No. 1 Serum

Shin activated a space-time ninjutsu and appeared inside an Akatsuki base far from Konoha.

This base had been built with extreme secrecy. After years of development, there was no trace of anything unusual on the surface; it was buried deep underground.

Akabane Koromo was handling some of Akatsuki's documents. As the organization grew larger, its tedious affairs had multiplied as well. By now, nearly every major city in the Land of Fire had Akatsuki intelligence personnel concealed across every trade and profession.

They did not know the organization they belonged to, nor did they even know its name. Among them were ninja and ordinary people, but most were local forces. They used one-way lines of contact and operated with unparalleled secrecy.

Ripples spread through space as Shin's figure shifted from illusion to reality.

Akabane Koromo noticed keenly and spun around at once. When she saw that it was Shin, the vigilance in her expression faded. Walking to his side, she scolded playfully, "You always show up without making a sound. Are you trying to scare someone to death?"

Shin smiled faintly and naturally wrapped one arm around her. Lowering his head, he said, "How could I bear to scare you to death? How did the investigation I asked for go?"

Warm breath brushed past her ear, sending a slight numbness through her. A blush rose to her face as she softly replied, "No news. The information you gave was too vague. All we have is his approximate height and build, and that he's a ninja. Finding him like that is harder than finding a needle in the sea. We haven't found anything."

Shin nodded. His large hand began to wander downward restlessly. Naturally, Akatsuki had been searching for Yan, though it had been more of a gamble. In terms of