Ayuko was a sweet, sad, and resigned woman. She smiled sadly and lowered her eyes submissively when spoken to. But she had something strong in her. When she told her story, her gaze was burning with a flame that no humiliation could extinguish. She was powerless against the abuse of the Kusa ninjas. But she was a survivor. She had survived the destruction of Uzushio. And she survived every day since they separated her from her husband. However, she was exhausted.

She didn’t give up though. She had taught her daughter how to read and write with the few books saved from the Uzushio’s destruction. Every day, Ayuko practiced the katas that had been taught to all genins in the village to prepare them for Taijutsu. She also taught Karin. Apparently, the child had a powerful sensory ability and could detect chakra with extraordinary precision.

It was a gift she inherited from her father. From her mother, Karin had inherited the gift of being able to heal people by letting them suck her chakra. When she mentioned this, Ayuko’s voice wavered. She knew what it meant for her daughter. There would be a day when the ninjas would no longer come just for her. They would also come for her daughter. When she stopped talking, silence reigned for several seconds in the tiny house. Jun and Kanna both turned to Shisui. Their captain looked torn. Miyamoto didn’t move, but he spoke.

“The Uzumakis are longtime allies of Konoha.”

Shisui hesitated, then turned to Ayuko, his face full of remorse.

“We can’t take you. We have to leave quickly. If we carried you, we would be slowed down. We might even be pursued.”

“I know. Kusa will never let me go. But my daughter… They wouldn’t go after my daughter.” Ayuko said in a shaking voice.

There was a silence. Ayuko turned to Jun. Perhaps it was because he had spoken to her first.

“Karin is an Uzumaki. She’s only seven years old; she’s innocent. She could become a Konoha kunoichi, or a medic, or anything… This life will kill her; I know it. Please, don’t let that happen. Save my daughter, please. I beg of you.”

Ayuko fell to her knees and pressed her forehead to the ground. Jun let out a surprised yelp and immediately squatted down to straighten her.

“Do not do that. I promise to take care of your daughter. Please, get up.”

“What?” Shisui exclaimed.

Ayuko had raised her head, planting her purple gaze on Jun. The latter knew there was no going back. He had promised. Maybe he wanted to do so anyway the moment he had recognized Karin. But, it wasn’t premeditated. It was just… He had walked past Naruto without doing anything, not that long ago. He had made a selfish decision then, and he regretted it.

It wasn’t the only thing he regretted and blamed himself for. The Uchihas were going to die. The Sandaime was going to die. Jiraiya was going to die. Itachi was going to die. A lot of people were going to die or suffer, without him being able to do anything, without him having the courage to do anything because of his selfishness. But he could act here. It was an insignificant act. It wouldn’t cost him anything. And it could change so many things.

In a parallel universe, Karin would probably have spent her entire childhood in this cold little house not far from Kusa. The child would helplessly watch as her mother weakened each time she was summoned by the ninjas. In that parallel universe, only Orochimaru would have offered Karin an opportunity to escape from this hell. But it wouldn’t happen here because Jun existed in this timeline.

“I promise. I, Jun, will bring your daughter back to Konoha, watch over her, and provide her with a better life. I promise you, Ayuko.” The teenager firmly declared.

Ayuko took his hands as her eyes were shining with gratitude.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

While Ayuko went to look for her daughter outside, Shisui gave Jun a reprobating look. But the teenager didn’t back down. He had made his decision. He could understand why Shisui was worried and why he disagreed. There was a possibility that Kusa could come after them after they took Karin away. But it was worth it.

They left the house. Ayuko was kneeling in front of her daughter, speaking to her in a soft voice, her eyes glistening with tears. The little girl was holding her stuffed animal against her chest, looking worried.

“But will you join us?” She said in a small, uncertain voice.

Jun pretended to look elsewhere. Ayuko swallowed hard, and her smile quivered.

“No, Karin. And you’re not coming back, either. You won’t be alone; you will have Jun with you. You need to be brave. A great adventure awaits you. You will have to be strong.”

“But, what about you?” Karin insisted.

She was too small to fully grasp everything. But what she understood was probably enough to scare her. Her mother was all she had in the world. Ayuko hugged her warmly and whispered.

“I can’t come with you. But as long as you remember me, I will always be with you. Will you remember, Karin? Never forget your heritage. You are an Uzumaki. You are a granddaughter of Uzushio, and your parents are from the Uzumaki clan. You are as brave as the heroes of our homeland and as beautiful as the princesses of legends. You are a child of the Uzumaki clan, and you will make us proud. Promise me, Karin.”

“I promise, mom.”

Ayuko smiled weakly before letting his daughter go and kissing her on the forehead. Then, she briefly glanced at Jun. The young girl approached, slowly. The teenager felt like a stranger, but the frightened child needed reassurance. So, he squatted down next to the child and introduced himself.

“Hi, I’m Jun, from Konoha.”

“Hi, I’m Karin. And this is Nagi.”

She brandished her stuffed animal. Jun held back a smile. His brother Kazuma had a similar stuffed animal.

“You and Nagi are very brave. I’ll carry you on my back, ok? You’ll have to hold on tight and hug Nagi very tightly so he won’t be afraid. Can you do that?”

Karin nodded. Jun turned around, still crouching, then helped Karin climb onto his back. The rest of the team was waiting for him a few meters away. He stood after checking that the girl was well positioned, then turned to Ayuko. She had her hands squeezed against her chest as if to physically restrain herself from reaching out to her daughter. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“Be strong, Karin. Go ahead.”

Jun felt Karin nod, and he turned around, joining his team. They didn’t say a word. Kanna and Miyamoto looked serious. Shisui’s expression was harder to read. They turned in the direction of Konoha and began to run. Jun felt Karin stiffen in surprise, but her grip didn’t weaken, and she didn’t make a sound.

They rushed towards Konoha in silence, leaping from branch to branch, crossing rivers, and avoiding patrols. They took advantage of the end of the day and the dawning darkness to blend into the shadows. It was ironic that they went so far into the enemy territory to prevent the kidnapping of one of their own and were now coming back with an extra person. However, no one noticed. They kept running. Jun could feel Karin’s tears falling on the back of his neck.

They only slowed down at the border to eat and allow Karin to take a bathroom break. Their mission wasn’t over. During their absence at the border, some shinobis may have slipped through the Land of Fire. Shisui, Miyamoto, and Kanna decided to stay to continue the mission. Jun would return to Konoha to drop off Karin and explain the situation to the Hokage. He didn’t know how he was going to do it. The situation was quite unexpected.

However, there was no going back. He had made his choice. The teenager ignored his aching muscles and agreed to hit the road alone. It was pitch black now. Karin was dozing off, exhausted by her emotions. Jun hadn’t slept for nearly twenty-four hours. Konoha was several days away. Jun would have to stop to rest and also allow the child to rest as well.

“Be careful,” Kanna told him, worryingly.

“We’ll join you soon,” Miyamoto assured him.

“I didn’t imagine our last mission to turn out like this, but go ahead. We’ve got you covered, Jun.” Shisui added.

His comrades’ words warmed Jun’s heart. He was smiling when he set off with Karin.