Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master

Page 87

"Oh? Is that so?" a voice came from the tower's main entrance.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open from the inside, and two figures walked out side by side.

Leading the group was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha.

He had a kind smile on his face and a pipe in his mouth.

Half a step away from the Third Hokage was Kakashi, who was smiling and waving to Naruto and the others.

"Well done!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Your Class 7 performed exceptionally well to pass through the Forest of Death on the first day!"

"Hokage-sama!" Sasuke and Sakura recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi at a glance, and immediately stopped and respectfully bowed to greet him.

Seeing this, Naruto also greeted him with a hearty laugh, "Third Hokage!"

Kakashi then came forward and nodded to the students.

When his gaze fell on the red-haired girl next to Naruto, he was clearly taken aback.

"Karin?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Kakashi's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of relief.

He had long anticipated that, given Naruto's personality, now that he had learned of Karin's existence from that strange dream, he would definitely try to find her.

Seeing that Naruto had indeed brought Karin, Kakashi couldn't help but feel happy for Naruto.

After all, Karin may be Naruto's only remaining blood relative in this world, and having such a clansman by his side is of great significance to Naruto.

On the surface, Karin stood next to Naruto with a relaxed expression, clearly trusting and relying on him.

Kakashi nodded secretly, a slight smile appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi also noticed the strange girl hiding behind Naruto.

Her bright red hair was so eye-catching that it was hard for him not to notice her.

However, he didn't show anything unusual; he knew Naruto's personality all too well.

This child may be mischievous, but he is kind at heart.

It's not uncommon to pick up a lone little girl in the Death Forest.

Karin never expected that the kind old man in front of her was the famous Hokage of Konoha Village.

She hid somewhat awkwardly behind Naruto, cautiously observing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Is this the leader of Konoha?

He certainly looks kind and easygoing, much better than the bandit-like leader of Kusagakure!

Karin tensed up and instinctively moved closer to Naruto.

Chapter 91 Damn it, it's all that scoundrel snake's fault!

"Karin, don't be afraid."

Naruto sensed the girl's nervousness and patted her hand reassuringly. Then, he looked at Kakashi triumphantly, "Kakashi-sensei! Wasn't our Team 7 amazing this time? We got to the tower so quickly! Hehe, aren't we the first to pass the second round of this exam?"

Upon hearing this, before Kakashi could even speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi burst out laughing.

He stroked his beard and deliberately drew out his words, "Oh? You're quite confident. But it's a pity..." Sarutobi shook his head with feigned regret, "Although you are all excellent, you weren't the first to arrive."

"Huh?!" Naruto and Sasuke were both taken aback by what they heard.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief: "There's someone faster than us?!"

Sasuke also frowned slightly, showing a look of surprise.

Kakashi explained with a smile, "There's a kid from Sunagakure who arrived half a day early. They crossed the Forest of Death and reached the tower in just ninety-seven minutes."

"One, more than an hour?!" Naruto almost thought he misheard, his mouth agape in exaggerated disbelief. "How is that possible! How fast would they have to run?!"

Sasuke's expression suddenly turned serious.

To complete a mission in such a short time, one must be more than just an ordinary genin.

Sasuke clenched his fist, his fighting spirit quickly ignited.

"Damn it..." Naruto's shock turned to resentment. He muttered and stomped his foot in frustration, "If we hadn't run into that scoundrel snake on the way and wasted time, we would have arrived long ago!"

He pursed his lips, his face full of annoyance.

"A scoundrel?" Sarutobi and Kakashi were both taken aback.

Kakashi was the first to react, narrowing his eyes suspiciously: "Naruto, you guys ran into Orochimaru?"

"Yes."

Naruto nodded and smugly wiped his nose!

"And he was even driven away by the combined attack of me and Sasuke!"

The room fell silent for two seconds after he said that.

Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged glances, both seeing shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

Are you kidding me? Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, was defeated by Naruto and his bunch of brats?!

Kakashi was silent for a moment, then turned to Sasuke: "...Sasuke, you tell me."

He felt that it would be more reliable to have Sasuke, who was calm and rational, narrate the story.

Naruto's smug expression froze on his face. What did that mean?!

Kakashi-sensei's attitude clearly shows that he doesn't trust him!

I think he's talking nonsense!

Naruto angrily pulled Sasuke aside: "Come here, Sasuke, tell Kakashi-sensei, didn't we drive Orochimaru away?! We beat his face to a pulp!"

Sasuke, exasperated by Naruto's dodges, rolled his eyes at him and said, "Idiot! Orochimaru wasn't chased away, was he?"

He raised his hand and slapped away Naruto's hand that was grabbing his sleeve, then looked seriously at the Hokage and Kakashi, and began to recount what had happened in detail.

As they listened to Sasuke's calm and unexaggerated account, Kakashi and Sarutobi's expressions gradually became serious.

Sasuke eventually deduced that Orochimaru must have had some ulterior motive, which led to their hasty retreat and saved their lives.

After Sasuke finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

Kakashi quickly compared the timelines in his mind and realized that the timing of Orochimaru's departure perfectly matched the time when he, Anko, and the others arrived at the scene.

"I see..." Kakashi said with lingering fear, "It seems we scared him away when we arrived. Naruto, Sasuke, you two escaped a close call!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief and patted Naruto on the shoulder, saying, "Anyway, it's good that you're all alright. This was really dangerous. You must be tired from the journey, so go and rest in the tower. There will be further tests waiting for you after the other genin who passed the exam arrive."

The three students from Class 7 responded in unison.

Indeed, they are exhausted and need a good rest and recovery.

Naruto was about to help Karin inside when he suddenly remembered something and stopped abruptly.

"Wait! My third-generation grandfather—"

Naruto took a deep breath and mustered his courage to shout.

He turned around and shoved Karin in front of him, saying solemnly, "I have a request! Could you please let Karin stay in Konoha Village?"

The room fell silent immediately after he said this.

Karin's eyes widened suddenly: "Naruto, Naruto, you—"

She never expected Naruto to make such a request so directly in front of the Hokage.

Karin nervously looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was not far away.

The seemingly kind old man looked somewhat surprised and was scrutinizing her with a furrowed brow.

Karin's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat—would the Hokage of Konoha agree?

Can I really stay in Konoha?

After a few seconds of contemplation, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke solemnly, "Naruto, this girl is a ninja from Kusagakure. We can't just leave ninjas from other villages in Konoha like that. Even if you mean well, it won't work. It will cause conflict between villages."

Although the tone was gentle, the meaning behind the words was quite clear.

Naruto was stunned by these words, as if struck by lightning.

"Why...why..." Naruto murmured blankly.

Karin stood there, stunned, the color draining from her face in an instant, leaving her as pale as paper.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked and she couldn't make a sound.

The Hokage's rejection was undoubtedly a heavy blow to her.

The nascent hope was extinguished almost instantly.

Karin's eyes were slightly red, her nose felt sore, and she desperately twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingertips.

The thought of being sent back to Kusagakure flashed through her mind.

With her teammates dead and herself alone, she had no doubt that cruel punishment and endless torment awaited her.

Karin's body trembled slightly, and an overwhelming sense of despair spread from her chest.

"Third Hokage! You have no idea how miserable Karin's life was in Kusagakure!"

He abruptly raised his head, staring anxiously at Hiruzen Sarutobi, tears welling in his eyes. "Because of her ability to heal from bites, she's been used as a medical tool since childhood, her body covered in bite scars. If we let her go back, she'll be tortured by those bastards again!"

Naruto became more and more excited as he spoke.

"Karin...she's my clansman! I can't bear to see her go back to that hell. Please, let her stay in Konoha!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Clan member? Naruto, how do you know she's your clan member?"

Why is Naruto so certain?

He turned to Kakashi with a questioning look in his eyes.

Kakashi leaned slightly closer to Sarutobi and explained in a low voice, "This information was also revealed in that strange dream before. Naruto... already knows about his mother's background and the connection between this girl and him."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked quite surprised.