He had always thought Kimimaro was someone the village had planted in Konoha to get close to Sasuke Uchiha. Only now, hearing the shadow assign him a mission, did he realize in surprise that Kimimaro hadn't been placed there by the village.
The shadow looked displeased. "So you need to find out how this remnant of the Kaguya Clan got through Konoha's screening!"
Haku reluctantly nodded again. "All right!"
The shadow sighed. "I don't want to pressure you, but you need to understand that intelligence won't just come knocking on its own!"
"Yes. I'll do my best!"
The shadow added a warning. "Remember, you must be careful. Those people in the Akatsuki Organization are all S-rank missing-nin from various villages, a pack of vicious lunatics. If you expose yourself while investigating, no one will be able to save you!"
Haku opened his mouth several times, wanting to tell the shadow that the Akatsuki Organization was devoted to fighting the demons invading the Shinobi World, a group committed to saving it, and not a pack of vicious lunatics.
But he knew he had no grounds to defend the Akatsuki Organization, so he swallowed his words and instead said to the shadow, "Is there anything else? I made plans to spar with Shinji tonight. If there's nothing else, I'll get going."
"Mm, go ahead." After a pause, the shadow said, "You'd better use your relationship with Shinji Uchiha to get close to Sasuke Uchiha. That way, no one will suspect you."
Haku nodded reluctantly and left the small grove.
At almost the same time,
in a booth at a noodle shop that wasn't doing much business,
a middle-aged man in a chef's uniform set a steaming bowl of noodles in front of Karin with a smile.
Then he glanced at the hallway