Strongest Support

The night of the Fireworks Festival, Shinji had already become suspicious of Karin.

Later, he heard that Karin had gotten involved with Mizuki on the night Naruto was attacked, and he knew for sure something was wrong with her.

Mizuki was Orochimaru's spy in the village.

There was no doubt about that.

So, when he connected Karin, Mizuki, and the attack on Naruto, and made a few deductions, it wasn't hard to conclude that someone was after the Nine-Tails.

What he couldn't determine was whether the other party intended to use the Nine-Tails' rampage to destroy Konoha, or if they were simply after the Nine-Tails itself.

Seeing Karin's reaction now, he guessed correctly.

Karin snapped back to reality, "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Shinji chuckled lightly, "Is that so? I think Konoha would be interested in hearing your excuses."

Karin panicked, "What are you going to do?"

"Don't panic!" He waved his hand, slightly calming Karin before saying, "I'm not interested in Tailed Beasts, nor do I care about Konoha."

"Then what do you want?"

Karin's mind was filled with confusion.

Shinji stared at Karin, "I want you!"

Karin was startled and stumbled back, her eyes filled with terror.

"Ahem," he coughed lightly, somewhat awkwardly explaining, "What I value is your talent!"

Karin finally relaxed.

It was precisely because of her and her mother's unparalleled talent that they were now in such dire straits, being exploited by all sorts of people and organizations.

So, she was used to it, even numb.

Looking at Karin's expression, for some reason, Shinji felt a pang of sympathy.

He was silent for a while before continuing, "I will keep your secret and provide you with protection! In exchange, you will join my organization and serve me!"

Karin tentatively asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Shinji replied, "It's simple, do what you're good at, like healing and sensing!"

"Is that all?"

Karin confirmed again.

Shinji said indifferently, "You don't have to be like this. I have no reason to lie to you about this! You contribute your abilities, and I provide you with protection. It's that simple!"

"Alright!"

Karin didn't hesitate for too long before agreeing.

Having never been treated sincerely by anyone, she naturally wouldn't remain loyal to those who only wanted to use her!

Shinji said, "Our organization is called 'Akatsuki'. The organization will not interfere with other things you do, nor do you need to report anything to the organization. There is only one rule you must follow!"

"What is it?"

"You are not allowed to leak anything about the organization, to anyone!" He paused, then emphasized, "If you violate this rule, the consequences will be something you won't want to see!"

To strengthen his persuasion, Shinji used his Mangekyo Sharingan, which was constantly active, to cast Genjutsu on Karin.

Instantly.

Karin's eyes became unfocused, and her expression turned vacant.

Shinji quickly dispelled the Genjutsu and said calmly, "Becoming a member of the Akatsuki is not a bad thing for you!"

Waking from the Genjutsu, Karin was shocked, "You... you're from the Uchiha Clan?"

She had reason to be shocked.

In her opinion, there were only three living Uchiha left in the Ninja World.

This mysterious person in front of her clearly couldn't be Shinji Uchiha or Sasuke Uchiha, so he could only be the S-rank fugitive Itachi Uchiha, who had single-handedly annihilated the entire Uchiha clan!

Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, Shinji turned and left Karin's apartment.

After meeting Meiqiu, who was hiding in the shadows, downstairs, Shinji looked back at Karin's apartment. Thinking of how scared Karin must be, he muttered to himself, "Did I go a bit too far?"

"Mhm, mhm, making me guard here all night is too much!"

Meiqiu nodded repeatedly.

Shinji glanced at Meiqiu, "I'm the client who's paying!"

Meiqiu pouted and retreated back into the shadows.

Shinji didn't linger any longer. With a flash of his body, he disappeared down the street.

He hadn't activated his Mangekyo Sharingan entirely to intimidate Karin; it also served to interfere with Karin's sensing abilities.

For Karin, who possessed the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, ordinary Transformation Techniques and Shadow Clone Techniques were simply undetectable.

Once she activated her Mind's Eye of the Kagura, she could accurately sense the precise location of any Chakra she had marked, even from tens of kilometers away.

If Shinji hadn't activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, he would have been exposed and disgraced by her the moment he tried to show off in front of her.

However, by activating his Mangekyo Sharingan, Shinji could use the power of Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan, which he controlled, to interfere with Karin.

This would cause Karin's 'Mind's Eye of the Kagura' to incorrectly identify Fugaku Uchiha's chakra signature, thereby concealing his true identity.

Shinji deliberately led them to a secluded forest, deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan, and then quietly returned to his apartment.

He went to all this trouble because Karin's support abilities were simply too comprehensive.

Not only did she possess the 'Mind's Eye of the Kagura,' arguably the most elite sensory divine skill in the Ninja World, but her own chakra also had unparalleled healing capabilities.

In the original timeline, Sasuke had several near-death experiences, but Karin had pulled him back from the brink of death each time.

That's why Shinji gave Karin the second attendant spot.

Because with Karin on the team, combined with 'Lamp's' tracking ability, any demon that invaded the Ninja World and crossed his path would have no chance of escaping his extermination.

Back in his apartment, Shinji shed his disguise and lay down on the bed.

"Troublesome enemies can be dealt with by me alone."

This feeling of deceiving and tricking those around him was awful, so he secretly resolved to ensure Haku and Karin's safety during battles.

He would bear the brunt of the difficult fights himself, let Haku handle the distraction, and have Karin act as support.

A three-person team like this would handle various situations much more easily than him fighting alone.

Moreover, Haku and Karin had immense growth potential; given enough time and experience, they might grow into powerhouses capable of standing on their own in the future.

The next morning.

Shinji saw Meiqiu squatting at the head of the bed and asked somewhat nervously, "How was it?"

Meiqiu yawned, "She stayed in the room all night, didn't leave once."

Shinji breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he still couldn't let his guard down. After all, it was too late last night, and Karin might not have found it convenient to make any moves even if she wanted to.

So, after some thought, he said to Meiqiu, "Good job, you can go back and rest now!"

Meiqiu stretched, "Finally, I can rest!"

Shinji smiled, "You worked hard last night."

Meiqiu waved its paw at Shinji, preparing to dismiss the summoning and return to the Land of Cats.

But before it could leave, Shinji continued, "You'll continue again tonight!"

Here's the second update! Rolling on the ground begging for recommendation tickets and monthly votes!