Chapter 203: Karin: Wow, Akira is Really Handsome!

[Three days later, while traveling toward Iwa Village, you encounter a group of ninjas. One of them, a red-haired kunoichi, catches your eye.]

[After stopping to ask a few questions, you learn her name is Karin. Once you reveal who you are, she willingly becomes your companion.]

[Six days later, you reach the borders of the Land of Earth and are attacked by Pain's Six Paths.]

[During the fight, you destroy the Animal Path and Human Path, but Konan is rescued.]

[Three months later, news spreads that the Akatsuki have captured three-tailed beasts.]

[Fear grows across the ninja world, and six months later, with most of the tailed beasts under the Akatsuki's control, the Five Kage Summit is convened.]

[In the same timeframe, you take down most of the Akatsuki members, becoming their greatest threat.]

[Then, two massive meteors fall from the sky, destroying Konoha.]

[Uchiha Madara is resurrected early, and you die.]

This time, the simulation only lasted half a year, much shorter than before.

Akira frowned as he read the details.

In just six months, the Akatsuki managed to capture the majority of the tailed beasts, but in that same period, he had taken down most of their members.

It seemed like a lot had happened, even to the point where the Five Kage Summit was called.

Was the pressure from the summit why they resurrected Madara early? That wasn't good.

From this simulation, Akira realized he couldn't sit back and let the Akatsuki move freely, but pushing them too hard could also backfire, accelerating Madara's resurrection.

Though confident in his own abilities, Akira had to admit that facing Madara was another level of danger altogether. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Still, he had gathered some crucial information. The short-term benefits weren't bad either—he'd met Karin, after all.

In the original series, she was an interesting character.

A member of the Uzumaki Clan, she had an incredible healing ability. Anyone who bit her could immediately heal their injuries, almost like having a walking first-aid kit.

And from what he remembered, Karin also had a bit of a crush on Sasuke—mostly because of his looks, if he was being honest.

Well, too bad for Sasuke—Akira was even better looking now. Winning Karin over was going to be easy.

"Akira, what's with that weird grin? You look like a creep, kinda like Pervy Sage!" Naruto's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Akira had been so deep in thought about the simulation that he hadn't realized he was smiling to himself. Naruto's comment immediately made him think of Jiraiya.

"Don't compare me to him!" Akira shot back.

He was leagues above in terms of looks. If Jiraiya had even a fraction of his charm, the man wouldn't have been single all his life.

Being compared to Jiraiya? That was just insulting.

After setting Naruto straight, Akira glanced over at Konan.

According to the simulation, they'd be ambushed by Pain's Six Paths near the border of the Land of Earth.

Even though he managed to defeat two of the Pains, Konan still got away.

"Looks like my intel's valuable, but maybe not enough for Konan to stick around willingly yet."

"I guess I'll need to demonstrate my knowledge a little more clearly."

It didn't matter that the simulation predicted Konan would escape. Now that Akira had a glimpse of the future, he could change things.

With that, the trio continued toward Iwa Village. Since they had Konan with them, her chakra sealed, their pace was slower than usual.

After three days, Akira suddenly turned to Naruto and said, "Hey, Naruto, congratulations."

"Huh? What for?" Naruto blinked, clearly confused by the sudden remark.

"Because you're about to meet another Uzumaki clan member," Akira explained.

"Another Uzumaki?" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.

Even though he now knew his real name was Naruto Namikaze, meeting another member of the Uzumaki clan was a big deal for him.

After all, he had carried the Uzumaki name for years, and his body had the same strong life force as the rest of the clan.

"How do you know we're about to meet an Uzumaki?" Konan asked, her curiosity piqued. How could Akira know something like that out of nowhere?

Konan was also interested in the Uzumaki clan since Nagato himself was one of them.

"Don't worry about how I know. Just trust that my intel is solid," Akira replied confidently, giving Konan a quick glance.

He figured this would be a perfect opportunity to show off his information-gathering skills.

Konan didn't press further, though internally she was even more curious. Could he really know so much? Was his information as accurate as he claimed?

The group continued their journey for about another hour until they encountered a few figures up ahead.

At the front of the group was a red-haired kunoichi—Karin, no doubt.

Behind her and the others, several masked figures were chasing them. They were clearly from the Hidden Mist's ANBU.

In the simulation, Akira had only learned he'd meet Karin, but now he realized she was being pursued.

Seeing this, Akira and his group sped up, quickly catching up to the scene.

The Mist ANBU had already surrounded Karin and her companions, cutting off any chance of escape.

"This is the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, right? What are Mist shinobi doing all the way out here?" Akira asked as he stepped forward, addressing the masked ANBU.

The Land of Earth was to the northwest of the Land of Fire, while the Land of Water was far to the southeast.

For these Mist shinobi to show up here, they must have traveled across nearly the entire Land of Fire. That piqued Akira's curiosity.

"Konoha ninja?" One of the Mist ANBU turned towards him, their tone growing more cautious.

"Wait... that age... those horns... You're Uchiha Akira, aren't you?" one of the ANBU exclaimed, recognizing him.

With his distinct dragon horns, Akira's appearance was hard to miss.

"Yeah, that's me. So, do I have the right to ask a few questions?" Akira responded, nodding slightly.

"Lord Akira, we've been pursuing criminals from the Mist Village for over two weeks. We have no intention of invading the Land of Fire," one of the ANBU explained, now much more respectful.

Even though Akira had been overpowered by a Rinnegan user recently, his power was undeniable. His Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees was proof enough.

"So, my reputation's big enough now that people back off just by seeing me?" Akira thought, smirking internally as the once-hostile Mist shinobi softened.

This was the power of strength and reputation.

"You're Karin, right? An Uzumaki?" Akira turned to the red-haired kunoichi and asked.

"Yes, I'm Karin from the Uzumaki Clan. You know who I am, Lord Akira?" Karin replied, her eyes widening as she stared at him, not even blinking.

Wow, he's really handsome! Karin thought, utterly captivated by his sharp, yet strikingly handsome face.

Uchiha Akira was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"Good. Since we've crossed paths, how about joining me from now on?" Akira asked, nodding slightly.

"She really is from the Uzumaki Clan? That red hair is proof enough…" Konan thought, still shocked by the accuracy of Akira's intel.

She stared at him, stunned. How could he have known all of this? His information-gathering skills were... frightening.

*************Important*******************

I'm back with this fanfiction! I didn't spend as much time on it as I would have liked because I was focusing on my other translated novel, "Naruto: Max Level." From now on, I plan to release two chapters per day. Additionally, I will add an extra chapter for every goal power stone I receive. The pace is in your hands!

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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 270+ at patreon.com/Emik01.