166-170

Chapter 166: What Does Pooping Feel Like? 

In about 30 hours, Shindai and his crew are gonna be clashing head-on with the combined Sand and Cloud Village forces at Kikyo Pass. 

Shindai and the others were busy checking their gear and getting their minds right, waiting for the battle to kick off. 

Meanwhile, in the Hidden Leaf... 

Black Zetsu had already snuck his way into the village. 

"The defenses are pretty sloppy, aren't they? Did everyone go to Kikyo Pass to fight? This is too easy, it's boring!" 

Black Zetsu used his Mayfly technique, moving at high speed through the network of plant roots and underground water flows, making his way toward the Hidden Leaf Prison. 

Inside a cell in the Hidden Leaf Prison, a disheveled, bone-thin Uchiha Setsuna sat on the filthy ground, his eyes vacant. 

Ever since he was thrown into this dark, sunless place, he had no idea how much time had passed. 

But it had definitely been a long time since his last meal. 

He was starving, so hungry he was dizzy. 

Black Zetsu arrived at Setsuna's cell, slowly rising from the ground. 

Setsuna didn't move a muscle, too weak to do so. Only his eyeballs shifted, looking at Black Zetsu. He was so hungry that his vision was blurry, and he muttered in a breathy whisper, "Finally... is that food?" 

Black Zetsu was surprised. "He's this starved already? Well, it makes sense. The Leaf Village is at war; who has time to feed these criminals? Good thing I got here. If I was a day late, he might have starved to death." 

Black Zetsu immediately ripped off the other half of White Zetsu's arm and threw it in front of Setsuna. "Eat." 

White Zetsu immediately protested, "Hey, hey, hey! Why don't you rip off your arm and give it to him?" 

Black Zetsu replied succinctly, "Because I don't want to." 

White Zetsu grumbled, "Do you think I want to? But more importantly, I really want to know what pooping feels like. Can you ask him for me?" 

Black Zetsu's eye twitched. He couldn't be bothered with White Zetsu. 

Setsuna, with only one working arm, used all his strength to reach out his right hand, grab White Zetsu's arm, and start gnawing on it. At first, he ate slowly, but as he regained strength, he ate faster and faster, practically devouring it. 

White Zetsu's arm was gone in a few bites. After eating, Setsuna regained his strength, feeling a sense of rebirth. His blurry vision finally cleared, and he could see Black Zetsu's appearance. 

Setsuna frowned, looking at Black Zetsu's two-faced appearance. "Who are you?" 

Before Black Zetsu could speak, White Zetsu asked curiously, "Can I ask, was my arm tasty?" 

Setsuna instantly froze. "Your hand, your arm?!" 

The other half of White Zetsu said with an innocent expression, "Yeah? You looked super hungry, so Black Zetsu here ripped off my arm for you to eat. See, only half of my arm is left." 

When Setsuna saw White Zetsu's half-arm, a wave of nausea washed over him. He covered his mouth and gagged. 

White Zetsu complained, "Hey, don't throw up! Isn't that a waste?" 

"Shut up!" 

Black Zetsu took complete control of the body, preventing White Zetsu from blabbering on. 

After gagging for a while, Setsuna wiped his mouth and asked in disbelief, "Do you have a split personality? Why did you make me eat your arm?" 

Black Zetsu replied, "Split personality? You can think that for now. As for why I gave you my arm, it's because you were starving, so I fed you." 

Because he was starving, he gave him his own arm? 

Is this guy crazy?! 

No, he's definitely sick, especially since he seems to have a split personality. 

Setsuna's eyes darkened as he questioned, "Who exactly are you? You're not a Leaf Village ninja, are you?" 

Black Zetsu said mysteriously, "You'll know who I am later. Right now, someone wants to meet you. I'm here to take you out of the Leaf Village." 

"Meet me? Who wants—" 

Setsuna passed out before he could finish his sentence. 

Black Zetsu had knocked him out. He didn't want to play twenty questions with Setsuna. Though the chances were small, Black Zetsu really didn't want any more surprises. 

He was already looked down upon by Madara Uchiha; he didn't want Madara to think he was useless again. 

He! Black Zetsu has his pride too! 

Black Zetsu killed a prisoner from another cell, brought the body to Setsuna's cell, and then, as he left with the unconscious Setsuna, he set the prison on fire. 

A roaring inferno engulfed the prison. 

Black Zetsu did all this according to Madara Uchiha's instructions. 

Uchiha Setsuna wasn't supposed to be missing; he was supposed to be dead. 

After doing all that, Black Zetsu left the Leaf Village with Setsuna. 

Six Hours Until Midnight 

Jiraiya found Minato's squad resting. 

Jiraiya said to Minato, "Minato, it's almost time to prepare. You kids will fight with the main force later. Rin, as a medical ninja, you won't be in direct combat. Just gather with the logistics unit soon. Remember to act together! This isn't the time for individual heroics, got it?" 

Shindai immediately declared, "I totally get it! I'm all about teamwork!" 

Why fight alone when you can have a full-on group brawl? That'd be crazy! 

"Good that you understand. I'll be leaving with Minato now. You all should be gathering soon too." 

"Remember, teamwork!" 

Minato Namikaze gave a final instruction, then left with Jiraiya. 

Just an hour later, the call for assembly rang out. 

Kakashi, as the 'captain,' stood up. "Alright, let's head to the gathering point. Rin, see you later." 

Rin worried, "Be careful, everyone!" 

Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi, walking ahead, simultaneously raised their hands and waved goodbye to Rin. 

Shindai and the others went to meet up with the main force. 

Obito exclaimed, "Whoa, there are so many people!" 

Seeing the crowd packed with ninjas, Shindai felt completely uncomfortable. 

Kakashi said, "This is still a small number. The Sand and Cloud Ninja forces are roughly estimated to be over 3,000, and we're barely 2,000 combined here." 

Kakashi had originally intended to lead Shindai and Obito to a position in the middle-front of the crowd, as Minato and the others were at the very front. Soon, those incredibly powerful ninjas would be the first ones to charge. 

But Shindai flat-out refused. 

Minato and his squad might not be scared, but for everyone else, whoever was at the front was cannon fodder! Didn't they understand that simple truth? 

Under Shindai's "reasonable arguments," the three of them ended up huddled at the very back of the crowd. 

Kakashi and Obito hung their heads, feeling utterly mortified. 

Because the ninja at the very back were mostly Genin. 

Not only was Kakashi already a Jonin, but Obito and Shindai were also Chunin. They should at least be in the middle, right? Being at the very back was just so inappropriate! 

hapter 167: You've Been Kicked Out of the 'Crazy' Club! 

Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi stood at the very back of the Konoha ninja forces, waiting for the head-on clash with the united shinobi forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages. 

Even though Kikyo Pass was swarming with people, the whole area was practically silent, everyone with a serious look on their faces. After all, a tough battle was about to begin. 

Standing at the very front were Orochimaru and Jiraiya. 

Behind Orochimaru and Jiraiya were Minato Namikaze, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Fugaku Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, and other powerful Jonin of this generation. 

In this tense atmosphere, Shindai couldn't help but swallow several times. 

Suddenly, deafening explosions reverberated one after another, with fire blazing about a kilometer away from Kikyo Pass. 

The powerful explosions made Kikyo Pass tremble. 

Orochimaru's voice echoed in everyone's ears: "Charge with me!" 

Orochimaru and Jiraiya charged at the very front, leading the assault against the united shinobi forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages. 

And behind them, the Konoha shinobi, looking like they'd had a shot of adrenaline, rushed forward with various weapons—kunai, ninja blades, Shindai even saw someone charging with a hammer, their eyes bloodshot. 

"Awooo! Charge!" 

Shindai, his face flushed, also yelled "Charge!" 

Obito and Kakashi, who had already run some distance, heard the yell, and veins immediately popped out on their foreheads. They both used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Shindai, one on each side. 

"You're yelling with all your might, but why aren't you charging?!" 

"Those few steps you took were slower than when I help old grandmas across the street in Konoha!" 

Obito and Kakashi directly grabbed Shindai and rushed him forward. 

Shindai realized they were now in the middle of the ninja forces and exclaimed in horror, "Hey, slow down, slow down! Why are you rushing so fast?!" 

The Konoha ninja forces and the united forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages clashed. 

The previously dark night was now brighter than day. 

"Fire Style! Great Dragon Fire Technique!" 

Obito unleashed a massive fire dragon from his mouth, soaring into the enemy ranks. 

"Chidori!" 

Kakashi used his single-lens eyepiece's targeting function, rapidly dashing to strike down targeted enemies. 

"What's going on? How did I end up on the front lines for no reason? My plan to slack off at the very back of the ninja forces is useless now!" 

Shindai's face was lined with black marks. 

The battle line was now stretched into a horizontal line. The fiercest fighting was in the center, where ninja of Minato Namikaze's caliber were battling. 

And now Shindai and his team were on one side of that line. While it wasn't as intense as the center, it was still pretty fierce. 

Even after some enemies were killed by the traps, the combined ninja forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages still outnumbered them. 

Sure enough, several ninja charged towards him with murderous intent. 

Shindai rolled up his sleeves. "Heh, if I don't make a move, you really think I'm a pushover!" 

Shindai took an extra-large backward step, retreating a considerable distance. 

A Konoha ninja nearby had heard Shindai's "tough talk" and thought Shindai was about to fight back fiercely. He was stunned to see him retreat instead. 

However, although Shindai retreated, he left Kannazuki in his place. 

"I'll skewer you all like dango!" 

"Kannazuki: Iron Sand Gathering Assault!" 

Numerous sharp iron sand spikes instantly shot out from Kannazuki's body, piercing through all the ninja who approached her. 

The Konoha ninja, who had initially thought Shindai was a coward and wouldn't fight, instantly had their eyes widened in awe. 

That strong?! 

Shindai's fingers moved incredibly fast, and after the iron sand spikes retracted into Kannazuki's body. 

"Kannazuki! Missile Barrage!" 

Kannazuki's entire right arm transformed into a cannon barrel. Using lightning as a sword, she instantly loaded five small missiles into the five muzzles. 

As the cannon barrel rotated, missile after missile shot out towards the enemy ranks, sending the Sand and Cloud ninja sprawling. 

"Ahahaha! Firepower is justice! Take this, bombardment!" 

Shindai laughed wildly. 

But his laughter lasted only a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. 

Because Obito was sprinting towards him. 

Obito, his face contorted, yelled at Shindai, "Shindai! Help!" 

Behind Obito were over a dozen ninja. 

"What the heck did you do?! Why are so many people chasing after you?!" 

Shindai formed hand signs and then pressed his hands to the ground. 

A mass of iron sand rose from the ground, instantly enveloping Obito, then quickly drawing him to Shindai's front using magnetism. 

After Shindai dispelled the iron sand, Obito let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, saved! Saved myself one dōjutsu use." 

"Idiot! This isn't the time to relax! They're still charging!" 

Shindai formed hand signs again, and Obito quickly followed suit. 

"Magnet Style: Iron Sand Shower!" 

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" 

Shindai's iron sand bullets and Obito's flame projectiles, like phoenix flower seeds, shot towards the charging ninja, riddling them like sieves. 

Obito excitedly said to Shindai, "Shindai, there are so many people, let's use that move!" 

"Tch, if you're so eager to use that move, then fine, let's use it." 

Shindai formed hand signs, then clasped his hands together. 

"Magnet Style! Iron Sand Spin!" 

Shindai condensed iron sand into a triangular prism of iron sand, which quickly spun upright above the enemy ninja crowd. 

Obito formed hand signs and placed his right hand in front of his mouth. 

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!" 

The moment Obito's flame struck the spinning top in the air, the flames scattered, hitting the ninja below. 

Obito's laugh was even crazier than Shindai's earlier. "Ahahaha! Shindai, with the two of us working together, we're invincible!" 

Shindai's mouth twitched. "Get real! You've been kicked out of the 'crazy' club! No more crazy laughing! Huh, where did Kakashi go? He's gone! We agreed on teamwork, and the captain just vanished. Bad review! I'm firing him as captain later!" 

With his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Obito's eyesight was incredibly sharp, and he immediately spotted Kakashi. 

Obito pointed to the front-left. "He's over there! We need to go help Kakashi fast!" 

Shindai looked and saw that Kakashi was surrounded. 

Kakashi had gotten too caught up in fighting, which drew the attention of many enemy ninja. 

Kakashi looked grimly at the Cloud and Sand ninja surrounding him. He told Obito and Shindai to stick with him, so where were they?! 

Was he, the captain, just a mascot?! Where was the teamwork? Where did teamwork go?! 

When a figure appeared in front of Kakashi, a smile appeared on Kakashi's face. 

It was Shindai's Kannazuki. 

But Kakashi's smile quickly vanished. 

Because Kannazuki directly tripped Kakashi, then stepped on him, and used Iron Sand Gathering Assault, skewering the ninja surrounding Kakashi. 

Looks like the battle at Kikyo Pass is truly chaotic, with everyone scrambling! Shindai and Obito are certainly a dynamic duo, even if they bicker like crazy. What do you think will happen to Kakashi, now that Kannazuki seems to have taken care of him in a rather... unconventional way? 

Chapter 167: You've Been Kicked Out of the 'Crazy' Club!

Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi stood at the very back of the Konoha ninja forces, waiting for the head-on clash with the united shinobi forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages.

Even though Kikyo Pass was swarming with people, the whole area was practically silent, everyone with a serious look on their faces. After all, a tough battle was about to begin.

Standing at the very front were Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

Behind Orochimaru and Jiraiya were Minato Namikaze, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Fugaku Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, and other powerful Jonin of this generation.

In this tense atmosphere, Shindai couldn't help but swallow several times.

Suddenly, deafening explosions reverberated one after another, with fire blazing about a kilometer away from Kikyo Pass.

The powerful explosions made Kikyo Pass tremble.

Orochimaru's voice echoed in everyone's ears: "Charge with me!"

Orochimaru and Jiraiya charged at the very front, leading the assault against the united shinobi forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages.

And behind them, the Konoha shinobi, looking like they'd had a shot of adrenaline, rushed forward with various weapons—kunai, ninja blades, Shindai even saw someone charging with a hammer, their eyes bloodshot.

"Awooo! Charge!"

Shindai, his face flushed, also yelled "Charge!"

Obito and Kakashi, who had already run some distance, heard the yell, and veins immediately popped out on their foreheads. They both used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Shindai, one on each side.

"You're yelling with all your might, but why aren't you charging?!"

"Those few steps you took were slower than when I help old grandmas across the street in Konoha!"

Obito and Kakashi directly grabbed Shindai and rushed him forward.

Shindai realized they were now in the middle of the ninja forces and exclaimed in horror, "Hey, slow down, slow down! Why are you rushing so fast?!"

The Konoha ninja forces and the united forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages clashed.

The previously dark night was now brighter than day.

"Fire Style! Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Obito unleashed a massive fire dragon from his mouth, soaring into the enemy ranks.

"Chidori!"

Kakashi used his single-lens eyepiece's targeting function, rapidly dashing to strike down targeted enemies.

"What's going on? How did I end up on the front lines for no reason? My plan to slack off at the very back of the ninja forces is useless now!"

Shindai's face was lined with black marks.

The battle line was now stretched into a horizontal line. The fiercest fighting was in the center, where ninja of Minato Namikaze's caliber were battling.

And now Shindai and his team were on one side of that line. While it wasn't as intense as the center, it was still pretty fierce.

Even after some enemies were killed by the traps, the combined ninja forces of the Sand and Cloud Villages still outnumbered them.

Sure enough, several ninja charged towards him with murderous intent.

Shindai rolled up his sleeves. "Heh, if I don't make a move, you really think I'm a pushover!"

Shindai took an extra-large backward step, retreating a considerable distance.

A Konoha ninja nearby had heard Shindai's "tough talk" and thought Shindai was about to fight back fiercely. He was stunned to see him retreat instead.

However, although Shindai retreated, he left Kannazuki in his place.

"I'll skewer you all like dango!"

"Kannazuki: Iron Sand Gathering Assault!"

Numerous sharp iron sand spikes instantly shot out from Kannazuki's body, piercing through all the ninja who approached her.

The Konoha ninja, who had initially thought Shindai was a coward and wouldn't fight, instantly had their eyes widened in awe.

That strong?!

Shindai's fingers moved incredibly fast, and after the iron sand spikes retracted into Kannazuki's body.

"Kannazuki! Missile Barrage!"

Kannazuki's entire right arm transformed into a cannon barrel. Using lightning as a sword, she instantly loaded five small missiles into the five muzzles.

As the cannon barrel rotated, missile after missile shot out towards the enemy ranks, sending the Sand and Cloud ninja sprawling.

"Ahahaha! Firepower is justice! Take this, bombardment!"

Shindai laughed wildly.

But his laughter lasted only a few seconds before it abruptly stopped.

Because Obito was sprinting towards him.

Obito, his face contorted, yelled at Shindai, "Shindai! Help!"

Behind Obito were over a dozen ninja.

"What the heck did you do?! Why are so many people chasing after you?!"

Shindai formed hand signs and then pressed his hands to the ground.

A mass of iron sand rose from the ground, instantly enveloping Obito, then quickly drawing him to Shindai's front using magnetism.

After Shindai dispelled the iron sand, Obito let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, saved! Saved myself one dōjutsu use."

"Idiot! This isn't the time to relax! They're still charging!"

Shindai formed hand signs again, and Obito quickly followed suit.

"Magnet Style: Iron Sand Shower!"

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Shindai's iron sand bullets and Obito's flame projectiles, like phoenix flower seeds, shot towards the charging ninja, riddling them like sieves.

Obito excitedly said to Shindai, "Shindai, there are so many people, let's use that move!"

"Tch, if you're so eager to use that move, then fine, let's use it."

Shindai formed hand signs, then clasped his hands together.

"Magnet Style! Iron Sand Spin!"

Shindai condensed iron sand into a triangular prism of iron sand, which quickly spun upright above the enemy ninja crowd.

Obito formed hand signs and placed his right hand in front of his mouth.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!"

The moment Obito's flame struck the spinning top in the air, the flames scattered, hitting the ninja below.

Obito's laugh was even crazier than Shindai's earlier. "Ahahaha! Shindai, with the two of us working together, we're invincible!"

Shindai's mouth twitched. "Get real! You've been kicked out of the 'crazy' club! No more crazy laughing! Huh, where did Kakashi go? He's gone! We agreed on teamwork, and the captain just vanished. Bad review! I'm firing him as captain later!"

With his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Obito's eyesight was incredibly sharp, and he immediately spotted Kakashi.

Obito pointed to the front-left. "He's over there! We need to go help Kakashi fast!"

Shindai looked and saw that Kakashi was surrounded.

Kakashi had gotten too caught up in fighting, which drew the attention of many enemy ninja.

Kakashi looked grimly at the Cloud and Sand ninja surrounding him. He told Obito and Shindai to stick with him, so where were they?!

Was he, the captain, just a mascot?! Where was the teamwork? Where did teamwork go?!

When a figure appeared in front of Kakashi, a smile appeared on Kakashi's face.

It was Shindai's Kannazuki.

But Kakashi's smile quickly vanished.

Because Kannazuki directly tripped Kakashi, then stepped on him, and used Iron Sand Gathering Assault, skewering the ninja surrounding Kakashi.

---

Looks like the battle at Kikyo Pass is truly chaotic, with everyone scrambling! Shindai and Obito are certainly a dynamic duo, even if they bicker like crazy. What do you think will happen to Kakashi, now that Kannazuki seems to have taken care of him in a rather... unconventional way?

Chapter 168: Pakura Strikes! 

Kakashi was surrounded by Sand and Cloud ninja, but Shindai's personal ninja puppet, Kannazuki, showed up just in time to help him out. 

However, the way Kannazuki rescued him made Kakashi feel super embarrassed. Being pinned under Kannazuki's foot was practically the same as being pinned under Shindai's foot! 

"Kakashi!" 

Shindai and Obito came running over. 

Before Kakashi could even say anything, Shindai and Obito started scolding him. 

"Kakashi, what's wrong with you?! Did you forget the meaning of 'teamwork'?!" 

"Yeah! As the leader, you're acting so reckless! Lord Jiraiya said this isn't the time for individual heroics, and it just went in one ear and out the other, didn't it?!" 

"We're stripping you of your captain status right now! And after the battle, you're gonna copy the words 'teamwork' a thousand times for me and Obito to check!" 

"That's right! I'll check it carefully. If you miss even one character, you'll write another thousand!" 

Kakashi's face was absolutely green with rage. 

These two rascals, they had the nerve to talk about him not having teamwork?! 

He clearly told these two idiots to stick with him when the battle first started. And they both promised they would! Now they're turning the tables on him! 

Obito frantically whispered to Shindai, "Captain, another group of people just charged at us over there! They look like they're specifically targeting us! Kakashi definitely drew their attention!" 

Shindai declared with a serious tone, "Obito, Kakashi, prepare to follow my lead!" 

Kakashi was biting his lip so hard, barely suppressing the urge to punch them both to death right then and there. 

Are these two brats seriously this smooth at snatching the captain role now?! 

Under Shindai's leadership, he, Obito, and Kakashi fought fiercely against their enemies. 

A While Later... 

"How are there more and more of them?! This isn't right at all!" 

Shindai wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting, his gaze fixed on the front with a grave expression. 

It wasn't just Shindai; Kakashi and Obito were exhausted too. 

Kakashi's expression was incredibly grim. "It seems we've been too effective at taking them down, making them think we're a major threat. So they want to take us out first." 

Actually, Kakashi and Obito weren't too bad. But Shindai's Magnet Release jutsu was seriously a game-changer in this kind of group battle. 

Obito looked at Shindai beside him and asked, "Captain, what do we do now?" 

Shindai struggled. "No good, I'm a bit tired. If we keep fighting like this, all three of us will get worn down to death. How about we retreat for a bit?" 

Shindai was super annoyed. He had planned to just coast along, after all, the Leaf Village was definitely going to win, so whether they fought hard or not wouldn't affect the outcome. 

If that's the case, why was he pushing himself so hard? 

It was all Obito and Kakashi's fault for making him work so hard! He just wanted to chill! 

Kakashi and Obito pondered whether to fall back a bit. Both their stamina was severely depleted, and their chakra reserves were running low from constantly using jutsu. 

"You guys go rest in the back for a bit!" 

"That's right, go recover your strength! We've got this!" 

"Let us handle it from here!" 

Because of Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi's fierce fighting, they had significantly relieved the pressure on the surrounding Leaf ninja. 

The other ninja also noticed that Shindai's group's combat ability had weakened considerably compared to the beginning. They understood that the three of them were very tired, so they stepped up. 

Obito and Kakashi were touched. Just as they were about to say something, Shindai grabbed both their collars and ran backward! "Then we'll leave it to you for now! We'll be back once we recover!" 

Shindai was genuinely scared, scared that Obito and Kakashi would say something like, "No, we can still hold out!" 

Reaching the back, Shindai flopped onto the ground, swallowing two of those awful soldier pills. "I'm so exhausted! No way, I need a proper rest." 

Kakashi said sternly, "Just recover a little and we'll get back to fighting!" 

Obito nodded. "Yeah, three minutes of rest, that's enough!" 

Shindai looked at Obito and Kakashi in disbelief. "Seriously, three minutes? Who can rest in three minutes? That's not even enough time to catch your breath!" 

Obito said exasperatedly, "Shindai, what kind of lungs do you have that you need three minutes to catch your breath?" 

Shindai retorted annoyed, "Do you even understand analogies?! We need at least 30 minutes of rest, right?!" 

Kakashi immediately rejected it. "30 minutes is absolutely impossible! The battlefield situation changes in an instant. In 30 minutes, the battle might even be over!" 

Shindai grumbled, "Then at least 10 minutes, right? Besides, there are so many people, the three of us won't make that much of a difference, so why go all out?!" 

Obito spoke directly and seriously, "Shindai, I have to call you out on this. Maybe the three of us won't change everything, but if we fight harder, maybe we can save a few more comrades. If everyone thought like you, then who would fight? Who would protect the Leaf Village?" 

Kakashi completely agreed with Obito. "Obito's right, Shindai. The Leaf Village is our home; we have to protect it!" 

Shindai's mouth moved, but no words came out. He couldn't say anything; he had no rebuttal. 

Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the distance, followed by screams. 

Kakashi looked ahead, frowning slightly. "It seems a powerful enemy has appeared up front. No more resting; let's go support them immediately!" 

"Only one minute?!" Shindai slung his shoulders, a look of utter despair on his face, as he followed Kakashi and Obito. 

"It's her!" 

When Kakashi and Obito saw the person, they both looked back at Shindai. 

Shindai also stared intently at the person in front. 

It was Pakura. 

Pakura saw Shindai, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "I thought I saw wrong just now. I specifically came looking for you but couldn't find you." 

Shindai looked at the battle-ready Pakura, sighing helplessly. "So, you specifically came here to fight me?" 

Four fireballs rotated behind Pakura. She held a kunai in her hand, ready for battle, and said to Shindai, "That's right! I just want to see how much you've improved since you went to the Leaf!" 

"Can't you take this less seriously? I just got out of a tough fight, and you're being way too reckless showing up here! What if you get spotted and mess everything up?" 

Even though Shindai said that, he was already controlling Kannazuki to float above him. 

This fight was unavoidable. After all, he was a pretty well-known rogue ninja from the Sand Village. If they met and didn't fight, the Sand Village might catch on, and then Pakura's situation in the Sand Village wouldn't be so good. 

Shindai turned to Kakashi and Obito. "I'll handle her one-on-one. You two go support the others." 

Kakashi and Obito glanced at Pakura, then nodded. "Alright, be careful, Shindai." 

Chapter 169: Your Taijutsu is Trash! 

Pakura actively sought out Shindai for a fight, leaving Shindai no choice but to engage. 

Pakura manipulated one of the four fiery orbs on her back, sending it towards Shindai, while simultaneously rushing him with a kunai. 

"Can you dial back your battlelust a bit?!" 

Shindai controlled Kannazuki. Kannazuki's left hand scattered into iron sand, forming an iron sand barrier that blocked Pakura's fireball. 

Then, Shindai condensed an iron sand spear in his hand, blocking Pakura's kunai, which came at him from an awkward angle. 

After parrying Pakura's kunai, Shindai, with a pained expression, pleaded, "Can we just make it look good?" 

Pakura kicked at Shindai. "No way!" 

Shindai blocked Pakura's kick with his other arm, then used the momentum to create distance between himself and Pakura. 

Shindai brought Kannazuki back to his side and was surprised to find that after Kannazuki's left arm turned into an iron sand barrier to block Pakura's fireball, the iron sand didn't reform into an arm. 

Shindai's brow furrowed. 

This is bad. Pakura's flames are strong against his Magnet Release. 

Because Pakura's Scorch Release fireballs reached extremely high temperatures, and high temperatures would destroy the magnetic structure within the iron sand, causing the magnetism to disappear. 

Shindai unrolled a scroll, summoning a mass of iron sand. This iron sand reformed Kannazuki's arm. 

Pakura looked at Shindai's Kannazuki and praised, "Your puppet looks pretty good." 

Shindai immediately offered, "Then I'll make you one later, and you can customize it however you want! Any handsome guy you desire, just mess around with me for now, how about it?" 

"You're as troublesome as ever when it comes to fighting. But if you don't want to fight, then don't show up on the battlefield! That's how it is in battle: it's either kill or be killed. You should have understood that the moment you stepped in here." 

Pakura once again threw a fireball at Shindai. 

"Do you believe me if I say I was forced into this?! My original plan was to just coast through, but then two idiots dragged me to the front lines! Magnet Release! Iron Sand Wall!" 

This time, Shindai didn't dare use Kannazuki to block. He used ordinary iron sand to create a wall, blocking Pakura's fireball. 

Then, Shindai controlled Kannazuki to engage Pakura in close combat. 

But Shindai found that using Kannazuki in close combat against Pakura wasn't ideal either, because Pakura still had two fireballs behind her. Forget touching her; even getting slightly close caused large chunks of iron sand to peel off Kannazuki's body. 

Shindai pulled Kannazuki back, deciding to fight from a distance instead. 

Kannazuki's right arm transformed into a cannon, and she began launching rockets at Pakura's position. 

Pakura deftly manipulated her fireballs, detonating the rockets prematurely. Shindai couldn't do anything to her. 

Shindai looked at Pakura with a headache. Why is she so serious? 

The best way to fight Pakura would be to use Iron Sand Darts to fly into the air and barrage her. 

But if Shindai dared to fly into the air now, he would definitely be targeted by other ninja. 

Shindai continuously attacked Pakura with Magnet Release ninjutsu, while blocking Pakura's fireballs and trying to stop her from getting close. 

However, Pakura's combat experience was far superior to Shindai's. Shindai's Magnet Release ninjutsu mostly failed to impede Pakura, and instead, Kannazuki became riddled with holes. 

"Wait!" 

"No time to wait!" 

Pakura threw a fireball, hitting the iron sand in front of Shindai. The iron sand lost its magnetism and fell to the ground. 

Shindai hastily manipulated Kannazuki to defend. 

Flames erupted from Pakura's right hand. With a punch, she put a hole in Kannazuki's head. "I've been annoyed by that puppet's appearance for a while! Why make a puppet so pretty?!" 

Pakura grabbed Shindai's collar with her left hand, her right hand's flames dissipated, and then she delivered a punch to Shindai's face. 

Shindai flew backward, rolling several times on the ground before stopping. 

Shindai scrambled to his feet, covering his swollen cheek, and looked at Pakura in disbelief. "You're really going for it!" 

Pakura adopted an attacking stance again. "Did I say I wasn't?" 

Seeing Pakura about to charge again, Shindai quickly said, "Wait a minute, do you have the guts to have a pure taijutsu match with me?!" 

Pakura looked at Shindai with a strange expression. "Are you serious?" 

Shindai shrugged his shoulders, taunting, "Did I say I wasn't serious? Are you scared?" 

That annoying Scorch Release of Pakura's was completely overpowering his Magnet Release, and Pakura's combat experience was far too superior to his. He couldn't win, absolutely couldn't! 

Shindai had originally thought that since he managed to handle Chiyo like he did, dealing with Pakura would be a piece of cake. 

He never expected Pakura's Scorch Release to completely shut him down; it countered him too perfectly. 

All of Shindai's techniques relied on Magnet Release. With Magnet Release neutralized, Shindai was instantly out of ideas. 

Shindai decided that once he returned to Konoha, he absolutely had to figure out a way to make his Magnet Release immune to high temperatures. 

Pakura agreed. "Alright, then let's go!" 

"Ha!" 

Shindai roared to embolden himself, then actively charged towards Pakura. 

"Take this punch!" 

Shindai threw a punch at Pakura's chest. It wasn't that Shindai didn't want to punch Pakura's face; it was just that Pakura was a head taller than him now. 

He couldn't exactly jump up to punch her, could he? 

Pakura's mouth twitched slightly. Just by looking at Shindai's movements, Pakura understood: did Shindai know taijutsu? Perhaps, but it was definitely amateur-level taijutsu. 

Pakura simply reached out and grabbed Shindai's punching arm. 

"Eh?" 

Shindai froze, then was lifted into the air, and then, he was slammed onto the ground. 

Pakura looked disdainfully at Shindai, who was lying on the ground. "You're better off using your Magnet Release ninjutsu." 

Shindai sprang up with a fish-flip, and though his body ached, he still stubbornly said, "Tch, that didn't hurt at all! I was just testing your level. Now that I've tested it, your taijutsu is trash!" 

Pakura's eye twitched violently. She narrowed her eyes at Shindai. "Oh? Is that so?" 

"That's right!" 

Shindai charged at Pakura once more, his right fist aimed at her. 

Just as Pakura was about to replicate her previous move and grab Shindai's arm, Shindai suddenly pulled his right hand back, faking a move, and swung his left fist at Pakura. 

Pakura sneered. "Heh, naive. Let me show you what real taijutsu is!" 

Pakura was quite skilled in taijutsu combat. Generally, her Scorch Release fireballs were used to complement her taijutsu attacks. 

So, Shindai's little trick was completely useless against Pakura. 

Pakura casually swatted Shindai's fist aside, then delivered a knee strike directly to Shindai's abdomen. 

"Cough~" 

Shindai, clutching his abdomen, his eyes nearly bulging out from the pain. 

But Pakura, having promised to show Shindai what real taijutsu was, gave him no time to breathe, continuously pummeling him like a training dummy. 

This is quite the intense battle for Shindai! It seems like he's really getting a taste of what it's like to fight someone whose abilities directly counter his own. Do you think he'll find a way to turn the tide, or will Pakura continue to dominate this taijutsu showdown? 

Chapter 170: As Long as I Don't Admit It, It's an Even Fight! 

While Kakashi and Obito were fighting the combined forces of the Sand and Cloud ninja, Shindai was in a one-on-one showdown with Pakura. 

The Leaf Village was slowly starting to gain the upper hand. 

The traps they set caused some casualties among the Sand and Cloud ninja. 

Honestly, just having a few casualties isn't a big deal. 

The real problem was that these traps completely messed up their formations. 

At first, the Sand ninja were in one squad and the Cloud ninja in another, separate from each other. 

But because of these traps, the Sand and Cloud ninja got mixed up. 

And that's where the real trouble began. 

The Sand and Cloud ninja were only united in invading the Leaf because of orders from above; they didn't actually trust each other. 

This led to a phenomenon: for example, if a Sand ninja was in trouble, a Cloud ninja nearby might have been able to help but chose to stand by and watch. There was absolutely no sense of teamwork. 

On the Leaf's side, however, all the ninja were united. If one person was in trouble, five or six others might rush out to help. 

With this imbalance, the combined Sand and Cloud ninja forces' numerical advantage completely disappeared. They were now rapidly falling into a disadvantage. 

However, the Leaf's advantage didn't mean Shindai was at an advantage. 

Kakashi and Obito glanced in Shindai's direction, and that single glance made it impossible for them to look away. 

Shindai was already bruised and swollen, almost unrecognizable. 

Obito saw Pakura land another punch on Shindai's left eye and gasped, "Is she hitting him that hard?!" 

Kakashi also took a sharp breath. "That idiot, did he provoke her? Last time, they seemed to have a deep bond; there's no way she'd beat Shindai up like this without reason." 

Kakashi was right; Shindai definitely provoked Pakura. 

And he did it relentlessly. 

"Hey, that didn't hurt!" 

"Are you even eating your meals?" 

"What's the point of just being tall?" 

"And you call that real taijutsu? I could find any old granny who looks more like a true taijutsu master than you." 

Shindai was stubbornly sticking to his guns. He absolutely wouldn't admit he couldn't beat Pakura! 

As long as he didn't admit it, he and Pakura were evenly matched! 

Pakura was exasperated by Shindai. If he'd just begged for mercy a little, she would have gone easier on him. 

But Shindai was so stubborn, even though his legs were trembling from the beating, he kept yelling. 

Pakura looked around. Their combined forces were already showing signs of defeat. It looked like the battle would end soon. 

Pakura charged at Shindai again. 

Shindai saw Pakura charging again, and his trembling legs started shaking even more violently. 

Shindai really wanted to yell, 'Don't come any closer!' at Pakura, but what came out was, "Are you going to give me another massage with those soft, weak fists of yours?" 

But this time, Pakura didn't punch Shindai. Instead, she guided Shindai into an "even" taijutsu battle with her. 

While fighting, Pakura said to Shindai, "Shindai, this decision by the Sand Village to ally with the Cloud Village is absolutely Rasa's huge misstep. My efforts to gain war merits by killing Mist ninja before will pay off now. I will seek the position of Kazekage. Wait for me. Once I become Kazekage, I will bring you back to the village!" 

When Shindai heard Pakura's words, a chill ran down his spine. He anxiously said, "Whoa, don't mess around! Rasa has Chiyo and Ebizo's support; you can't do it!" 

Pakura's gaze was firm. "No! I definitely can! The Sand Village doesn't just have Chiyo and Ebizo as elders. I will get the support of the other elders. Trust me! See you later!" 

"I can't trust you at all, you—" 

Before Shindai could finish, Pakura directly kicked him towards Kakashi and Obito. 

Kakashi and Obito quickly helped Shindai up. "Are you alright, Shindai?!" 

Pakura gave Shindai one last look before leaving. 

Shindai watched Pakura's retreating figure, muttering with a headache, "No wonder she'll be sacrificed. Isn't this clearly trampling all over their interests? That idiot!" 

Indeed, besides Chiyo and Ebizo, there were many other elders in the Sand Village. But all those elders combined didn't have as much influence as either Chiyo or Ebizo alone. 

And Rasa was supported by Chiyo and Ebizo, so they would absolutely side with Rasa. 

Therefore, Pakura's plan was absolutely impossible to succeed. 

Obito asked, puzzled, "Shindai, what are you muttering about? What sacrifice? What interests?" 

Shindai wiped his nosebleed, shaking his head. "Nothing." 

Suddenly... 

Amidst the crowd of Leaf ninja, shouts of "Counterattack!" and "Counterattack!" continuously rang out. 

Shindai, Kakashi, and Obito looked ahead and saw that the combined Sand and Cloud ninja forces had begun a large-scale retreat. The Leaf ninja were now pursuing them. 

Shindai let out a long breath. "Looks like it's finally going to end." 

Obito and Kakashi's faces involuntarily broke into smiles. "Yeah, as long as we drive them out of the Land of Fire, then we win!" 

Obito and Kakashi carried Shindai, chasing after the Sand and Cloud ninja. 

Being carried, Shindai felt like he'd rather die. 

He was already such a mess; did they really have to carry him? Couldn't they just leave him there?! 

The Sand and Cloud ninja were now in complete disarray, with no possibility of counterattacking. They could only run, chased by the Leaf ninja. 

As dawn broke and sunlight shone upon the land, everyone erupted in cheers. 

They had successfully driven the combined Sand and Cloud ninja forces out of the Land of Fire's borders. 

In the end, they had won this war! 

"Shindai! Did you see it? Did you see it?! We won, we won!" 

Obito vigorously shook Shindai. 

Shindai's head reeled from Obito's shaking. "Alright! Stop shaking! I'm not blind! And I'm not deaf! I can see and hear!" 

Shindai just collapsed onto the ground. He only had enough chakra left to keep his body functioning, and his bones ached all over from Pakura's beating. As soon as he relaxed, the pain made him wince. 

"She hits so hard, geez! Couldn't she just pretend? Whoever ends up being her husband is going to be miserable!" 

Obito and Kakashi also slumped to the ground. 

They were both nearly completely exhausted. While they didn't have any major wounds, they had so many small cuts and scrapes they didn't even know how many. 

The logistics unit also arrived. 

Rin Nohara was among them, and she immediately spotted Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi, sprinting towards the three of them. 

"Rin!" 

Obito also saw Rin running towards them and happily waved his hand at her. 

Rin immediately lunged, embracing Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi all at once, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thank goodness! All three of you are alright..." 

Feeling Rin's hug, Obito felt like he was floating. The pain in his body instantly vanished. 

The only downside was that Rin was also hugging Shindai and Kakashi, those two extra guys. 

He really wanted to kick those two unnecessary guys away and have Rin's hug all to himself!