Chapter 256: Preparations for the Chaos That Will Unfold in the Slums

The bag was no ordinary bag—it was a Sacred Artifact with the ability to expand space.

This Artifact allowed Criegh to store numerous items within a very limited space, making it easy for him to carry various explosives without any difficulty.

The explosives were carefully taken out of the bag and handed over to a manager who was waiting nearby.

Once the items were received, Criegh and Cristine paused for a moment, observing the busy place around them.

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On the other side, just after Criegh and Cristine left, the stone that had been near them began to tremble. Without warning, the stone released a thick cloud of smoke, and a Shadow Clone emerged from within it.

"Damn, maintaining my form as a stone was much harder than I thought," the Shadow Clone muttered in an irritated tone. However, the clone quickly stopped complaining as it looked into the distance, where a small building with a few guards standing outside could be seen.

The Shadow Clone surveyed its surroundings and quickly realized it was now in the Southern District, a slum area long known by observers as an inconspicuous hiding place.

"I see... so they've been hiding here all along," the Shadow Clone said quietly, nodding to itself. The clone's face showed a deep understanding of the situation. It then turned toward the building, heavily guarded by several individuals.

"So, that's their base? In that case, I need to inform the others," the Shadow Clone said firmly. Without wasting any time, it hurried away from the location, its steps quick and purposeful. The clone knew that this was important information that needed to be conveyed immediately.

After some time, the Shadow Clone finally arrived at the meeting place with Kakashi and Konohamaru.

"What's going on?" Kakashi asked, his face confused, still surprised from Haruto's visit a few hours earlier, and now the Shadow Clone was here with new information.

The Shadow Clone immediately stared at Kakashi and Konohamaru seriously. "Get the woman and her daughter immediately. The Southern District and the entire slum area may soon descend into chaos," the Shadow Clone said with a stern expression.

Konohamaru and Kakashi exchanged glances, shocked by the information.

"This...?" Konohamaru asked, unable to believe it. Neither of them expected the enemy to be hiding in the slums, and it was highly likely that a major chaos would soon unfold there.

"We understand, but this might take a little longer," Kakashi said, his tone slightly hesitant. "We still need to prepare everything to move them. Unless we forcefully take them away."

"That's fine," replied the Shadow Clone. "We need to know their plans first by infiltrating the place. So, it might take a few more days."

Kakashi nodded, understanding the situation. "We understand, then we will begin our preparations."

With that, the Shadow Clone immediately set off toward the Dark Market to meet with the other Shadow Clones who were stationed in various locations within the Dark Market.

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The Shadow Clone finally met with the other Shadow Clones in the Dark Market. After sharing the newly obtained information, they quickly and efficiently divided up their tasks.

Out of the fifteen Shadow Clones, they were split into three groups, each consisting of five Shadow Clones.

The first group would head to the slums to carry out the infiltration, investigating the recently discovered base of the Soul Collectors. The second group would go to various official organizations, delivering a false report that an organization was planning something sinister.