"Hello there, sorry for disturbing you. Are you from the village?" Naruto asked calmly, stepping forward with an easy smile, hands resting behind his head like he hadn't just been in full-blown ninja mode a second ago.
The person stood up slowly, brushing off their knees. "No, I'm from outside the village," came the polite reply, voice gentle and composed. "I was just looking for some medical herbs. My guardian is recovering from injuries."
Karin, still slightly tense but curious now, glanced between the two. Then, with a mischievous grin that came out of nowhere, she pointed at Naruto like he was a prize on a game show. "Hey, this guy can use Iryo Ninjutsu! He's not just muscle—he actually knows how to heal people too!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, kinda. I'm still getting good at it, but I've patched up more than a few bruises."
The person tilted their head slightly, interest flashing in their eyes, but kept that same quiet demeanor. "That's a rare talent. It's not often to see shinobi who value both strength and healing."
Karin nudged Naruto playfully. "See? Even strangers recognize your hidden talent, 'Naruto-sensei.'"
"It's okay, there's no need for trouble," the person replied politely, gently turning down Naruto's offer.
Naruto nodded, not offended. "Alright, if it's not required. But at least tell us your name?"
The person paused for a second, seeming to weigh the moment. But something about their energy softened when they saw the eagerness in both Naruto and Karin's eyes. "…Haku. It's Haku."
"Haku, huh?" Karin repeated with a small smile, sitting beside them and casually joining in picking the herbs like it were the most natural thing to do. "So… what brings you all the way out here in Nami no Kuni?"
Haku hesitated again.
Naruto quickly jumped in, raising both hands. "It's okay, if you're not comfy sharing, we get it. She's just nosy by nature."
Karin shot him a sharp glare that could slice through chakra-enhanced steel.
"…Okay, I'm also curious," Naruto confessed with a grin, rubbing the back of his head like a kid caught stealing snacks before dinner.
Haku gave a soft, almost unreadable smile. "I came here to help someone… someone very important to me." The words carried more weight than they appeared to, like they were stitched from memories and quiet determination.
Karin glanced at Naruto, who met her gaze. Both understood this wasn't just about herbs or recovery—it was about something deeper. But they didn't press further. Not yet.
Instead, Naruto simply said, "That's a good reason."
"Then, where are you and your so-called guardian staying? If you guys don't have a place, we can make a room for you both," Karin offered, her voice casual but genuinely kind.
"There's no need for such trouble," Haku replied with the same polite tone, her face serene and unreadable as ever. It was like speaking to a misty reflection—graceful, calm, but impossible to read.
Naruto and Karin exchanged a quick glance. The silence behind Haku's expression was oddly hard to pierce, and for a second, they both felt like they were trying to read a book with half the pages missing.
Still, Naruto knelt down and pulled a small pouch from his side, rummaging through it before pulling out a few medicine balls. "Here—these help with recovery. I made them myself," he said, offering them forward with an easy grin.
Karin nodded, giving a soft scoff. "Yeah, take them. They're legit. He'd never betray someone he's treating. He's a shinobi with a healer's heart... annoyingly."
Haku looked at the medicine, then slowly stretched out her hand and took them. "Thank you," she said softly, and though her expression didn't shift much, there was a whisper of sincerity behind the word—like a ripple on still water.
Naruto and Karin both felt it.
Something deeper was hidden in that calm.
While Haku continued quietly picking herbs, moving steadily ahead with practiced grace, Naruto and Karin trailed behind—helping, but clearly more focused on each other than the task.
Karin, crouched low and squinting at a plant, plucked it out, only to realize it wasn't what they needed. With an annoyed flick, she tossed it aside. Then, glancing sideways at Naruto, she asked curiously, "Nii-san, do you think Haku is a girl or a boy?"
Naruto blinked. The question hit him like a rogue kunai—totally unexpected. He turned to her, quirking an eyebrow, an amused smirk creeping up his face. "What do you think?" he countered, tossing the question back like a shuriken.
Karin shrugged, tilting her head with genuine innocence. "I think Haku is a girl," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Naruto, who very much knew the truth, could barely suppress the grin spreading across his face. He looked at Karin like she had just fallen into the most classic of traps—one he'd walked into himself once.
He leaned closer and whispered playfully, "Let's just say… looks can be very deceiving." Then he chuckled, watching Karin blink in confusion, clearly not catching on yet.
The poor girl had no idea the plot twist she was in for.
"Then what do you think?" Karin shot back, narrowing her eyes as if daring Naruto to say something outrageous. She'd caught on that he was teasing her and wasn't about to let it slide.
Naruto, completely unfazed, answered flatly, "I'd say Haku is a boy."
There was a pause. A blink. And then—
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" Karin burst into laughter, clutching her stomach and nearly toppling over. "You're kidding, right? A boy?! Naruto, you absolute idiot! You've been in the sun too long!"
Naruto just stood up, arms crossed, watching her unravel with the smuggest grin possible.
Then came the voice behind them.
"Did something happen?" Haku asked, turning around with that same soft-spoken tone, his face calm and unreadable.
"Nothing!" Naruto said quickly, waving a hand dismissively while spinning his index finger next to his temple—secretly gesturing that Karin's lost it.
Karin, mid-laugh and wiping a tear from her eye, saw the gesture and glared daggers at him, but Haku just gave a tiny nod and returned to picking herbs like nothing unusual had happened.
Karin didn't let it go, oh no—this wasn't just a curiosity anymore, it was personal. She smirked, eyes glittering with mischief. "Let's make a bet," she declared, like a queen tossing down her gauntlet.
"Bet?" Naruto crouched lower, now fully invested, like a fox sensing prey.
"Yeah. On whether Haku is a boy or a girl. You in?" Karin raised a brow, already sure she had this in the bag.
Naruto folded his arms, a cocky smile creeping up his face. The confidence? Through the roof. But just then, like a gentle breeze in his mind, another voice whispered:
[Leo, don't jump to conclusions.]
Aurora. The guardian angel of reason. The voice of divine common sense.
Naruto blinked, tilting his head like a glitch in the Matrix.
But then he grinned. "Nah, I got this," he muttered internally, brushing off Aurora's perfectly logical caution like a true overconfident protagonist.
"Alright. I'm in. What are the stakes?" he asked aloud, cracking his knuckles like a gambling king ready to collect his crown.
Karin, already imagining his defeat, leaned in with a devilish grin. "Loser has to do whatever the winner says… for a whole day."
Naruto's grin widened. Karin's doomed, he thought. Meanwhile, Aurora sighed somewhere deep in his soul, already preparing the "I told you so" speech.