Chapter Forty-Nine: So Uneasy

“Do you want to hear more about the stories of the Leaf Village?” Dongye Yu asked.

“Yes.” Karin nodded.

“Let me think about how to tell it.” Dongye Yu pondered for a moment, then decided to use Naruto, whom he was familiar with, as an example to describe the Leaf Village to Karin.

“I know there's a guy in the Leaf called Naruto Uzumaki. His mother is from the same clan as you.”

“Naruto Uzumaki?”

“Yes, he's about your age. Both his parents have died, and he lives alone.”

“Both his father and mother died? That's so sad.” Despite her own hardships, she still felt sympathy for others.

“Recently, he started attending the ninja academy. Children in the Leaf Village can go to the academy at his age. If you went there, you could attend as well—maybe you'd even be in his class.”

Dongye Yu continued, “The ninja academy in the Leaf isn't perfect, but at least it's not cruel. Take that Naruto kid, for example. Before he went to the academy, he didn't have a single friend, but lately he's made a few. Even children who are disliked can find friends there, so you definitely could too.”

“What else?” Karin asked eagerly.

“He loves eating ramen at Ichiraku, the Leaf Village's famous shop. I've eaten there myself, and it tastes better than the ramen in Grass Village. He also likes playing on swings. It seems there are swings everywhere in the Leaf.”

“What’s a swing?” Karin asked.

“It’s a thing you play on…” Dongye Yu struggled to explain.

“Is it fun?”

“Well…” Dongye Yu glanced around. The room was rather cramped.

“Come with me,” he said, rising and walking outside. Karin and Kakuzu followed him immediately.

Under the big tree beside the house, Dongye Yu waved his hand as Karin and Kakuzu watched in confusion, and a swing appeared out of thin air.

“This is a swing.” The swing hung from the tree, creaking and swaying gently.

Karin and Kakuzu stared with wide eyes, astonished.

“How did you do that? Amazing!” Karin exclaimed.

“A ninja technique,” Dongye Yu explained in terms Karin could understand.

Karin accepted the explanation, but Kakuzu was unsettled. He knew Dongye Yu could conjure money, but hadn’t expected him to make something like this appear with no sign of any jutsu—no hand seals, no chakra fluctuation, nothing.

What kind of technique is this? Kakuzu wondered.

His mind began to race. Based on Dongye Yu's descriptions of the Leaf, he clearly knew the place well—perhaps he really was from there. Yet, there had never been anyone like him in the ninja world before. Could he have changed his appearance?

Kakuzu felt his guess might be right, but… what did it matter if he was? Even if he learned Luffy's true identity, so what? He decided it was best not to overthink it. He should simply serve Lord Luffy well and try to learn this technique.

By the time Kakuzu finished his thoughts, Karin was already sitting on the swing, pushing herself off the ground.

Dongye Yu watched for a while, then couldn’t resist giving the swing a push from behind, sending it soaring high.

“Ah!” Karin shrieked, gripping the ropes tightly with both hands.

If it had been Naruto on the swing, Dongye Yu would have pushed even harder, but since it was Karin, he controlled his strength and let the swing move more gently on its return.

After a moment, Karin began to relax. She found that swinging was truly fun.

Is the Leaf really that wonderful? I wish I could see it for myself! But would Mother agree?

Suspended in the air, Karin thought with anticipation and anxiety.

After a while, she got off the swing, Dongye Yu dismissed its transformation, and the three returned to the house.

A clock hung on the wall. Dongye Yu glanced at it—already past ten.

“When is your mother coming back? Didn’t you say it would be soon?” Dongye Yu asked.

“She should be back soon. When she goes out, she usually returns around this time. Please wait just a little longer,” Karin replied.

As she spoke, something seemed to occur to her. She ran to the bedside, rummaged near the pillow, and produced a small box.

The box was tiny, barely half the size of a palm, and its contents made it seem almost empty.

Inside were three candies, their wrappers fresh, as if carefully preserved.

“Here.” Karin handed two of them to Dongye Yu and Kakuzu, though it was obvious she was reluctant.

“You eat them yourself,” Dongye Yu declined.

“They’re really delicious… but there are so few, I’ve saved them for so long, never wanting to eat them,” Karin pouted.

“We’re adults. Adults don’t like sweets,” Dongye Yu offered as an excuse.

“You sound just like Mother. Do adults really not like candy?”

Dongye Yu paused. “Yes, it’s too sweet. Only children enjoy it.”

“Alright.” Karin put the two candies back into the box.

Carefully, she unwrapped the remaining one, popped it in her mouth, and displayed a satisfied smile.

“Sweet and delicious.”

Dongye Yu said nothing, only using his mental energy to scan the distance. Why hadn’t Karin’s mother returned yet?

Time passed slowly. Soon it was eleven, then twelve.

“Why isn’t Mother back yet?” Karin asked anxiously, gazing into the distance. “She always comes home by this time.”

“Maybe something delayed her,” Dongye Yu comforted.

“Maybe,” Karin murmured.

Dongye Yu thought for a moment. “It’s getting late. We should have lunch. I’ll cook.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It’s no trouble. You’d like your mother to come home to a hot meal, wouldn’t you?”

“But…”

“You can help me.”

“Alright then.”

And so, the two busied themselves by the fire—not in the kitchen, as the house was too small for a separate kitchen.

With Karin’s help, Dongye Yu prepared a decent meal.

But still, Karin’s mother had not returned.

“We should eat now and save some for your mother.”

“I want to wait and eat with her.”

“But your mother taught you to eat at regular times, didn’t she?”

“…Alright.”

Karin finally began to eat. The food was delicious, even better than her mother’s cooking, but despite the tasty meal, she couldn’t feel happy. For some reason, she felt so uneasy!