196-200

Chapter 196: More Eating Means More Gaining 

After Orochimaru left, Danzo, still fuming, threw a massive tantrum. 

Orochimaru's defection had completely ruined Danzo's entire comprehensive plan. 

Danzo never expected that Orochimaru, who seemed indifferent to everything but his research, would actually go to Hiruzen Sarutobi and propose self-imposed restrictions to continue his studies. 

But Danzo's anger was useless now. Orochimaru was, after all, Hiruzen Sarutobi's student, and just as Orochimaru had argued, Root was a training department for the Anbu. It was perfectly reasonable for Orochimaru to want to join the Anbu. 

He thought he was finally seeing the dawn, but it seems the clouds are already rolling in before sunrise. 

"It's not Jiraiya, nor Orochimaru... who does Hiruzen intend to make Hokage? Is there anyone else more qualified than those two? Tsunade? Unlikely. Tsunade has hemophobia, and in terms of influence, aside from being the First Hokage's granddaughter, she's no match for Orochimaru or Jiraiya..." 

Danzo simply couldn't figure out who Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to name as the next Hokage. 

At the Barbecue Restaurant 

Kushina Uzumaki and Pakura's eyes twitched. 

Yakushi Kabuto almost had his head buried in his chest. 

Because the three of them were already full, while Shindai was still devouring food as if he hadn't eaten in 800 years. 

Kushina, finally losing her patience, warned, "Hey, Shindai, that's enough! You're full, there's no point in forcing it!" 

Kushina was already starting to feel the pinch in her wallet. 

"Full? No... hiccup... still a long way to go! Even though I usually have Tasuke's portable seasoning to hunt and cook a small meal, it's nothing compared to proper barbecue! If I don't eat my fill, I'll be doing myself a disservice!" 

Shindai let out several loud burps as he spoke. 

Kushina suppressed the urge to punch him, squeezing out words through gritted teeth, "I'm giving you ten seconds. When ten seconds are up, we're leaving!" 

Kushina started counting down, and Shindai's movements sped up, frantically stuffing food into his mouth. 

When the countdown ended, Shindai's mouth was completely stuffed, with no room left for anything else. 

Kushina, Pakura, and Kabuto all rolled their eyes. 

Was he a starving ghost reincarnated or something? 

To prevent Shindai from pulling any more stunts, Kushina immediately went to pay the bill. 

Even with a mental estimate, seeing her wallet instantly shrivel up, Kushina's breathing grew heavy. She shot an intensely aggressive look at Shindai, who was still struggling to swallow the meat in his mouth. 

What to do when you just want to punch someone?! 

"Sorry, for making you pay so much," Pakura apologized awkwardly to Kushina. 

Kushina smiled and shook her head. "No worries at all! I should be a few years older than you, Pakura. Just call me 'Sister' like Shindai does." 

Pakura nodded. "Okay, Sister Kushina." 

Hearing Pakura call her 'Sister' just like Shindai did, Kushina found a slight comfort for her wallet. 

After leaving the barbecue restaurant, Shindai finally managed to swallow the last of the barbecue in his mouth. 

Shindai patted his bulging stomach. "Phew, that was satisfying. Time to go home, time to go home~" 

As Shindai's words faded, he felt a very resentful gaze. 

Shindai turned his head and realized the gaze belonged to Yakushi Kabuto. 

Shindai gave a dry chuckle. "Uh, ha, I didn't forget! I was just kidding, you actually believed me~" 

Kabuto pouted. Didn't forget? Yeah, right! 

Shindai said to Pakura, "Pakura, I need to go to the orphanage with Kabuto. Do you want to come with me or go home with Sister Kushina first?" 

"I..." 

Pakura was about to say she'd go with Shindai, but Kushina immediately interjected, "Pakura, come back with me first. Pakura's injuries mean she should rest properly; she can't be running around with you anymore!" 

"Hmm, alright. Anyway, Pakura, you have the house key. You can sleep in my room today. Tomorrow, I'll take you to buy daily necessities. Let's go, Kabuto." 

Shindai waved goodbye to Pakura and Kushina, then, with a bulging belly, headed to the orphanage with Yakushi Kabuto. 

After Shindai left, Kushina's face lit up with a gossipy expression. She couldn't wait to ask Pakura, "Pakura, since we're neighbors now and it's still early, why don't you come over to my place for a bit and tell me how you and Shindai met?" 

Pakura looked at Kushina with a subtle expression, feeling a hint of... something ominous. 

Shindai was practically leaning his entire weight on Kabuto, who was struggling to support him. 

"Ha, sorry, Kabuto. I need you to help me out a bit~" 

"You ate too much! Couldn't you have eaten less?" 

Kabuto complained. He was still young; he shouldn't have to carry this much weight! 

Shindai lectured him, "Hey, you can't eat less! More eating means more gaining! You're still young, you wouldn't understand." 

Kabuto retorted, "I don't see you being that much older than me! And aren't you uncomfortable eating so much?" 

"Uncomfortable! But when I think that even my burps taste like barbecue now, I don't feel uncomfortable anymore." 

Shindai's response left Kabuto speechless. 

Finally, after Kabuto exerted every ounce of strength and was almost exhausted, they arrived at the orphanage. 

Kabuto led Shindai into a room and said, "Wait here for a bit. I'll go get the director." 

"Okay, good. I'll sit for a while and digest." 

Shindai leaned on a table and sat down. He clearly felt his belly jiggle when he sat. 

A little while later, Kabuto returned to the room with Yakushi Nonō, and someone else was with them. 

"Oh, Lord Orochimaru, you're here too." 

Orochimaru's gaze fell upon Shindai's belly, which his clothes could barely cover. "Looks like you ate a lot." 

Shindai asked curiously, "Since Lord Orochimaru is here, does that mean..." 

Orochimaru nodded. "That's right. I've talked to Hiruzen-sensei. He will support my research from now on. Also, I've discussed your ideas for the orphanage with him, and he agrees with your plan. 

Although Hiruzen-sensei warned him, it's not impossible that he might use the information gap to immediately threaten Nonō into rejoining Root and then assign her a mission outside the village. If that happens, it would be too late, so I came to warn Nonō." 

Shindai knew exactly who Orochimaru meant by "him": Danzo. 

Shindai looked at Yakushi Nonō and asked, "So, Sister Nonō, you already know about all this?" 

Yakushi Nonō smiled. "Yes, thank you, Shindai, for coming up with this money-making plan for our orphanage. If it succeeds, our orphanage will be self-sufficient and no longer need aid." 

Shindai proudly raised his chin, showing off to Kabuto. "See? I didn't lie to you, Kabuto! Even Lord Hokage approved my plan!" 

Kabuto's eyes finally sparkled as he looked at Shindai, saying sincerely, "Big Brother, you're amazing!" 

It seems Shindai's plan is set to bring some much-needed relief to the orphanage. And with Orochimaru backing him, things are definitely getting interesting! What do you think will be the next challenge for Shindai? 

Chapter 197: Holding a Grudge 

Outside the orphanage, Shino Aburame's father, Shibi Aburame, the ninja from the Aburame clan, quietly departed, surrounded by his parasitic insects. Orochimaru's guess was correct. Shibi Aburame had been sent by Danzo, intending to find Nonou Yakushi before she knew anything, and threaten her with the lives of everyone in the orphanage. 

Based on Danzo's understanding of Nonou Yakushi, a woman who hadn't let go of her compassion and treated the orphanage as her own home, she would surely agree to return to Root. Danzo then planned to immediately send Nonou out of Konoha, leaving Lord Hiruzen with no way to interfere. However, Danzo was still a step too late. 

After Shibi Aburame returned to Root, he reported the situation to Danzo. Danzo's face was as dark and ominous as if he was about to devour someone. 

"Shindai... that Magnet Release kid from the Hidden Sand Village? Was he involved in this too?" 

Shibi Aburame replied, "Yes, it sounds like those so-called money-making plans were thought up by this child named Shindai." 

Danzo speculated, "So, it seems that because of this brat's plan, Hiruzen intends to protect Nonou. For these plans to proceed smoothly, Nonou, as the orphanage director, must be the one to implement them. Hmph, what an ungrateful brat!" 

Although Danzo didn't know that Orochimaru's defection was largely due to Shindai, it didn't stop Danzo from holding a grudge against Shindai. Danzo was now feeling very anxious, because the reason he could live so freely and do whatever he wanted without consequence was due to Lord Hiruzen's great tolerance. As long as things didn't become a huge scandal known throughout the village, Lord Hiruzen would turn a blind eye. If Lord Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, were to retire and be succeeded by the Fourth Hokage, his good days might be over. After all, why would the Fourth Hokage indulge him? His power in Konoha would surely diminish, and his situation would only worsen. 

Originally, Orochimaru was Danzo's trump card; if Orochimaru had succeeded to the Hokage position, Danzo's comfortable life could have continued. But now... now that it was clear Orochimaru wouldn't be running for Hokage, no matter who became the next Hokage, Danzo's situation was bound to deteriorate. The anger inside Danzo flared up again. 

Danzo pondered for a long time. The current situation was very unfavorable for him. He needed to be more careful, more discreet. He would wait and see who Lord Hiruzen chose as the next Hokage, then go into蛰(zhé)伏 (hibernation/seclusion) and look for another opportunity. 

Shindai's Plan for the Orphanage 

Inside the orphanage. 

Shindai explained his money-making plan in detail to Nonou Yakushi. "So, during the charity event, we absolutely have to raise enough funds. Therefore, your speeches must be deeply moving, capable of resonating with everyone, and you need to find every way possible to make them pull money out of their pockets to donate to you. Once we have the funds, everything else will be much easier. Opening stores and all that can be done in one go. So, you can start thinking about the speech content right now." 

Nonou Yakushi nodded and replied, "I understand. I'll carefully consider the content of the speech." 

Shindai stretched. "Alright, that's about enough. Eating a lot makes me sleepy, and I'm super tired now, so I'm heading back first. Oh, and Kabuto, I'm going to open a shop in the future, and as my little brother, you've got to help me out!" 

Kabuto puffed out his chest and promised, "Big Bro Shindai, I definitely will! But... Big Bro Shindai, what kind of shop are you going to open?" 

Shindai spoke mysteriously, "You'll know when the time comes. Maybe, when you're an adult, you'll even become one of my customers~" 

"Huh? I'll be your customer? And I have to be an adult?" 

Kabuto thought hard, but he couldn't figure out what on earth Shindai intended to sell. 

Orochimaru knew a little bit about this. When Shindai was bragging to him before, he had mentioned his 'grand ambition': an adult puppet shop. Orochimaru felt that Jiraiya and Lord Hiruzen would probably absolutely love Shindai's adult puppet shop. Shindai even told him that if Orochimaru's temperament wasn't so unsuitable, he would have asked him and Jiraiya to endorse the adult puppet shop together. While Orochimaru currently had no shame, there was no way he would agree to something so embarrassing, even if Shindai and Jiraiya tortured him in turns. 

"Sister Nonou, Kabuto, I'm heading out now. Lord Orochimaru, are you coming too?" 

Orochimaru declined Shindai. "No, I still have something to discuss. You go on ahead." 

"Alright." 

Shindai, with a full belly, left. 

Nonou Yakushi waited for Orochimaru to tell her what he had to say. 

After sitting for a moment, Orochimaru stood up. "I'm leaving too. Nonou, you find some time to go to the Hokage's Office yourself and talk to Lord Hiruzen about this. But even if you're going to start fundraising, it will probably have to wait until the war is completely over." 

Nonou Yakushi: ??? 

Is that all he stayed for? Even if Orochimaru hadn't said anything, she was going to the Hokage's Office tomorrow anyway to talk to Lord Hiruzen and finalize things. It almost looked like Orochimaru was just trying to avoid Shindai. 

The Aftermath of Betrayal 

Shindai arrived at Minato Namikaze's house and found Kushina Uzumaki and Pakura chatting happily. Shindai curiously asked, "What are you two talking about?" 

Kushina, without a hint of politeness, replied, "None of your business." 

Shindai pouted. "Hmph, as if I care. I don't want to know anyway. I'm tired, I'm going to sleep on the sofa first. Pakura, you can go to my room to sleep later." 

Pakura agreed, "Okay, I understand." 

Over the next few days, besides getting Pakura settled with daily necessities, Shindai acted like a street punk, dragging Pakura around Konoha to explore. Pakura gradually became familiar with Konoha, losing the stiffness she had when she first arrived, and her mood slowly improved. 

While Pakura was happy, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage in the Hidden Sand Village, was not. The jonin he sent out hadn't returned, and the Hidden Mist Village claimed they hadn't killed Pakura; she had escaped. Rasa found this hard to believe. Even if the Hidden Mist ninja hadn't killed Pakura, the four jonin he sent should have overwhelmingly defeated and killed her. After all, Rasa had specifically sent a jonin who was skilled in sealing jutsu and could seal Pakura's Scorch Release flames. Pakura shouldn't have been a match for those four. If they failed, then why hadn't Pakura returned to the Hidden Sand Village? This made Rasa quite anxious. If they had truly failed and Pakura had returned, Rasa wouldn't be as panicked. What truly troubled him was not knowing Pakura's condition, whether she was alive or dead, making it impossible to formulate a response. 

However, there was good news for Rasa: although the Hidden Mist Village hadn't been able to kill Pakura, it was their own failure, so they still agreed to a reconciliation with the Hidden Sand Village. 

Chapter 198: Request for Aid from Rōran 

Half a month quietly slipped by. 

For the entire ninja world, good news finally arrived. 

The Daimyo of the Five Great Nations had concluded their discussions and reached a consensus. 

Next up were the post-war negotiations between the Five Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. 

As the victorious Konoha, we were definitely going to demand reparations. 

The amount of compensation and how it would be paid still needed to be discussed. It wasn't like Konoha could just name a price and they'd pay it. 

Since the post-war discussions were underway, there wouldn't be any fighting at this crucial moment. 

After all, this Ninja World War resulted in countless ninja casualties, and the main combatants, the Five Great Shinobi Villages, were greatly weakened and needed time to recover. 

A week ago, Minato Namikaze had already returned with Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara. 

At Minato Namikaze's House 

Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, the three of them (Obito, Kakashi, and Rin), along with Shindai and Pakura, were all gathered together. 

Kushina and Pakura were laughing and chatting as they prepared lunch. 

Shindai was sprawled on the sofa, utterly bored. "Ugh, when are the Five Great Villages going to finish their talks? Let this stupid war end so I can get ready to open my shop~" 

Minato Namikaze chuckled. "It should be soon." 

Shindai grumbled, "Soon, soon! That's all I ever hear, 'soon'! I'm sick of hearing it." 

Rin Nohara asked curiously, "Speaking of which, Shindai, did Lord Orochimaru really not mention taking you as his student?" 

"Ah, yeah, that's right, he didn't." 

It was a huge relief for Shindai that Orochimaru didn't plan to take him as a student. 

If he had any questions, he could now ask Orochimaru freely. How much more liberating could that be? 

If he became a student, he might not have that freedom anymore. 

It was great news for Shindai, but not so much for Obito and the others. 

They had hoped Orochimaru might temper Shindai's rather mischievous personality, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Shindai was still Shindai. 

Obito grumbled, "Shindai, even with Lord Hokage helping you, you still couldn't get Lord Orochimaru to take you as his student! You're so useless!" 

Shindai glared at Obito with an extremely dangerous look. "Me, useless? Obito, I advise you to rephrase that!" 

"You can't threaten me now! Look, what's this?" 

Obito activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, then reverted to his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, then back to Mangekyo, then back to Three-Tomoe. 

He was totally showing off! 

Shindai scoffed, "What are you showing off? Who doesn't have a bloodline limit? Be careful you don't get a cramp!" 

Kushina, Kakashi, Rin, and Minato, who were all cooking, simultaneously looked at Shindai. 

They didn't! 

Obito boasted, "Cramp? Shindai, are you kidding? How could I get a cramp... ow!" 

Obito suddenly clutched his left cheek, his face contorted in pain. 

Rin looked surprised. "Hey, Obito, what's wrong? Did you actually get a cramp? Why are you holding your face if your eye cramped?" 

Obito's left cheek twitched. "Blinking, blinking too fast! My face cramped! Shindai, you jinx! It's all your fault!" 

Shindai sneered, "What's that got to do with me?!" 

Kakashi and Rin looked at Obito in exasperation. Only Obito could do something so foolish. 

Rin looked at Pakura. "But Shindai, you really did it. You actually brought Sister Pakura back to Konoha and even got her to join the village." 

"Hmph, if I say it, does she dare to disobey?" 

Shindai's words sounded tough, but his voice was terribly quiet, clearly afraid Pakura might hear him. 

Obito, still clutching his twitching cheek, his eyes darted around, then he spoke in a very loud voice, "What? Shindai, did you say Sister Pakura wouldn't dare to disobey you?" 

Pakura shot a sharp glare at Shindai. 

Shindai jolted upright, his hair almost standing on end. He quickly said, "Obito, if you don't want your ears, I can help you chop them off! I said Pakura's words, I wouldn't dare to disobey!" 

"Hmph." 

Pakura snorted coldly, then turned back to continue preparing lunch with Kushina, chatting and laughing. 

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin all looked at Shindai with subtle expressions. 

Only Minato had a strange sense of empathy. 

Because Kushina's temper wasn't exactly mild; sometimes, he didn't dare to cross her either. 

Kushina untied her apron and announced, "Alright, lunch is ready! Come and eat, everyone." 

At the Dining Table 

Shindai and Obito were going at it, eating like they were in a battle. 

What they didn't notice was that both Kushina and Pakura's faces had darkened. 

CLANG! CLANG! 

Obito now had a bump on his head, and Shindai had two. 

Why did Shindai have an extra one? 

Because Kushina and Pakura had simultaneously punched Shindai's head. 

Kushina said angrily, "Eat properly! If you don't, then don't ever eat again!" 

Shindai and Obito, having just been punched, immediately became well-behaved. 

Kakashi and Rin wore somewhat smug smiles, while Minato's smile was a bit helpless. 

Because when Kushina and Pakura punched Shindai, the food in Shindai's mouth sprayed onto his clothes. 

The Next Morning, Hokage's Office 

Hiruzen Sarutobi received a scroll, a request for aid from the Land of Wind's Rōran Kingdom. 

After reading the scroll's contents, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then sent someone to call Minato Namikaze. 

Minato Namikaze looked at the long line stretching ahead, feeling a bit deflated. "Seriously, there are so many people." 

It was the first day that Ichiraku Ramen was open in Konoha, and all ramen was half-price today. 

"Yo~" 

Jiraiya appeared next to Minato Namikaze. 

"Sensei Jiraiya." 

Jiraiya eagerly said to Minato, "Minato, come here, come here." 

Jiraiya led Minato into a deserted alley. 

"You'll be amazed when you see this!" Jiraiya formed a Rasengan in his hand. "How about it? The jutsu you painstakingly researched and created, I've mastered it! Pretty amazing, huh?" 

"That's incredible! As expected of Sensei Jiraiya!" 

Minato's compliment was heartfelt, but then, "Now, I have an urgent matter, so I'll be going." 

Minato was still eager to get back in line. 

Jiraiya's face immediately fell. "Eh..." 

But just as he walked out of the alley, a ninja called out to Minato, "Minato! Lord Hokage wants to see you, it's urgent!" 

Minato looked conflicted at Ichiraku Ramen, then sighed and headed to the Hokage Building. 

Around 10 AM, Shindai, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi were waiting in line. 

"Is it really this hard to just get a bowl of ramen?" 

Shindai was frustrated. Ichiraku Ramen! He really wanted to eat it. Now that it was finally open, he naturally wanted to be the first to taste it. 

But the line was just too long! 

It seems like things are getting a little more serious now with a request for aid from Rōran. Do you think this will lead to a new mission for Minato and perhaps even Shindai and the others? 

Chapter 199: Departing for Rōran 

Inside the Hokage's Office building, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi was explaining the mission details to Minato Namikaze. After hearing the mission brief, Minato murmured, "Six years ago... Mukade, huh?" 

Lord Hiruzen spoke to Minato with a serious expression. "That's the mission's overview, Minato. Pick your own team and depart for Rōran immediately. And one more thing, Minato, you absolutely must execute this mission flawlessly. Although the Land of Rōran is located within the Land of Wind, it's a country within a country, an independent nation not under the Land of Wind's jurisdiction, and it's quite prosperous. The Hidden Sand Village is currently preoccupied, which is why they've requested our help from Konoha. So, you need to perform exceptionally well, understood?" 

Minato felt something was a little off, but he didn't question it further. He was a ninja; his job was simply to execute the mission. After Minato left, Lord Hiruzen picked up Rōran's plea for aid and read it again. Lord Hiruzen was now laying the groundwork for Minato's future as Hokage, boosting his influence. If this mission was executed well, the Land of Rōran would become an ally of Konoha. Though it was a small country, it was still a nation, after all. 

Ramen Woes 

At that moment, Shindai was still lining up with Kakashi and the others. Behind them, Might Guy, Shizune, and Asuma Sarutobi were also waiting in line. 

Shizune eagerly chirped, "I can't wait to eat some ramen!" 

Might Guy was absolutely fired up. "Teuchi-san's Efforts Ramen! The Soup of Souls! I shall savor it with all my heart!" 

Asuma Sarutobi, with his hands in his pockets, coolly stated, "Hm! Passing down such a secret flavor is also a manifestation of the Will of Fire!" 

Kakashi's sharp tongue suddenly flared up without warning. "Hmph, honestly. It's just a bowl of ramen. You guys really have vivid imaginations." 

Shizune put her hands on her hips, annoyed. "What's that, Kakashi? Aren't you guys lining up too?" 

Kakashi looked at Shindai, who was standing in front of Obito with an eager expression, and smirked. "If a certain someone hadn't insisted on coming, I wouldn't be stupid enough to stand in such a long line." 

Rin Nohara whispered, "Don't say that! If Shindai hears you, he'll start a fight again." 

Kakashi spread his hands. "I didn't call him out by name. Besides... looking at him right now, even if I insulted him, he wouldn't hear it." 

Obito's eyes immediately gleamed with excitement. "Oh, really? Let me try!" 

Before Rin could even open her mouth to stop him, Obito shouted, "Shindai, you're a big idiot!" 

Shindai, who was eagerly peering ahead, noting that only a few people were left in the queue, suddenly spun around and glared fiercely at Obito. Then... 

Obito, now with a new lump on his head, looked at Kakashi accusingly. "You said he wouldn't hear it!" 

Kakashi turned his head away, avoiding Obito's resentful gaze. "Apparently, he did." 

Obito clenched his fists, about to retaliate, when Kakashi spotted Minato Namikaze, dressed in his ninja gear. He immediately asked, "Sensei Minato! Is there a mission?" 

"Yes, assemble immediately!" 

Kakashi shouted to Shindai, Obito, and Rin, "Hey, stop lining up! We've got a mission!" 

"Huh? Oh, alright..." 

Obito and Rin were a bit disappointed; it was almost their turn. All that waiting was for nothing. Obito and Rin walked over to Minato, only to see Shindai still standing in line. 

"Shindai, time for the mission!" 

Shindai flat-out refused. "No way! You guys go by yourselves. It's almost my turn!" 

Minato sighed helplessly. "You can eat it when we get back. We have to leave right now. I'll treat you when we return, eat as much as you want!" 

Shindai still refused. "No! I've waited this long; how can I give up without eating it?!" 

Minato sighed again and said to Obito, Kakashi, and Rin, "Could you guys lend a hand?" 

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin exchanged glances, then nodded simultaneously. Kakashi and Obito took one of Shindai's arms each, while Rin stood behind him. Kakashi and Obito pulled Shindai's arms forward, and Rin pushed his back, their division of labor perfectly clear. 

Shindai struggled desperately. "Hey! Let go of me! I'm not going! Can't you just go without me? One less won't make a difference!" 

Obito urged, "No way! Hurry up, don't be stubborn!" 

Asuma Sarutobi chuckled at Shindai, calling out, "Hey, Shindai, thanks a lot! We'll take over your spot in line!" 

Seeing Asuma, Might Guy, and Shizune standing in his former spot, Shindai's eyes immediately turned red. "Fine. Just great. Asuma Sarutobi, I'll remember this! And you two!" 

Asuma, Might Guy, and Shizune suddenly felt a chill down their spines. 

Mission Briefing 

Shindai, forcibly dragged home, packed his gear in disgruntled silence. Pakura asked curiously, "What's wrong with Shindai? Why's his face so dark?" 

Minato watched Shindai forcefully stuffing things into his bag with loud thuds, rubbing his temples. "He was waiting in line for the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen. We had a sudden mission, so we had to drag him back, and... well, that's how he ended up." 

Pakura's expression turned subtle. "That makes sense. Yesterday, when he found out Ichiraku Ramen was opening, Shindai excitedly talked about it all day, saying he absolutely had to eat ramen today. It's past noon now, and he waited for two hours without getting to eat. It would be weird if he weren't angry." 

Kushina asked curiously, "Is that ramen really that good? I remember you went early too, Minato. Did you get to eat any?" 

Minato shook his head. "I didn't get any either. Just as I was about to line up, Lord Hokage sent someone to find me. It must be good, though, since so many people were lining up." 

"Is that so..." Kushina, seizing the opportunity, gloated, "Don't be sad, Shindai. Later, Pakura and I will go and try Ichiraku Ramen for you~" 

"Hmph!" 

Shindai grunted grumpily, slung his backpack on, and left the house. 

"Alright, we're off then." 

Minato followed Shindai, meeting up with Obito and the other two at Konoha's village gates. As they traveled, Minato explained the mission. "This mission is in Rōran. Although Rōran is a country, it's located within the Land of Wind. So, to avoid unnecessary trouble, we'll wear masks and operate in secret when we enter the Land of Wind. This mission is a plea for aid from the Queen of Rōran. Six years ago, a ninja from the future named Mukade arrived in Rōran. This Mukade is after Rōran's Ryūmyaku (Dragon Vein) power. He wants to use this power to develop puppet weapons, so we need to find Mukade and eliminate him." 

Rōran? Mukade? Shindai felt like he'd heard those names before... but he couldn't quite remember. 

Chapter 200: Green-Haired Naruto 

Minato Namikaze was briefing Shindai and the others on their mission. 

Shindai had a vague memory of Rōran and Mukade from Minato's description, but his memories were too fuzzy now. Aside from a few key characters and major events, he'd forgotten most of it, so even with a faint impression, he couldn't recall the details. 

Minato continued, "However, the Queen of Rōran has unfortunately passed away. We currently don't know Mukade's whereabouts, so we'll have to find him ourselves once we get there." 

Obito asked, puzzled, "Sensei Minato, what exactly is this 'Ryuumyaku Power'?" 

Minato explained, "The Ryuumyaku Power is a massive collection of energy flowing underground. The Queen of Rōran possessed the ability to control it. The queen who passed away unexpectedly used the Ryuumyaku's power to expand Rōran, making it a prosperous nation filled with towering structures. 

Our mission, besides hunting down Mukade, is also to protect the new queen. Since Mukade wants to use the Ryuumyaku Power, the new queen, who can control it, will be in great danger. 

Alright, let's get going. When we reach the Land of Wind's border, everyone put on your masks!" 

Minato pulled out four masks and handed them to Shindai and the others. 

"Ugly!" 

Shindai grumbled, looking at the fox-style mask in his hand. 

"I think it's cool~" Obito had already put on his mask and asked, showing off, "Rin, do I look cool?" 

Rin, always supportive, replied, "Yeah, really cool!" 

Shindai sneered, "Tch, Obito and Rin, if either of you had any taste, you could start calling me by my name backward from now on!" 

Obito nodded. "Alright, Kaminyo." 

Rin echoed, "Kaminyo, you're right." 

A vein immediately throbbed on Shindai's forehead. 

After some time on the road, Minato's team entered the Land of Wind and saw the towering city of Rōran in the distance. 

"Get ready! Follow me into Rōran!" 

Upon entering Rōran, Shindai exclaimed, "Whoa, the architecture here is amazing!" 

Shindai felt like he'd stepped into a modern city. Everything was incredibly new to him. 

Kakashi and the others were also awestruck by the buildings. 

"Next, we need to locate the new queen. She hasn't been enthroned yet; her name is Sara, and she has deep crimson hair. This is what she looks like." 

Minato unrolled a scroll, which contained a picture of a woman. 

Just as Shindai and the others finished looking at Sara's image in the scroll, five puppets appeared above them. 

The five of them instantly entered combat stance. 

Shindai scorned, "These puppets are so ugly." 

Kakashi looked around. "We can't seem to locate their puppeteer." 

Obito frowned. "These puppets don't look very friendly." 

As soon as Obito spoke, two of the five puppets swung their harpoon-like blades, slashing towards Shindai and the others. 

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" 

Obito spat out two massive fireballs, sending them hurtling towards the attacking puppets. 

However, another puppet fired two purple energy spheres, which directly cancelled out Obito's fireballs, then began to barrage Shindai and the others. 

At the same time, one of the puppets also shot a purple energy beam from a cannon mounted in its mouth. 

Shindai and the others immediately dodged. 

Minato threw two Flying Thunder God kunai at the puppet that was firing energy spheres and beams. 

"Flying Thunder God Level Two!" 

Minato instantly warped to the location of the marked kunai, while simultaneously forming a Rasengan in his hand. In a blink, he shattered two of the puppets. 

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song Jutsu!" 

Obito unleashed four fire dragons at another puppet, attacking it simultaneously from above, below, left, and right. 

The puppet had nowhere to escape. It blocked the fire dragon in front of it, but the other three fire dragons were unavoidable. It was struck and destroyed. 

"Chidori!" 

The piercing cry of birds rang out as Kakashi plunged through a puppet, which then fell apart into pieces on the ground. 

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Coffin!" 

Shindai used his iron sand to encase the last puppet. The puppet, infused with iron sand, was instantly paralyzed. 

But then, over a dozen more puppets flew in from a distance. 

Minato's expression turned grim. "Let's retreat and hide for now." 

Shindai used his iron sand to carry the paralyzed puppet, following Minato as they retreated. 

In an inconspicuous corner 

Shindai began disassembling the puppet that his iron sand had paralyzed. 

Minato asked, "So, Shindai? Any ideas?" 

Shindai's brows were tightly furrowed. "There's no complex technology here, but why could it unleash such powerful attacks? It doesn't make sense." 

Minato speculated, "That purple power feels like chakra to me, but it's also different from chakra. It's very likely the Ryuumyaku Power. These puppets were probably enhanced by it." 

Kakashi's expression turned serious. "So... that means Mukade has already seized control of the Ryuumyaku Power?" 

Minato shook his head. "I don't know. Regardless, let's take it one step at a time." 

Obito's ears twitched. "Did you guys hear a battle sound?" 

Minato, Shindai, Kakashi, and Rin all perked up their ears and listened. 

"It sounds like... there is a battle." 

"Yeah, definitely, and it's not too far from us either." 

Kakashi asked, "Sensei Minato, should we go check it out?" 

Minato thought for a moment, then said, "Let's go take a look." 

Minato's team set off again, heading towards the source of the sound. 

At the top of a building, Shindai and the others found a hole in the roof, and four puppets had flown in through it. 

"Go!" 

At Minato's command, all five moved at once, rushing through the hole. 

Below, someone was struggling to fend off the puppets' attacks. 

Minato rushed in, using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to rescue him. Shindai, Kakashi, and Obito simultaneously unleashed their respective jutsu, destroying the puppets. 

When Shindai looked at the person Minato had rescued, he was instantly dumbfounded. 

Bright blue eyes, a Konoha forehead protector, six distinctive whisker marks on his face, and a striking resemblance to Minato Namikaze. 

Is this Minato Namikaze's son, Naruto Uzumaki? 

But what in the world is with that green hair?! 

Did Minato cheat? Or is his future wife not Kushina Uzumaki? 

No way! 

Did the 'Pure Love Warrior' persona just crumble?! 

At the same time, Shindai also remembered that Naruto Uzumaki had apparently time-traveled into the past before. 

Looks like Shindai's stumbled into a tricky situation, and the appearance of a green-haired Naruto is certainly a shocker! What do you think this means for the mission and for Shindai's understanding of the timeline?