176-180

Chapter 176: Subordinate 

Inside the Hokage's office in the Hokage Building. 

Right now, Shindai was standing alone, caught under the gaze of both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru. Shindai forced a shaky smile and greeted them, "H-Hokage-sama, L-Lord Orochimaru, good morning~" 

Hiruzen glanced out the window, looking confused. "It's almost evening, and you're saying good morning? And Shindai, why are you so nervous? You used to be much more relaxed." 

Shindai wanted to cry. That's because Orochimaru wasn't here back then! 

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed as he looked at Shindai. "Is it because of me that you're nervous?" 

Shindai shivered and quickly tried to smooth things over. "N-no, how could that be? Lord Orochimaru, you're my idol! This is just excitement, yes, pure excitement!" 

Hiruzen chuckled. "Excitement, you say? Well, that's good. I suggested before that Orochimaru take you as his student, and Orochimaru spoke quite highly of you. I just told him, but he hasn't given me a clear answer yet. So, Orochimaru, why don't you tell Shindai the result yourself?" 

Shindai looked at Orochimaru nervously. 

Orochimaru looked at Shindai with a half-smile. "It's true, I do have a good impression of you. Your strength is decent, and your research talent isn't bad either. However, to become my direct student... it's not enough. My current criteria for taking on students aren't based on those conditions." 

Shindai's eyes immediately lit up when he heard Orochimaru say that. Orochimaru didn't want him as a student? That was perfect! 

Hiruzen asked, "Orochimaru, what are your criteria for taking students then? We need to give Shindai a goal to strive for, right?" 

Orochimaru replied, "My criteria aren't something one can achieve just by trying hard. You could say it depends on my mood. However, I am willing to give him a chance. For now, he can stay by my side as my subordinate. If he meets my standards, then I will take him as my apprentice." 

Orochimaru looked at Shindai again. "So, are you willing to temporarily serve as my subordinate and work with me?" 

Shindai couldn't possibly refuse. If he did, he'd be disrespecting Orochimaru too much, and who knows what kind of trouble Orochimaru would cause for him. 

Shindai "happily" replied, "Of course, I am! Thank you so much, Lord Orochimaru!" 

Hiruzen encouraged Shindai. "Shindai, you must work hard! Orochimaru is an excellent teacher, just like Jiraiya. Both of them are dedicated masters with very high teaching standards. You must strive to earn Orochimaru's recognition!" 

Shindai responded loudly, "I'll do my best!" 

(...to mess this whole thing up!) 

Hiruzen nodded, satisfied, then took a puff from his pipe and said to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, there are many people in Konoha who look up to you, just like Shindai. You're their role model, so you must lead by example. There are things you should do and things you shouldn't. I'm sure you understand that yourself. Just be sure to know your limits and never overstep them. You're still part of Root, right? Find an opportunity to talk to Danzo and leave Root. I'll arrange another position for you." 

Shindai felt something was off with Hiruzen's words. It sounded like he was hinting at something. 

Orochimaru stared at Hiruzen for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I understand." 

Hiruzen then suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Alright, both of you should leave immediately for the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass." 

Shindai froze. "To the border? What for?" 

Hiruzen replied to Shindai, "To defend against Iwa ninja." 

Shindai was confused. "Huh? Still defending against Iwa ninja? Didn't the war end?" 

Hiruzen explained to Shindai, "There won't be any more large-scale battles, but since the Five Great Nations haven't reached any agreements yet, the war is still officially ongoing. Various skirmishes will continue without interruption. Now, we're just waiting for the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations to hold discussions and reach a conclusion. Only after they announce it will the war truly end. So, until a result is reached, we must continue to show the strength of Konoha. We can't let them sense any fatigue from us. That's why Jiraiya, Minato, and the others have already gone to their respective borders to guard them. Originally, you, Kakashi, and the others would have joined Minato's group, but now that you're Orochimaru's subordinate, you'll go with Orochimaru to guard the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass." 

Shindai immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He knew instinctively that a solution wouldn't be reached in a short amount of time. What if Rasa decided to pull a fast one on Pakura while he was at the border? Then it would be completely over! What to do? What should he do?! 

Hiruzen looked at Shindai, who had suddenly turned pale and was dripping with sweat, and asked, "What's wrong, Shindai?" 

Shindai felt like he couldn't solve this alone anymore; he had to ask for help. And the person most likely to help him was Hiruzen Sarutobi. Shindai took a deep breath, then solemnly told Hiruzen, "Hokage-sama, I... I need help!" 

Hiruzen placed his pipe on the table and said, "Tell me, what kind of help do you need? I'll help you if I can. Just say it." 

Shindai asked, "Hokage-sama, do you happen to have any Konoha spies in Sunagakure?" 

Hiruzen looked surprised. "Hmm? Why do you ask?" 

Shindai pulled out a small, square box. "I hope to deliver this to someone in Sunagakure." 

"Who?" 

"Pakura." 

Hiruzen looked at Shindai with a hint of surprise, confirming, "You mean Pakura, the one from Sunagakure with the Scorch Release bloodline, known as 'Scorch Style Pakura'?" 

Shindai nodded. "Yes, that's her!" 

Hiruzen looked even more curious. "What's your relationship with her?" 

Shindai suddenly didn't know how to answer. Friends? That felt a bit too casual. If he said that, what if Hiruzen only gave him half-hearted help? So, he needed to make their relationship sound closer, and he needed to make Hiruzen eager to help. 

Without a trace of redness in his face or a skip in his heartbeat, Shindai declared, "Pakura and I are childhood sweethearts! We promised to get married when we grew up! So, she's my fiancée! Because I was tricked by Sunagakure and became a traitor to them, but Pakura was willing to believe me. Those rumors back then? I had Pakura help me spread them. Pakura wants to take down Rasa and become Kazekage to clear my name, but Rasa has Chiyo and Ebizo backing him. I believe Pakura won't succeed and might be targeted by Rasa. As her fiancé, I can't just stand by and do nothing! I'm really worried about her. This small box is a signal device. If Rasa really does make a move against Pakura, I can use this signal device to pinpoint her location immediately. And after that, I'm confident I can persuade Pakura to join Konoha!" 

When Hiruzen heard this, his eyes immediately lit up. A Scorch Release bloodline user, an elite ninja who shone brightly on the battlefield, potentially joining Konoha? That would be a good thing indeed! 

Chapter 177: Man's Confidence 

When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that Shindai might be able to convince Pakura to join the Leaf Village, he got a little excited. After all, Pakura of the Scorch Release was an elite ninja who truly shined during this ninja war. And this powerful ninja was Shindai's fiancée! 

Wait a minute... fiancée?! 

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shindai strangely. "Shindai, isn't Pakura around 18 years old? And you, by my calculations, are only about 13, give or take? You two..." 

Shindai, without missing a beat, repeated what Obito had told him earlier to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Lord Hokage, think of it this way: when I'm 18, Pakura will only be around 24. Doesn't that sound much better?" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment, then said, "You actually have a point there. But I never would have guessed that those rumors were spread by Pakura of the Scorch Release from the Sand Village. Do you have a plan? Don't go in there and fail to convince her, only to get yourself caught." 

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Shindai was a precious gem. The future development of the Leaf Village's Magnet Release ninja corps depended on Shindai's capabilities. If they could get Pakura to join the Leaf Village, perhaps they could even develop a Scorch Release ninja corps in the future. But if there was a risk, even if it meant trading Shindai for Pakura, Hiruzen Sarutobi would be a hundred times unwilling. Firstly, Shindai was already one of their own. Secondly, even without the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, Shindai was still a talent. Lastly... Hiruzen Sarutobi was still curious about Shindai thoroughly explaining the so-called "puppet customization" to him. What was that all about? 

Shindai thumped his chest confidently. "Lord Hokage, I've got this! I'm not boasting, but when Pakura and I were in the Sand Village, if I said one, she wouldn't dare say two! If I said go east, she would never go west!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That much influence, eh?" 

Shindai also raised his eyebrows back at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "That's right, man's confidence! I definitely have that much authority in the family!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a twinge of envy. Although to outsiders he seemed quite grand as Hokage, at home, he had no say. Biwako Sarutobi was the one in charge. 

At this point, Orochimaru, who had been silent for a while, spoke up. "If she listens to you so much, why not just have her leave the Sand Village and join the Leaf directly?" 

Shindai almost couldn't keep his poker face. Why? Because I was just bragging, of course! 

Shindai cleared his throat and said, "Lord Orochimaru, that's because Pakura has deep feelings for the Sand Village itself, just like me. We're both very sentimental. If I just told her to leave the Sand Village and join the Leaf with me, she would absolutely refuse. So she would try every means to get me back to the Sand Village. Unless she's completely heartbroken by the Sand Village, like I was, Pakura won't leave." 

Hiruzen Sarutobi mused for a moment. "But... if that's the case, then just as you said, Rasa would have to make a move against Pakura, and Pakura would have to be completely disillusioned with the Sand Village before you'd have a chance to persuade her to join the Leaf. But even if you give Pakura this transmitter, you might still not make it in time, right?" 

Shindai began to analyze for Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Pakura is quite famous in the Sand Village now. That black-hearted Rasa just hastily took office, a mediocre Kazekage replacing the Third. If he were to make a move inside the Sand Village, there's a chance he'd be discovered, and if he were, he could forget about being Kazekage! So, I believe Rasa won't act within the Sand Village. Instead, he'll use enemy village ninja to 'borrow a knife to kill.' For example, he'll send Pakura on a mission, then leak her whereabouts to enemy ninja. That way, if Pakura dies at the hands of enemy ninja, it has nothing to do with Rasa. This method is simple and safe, so Rasa has no need to take such a big risk by acting against Pakura within the Sand Village." 

"As for the transmitter I gave Pakura, it's a modified version of Lord Minato's receiver. Not only can I always know Pakura's location, but it can also receive special signals. So when Pakura receives some secret mission from Rasa, she just needs to send me a special signal, and I'll know." 

Orochimaru raised a question: "Then how can you be sure that Rasa will definitely make a move against Pakura?" 

Shindai began to spout serious nonsense: "Lord Orochimaru, do you know about psychological premonitions? It's like a sense of danger. I was sleeping and suddenly dreamed that Pakura was ambushed by Rasa. And Rasa is a sly old fox. His position as Kazekage wasn't inherited normally. If Pakura wants to compete for Kazekage, how could Rasa not be furious? Therefore, I judge! Rasa will definitely make a move against Pakura! So, Lord Hokage, if we have a Leaf spy in the Sand Village, I beg you, Lord Hokage, to deliver this transmitter to Pakura! Please!" 

Shindai bowed deeply to Hiruzen Sarutobi, pleading. If there were no Leaf spies in the Sand Village, or if Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't agree, then Shindai would absolutely not go with Orochimaru to the border. Pakura was too important. If Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't agree, he'd go beg Minato Namikaze. He'd ask Minato to use his Flying Thunder God Jutsu to quickly take him to the Sand Village. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment. To be honest, while Hiruzen could tell Shindai was exaggerating a bit, the rest of what he said made some sense. However, if Shindai went alone, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never agree. The future of the Leaf Village's Magnet Release ninja corps still depended on Shindai's development. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Orochimaru and made a decision: "I will have someone deliver this transmitter to Pakura. But if what you say truly happens, then Orochimaru, you will accompany Shindai there." 

Shindai quickly interjected, "There's no need to trouble Lord Orochimaru, Lord Orochimaru is busy with..." 

Before Shindai could finish, Orochimaru had already agreed, "Alright, I understand." 

Shindai was utterly choked up. "Uh... then thank you, Lord Orochimaru." 

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly, "Even though Pakura is on your side, other unforeseen circumstances could still occur. So, if Orochimaru accompanies you, I'll feel much more at ease. Remember, never go alone. Otherwise, if you find yourself isolated and without help, no one will be able to save you." 

Shindai agreed and thanked them: "Alright, thank you, Lord Hokage! Thank you, Lord Orochimaru! I'm truly very grateful!" 

Shindai's got a big plan to save Pakura, and it seems like he's even managed to rope in the Hokage and Orochimaru! It's a bold move, relying on a "psychological premonition" and some well-placed flattery, but it seems to have paid off. What do you think the chances are that this plan will go smoothly, especially with Orochimaru involved? 

Chapter 178: All Obito's Fault! 

Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to Shindai's request; he'd make sure Shindai's transmitter got into Pakura's hands. With that device, if Pakura sent a special signal, he'd be able to pinpoint her location and go straight to her. With that, things were pretty much set, dattebayo! 

Pakura's situation was temporarily handled, now it was his turn to deal with his own problem. Soon, he'd be on a "private mission" with Orochimaru... who could handle that?! 

Hiruzen told Orochimaru, "Alright, Orochimaru, you and Shindai go get ready, then you can depart. Orochimaru, remember what I told you." 

Orochimaru nodded, then stood up and left the office with Shindai. Hiruzen picked up his pipe, which he had just put down, took a long drag, and sighed. Hiruzen had already sensed some odd changes in Orochimaru. Orochimaru's personality was getting colder and colder, and there had been many strange occurrences in the areas Orochimaru was stationed in, like enemy corpses mysteriously disappearing. 

He should have refused when Danzo came to him, wanting Orochimaru to join Root. Danzo himself was an extreme individual, doing whatever it took to achieve his goals. Hiruzen worried that Orochimaru would be influenced by Danzo and become increasingly extreme as well. Hiruzen truly didn't want his most beloved student to go down the wrong path. 

Originally, Hiruzen planned to have Orochimaru take Anko Mitarashi as his student. Because Anko was cheerful, Hiruzen hoped her bright personality could positively influence Orochimaru. However, now there was an even better candidate. Minato Namikaze had mentioned to Hiruzen that it was thanks to Shindai that Kakashi was able to emerge from his darkness. So, Hiruzen hoped Shindai could also change Orochimaru's personality. 

Shindai followed Orochimaru out of the Hokage Building. Orochimaru suddenly stopped, and Shindai, lost in his own thoughts, didn't notice and bumped right into Orochimaru's backside. 

"Ah, sorry, sorry, Lord Orochimaru." 

Orochimaru turned his head... then looked down at Shindai and said, "You have one hour to pack your things. Wait for me at the village gate." 

"Yes, I understand, Lord Orochimaru!" 

Orochimaru turned back and walked forward. Shindai mumbled softly, "Didn't expect that butt to be so perky and bouncy..." 

Orochimaru stopped again, turning his head to look at Shindai with an emotionless expression. Shindai panicked instantly, not knowing what he was thinking, but he actually gave Orochimaru a thumbs-up: "Sexy, perky butt, a must-have for men! Lord Orochimaru truly lives up to being one of the Legendary Sannin, your butt is so perky, it almost bounced me right over!" 

Shindai thought he saw a dark line appear on Orochimaru's forehead. Orochimaru silently turned his head back again and walked away, his steps slightly faster than before. Shindai stood frozen for a minute, then shivered violently, his toes curling in embarrassment. 

What in the world had he just said to Orochimaru?! Shindai scratched his head. He had accidentally mistaken Orochimaru for Obito just now, and his mouth had run wild! It's all Obito's fault! Orochimaru shouldn't be that petty, right? He was basically complimenting Orochimaru, after all. Who doesn't want a perky butt?! He certainly did! 

After a quick self-hypnosis session, Shindai fled home as if his life depended on it. 

Meanwhile, on a higher floor of the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had witnessed the entire exchange from his window, burst into hearty laughter. Hiruzen laughed so hard that tears started to stream from his eyes. "That expression on Orochimaru's face just now, I haven't seen it in ages! When was the last time? It feels like forever ago. I think it was Jiraiya who made Orochimaru look that speechless last time. Ah, the good old days. What in the world is going on in that kid Shindai's head? 'Sexy, perky butt, a must-have for men'..." 

Hiruzen reached back and felt his own backside, and his laughter immediately died down. He was only in his early fifties now, but his backside was already showing signs of sagging! No! As Hokage, he should be the sexiest man in all of Konoha! He needed to focus on training his glutes from now on! 

Hiruzen looked up at the sky, smiling. He felt more and more certain that recommending Shindai to become Orochimaru's student was the right decision. Just like that, Shindai had already made Orochimaru show that kind of expression. Orochimaru was going to have headaches for a long time to come! 

Shindai returned to his home. Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara were all there. As soon as they saw Shindai, they excitedly started asking him about the results. Shindai, seeing these three, felt a surge of annoyance. "Is this your house or mine, seriously?! It feels like my place is a public space, you three just waltz right in! Privacy, do you even know what privacy is?!" 

Obito urged, "That's not important! What's important is the result! Did Lord Orochimaru take you as his student?!" 

Shindai retorted, annoyed, "What do you mean 'not important'? It's very important! Ugh, never mind, you three obviously have no manners, you wouldn't understand privacy. Lord Orochimaru didn't take me as his student, but he didn't refuse either. He wants to observe me. Now I'll be Lord Orochimaru's subordinate, following him to guard the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass!" 

Obito sighed in disappointment. "What?! Shindai, you're so useless! Lord Hokage even helped you out, and you still couldn't pull it off!" 

Shindai's face immediately turned red with anger. "You're useful, huh? If you're so useful, why don't you go then?! It's easy to talk when you're not the one doing it! I seriously want to gouge out your eyeballs and play with them!" 

Obito quickly covered his eyes. "Shindai, how can you be so cruel?!" 

Kakashi interjected, trying to calm things down, "Alright, Obito. Shindai said it himself, he's currently in an observation period. That means as long as Shindai passes Lord Orochimaru's observation, there's still a chance he can become Lord Orochimaru's student." 

Rin encouraged him, "Shindai, you have to do your best! You absolutely have to become Lord Orochimaru's student!" 

Shindai suddenly felt something was off. He asked suspiciously, "Why are you three so invested in this? You're way too invested. Is there some benefit for you three if I become Lord Orochimaru's student?" 

"Haha, how could there be any benefit?!" 

"Because Shindai, you're our teammate, so it's normal for us to care about you, isn't it?!" 

"Shindai, don't overthink it! Didn't you want to learn Lord Orochimaru's scientific knowledge? This is a great opportunity!" 

Shindai squinted at the three of them. A voice in his head told him these three definitely had some kind of scheme going on, but he had no proof. 

"Ah! I only have an hour to pack, and half of it's already gone! I gotta hurry! No time for your nonsense!" 

Shindai quickly packed his things, stuffing everything into his backpack. He bid farewell to Obito, Kakashi, and Rin, telling them to inform Kushina Uzumaki for him, then rushed out. He wouldn't dare stand up Orochimaru! 

Chapter 179: Lord Orochimaru! 

Shindai, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, headed to the village gate to meet with Orochimaru. Upon arriving, Shindai noticed a man wearing a black cloak and dark sunglasses, with a purple marking tattooed on his right cheek – someone who definitely didn't look like a good guy. He was standing in front of Orochimaru, seemingly deep in conversation. However, it looked more like Orochimaru was doing all the talking, while the other man occasionally nodded, giving Shindai the impression that he was being quite dismissive of Orochimaru. Shindai was curious: who was this guy, so important that he could act so nonchalant towards one of the Legendary Sannin of the Leaf Village? 

Orochimaru spotted Shindai's arrival and turned to face him. The man in front of Orochimaru also looked at Shindai, then said something to Orochimaru before leaving. Shindai could swear his inner self didn't want to gossip, but sometimes, he just couldn't control his mouth. 

Shindai walked up to Orochimaru and asked curiously, "Lord Orochimaru, who was that arrogant-looking guy? He seemed so dismissive of you, it's just outrageous! If it were me, I wouldn't have tolerated it!" 

Orochimaru asked expressionlessly, "Are you asking who he is? Or are you trying to stir up trouble?" 

"Uh... just curious, no ill intentions, how could I be stirring up trouble~" Shindai really wanted to slap himself. Habits truly are a terrible thing. 

"You don't need to know. Let's go." Orochimaru coolly turned and walked towards the Leaf Village gate. 

Shindai muttered, "So secretive, huh?" 

Orochimaru and Shindai set off towards the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. To be honest, in just two short days, Orochimaru was already regretting this. This Shindai kid was incredibly annoying; his mouth practically never stopped on the road. And the things he said were so baffling, it made Orochimaru feel like there was something seriously wrong with the boy's head. 

"Lord Orochimaru, I heard Lord Jiraiya had his ribs broken by Lady Tsunade for peeking into the women's bathhouse. Did Lord Jiraiya ever peek at Lady Tsunade bathing?" 

"Lord Orochimaru, I heard Lady Tsunade always loses when she gambles. Could you possibly arrange a game for me with Lady Tsunade? How about a 9-1 split of the winnings?" 

"Lord Orochimaru, is your pale skin natural? It looks kinda cool. Do you think my skin can become pale like yours?" 

"Lord Orochimaru, are your snake eyes real, or contact lenses? They look pretty... unique." 

"Lord Orochimaru..." 

"Shut up!" 

Just as they were about to reach the border, Orochimaru finally lost his patience. 

Shindai immediately clapped his hands over his mouth, indicating he was silenced. Orochimaru let out a slight breath, then told Shindai, "From now on, I'm giving you, my subordinate, your first order! Stop asking these ridiculous questions. You may ask questions related to the mission, or questions about your research." 

"Oh, okay~" 

Shindai pouted sullenly. He still had so many questions unanswered, and Orochimaru hadn't even answered one of his previous questions. He should at least answer one, right? So stingy! 

Seeing Shindai's expression, an inexplicable anger rose in Orochimaru. He was the one being harassed, and this kid was acting like the victim?! Orochimaru told himself there was no need to be angry, ignored Shindai, and continued on their way. 

And Shindai finally stopped asking questions that made Orochimaru feel harassed, instead asking some more "professional" questions. But were there perhaps too many of those questions now?! 

Orochimaru tossed a scroll to Shindai. "This is my latest iteration of research data on technology, which I was preparing to give to the village. Read it first, and if you have questions after reading it, then ask me!" 

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru, you're so kind!" Shindai happily took the scroll. This was good stuff! Although Orochimaru was a dangerous person, he was quite generous! 

Orochimaru and Shindai finally arrived at the border outpost. Though it was called an outpost, it consisted of simple tents, looking quite rudimentary. And including the ninja out on missions, there were only about 30 people in total. 

Orochimaru told Shindai, "From now on, Shindai, you'll rotate on patrol with the others. If I have any operations, I'll take you with me. I'll arrange your teammates for tomorrow. For now, you can go find logistics to take you to a tent to rest." 

"Alright, Lord Orochimaru, I'll take my leave then." 

Shindai left alone to find the logistics personnel. Watching Shindai leave, Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a strange sense of liberation. 

In the Sand Village... 

Pakura had just finished a conversation with a Sand Village elder and was leaving. Pakura was in a terrible mood. She had met with four elders recently, and three had explicitly refused to support her, while one's stance was unclear. The Sand Village had ten elders in total, excluding Chiyo and Ebizo, leaving eight. This meant that even counting the elder with an unclear stance, getting the support of four elders would only put her on par with Rasa, not to mention that Chiyo and Ebizo held significant sway. So, it seemed Pakura's path to becoming Kazekage through elder support had essentially failed. 

Pakura was very frustrated. At this rate, bringing Shindai back to the Sand Village seemed like a distant dream. Just as Pakura was about to head home, a kunai flew towards her. Pakura dodged backward, avoiding the kunai. 

"Who's there!" 

Pakura wanted to pursue, but her assailant was already gone. Pakura looked at the kunai and saw a small pouch tied to its end. Pakura untied the pouch; inside was a small square box and a note. Picking up the note, she saw shaky, scrawled writing. Upon seeing the handwriting, Pakura raised an eyebrow, immediately recognizing it as Shindai's. His handwriting was, shall we say, "unique," and Pakura had seen it countless times, so she recognized it instantly. 

[Pakura, once you get this box, first press the blue button to activate this device. Then, if the Sand Village sends you, especially if Rasa sends you on a secret mission alone, press the red button on that small box. Remember, keep the box with you at all times, and you absolutely must press that red button if you get such a mission. I'm telling you, take this seriously, or next time we meet, I'll hang you up and beat you! I'll beat you until you cry for your mommy and daddy! Remember!] 

After reading the note, Pakura just found it amusing. Hang her up and beat her? On the battlefield, who was it who got hung up and beaten, really?! Pakura pressed the blue button on the small box, then tucked the box into her ninja pouch. 

Pakura sighed. She still had to visit the remaining elders, and then she needed to seriously think of other ways. 

Shindai's antics with Orochimaru are quite something, reminding me of Naruto and Sasuke's dynamic sometimes! And it looks like his message to Pakura got through. What do you think will happen when Pakura finally gets that "secret mission" from Rasa? 

Chapter 180: Orochimaru's Direct Assault 

Pakura had successfully received Shindai's transmitter and was now back home, trying to figure things out. 

Meanwhile, in the Kazekage's office. 

Rasa sat alone in the dimly lit room, his face incredibly grim. He already knew that Pakura was trying to gain the support of the advisors, aiming to challenge him for the Kazekage position. 

The last joint assault with the Hidden Cloud Village on the Land of Fire... they were driven out by Konoha ninja after just one battle. The Hidden Sand's numbers were already small, and many died in that fight. You could say Sunagakure suffered heavy losses. Because of this, whispers of doubt about him had started circulating in the village. Even though Ebizo told him not to listen to such talk, Rasa still cared deeply. 

Rasa hadn't become Kazekage through normal means, so he wanted to achieve something significant during this Fourth Great Ninja War to prove himself. However, he'd achieved absolutely nothing. Furthermore, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Wind had already called him out. Now, the Hidden Mist Village was completely locked in a fierce struggle with them. The Daimyo ordered him to resolve the Hidden Mist issue as quickly as possible, and not to initiate any more offensive battles. 

Currently, the Daimyo of each country were discussing ending the war. Once the war officially concluded, the Daimyo planned for Rasa to further downsize the army, reducing the number of ninja, and the funds for Sunagakure would be cut again. You could say Rasa was already in a terrible mood, and now with Pakura doing this, he felt even worse. 

Rasa knew perfectly well that the reason his Kazekage seat was so secure was thanks to the support of Chiyo and Ebizo. But Chiyo and Ebizo had told him earlier that once this war ended, they wanted to retire. That meant once they retired, his biggest supporters would be gone. The advisors currently refusing Pakura were only doing so because of Chiyo and Ebizo. He had achieved nothing in this war, yet Pakura, on the other hand, had distinguished herself with outstanding accomplishments. Therefore, without Chiyo and Ebizo's support, the outcome might not be so certain. 

A ruthless glint appeared in Rasa's eyes as he murmured, "I hope you know what's good for you, otherwise, don't blame me!" 

Days passed, one after another. 

Three months flew by. 

Shindai, patrolling the border, had a Chunin from the Akimichi clan, Akimichi Tasuke, as his teammate. Shindai was incredibly satisfied with this teammate! Because the Akimichi clan's most famous trait wasn't their clan secret, the Multi-Size Technique, but their appetite! Akimichi Tasuke's ninja pouch was mostly filled with various sauces. Just catch some wild game, slap on some sauce, roast it over a fire – it was absolutely delicious! With Akimichi Tasuke, Shindai never had to worry about food. 

During this time, Shindai and Orochimaru became more and more familiar with each other. (Or so Shindai thought!) Shindai went on several solo missions with Orochimaru. Orochimaru was able to point out flaws in Shindai's Magnet Release ninjutsu whenever he used it. Orochimaru would patiently answer all of Shindai's questions, even extrapolating from them, and would actively quiz Shindai on technical matters. 

However... 

Orochimaru asked Shindai more than once if he was interested in exploring the mysteries of life. Each time, Shindai would flat-out say he wasn't interested. Because Shindai felt that if he said he was interested in exploring life's mysteries, the next step would probably be Orochimaru taking him to explore human anatomy and conduct human experiments! While Shindai thought that saying yes would make Orochimaru take him as a student, Shindai didn't really want to be Orochimaru's student in the first place. 

But honestly, even though Orochimaru was a bit eccentric, he was genuinely a good guy. He pretty much granted all of Shindai's requests, except when Shindai asked for gossip; then he was tight-lipped. How did such a decent person get involved in human experimentation? Human experimentation itself isn't entirely incomprehensible. In medical and scientific research, it's crucial for advancing medicine and developing new treatments. For example, it helps understand the nature of diseases and develop new therapies, like the development of medical ninjutsu, all of which require human research. But couldn't he consider ethics and morals, and ensure it's done safely within a legal and ethical framework? He just didn't get it, he really didn't. 

Shindai's patrol for the day was over. Before heading back to rest, he went to report the patrol status to Orochimaru. 

"Lord Orochimaru, nothing happened today. My patrol's done, so I'm off to rest, okay?" 

"Wait, Shindai. Have a seat. There's something I want to talk to you about." 

Shindai found an empty spot and sat down, looking at Orochimaru with some confusion. Orochimaru didn't speak immediately, instead staring at Shindai for a while. Orochimaru had given Shindai many chances, and he didn't want to keep testing him over and over again. After these few tests, Orochimaru was almost certain that Shindai knew some things about him and was wary of him. This wariness wasn't present during normal conversations, but as soon as the topic of "life" came up, Shindai would immediately interrupt, making jokes and trying to deflect. 

When Orochimaru's snake-like eyes finally made Shindai completely uncomfortable, he spoke, "You're wary of me, aren't you?" 

Shindai was already starting to get a bad feeling. He chuckled dryly, "Huh? How could that be? Why would I be wary of Lord Orochimaru?" 

"You know about some of the experiments I've been conducting, don't you?" 

Orochimaru's direct hit completely stunned Shindai. Shindai's pupils widened slightly. Like someone with ADHD, he scratched his head, touched his nose, occasionally glanced at Orochimaru's eyes, then pretended to clear his throat and coughed a few times before trying to argue, "What could I possibly know? Um, I don't know anything! I've never seen Lord Orochimaru do experiments, right?" 

Orochimaru's lips curved slightly. Shindai's reaction clearly indicated he was lying. 

"Heh, you do know. That's why you're so wary of me." 

"No, I'm being very sincere..." Shindai's voice grew weaker and weaker, his confidence fading. 

"While I'm curious about how you know, I'm more interested in your thoughts. If you're so against it, there's no need to take risks by staying with me. Back then, in front of Lord Hiruzen, you could have directly refused to become my student or subordinate. And you've had countless opportunities to tell Lord Hiruzen what you know." 

Shindai felt cold sweat breaking out on his back. No matter what he said now, Orochimaru already assumed he knew. Was his lying really that obvious? He was supposed to be impeccable when he was undercover!