Kakashi stared intently into Sasuke's eyes, repeating his question. "Is Shinji also part of your organization?"
Sasuke looked exasperated. "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with Shinji?"
Kakashi's suspicion deepened.
He knew Sasuke wasn't good at hiding his thoughts, so from Sasuke's expression alone, Kakashi could tell he wasn't lying.
But not lying didn't mean Sasuke was right.
So Kakashi pressed, "Are you sure?!"
"I—"
Sasuke, initially certain, suddenly hesitated.
Before Kakashi's question, he had never connected Shinji with the Akatsuki. Now, thinking about it, Shinji's recent displays of strength were indeed suspicious.
But on second thought, he dismissed the possibility.
In the organization, the members with Mangekyō Sharingan were only 'A,' 'B,' and himself, codenamed 'E.'
'B' was clearly a woman.
As for 'A,' they had already used Susanoo in the battle against the demon Moryo in the Land of Demons when he and Shinji were there. At that time, Sasuke hadn't awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, and Shinji hadn't even opened his regular Sharingan. No matter how you looked at it, Shinji couldn't be 'A.'
As for the other members—'C,' 'D,' 'F,' and 'G'—Sasuke could rule them out too.
'C' had partnered with Sasuke a few times and was clearly an Ice Release Bloodline Limit shinobi, so Sasuke was certain it wasn't Shinji.
'D,' like 'B,' was a woman.
While Sasuke wasn't familiar with 'F' or 'G,' he could confidently say they weren't Shinji either.
In truth, Sasuke had guesses about the identities of some members, but he lacked evidence and had little interest in digging into his comrades' true identities.
Shaking his head again, Sasuke's stance hardened. "Impossible. Shinji has nothing to do with them!"
Kakashi's furrowed brow didn't relax.
Sasuke continued, "I know what you're suspecting, but he's different from me. He's not, and he has no reason to be!"
Kakashi fell silent for a moment before finally choosing to trust Sasuke's judgment.
…
In the Advisor's Office...
"By killing Kurosuki Raiga and repelling Hiruko, you successfully protected the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Your performance this time was exceptional, and I've requested a reward for you from the village!" Koharu Utatane said with a warm smile.
Shinji replied, "As First Chair, this is my duty."
Koharu nodded, pleased.
She had been somewhat worried that as Shinji's strength grew, she might struggle to control this rising Uchiha prodigy.
Seeing Shinji maintain a respectful demeanor before her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately, Koharu reciprocated with benefits. "If you're willing, you can join the Anbu now. With your achievements, I can make an exception and promote you to squad leader. In a few years, I can nominate you for the Jōnin evaluation, and I can handle the trust vote as well!"
Shinji shook his head. "I'd prefer to stay at the Ninja Academy."
Koharu didn't press him, saying, "Fair enough. At your age, securing enough training time to further enhance your strength is key. I've already spoken to the Archives. You now have advisor-level clearance. Except for forbidden techniques and certain secret techniques explicitly banned by the village, you can freely access any ninjutsu scrolls."
"Thank you, Elder!" Shinji's face lit up.
While he no longer lacked common ninjutsu, advisor-level clearance was still incredibly valuable. Hidden Leaf's Archives were a treasure trove.
Koharu added solemnly, "You've killed an Akatsuki member. They'll definitely take notice of you now. Be cautious in the days ahead!"
"Understood," Shinji nodded.
…
In an underground Akatsuki base...
Shinno was busy stitching Hidan's body back together.
Kakuzu sat nearby, flipping through a bounty list, either calculating the bounties or eyeing the hearts of the targets.
The demon Moryo was inspecting its newly possessed body, which still bore a Hidden Leaf forehead protector, clearly a former Leaf shinobi.
Itachi and Jūzō Biwa sat in a corner, resting with closed eyes.
Sasori tended to his puppets alone.
Hiruko leaned against a wall, arms crossed, his face dark. Ranmaru, whom he had brought back, sat blankly on the floor, eyes unfocused.
The rest area was quiet, even the usually talkative Deidara remaining silent.
Unable to stand the atmosphere, Hidan griped, "Hey, hey, you all came back empty-handed? That's pathetic!"
Sasori said coolly, "You should ask Hiruko about that. If I hadn't been supporting him, I could've gone to Hidden Sand and captured the One-Tails Jinchūriki alone."
Hiruko snapped, "What did you say?"
Moryo snorted, "I gave up a chance to devour the priestess just to cover for you. And all you've got is a big mouth!"
Shinno added, "We should've teamed up for the assault. It might've had a better chance of success. At least Kurosuki Raiga wouldn't have died in Hidden Leaf."
"You guys…" Hiruko seethed with rage.
Jūzō Biwa suddenly joined in, "I heard the one who took down Kurosuki Raiga was some Uchiha kid? Not Itachi's brother, is it?"
Deidara waved dismissively. "Nah, Itachi's brother's a nobody!"
Itachi, pretending to rest, glanced at Deidara but said nothing.
Jūzō Biwa, curious, asked, "Could it be that Uchiha Shinji kid?"
"Uchiha Shinji again? In that case, leave that brat to me!" Sasori's tone dripped with killing intent, recalling their encounter in the Land of Birds.
Shinno said, "No, let me handle him. That kid's ruined my plans too many times!"
"He's mine!" Hiruko growled through gritted teeth.
He wasn't eager to avenge Kurosuki Raiga—partners like that meant little to him, and one or two deaths were inconsequential. What truly bothered him was Shinji repeatedly making him lose face.
Since completing his ritual, Hiruko's status had been steadily rising, even within the Akatsuki's den of villains.
Yet, at this critical moment, a Uchiha brat kept humiliating him. This time, he'd been forced to retreat from Hidden Leaf in disgrace, and his already twisted psyche was now brimming with pent-up rage!
Sasori tilted his head. "You sure you can handle it?"
Hiruko snapped, "Wanna test me?"
In an instant, the tension in the rest area became palpable, like a drawn bow ready to snap.