Konoha Village
Sakura left the Hokage's office and headed straight for the Sealing Division. The best-case scenario would be for Karin to learn fuinjutsu; it would be incredibly useful in the future for helping Naruto control the power of the Tailed Beasts. However, Sakura was also considering having her learn medical ninjutsu. It would be a waste to let her unique Uzumaki clan abilities go unused.
Sakura didn't plan on becoming a full-time healer herself, and she had no desire to master medical arts to an extreme degree. Her own chakra reserves weren't particularly large to begin with, and the thought of having to juggle combat and healing duties during a war was her idea of a nightmare. Karin, with her vast chakra reserves, was far better suited for the role.
When Sakura arrived at the Sealing Division, the day's classes had already ended. The Sealing Division operated independently from the Ninja Academy, having its own separate facility.
This "school," however, wasn't like the Academy. It was a specialized institution focused on cultivating specific talents. It wasn't very large, but it housed ninjas who demonstrated an aptitude for fūinjutsu.
Typically, the Sealing Division recruited students who had already graduated from the Ninja Academy. The requirements for becoming a combat ninja were quite high, and students who failed their graduation exams were given other options. They could either repeat a year and retake the tests, or they could leave the front lines and enter other departments, such as the Medical Corps, the Cipher Division, the Sealing Division, the Administrative Department, the Interrogation Force, or the Education Department.
Of course, not every student who failed to become a genin was accepted. Potential recruits underwent testing to assess their aptitude for these specialized roles. Students who showed no talent in any of these areas would have to give up on becoming ninjas altogether. Generally speaking, though, very few of those who passed the Ninja Academy's graduation exams were complete failures; most possessed some unique talent.
This was a key reason why Konoha was the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Konoha's "blood-making" function was remarkably well-developed, ensuring a constant supply of talented individuals for every department. However, this system was incredibly expensive, as cultivating talent required significant financial investment – all those training supplies had to be paid for.
Only the wealthiest nation, the Land of Fire, could afford such an approach. Sunagakure, for example, followed a policy of fostering elites, which produced excellent ninjas, but left them somewhat lacking in other areas.
Karin was anxiously waiting at the entrance of the Sealing Division, unsure of who was coming to pick her up. She'd spent the last month under the watchful eyes of the Interrogation Force and ANBU. Her days were spent in a small room prepared for her by the Interrogation Force, and even when she left, she was tailed by ANBU operatives. Not that she went out much. Most of her time was spent cooperating with the Interrogation Force as they probed her memories.
Then, just a few days ago, Konoha had been thrown into chaos. Karin had been terrified that someone from Kusagakure would seize the opportunity to capture her, so she'd refused to leave her cell-like room for those two days.
The chaos eventually subsided, and the Hokage himself came to visit Karin. He told her about the history of the Uzumaki clan, their relationship with Konoha – the same things Sakura had told her. Karin sensed genuine kindness from the Hokage.
When the Hokage assigned her to the Sealing Division, Karin finally felt a sense of relief. Due to her difficult childhood, she was more sensitive than others her age. She understood that to find a place for herself in a village, she needed to offer something of equal value. She had no complaints about the Hokage's decision, especially since it wasn't the Medical Corps – a place that filled her with dread.
The Hokage had said someone would be coming to pick her up today, someone who would be responsible for her life in Konoha. Karin had no idea who it would be, which made her anxious. Besides Sakura, the only person in Konoha who had shown her any kindness was the Hokage. Everyone else treated her with caution.
When Sakura arrived, she found Karin curled up on the ground by the classroom entrance, hugging her knees. She looked like a pet abandoned by its owner.
"Karin..." Sakura called out.
Karin, lost in her thoughts, suddenly heard a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Sakura, her eyes immediately lighting up with surprise.
"Sakura... are you here to pick me up?" Karin asked hopefully.
"Yeah. Lord Third has temporarily put you in my care..." Sakura's answer did not disappoint.
Karin's expression became even more joyful. She stood up, rushed towards Sakura, and threw her arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably. "Thank you, Sakura... thank you..."
Karin was a mess of tears and snot, stammering incoherently. Finally, the nightmare days of her past were over. Sakura had saved her from a life of being treated as a human blood bag.
Sakura hadn't expected such an emotional outburst. All she could do was hold Karin's trembling body and gently pat her back. Sakura couldn't truly comprehend Karin's suffering. Growing up in the safety of Konoha, Sakura had no way of understanding the pain endured by children in war-torn countries, even on Earth. It's the same everywhere.
The joy of being freed from hell was indescribable. Karin continued to sob as Sakura led her home.
Sakura brought Karin to the ground floor of her building and used a Water Style jutsu to create a ball of water. "Stop crying, wash your face," she said. "From now on, you can think of this place as your home."
"Okay," Karin replied obediently, reaching out to wash her tear-streaked face.
"Let's go upstairs," Sakura said, gently taking Karin's hand, noticing her hesitation.
Even though Sakura was kind to her, Karin was about to meet Sakura's parents – complete strangers. She couldn't help but feel hesitant again.
"Don't worry, relax. My mom and dad are really easy to get along with," Sakura reassured her, sensing her apprehension.
Sakura actually wasn't sure how her parents would react. This was a direct order from the Hokage, and as civilians, they didn't have much say in the matter. But her parents weren't stingy people, right?
As it turned out, Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno were even more welcoming than Sakura had imagined. When Sakura opened the door, she was greeted by a table laden with delicious food and a pile of girls' clothing on the sofa.
Sakura initially thought some of the clothes were for her, but... Kizashi mercilessly shattered that illusion. It wasn't fair for Sakura to be jealous; aside from the outfit Mebuki had prepared for her on the first day of the Ninja Academy, Sakura had always been given money to buy her own clothes. And after she returned from her three years of training, Sakura had her own money, and Mebuki had stopped buying clothes for her altogether...
Actually, it wasn't surprising that Kizashi and Mebuki were so excited. Not only had the Third Hokage sent someone to tell them about Karin's tragic past, but Sakura's independent nature since childhood, while making Kizashi and Mebuki happy, also left them feeling a little bit defeated. Sakura never acted spoiled, denying Kizashi the chance to enjoy the affection of his "precious little padded jacket."
Karin had been incredibly nervous when she first entered the Haruno home, but she sensed the same kindness from Mebuki and Kizashi that she felt from Sakura. Slowly, she began to relax. Witnessing the care and concern of these two strangers, Karin felt a genuine surge of happiness in this moment.
The Third Hokage had played his cards perfectly. He understood precisely what an orphan like Karin craved deep down. Gradually building these bonds of connection for Karin within Konoha was far more effective than forcibly trying to make her feel like she belonged.
That night, after they'd both bathed, Sakura and Karin lay side-by-side in bed. Sakura's heart was involuntarily pounding. Even though Karin was still just a young girl, with nothing much to see, Sakura felt incredibly flustered – super flustered, actually. This was the first time in over ten years that she'd shared a bed with anyone other than her mother.
"Sakura..." Karin whispered tentatively.
"Y-yeah...?" Sakura replied, her voice slightly shaky.
"Are you hurt...?" Karin asked.
"N-no... I'm not..." Sakura answered, still with a tremor in her voice.
"Your chakra is really disturbed..." Karin said. "If... if you're hurt, you can bite me..."
"N-no... I'm really not hurt... You shouldn't use your ability so casually. It'll affect your lifespan..." Sakura replied.
"It's okay. I... I... I want you to bite me..." Karin said, biting her lip. "You saved me. If... if you're hurt, it's okay..."
"..." Sakura was deeply moved. It must have taken an immense amount of courage for Karin to say something like that. She took a moment to calm her racing heart. "I'm really fine. It's an old issue; it'll be better by morning. Go to sleep..."
"...Thank you, Sakura," Karin whispered softly, a long while later, just as Sakura was about to drift off.
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