156-160

Chapter 156: Kakashi's Gifts 

Obito had completely forgotten Kakashi's promotion gift. After all, it wasn't a gift for Rin, so forgetting Kakashi's gift was pretty normal for him. 

Obito secretly glanced at Shindai. Thankfully, Shindai was there to cover for him. 

"I'm giving you this, my Flying Thunder God kunai. It's a bit heavy and hard to get used to at first, but once you do, it'll be incredibly useful." 

Minato Namikaze took out a brand new Flying Thunder God kunai and handed it to Kakashi. 

Shindai twitched his lips, muttering, "Is there anything that isn't useful once you get used to it? Isn't that just stating the obvious?" 

Minato pursed his lips. When it came to undermining, Shindai was the strongest he'd ever seen! 

Kakashi accepted the Flying Thunder God kunai from Minato. "Thank you, Sensei Minato." 

"Mine is this." 

Rin Nohara pulled a box from her backpack. "It's a personal medical kit, all improved and very easy to use." 

Rin handed her gift to Kakashi. 

Kakashi took it and thanked her, "Thanks, Rin." 

Then, Kakashi looked at Obito and extended his hand. 

Obito's heart skipped a beat. He pretended not to understand, asking, "What does that hand gesture mean?" 

"Your gift." 

Obito's eyes darted away guiltily. "Giving gifts is too common. A verbal congratulations is enough. Look, Shindai didn't even..." 

"Here, this is your gift." 

Shindai tossed something to Kakashi. 

Kakashi caught it and looked at it in confusion. "What is this?" 

Shindai replied, "It's a monocular I developed. It works with your new jutsu. Just put it on and press the button on the frame, you'll see." 

Kakashi put on the monocular and pressed the button on the frame. 

Suddenly, red outline boxes appeared around everyone in Kakashi's vision. 

Shindai explained to Kakashi, "That red box is for locking onto enemies. Your new jutsu is very fast, and you might have trouble seeing the enemy's movements due to insufficient dynamic vision. With this target-locking feature, you won't have to worry about not seeing clearly." 

Shindai's gift hit Kakashi right in the heart. His Chidori was already complete, but its weakness was obvious, exactly what Shindai mentioned: when attacking, he needed to rush towards the opponent quickly, and the speed might make it hard to see the enemy's movements clearly. 

But Kakashi felt strange. "Shindai, how did you know this was the weakness of my new jutsu?" 

"Uh..." 

Shindai was suddenly speechless. He also knew Kakashi's new jutsu was called Chidori. 

Shindai bluffed, "Didn't you mention before that you wanted to create a new jutsu by combining your Lightning Release chakra? The characteristic of Lightning Release is speed, right? And I've noticed your eyesight isn't always the best, so I thought of making this monocular for you. Ugh, are you going to keep pestering me? If you don't like it, give it back!" 

Kakashi looked at Shindai, puzzled. Why was he getting so agitated while explaining? He just asked casually; he wouldn't have said anything even if Shindai hadn't answered. 

"Thanks, Shindai." 

Kakashi put away the monocular. 

Just as Kakashi's gaze was about to turn back to Obito, Obito quickly pulled Shindai aside. 

"Didn't you say you didn't know about Kakashi's promotion to Jonin? Then how did you prepare a gift? You're making me look like an idiot!" 

Shindai looked at Obito with amusement. "So, you forgot Kakashi's gift, and then you thought since I was here, and I didn't know about Kakashi's promotion, I wouldn't have prepared a gift. That way, you could just smooth things over, right?" 

Obito's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you have mind-reading powers?!" 

Shindai retorted, annoyed, "Mind-reading powers, my butt! Everyone knows your little schemes!" 

Obito immediately started patting Shindai down. "Quick, do you have any other good stuff? Give it to me, or Kakashi will look down on me!" 

Shindai pushed Obito away. "Stop feeling me up like that! What are you doing rummaging in my pants?! I don't have any good stuff! Even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you! Anyway, Kakashi always looks down on you; what's one more time?" 

Kakashi said in a strange voice, "Fine, I don't want certain people's gifts anyway. They're probably not good quality." 

Obito's face instantly flushed. "Who says I don't have one?! I'll give it to you right now!" 

Obito stormed over to Kakashi, reached into his ninja tool pouch, pulled out a shuriken, and shoved it into Kakashi's hand. 

Kakashi looked at the shuriken in his hand, a bit confused. "You're giving me a shuriken as a gift?" 

Obito stated proudly, "Sensei Minato can give a kunai as a gift, so why can't I give a shuriken?" 

Kakashi looked at Obito with his dead-fish eyes and said, "That kunai was a Flying Thunder God kunai, it had Sensei Minato's unique touch. What's special about this shuriken?" 

Obito raised his head. "What do you mean it's not special? This shuriken has been in my ninja tool pouch; it's covered in my scent. That's special enough, isn't it?!" 

Kakashi looked at the shuriken, his expression suddenly becoming disgusted. "Can I say no to this gift?" 

Obito shouted, "Of course not! This is my gift, you must accept it!" 

Kakashi pinched one corner of the shuriken and slipped it into his own ninja tool pouch. 

Seeing Kakashi's action, Obito was furious. Why was he so disgusted? It was still his... a tiny bit of effort! 

Shindai walked over to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, pulling out three necklaces. "I have another gift for you." 

Obito picked up the necklace from Shindai's hand, examining it curiously. "It looks like a pocket watch..." 

Obito tried to open the cover, but Shindai held his hand down. "If you want to die, go ahead and open it." 

Obito was so scared he immediately let go. 

"Do you have muscle weakness? You can't even hold onto something." 

Shindai picked it up and put it back in Obito's hand. 

Obito held the necklace again, puzzled. "You scared me, that's why! Is this necklace not just a simple necklace? Does it have some special mechanism?" 

Shindai nodded. "Finally, you're smart for once. If you encounter an urgent crisis that you can't deal with immediately, just use your chakra to open it. The mechanism inside will help you." 

Shindai handed the remaining two necklaces to Kakashi and Rin. 

Shindai said to Minato Namikaze, "Sensei Minato is so strong, he definitely doesn't need one, so I didn't prepare one for you." 

Minato smiled and said, "It's fine." 

Seeing Shindai value his teammates so much, Minato was also happy. 

Shindai instructed, "Wear it at all times. Don't take it off." 

Obito worried, "What if I accidentally open it by rolling over in my sleep?" 

Shindai looked at Obito speechlessly. "If you can open it just by rolling over in your sleep, then you should just die!" 

It seems Shindai is quite the inventor, always coming up with interesting gadgets, even if his delivery is a bit... blunt, like a well-aimed Shuriken! And Obito, ever the chaotic ninja, always provides some comic relief. 

What do you think those mysterious necklaces do? Perhaps they're a new kind of ninja tool, or maybe a secret escape mechanism! 

Chapter 157: Time to Assert My Authority Today! 

Led by Minato Namikaze, Shindai, Obito, Kakashi, and Rin advanced towards the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. 

Minato Namikaze stopped and said, "It's about time to explain the mission. We're almost at the border." 

Minato Namikaze pulled out a map, pointing to a line on it. "Listen up. This is the line. The Iwa Village forces are currently invading the Land of Grass front line. The enemy, without a doubt, is the Iwa ninja. Intelligence reports indicate there are already thousands of ninja on their front line." 

Rin's expression turned serious. "For them to allow us to see such a large advance, it means they have incredibly sufficient support in the rear." 

Minato Namikaze nodded and continued, "Therefore, this mission focuses on the Kannabi Bridge here. To crush the enemy on the front lines would require many ninja. So, as ninja tasked with hindering them, we must rely on a small, elite force for this mission." 

Kakashi observed the map, muttering, "The bridge, huh?" 

Kakashi looked at Minato Namikaze and asked, "So, it's an infiltration mission?" 

Minato Namikaze announced the mission: "Yes, Team Kakashi, your mission is to infiltrate the enemy's rear, destroy this bridge used for transporting supply resources, cut off the enemy's support capabilities, and then withdraw immediately!" 

"Yes, sir!" 

Obito asked, "What about you, Sensei?" 

Minato Namikaze replied to Obito, "I'll go directly to the front line and engage the enemy. This can also serve as a diversion for your operation. In short, Kakashi is the captain today. I'll go with you all to the border, and after that, we'll split up." 

Minato Namikaze extended his hand, and Obito, Kakashi, Rin, and Shindai all stacked their hands on his. "Mission start! Good luck!" 

Shindai was already starting to feel nervous. After all, he was about to face off against a major boss! 

Since Kakashi was now the captain, he took the lead, walking at the front of the squad. 

The group entered the forest. 

The trees in this forest were astonishingly large, so big that it would probably take a dozen or more adults to wrap their arms around one. 

After moving for some distance, Kakashi suddenly stopped, signaling everyone to halt. 

Minato Namikaze was pleased with this, as he had already sensed hidden enemies, and Kakashi had noticed them too. 

The hidden enemy was Mabiru, a Jonin from the Stone Village. 

Mabiru's heart pounded when he saw Minato Namikaze's yellow hair, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. 

Mabiru guessed Minato Namikaze's identity but still held onto a sliver of hope. 

There are so many people with yellow hair; maybe it's just the same hair color, not the Yellow Flash himself. 

Mabiru decided to observe the situation first. 

Kakashi led the team to hide behind a thick tree root. 

Minato Namikaze touched the ground with one finger to sense. 

"One person... huh? Everyone, be careful. There are 20 enemies. It's probably a Shadow Clone Jutsu." 

Kakashi gave his first command as a Jonin captain: "Looks like I was right. I'll charge in; you cover me!" 

Minato Namikaze worried, "Don't rush, Kakashi. Let me handle it." 

"Sensei, this is my first official appointment as captain. Before, my captain status would be arbitrarily revoked by certain individuals, so I need to show my subordinates my strength. Also, I want to test out my newly developed jutsu." 

Kakashi felt a bit stifled when he thought about his previous experiences as captain. 

His captain status was either taken away by Shindai or by Obito, and even if it wasn't, Shindai and the others didn't necessarily listen to him. 

So! Today, Kakashi Hatake was going to assert his authority! 

No one could take away his officially appointed captain status now! 

Kakashi formed a few hand signs, concentrating chakra into a Chidori. 

This was the first time Obito and Rin had seen Kakashi use Chidori, and they were utterly shocked because it looked incredibly cool. 

Shindai just felt it was a bit blinding and noisy. It made too much of a racket. 

Kakashi put on the monocle Shindai had given him, pressed the button, and charged out. 

Mabiru hadn't expected Kakashi to just charge straight at him. 

Mabiru's main body and his shadow clones all threw kunai at Kakashi. 

Above Kakashi was a mass of Iron Sand. 

All the kunai were attracted and stuck to the Iron Sand. 

Through the monocle, Kakashi locked onto all his enemies. 

Kakashi, wielding the Chidori, charged straight through, successfully hitting one of the Mabirus. Unfortunately, it was just a shadow clone. 

Kakashi continued to attack the other Mabirus. 

Meanwhile, a shadow clone of Mabiru emerged from the ground in front of Obito and Rin, attempting a sneak attack. 

Before Mabiru had fully emerged, Obito and Rin immediately pulled out their kunai, each stabbing him once. Mabiru dissolved into smoke before he could even fully surface. 

Obito grumbled, "Do they really think we're idiots? Trying to sneak attack us like that?" 

Kakashi had already dealt with 18 shadow clones. With the one Obito and Rin took care of, that made 19. The remaining one had to be the original. 

Mabiru furiously yelled, "Don't get cocky, brat! I'm not just good at shadow clones!" 

Mabiru drew his ninja blade and slashed at Kakashi from an incredibly tricky angle. 

Kakashi couldn't possibly see Mabiru's movements clearly, but Shindai's monocle displayed a red outline, clearly exposing Mabiru's actions in Kakashi's vision. 

Kakashi immediately dropped to a kneeling position, sliding to dodge Mabiru's attack. He successfully closed the distance, plunging his Chidori into Mabiru's chest. 

Mabiru's blood splattered onto Kakashi's face. Mabiru's expression was one of disbelief. 

He had been defeated by a mere brat. 

Kakashi pulled his hand from Mabiru's chest, stood up, and gave a forceful flick to shake off the blood from his hand, saying coolly, "The victor is clear!" 

The light faded from Mabiru's eyes as he fell to the ground, lifeless. 

Kakashi returned to the team. 

Rin praised him, "That was amazing, Kakashi!" 

Minato Namikaze also commended Kakashi, "The jutsu you developed is excellent. It focuses power into a single point, increasing destructive force and speed, and it looks like it has a lot of room for further development." 

Hearing Rin and Minato Namikaze praise Kakashi, Obito and Shindai felt annoyed. 

Obito: "Tch, what's so amazing about it? I could do that too!" 

Shindai: "That jutsu is so noisy and obnoxious! It's like you want the enemy to know exactly where you are, huh?" 

Kakashi automatically ignored Obito and Shindai's sour remarks, looking at his right hand. "If it weren't for this monocle's targeting function, I probably wouldn't have dodged that last slash, because I couldn't even see his counterattack. 

So, without Shindai's monocle, my Chidori would still be an incomplete jutsu. But with Shindai's monocle, this jutsu is now complete." 

Shindai was no longer sour. He puffed out his chest, proudly accepting Kakashi's praise. 

"Hmph, my research into this tech is super awesome!" 

Seems like Kakashi really proved his worth, and Shindai's tech is coming in clutch! What do you think this means for their mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge? 

Chapter 158: Black Zetsu in Action 

Kakashi's Chidori debut, aided by Shindai's monocular, ended perfectly. 

Minato Namikaze was genuinely happy seeing Kakashi, Obito, Rin, and Shindai, who had all grown so much. 

Ever since Shindai joined, the entire team's dynamic had completely changed. 

Previously, Obito had always relied on his Sharingan, believing his power would transform once he awakened it. But after Shindai arrived, Obito slowly let go of that idea. After successfully activating his Sharingan, his strength continued to grow. 

Kakashi, who used to be emotionally closed off and overly fixated on missions and rules, even willing to abandon teammates to complete a task, had changed. Now, even though he could still be sharp-tongued (Minato believed it was due to Shindai's influence), his personality was becoming warmer and sunnier. He no longer obsessed over missions and rules and had truly moved past his former self. 

Rin, to help Obito, Kakashi, and Shindai, worked even harder on her medical ninjutsu, and her skills were improving rapidly. 

Moreover, the four of them had developed incredible teamwork. 

Minato had initially been a little worried about letting Team Minato go on a solo mission to infiltrate enemy lines and destroy Kannabi Bridge, but now he felt completely at ease. Everyone had grown, maturing into reliable and capable ninja. 

Minato smiled and said, "The most important thing for a ninja is teamwork, and you're all doing great now. Let's set up camp and rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you for a bit longer before we split up." 

"Alright~" 

Night 

Shindai couldn't sleep at all, his eyes wide, looking around aimlessly. 

Obito asked confusedly, "Shindai, what are you doing? Not sleeping in the middle of the night?" 

Shindai, currently very tense, shot back, "There'll be plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead. I'm alive now, so I want to stay awake! Got a problem with that?!" 

Obito muttered "crazy" under his breath, then rolled over, turning his back to Shindai, and happily went back to sleep. 

The reason Shindai was so tense was that he suspected Madara Uchiha or Black Zetsu might be secretly observing them from somewhere. 

Shindai's guess was correct; Black Zetsu was indeed secretly watching them nearby. 

Black Zetsu's Mayfly technique allowed him to merge his body with the earth and plants, completely concealing his presence while the jutsu was active. Even Minato Namikaze, with his excellent sensory abilities, couldn't detect him at all. 

Black Zetsu heard that Minato would be separating from the team starting tomorrow, and he thought it was the perfect opportunity. However, the timing was tricky. As Madara Uchiha had said, Black Zetsu had no real combat ability; he specialized in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. 

And with Obito, there were Kakashi and Shindai. While observing Obito, Black Zetsu naturally observed Kakashi and Shindai as well. He concluded that these three together were problematic; even several Jonin might not be able to handle them. 

Black Zetsu felt that Shindai was the most troublesome because Shindai's fighting style was utterly shameless. When fighting the Mist Ninja at the border, Shindai encountered a limping Mist Ninja. After Shindai noticed his limp, he didn't attack anywhere else; he just kept hitting that bad leg and the other good one, directly breaking the Mist Ninja's healthy leg. The incapacitated Mist Ninja was then easily finished off by Shindai. 

Ever since witnessing that, Black Zetsu had a strange feeling: the biggest obstacle to getting Obito would definitely be Shindai. 

Black Zetsu pondered for a moment. The Magiru that Kakashi had killed had two companions waiting for him. These two Stone Ninja were also Jonin, and a battle was inevitable if the two groups encountered each other. However, those two Stone Ninja would definitely not be a match for Team Minato. What should he do? 

Black Zetsu's gaze fell upon Rin Nohara, who was resting with her eyes closed, and he began to cackle sinisterly. 

The Next Day 

After everyone had rested well, Minato Namikaze accompanied Team Kakashi through the forest and into a bamboo grove. 

"Alright, we'll split into two groups from here. Good luck, everyone! Yesterday's ninja was just a lone scout by chance. From now on, you're very likely to encounter team battles, so be careful." 

Shindai cleared his throat and said, "As captain, I need to say a few words. You must be cautious in your actions. If you encounter an urgent crisis that you can't handle immediately, you must open the device on the necklace I gave you right away, understood?" 

Kakashi looked at Shindai in disbelief. "How are you the captain again?" 

Shindai, with an air of complete entitlement, replied, "Captain duties rotate! It was your turn a few days ago, now it's mine!" 

Obito's eyes lit up at this. "Then Shindai, when is it my turn to be captain?" 

Shindai actually answered seriously, "After I've had my fill!" 

Kakashi clenched his fists. Sometimes, he genuinely wanted to kill these two. 

Minato Namikaze and Rin Nohara smiled wryly. 

Minato waved his hand. "Alright, I'm off. Be careful, everyone. See you later." 

Minato departed alone. 

Shindai took a deep breath and said seriously, "Now, you absolutely must be careful. I'm not kidding. Kakashi, you lead the way!" 

Kakashi couldn't hold it in any longer. "Hey! That's enough! I am the officially appointed captain! Officially appointed! You two need to follow my orders!" 

Shindai scoffed, "I didn't realize you were so vain, Kakashi. Fine, fine, the captain title is yours, but you still have to listen to my commands. Alright, it's decided, let's go!" 

Shindai gathered iron sand, forming a "third eye" that floated in the air. 

Kakashi was so angry he nearly had a heart attack. Vain, him? Vain my foot! He'd rather give the captain title to Shindai if it meant they would listen to his orders. 

Obito sternly reprimanded, "Kakashi, what's wrong with you? Are you not listening to the captain's orders anymore?" 

Kakashi gritted his teeth, but then he suddenly felt it was pointless to argue with these two idiots, because being idiots, they wouldn't listen to anything he said anyway. So, he walked ahead without a word. 

They discovered many traps in the bamboo forest. However, Kakashi detected all of them beforehand, either disabling them or simply bypassing them, and they progressed smoothly towards Kannabi Bridge. 

As they passed a pond, two Stone Ninja were hiding behind some rocks. These two Stone Ninja were Magiru's companions, Hogarashi and Oishi. 

Hogarashi narrowed his eyes, watching Shindai's group. "Hey, Magiru went to scout and never came back. Could those brats have taken him out?" 

"Heh, let's ask them." 

Oishi performed hand signs. 

"Ninja Art: Camouflage Hiding!" 

Oishi's body began to become transparent until he completely disappeared, then he quietly approached Team Kakashi. Inside Oishi's clothes, a shadowy, dark substance was attached. 

This shadowy, dark thing was Black Zetsu. 

It seems Black Zetsu is making his move, and Team Minato is walking right into his trap! Shindai's inventions and instincts might just be put to the ultimate test. What do you think will happen next in this crucial mission? 

Chapter 159: Rin is Abducted! 

Oishi, an Iwa Village Jonin, silently approached Shindai and the others using Ninja Art: Camouflage in Hiding. 

However, this Oishi's will was currently being controlled by Black Zetsu through Mental Fusion. 

This meant that Black Zetsu was the true controller of Oishi. 

With Black Zetsu suppressing their chakra signatures and Oishi's Camouflage in Hiding, even if Black Zetsu stood right in front of the four, Shindai and his team wouldn't sense a thing. 

Kakashi, walking at the front, suddenly stopped and signaled. 

Shindai was even more direct because his Third Eye had already detected a chakra signature hidden behind a rock. 

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Spear!" 

Shindai compressed Iron Sand to high density, forming it into a sharp spear, and hurled it forward. 

The hidden figure was startled, shocked that he had been discovered. 

The figure immediately flashed away, dodging Shindai's Iron Sand Spear, and, as he moved, triggered a trap he had laid there. 

Numerous sharp bamboo stakes shot out, aiming at Shindai and his group. 

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" 

Obito gathered chakra in his throat, then spewed a massive fireball from his mouth, incinerating all the bamboo stakes. 

"Earth Style: Rock Thorn Spear!" 

The figure performed hand signs and unleashed a jutsu. The ground beneath them transformed into sharp, rock-like spikes, thrusting towards Kakashi, who was at the front. 

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" 

A wall of earth rose in front of Kakashi, blocking the sharp rock thorns. 

The hidden figure then charged towards them. 

Kakashi, Obito, and Shindai prepared for battle. 

Rin, as usual, being a medical ninja, didn't directly participate in combat and intended to find cover. 

Shindai felt something was off. Having lived in this world for so long, some of his memories had become quite blurry. 

Shindai's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted, "Rin! Don't leave our side!" 

Typically, ninja squads sent on missions consist of three people. 

Assuming this Iwa ninja was with the one Kakashi had defeated with Chidori, then there should be one more person. 

Based on this guess, Shindai remembered: the precondition for Obito getting crushed by the rock was Rin being captured by the Iwa ninja. 

However, it was already too late. 

Oishi, whose consciousness was controlled by Black Zetsu, had already appeared behind Rin. He delivered a swift chop to her neck, instantly knocking her unconscious. He then held Rin in one arm, a kunai pressed against her throat. 

Seeing that Oishi had succeeded, the other Iwa ninja, whose name was Hotaru, had no intention of continuing to fight and joined Oishi. 

Oishi's gaze remained fixed on Obito as he spoke, "I'm taking this one with me." 

Hotaru threw a smoke bomb. Once the smoke cleared, both Iwa ninja, along with Rin, had vanished. 

"Damn it!" 

Obito tried to chase after them, but Kakashi and Shindai simultaneously grabbed his shoulders. 

Kakashi urged, "Obito! Don't make any rash moves!" 

"But Rin..." 

Shindai spoke to Obito with a grim expression, "It's more dangerous to chase Rin right now. Since they weren't interested in fighting us and just took Rin, it means they want to extract information from her. If you pursue relentlessly, they might harm Rin." 

Shindai was now certain that there was something seriously wrong with Oishi. 

After Oishi had knocked Rin unconscious, grabbed her, and held a kunai to her throat, his gaze hadn't left Obito. 

That phrase, "I'm taking this one with me," was specifically directed at Obito. 

This Oishi was either Madara Uchiha's minion or was being controlled by Madara's Sharingan. 

If that was the case, then if Obito rushed in recklessly, not only would Rin be in danger, but Obito would be too. 

Obito gradually calmed down and asked, "So, what do we do now?" 

Kakashi analyzed, "Rin is a medical ninja. In the ninja world, medical ninja are usually treated with respect even if captured. And like Shindai said, they must have captured Rin to extract information from her. 

However, it's unclear whether the Iwa Village will abide by that rule. And if they possess jutsu to extract memories, they might kill Rin after getting her information. 

Therefore, Rin should be safe for a short time, but we must rescue her quickly. 

But this mission is crucial. If we can't destroy the Kannabi Bridge in time, it will be extremely detrimental to the Leaf Village, and it might even lead to the sacrifice of our comrades on the front lines. 

So... I think we should split into two paths. One team goes to rescue Rin, and the other continues to destroy the Kannabi Bridge. Shindai, Obito, you two go rescue Rin. I'll destroy the Kannabi Bridge alone." 

Obito frowned deeply, worried. "The Kannabi Bridge, which transports supply resources, is very important to the Iwa ninja. It's bound to be heavily guarded. It's too dangerous for you to destroy it alone, Kakashi!" 

Kakashi spoke with great seriousness, "We can't abandon Rin, and we can't fail to destroy the bridge. This is the best arrangement. We don't have time to hesitate. Let's do this." 

Shindai, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. "Alright, you two, listen to my orders. They definitely won't be far from us. We'll go eliminate those two Iwa ninja immediately. That way, no information will be leaked, and Rin can be saved. 

Besides, Rin has the necklace I gave her. As long as she uses it, Rin will be safe for a while, and we won't have to worry about information leaking. So, right now, we need to be cautious, not reckless. Let's carefully track Rin first." 

Inside a Cave 

Oishi, controlled by Black Zetsu, was currently tying up Rin. 

Black Zetsu planned to use Rin as bait to lure Obito into this cave, then find a way to take Obito away. 

During the process of tying up Rin, she had already regained consciousness. 

Rin squinted, secretly glancing at the two Iwa ninja, her heart filled with anxiety. 

She wasn't skilled in combat, and escaping under the watch of two Iwa Jonin was almost impossible. 

Since they weren't killing her, their next step would likely be to torture her severely to extract information. 

What to do? What can I do? 

Rin saw the necklace hanging around her neck and remembered what Shindai had told her. 

'If you ever encounter a crisis you can't handle, open the device on the necklace I gave you immediately.' 

Before her hands were completely bound, Rin gathered chakra into her hands and directly opened the pocket-watch-like cover on the necklace. 

When the cover opened, a tiny scroll popped out. 

The scroll automatically unfurled, and a surge of Iron Sand poured out from within. 

The Iron Sand enveloped Rin, forming a spherical Iron Sand barrier around her. 

This sudden turn of events left Black Zetsu and Hotaru stunned. 

Hotaru hastily asked, "What's going on?" 

Black Zetsu's face furrowed as he replied, "Her necklace seems to be some kind of mechanical device. When it opened, a scroll popped out, and then a lot of Iron Sand appeared, and then this happened." 

Hotaru punched the Iron Sand sphere. The sphere immediately sprouted many sharp spikes, piercing Hotaru's fist. 

Rin's quick thinking and Shindai's inventions have given them a glimmer of hope! What do you think Black Zetsu's true intentions are, and how will Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi react to this new development? 

Chapter 160: The Rescue 

Inside the Cave 

Rin Nohara was protected inside a sand iron sphere. Hogarashi tried to smash the sphere with a punch, but instead, he was pricked by the sharp spikes that protruded from it. 

Looking at his right hand, bleeding from several punctures, Hogarashi fumed, "Watch me blast it open with ninjutsu!" 

Hogarashi formed hand signs, intent on forcibly breaking open the sand iron sphere. 

Black Zetsu immediately stopped Hogarashi. "Are you insane? We want information about the Leaf Village from her! What if you accidentally kill her? Will we just go capture another one? They're definitely on guard now; it'll be much harder to catch another!" 

Black Zetsu was still planning to use Rin to lure Obito. If Hogarashi accidentally killed her, how could they lure anyone? Who would do the luring? Oishi, whose consciousness he was controlling? Or the not-so-smart Hogarashi? 

Hogarashi angrily asked, "Then what do we do now? This kid is hiding inside the sphere, and we can't just blast it open. How are we supposed to get information?" 

Black Zetsu thought for a moment, then bluffed, "Her little ninja companions might come to rescue her. How about this: we'll set up traps first. If those kids actually come, we'll use the traps to try and catch them. If we can't catch them, we at least have this kid hiding in the sphere as a backup. If we manage to catch one of those three, then we won't need this kid anymore, and we can just kill her. I think our target should be the kid with the sunglasses and slicked-back hair, because that kid doesn't seem very smart. The other two look much smarter than him, so the chances of getting information from him should be very high." 

The not-so-bright Hogarashi nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. The slicked-back kid really does seem dumber compared to the one with the mask and the obviously cunning black-haired kid. So, let's do as you say." 

"The necklaces I gave you are identifiers. Once opened, a small summoning scroll will pop out. Because it's activated by chakra, it will automatically summon the sand iron from the scroll. And after the sand iron identifies the necklace, it will automatically form a spherical sand iron barrier, protecting the person wearing the necklace. So, as long as Rin activated the device on her necklace, she'd be protected by a sand iron shield. If the enemy tries to attack the sand iron shield, the sand iron will automatically counterattack. Rin, being protected, won't be tortured, so she's temporarily safe. Therefore, all we need to do is rescue Rin during this time." 

Shindai explained the function of the necklaces to Kakashi and Obito. 

Obito, whose huge stone of worry had just dropped from his throat back into his chest, gave Shindai a thumbs-up. "Shindai, you're amazing! I can't believe how cautious you are!" 

Kakashi's brows furrowed deeply as he speculated, "But what if the enemy uses ninjutsu to try and blast open your sand iron shield? A small summoning scroll can't hold much sand iron, so the defensive strength must be limited, right?" 

Shindai said seriously, "You're right, Kakashi..." 

Obito's large stone of worry, which had just settled in his chest, shot back up to his throat. He anxiously exclaimed, "Then what do we do?! What if they accidentally injure Rin while trying to blast open your sand iron shield?" 

Shindai reassured Obito, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. You asked what would happen if Rin was accidentally injured, but don't those two Stone Ninja have the same concern? They want information, and they're also worried about accidentally killing Rin. After all, if Rin dies, they can't get any information, so they won't act recklessly. Therefore, we need to approach them carefully. Once we're close enough, I can remotely use my 'third eye' on Rin's sand iron shield to confirm her condition and then formulate a battle plan!" 

Kakashi agreed with Shindai's assessment. The Stone Ninja wanted information, so they likely wouldn't act rashly before getting it. 

However, Obito was still very worried. He couldn't get the stone from his throat to drop back into his chest, urging Shindai and Kakashi to hurry and rescue Rin together. 

After a period of travel, Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi arrived at the large tree outside the cave where Oishi, Hogarashi, and Rin were. 

Obito and Kakashi both looked at Shindai simultaneously. 

Shindai performed a few hand signs. 

On the surface of the sand iron sphere protecting Rin inside the cave, an eye appeared. 

Shindai pressed his left eye, observing and saying, "I see her. Rin's fine. She activated my device and is now protected by the sand iron shield. However, those two Stone Ninja are also inside the cave. They seem... to be setting up traps." 

Obito eagerly burst out, "Then let's go! Let's rescue Rin!" 

Kakashi chastised him, "Idiot! Calm down! Didn't you hear what Shindai said? They're setting up traps inside. Wouldn't going in be walking straight into a snare? I understand your desire to save Rin. Shindai and I also want to rescue Rin immediately, but at times like these, we absolutely cannot rush. We must rescue Rin with the smallest possible cost, instead of having to rescue both Rin and you, understand?!" 

Obito opened his mouth, then lowered his head and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'll calm down." 

Black Zetsu inside the cave had already noticed the eye on the sand iron sphere. He immediately pulled out a kunai and struck the eye. 

Black Zetsu warned Hogarashi, "They're here, get ready! The target is that slicked-back kid!" 

Hogarashi, who had two blades strapped to his forearms, replied, "Understood!" 

Outside, Shindai released his hand from his left eye and said gravely, "They discovered my 'third eye.' I'll try to control the sand iron sphere first." 

Shindai formed hand signs and pressed his hands to the ground, attempting to magnetically pull the sand iron sphere out. 

Hogarashi and Black Zetsu saw the sand iron sphere move, and Hogarashi immediately used Earth Release ninjutsu to fix the sand iron sphere in place. 

Black Zetsu said to Hogarashi, "Hogarashi, you go try to lure them in! I'll watch this sand iron sphere!" 

"Alright!" 

Hogarashi left the cave to try and lure Obito and the others into the trap-filled cave. 

After Hogarashi left, Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes slightly at the sand iron sphere. In Black Zetsu's opinion, Hogarashi was definitely not coming back, and it was uncertain if Obito and his team would even enter the cave. 

Black Zetsu pressed his hands to the ground, and several tree roots emerged from the earth, firmly securing the sand iron sphere. 

After that, Black Zetsu performed hand signs. 

"Ninja Art: Camouflage Hiding Jutsu." 

Black Zetsu once again became invisible and transparent, then quietly left the cave. 

It seems Black Zetsu has a cunning plan, but Shindai is thinking ahead. The stage is set for a tense rescue mission, with Team Minato's teamwork and Shindai's ingenuity on full display. What do you think will happen next in this high-stakes rescue?