As Tenten pushed open the private room door, all the classmates in the neighboring room turned to look. They saw Shion and a thoroughly bewildered Shinji.
"Well, I guess that accomplished the goal."
Shinji held his forehead.
Just then, someone in the room across the way suddenly called out, "Shinji, you're here too!"
Shinji looked over. Haku was in the room across from them, though Haku had changed clothes and was no longer wearing the outfit from earlier, when Haku had been sneaking around.
Then Shinji took a closer look.
He spotted Karin, whom he'd run into hurrying through the alley just moments ago. She had changed outfits too, and was squeezed into the crowd across the way, avoiding his gaze.
"Well, would you look at that."
Shinji was speechless.
It was obvious.
Haku and Karin were both up to the same thing as him.
They wanted to attend a class reunion and have their classmates serve as witnesses to their whereabouts, covering up whatever they'd done that night.
Tenten spotted Shinji too and warmly invited him over. "Shinji, come join us! It's my treat tonight!"
Shion wasn't having it. "Hey, I said I was paying!"
Tenten snorted. "Sorry, but I've got this place covered tonight!"
Amid the noise, Shinji and Shion joined their classmates in the private room.
Once seated, Shinji took a look around.
Neji Hyuga, who usually looked like he wanted nothing to do with anyone, was there too, picking up piece after piece of grilled meat and eating with—how should he put it?—absolute focus!
Rock Lee was just as focused, his mouth glistening with grease.
Those two...
Shinji had figured it out. They'd come here just to mooch off the food.
When Rock Lee saw Shinji looking at him, he hurriedly said, "Shinji, the grilled meat here is really good. You should try some!"
Neji merely shot Shinji a glance before turning back to the grilled meat on the table.
Hey, where's your noble upbringing?
Shinji grumbled to himself.
Haku spoke softly to Shinji. "If I'd known you wanted to go out too, I should've invited you before I left."
"It's fine."
Shinji shook his head.
He knew Haku was from Kirigakure, so if Haku wasn't working for some important figure in the village, then Haku was most likely a Kirigakure spy.
And considering Kirigakure's people had just arrived in the village, and Haku had been meeting someone under mysterious circumstances that very night, Shinji was even more certain Haku had some connection to Kirigakure.
But if he remembered correctly, Kirigakure was still being secretly controlled by Obito.
So he couldn't figure out why Kirigakure had planted Haku in Konoha, or how they'd managed to pull it off.
Still, he had a vague feeling.
Haku's target was very likely him.
More precisely, Haku was after him because he was an Uchiha!
Then he glanced at Karin, who sat quietly in the corner.
He remembered that Karin and her mother were supposed to have ended up in Kusagakure.
So Karin's furtive behavior tonight was probably connected to Kusagakure.
But he couldn't for the life of him figure out why Kusagakure would send her to Konoha.
Karin had a special constitution, after all. Even without knowing anything else, she was more useful than an ordinary Medical Ninja.
They're all double agents!
The thought left Shinji full of emotion.
Although he knew Haku and Karin were up to something, he had no intention of exposing them.
As a remnant of the Uchiha clan, he didn't have any particular attachment to Konoha. He wasn't going to deliberately undermine anything, but neither was he going to fight tooth and nail to protect it.
Haku and Karin had both helped him.
From that perspective, he had no grounds to go after either of them.
Besides, Haku and Karin might represent Kirigakure and Kusagakure, respectively. Keeping things as they were could give Shinji two more options.
Putting those thoughts aside, he turned his mind to what had happened when he broke into the ANBU Building.
It was obvious that the ANBU member wearing a Dog Mask had noticed a flaw in Shinji's words, which was why he'd attacked without hesitation.
"The Sharingan wasn't already taken by Lord Danzo..."
Shinji mulled over the unfinished sentence.
He must have given the wrong answer and exposed himself. Putting that together with what the Dog Mask-wearing ANBU hadn't finished saying, he gradually reached a conclusion. Could Danzo have already taken the Sharingan away? Could they no longer be in the ANBU Building?
As he arrived at that conclusion, Shinji furrowed his brows.
If he remembered correctly, after the Uchiha massacre, the Third had disbanded Danzo's Root. He hadn't expected that, even under those circumstances, Danzo would still have the authority to take all the Sharingan from ANBU.
The Third really does spoil Danzo!
After putting all that together, Shinji suddenly felt that tonight's risk hadn't been for nothing. At least now he knew who had the Sharingan.
While Shinji was lost in thought, Shion and Tenten started arguing again.
Shion stood with her hands on her hips like a little adult. "Let me pay. This is no small bill. Why insist on arguing with me?"
Tenten pouted. "I already said I'd treat everyone, so I have to keep my word! My family's business may be small, but I can still afford to pay for dinner!"
The classmates nearby rolled their eyes when Tenten said her family's business was small.
Shinji tried to intervene. "You two—"
Haku quickly grabbed his arm. "Leave them alone. Let's focus on eating!"
Shinji looked around and saw that none of the classmates were trying to break up the argument. They were all focused on the grilled meat on the table.
Even Neji was no exception.
No, Neji was even more focused than everyone else.
Taijutsu training burns a lot of energy!
Shinji thought about it and decided that made sense.
Shion was the Miko of the Land of Demons, with a status equivalent to a Daimyo. As the head of a nation, she had no concept of money.
Tenten's family controlled nearly a third of the ninja tool trade in the Land of Fire, and Tenten had played with ninja tools like toys since she was little!
With two rich girls fighting over the bill, he might as well let them.
So Shinji joined the ranks of the hungry.
To be honest, after everything that had happened that night, he really was starving. He'd already eaten quite a bit, but food always tasted better when you were competing with others for it.
As he ate the grilled meat, he didn't forget to glance at Haku and Karin.
He had a feeling that while the village was hosting the Chunin Ninja Exams, the forces behind Haku and Karin would make another move.
If he played his cards right, he might be able to take advantage of the chaos and get his hands on the Mangekyō Sharingan that Danzo had taken from Fugaku!
In the end, Shion suffered a crushing defeat in the battle between the rich girls.
Shion never carried money. Her guards always paid for her, so when it came time to actually pay the bill, she was completely at a loss.
As they left the barbecue restaurant, Tenten grinned at Shion. "This place is great, right? I'll treat you again next time!"
Before Shion could reply, Rock Lee, who was burping from his full stomach, hurried over. "When's next time?"
The other classmates perked up their ears too.
Even Shinji suddenly felt that having a rich classmate was pretty great.
It'll be a new week after midnight tonight, so I think the rankings and everything will update. I'm begging you all to support me with recommendations and monthly tickets!
It's not easy starting a new book. Help me out, classmates!
Before you continue