Ch.88 A Difficult Fellow!

After cutting off Karin's spiritual projection, Uchiha Shinji sat quietly in his Jikibi space, feeling a bit dazed. Things had gone smoother than expected, but he didn't feel particularly happy.

The situation of Karin and her mother, in his eyes, wasn't an isolated case but a common occurrence in the shinobi world.

Karin wasn't the only one.

After all, wasn't he himself just a remnant of the Uchiha clan?

In the Hidden Leaf Academy, Haku was a remnant of the Yuki Clan, Naruto had lost his parents at birth, Neji had watched his father die at the age of five, and even the carefree Shion secretly longed for affection.

The shinobi world needed change!

The unnecessary conflicts needed to be reduced!

This thought began to take root in his mind.

He then thought about the task that had echoed in his ears when he first awakened—the mission called "Dawn's Break."

"What exactly does 'Dawn' mean?"

He had asked the Lamp but received no answers.

Shinji shook off his wandering thoughts, regaining his focus. He activated Jikibi once more to search for Deidara's spiritual signature.

Soon, a connection was made!

In the stillness of Jikibi's space, another projection appeared.

"Hmm?! What is this place?"

Deidara wasn't frightened; instead, he looked around curiously.

Shinji, leaning back in his stone chair, spoke calmly, "This is a special space where members of the Inner Circle can communicate without worrying about leaks."

Deidara clicked his tongue in admiration. "I didn't expect there to be such a technique! It's similar to the Outer Circle leader's 'Magic Lantern Body Technique'! Hmm!"

Clearly, unlike Haku and Karin, Deidara quickly grasped the uniqueness of Jikibi's space without needing extra explanation.

Immediately, there was an added hint of respect in his gaze toward Shinji.

At first, Deidara didn't think much of the Akatsuki organization.

Given his reckless, fearless nature, he didn't care about most of the members—except for the one who had recruited him, Shinji.

But after spending some time in the Akatsuki, he began to realize that it was far stronger than he had imagined.

Not to mention the leader, who supposedly possessed the eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, the other members were all S-rank criminals known throughout the shinobi world.

And because of Shinji's influence, Deidara had always thought the part of Akatsuki he was in was just the Outer Circle, which made the overall strength of the organization even more shocking to him!

Deidara glanced at the round table and noticed there were seven seats.

"The Inner Circle has seven members, including me?"

Curious, he sat down in one of the empty chairs.

Shinji, eager to confirm whether Deidara had obtained the White Zetsu cells, remained outwardly calm and asked in a casual tone, "Any unusual activity in the Outer Circle recently?"

Deidara immediately became animated. "Everything's unusual! Apart from me, there's not a single normal person in the Outer Circle! Hmm!"

"You're not that normal either," Shinji thought to himself.

Deidara then asked, "By the way, who exactly am I supposed to be watching? Who's on our side, and who should I be cautious of?"

This question stumped Shinji.

He had only encountered Deidara by chance, and the whole "monitor the Outer Circle" thing was something he had made up on the spot. Now that Deidara was asking about it, he didn't have a proper answer.

After a moment's thought, Shinji replied, "Remember, don't trust the Uchiha."

Deidara gave Shinji a long, serious look and then leaned back slightly, putting some distance between them.

Shinji was exasperated. "Idiot, I meant be careful of the Uchiha in the Outer Circle!"

"An Uchiha in the Outer Circle?!" Deidara frowned. "Other than Itachi, is there another Uchiha in the Outer Circle? I wasn't aware of that."

Shinji responded, "That's precisely why I've had you keep your Inner Circle identity hidden."

Deidara stroked his chin, nodding earnestly. "Hmm, I'll be careful."

Shinji then got to the point: "How's the task I gave you going?"

"Got it done!" Deidara replied confidently.

Shinji's heart leaped with joy, but he still asked cautiously, "They didn't suspect anything, did they?"

Deidara said, "I don't think so. I attacked under the pretense of being annoyed by their surveillance, so they shouldn't have realized my true intentions. But their cells are quite special—I could sense a strong Yang Release chakra in them."

Shinji realized he had underestimated Deidara, so he didn't dwell on the topic. They quickly discussed how to exchange the cells.

Once the arrangement was made, Shinji severed the connection with Deidara.

As Deidara's spiritual projection faded from Jikibi's space, Shinji dropped his calm demeanor, stood up, and pumped his fist in the air. "I got the White Zetsu cells!"

With Karin's situation resolved and the White Zetsu cells secured, the days of anxious waiting had finally borne fruit. Shinji couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement.

He also felt fortunate that his quick thinking in pretending to recruit Deidara into Akatsuki had turned out to be a brilliant move.

Not only had it helped him get the White Zetsu cells, but it also gave him an insider within Akatsuki.

...

In a small town's inn, Deidara blinked and returned to his senses.

"The Inner Circle is even more mysterious than the Outer Circle!" he thought, pondering, "So there's another Uchiha besides Itachi in the Outer Circle?"

...

Meanwhile, in the forest outside the town.

A figure wearing a one-eyed mask stood on a tree branch, gazing at the inn where Deidara was staying.

At that moment, another figure slowly emerged from the tree trunk, revealing half of his body. "Deidara hasn't left the inn since he went in."

Undoubtedly, the two in the forest were none other than Tobi and Zetsu.

Though Deidara believed he had concealed his actions from Zetsu, he didn't know that Zetsu's sensory abilities were among the best in Akatsuki. It didn't take long for him to detect Deidara's secret dealings with the White Zetsu cells.

Thus, Tobi and Zetsu had been tailing Deidara all the way to this small town.

Tobi asked, "He hasn't met with anyone?"

Zetsu shook his head.

"That's strange. Why is he doing this?" Tobi frowned.

Deidara's attack on Zetsu puzzled Tobi. He couldn't determine whether Deidara was acting on his own or if someone was pulling the strings.

White Zetsu quipped, "For someone who always talks about explosions, nothing he does should come as a surprise."

Black Zetsu, however, rumbled in a deep voice, "It's not that simple."

Tobi confirmed, "Was Itachi the one who recruited him?"

White Zetsu nodded. "Yes, Itachi, along with Juzo Biwa and Sasori."

Tobi's gaze darkened. "Could Itachi be investigating something? He really is a difficult fellow."