Ch.357 Illusions and Contradictions

"Karin, we're here to see you!"

Shion knocked on the door while calling out.

After a long wait, the door finally opened, revealing Karin's figure inside: "You guys… why are you all here?"

Shion barged in boldly, placing the fruits and snacks in her hands on the table: "Karin, look who's here!"

At that moment, Yakumo followed behind Shion, stepping into Karin's apartment.

Seeing Yakumo, Karin was somewhat surprised.

In truth, during her recovery period, her peers had visited her a few times, some more than others, but Yakumo had never come once.

Entering the room, Yakumo sized up Karin and asked, "Karin, how's the injury on your face recovering?"

"I'm fine now."

Karin shook her head.

By now, the bandages on her face had been removed, the wound was gone, and she had put back on the goggles she always used to wear.

As Yakumo observed Karin, a sudden jolt struck her heart, and she thought to herself: "What's going on? Why do I feel threatened? Could there be something in this room that could endanger me?"

Karin, who was also observing Yakumo, quietly activated her 'Kagura Mind's Eye' and was secretly shocked: "Such powerful chakra!"

Without a doubt.

Both of them instinctively felt wary of each other.

Yakumo considered activating her Koryugan to thoroughly search Karin's apartment and uncover the source of this inexplicable sense of threat. But, remembering she was there to visit Karin, suddenly using her Koryugan would be far too impolite.

Karin, meanwhile, was stunned by Yakumo's chakra, momentarily lost in thought.

Just then, Shion suddenly stepped between them: "Your injury's healed? That's awesome! Karin, come with us to eat some barbecue!"

"Sure," Karin started to agree, but then she recalled the orders given by the leader and reluctantly declined: "You guys go ahead, I'll pass."

Shion looked puzzled: "Why not? Feeling unwell? Yakumo and Sakura are learning medical ninjutsu—want them to check on you?"

Sakura immediately volunteered: "Yeah, I've learned a ton of medical ninjutsu lately!"

Karin quickly waved her hands: "I'm fine, just not hungry."

Shion and Sakura wanted to persuade her further, but Yakumo, standing nearby, spoke up: "If that's the case, let's drop it."

With Yakumo speaking, the others had no choice but to let it go.

Even within their small peer group, strength symbolized status. Yakumo's power now far surpassed the others.

In the entire shinobi academy, aside from losing to Uchiha Shinji, she was unmatched, so her status had skyrocketed, making her the de facto leader of the girls' group.

Karin, on the other hand.

She had always been a nobody in the academy. If not for her identity as Uchiha Shinji's teammate, she wouldn't have even integrated into the peer group.

After a few more words, the group soon left, and watching their departing figures, Karin felt a small pang of disappointment.

At that moment, Yakumo, who had reached the door, suddenly stopped, turned to Karin, and said: "When you see Uchiha Shinji, pass along a message for me!"

"What?"

Karin froze.

"I want to spar with him again. Time and place—he can decide!"

With that, Yakumo didn't linger and left directly.

Staring at Yakumo's retreating figure, Karin's expression darkened, her fists clenching tightly: "She has both Wood Release and Koryugan, yet she's always picking on Uchiha Shinji. What kind of skill is that?!"

Toward Yakumo, she had only felt a slight bit of envy before.

But when it involved Uchiha Shinji, the matter changed, because Uchiha Shinji and Haku were her two best friends in Hidden Leaf Village!

On the other side.

After leaving Karin's apartment with Yakumo, Shion quietly asked: "Yakumo, is there some kind of conflict between you and Karin?"

The other peers also turned to Yakumo.

Because Yakumo's earlier behavior suggested she had an issue with Karin, showing a bit of impatience.

Yakumo wanted to explain, but as the words reached her lips, she felt it wasn't appropriate, so she swallowed them back.

In truth, she had only instinctively wanted to leave Karin's apartment quickly, to get away from that place that made her uneasy, even causing her heart to race.

It wasn't about targeting Karin.

However, she didn't realize that her current status and position were far different from before. Every word and action was scrutinized, so her impatience led others to wonder if there was some conflict between her and Karin.

Seeing Yakumo stay silent, the group grew even more convinced that there was likely some tension between her and Karin.

"Could it be because of Uchiha Shinji?! No way, I need to find a chance to talk to Yakumo. It's just a spar—letting it affect their friendship would be bad."

Shion's eyes darted, and she began seriously plotting.

Sakura thought to herself: "Yakumo's so intimidating when she gets serious!"

Tenten and Ino also assumed it was because of Uchiha Shinji, causing Yakumo to feel distant toward Karin, his teammate.

After all, they didn't think someone as unremarkable as Karin could have done anything to offend Yakumo.

While the others were lost in their thoughts, Yakumo, now far from Karin's apartment building, let out a long breath. That strange sense of threat in her heart had finally dissipated.

She glanced back at Karin's apartment and muttered to herself: "What was that just now? Was it my imagination?"

Karin lived in a small single-person apartment, so Yakumo genuinely didn't believe there could be anything inside that could threaten her.

Shaking her head, Yakumo pushed the matter out of her mind.

Because Uchiha Shinji, Sasuke, Neji, and Kimimaro had all declined the gathering under the excuse of training, the girls went to the barbecue restaurant alone that evening.

Rumble!

As they ate barbecue and chatted, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from the distance.

The group rushed to the window, looking toward the sound of the blast. In the distant night sky, a raging fire blazed!

"Isn't that the archives building?"

"What's happening?"

"A fire?"

Someone quickly recognized that the place engulfed in flames was the village's archive building, where records and various ninjutsu scrolls were stored.

Yakumo instantly activated her Koryugan and said: "It's not a fire—it's an attack! Damn it, could it be the same group that attacked the hospital before?"

The hospital attackers had left her teacher, Tsunade, in a frenzy, so upon realizing it was an assault, Yakumo didn't hesitate. With a flash, she vanished from the group with a 'whoosh.'

Near the archives.

Swish!

A figure burst out from the flames with the sound of breaking wind, clutching two ninjutsu scrolls.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

At that moment, a team of Anbu landed around the figure, surrounding the one who had emerged from the fire. Upon seeing the figure's attire, the Anbu immediately went on high alert: "The Akatsuki?! Quick, release the distress flare!"