"Uh... Ruri, what are you doing? Has something happened?"
With a glance of his eye, Hakushi saw Ruri silently appear behind him, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
To think... she could stand behind him without a sound, Hakushi felt Ruri's strength had grown significantly stronger.
The Uchiha bloodline is truly terrifying, and Ruri, who can easily control this bloodline power, is even more frightening.
Ruri didn't remove the kunai from Hakushi's throat. Her voice was close to his ear, abruptly breaking the silence in the dimly lit laboratory:
"You haven't been hiding anything from me, have you?"
"Eh? Why would you say that?"
Hakushi was a bit taken aback, scratching his head in confusion, seemingly perplexed by Ruri's words.
"Your behavior today is a bit strange. Usually, when you go out to buy things, you just leave, no need to greet me. But today, you came over to say hello before going out. So, I've been wondering, are you hiding something from me?"
Ruri's expression was indifferent, and her gaze was the same as usual, but it gave the impression that nothing could be hidden from those eyes.
"Uh... Ruri, since when did you learn to joke? It was just a sudden whim."
Yes, just a whim. Hakushi was also trying to convince himself.
"A whim that happens only once in several years, that's quite coincidental. So, I've been thinking, are you meeting someone behind my back?"
"You've misunderstood me. You're quite aware of my social circle, aren't you?"
"That's true, but because of that, it feels a bit off. I have a feeling there's someone else's scent on you, a woman's scent."
Ruri even sniffed lightly a few times at Hakushi's shoulder area.
You aren't from the Inuzuka Clan; your surname is Uchiha! Hakushi was already too exhausted to retort.
Just as Hakushi was about to say something, Ruri removed the kunai from his neck, and her tone was not as cold as before:
"But it's okay, who you meet doesn't concern me, right? I'm not really anyone to you."
As she said this, a slight smile appeared at Ruri's lips, making Hakushi feel even more terrified.
Generally speaking, Ruri does not joke around.
"Uh, you really are overthinking it."
"You're sure you haven't secretly met anyone?"
She says she's not concerned, but she's clearly very concerned.
Her gaze grew more intense, almost as if killing intent was emanating from her eyes.
"Of course, don't you know me well? I never lie."
Hakushi looked at Ruri with sincerity in his eyes.
"Then how do you explain this photo?"
Ruri took out a photo. It showed Hakushi and Ayane together, and the photo was taken right outside Hakushi's former residence as they opened the door to enter together, caught in the act.
"..."
Hakushi found himself at a loss for words, his mind going blank, completely freezing up.
"Honestly, you're too careless, getting caught so easily. If someone else did the same, your secret would have been exposed long ago. It wouldn't end like this; it'd be a special interrogation by the Yamanaka Clan."
Ruri sighed at this moment, showing a hint of frustration.
Huh?
No scolding, no beating, not even angry?
Something isn't right!
"Uh, well... this is..."
Seeing Hakushi's dumbfounded expression, he probably still didn't know what was happening.
"Although you have many commendable qualities, you are too naive in many aspects. You haven't realized the importance of Immortal Techniques; they are more important than you imagine. Two or three years ago, when you began your studies in Immortal Techniques, I already had my parents prepare two hundred different breeds of wild cats for me, channeling them into Konoha through various legitimate means as my spies."
Since they are ordinary cats and not Ninja Cats, and given the large number of stray and domestic cats in Konoha, even the Anbu wouldn't find anything suspicious.
After all, these cats were brought in through normal ways, delivered to Konoha in batches over several months.
Furthermore, these cats roamed areas outside the core of Konoha, acting like ordinary cats, requiring no special actions. Even when conveying information, it was done openly, speaking in code with meows, ensuring no one noticed such activities.
"..."
Hakushi was rendered completely speechless on the spot.
Seeing Hakushi's nearly petrified expression, Ruri seemed quite pleased:
"However, during this process, I unintentionally discovered some of your little secrets, which I didn't anticipate. Are you still researching the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird?"
Ruri didn't know the specific details of what Hakushi and Ayane discussed, but she could infer some information.
"Ah, well... how should I put it, my mind is a bit chaotic now... So, you've known all along?"
"About a year ago. Although a bit careless, your interactions with Ayane have their own channels and methods. Without close attention, it's hard to notice. Even if noticed, to outsiders, it would appear as short meetings between friends. In these times of constant warfare, the Anbu doesn't have the manpower to focus on you."
The Anbu's personnel could always range between sixty to seventy.
One squad carries out secret missions abroad or gathers critical intelligence.
Another squad remains within the Land of Fire to prevent any sabotage and to timely report issues, securing support from response teams.
The remaining two squads have to patrol the entire village, monitoring those perceived as threats to Konoha or identified enemy spies.
Given Hakushi's average performance in combat, top scores in the Will of Fire examination, and no apparent anti-Konoha tendencies, there was no reason to monitor him; he was considered a true-blue Konoha Ninja.
As for his interactions with the Uchiha, the upper ranks of Konoha wouldn't pay too much attention to Hakushi.
While not many civilian ninjas have good relations with the Uchiha, there are still dozens to a hundred people who do, including some Jonin and Chunin.
After all, the Uchiha is a part of the village. Some ninjas bear no prejudice against them; they believe the powerful Uchiha are trustworthy companions on the battlefield, capable of significantly boosting a team's effectiveness, thus naturally developing good relations over time.
Ruri inserted two hundred cats in Konoha just in case, acting as her spies to eradicate any potential surprises immediately, thereby further ensuring Hakushi's safety.
When it comes to Immortal Techniques, Ruri cannot be as careless as Hakushi.
Despite Hakushi feeling that he had concealed himself adequately.
Hakushi slowly closed his mouth, having once believed that his concealment was effective, now realizing it was all thanks to Ruri.
Perhaps it should be said, this is the true talent of a ninja from a prominent clan?
Whether regarding the primary strategy or the effective measures taken against unforeseen events, everything was flawless.
He could discern potential future situations in the Ninja Realm through his acquired knowledge and historical and political perspective, but there would clearly be some discrepancies in the details.
"Phew..."
Upon being discovered by Ruri, Hakushi surprisingly felt relieved.
With a wry smile, Hakushi said, "There's really nothing I can hide from you since childhood; you've always been sensitive to these things."
"It's the comfort of these recent years, you've made no progress. Just remember to be more careful next time. Okay, now let's go out for dinner."
Ruri put the kunai back into the Ninja Tool Bag and walked ahead.
"Ruri, were you just worried about me?"
From behind came Hakushi's laughter.
Ruri stopped, turned her head, and looked at Hakushi with a cold expression, almost as if looking at an idiot.
"Which eye of yours thinks I was worrying about you?"
"Huh, wasn't it?"
"You idiot, I'm only interested in Immortal Techniques, don't flatter yourself. Power is the only truth. What to do and gain depends on a mere thought. Save your delusions for waking hours."
With that, Ruri turned around and walked forward, her black hair lightly lifting with the motion, her figure solitary and proud.
"Is that so? So you're interested in controlling others... Is that how I should interpret it?"
No one answered him as Hakushi voiced his question to the path ahead.
Hakushi ruffled his hair in exasperation; it truly was a chaotic day.
…It shouldn't be a big problem, right?
But, in other words, next time he could openly bring Ayane here for a check-up?