Chapter 18: Uzumaki Kana, Kushina's Cousins

At the Kusagakure hospital...

Inside the ward, as Naruto left with Karin and her mother, everyone exhaled almost simultaneously in relief. The Kusagakure ninja staggered back a few steps, barely managing to stay upright with his back against the wall. Only now did he realize his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

Who was that person? An enemy ninja? Or... a descendant of the Uzumaki clan?

Even though the Kusagakure ninja was a jonin, albeit from a smaller village, it was unthinkable for someone—even an elite jonin from a larger nation—to suppress him purely through sheer presence. This could only mean one thing: the person was of Kage-level strength, perhaps even a seasoned Kage!

Facing such power, even if their leader came, it wouldn't make much difference. They would have to mobilize the entire Kusagakure force or resort to sneak attacks to have a chance of success. But given that it was still wartime, there was no way they could risk everything for just one person. Even if he reported this, the end result would be the same: nothing would be done. They would simply have to swallow their pride.

The Kusagakure ninja collapsed helplessly to the floor, sliding down the wall. His movement seemed like a signal. The next moment, the entire ward erupted with cries of agony once again, including the attending physician and the patients.

"It hurts so much, I'm going to die…"

"Someone help me, quick!"

"My arm! My arm is gone!"

The injured patients screamed even louder than before, as if trying to drown out the fear from what had just happened by focusing on their pain. Before long, hurried footsteps echoed from outside as yet another group rushed in. Upon seeing the scene inside the ward, along with the bodies scattered on the floor, they were left utterly stunned.

"What… what happened here?" a supervising doctor stammered, trembling in fear.

Outside Kusagakure, on a nearby hilltop…

As the Nine-Tails' chakra flowed continuously, Karin's mother's condition improved by the second. Naruto was astonished to see that even the bite marks on her body were gradually fading away. Her entire body seemed to be rejuvenated, her skin becoming even fairer and more radiant than before.

The Nine-Tails' chakra can do this? Naruto thought, amazed. If I opened a beauty salon, I'd make a fortune!

Making money was one thing, but creating a harem of beautiful women? Now that was a more enticing thought.

Alright, maybe I'm just kidding about that.

After a while longer, Karin's mother stabilized completely, and her beautiful red eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Huh… what happened to me?" she muttered, still a bit dazed.

"Mom, Mom! You're okay!" Karin cried out in joy, throwing herself into her mother's arms, laughing and sobbing at the same time.

By this point, the Nine-Tails had relinquished control of Naruto's body, fading back into the depths, satisfied with its deeds and keeping its strength hidden.

After what seemed like forever, with Karin's broken explanations, her mother finally pieced together what had happened. She looked up at Naruto, who stood silently watching them. Gently, she stood up, pulling Karin along with her, and they both knelt before Naruto.

"My name is Kana, Uzumaki Kana. Thank you, my lord, for saving us. From now on, our lives belong to you. Whatever you command, I will do with all my heart."

With that, Uzumaki Kana bowed deeply, her forehead touching the ground.

Karin looked at Naruto, then at her mother, and followed suit, mimicking her movements. "My name is Karin, Uzumaki Karin. Thank you, my lord, for saving us."

It was only now that Karin realized her true surname was Uzumaki.

"Stand up," Naruto said calmly. "The Uzumaki clan... you might be the last women of the clan. If you had died miserably like that, your ancestors would have turned in their graves."

While it was true that, without his intervention, Uzumaki Kana would have died, there was no record of Uzumaki ancestors causing any tomb-raiding chaos in the original story.

Kana's eyes widened in shock, filled with excitement. "Could it be… are you also…?"

Under Kana's hopeful gaze, Naruto slowly removed his mask. The sight of his golden hair made her heart sink in disappointment, but moments later, she grew excited once again.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto smiled faintly. "My mother was also of the Uzumaki clan—Uzumaki Kushina."

"Kushina!" Kana jumped up, her excitement palpable. "You're Kushina's child? That's wonderful! Is Kushina still alive?"

"I'm sorry," Naruto's face became expressionless, "She died when I was born."

Inside Naruto's mind, the Nine-Tails opened its eyes slightly.

"But… one day, I'll bring her back to life."

Hearing this addition, the Nine-Tails smirked faintly and returned to its slumber.

"She's dead…" Kana murmured, crestfallen. "Bringing someone back to life… how could that be possible?"

Though she had lived through the destruction of Uzushiogakure and had lost much of her strength, her knowledge of the world remained intact. However, despite her doubts, she quickly regained her composure, smiling warmly at Naruto. "If Kushina could see how amazing her son has grown up to be, she would be so proud. You don't look much older than Karin."

Naruto, thanks to his physical enhancements, had grown taller and more mature. Meanwhile, Karin, due to years of malnutrition, appeared small and frail, her chest as flat as a board, even flatter than Sakura's. Though they were the same age, they looked nothing alike.

"Mom, you and Naruto's mom..." Karin's eyes widened in surprise. No wonder she'd felt a strange sense of closeness to Naruto from the very start—it was due to this connection.

"Yes," Kana nodded, "Kushina and I were cousins. When Uzushiogakure fell, the survivors scattered. I heard Kushina was taken to Konoha, and I was happy for her. Konoha is a more peaceful place, after all… or so I thought. I had no idea…"

"So, that means Naruto and I…" Karin beamed with joy. She didn't care about anyone else; after all, she didn't know them.

"That's right," Kana smiled, ruffling Karin's hair. "You two are family. From now on, you must take good care of Naruto-sama."

In this world, the strong ruled, and family ties meant little if one lacked power. Now that they had pledged their loyalty to Naruto, even if he were Kana's long-lost son, their relationship wouldn't change—Naruto would still have full control over everything.

"I'll do my best!" Karin clenched her little fists with determination. She had been lost in life, but now, she had finally found her purpose.

"Let's talk more later," Naruto said, turning to face Kusagakure. "You two stay here, don't move. I'll be back soon."

"Naruto-sama…" Kana reached out to stop him, shaking her head with worry. She could tell what he was planning, and it terrified her. To Kana, the safety of those close to her mattered more than anything. Even though she knew Naruto was strong, the thought of him taking on an entire village alone was absurd. Even if he won, the risk of injury wasn't worth it.