Konoha: Gu Master

The Uzumaki Clan had two defining traits: their vibrant red hair and chakra reserves far beyond those of ordinary people.

Both Chisori and Karin displayed these traits.

Given their backgrounds, there was a 99% chance they were Uzumaki Clan members and only about a 1% chance they were spies. 

Tsunade, however, doubted any village would waste two potential Uzumaki ninja as spies, given how valuable they would be.

And even if, against all odds, they were spies, Tsunade was willing to take the risk. Talents like these were worth trying to convert.

"We're willing to join," Chisori said, feigning a few seconds of hesitation.

"Then you are now officially Konoha shinobi." Tsunade smiled. "Welcome."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," Chisori replied gratefully.

"Since you're new to the village, you must not have a place to stay," Tsunade mused. "You can reside in the Senju compound."

She was referring to the Senju Clan's ancestral home, and she had four reasons for this decision.

First, the compound had plenty of vacant rooms. Currently, it was just Tsunade, Shizune, and Shinho living there. A couple more people would make it feel a little less empty.

Second, this would allow Tsunade to observe Chisori and Karin closely. Although the odds of them being enemy spies were slim, as Hokage, she had to be cautious.

Third, it would facilitate their learning of sealing techniques. Not teaching Uzumaki descendants the art of sealing would be a waste.

Lastly, there was a lingering guilt toward the Uzumaki Clan within the Senju. 

During Hashirama Senju's time as Hokage, the Senju and Uzumaki Clans had formed a tight alliance. But Konoha had ultimately failed to come to the Uzumaki Clan's aid in time, resulting in their near-extinction.

"Lady Hokage, I'd like to join a ninja team!" Karin said eagerly.

Chisori sighed inwardly. 

Even if Karin hadn't spoken up, Tsunade would have arranged it eventually. But trying to get Karin to be more reserved was a challenge—especially with Shinho around as a bad influence.

"Oh? Why do you want to join a team?" Tsunade asked, intrigued.

"Because I want to be a ninja!" Karin said, clenching her fists with enthusiasm. "Mom never lets me go out and have fun."

"I see." Tsunade chuckled, finding Karin's bluntness amusing. This energetic girl had a certain charm, reminding Tsunade a bit of herself.

A ninja team, huh? Tsunade pondered, an idea suddenly coming to mind.

With Sasuke focusing on offense, Shinho on healing, and Karin on support, this new Team 7 composition would be even more balanced than the previous one. 

Naruto and Sasuke's skillsets had overlapped too much, creating redundancy.

"Wait here for a few minutes," Tsunade said, stepping outside the office. "Yūgao!"

Yūgao Uzuki appeared, her demeanor more sombre than before due to Hayate Gekkō's recent death.

"Go and get Shinho for me," Tsunade instructed.

"Yes, ma'am," Yūgao replied, immediately leaving.

Tsunade sighed. 

Seeing Yūgao like this reminded her of how Kakashi had once been, struggling with grief after losing those close to him. 

She hoped Yūgao could eventually move on from her loss.

….

"Sensei," Shinho called out, spotting Tsunade from a distance.

"I have a candidate for Team 7's temporary member," Tsunade explained, describing Karin's background. "What do you think?"

With anyone else, she would have made the decision without asking. 

But she held Shinho in high regard and valued his opinion. If he disagreed, she'd find another team for Karin.

"An Uzumaki?" Shinho nodded. "She's an excellent choice."

"Good," Tsunade said, leading him back into the office. "Let me introduce you."

Standing beside Tsunade, Shinho took a closer look at Karin and her mother. Chisori's performance was steady, with no obvious flaws. 

Karin, on the other hand, radiated an almost uncontainable excitement.

Fortunately, Tsunade didn't suspect anything. She merely attributed Karin's enthusiasm to her excitement at becoming a ninja.

"Pleased to meet you, Shinho-kun." Karin extended her hand with a cheerful smile.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. So friendly already? And calling him 'Shinho-kun'?

Wait… the look in Karin's eyes seemed off. Was she… interested in Shinho?

Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance, and pursed her lips. Were young girls really so forward these days? For some reason, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

"Shinho, take Karin to meet Team 7," Tsunade said after a moment's hesitation. "Chisori, stay behind so I can go over a few things with you."

The Hokage's office door closed behind them.

"Shinho-nii, how was my acting?" Karin asked as soon as they left, pressing close and hugging Shinho's arm.

"It was terrible," Shinho replied bluntly.

"Hey! That's mean!" Karin pouted with a grin.

Her spirits were too high today for her to take offence on anything.

"It's fine as long as Sensei doesn't suspect anything," Shinho replied casually.

"Got it!" Karin's grin grew wider, her eyes crinkling with joy.

"Alright, tone it down," Shinho warned, giving her a sidelong glance. "If anyone we know sees us, it'll cause trouble."

Karin reluctantly released his arm. She didn't want to create problems for Shinho, so she held back—for now.

….

Training Ground 1.

Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha were sparring, their swords clashing in an impressive display of skill.

"Amazing!" Karin watched in awe, mesmerized by the speed and precision of their movements.

"Let me introduce you," Shinho said, pointing to Sasuke. "The guy with the serious face over there is our teammate, Sasuke Uchiha."

"He doesn't look very friendly," Karin noted, a bit concerned.

"Not really," Shinho said, shaking his head. "Sasuke's straightforward. As long as you're useful and don't hold him back, he'll be fine."

"Got it!" Karin said, motivated. "I'll do my best!"

"The one he's sparring with is Kakashi Hatake, our squad leader," Shinho added. "He's a highly skilled salted fish."

"A…salted fish?" Karin blinked, confused.

"It just means he's pretty lazy," Shinho explained, pausing. "And whatever book he's reading, don't even think about reading it."

"What book?" Karin asked, intrigued.

"Don't ask," Shinho replied, giving her a look.

"Oh, okay." Karin nodded obediently.

"Did Sensei arrange housing for you two?" Shinho asked casually.

"She did!" Karin replied, her excitement returning. "She said we'd be staying in the Senju compound."

Shinho raised an eyebrow.

The Senju ancestral home?

"Shinho-nii," Karin asked expectantly, "is it true that you live alone most of the time?"

You're really not hiding your intentions, are you?

Shinho reached out, ruffling Karin's hair as he said; 

"Stop filling your head with silly thoughts."

"N-No I'm not!..." Karin blushed, caught red-handed, and quickly looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

"Sasuke, let's take a short break," Kakashi said, sheathing his short sword.

He glanced at Karin, his gaze lingering for an extra second on her red hair, a rare sight in the ninja world.

Sasuke, however, didn't pay her any attention. He stood there quietly, reflecting on his recent sparring session with Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei," Shinho began, "this is Karin, the new temporary member assigned to Team 7 by Lady Tsunade."

"Well, as is customary, why don't you introduce yourself?" Kakashi said with a slight nod. "Tell us your dream or hobby, or something like that."

He already knew Jiraiya had taken Naruto away for training, so he wasn't surprised by the new team member. 

Given the presence of Shinho and Sasuke, Tsunade wouldn't just add a random Genin to the team, so he was actually quite curious about her.

"My name is Karin, from the Uzumaki Clan. I'm skilled in sealing techniques," she said, glancing at Shinho before adding, "And as for my dream… I'd like to become the second female Hokage."

In Karin's mind, the Hokage was the ultimate authority in Konoha, able to do whatever they pleased. 

If she became Hokage, she could order Shinho around as much as she wanted.

"She's from the Uzumaki Clan?" Kakashi's interest was piqued, surprised.

Hearing this, Sasuke looked up and gave Karin a quick glance, his brow furrowing slightly. 

She didn't seem particularly powerful. However, he was aware of the Uzumaki Clan's reputation for their potent sealing techniques, even capable of suppressing tailed beasts.

"Welcome to Team 7," Kakashi said with a friendly smile. 

He naturally felt a bit of kinship with the Uzumaki Clan, given that he had once served as Kushina Uzumaki's bodyguard.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Karin replied, sensing his kindness.

"Sasuke, you can practice on your own today," Kakashi said, then turned to Karin. "I know a bit about sealing techniques myself, so I'll be helping you train."

"Yes!" Karin nodded enthusiastically. 

She and Chisori had learned sealing techniques on their own, so they had many gaps in their knowledge. 

With Shinho not being a specialist, she was excited to finally have an instructor.

"And what about Shinho?" Karin asked, a sudden thought coming to her.

"Don't worry about him," Kakashi replied with a chuckle. "He can train by himself."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over Konoha, Team 7's training session came to an end.

"Goodbye, Kakashi-sensei!" Karin waved cheerfully before running to catch up with Shinho, the two walking side-by-side as they left.

"I think she might have a little crush on Shinho," Kakashi said with a light sigh. "What do you think, Sasuke?"

"Very good," Sasuke replied, deactivating his Sharingan with a calm expression. "As long as she doesn't bother me."

"That's not a great attitude to have," Kakashi chuckled. "You're young; you should be open to things like romance."

"Aren't you single?" Sasuke shot back.

"Uh…" Kakashi was momentarily at a loss for words.

In his youth, he had been entirely focused on becoming stronger. 

The only girl he'd been close to was his teammate Rin Nohara, who was indeed beautiful—but he'd never given it much thought.

….

As evening settled over the Senju residence, the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

Knowing that Chisori and Karin were new to the village, Tsunade had decided to invite them to dinner. 

Shizune was tonight's chef, and Chisori, eager to contribute, joined her in the kitchen.

Though Karin was usually quite casual around Shinho, she was now pretending they barely knew each other. 

She took the simplest route—keeping quiet and acting reserved. Tsunade, noticing her silence, tried to make polite conversation but soon ran out of topics.

She found herself missing Shinho's company, where she didn't have to make an effort to fill the silence.

Fortunately, the awkwardness soon dissolved as the food was served. 

The table grew lively with conversation, especially between Chisori and Shizune, who discussed cooking techniques. 

They seemed to have bonded over meal prep in the kitchen.

….

The next morning.

After breakfast, Tsunade and Shizune left for the Hokage's office. 

Shinho was considering where to go for training when he noticed Karin peeking furtively through a window.

"Have they gone?" Karin asked, her face lighting up with excitement.

Shinho nodded.

With a happy cheer, Karin darted over to the door, kicked off her shoes, and dashed inside.

"You're not heading to Training Ground 1?" Shinho asked, puzzled.

"I am, but there's still plenty of time," Karin replied, striding over in her long black socks. "By the way, which room is yours, Shinho-nii?"

"That one," Shinho replied, pointing.

"Let me check it out real quick!" Karin said, practically skipping over to the room.

Standing by the bed, she pressed her hands to her cheeks, a dreamy blush spreading across her face before she eagerly dove into his bed.

Ah… it smells just like Shinho-nii, she thought, snuggling into the blankets.

"...?" Shinho watched her legs kicking happily out from under the covers, his eyebrow twitching. What kind of weirdo are you?

"Out," he said, knocking on the door.

"Huh?" Karin poked her head out of the blanket, looking at him.

"If you've got time to waste here, take that time to train," Shinho said sternly.

Karin pouted, disappointed, but reluctantly climbed out of bed. As she walked past Shinho, she suddenly hugged him tightly for a few seconds before skipping off happily.

Shinho, deciding against heading to Training Ground 1, stayed home to train.

….

The weekend arrived.

At the Forest of Death, just outside Konoha.

"I wonder who'll show up," Jirōbō muttered, scratching his head.

"They'll both come, for sure!" Kidomaru said confidently. "Lord Orochimaru's charisma is too strong."

"It's not that simple," Tayuya replied, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Kidomaru said, scowling. "Are you saying you don't believe in Lord Orochimaru?"

To him, loyalty meant absolute faith. Any doubt equated to betrayal.

"Of course I believe in him," Tayuya huffed. "But those two aren't like us."

"Look, here he comes. It's Shinho Aburame," Sakon and Ukon spoke up suddenly.

"Shinho Aburame?" Tayuya frowned. "Could this be a trap?"

In her view, Sasuke Uchiha was far more likely to defect than Shinho. 

Shinho's position in Konoha was too exceptional. If things went as expected, he'd probably become Hokage one day.

A Hokage abandoning Konoha? What kind of joke was that?

"What's so surprising?" Kidomaru shrugged. "Tsunade is just a medic-nin—how could she ever compare to Lord Orochimaru?"

"…"

Tayuya bit her tongue. Saying any more would just make Kidomaru question her loyalty.

"Welcome to the team," Kidomaru said with a grin. "Let's head back to meet Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's instructions had been simple—bring back either Sasuke or Shinho. 

Now that they'd "secured" Shinho, they had already completed the mission.

Unlike in the original story, Shinho hadn't been marked with the Cursed Seal. 

So, there was no need for the large coffin-like container used in the ritual to activate the seal; the Sound Four's Four Black Fog Formation, meant to stabilize the Cursed Seal, wouldn't be required.

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