Uzumaki Clan! Karin and Her Mother

"Gurararara! It feels so good to have my body almost fully recovered!" Whitebeard had already downed eight barrels of strong liquor.

Reeking of alcohol, he laughed heartily.

Ever since he grew old and was plagued by numerous chronic illnesses, Whitebeard rarely had the chance to drink freely. His sons would always nag him whenever he drank.

Now, he felt it didn't matter anymore. Although his body hadn't fully recovered, a little drinking wouldn't hurt.

Besides, what pirate doesn't drink?!

Weapons, booze, treasure, a ship, and comrades... these things are the lifeblood of a pirate!

They're indispensable!

After gulping down the ninth barrel of liquor, Whitebeard grabbed a large bowl of meat and shoved it into his mouth.

A plate that seemed huge to an ordinary person was just an average-sized plate to Whitebeard.

The feeling of eating large chunks of meat and drinking large quantities of alcohol...

It was truly nostalgic!

In his drunken haze.

Whitebeard seemed to hear his idiot sons having a banquet all around him, warmly welcoming Naruto to the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard looked down at the feasting Naruto and reached out to ruffle Naruto's hair.

"Idiot son! When you grow a bit older, Dad will take you to get the Whitebeard Pirates' tattoo!" Whitebeard laughed loudly.

"Tattoo?" Naruto mumbled, his mouth stuffed full of meat, making his speech a bit unclear.

Whitebeard's cloak lifted, revealing the tattoo on his back.

Naruto's eyes sparkled: "Will I get the same tattoo on my back in the future?"

"You can get it anywhere." Whitebeard laughed, "Every member of the Whitebeard Pirates has the same tattoo!"

Naruto started thinking.

Where should he get the Whitebeard Pirates' emblem tattooed?

On the side, Kakashi, reading his book and eating a skewer of grilled meat, mumbled to himself: "Even in a few years, Naruto will still be a kid. Isn't it too early for tattoos?"

He looked at the constantly laughing Whitebeard.

And sighed inwardly.

Oh well, he couldn't expect a pirate to raise Naruto properly. As long as Naruto received some family affection, it was a good thing.

However.

Were the three of them being too high-profile in the Land of Grass? Hadn't the Grass Ninja already noticed them?

"Hopefully, nothing happens!"

Kakashi wasn't worried about Naruto, mainly because he was there to protect him, and Whitebeard was also by Naruto's side.

Who could harm Naruto?

He was more concerned that... the Grass Ninja might be foolish enough to provoke someone they shouldn't.

That would be troublesome.

This meal, Whitebeard and the others ate from daytime until night.

Naruto and Kakashi were full long ago, but Whitebeard's appetite was exaggerated, and the tavern didn't have many chefs.

The chefs worked themselves to exhaustion yet couldn't prepare enough dishes.

It wasn't until all the chefs in the tavern were too tired to stand that Whitebeard, satisfied, picked his teeth.

Whitebeard said, "White-haired kid, pay the bill."

Kakashi: "..."

"You and Naruto have a lot of money, don't you?" Kakashi tried to save his wallet: "Besides, aren't you a pirate, Whitebeard-sama?"

The implication was—aren't pirates supposed to dine and dash?

"Idiot! The Whitebeard Pirates are not like those low-life sea scum!" Whitebeard flicked his finger.

Bang!!!

The flick hurt Kakashi so much that his eyes almost popped out.

Kakashi, clutching his forehead, protested: "Hey, hey, hey! I'm not Naruto!!!"

Whitebeard squinted: "Have you ever seen me dine and dash?"

Kakashi was about to say—every meal of yours is a dine and dash!

But he suddenly paused.

Hiss! Kakashi came to his senses... he remembered that although Whitebeard never paid for meals, others always paid for him, so technically, it wasn't dining and dash.

Uh, this!

"Well, Whitebeard-sama, what about the money you and Naruto stole..." Kakashi felt his heartache.

Whitebeard's meals weren't cheap.

"That's the fund for establishing the new Whitebeard Pirates!" Whitebeard said righteously.

Kakashi: "..."

...

The Hidden Grass Village, located in the heart of the Land of Grass, was about the size of a few cities in the Land of Fire.

The leader of the Hidden Grass Village decided that today would be the day to launch the assassination!

The primary target was the "giant" head that the Daimyo wanted, and secondly, Konoha's Copy Ninja Kakashi.

Of these two assassination targets...

At least one must be achieved.

If the legendary Kakashi turned out to be overrated, they would not hesitate to eliminate him.

In this way, by extracting information from Kakashi's body, the Hidden Grass Village could indirectly master thousands of different jutsus!

But if Kakashi was strong, so strong that the Hidden Grass Village's assassination squad couldn't handle him.

Then, they would decisively abandon this tempting target.

Just take the giant's head.

The leader of the Hidden Grass Village placed great importance on this assassination mission, deploying 20 members from the ANBU. Nearly emptying the ANBU, which showed how seriously he took this.

You should know that the ANBU members of the Hidden Grass Village were less than 30 people, incomparable to the Five Great Nations.

"Right!" The leader of the Hidden Grass Village said to a subordinate: "Kakashi is no ordinary person. Take that woman with you. If we can capture Kakashi, it doesn't matter if she gets completely drained."

"After all, she has a daughter." The leader of the Hidden Grass Village said: "When her daughter grows a year or two older, she can also be used."

"Yes, leader!"

...

"Quick! Orders from the leader! ANBU assemble!!"

"Hurry! Assemble quickly!!"

"Assemble! Assemble!"

The commotion in the Hidden Grass Village naturally attracted much attention. Among them was a mother and daughter with a special status.

They lived under surveillance by the Grass Ninja, unable to escape this hellhole.

And with their red hair, even in the ninja world...

They were rare.

"Mom, what's happening outside?"

Karin, a red-haired girl around Naruto's age, looked out fearfully, asking her mother: "The ninjas outside seem very anxious."

She then noticed her mother changing clothes.

From comfortable home clothes to ninja combat gear.

"Mom?" Karin's eyes widened.

A bit puzzled.

"Karin, the village might need Mom." Karin's mother, who was actually quite young, in her twenties, had a pale face with signs of fatigue and thinness.

Bang!!!!

At that moment, the door was violently kicked open by two ANBU from the Hidden Grass Village.

"Hey! Woman!"

The masked ANBU from the Hidden Grass Village spoke maliciously: "Let's go! No dawdling! There's a situation that needs you!"

"And take off your Grass Ninja headband. We can't let anyone know our identity this time!"

...

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