"Another test subject?"
Ryuzetsu's face was filled with surprise.
Her reaction was almost identical to Chino's when she learned of Ryuzetsu's existence—a mix of astonishment and anticipation.
"Indeed!" Shinji nodded.
Ryuzetsu pressed further, "Is she also a shinobi from Hidden Grass Village?"
"No, she's a descendant of a fallen Bloodline Limit clan!" After a pause, Shinji said calmly, "She has no family, no clan, and no village!"
"I see…"
Upon hearing this, a trace of pity crossed Ryuzetsu's face. At the same time, she grew curious about how someone so alone could survive in the harsh shinobi world.
Shinji, meanwhile, leisurely packed away his data notebook and said slowly, "Do you know my identity?"
"You!?" Ryuzetsu froze, then asked, "Aren't you the medic Karin-sama arranged for me?"
Shinji shook his head. "I'm a member of the Akatsuki!"
"What!?"
Ryuzetsu's eyes widened in shock, her body instinctively shifting into a combat stance.
By now, everyone knew of the Akatsuki's conflicts with the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Hidden Grass Village was part of the Shinobi Alliance, and during the previous war in the Land of Grass, the Akatsuki had been involved. Naturally, Ryuzetsu harbored hostility toward them.
Shinji raised a hand to calm her. "No need to be so tense."
Ryuzetsu demanded, "Are you… using Karin-sama?"
"Karin is one of us!" Shinji said slowly, dropping a bombshell that made Ryuzetsu's pupils constrict in shock.
Ryuzetsu stammered, "Karin-sama joined the Akatsuki? How is that possible!?"
"We're not what you think…"
Shinji then explained that the Akatsuki was split into two factions: one that opposed the Five Great Villages, aiming to collect the nine Tailed Beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, and dominate the shinobi world; and another that sought to protect it. He and Karin belonged to the latter.
After listening, Ryuzetsu asked, "So, you're saying… all the masked Akatsuki members are 'Dawnbreak,' while the ones made up of infamous rogue shinobi are 'Dark Akatsuki'?"
Shinji replied, "Exactly."
"I see!"
As a former communications officer for Hidden Grass Village, responsible for relaying intelligence to Karin, Ryuzetsu had some understanding of the shinobi world's various factions.
The Akatsuki was the most mysterious and heavily analyzed among them. By examining their actions, it wasn't hard to notice a strange sense of inconsistency in their operations.
Many villages had already speculated that the Akatsuki was divided into factions or had undergone some form of internal schism. This was why Ryuzetsu could quickly accept Shinji's explanation.
Suddenly, Ryuzetsu asked, "What's your codename? And what's Karin-sama's?"
Shinji answered, "I'm the Akatsuki's 'A,' and Karin is 'B.'"
"That's impossible! The Akatsuki's 'B' is a Mangekyo Uchiha! How could Karin-sama be 'B'?" Ryuzetsu immediately challenged.
Without wasting words, Shinji activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and unleashed his Susanoo.
Boom!
In an instant, a golden projection erupted from Shinji's body, swiftly forming a massive skeletal arm that lunged toward Ryuzetsu.
Though Ryuzetsu was on guard, trapped in the underground hideout, she had no room to dodge. The golden skeletal hand seized her in its grasp.
"This… this is Susanoo! A golden Susanoo! You… you're really the Akatsuki's 'A'?!"
Ryuzetsu stared at the golden skeletal arm, her face filled with shock.
Only then did Shinji explain calmly, "You don't have to be an Uchiha to use Susanoo. As long as someone can transplant and withstand a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, anyone can wield it!"
"Karin-sama transplanted a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan?!" Ryuzetsu's realization hit her, and she murmured, "No wonder no one could uncover 'B's identity. So that's how it is!"
Releasing Ryuzetsu and dispelling his Susanoo, Shinji said, "Now that you know everything, tell me your choice."
Without hesitation, Ryuzetsu bowed her head. "I'll follow your arrangements!"
The situation left her no choice. Beyond the fact that Shinji held the upper hand, the revelation that Karin was the Akatsuki's 'B' meant Hidden Grass Village had no alternative.
If the Five Great Villages learned that Hidden Grass Village's leader was an Akatsuki member, the village would face a reckoning even harsher than the last. Whether Hidden Grass Village would even survive was uncertain.
The moment Karin became the village's leader, Hidden Grass had been tied to the Akatsuki's ship.
"Then pack up and get ready to move!" Shinji nodded with satisfaction, issuing the order.
Chino's hideout was more concealed, so he planned to bring Ryuzetsu there.
Moments later, after a quick preparation, Ryuzetsu silently followed Shinji to Chino's hideout.
Upon meeting Chino, Ryuzetsu looked her up and down before extending a hand. "Hello, I'm Ryuzetsu!"
Chino eagerly reached out and shook her hand. "I'm Chino!"
After their introductions, Shinji said, "From now on, you two are partners. You'll live here together! I need you to adapt to and fully master the drug's effects, pushing its potential to the limit!"
"Yes!" Ryuzetsu and Chino nodded in unison.
Shinji continued, "Though this place is relatively hidden, don't wander around carelessly! I'll deliver your necessary supplies regularly."
The two nodded again, and then Ryuzetsu asked, "Shinji-sama, does this mean… we're now members of the Akatsuki?"
Chino's eyes lit up, also turning to Shinji.
"Not quite!" Shinji chuckled lightly. "Becoming an Akatsuki member isn't that easy! For now, you're at best peripheral members of the organization. Only when you've fully earned my recognition will you qualify for a codename and become official members!"
Chino quickly asked, "How do we earn your recognition?"
Shinji thought for a moment before saying, "It's simple. You need to reach at least the level of an elite Jonin to qualify!"
Ryuzetsu fell into thought.
From the intelligence she'd encountered, whether it was Dark Akatsuki or Dawnbreak, the organization's members were almost all renowned powerhouses, with the weakest being around the elite Jonin level. Upon reflection, Shinji's condition seemed quite reasonable.