time, steering the conversation toward official business.
"Ms. Kana, Kushina and I have discussed the arrangements for after you are discharged."
Minato's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a reassuring sense of stability. "While Konoha is large, I think it's better for you to live somewhere close to us."
He pointed toward the Hokage Rock outside the window. "We've arranged an independent courtyard for you next to the Hokage residence. That area is a focus for Anbu patrols, and it's very close to Kushina, so it will be convenient to look after each other."
"Next to... the Hokage?"
Kana was a bit stunned.
Although she didn't fully understand Konoha's political structure, she knew the Hokage was the supreme leader of this village.
Living next to the Hokage was something unthinkable in the Grass Village.
"Will this... be too much trouble for you?" Kana rubbed her hands nervously. "Actually, as long as there's a place to shield us from the wind and rain, it's fine. We... we can work. Laundry, cooking, or..."
She bit her lip, her eyes dimming as her voice lowered. "Or if you need to treat the wounded, I can..."
As she spoke, she instinctively tried to roll up her sleeve to reveal her arm covered in bite marks.
This was her only value for survival in the Grass Village and the only payment she could offer.
A large, powerful hand stopped her.
It wasn't Kushina, but Tsunade.
The legendary medical expert no longer wore her usual boisterous expression; it was replaced by the seriousness and authority of a doctor.
"Put your sleeve down."
Tsunade's voice brooked no argument. "In Konoha, no one needs to trade themselves in such a way to survive. You are a patient, someone who needs to be treated. You don't need to do this."
"But..." Kana was a bit lost. If she didn't pay a price, how could she accept all this with a clear conscience?
"I've also thought about the work situation."
Minato took over, gently interrupting Kana's spiraling thoughts. "I know you'd feel uneasy about living here for free. That's only human."
He took a document from his robes and handed it to Kana. "This is an appointment letter from the Konoha Sealing Corps."
"Sealing Corps?" Kana was stunned.
"Exactly. The Uzumaki clan excels at sealing jutsu; it's a talent engraved in your blood."
Minato explained, "Even though the Land of Whirlpools is gone, that knowledge shouldn't die out. Kushina usually has to take care of Naruto and assist the Barrier Corps, so she's spread a bit thin. The Sealing Corps' archive room is filled with ancient texts and scrolls from the Warring States period that need someone to organize, repair, and archive."
Minato paused, his gaze softening. "This job doesn't require fighting or using much chakra. The environment is quiet and private, and since it's inside the Hokage Building, it's very safe."
"You only need to organize documents for a few hours a day. The rest of the time, you can pick up Karin from the Ninja Academy or rest at home."
"As for the pay..." Minato smiled. "It's issued according to the standards of a Konoha Special Jonin. It might not be a fortune, but it's more than enough for you and your daughter to live in Konoha."
"If you have any difficulties, you're always welcome to come to us."
Kana held the appointment letter, her hands shaking violently.
No need to be bitten, no need to bleed, no need to wait in terror for death in the middle of the night.
Simply organizing documents could provide dignity and a life.
To her, this was like a fairy tale.
"Minato is right."
Kushina came over and took Kana's hand. "This is also for the village. Only those from our Uzumaki clan can understand those ancient texts; I wouldn't feel right leaving them to anyone else. Just think of it as helping me out, okay?"
Since things had been put that way, any further refusal from Kana would be ungrateful.
She took a deep breath and nodded heavily, tears blurring her vision again. "Thank you... thank you, Hokage-sama, thank you, Kushina-sama..."
"Just call me Minato," Minato said with a wave.
"Call me Big Sister!" Kushina said with her hands on her hips. "Even though you might be older than me, I'm the local boss here in Konoha. From now on, I've got your back!"
"Ahem."
Tsunade cleared her throat, interrupting the reunion. "We can talk about work later. The priority now is to get healthy."
She grabbed the other's arm and sent chakra into Kana's body. "Your life force is severely depleted. Although you've received initial treatment, your foundation is too weak. For the next month, you are strictly forbidden from using chakra. You can't even refine it, do you hear me?"
Tsunade's tone was stern, but her eyes showed concern. "I'll prescribe a medicinal diet for you to eat every day. And as for the child, Karin..."
She turned to look at the little girl hiding at the foot of the bed. "She's malnourished and her development is stunted. From now on, go to my house every day. Shizune will prepare special nutritional meals for her."
"Huh? To your house?" Kana was a bit frightened.
"What? Afraid I'll eat her?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "This child is a rough diamond. That Mind's Eye... it would be a waste if she doesn't build a good foundation from a young age. Since she's in Konoha, we can't let that talent go to waste."
On the side, Jiraiya chuckled and leaned in to whisper, "Sister Kana, don't worry. Tsunade has a bit of a temper, but her medical skills are number one in the ninja world. If she says she can raise her to be healthy and plump, she definitely will."
A dull sound rang out.
Jiraiya was slammed into the wall like a poster by Tsunade's punch and slowly slid down.
"No one would take you for a mute if you kept your mouth shut," Tsunade said, dusting off her hands as if nothing had happened.
Watching this somewhat comical yet lively scene, Kana froze for a moment before letting out a pfft and laughing.
This was her first heartfelt laugh in many years.
The smile pulled at the scars on the corners of her mouth, and while it hurt a bit, her heart felt sweet.
"Alright, since everything is arranged, let them rest."
Minato looked at the time. "I've already spoken with the hospital, and the Anbu will be on 24-hour shifts. Once your vitals are stable, we'll take you home."
"Home..."
Kana chewed on the word, her gaze falling on her daughter's sleeping face. Her heart felt more peaceful than ever before.
The group began to leave the ward one by one.
Kushina reluctantly held Kana's hand, instructing her several times to "call me if anything happens" before Minato half-held, half-carried her away.
Jiraiya rubbed his swollen cheek, grimacing as he followed behind Tsunade.