At his words, Karin's lashes trembled faintly.
It seemed as if she had heard him, or perhaps it was only a murmur from a dream.
Teizawa released her hand.
He turned and walked out of the hospital room.
His gaze fell on the tightly shut door at the end of the corridor.
Another girl was staying there.
Amaru, the Zero-Tails' jinchūriki.
In the future, she would become his most obedient servant.
Two days later, the door to Amaru's hospital room was gently pushed open.
Karin walked in, dressed in plain casual clothes.
A bandage covered her left eye, while her right eye looked straight at Amaru through her glasses.
Her face was still a little pale, but her spirit seemed good.
Her steps were steady.
"Who are you?"
Amaru sat on the bed, hugging her knees as she watched this unfamiliar girl warily.
Karin did not answer. She walked straight to the bedside and stopped in front of her.
The bandage over her left eye slipped away soundlessly.
Revealing that scarlet eye.
Three tomoe slowly rotated within it.
The pattern was not that of an ordinary Sharingan, but a connected, eerie, and magnificent Mangekyō.
"Look into my eye."
Karin's voice was very soft, like the night wind brushing past Amaru's ear.
Amaru's gaze was drawn to that eye before she realized it.
Like a moth flying toward flame.
She knew it was dangerous, yet she could not look away.
The tomoe spun faster and faster until they merged into one.
They became a vast, slowly rotating pattern.
Like a whirlpool.
Like a black hole.
Drawing her consciousness in, bit by bit.
"From today onward…"
Karin's voice echoed inside her mind, as if it were coming from a place very far away.
"Teizawa is your master. You will be loyal to him, obey him, revere him, and regard him as the most important person in your life."
Amaru's eyes became empty.
Her pupils lost focus, and her mouth parted slightly.
A vague, half-understanding daze appeared on her face.
Fine beads of sweat formed on Karin's forehead.
Her face turned even paler, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
The Mangekyō spun madly in her eye socket.
Like an engine pushed past its limit.
"Do you… understand?"
Karin's voice wavered slightly.
Amaru's eyes slowly regained focus.
She looked at Karin, then at the dark-gold figure standing in the doorway. Her gaze shifted from confusion to gentleness.
"I… understand."
Her voice was very soft.
"Master."
Teizawa stood at the door.
He watched Amaru's tear-streaked face as she began to smile at him.
The corners of his mouth rose slightly.
He walked in, reached out, and gently patted Amaru on the head.
Amaru did not avoid him.
Instead, she was like a small cat being stroked.
She narrowed her eyes and rubbed against his palm.
"From now on, stay with Karin-nee and listen to what she says."
Teizawa's voice was very gentle.
"Mm."
Amaru nodded firmly.
Karin stood to the side, removed her glove, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
The burden of the Mangekyō Sharingan was much heavier than she had imagined.
She had only used it for a few seconds, yet it felt as if a large portion of her chakra had been drained away.
The vision in her right eye had also become somewhat blurry.
Fortunately, it was still within an acceptable range.
She took a deep breath and forced down the dizziness.
Then she set a restriction for herself in her heart.
This genjutsu absolutely could not be used frequently.
"You worked hard."
Teizawa walked up to her and gently touched her cheek.
"How do you feel?"
"A little tired." Karin's voice was faint and unsteady. "My head is a little dizzy, and my eyes are a little blurry."
"That's normal. The burden of the Sharingan is heavy, and this was your first time using it. Your body hasn't adjusted yet."
"Rest properly for a few days. Eat more nourishing food. You'll recover gradually."
Teizawa paused, and his gaze softened.
"You did very well. Better than I expected."
Karin lowered her head, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
It took a great deal of effort for her not to laugh out loud.
Her chest felt as if something had filled it, warm and swollen.
This was the first time she had felt she was not useless.
Not a tool meant only to be exploited.
Not a mobile blood pack whose only purpose was to heal others when they bit her arm.
She could also share some of this man's burdens.
Teizawa said no more and turned to leave the hospital room.
Amaru followed behind him.
Like a little tail, keeping close to him step by step.
Karin watched their backs.
Behind her lenses, her eyes flickered with a complicated light.
At the end of the corridor, the sunlight was just right.
Teizawa did not return home immediately.
Instead, he turned and headed toward the hot spring on the east side of the village.
Now that Sunagakure no longer lacked water, a kind of nouveau riche indulgence had even begun to appear in the village.
A hot spring service had actually been established.
It was almost absurd.
Of course, calling it a hot spring was somewhat generous. It was more like a large pool enclosed by stone walls.
Steam drifted through the air, carrying a faint sulfur smell.
And this particular area was Teizawa's private bath.
It was not open to the public.
Only he and those closest to him were allowed to use it.
"A hot spring?"
Karin pushed up her glasses and looked at the half-open wooden door, hesitant and embarrassed.
"I…"
"You just had surgery. You need to relax."
Teizawa pushed open the door and walked inside with Amaru.
"Soaking in a hot spring will help your body recover."
Amaru, however, showed no hesitation at all.
She bounced along behind Teizawa.
She even craned her neck curiously to look inside.
The changing room was not large. Several dim yellow lanterns hung on the wooden walls.
Teizawa quickly changed and casually wrapped a bath towel around his waist.
Amaru copied him.
Following his example, she took off her hospital gown and neatly folded it into the basket.
Karin stood with her back to them, slowly undoing her buttons. Her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.
Her fingers slipped over the buttons.
After several tries, she still had not managed to undo them.
"Karin-nee… are you done yet?"
Amaru poked her head over.
"Your face is really red."
"It's hot… too hot."
Karin's muffled voice squeezed out from between her teeth.
She took a deep breath.
At last, she undid the final button.
Then she wrapped herself tightly in a bath towel.
Teizawa had already stepped into the bath ahead of them, the hot water rising to his chest.
He let out a comfortable sigh, leaned against the edge of the pool, and closed his eyes.
Amaru jumped into the water with a splash.
A sheet of water sprayed up around her.
She thrashed about like a little fish for a few moments before emerging from the water.
She wiped the water from her face and giggled.
"Master, the water's so warm… it's way better than the cold baths I had in the fortress!"
"Then soak for a while longer."
Teizawa pulled her over and settled her near the edge of the pool.
Steam rose between them, blurring the lantern light and swallowing the edges of the scene.
The warm water lapped softly against the stone, and the quiet of the private bath gradually folded over them.
Karin lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the edge of her towel.
The heat, the water, and the exhaustion of the past few days all seemed to melt together.
After that, the steam hid everything from view.
Only the faint sound of shifting water lingered in the bathhouse.
(End of Chapter)
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