In the world of Naruto, as Zabuza and Haku fell one after another into pools of blood, the Seventh Team finally succeeded in completing their arduous mission.
Yet at this very moment, Uchiha Sasuke's face showed not a trace of joy, replaced instead by a deep sense of humiliation.
After all, this battle had been broadcast live the entire time.
Yet he had been so thoroughly suppressed by the enemy; for someone as proud as him, this was an utterly unbearable disgrace.
What troubled Uchiha Sasuke even more, and what he found harder to accept, was that Naruto, who in his eyes was always at the bottom and utterly unremarkable, actually harbored a terrifyingly formidable power within him.
This discovery struck a heavy blow to the heart of Sasuke, who had always considered himself a genius, leaving him momentarily struggling to come to terms with the reality.
Leaving aside the complex state of mind of this proud Uchiha Sasuke for now, the scene shifts to the world of Conan.
As the melodious school bell rang out slowly, Teitan Elementary School instantly became lively and bustling.
Haibara Ai swiftly slung her bag over her shoulder, her thoughts already flying to that miraculous chat group.
"I have to admit, although Uchiha Sasuke seems extremely arrogant on the surface, there's no denying he truly is a genius in every sense," Haibara Ai mused to herself.
After all, for someone his age to have already been through so many battles, constantly teetering on the edge of life and death, in comparison, the pressure she carried herself seemed perhaps not so heavy after all.
Thinking this, Haibara Ai's usually tense nerves relaxed slightly.
"Haibara, you've seemed a bit off lately!"
Suddenly, a crisp voice exploded near Haibara Ai's ear, startling her so much that her body trembled involuntarily.
"I've noticed even during class, you often space out," Edogawa Conan said, his face filled with suspicion as he confidently pushed up his iconic large glasses, his eyes fixed intently on Haibara Ai, trying to catch any clue.
"Could it be… did you pick up some new information about that black organization?"
His tone dropped to a whisper, as if afraid of being overheard.
His bright eyes, gleaming with intellect, remained locked on Haibara Ai.
Faced with Conan's interrogation, Haibara Ai felt a mix of exasperation and speechlessness.
She shook her head gently, silently lamenting her predicament. After all, the chat group had a clear rule – strictly forbidding revealing its existence to anyone else.
She naturally couldn't tell Conan the truth, let alone admit she kept getting distracted during class by following the chat group's activity.
"It's nothing. You're overthinking it," Haibara Ai replied flatly, then promptly refused the invitation from the members of the Junior Detective League to go out and play together.
Her cold and resolute attitude deflated the initially enthusiastic group, leaving them looking rather dejected.
However, this only made Conan, watching from the side, find the situation increasingly suspicious.
He frowned slightly, his gaze never leaving Haibara Ai's hurriedly retreating back, thinking to himself: "What's up with Haibara? She's not usually one to so easily turn down a chance to hang out… Could she really be hiding something?"
Meanwhile, Haibara Ai walked swiftly toward home.
The reason she was in such a hurry today was that she had a prior arrangement with Roy; today, Roy would attempt to descend personally into this world.
For Haibara Ai, this was an event of paramount importance, allowing no room for delay or carelessness.
Haibara Ai arrived home like a gust of wind.
As soon as she entered, she saw Dr. Agasa busy in the living room and greeted him politely: "Hello, Dr. Agasa! I'm home."
Immediately after, using the need to conduct a new experiment as an excuse, she hurried into her room and closed the door behind her.
Watching Haibara Ai leave, Dr. Agasa couldn't help but feel puzzled.
He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Ai seems a little strange lately, doesn't she? I wonder what's going on…"
Just then, a creak sounded as the front door slowly opened, and a small figure sneaked inside. It was Conan.
Dr. Agasa looked at Conan in surprise and lowered his voice: "Conan, what are you doing sneaking around like that?"
Conan quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and whispered back, "Shh, Dr. Agasa, keep it down. Did Haibara just come back?"
Dr. Agasa nodded in confirmation.
Conan furrowed his brow slightly and continued, "Doctor, haven't you noticed? Haibara's behavior has indeed been very unusual lately."
Hearing this, Dr. Agasa nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Conan curled his lips into a confident smile, thinking to himself: Hmph, I'll definitely get to the bottom of this and find out why Haibara has changed like this.
However, Haibara Ai was completely unaware of the two people outside her door.
After entering her room, she sat down directly and mentally logged into a mysterious chat group.
A message appeared on the screen: [Group member Roy is applying to descend into this world. Do you agree?]
Haibara Ai clicked the [Agree] button without hesitation.
Almost at that exact moment, the entire room began to undergo a series of bizarre changes without any warning.
The air, which had been as still as dead water, was now churned and twisted violently, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand possessing immense power.
This powerful force caused the surrounding air to distort noticeably.
Simultaneously, time and space instantly plunged into a state of extreme chaos.
A massive vortex, shimmering with an eerie light, materialized out of thin air for no apparent reason.
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