"Uchiha Shinji?"
Seemingly soothed by the refined young man's words, Ryuzetsu's tension eased considerably.
Shinji poured a glass of water and handed it to her. "Judging by your headband, you must be a shinobi from Grass Village, right? Why were you near our Hidden Leaf Village? And why were you being chased?"
As if recalling something, Ryuzetsu hurriedly checked her ninja tool pouch. Seeing that the top-secret scroll was missing, she froze.
Noticing this, Shinji said, "If you're looking for the scroll marked 'Top Secret,' don't worry. It's already been handed over to our village's elders."
Ryuzetsu let out a sigh of relief. "My mission was to deliver that top-secret scroll to Hidden Leaf."
"Have some water first!" Smiling, Shinji casually added, "You seem about my age, yet you're already undertaking such an important mission! By the way, did something happen in your village? Who were those people chasing you?"
Ryuzetsu already felt a fondness for Shinji, and the elders had instructed her to answer Hidden Leaf's questions honestly without holding back. So, she recounted all the strange events that had recently occurred in Grass Village in full detail.
Shinji probed further with a few questions, confirming that Ryuzetsu knew nothing about Karin or Grass Village's attempt to steal the Nine-Tails. He then said, "Rest easy here and recover. If Grass Village has truly been infiltrated by the Akatsuki, Hidden Leaf won't stand idly by."
As Shinji prepared to leave, Ryuzetsu, who had regained her composure, cautiously asked, "Um…"
Shinji turned back. "What's up?"
Ryuzetsu's face was full of curiosity. "Shinji, are you from Hidden Leaf's Uchiha clan?"
"The genuine article!"
With a smile, Shinji revealed his three-tomoe Sharingan before turning to leave the hospital room.
He was deeply intrigued by Ryuzetsu's unique ability to trade life for life, which made him a bit more enthusiastic than usual.
Watching Shinji's departing figure, Ryuzetsu murmured softly, "Uchiha Shinji…"
That night.
The Hokage Building was brightly lit.
The top-secret scroll that Shinji had altered quickly drew the attention of the village's higher-ups, prompting the Third Hokage to convene an emergency high-level meeting.
In attendance were not only the Third Hokage, the Advisory Council, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and other top brass but also key jonin like Shikaku Nara, head of the Jonin Corps, Inoichi Yamanaka of the Intelligence Division, Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan, and Kakashi.
Additionally, Shizune and Yakumo represented the medical team as observers, while Sasuke, having awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, was granted permission to attend as an observer.
Since the top-secret scroll had been handled by Shinji, and with Koharu Utatane's strong endorsement, Shinji was exceptionally allowed to participate in this high-level meeting, seated on the Advisory Council's side as an observer.
With one precedent, then another, and a few more, Shinji might soon be able to attend the village's high-level meetings without needing any justification.
Once everyone was present, the Third Hokage passed around the altered top-secret scroll and said, "What you're seeing is a scroll secretly sent by an elder of Grass Village's 'Flower of Grass' faction."
Upon learning that the Akatsuki had likely secretly taken control of Grass Village, the attendees displayed varied reactions.
Those with private dealings or conflicts with the Akatsuki, like Hiashi and Danzo, looked particularly grim.
Hiashi was worried that the village's investigation into the Akatsuki might uncover Neji's past participation in the Akatsuki's selection process, as well as Hiashi's cover-up and assistance to Neji.
Danzo, on the other hand, feared exposure of his interception of the Akatsuki's 'A' intelligence last time, which he acted on alone without informing the Third Hokage, only to suffer a disastrous failure.
On the observer's bench, Yakumo and Sasuke each muttered to themselves, wondering whether the ones secretly controlling Grass Village were the evil Akatsuki or their own Akatsuki.
After a brief silence, Kakashi was the first to speak. "Is the intelligence reliable?"
Inoichi Yamanaka nodded. "Many details align, so it should be credible. Moreover, Grass Village has no reason to send false intelligence like this. I deduce that the Akatsuki has likely infiltrated Grass Village, though we can't yet determine the extent of their infiltration."
Tsunade frowned. "No wonder we couldn't track down the Akatsuki. They've been hiding right under our noses. Those bastards are bold!"
Danzo tapped the table. "What we need to discuss now is how to handle Grass Village!"
Koharu Utatane added, "The Grass shinobi who delivered the intelligence was chased the entire way. The enemy likely knows the intelligence has been leaked."
Jiraiya made a swift decision. "Then whatever we decide, we must act quickly!"
Shikaku Nara hesitated. "If Grass Village has truly become an Akatsuki stronghold, Hidden Leaf's forces alone may not be enough to thoroughly eliminate them!"
Kakashi said, "But time is likely too short."
Though the five great shinobi villages had established a cooperative framework, assembling elite forces from all five in a short time was no small feat.
Seeing the group hesitate due to fear of the Akatsuki's strength, Shinji decisively stood and said, "Contacting the other four great villages and sending a team to investigate Grass Village aren't mutually exclusive. We can assemble forces while simultaneously dispatching a small team to scout. If the Akatsuki infiltrating Grass Village withdraws due to the leaked intelligence, we can at least tail them and track their next foothold."
All eyes turned to Shinji.
His proposal was direct, bold, aggressive, and fitting for an Uchiha.
Surprisingly, the Third Hokage was the first to nod. "Well said. Waiting for the other villages' cooperation might take too long. We must act immediately to confirm Grass Village's situation."
Shinji sat back down, his goal achieved.
The concerns in the meeting room stemmed from fear of poking a hornet's nest. After all, based on the common misconception, the Akatsuki's forces included the true Akatsuki, the faction Shinji had been cultivating, and the Twelve Demon Moons that had once tried to fish in troubled waters.
Combined, these three forces would form a terrifyingly exaggerated power.
Hidden Leaf alone would be incapable of wiping them out!
But Shinji knew the Akatsuki's true stronghold was in Rain Village. Those infiltrating Grass Village were merely the 'Twelve Demon Moons.' For reconnaissance and probing, Hidden Leaf's forces were more than sufficient.
The next day.
Shinji visited Ryuzetsu's hospital room and said gently, "How's your recovery going?"
Ryuzetsu, a bit shy, replied, "Thanks for your concern. I'm fine now!"
Shinji knew she wasn't just being polite. Her body had indeed nearly fully recovered, likely because her clan's physique was somewhat similar to the Uzumaki clan's—perhaps they were distant relatives.
Shinji said, "Hidden Leaf has decided to support Grass Village. The first reconnaissance team sets out today, and I'm part of it!"