---
Sensing Shinji's dismissiveness, a feeling of defiance immediately surged within Deidara.
"Hmph! Watch my Exploding Clay!" Deidara felt a surge of anger; he wanted to prove himself.
Moreover, he felt that this room was likely just a facade presented by Shinji. If he destroyed this place, something different would surely be revealed.
As Deidara stretched out his hands, small white clay spiders began to appear, quickly crawling all over the room in an instant.
"Lord Shinji!" Karin looked fearfully towards Deidara's room; she knew the power of those clay explosions.
"Impregnable Defense." Although the All-Purpose Shop itself couldn't be damaged, it didn't mean the people inside were automatically protected.
Therefore, if Karin were hit by the shockwave of the explosion, she would still be injured.
Quickly, as Shinji mobilized the surrounding Geo element to protect himself, a Jade Shield formed.
Shinji stood protectively in front of Karin and Deidara.
Faint, intricate patterns surfaced on the shield, and the skeletal frame of Geo chains formed around it, supporting the entire structure.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Fierce explosions instantly echoed within the room. Due to the room's inherent soundproofing, no strange noises were detected from outside in the village.
Dust from the explosions instantly enveloped Shinji's body. Thanks to the Jade Shield, Deidara and Karin behind him were unharmed.
Seeing Shinji 'resolutely' step in front of her to block the damage, Karin felt an overwhelming rush of adoration.
This...?
He was just too cool!
Karin's face flushed as she gazed at Shinji's back. This was simply the most perfect person.
She absolutely had to stay close by his side, and then... take Shinji for...
[Shixie: Hoho]
Setting aside Karin's wild thoughts, Deidara was utterly shocked.
After the explosions died down and the smoke cleared, Deidara rushed to Shinji's side. However, the excitement in his eyes instantly froze. In his imagination, the ordinary room should have ceased to exist by now.
He knew perfectly well the power of the Exploding Clay he had just unleashed.
"How... How is this possible?" Deidara stammered. Not only were he and Karin, under Shinji's protection, completely unharmed.
But also, within the room, there wasn't the slightest trace of an explosion having occurred. The bed was still the same bed; even the bedding on it was completely undamaged.
The floor remained pristine, without a single mark. Even his prized Exploding Clay hadn't left behind the smallest fragment.
Looking at the scene in the room, Shinji let out a breath.
Although the system indicated the All-Purpose Shop couldn't be damaged or worn down.
This was still the first time Shinji had tested it practically.
"I told you, if you can destroy this room, the contract automatically becomes void," Shinji looked confidently at Deidara.
Deidara, however, still seemed unresponsive, staring intently at the room.
This?
Gradually, gradually.
Deidara's expression shifted from initial confusion and self-doubt to ecstatic joy!
Yes.
Pure ecstasy!
Now that he possessed this room, it meant Deidara could freely conduct all sorts of 'scientific' experiments within it!
Deidara firmly believed that after perfecting his clay bombs, he would definitely be able to completely destroy this room!
"What's wrong?" Shinji watched as Deidara's expression grew increasingly joyful, knowing that his room had completely won him over.
For an explosion fanatic, nothing could move him more than this.
"Nothing! Is this room mine from now on?" Deidara looked eagerly at Shinji.
"Of course. However, when you conduct your Exploding Clay experiments, you must close all doors and windows," Shinji stated. He didn't want constant explosions coming from upstairs while he was completing system tasks.
That would really spoil the mood.
"No problem!" Deidara walked into the room. He had completely fallen in love with this place.
No restrictions, and he could freely conduct his demolition experiments.
Where else in the world could possibly support his art?
"Of course, there are still some things I need the two of you to do now," Shinji said calmly. Since the conditions were met, according to the contract, from the moment it was signed, these two could only follow his orders.
"What is it? Do we need to blow something up?" Deidara asked excitedly, already starting to form various types of Exploding Clay in his hands.
"Keep your things further away," Shinji said, not wanting to constantly be on guard against Deidara's Exploding Clay.
"Lord Shinji, is there something you need me to do?" Compared to Deidara, Karin seemed much more sensible.
Her heart was now firmly tied to Shinji. As long as Shinji gave an order, she would undoubtedly carry it out with all her effort.
"Of course. First, you both need legitimate identities in Konoha." Shinji took out a piece of paper, outlining a method to obtain real identities in Konoha.
Naturally, Shinji hadn't figured this out himself. It came from someone who specialized in handling identity documents for undocumented individuals. That person had come to Shinji's shop, and having nothing else on him, could only leave behind his notes on the process.
With this, Karin and Deidara could quickly obtain their own identities.
"Understood. We'll go handle it right away."
"No rush. There are other things next."
"What things?" Deidara looked curiously at Shinji.
"That would be, Deidara, take this." Shinji took out a money pouch and gave it to Deidara.
"This is... money?" Deidara tilted his head, looking at the money pouch in his hand.
"Yes," Shinji replied casually.
"This... why are you putting money with me? Is it my salary?" Deidara couldn't quite understand Shinji's actions.
"Of course not. Karin, this is for you too." Shinji took out another money pouch for Karin.
"Okay, Lord Shinji." Karin didn't ask any questions, simply accepting the money pouch naturally.
"From now on, when you go out with me, you two will handle the payments," Shinji stated calmly. Zhongli never paid; he understood the concept of money but had a poor grasp of it, often spending lavishly but always forgetting to bring money.
Thus, it was always Childe who paid.
So, Shinji followed suit, entrusting the money to others so he wouldn't have to handle payments himself.
"Okay, Lord Shinji," Karin agreed immediately.
"What? So it wasn't our salary?" Deidara muttered under his breath, but he was quickly silenced by a glare from Karin.
Was he kidding? Daring to complain about Shinji right in front of her?
Hmm?
Looking at Karin and Deidara with their distinct personalities, Shinji smiled, then walked to the entrance of the All-Purpose Shop and took down the "Temporarily Closed" sign hanging outside.
"Let's go for a walk." Shinji picked up his birdcage. Before leaving previously, he had made sure to put enough food and water for the thrush.
Fortunately, thanks to the All-Purpose Shop's functions, the thrush's droppings were automatically cleaned up as soon as they appeared, saving Shinji the trouble of cleaning.
The thrush started chirping upon seeing Shinji, affectionately rubbing against his hand.
"Okay." Hearing Shinji's words, Karin quickly tidied herself up and followed behind him.
Deidara wanted to grumble a bit more, but after seeing Karin's glare, he couldn't help but shrink back.
He'd better just obediently follow along.
...
...
"What? Deidara is missing?" In Iwagakure, Ōnoki was currently fuming at the ANBU members below.
So long? More than half a day had passed, and the Iwagakure ANBU still hadn't found Deidara?
"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage. We searched the entire surrounding area, even sent personnel into the Land of Grass, but we still haven't found any trace of Young Master Deidara."
The ANBU member below trembled slightly as he spoke.
Everyone knew Deidara was Ōnoki's favorite student. Although he often caused explosion incidents, anyone could see that Ōnoki never really cared...
"Search! Keep searching for me!"
"Yes!"
After the ANBU member left, Ōnoki walked to the window.
Deidara's disappearance truly vexed him. Although Deidara had run off several times before, he was always found quickly.
"Hmph! This bunch of incompetents!"
In the Hokage's Office.
"Report!" An ANBU member suddenly appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Ahem, speak." The ANBU's sudden appearance almost caught Hiruzen off guard. He quickly put away his crystal ball; he had just been diligently 'guarding' Konoha's bathhouses...
"The owner of the All-Purpose Shop has returned, and he has two children with him," the ANBU member reported, head bowed.
Ever since Hiruzen Sarutobi had visited the All-Purpose Shop last time, he had specifically assigned someone to wait outside the shop, wanting to know what Shinji was up to.
However, he hadn't expected Shinji to leave Konoha directly. This instantly made Hiruzen wonder if Shinji had some special identity, prompting him to flee Konoha quickly after his visit.
Shinji had been gone for four days with no news. Gradually, Hiruzen had almost forgotten about this person.
"Two children?" Hiruzen immediately grasped the key point.
So, you didn't flee Konoha, but instead brought people back?
How much did he disregard him?
Could Shinji really be someone sent by another village?
At this thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, the pipe held in his mouth making continuous puffing sounds.
"Yes. One is a boy with yellow hair, appearing to be around 6-8 years old. The other is a girl with red hair, appearing to be around 4-5 years old."
ANBU members were experienced in observing people. Although viewed from afar, they had accurately estimated Deidara's and Karin's ages.
"A girl with red hair?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. He didn't care much about the yellow-haired boy; what concerned him was the red-haired girl.
Generally, clan characteristics were quite distinct.
Chōza Akimichi had red hair, and Sunagakure also seemed to have red-haired individuals.
But if one were to talk about which clan in the entire shinobi world had the most red-haired members.
Then it had to be the members of the Uzumaki Clan.
Like Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, and his own teacher's sister-in-law, Mito Uzumaki.
These individuals all had red hair. Therefore, the red-haired girl Shinji brought back truly caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Should we take any forceful measures?" the ANBU ninja suggested.
"Not for now. I have my own plans," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment. This matter was quite significant. If she truly was a member of the Uzumaki Clan.
Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi also wanted to recruit her into Konoha. After all, the Uzumaki Clan had been destroyed, and there weren't many surviving members scattered outside.
"Yes!"
"Keep someone observing the All-Purpose Shop."
"Understood!"
The ANBU ninja nodded and then departed.
"A red-haired girl, hmm?" Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke, then focused his gaze on the crystal ball.
---
> Check my: p@treon.com/ShixT9 for extra 60 Chapters
> Each 50 Spirit Stones I will release an extra chapter
> If a member joins my p@treon
> Tier 1 = 20 Advance Chapters +1 Extra Chapter + Shoutout
> Tier 2 = 40 Advance Chapters + 2 Extra Chapters + Shoutout
> Tier 3 = 60 Advance Chapters + 4 Extra Chapters + Shoutout
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