The Promise of Resurrection (Please Vote Monthly!)

Konoha, Forest of Death.

After following Hyuga Kagami into an inconspicuous tree hollow, Shinichi discovered that a mysterious passage leading deep underground was hidden inside.

Following the dark passage, they arrived at Hyuga Kagami's old underground laboratory. Looking at the various instruments and assorted surgical tools around him, Shinichi could not help marveling, "Tsk, tsk, I never would have guessed you had a secret laboratory here! Heh, those people in the village would probably never figure it out, no matter how hard they thought!"

Hyuga Kagami ignored Shinichi and headed straight toward the depths of the old laboratory.

Ever since he had moved his laboratory to the Aerial Fortress, this place had become a small workshop for Hyuga Kagami. He performed certain surgeries and minor experiments that did not require secrecy here.

For instance, Hyuga Kagami had performed Shisui's First Hokage Cell transplant surgery here.

Seeing Hyuga Kagami head deeper into the laboratory, Shinichi quickly suppressed his curiosity and hurried after him.

Shinichi's return had caused quite a stir in the village.

As a former Akatsuki member, Shinichi had not committed any especially heinous crimes, but he had still taken part in Akatsuki's operations many times. When Akatsuki had raided Iwagakure not long ago, Shinichi had been among the attackers. Thus, many people among the Five Great Shinobi Villages resented him, with some even clamoring for him to be severely punished. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was a representative of that faction.

But for Konoha, Shinichi's return not only meant that the village had gained a powerful Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan, but also that it could use this former Akatsuki member to gain a deeper understanding of Akatsuki's internal affairs and specifically analyze the weaknesses of its various members.

Compared to punishing Shinichi to vent their anger, accepting him would