Karin tilted her head, pure curiosity written across her small face.
She even raised a hand and made a squeezing gesture in the air toward Tsunade's chest.
"If they're that big… don't they get heavy?"
"…."
Dead silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Everyone froze, as if their brains had collectively shut down for a full second.
W-What just happened?
Weren't they about to fight this demon child to the death?
How did the topic suddenly jump to… this?
The shift was so abrupt it felt unreal.
Orochimaru couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead while covering his eyes with the other. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Here we go again… This brat's train of thought jumps all over the place. How is anyone supposed to keep up?"
Tsunade stood there in stunned disbelief.
Then, in an instant, embarrassment and fury surged to her face.
"You—!" Her chest rose and fell violently as she pointed at Karin, momentarily at a loss for words.
Should she say yes?
That would be humiliating.
Should she say no?
But it had, in fact, been one of her long-standing annoyances.
Seeing Tsunade redden and glare instead of answering, Karin's expression darkened.
"I asked you a question. That's rude!"
The shameless reversal nearly made Tsunade choke.
"I—!" Flustered and furious, her brain short-circuited. The words burst out before she could stop them.
"It's a gift from the heavens! Even if… even if they do get annoying when they bounce around sometimes!!!"
The moment she finished shouting, she froze.
Her face turned even redder.
What had she just said?
In front of everyone?
"Incredible…" Jiraiya muttered, staring wide-eyed before hurriedly covering his mouth. But the shock was written all over his face.
The surrounding shinobi—no matter their village—were covered in black lines of embarrassment, their expressions utterly out of control.
So… were they still fighting?
With the atmosphere like this, attacking now felt almost absurd.
"Lady Karin, this place has grown rather dull. I shall take my leave."
At that moment, the strange man calling himself "Tree" spoke up.
Karin didn't even turn around. She casually waved her hand.
"Bye-bye! Come play with me sometime!"
Tree bowed slightly and departed swiftly.
Karin seemed to agree with his assessment. She turned to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, let's head back too. This place isn't fun anymore."
Orochimaru nodded. After casting a glance at Tsunade and Jiraiya, he turned and left.
"That guy…" Jiraiya wiped away the cold sweat that had somehow gathered on his brow. "He's basically found himself a living ancestor to worship."
The phrase struck home with Tsunade.
She recalled Karin's lawless behavior, her casual disregard for life, and that utterly unreasonable strength.
Then she thought of Orochimaru willingly associating with her.
For once, Tsunade nodded solemnly in complete agreement.
Jiraiya turned toward Hiruzen.
"Old man…"
But Hiruzen seemed to anticipate the question. His voice was hoarse and heavy with exhaustion.
"The Devil Fruit… was taken by that 'Tree.' There's no use thinking about it anymore."
"Tree?" Jiraiya blinked, recalling the cloaked figure from earlier. "He really did look like a walking tree."
His comment drew attention.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated closer, his aged brows knitted tightly.
"Who exactly is he? How strong? He was able to take the Devil Fruit from that demon child…"
Hiruzen slowly shook his head, unease and uncertainty etched deeply into his face.
"How strong he is… I don't know."
After a pause, his gaze fell unconsciously to the cold, rigid head of Danzo Shimura in his hand. His voice grew heavier.
"But Danzo… was killed by him."
"And he obtained the Devil Fruit because Karin—because the demon child—gave it to him."
Hiruzen concealed nothing. He recounted everything that had happened inside the cave in full detail.
As he spoke, silence settled over the clearing once more.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a look, both seeing the same shock and gravity in the other's eyes.
They had known from prior revelations that Karin was extraordinary. But details such as "servant of a Demon God," "The Seven Warlords," and "inheritor" were being heard for the first time.
"Seven… Warlords of the Sea?" Ōnoki broke the silence, his voice dry. "That sounds like an organization. One that serves that 'Demon God'?"
"And what about the 'God's Knights' mentioned before?" Rasa frowned, trying to piece together the chaotic information. "One side called 'God,' the other 'Demon'? Or is it just coincidence in name?"
"Karin's background… is far greater than we imagined," Tsunade said, rubbing her temples as a headache formed. "'Inheritor' sounds far above a mere 'servant.'"
The weight of that realization pressed down on everyone present.
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