Extreme Danger

Haku gently nudged Shinji on the ground. "Shinji, wake up!"

Shinji woke groggily. "What happened to me?"

Haku avoided Shinji's gaze. "Maybe you were too tired. You just fainted."

"Really?" Shinji clutched his stomach and muttered to himself, "Maybe I was hungry!"

Seeing that Shinji did not pursue the matter, Haku secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, the two of them went to Ichiraku and had a hearty meal.

Back at the apartment.

Shinji closed the door, then pressed his ear against it and listened to the sounds from next door. Only after confirming that nothing seemed out of the ordinary did he drop his disguise and let out a sigh of relief.

Without a doubt.

The mysterious person who had appeared at the training ground earlier was his Shadow Clone.

He had invited Haku in this manner because he had no other choice.

His identity as a remnant of the Uchiha Clan meant he was destined to become a target for the many people in the Shinobi World who coveted the secrets of the Sharingan. Meanwhile, his identity as the Lantern Bearer would make him a thorn in the side of the force invading the Shinobi World.

Therefore, he had to hide his identity.

Even when recruiting attendants, he could not casually reveal his true identity.

Otherwise, if the secret of his Mangekyō Sharingan were exposed, or if his identity as the Lantern Bearer were revealed, it would bring unimaginable disaster!

That was precisely why.

His options for recruits were actually quite limited.

They had to possess a certain level of strength and growth potential, while he also needed to have leverage over them. Otherwise, with him acting so mysterious and suspicious, who would be willing to join his team?

That was why he had chosen Haku as his first attendant—the Kirigakure spy infiltrating Konoha.

First, Haku had exceptional talent. He was one of the few genius ninja who could perform Hand Seals with one hand at such a young age. Combined with his Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, his potential was immense.

Second, Haku's identity as a Kirigakure spy was the only bargaining chip he had for inviting Haku to join him.

This was no time for him to be picky. Without some leverage, he would not be able to recruit any talented prodigies with potential.

Of course, he had hesitated over coercing Haku in this way.

But if he, the Lantern Bearer, failed, the Shinobi World would be finished. In that case, those he recruited were not so much being used by him as saving themselves.

"Ah, I wonder if Haku can keep the secret."

He felt extremely guilty at the moment, unsure whether his blustering threat had actually worked.

Still, Haku's concern for his life earlier had surprised him somewhat.

"Could it be that he really considers me a friend?"

He shook his head.

Because he had sensed Haku's deliberate approach, his attitude toward Haku had actually been rather cold—at least, he thought it had been very cold.

Therefore, he did not believe Haku truly considered him a friend. Perhaps, just as Haku had said, he simply did not want to implicate any innocents.

That was also why Shinji had deliberately brought up the Akatsuki Organization as a decoy.

If the truth were exposed and the person he recruited instead reported him, the Akatsuki Organization would misdirect the investigation.

Besides, as the Shinobi World was captured by the Light Marks of that mysterious Lantern Bearer,

the number of demons invading in the future would only increase, and they would become stronger and stronger. In the end, even that mysterious Lantern Bearer might come personally.

If he and his team exterminated demons under the name of the Akatsuki Organization,

then even if their identities were accidentally exposed and the mysterious Lantern Bearer learned of them, the other party would only follow the Akatsuki Organization as a lead and hunt them down.

After all, Pain wanted to bring peace to the Shinobi World too!

He should be able to understand.

Just then, a sudden noise came from next door.

Shinji listened intently for a while and realized that Haku seemed to be going out.

He frowned. "Going out this late? Could he be reporting to his superior?"

At that thought, he quickly bit his finger, formed Hand Seals, and summoned Meiqiu.

In a cloud of white smoke, Meiqiu poked out his little head. "What is it, what is it? Is the cloak I made for you not good enough?"

Shinji sighed. "It's not about the cloak. Ah, I think I've messed up."

Meiqiu licked his fur. "Then it has nothing to do with me."

"What do you mean, it has nothing to do with you? You dead cat, do you still want your salary or not?" As he spoke, Shinji pointed at Haku hurrying outside the window. "Hurry and follow him. See who he meets and what they talk about."

Meiqiu jumped onto the windowsill. "If they discover me, will they beat me up?"

"No."

"Oh, then I'm off!"

With that, Meiqiu pushed open the window.

Only when Meiqiu's paws were almost out the window did Shinji leisurely add, "They definitely won't beat you up. You'll be silenced directly!"

Meiqiu stumbled and fell straight out of the window.

In a forest.

Haku arrived beneath a tree and gently knocked on the trunk.

Soon, a shadow appeared on the other side of the tree, followed by a deep voice. "You're late."

Haku lowered his voice as well. "I couldn't get away just now."

The shadow said, "Has Konoha become suspicious of you?"

Haku shook his head. "No."

"Very good." After a pause, the shadow continued, "How is the mission going?"

After hesitating for a moment, Haku replied, "I feel that Shinji Uchiha has accepted me. He may already consider me a friend."

"What makes you think that?"

Haku answered seriously, "He talks to me every day!"

The shadow fell silent for a while, then seemed to find the reasoning quite convincing. "He is an Uchiha. For him to go that far, it seems he really does consider you a friend."

"Mm!"

Haku nodded.

The shadow continued, "However, the village is more concerned with Sasuke Uchiha now. The family hopes you can get close to Sasuke Uchiha."

Haku said, "I'm not classmates with Sasuke Uchiha. I have no reason to approach him."

The shadow's tone turned several degrees colder. "Shinji Uchiha is merely an ordinary Uchiha. The true secrets of the Uchiha Clan may very well be hidden in Sasuke Uchiha. He is the key. You must get close to him! This is not a discussion. It is an order!"

"I understand."

Haku sounded somewhat helpless.

The shadow noticed Haku's discontent. "You should know what the Uchiha have done to us in Kirigakure!"

Haku argued, "But the Uchiha Clan has already been wiped out. Shinji and Sasuke are both victims. They are innocent!"

The shadow snorted. "Hmph. A victim who could subdue the rampaging Nine-Tails at the age of seven? Even now, you still dare underestimate the Uchiha? Haven't enough people died in Kirigakure?"

"I—I understand."

Haku lowered his head and obeyed the shadow.

The shadow changed the subject. "Approach Sasuke Uchiha and investigate whether he still has any contact with Itachi Uchiha. Also, investigate whether Sasuke has joined an organization!"

Haku asked, "What organization?"

"It is an extremely terrifying organization. We have received intelligence that Juzo Biwa, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen who defected, and Itachi Uchiha have both joined that organization and become its members." After a pause, the shadow emphasized, "The village has now classified that organization as extremely dangerous. Any information related to it is top-priority intelligence!"

Haku immediately realized how serious the matter was.

Juzo Biwa and Itachi Uchiha were both influential figures standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World. Just imagining the organization they had joined was enough to send chills down one's spine!

Amid Haku's anticipation, the shadow slowly said, "The organization is called the Akatsuki!"

"!?"

Haku froze.