While Sakura was chattering away with Karin, jumping from one topic to another, an Anbu suddenly appeared in the room.
"Haruno Sakura, the Third Hokage requests your presence," the Anbu stated, his voice devoid of any inflection.
"Okay, I understand," Sakura nodded, then gestured towards Karin. "What about her?"
"She will be under Anbu guard for now," the Anbu replied.
"But she's still injured! You should treat her first, and be careful with those Grass ninjas," Sakura insisted.
"Don't worry, the Third Hokage has already given instructions," the Anbu assured her, then moved forward and gently lifted Karin into his arms. "I need to transfer her to a different room now."
"Okay, I understand," Sakura said, turning to Karin, whose face was etched with fear. "Don't be scared. Just tell them what you know. It'll be alright."
It was clear that the Anbu wasn't just taking Karin for treatment. Interrogation was inevitable, especially since Karin was still considered an outsider.
After the Anbu left with Karin, Sakura apologized to Hinata and hurried towards the Hokage's office.
Knock, knock, knock
"Enter."
"Lord Third," Sakura greeted the old man respectfully.
"You've arrived, Sakura," the Third Hokage said, his gaze serious. "Tell me everything that happened..."
"Yes, sir..." Sakura began to recount the events, relaying everything she believed the Third Hokage would consider her to know.
"...I understand the situation..." the Third Hokage said after she finished. "I had no idea that, after all these years, there were other surviving members of the Uzumaki clan besides Kushina."
"Then, Lord Third, what do you plan to do with Karin?" Sakura paused, then added, "Karin's mother was killed by Grass ninjas. Karin will end up the same way if she stays there. You wouldn't just stand by and let that happen, would you, Lord Third?"
The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe. "...The Uzumaki clan are allies of Konoha. Naturally, we won't ignore this. However, she is currently a Grass ninja. We can't dismiss the possibility that Grass sent her as a spy, knowing her identity."
"...Isn't that why Examiner Ibiki and the Yamanaka clan are involved in confirming her story?" Sakura thought the Third Hokage had a point. There were certainly cases of spies being sent to other villages from a young age.
"The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques aren't foolproof. The Uzumaki clan's importance is too great. You've been with Tsunade for three years, so you should know that the First Hokage's wife, Tsunade's grandmother, was Konoha's first Jinchuriki... If their target is the Tailed Beasts..." The Third Hokage was, undeniably, thorough in his considerations.
Sakura had initially believed that as long as Karin's Uzumaki heritage was confirmed, Konoha would take her in. If Sakura hadn't known Karin's true situation, the old man's concerns would have been quite plausible. A spy could lie dormant for decades.
"You're probably aware of the power of the Tailed Beasts, Sakura," the Third Hokage said, referring to the time Naruto had lost control when they were children.
Thanks to the Third Hokage's observations of Sakura since her childhood, he had always treated her as an equal, never as a mere child. Sending Sakura to Tsunade was not only to cultivate a medical specialist for the village, but also to nurture a potential future Hokage. The Third Hokage had observed that Sakura was a genius on par with Itachi, though Itachi was, unfortunately, born into the Uchiha clan.
Sakura hesitated. Konoha wouldn't be lacking in medical ninjas like the Grass Village was, but Karin's ability was simply too powerful. She feared that some of Konoha's higher-ups might try to exploit Karin, which might not be any better than her situation in the Grass Village.
"Lord Third, the reason Karin was taken in by the Grass Village is because of her ability..." Sakura decided she had to dispel the Third Hokage's doubts; otherwise, he wouldn't readily accept Karin.
"Tell me more..." The Third Hokage wasn't a fool. Why would the Grass Village go to such lengths to torment two defenseless women if there was nothing special about them? He had already gleaned some insights from the limited information Sakura had provided.
"Karin has a unique ability. I learned about it after I rescued her. I didn't mention it earlier because I was afraid this ability would make her a target," Sakura said, mixing truth and falsehood. Since only she and Karin had been in the hospital hallway at the time, there was no way for the Anbu to verify when she'd actually learned this.
"By biting her own skin, Karin can quickly restore her own or someone else's chakra and heal injuries," Sakura said earnestly. "But it drains Karin's life force. Karin's mother was literally bitten to death by Grass ninjas."
The Third Hokage was astonished. This ability was comparable to the First Hokage's power! She could heal not only herself but others as well. As expected of the Uzumaki clan, to possess such an ability. If this was the case, it all made sense...
"I understand, Sakura," the Third Hokage said. "You may leave now."
"Lord Third, what do you intend to do with Karin? And I hope you will keep this ability a secret," Sakura said, her anxiety rising as the Third Hokage dismissed her without offering any specifics. She had made a promise to Karin.
"Hehe... You don't need to worry. However, for the time being, she'll have to be monitored. After all, she's still a ninja from another village. We'll make further arrangements after the Chunin Exams," the Third Hokage explained.
"What about the Grass ninjas? They won't give up on Karin," Sakura pressed. Although the Grass ninjas had treated Karin badly, they were aware of her immense value and wouldn't easily relinquish her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have brought Karin to the Chunin Exams. The Chunin Exams were more than just a promotion opportunity; they were a platform to showcase strength to other countries, in order to secure more missions.
Sending Karin was a clear indication of how seriously the Grass Village took these Chunin Exams. If they didn't care, they could have just sent some Genin to make up the numbers. Why bring Karin, who had such a crucial role? This indirectly proved Karin's importance.
"The Grass ninjas... I'll handle it. No one will trouble Karin," the Third Hokage said.
Sakura detected a hint of steel in the Third Hokage's tone, causing her to reassess her opinion of him slightly. The Hokage who led Konoha to victory in wars and maintained its position couldn't possibly be all sunshine and roses. Perhaps most of the darker tasks were delegated to Danzo, but without a firm hand, he wouldn't have held onto his position for so long.
"In that case, I'm relieved. Thank you, Lord Third," Sakura said, taking her leave.
"You seem to care a great deal about Karin..." the Third Hokage asked as she turned to go.
"Because she reminds me of Naruto..." Sakura replied, this time speaking the complete truth.
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