Ren, Ino, and Hinata ran to the village at the fastest speed the girls could manage and when they arrived, the girls were panting and trying to catch their breath while their legs throbbed in pain
Surprisingly, Karin stayed unconscious for the nine hours it took them to get back to Konoha so Ren carried her body slung over his shoulder. It wasn't even an inconvenience and besides, he probably hit her a bit too hard due to his stress from an imminent eting with Pedochimaru.
It wasn't her fault that she was out of commission and Ren found it amusing how Hinata and Ino were throwing the unconscious girl so not-subtle-enough looks of jealous indignation.
After reaching Konoha, Ren told the girls their trip was over and they separated. The girls went ho to rest while Ren headed toward the Kage Tower to report on his mission and the almost clash with Orochimaru.
Fortunately, encounters with the snake sannin were taken very seriously. It was enough to get him an audience with the Hokage where he could hopefully offload the Uzumaki girl to the old man's care.
As much as Ren didn't like Hiruzen, he knew the man did have Naruto's well-being in mind. For the most part. Maybe?
... Alright, the old man screwed the pooch with the blonde-haired kid so much that it seed to be almost malicious.
But Ren knew it wasn't. The oldtir seed to really try and give it his all. Oh, he neglected Naruto? Well, whoop-de-doo. He neglected his own family too!
Hell, he neglected his own family more than he neglected Naruto. All for the sake of running Konoha as its Hokage.
Then again, nobody could accuse the Hokage, or any Kage in existence, current or past, that they are good managers. Because they are frankly not. They suck at it.
They were good ninjas and good killers. They understood the ninja life the best. But throw them into a position where they are supposed to rule and manage and village and they are going to screw up because it is not their specialty.
So people in Ren's past life argued that Kages could easily replace the Daimyos. But that was a keyboard warrior level of bullshit. The Kages had a hard ti keeping one village where they ruled as military dictators from crumbling on their heads.
Case in point... Rasa, Onoki, Yagura. Seriously, Ren could go on.
Even Hiruzen fucked up more than not during his decades of ruling Konoha. They lost Senju and Uchiha during his rule. The village weakened a lot from its heyday too. He was pretty much the only known S-rank ninja in the village right now and that was saying sothing about how much the village degraded during his rule.
But when it ca to war? Hiruzen has managed to win every single one so far. He was a great ninja and commander. Just not a good manager. He especially sucked at delegating his duties and responsibilities.
Hence why he was always so swamped with paperwork that should have never even reached his table.
Ren was led to the Hokage's office after he briefly reported that he encountered Orochimaru and inwardly snorted when he saw the old man laboring over a stack of papers with frustratedly furrowed eyebrows and a fierce frown.
Honestly, how could anybody think that this dude could rule a nation? He couldn't keep together even his own damn backyard properly.
"Lord Hokage! Chunin Ren returned from his C-rank bandit extermination mission and reported the sighting of the traitor Orochimaru." The man who led Ren to the office reported and Hiruzen instantly straightened up as if he was jolted by lightning.
His serious eyes landed on Ren, almost making him flinch from the fierce gleam in the Hokage's look, "Where?"
"Near the border with the Land of Grass." Ren replied, "He tried to get this girl." He casually pointed his thumb at the ass of the girl he had bent over his shoulder.
And it was a very nice ass too.
Ren smirked when he saw Hiruzen's eyes linger just a tad bit too long on it.
"I think she is an Uzumaki." Ren dropped the bomb, causing Hiruzen's eyes to widen while he gently put Karin on the couch in the office.
Contrary to the popular belief in Ren's past life, not every redhead in Narutoverse instantly had Uzumaki blood. True Uzumaki were extrely rare.
Konoha was on a constant lookout for them ever since their village was destroyed. And yet, Naruto is still the only Uzumaki in the village. That's how rare they were.
Hiruzen quickly schooled his expression and gave the young girl a considering look while trying and succeeding to appear unconcerned.
"And? Is that why you dragged her to the village all the way from the border?" Hiruzen nonchalantly asked only for Ren to shrug.
"Yup. I figured Naruto could use a cousin."
"She is a Kusa kunoichi, isn't she?" Hiruzen raised his eyebrow at Ren who had to admit the old man had an amazing poker face. He seed almost disinterested in the girl.
But...
Who was this old coot kidding? Konoha was thirsty for more Uzumaki. There was no way he would be sending her away. Kusa kunoichi or not. Even if she didn't want to stay, she had no choice in the matter anymore.
The only reason Ren took her to Konoha despite knowing this was that it was better for her to be a part of Konoha's forces than to be a toy for Orochimaru. And the man would certainly find her if she was let to roam the world freely.
In Konoha, he just might decide she is more hassle than she is worth before moving on to so other project, forgetting about her existence.
And if not? Sucks to be Karin.
Getting an 'in' with the Hokage and Naruto was certainly going to serve the girl well as far as her protection was considered too. It's why Ren blatantly 'sneaked' her on his shoulder to Sarutobi's office, not leaving her to the care of so career chunin.
This way, the most influential man in the village knew he had another Uzumaki in the village and it was less likely she would encounter so unfortunate accident ala Danzo before Hokage could be even inford of her existence.
Speaking of which, "Judging by the bite marks on her body?" Ren humd, hinting at Karin's bloodline and feeling a sliver of satisfaction when he saw Hiruzen montarily react. It was just a small hitch of his breath. Split second. But it was there. Gottem! The old fossil of a man probably recognized an Uzumaki bloodline that left bite marks upon use.
Which was, once again, good for Karin. Uzumaki blood was one thing. Active bloodline limit was a complete different beast entirely. It would serve her as yet another line of defense and a reason why Hokage would feel inclined to keep her truly safe.
"They don't treat her very well over there." Ren shrugged, "She might be agreeable to change her allegiance, and faking her demise isn't going to be such a big issue. Orochimaru's flunkies chased her to the border. And she ran straight toward my team so she probably has so potent sensory ability too."
Hiruzen's eyes once again flickered toward the girl on the couch and despite his calm facade, Ren could tell the man was very pleased and dare he say, excited about that information.
'I guess I have earned myself a bonus pay here.' Ren inwardly chuckled as he continued speaking.
"I highly doubt the girl ran all the way to the border from Kusagakure. Her team was most likely on a mission when they were attacked."
"And they are probably dead. I see." Hiruzen calmly nodded in understanding.
People died on a mission all the ti. It was nothing new.
"We can always ask her." Ren offered and the old man chuckled.
"That we can. What do you say, Miss Uzumaki?" Hiruzen turned toward the prone girl who lay on the couch and stiffened the second she was asked the question.
They both noticed that she was awake for the whole conversation. Ren even lightly bonked her head on the door fra when he was entering, wondering if she would stop pretending to be unconscious.
She didn't so it was a well-justified bonk.
Karin's eyes flew wide open and she quickly stood up, montarily swaying on her feet, before she straightened and bowed low, "A pleasure to et you, Lord Hokage!" She exclaid, her tone tinged with worry while her body shook a bit.
Ren doubted she expected to find herself in the Hokage Tower in Konoha when she woke up. Sucks to be her. He did this for her own protection. The least she could do was not resist.
"Calm down, my girl." Hiruzen softly spoke and Ren inwardly cringed.
Yup. Here it was. The Grandfather Act. His skin crawled when he witnessed it. But the old bastard had it down pat. No wonder Naruto practically worshiped the ground he walked on.
"Yes." Karin mumbled as she ceased her bow but she kept her head ducked, not looking at Hiruzen whose lips made the barest, barely noticeable disgruntled twitch in reaction.
Heh. The girl had trust issues with authority figures. It seed getting her trust would be much harder for the old coot than he initially thought.
Ren couldn't help the small smirk appearing on his face. Hiruzen noticed but he only lightly huffed before refocusing back on the girl.
"What is your na?"
"Karin, Lord Hokage." The redhead answered.
"Just Karin?"
Karin hesitantly nodded but she clearly heard their previous discussion and that made her dubiously ask, "Am I... er."
Realizing she was asking about her surna and therefore clan, Hiruzen nodded. "Most likely. Would you be anable to becoming a Konoha kunoichi?" He asked.
She seed to hesitate for a mont before briefly glancing at Ren, which was not missed by Hiruzen, but then she nodded in mute and awkward agreent.
Realizing that this was probably going to be a very long eting between the Hokage and Karin, Ren decided to dip, "Alright. With that, my report is over. I'll leave the rest in your hands, Lord Hokage. Can I be dismissed, please? I just finished my mission and I am dead on my feet." He politely asked, causing Karin to beco dumbfounded at his impertinence toward the village's leader.
It was a tad bit rude of him. Sure. But the good thing about Hiruzen was that he knew when to cut his ninjas so slack.
Plus, it would make him seem more approachable to the clearly distraught and distrusting Uzumaki girl if he didn't make an issue out of Ren's request. There was also that.
Unfortunately for Ren, he miscalculated. Hiruzen's eyes sparkled as he released a short laugh.
"Haha, no. You brought her to the village, Ren, you are now responsible for her." He inford Ren with an expression as though butter wouldn't lt in his mouth.
'Excuse but what in the actual fuck?' Ren stumbled in his place when he heard the request/order from his military overlord.
He looked at the subtly smug face of the Hokage in disbelief. These words might seem innocent but the bastard practically made him her handler and minder.
After all, she was still a foreign kunoichi in Konoha. Of course, she would need oversight. But even then, she should be minded by the ANBU, not so run-of-the-mill chunin like him!
'Should have left her to Orochimaru.' Ren sullently complained in his mind, already picturing what a hassle this was going to be for him.
"I'll allocate an empty apartnt for your use, Miss Uzumaki. It will be ready tomorrow. For now, please go with Ren. He can house you for one night and show you the village in the anti. I am too busy to deal with this situation right now and so preparations will need to be done first."
Just like that, Hiruzen volunteered Ren's house without even asking first and Karin slightly nodded while awkwardly averting her gaze.
Ren impassively tried to stare a hole into the old bastard. He got the inkling this was so sort of manipulation on his part. He didn't miss the fact that he saved the girl from quite a grueso fate. Nor did he miss the comparison between what he did and what Sasuke did in the canon.
But no friggin' way in hell. He had his hands full with two teenage girls! Three would outright kill him!
Was that it? Was this so twisted assassination ploy by the Hokage because he interrupted his Icha-Icha rub-rub ti?
He wasn't the harem protagonist here! Throw the redhead at Sasuke for all he cared! It would give the Uchiha a legitimate reason to be a broody little emo.
Just don't ruin his peaceful life, dammit!
Ren dejectedly slumped, knowing there was no way out of it now. He could already see Ino's and Hinata's reactions. Sohow, their constant glare at Karin when they were running to the village no longer seed so amusing.
"Just bring her to the Hokage Tower tomorrow, Ren." Hiruzen told Ren while glancing into his calendar, "I am free at two in the afternoon for an hour." He said with a sad undertone as he returned to his paperwork with a loud mutter, "You are dismissed."
'There goes his Icha-Icha free ti.' Ren vengefully thought, 'But honestly? Fuck him. Deserved.'
As they left the office, Ren was upset. He was on yet another babysitting duty. An unpaid one, at that. No good deed goes unpunished indeed. But if the old coot wanted to play it this way? Sure, let's roll!
He was sotis playing with the thought of offering the Hokage the info about how useful shadow clones could be for paperwork but he now felt it would be a great disservice to the village if he allowed the venerable overlord of the village to slack off and have sothing as distasteful as free ti.
The Hokage clearly needed to keep his skills sharp and swinging that pen in his mighty hand certainly counted as an epic training montage. Kinda like masturbation.
No wonder Orochimaru will fall by his hand!
His ntal wits were sharpened by facing nurous enemies in the form of rectangular paper in unending numbers and his eyes were sharpened with focus as he needed to properly pay attention to every line.
Yes. Paperwork was truly beneficial for Hiruzen Saruboit's health and the well-being of Konoha. Therefore, Ren felt it would be an act of high treason to give him that knowledge.
But that was not enough, was it?
"Co." Ren smiled, trying and sowhat failing to not let the vindictiveness he felt seep into his grin while Karin ekly followed him through the village, "There is this amazing ran stand in this village."
Where Naruto or information about his whereabouts could be regularly found. It was ti for a family reunion. Let's see how the Hokage liked an overly stubborn and determined blonde nace constantly pestering him about his family for the remainder of the next week or two.
"I am sure you will enjoy it imnsely." Ren happily said with an encouraging clap, "It's the favorite spot of the other Uzumaki in the village."
That seed to perk the girl's interest and Ren felt a sense of vengeful glee fill him.
All he did was for the Greater Good of Konoha.
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