"Did I lose them?"
Seeing that no ANBU were chasing after him, Shinji breathed a sigh of relief.
Hiss....
As soon as his tension eased, the wound on his back started to throb with pain.
His brow furrowed, and his expression grew grim.
The wound on his back wasn't severe, and due to using Breathing Technique to stop the bleeding along the way, it had barely bled.
But the troubleso part of the injury was that it was difficult to explain!
Once Danzo discovers that the subordinate he sent to monitor Shinji had mysteriously blown himself up outside the Hidden Sand encampnt, even if he has other suspicions, he definitely won't let investigating Shinji slide.
At that point, there would be no hiding the wound on his back.
And once they connect it to the incident at the ANBU headquarters, it would be easy to trace the intruder back to him.
Then, charges like killing a Root mber and infiltrating the ANBU headquarters would all be pinned on him—just another remnant of the Uchiha clan.
Sigh, it really was too risky!
Shinji sighed deeply.
He wasn't unaware of the risks, but he was desperate for Fugaku's pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
At the sa ti, he hadn't anticipated that the ANBU wearing the dog-faced mask would be so alert. From noticing sothing was wrong to taking action, it had taken less than a second, leaving him no ti to react.
Moreover, the execution of the shinobi techniques had been extrely skillful—ambush, entrapnt, and explosion, all linked seamlessly.
Had it not been for his mastery of the Water Breathing , escaping this ti would have likely required him to unleash Susanoo.
Shinji turned into a small alley, debating whether he should just flee the village altogether.
At that mont, a figure hurriedly approached him from the other end of the alley.
Karin?
Shinji halted in his tracks.
The figure he encountered in the alley was none other than his classmate Karin!
Karin seed just as surprised to run into Shinji there. She hesitated for a mont, her expression a bit unnatural.
But she didn't stop or greet him. Instead, she quickened her pace and hurried past Shinji.
Shinji, not wanting to complicate things, decided not to greet her either.
However, just as they were about to pass each other, Karin suddenly stopped and turned around to ask, "Are you hurt?"
Shinji quickly explained, "I accidentally hurt myself while training earlier..."
Before Shinji could finish his explanation, Karin rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale arm covered in bite marks, and extended it toward him: "Here, bite !"
"Uh..."
Shinji was taken aback.
He knew about Karin's special ability to heal any injury, but he didn't expect her to offer her arm without even fully hearing his explanation.
Though surprised, he quickly realized that this was the best solution to his current predicant.
So without hesitation, he looked at Karin's pale arm, covered in bite marks, and bit down.
Instantly.
A warm sensation flowed from his mouth and spread to the wound on his back.
Soon, the pain in his wound disappeared, replaced by a tingling, itchy feeling.
"Thank you!"
Shinji sincerely thanked Karin.
Karin just nodded and then hurried off.
Is everyone this busy tonight?
Watching Karin's hurried departure, Shinji couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
This unexpected encounter with Karin had solved his problem in one go, but now was not the ti to relax.
Returning to his apartnt, he imdiately changed his clothes and then used fire to destroy them completely.
He then checked in the bathroom mirror to confirm that the wounds on his back had completely healed, without even a scar left behind.
Afterward, he sat on his bed to rest and began to ponder.
"I still need an alibi, soone to vouch for my whereabouts!"
To completely clear himself of suspicion, he needed an alibi—a credible witness, soone trustworthy yet easy to mislead.
Suddenly, he rembered Shion, who was still unconscious at the training ground.
As the Miko of the Land of Demons, Shion had a high-status, akin to a nation's leader, soone even the Hokage would treat with respect. She had no prior connections with the Uchiha clan, making her a perfect alibi.
So Shinji imdiately set out for the training ground.
There, he found Shion still lying on the ground, sleeping soundly with a bit of drool on her face.
He walked up and gently nudged her: "Hey, wake up!"
Shion groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes: "How did I fall asleep?"
"How would I know?"
Shinji shrugged, but his gaze remained fixed on her face, observing her expression.
Although the Mangekyō Sharingan is a powerful tool for casting genjutsu...
Its effectiveness depends on the user. Just because Obito could control the Fourth Mizukage with one Mangekyō doesn't an Shinji could do the sa.
However, based on Shion's current behavior...
As long as he didn't reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan or Susanoo Tomoshibi in front of her, she wouldn't be triggered to recall everything.
Helping Shion to her feet, Shinji asked, "You're not from this village, are you?"
Shion proudly lifted her chin: "You should address as 'Your Highness'!"
"Your Highness?"
"That's right!" Shion adjusted her dress, "I am the Miko of the Land of Demons, Lady Shion!"
No sooner had she spoken than her stomach growled.
Shinji's mind clicked: "Hungry?"
Shion blushed: "Maybe just a little."
"Let's go. I'll treat you to so BBQ."
Shinji said as he started walking out of the training ground.
Shion jogged to catch up, curious: "Why are you treating to BBQ?"
"Do I need a reason?"
Shinji replied casually.
Shion quickly added, "You must want to be friends with , right? But since you're so sincere, I'll reluctantly agree."
Shinji glanced at Shion.
In her eyes, he saw a glimr of joy, as if making a friend was sothing truly precious to her.
How lonely must she be?
He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at using Shion as an alibi. Subconsciously, he quickened his pace.
"Wait for ! You haven't even told your na yet!"
Shion called out, practically chasing after him like a little puppy.
Soon, they arrived at a bustling street.
Boom.
In the night sky, fireworks continued to explode, drawing cheers from the villagers.
Apparently, the Root shinobi's self-destruction and the ANBU headquarters infiltration hadn't caused the village to cancel tonight's fireworks festival.
Following his mory, Shinji deliberately led Shion to the barbecue restaurant that Haku had casually ntioned earlier.
Tonight, his classmates were having a gathering at this restaurant to watch the fireworks together.
He had been invited but had declined.
Slling the aroma of grilled at wafting from the restaurant, Shion licked her lips: "Wow, it slls so good!"
"This one, then?"
"Mhm!"
Shion nodded eagerly, almost drooling.
Shinji led her into the restaurant.
Hearing the laughter of his classmates upstairs, he didn't go to greet them but instead chose a private room next door.
He needed to create the illusion that he and Shion had been eating there for a long ti.
Then, he planned to find an opportunity to show his face to his classmates, blend in with them, and ensure they all rembered seeing him there all evening, eating grilled at and watching the fireworks.
Soon, a grill and plates of fresh at were brought to their table.
Shinji and Shion wasted no ti, devouring the food under the brilliant fireworks outside.
Once they had eaten enough, Shinji began to ponder how to casually show himself to his classmates next door.
However, Shion suddenly burst out of the private room and loudly declared to the shopkeeper downstairs: "I made a friend! Today, I'm treating everyone here!"
Upstairs and downstairs, the diners all cheered at the news.
Shion, hands on her hips, turned back to see Shinji, who was left speechless.
Click.
Just then, the door to the next room opened, and Tenten stepped out, annoyed: "My classmates don't need you to pay for us!"
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