Listening to Shinji's explanation, Karin said, "My lord, you don't need to explain anything to me! My power and my life are not my own; they were all bestowed upon you. So if you need me to be Karin, then I am Karin, and if you need me to be 'B', then I am 'B'!"
Beside them, Haku chuckled softly, "My lord, we follow you of our own free will! So, just like Karin, I don't need any explanation."
Yakumo stepped closer, "Me too!"
Shinji breathed a sigh of relief.
He had secretly prepared quite a few explanations for this identity reveal, but it turned out they were not needed at all.
Just as he had anticipated.
Through their repeated interactions, Karin, Haku, Yakumo, and the others had long since guessed or sensed something to varying degrees.
That's true.
Shinji couldn't help smiling inwardly.
If that weren't the case, Haku and Karin wouldn't have stood by him so firmly the last time he had a falling out with Danzo at the hospital.
After all, the two of them were spies planted in Konoha by Kirigakure and Takigakure respectively—wait, Sunagakure—no, Grass Shinobi, and on top of that, both had secretly joined the Akatsuki Organization. Their identities simply couldn't withstand deep investigation, and rashly participating in a conflict against the Konoha High Command risked exposing them.
Putting his mask back on, Shinji said, "Normally you don't need to address me as 'lord'; just call me Shinji."
"Understood!"
The three of them nodded in unison.
Then Haku and Yakumo put their respective masks back on, and Karin took a spare fox mask out of her ninja tool pouch and put it on.
Shinji commanded calmly, "Clean up the site and prepare to return to the village!"
In the canyon.
Rumble.
Amidst a series