Chapter 29 I'm going to disappoint you……

Araki stood on top of the tree, overlooking the two Uchiha clan youths and one girl, listening to their conversation while quickly assessing the situation.

It seemed that these three were searching for something!

Combining their Uchiha clan identity and the mention of the Military Police Force...

Araki had reason to believe that what they were looking for was the "missing" Hyuga Sora. After all, when he left the ninja school, he noticed a hint of panic on Teacher Yinsui's face.

Hyuga Sora had been absent from classes for three consecutive days, and it was indeed worth investigating. However, they had already missed the best time for investigation, and now it seemed like even the scent of pepper was gone.

However...

What surprised Araki was that the first ones to investigate here were only three young teenagers who called themselves the "Junior Detective Team." This piqued his interest.

On the tree branch.

The girl with long, straight black hair brightened her jet-black eyes upon hearing the words "Military Police Force," revealing a naive longing.

"Fugaku-niichan, can we really join the Military Police Force?!"

Excitement and enthusiasm were evident in the girl's tone, as if she had already glimpsed the moment her dream would come true. She was already starting to daydream.

"As long as we can find Hyuga Sora!"

The leader of the group, Fugaku, nodded, his own jet-black eyes filled with determination. His semi-long black hair gradually turned into messy strands at the ends, giving him a somewhat unconventional appearance. Upon closer inspection, there was a slight resemblance to Sasuke when he was young.

This is...

Uchiha Fugaku?!

Then...

The girl just now...

Could she be Uchiha Mikoto?

Standing on top of the tree, after hearing their conversation, Araki instantly deduced the identities of these two individuals. He couldn't help but feel amazed and shocked. He never expected to encounter these two here.

But who is the third person?

Araki glanced at the third member of the Junior Detective Team, confirming that he had no influence whatsoever. He decided to keep this question mark in his mind, knowing that they would meet again in the future.

What did these three say next? Following their consecutive leaps, they continued to move forward into the depths of the dark forest, carefully searching for any sign of Hyuga Sora.

Until now, they still didn't know whether Hyuga Sora was alive or dead.

"I will disappoint you..."

Araki watched the direction in which the three were leaving. Nobody understood better than him what had happened to Hyuga Sora. These three would never be able to find Hyuga Sora!

Even if they were to use the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, they didn't have Hyuga Sora's flesh and blood to extract genetic material for the summoning ritual.

Not to mention that Orochimaru had not fully mastered the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu yet.

Araki believed that he had handled the matter concerning Hyuga Sora with meticulous care, without any oversight.

"But the Military Police Force does have its own share of problems."

Araki shook his head slightly. The search for Hyuga Sora inevitably fell under the jurisdiction of the Military Police Force. Although it was not considered a confidential matter, the fact that these young kids heard about it so quickly and arrived here ahead of the Military Police Force raised certain concerns.

As Uchiha Fugaku and his group departed...

Araki suddenly leaped down from the tree branch, his movements appearing extremely agile. Even after landing on the ground, he didn't make any noticeable sound. His control over his muscles had become even more precise.

"I can't stay in the forest any longer. Tomorrow, I should move to the lake. Swimming is indeed a more efficient exercise for the body than on the ground."

Araki silently planned in his mind. His ability to swiftly and agilely control his body was now thanks to his consistent swimming practice. It not only allowed him to sense the flow of air but also enabled him to move quickly through the airflow while running.

"And... it's time to start carrying weights!"

...

Gradually,

Time passed by minute by minute.

With the rising sun, another night of training came to an end, and Araki didn't wait for any other members of the Military Police Force to investigate.

If he hadn't encountered the Junior Detective Team, he wouldn't have known that the Military Police Force was investigating this matter.

The efficiency is too low!

When Araki returned to his place of residence, he didn't see Kushina's figure, but her backpack was placed at the door, clearly organized in a convenient spot.

"Quite sensible."

Araki's lips curled up slightly, and through this small, subtle detail, he sensed a change in Kushina's attitude.

Previously, they had an agreement, but Kushina wasn't particularly willing to keep her distance from him. Now, however, that had changed.

Kushina was clearly not as clingy as before!

If it were someone else, they might have developed feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness, but for Araki, he suddenly felt much less pressure, knowing that he wasn't being treated as an annoyance.

When Araki arrived at the classroom of the ninja academy, he saw Kushina already seated in her place.

Kushina seemed to sense Araki's arrival and looked up at him. Her pitch-black eyes glistened as if they could speak. Then, she subtly nodded, as if greeting Araki.

Shortly after,

Kushina shifted her attention elsewhere.

It wasn't that she didn't want to exchange a few more glances with Araki, but she understood that many people in the class now wanted to be friends with her. A slight misstep could bring trouble to Araki.

After experiencing the events of the past few days, Kushina felt like she had died once and now been reborn.

After her rebirth, she loved life even more and cherished the people she wanted to cherish.

Many things that she couldn't understand before now made sense, and she began to pay attention to things she previously overlooked. Some things that used to matter to her now became insignificant.

Tap, tap, tap...

Just as Araki sat down, a series of footsteps resounded from outside the classroom door. These footsteps were chaotic and disorganized. Without much thought, it was apparent that more than one person was approaching.

Teacher Yinsui appeared first at the classroom door. His expression was much more serious than usual, with slightly dark circles under his eyes, indicating a lack of sleep.

Following closely behind him were two shinobi dressed in Konoha ninja attire. The expressions on their faces were as if every student in the class owed them money. Their facial expressions were identical, with furrowed brows and a downward curve at the corners of their mouths, radiating an extremely cold indifference. Especially their eyes, when scanning the class, it was as if they were interrogating prisoners.