Coulson finally realized their mistake.
Uehara Naraku's mind and intellect surpassed anyone he had ever met!
Just understanding and grasping human nature alone made Coulson and Special Agent Hill, who were accustomed to dealing with ruthless figures, feel chilled to the core!
Who would have thought that everything happening within S.H.I.E.L.D. today was merely to let Nick Fury see those trivial files...
And when Nick Fury saw those trivial files, he fell into a trap. He would glean two answers Naraku wanted to convey, eliminate one obviously wrong answer, leaving only one choice...
The other...
Was also wrong.
Under such circumstances, how could they reverse the outcome?
Compared to the somewhat passionate and kind Coulson, Special Agent Hill was more composed. She reached out and laid her hand on Coulson's shoulder.
"Coulson, calm down."
Hill's palm grasped Coulson's shoulder, her gaze falling on Uehara Naraku, continuing softly, "Agent Uehara Naraku, I'm really curious, just how many Hydra spies are there at the headquarters that they would act on your command this time..."
"Actually, not that many, right?"
Uehara Naraku rubbed his temples, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "You've always been wary of Hydra lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., there's no need for that.
The truth is, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have that many Hydra spies. Including field agents and security personnel at the gate, the genuine number is pitifully small..."
"..."
Coulson's face looked much better.
He was somewhat relieved, perhaps Uehara Naraku had used up most of Hydra's spies to frame them?
If that's the case...
As long as Nick Fury isn't blinded by the trivial data, fooled by the fake identity of Captain America, or tempted by the defection of the two agents, he might soon discover the truth?
Those Hydra spies would definitely not escape...
Yet Special Agent Hill's brows remained furrowed. She was pondering what "very few" actually meant, not trusting Naraku's claim. Hydra had almost infiltrated all departments, how could there be few spies?
Sure enough.
"Let me do the math... It seems..."
While Uehara Naraku was speaking, he raised his head to look at Hill and Coulson's expressions, a wry smile appeared on his lips, "Our personnel within S.H.I.E.L.D. haven't surpassed ninety percent yet..."
"..."
Coulson's expression instantly crumbled.
Damn it...
He relaxed too soon.
Seriously, hardly any at all?
Is Uehara Naraku really not deceiving them? How could there be so many Hydra members within S.H.I.E.L.D.? What kind of S.H.I.E.L.D. is this!
The usually composed Special Agent Hill was also a bit at a loss.
Just now, Hill had been tentatively estimating that Hydra's spies might account for five to ten percent within S.H.I.E.L.D., a ratio already quite high...
As it turns out...
Only ten percent within S.H.I.E.L.D. are their own personnel?
That's truly a hopeless figure for anyone to hear!
Wanting to thoroughly clean out Hydra means the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to be uprooted and rebuilt, or rather, only the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D. could eradicate the Hydra spies!
Can such a thing...
Really be accomplished?
Uehara Naraku looked at the grim faces of the two, chuckled lightly, and advised, "That's why there's no need to be wary of Hydra spies..."
Yes, there's absolutely no need.
Unless the structure is dismantled and rebuilt, S.H.I.E.L.D. could never be cleaned completely.
"Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stability and growth rely on our support..."
This is indeed the truth.
Without the Hydra spies, S.H.I.E.L.D. would undoubtedly be paralyzed.
Comparatively speaking, the most troubling issue is the current internal inspections of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Hydra in control, what will become of the inspections?!
"The current internal inspection seems very effective, but we have long secretly placed the inspection targets entirely on the truly loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents..."
"..."
Coulson's eyes appeared vacant.
Coulson seemed to have already despaired in his heart.
Even as an Advanced Agent personally cultivated by Nick Fury, he couldn't imagine how Fury could turn things around under such circumstances...
"Coulson, we must trust our commander."
Hill squeezed Coulson's shoulder, shook her head slightly at him, and continued, "If it were us, we might indeed lack the resolve to dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D.... but our commander, once he realizes this situation, will have the determination to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Hill's approach to thinking was very accurate.
Hill's resolve wasn't as small as she claimed.
Since her transfer to internal commander, Hill had gradually learned from Nick Fury, adopting his mindset, and had always had her own thoughts...
As Hill had guessed.
Once Fury realized S.H.I.E.L.D. was completely taken over by Hydra spies, he wouldn't lack the resolve to bring down S.H.I.E.L.D. along with the Hydra spies!
"Agent Uehara Naraku."
Hill looked at Uehara Naraku and said solemnly, "There's actually one last real answer. Director Fury could choose to suspect there's a problem with all of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Agent Uehara Naraku, have you considered that Director Fury might trust no one? He's truly the king of spies! No matter how secretive your actions are..."
"I've considered it, but he has to make a choice in the end."
Uehara Naraku scratched his head, smiled, and continued, "If Director Fury suspects there's a problem with all of S.H.I.E.L.D., then I'll stand by his side and suspect there's a problem with S.H.I.E.L.D., would he still trust me?"
"..."
Hill was momentarily speechless.
This person... How can he play like this!
Is Uehara Naraku really a proper spy?
How could a genuine spy act like this?!
Shouldn't you as a Hydra commander persuade Nick Fury to trust the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, allowing Hydra to continue lurking?
That's what a spy commander should do!
How can this guy, when Fury suspects S.H.I.E.L.D. is filled with spies, as the spy commander, stand on Fury's side?
What kind of play is this?
It's really leaving no opening at all!
Should things develop this way, even if Fury indeed suspects an issue within S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, he would never suspect Uehara Naraku has a problem...
Washington.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Nick Fury hadn't considered so much yet.
This Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had just returned, summoning several agents who witnessed Hill and Coulson's defection for questioning, gathering some trivial information.
It was only from these messy scraps of information and data that Nick Fury obtained the first conjecture:
Coulson and Hill were Hydra's agents.
That's absurd, Nick Fury didn't believe Coulson could be a Hydra spy because he knew the man he groomed didn't have that capacity...
As for the second answer.
Nick Fury glanced at a report delivered by several verification agents, his dark face slightly shadowed, his mood deteriorating.
Because when Coulson and Hill defected from S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, they took with them the German missive, leaving no substantial evidence to prove Steve Rogers was a human weapon Hitler devised against the Third Reich's traitors...
Yet...
The king of spies doesn't need evidence to solve a case.
Nick Fury put down the numerous files in his hands, looked at the photos of Coulson and Hill, and fell into contemplation. Their defection hit him hard, almost leaving him with no capable hands.
Such a statement might seem skewed.
At least Nick Fury still held three trump cards.
"Hey, Agent Uehara Naraku, report back to the Washington Triskelion Headquarters immediately, I have a very important mission to assign to you..."