136-140

Chapter 136: Probing and Confirmation 

When Pakura hesitantly mentioned that the ninja outside were discussing her, Elder Chiyo, and Rasa, Chiyo immediately knew they weren't saying anything good. 

"Pakura," Chiyo said, "it's alright, just say it!" 

Pakura looked troubled. "Lady Chiyo, I'm a bit embarrassed to say it..." 

Chiyo's expression grew serious. "They must be badmouthing us, right? If I ask them, they'll surely hide things. Only from you can I learn everything. Speak, Pakura!" 

Pakura's expression shifted, and she sighed, as if making a difficult decision. She then spoke to Chiyo, "Lady Chiyo, I only overheard this, please don't be angry, but I will tell you. 

They're saying that the Fourth Kazekage is your and Onoki's illegitimate child, that during the Second Great Ninja War, Elder Ebizo handed you over to Onoki, and that's how the Fourth was born. That's why, after the Third Kazekage disappeared, the Fourth was recommended to become the Kazekage..." 

Pakura's very first sentence made Chiyo's face change. 

She and Onoki had an affair? And an illegitimate child named Rasa? Since when did she know about this?! 

And neither she nor Onoki had the Magnet Release, so how could they produce Rasa, who wielded it? 

As Pakura spoke, she kept observing Chiyo's expression and continued, "They also said that our village waged war against Iwagakure, and then Iwagakure let bygones be bygones and allied with us to attack Konoha because Onoki discovered the Fourth Kazekage was his and your illegitimate son, leading to this alliance. 

And... your grandson Sasori didn't disappear, but actually defected. Because Sasori developed human puppets, made from living people, and the disappearance of the Third Kazekage might be related to Sasori, as Sasori also seemed to disappear around that time." 

Upon hearing about Sasori, Chiyo abruptly stood up from her seat, her pupils almost shrinking to pinpricks, and her arm supporting the table trembled slightly. 

Seeing Chiyo like this, Pakura already had her answer. 

While the outrageous rumors about Chiyo and Onoki having an affair, Ebizo sacrificing her to Onoki, and the Fourth Kazekage being an illegitimate child had shocked Chiyo, they hadn't elicited such a strong reaction. 

After all, they sounded fake from the start. 

But when the matter of Sasori was brought up, Chiyo's reaction was too intense, which spoke volumes. 

A deep sense of disappointment welled up in Pakura's heart. 

She loved the Sand Village; she was proud to be a Sand ninja. 

Yet, Shindai, whom she considered her younger brother, who feared battle but went undercover in Konoha for the sake of the Sand Village, was ultimately abandoned by Chiyo and the others, left to take the fall for Sasori. 

Pakura exhaled softly, remembering Shindai's warning not to do anything extra. She then told Chiyo, "Lady Chiyo, these are clearly slanders, rumors that have greatly impacted your, Elder Ebizo's, and the Fourth Kazekage's reputations. Therefore, I believe measures must be taken to curb these rumors!" 

Chiyo sat back in her chair, her face grim as she pondered. 

Rumors like her and Rasa being mother and son, or her and Onoki having an affair, were too outrageous for her to personally clarify; it would be undignified. 

As for Sasori, Chiyo felt that this part of the rumor was perhaps the only truth among them. 

Although to others, this matter also seemed absurd—Sasori was her grandson, from a reputable lineage, and human puppets were unheard of. Moreover, from their perspective, this act was committed by that traitor who was spying in Konoha, having nothing to do with Sasori. 

But Chiyo couldn't think that way. 

There was that bloody room back then, and Sasori's disappearance coincided with the Third Kazekage's. 

Even Chiyo herself felt that the Third Kazekage's disappearance might be connected to Sasori. 

At the time, Chiyo was conflicted about whether to reveal this. 

However, Rasa planned to maximize the benefit from that useless spy, fueling the hatred and anger of the village ninja towards the traitor to boost morale. He branded the spy a traitor who helped Konoha lure and assassinate the Third Kazekage, thus disassociating Sasori from the Third Kazekage's disappearance. 

So Chiyo kept it a secret, driven by her own selfish motives, thinking she might have misunderstood Sasori, hoping that he might return one day. That's why she hid the bloodstains in Sasori's room and the fact that Sasori disappeared on the same day as the Third Kazekage. She only later gave a rough timeframe for Sasori's disappearance when she sent ninja to search for him. 

If the part about Sasori in these rumors was true, then the person who spread them must have seen Sasori, and quite possibly witnessed something on the day Sasori and the Third Kazekage disappeared. 

Who could it be? 

The possibility of that spy suddenly flashed through Chiyo's mind. 

But Chiyo quickly dismissed that possibility. 

After all, that spy shouldn't have been in the Sand Village at the time. 

So it must have been someone who was in the Sand Village at that time. 

And who is spreading these rumors in the stronghold? 

Someone capable of spreading rumors in the stronghold would either be an infiltrator from another village or one of their own people. 

If it was one of their own, then it might even be the same person who knew about Sasori. 

Chiyo now felt extremely troubled. After some thought, she told Pakura, "These rumors must be suppressed, otherwise, they could seriously affect morale. Pakura, I'm entrusting this to you; it wouldn't be good for me to handle it directly. 

One more thing, Pakura, you must find a way to expose the person spreading these rumors in the stronghold. We cannot allow these absurd rumors to continue spreading!" 

Pakura nodded in agreement. "I understand, Lady Chiyo. I will gather all the ninja in the stronghold immediately to suppress these rumors, and then I'll figure out who's spreading them!" 

Chiyo nodded. "I'm counting on you, Pakura!" 

After leaving the tent, Pakura immediately gathered all the ninja in the stronghold, commanding everyone not to spread rumors, stating that anyone caught doing so would face extremely severe punishment. 

And then, that was it. 

She couldn't exactly expose herself, could she? 

Returning to her own tent, Pakura's heart felt heavy. 

Initially, Pakura was conflicted. She wanted to believe Shindai, but she also hoped it wasn't true, that Shindai had made a mistake. 

But now... after confirming it, Pakura was heartbroken. 

Because Chiyo was Pakura's idol, and her idol had done such a thing, it was something Pakura couldn't fully accept. 

And Rasa, Ebizo... these people, either the Kazekage or high-ranking officials, had treated Shindai, who went undercover for the village, in such a way. 

They caused Shindai to become a traitor, now exiled from his home, unable to return, forced to become a Konoha ninja. 

Pakura remembered what Shindai told her: "You're just a ninja. Even if your reputation is high now, you're still just a ninja. You hold no power." 

Pakura's eyes flickered. 

If she fought harder, killed more Mist ninja, and gained more status and power, could she clear Shindai's name and allow him to return to the Sand Village one day? 

Chapter 137: Onoki's Shenanigans 

Besides Pakura, Shindai was also busy spreading these rumors. 

Shindai's method of rumor-mongering was much simpler and cruder. 

He had prepared many scrolls with the exact same content as the one he gave Pakura. Whenever he went on a mission and arrived at a new location, he'd just toss them around, letting whoever found them keep them. 

Thanks to Pakura's help, most of the Sand ninja already knew the scroll's contents, so they wouldn't be surprised if they found one. 

But the Mist ninja didn't know, and once they learned what was on the scrolls, the rumors spread like wildfire. 

Within a few days, they reached the Stone ninja, and even the now-contracted Cloud Village caught wind of it. 

What truly astonished everyone was that Onoki actually issued a statement. 

And this statement was utterly ridiculous. 

"The secret hidden for many years has unexpectedly been exposed. During the Second Great Ninja War, I fell in love at first sight with the Sand Village's 'Flower of the Shinobi,' Chiyo. With the help of Ebizo, we had a romantic encounter. Upon learning that Rasa is my son, I was overjoyed and relieved. To think my son would become the Kazekage of the Sand Village! He truly is my illegitimate child!" 

--- 

Inside a tent at the Konoha encampment. 

Shindai was rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach, laughing so hard he was gasping for air. 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara watched Shindai in such a state, afraid he might actually pass out from laughter. 

Rin, exasperated, tried to persuade him. "Shindai, you've been laughing for almost an hour, that's enough! It wouldn't be good if you passed out from lack of oxygen. And also, the ground is so dirty, stop rolling around!" 

Shindai grabbed Obito's pants and slowly tried to pull himself up. 

Obito desperately clutched his pants to prevent Shindai from pulling them down. "What are you doing? Don't pull down my pants! Rin's here!" 

Kakashi rolled his eye, hands in his pockets, a smirk under his mask. He retorted slyly, "What? It's fine if Rin isn't here?" 

Obito's face darkened, and he shouted, "It's not fine even if Rin isn't here!" 

Shindai rubbed his stomach, his abs aching from laughter, tears streaming down his face. He spoke in gasps. "I can't... I'm going to die laughing! That old geezer Onoki is truly something else! He gets a Kazekage for a son for free, and then emphasizes in the last sentence that Rasa is an illegitimate child! I really want to see Rasa and Chiyo's faces right now." 

Rin was somewhat confused. "Why would the Tsuchikage issue such a statement? Isn't that ruining his own reputation?" 

Shindai wiped away his tears and told Rin, "No, no, this isn't ruining his reputation at all; it's actually boosting it! Kakashi, Obito, tell me, isn't it impressive that the 'Flower of the Shinobi' Chiyo, in her youth, had an affair with Onoki and bore a son, and that son became the Kazekage?" 

Kakashi and Obito thought for a moment, then simultaneously said, "Impressive~" 

Rin frowned. "But isn't it fake?" 

Shindai spread his hands. "So what? It's not Onoki who's embarrassed; it's Rasa, it's Chiyo, it's the Sand Village! Now they've become a huge joke, ha! This surprise was truly beyond my expectations. I only wanted to annoy them, but then Onoki got involved. It's too hilarious!" 

Shindai clutched his stomach and started laughing again. 

--- 

While Shindai was having a blast, inside the Kazekage's office in the Sand Village. 

Rasa held one scroll in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, veins bulging on his hands. Both the scroll and the paper were crumpled beyond recognition. 

Not only were the scroll and paper twisted, but Rasa's face was also contorted, and Elder Ebizo, sitting opposite him, looked as if he had eaten something foul. 

Rasa suddenly slammed his fist on the table repeatedly, roaring viciously, "Which scoundrel is spreading these rumors?! That immortal old hag Onoki! How dare he shamelessly claim I'm his illegitimate son! His whole family are my illegitimate children!" 

Rasa ranted furiously for half an hour before stopping. During this time, Ebizo remained silent, allowing Rasa to vent. 

After Rasa finished his outburst, he asked Ebizo, "Advisor Ebizo, what should we do now? Should we issue an immediate clarification?" 

Ebizo nodded gravely. "A clarification is necessary. After all, some dimwitted people might actually believe these rumors." 

Rasa then asked solemnly, "Advisor Ebizo, regarding Sasori..." 

Ebizo replied, "There's no evidence to prove that Sasori was responsible for the Third Kazekage's disappearance. However, Sasori did disappear on the same day as the Third Kazekage. It's possible that both Sasori and the Third Kazekage were simultaneously attacked by unknown individuals." 

After all, Sasori was his grand-nephew, so Ebizo was naturally biased towards him. 

Rasa's eyes narrowed slightly. 

Simultaneously attacked by unknown individuals? 

Rasa didn't quite believe that. 

Because Rasa also knew that Sasori was quite reclusive and rarely left his home, so the Third Kazekage and Sasori didn't interact much. 

Although the Third Kazekage did acknowledge Sasori's talent in puppetry, their relationship was purely a superior-subordinate one. 

The confirmed location of the Third Kazekage's disappearance was outside the village. 

That night, did the Third Kazekage and Sasori go outside the village alone? What business couldn't be discussed inside the village? 

Moreover, why did Chiyo and Ebizo deliberately conceal that Sasori and the Third Kazekage disappeared on the same day? 

Something definitely seemed off. 

However, Rasa didn't intend to delve deeper into the matter. Chiyo and Ebizo held more authority than him, the Kazekage, and their contributions were crucial for the ongoing war. 

"So, what do we do next? Pretend nothing happened and continue fighting the Konoha ninja and Mist ninja?" 

Ebizo suggested, "First, let my sister (Chiyo) return. These rumors will affect her command. Let other ninja continue leading the battle. Also, this war is already in its mid-to-late stages. That Onoki is holding back, he's definitely planning a big move against Konoha. We'll wait for that opportunity, and then, while Konoha is weakened, we'll attack them. 

Fourth Kazekage, you should try to contact the Raikage, Ay, now." 

Rasa asked doubtfully, "Why contact him? Didn't the Cloud Village withdraw from the war?" 

Ebizo's tone was firm. "That's just a facade. The Cloud Village is also waiting for an opportunity. And this Fourth Raikage is newly appointed; he'll surely want to prove himself. If we cooperate with him, he likely won't refuse. 

Fourth Kazekage, you must have seen Konoha's resilience in this war. Even if we attack while they're weakened, our chances of victory are still quite low. Therefore, we need allies, and the Cloud Village is a good choice." 

Rasa thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll start making arrangements to contact the Cloud Village now." 

--- 

It seems Shindai's prank has stirred up quite the hornet's nest! And with Onoki jumping in, things are certainly getting more complicated for the Sand Village. Do you think the Cloud Village will agree to an alliance with the Sand, or will they have their own agenda? 

Chapter 138: I'm Righteous, Yet Shameless! 

Shindai had been grinning from ear to ear these past few days, especially when the Hidden Leaf ninja in the outpost started gossiping about the relationship between Chiyo, Rasa, and Onoki. That just made him even happier. 

Just as Shindai's squad returned to the outpost after completing a mission, a ninja approached him. "Shindai, Lord Orochimaru wants to see you." 

"Huh?" Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all looked at Shindai in surprise. The ninja only mentioned Shindai, which meant Orochimaru wanted to see him alone; they weren't invited. Since when did Shindai have contact with Orochimaru, enough for him to be summoned individually? 

Shindai was startled when he heard Orochimaru's name, but he quickly understood. If Orochimaru was looking for him, it was probably because he had news about Chiyo. 

"Alright, I'll go right away." Shindai told Kakashi and the others, "Well, I'm off to see Lord Orochimaru." 

Shindai headed towards the war room where Orochimaru was. Entering the tent, Shindai saw Orochimaru again. Nothing had changed; he still gave Shindai that unsettling, conniving feeling. 

To Shindai's surprise, Orochimaru complimented him. "The rumors you spread were quite effective." 

Shindai was taken aback. "Lord Orochimaru, how did you know I was behind it?" 

Orochimaru explained, "It's simple. You have a strong animosity towards Chiyo, and the areas where those scrolls were spread were where your squad was carrying out missions. So, it was easy to guess it was you." 

Shindai scratched his head awkwardly. "Is that so? I thought I did it perfectly, like a seamless masterpiece." 

Orochimaru asked with a hint of curiosity, "However, the rumors first appeared in the Hidden Sand outpost. I'm quite curious how you managed to spread those rumors there." 

"Uh... about that, I asked an old friend from the Hidden Sand Village to help me." Shindai didn't want to talk too much about Pakura with Orochimaru. 

Orochimaru noticed Shindai's reluctance to elaborate, so he didn't press further. He then continued, "I have information about Chiyo." 

Shindai's eyes sparkled as he looked at Orochimaru. 

A slight smirk played on Orochimaru's lips. "Your rumors, as absurd as they are, were quite useful. Chiyo seems to have been affected by them and has left the outpost. It appears she intends to return to the Land of Wind, and she's going alone." 

Shindai was thrilled. "Alone? Isn't that the perfect opportunity! I'll go straight for her, dattebayo!" 

However, Orochimaru immediately added, "Because Chiyo's departure route is from behind their outpost, sending ninja to ambush her has a very high chance of failure. As a commander, I cannot issue such a foolish order." 

"Therefore, if you intend to attack Chiyo, I approve of you going, but I will not provide you with any assistance." 

"I'll warn you one last time: even if your puppets are stronger than Chiyo's, battles between ninja cannot be judged solely by puppets. Aside from puppets, you are not her match. Thus, in my opinion, your chances of failure are high, and the probability of death is not low." 

"Jiraiya told me you're quite afraid of fighting. If you're so afraid of fighting, why would you do something so extremely dangerous for yourself?" 

Shindai suddenly let out a sinister chuckle. Shindai chuckled, "Lord Orochimaru, I am a very righteous yet shameless person." 

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at Shindai's answer. "Righteous" and "shameless"—could those two words even be used together? 

Shindai explained ominously, "I am very righteous in my ways, but my fighting style is utterly shameless. I'll fight as dirty as possible. If I can't win, I'll just run. I'll just thoroughly annoy that old hag Chiyo, and then I'll quickly slip away." 

Orochimaru looked at Shindai with a nuanced expression. He suddenly had a strange feeling that the 'shameless' Shindai might fail, but he would definitely not lose his life. 

Orochimaru nodded and tossed a scroll to Shindai. Shindai caught it, and Orochimaru said, "This is the predicted route of Chiyo's departure. If you want to catch up to her, you'll need to leave immediately. However, I can't guarantee you'll catch her. Also... didn't Minato Namikaze teach you guys anything? Eavesdropping on a war council is a serious crime!" 

Shindai froze. Orochimaru's last sentence clearly wasn't directed at him. Shindai turned his head and his eyes immediately became like dead fish. He saw half of Obito's dog-like head. How could he instantly tell it was Obito? Because Obito was the only one with that ridiculous hairstyle there. 

Obito, Rin, and Kakashi walked in with their heads bowed. As they entered, Rin mumbled under her breath, "Obito, I told you not to eavesdrop." 

Obito was mortified; he was just curious to listen in. Kakashi and Rin had originally tried to drag Obito away, but they accidentally overheard Shindai planning to ambush Chiyo, so they couldn't resist listening in for a bit. 

Kakashi apologized to Orochimaru. "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru." 

Orochimaru didn't intend to dwell on it with Kakashi and the others. He had better things to do. "Since Shindai is a member of your squad, I'll let it slide this time, but there won't be a next time." 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin breathed a sigh of relief. They were all intimidated by Orochimaru. 

Shindai bid Orochimaru farewell. "Lord Orochimaru, we'll be going now." 

After speaking, Shindai walked over to the trio, pushing them towards the exit, muttering, "You three are addicted to eavesdropping, aren't you? Don't you know spying gives you eye-sties?" 

Obito suddenly lifted his head and asked Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, can we go with Shindai?" 

Shindai slapped Obito's head with a big hand. "Are you crazy?! What nonsense are you spouting? Let's go!" 

Orochimaru picked up a scroll and started reading it, not even looking up as he said, "Shindai is a member of your squad. You can decide for yourselves if you want to go." 

Obito's eyes lit up, but just as he was about to speak, Shindai clapped a hand over his mouth. Shindai glared at Obito. "If you say another word, I'll rip your throat out!" 

Then Shindai shouted to Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, Obito's head got sat on by my butt this morning, so his brain nerves might be damaged and he's just babbling nonsense. Don't listen to him! Lord Orochimaru, please continue your work; we won't disturb you!" 

Shindai dragged Obito, along with Kakashi and Rin, out of the war room. 

Once they were back in Shindai's own tent. Shindai released his hand from Obito's mouth and glared fiercely at him. "Are you insane?! Spouting nonsense in front of Lord Orochimaru? Aren't you afraid Lord Orochimaru will just eat you alive?!" 

Obito rubbed his stiff face and said, "I am afraid, but I want to go with you! That Chiyo is the commander of the Hidden Sand here, a senior advisor to the Hidden Sand Village! Even Lord Orochimaru said she's strong and that you can't beat her, so isn't it too dangerous for you to go alone?" 

"I have confidence going alone. It'd be dangerous if you guys came with me. That's it, bye-bye." 

Shindai began preparing his things, intending to leave immediately once ready. 

It seems Shindai is truly committed to his 'shameless but righteous' approach to dealing with Chiyo, even if it means going alone! What do you think will happen when he confronts her? 

Chapter 139: Stripping Away Captaincy! 

Inside Shindai's tent, he was stuffing items into his small backpack. This time, he was determined to give Chiyo a huge surprise, enough to completely break that old hag's spirit! 

Obito, still rejected by Shindai, stood with his hands on his hips. "Aren't we teammates? We're a unit! How can we let you go on a mission alone?" 

Shindai casually replied, "It's a solo mission for me!" 

Obito tugged at Kakashi's arm. "Say something! Are you just going to watch Shindai throw his life away?" 

Shindai made a fist gesture towards Obito. "Throw away my butt! Don't talk nonsense, okay? I'm in a good mood right now, I don't want to punch you!" 

Kakashi was actually quite worried about Shindai too. After all, Lord Orochimaru said there was a high chance of failure and a significant risk of death for Shindai. 

Kakashi said to Shindai, "Shindai, this isn't a solo mission. Lord Orochimaru said you're a member of our squad, and we get to decide whether to go or not. Since I'm the captain, the decision is mine." 

Obito, who usually had a lot to say about Kakashi being captain, didn't argue this time. He chimed in, "Exactly! Kakashi is the captain, you have to listen to Kakashi!" 

Shindai squinted at Kakashi. "What, Kakashi? Are you going to start ordering me around too?" 

Kakashi sighed, feeling a bit annoyed. "Do you think I want to? First of all, Lord Orochimaru said Chiyo's route out was from behind their outpost. That means you'll need to bypass the Hidden Sand outpost and pursue her at full speed. This implies you won't be able to accurately assess your surroundings. There's a high chance you won't find Chiyo and instead get surrounded by Sand ninja. Isn't that right?" 

"But if we're with you, you, I, and Obito can advance in a triangular formation, with each of us watching a direction. That would be much safer." 

Shindai paused his packing. Kakashi actually made a little bit of sense. 

Rin heard something she didn't like. "Wait a minute, it sounds like you guys aren't planning on taking me with you!" 

Kakashi said to Rin, "This mission is very dangerous, so..." 

Rin immediately puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Am I not part of your unit?! Am I just extra baggage in your three-person world?!" 

Kakashi sighed helplessly. "That's not what I meant." 

Obito just went ahead and declared, "Then let's go, quickly!" 

Shindai mumbled, "What do you mean 'quickly'? I haven't even agreed yet... but fine..." 

Shindai straightened his back and said to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, "If you want to come with me, that's fine, but from now on, Kakashi's captaincy is revoked! I'm the captain now! Do you agree or not?" 

Obito immediately shouted, "I agree! You're the captain now!" 

Kakashi's dead-fish eyes darted to Obito. Was his captaincy just revoked like that? Without even asking for his opinion? 

Luckily, Rin spoke up. "I agree too!" 

Kakashi's dead-fish eyes shifted to Rin. Why was Rin also agreeing to strip him of his captaincy?! 

Just as Kakashi was about to speak, Shindai continued, "Since you all agree, then I'm the captain." 

Kakashi: "..." So, no one was going to ask for his opinion, huh? His captaincy was just directly revoked like that, huh? This was too much! 

Kakashi's mouth moved, but he still chose not to speak. "If it's revoked, then it's revoked. It's only temporary anyway. Besides, his opinion wasn't important at all right now, since no one was listening to him anyway." 

Shindai instructed, "Since I'm the captain, all future actions must follow my orders, got it? If you don't get it, you're not allowed to come!" 

"Got it!" Obito and Rin responded to Shindai with great enthusiasm. 

Then, Shindai, Obito, and Rin all looked at Kakashi, who hadn't responded. Kakashi reluctantly agreed, "Understood." 

Shindai slung his small backpack over his shoulder and said, "Let's leave immediately. We're short on time. We'll talk about the mission on the way." 

This time, Kakashi's squad... oh no, it's now officially Shindai's squad. 

Under Shindai's leadership, they set off to pursue Chiyo. 

On the way, Shindai told the trio, "Since you eavesdropped, you know I'm going to deal with Chiyo. Remember, when we get there, it's a one-on-one showdown between me and Chiyo. You are not to interfere; just hide on the sidelines. Your job is to escort me to find Chiyo!" 

Obito looked confused. "Huh? You're not letting us interfere? I was planning on going all out! Why one-on-one? Isn't ganging up better?" 

Shindai twitched his lips, scoffing, "It's just Chiyo. How are you going to 'go all out'? Cut off Chiyo's limbs and put them in four directions to 'go all out'? As for ganging up... honestly, even a few more people probably couldn't kill Chiyo. We absolutely cannot kill Chiyo with our strength alone." 

Rin was completely confused. "If you yourself know you can't kill Chiyo, then why are you risking danger to go after her?" 

Shindai sighed. "Do you think when I said I was confident alone and it would be dangerous with you guys, I was just talking? I've made thorough preparations. My only goal is to simply annoy Chiyo, to break her spirit, and then see if I can get a chance to slap that old hag's face." 

"So, there's no way I'll engage her in direct combat. I'll use every trick in the book to mess with her. If you guys join the fight, it'll actually put me at a disadvantage because it'll likely turn into a direct confrontation. Do you understand now?" 

This time, not only Kakashi and Rin, but even Obito understood. 

"Oh, so that's how it is! So, Shindai, how do you plan to annoy that Chiyo?" 

Shindai smiled mysteriously. "You'll see when we get there. If we don't find Chiyo, then telling you now is useless. I'm absolutely confident I can break her spirit, and I mean completely break it! She and Ebizo and Rasa tried to annoy me? Let's see who can annoy whom more!" 

Shindai let out a series of sinister laughs that sent shivers down the trio's spines. When it came to being mischievous, they had never seen anyone as cunning as Shindai, not even Jiraiya. So... Obito and the others truly believed Shindai could genuinely annoy Chiyo. 

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chiyo was on her way back to the Land of Wind. However, Chiyo wasn't moving fast; in fact, she was moving quite slowly. In Chiyo's mind, she was perfectly safe right now, which was why she chose to leave alone. Plus, she wouldn't be busy anytime soon, so she wasn't in a hurry. She was just taking a leisurely stroll back to the village, while thinking about Sasori and who could be spreading those rumors. 

Chiyo suddenly stopped. Her slack eyelids twitched, and she had a very bad feeling in her heart. 

It seems Shindai's squad, now officially "Shindai Squad," is on the move, with a cunning plan to face Chiyo. What do you think Shindai has up his sleeve to truly get under Chiyo's skin? And will Chiyo's bad feeling lead to her realizing what's coming? 

Chapter 140: Confrontation with Chiyo 

Right now, Shindai had only one conviction! 

In a person's life, there are always some things that simply must be done, and Shindai had found his! 

At this moment, Shindai was a hero! A fearless warrior! A model of courage who stepped forward and took responsibility in absolute adversity! 

Shindai faced difficulties without fear, challenges without hesitation, safeguarding justice and peace with unwavering conviction and extraordinary bravery! 

Against the darkness of the ninja villages, Shindai would use his wisdom and strength to create a haven for the weak. 

It was this conviction that made Shindai forget his cowardice, forget his fear! The Shindai of now was valiant and unafraid, standing firm against authority, vowing to fight the dark forces led by Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo to the very end! 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin glared at Shindai with disdain. 

"I say... can you please have a little bit of shame?" 

"Who talks about their inner thoughts out loud? And in the third person, too!" 

"What inner thoughts? He's just patting himself on the back! It's revenge, just call it revenge, don't drag 'conviction' into it!" 

Hearing his teammates tear him down, Shindai retorted, "Hey, hey, hey! I'm the captain! Everything I say right now is truth! You have no right to question me!" 

"Yeah, yeah, you're right!" 

"Mhm, it's the truth, all truth. Shindai, your sense of conviction is so strong~" 

"You're the paragon, there's no better paragon than you." 

Obito and the others gave Shindai a very perfunctory agreement. 

Shindai was about to get angry; his expression was already set, but he stopped mid-action. His footsteps halted too. 

Shindai pressed his left eye, observing with his Third Eye. 

Obito and the others also stopped, realizing Shindai must have detected something. They kept their mouths shut, not wanting to disturb him. 

"Hehehe, finally found the main target! This is going incredibly smoothly!" 

Shindai let out a sinister chuckle. His Third Eye had located Chiyo. 

Shindai had been tracking them with Obito's team for two days. 

And it was a continuous 48-hour mission. 

By coordinating, they avoided encountering Sand ninja, taking detours when they spotted them, and everything went smoothly. 

Now, finding Chiyo so easily felt incredibly lucky. 

To prevent the Third Eye from getting too close and being detected by Chiyo, Shindai deactivated it. 

Shindai suppressed his excitement and told Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, "I've found Chiyo. I'm going to confront her now. If you're going to spy again, make sure you don't get caught like you did last time with Pakura or Lord Orochimaru. I'm confident in this operation alone, but if you three join, I'll have no confidence at all. 

If you mess up my confrontation with that old hag Chiyo, then from now on, I'll harass you three every single day! Understand?" 

The threat of being harassed by Shindai every day was quite serious for Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. 

Kakashi told Shindai, "Go ahead, we promise we won't be detected this time. We'll observe from maximum range and won't give Chiyo a chance to spot us." 

Shindai nodded. "Remember what you said. I'm off." 

Shindai took a step forward, then suddenly turned back to Kakashi. "Kakashi, let me just say sorry first~" 

Kakashi looked at Shindai, puzzled. 

Sorry first? Why? 

However, Shindai was already running forward, leaving Kakashi no chance to ask. 

Chiyo's eyelid had been twitching incessantly. 

She had an inexplicable feeling that her reputation was about to be ruined. 

Chiyo suddenly stopped and turned around, looking towards the forest ahead. She barked, "Come out!" 

Shindai stepped out from behind a tree, his expression grim as he faced Chiyo. 

Chiyo frowned, looking at Shindai. "Who are you?" 

Since Shindai wasn't wearing a Konoha forehead protector, Chiyo didn't immediately attack him. 

Shindai sneered, "Don't recognize me? You old hag, didn't you, along with your illegitimate son Rasa, and your own brother Ebizo who 'handed you over' to Onoki, and the other higher-ups, declare me a traitor? You declared me a traitor, and you don't recognize me?!" 

Chiyo's pupils constricted sharply. "You're that spy who went to Konoha?!" 

Shindai immediately began cursing at Chiyo. "You old harridan, I was working my tail off as a spy in Konoha, and you guys just open your mouths and I'm a traitor now?! Is there anyone more shameless in this world than you? You're truly despicable, just like a bunch of scumbags! 

And you shamelessly call yourself the 'Flower of the Shinobi'? Look at the wrinkles on your face, they could crush flies! You clearly weren't good-looking when you were young, and you're super short too. No wonder that old geezer Onoki fell for you and spawned a shameless brat like Rasa. 

Put something in your head besides air! Even though water is scarce in the desert, it's not completely absent, so don't have absolutely no water in your brain, you stinking old hag! 

Hmph... that felt good!" 

Shindai let out a long breath, feeling completely refreshed. 

Hidden in the shadows, Kakashi and his team also felt a thrill. It was truly satisfying; it made them want to go up and curse her out too. 

Chiyo's face turned green, but since they were indeed in the wrong, she could only retort, "This was all for the village! As a ninja of the village, you should understand our difficulties, understand the village's difficulties!" 

"Hmph!" 

Shindai spat on the ground. "Just as I thought, scumbags! You spout such vile words! You only wanted to drag Konoha into the war; you didn't need to involve me at all! You truly are shameless, your faces thicker than a city wall, utterly worthless! No wonder that Sasori fellow left the village; having a grandmother like you is absolutely disgraceful!" 

Being cursed at by Shindai like that, even if they were in the wrong, Chiyo's rage surged, especially when Shindai mentioned Sasori. 

Chiyo took out a scroll and summoned a puppet from it, though it was just an ordinary one. 

The Third Kazekage had once said that the spy sent to Konoha had some talent in making puppets but was terrible at everything else, including controlling puppets. So, her Chikamatsu Collection wouldn't be necessary. 

"I'll give you a chance now. Come back to the village with me. I'll help you get a new identity and live in the Sand Village. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless." 

Shindai's voice was cold. "Ruthless? How arrogant. You're the ones who made me a traitor, and now if I don't go back to the Sand Village with you, you'll be ruthless? You just make up all the rules, huh? But perhaps you can hold off on being ruthless for a moment. Don't you want to know the truth behind the Third Kazekage's disappearance?" 

Chiyo's body trembled, and a flicker of alarm finally appeared in her eyes. 

That was quite a confrontation! Shindai definitely didn't hold back, did he? It seems Chiyo is finally feeling the heat. What do you think Shindai will reveal about the Third Kazekage's disappearance?