116-120

Chapter 116: You're Great 

Obito was in a complete internal struggle. 

Even though this statue was the best he'd ever made, there's no pain like comparison. 

If Shindai hadn't carved that other statue, Obito might have genuinely thought his own was beautiful. 

But the problem was, Obito's statue was carved in the likeness of the one Shindai made. 

With that comparison, even a blind Obito would know his statue wasn't good. 

Rin Nohara, who had been walking with Obito for a bit, asked, "Obito, what did you want to talk about?" 

Obito flinched. What had to come, would come. He stopped, gathered his courage, and said, "Rin... I, I have something to give you." 

Rin asked, puzzled, "For me?" 

Obito scratched his head and replied, "Because of the whole Lady Kushina incident, we missed your birthday, didn't we? So today, I wanted to give you your belated birthday present." 

Rin suddenly understood and smiled, "Oh, that! I'd completely forgotten!" 

Obito took a deep breath and handed the statue to Rin. "Rin, this is my gift to you. I hope you like it!" 

Looking at the statue in Obito's hand, Rin was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, this statue is so beautiful!" 

Obito gave a dry laugh. "Ha, really? As long as you like it, Rin." 

In the end, Obito didn't have the courage to give her the statue he made. He secretly pulled out the statue Shindai had carved and gave it to Rin as a gift. 

Obito sighed inwardly. Sure enough, Rin loved this statue. If he had given her the one he made, she definitely wouldn't have been this surprised. 

"But Obito... I think you got the wrong one?" 

Hearing Rin's words, Obito froze. "Why do you say that?" 

Rin showed Obito the bottom of the statue. "Because it has 'Obito, big idiot, I look down on you' carved on it. I don't think you'd insult yourself, would you, Obito?" 

Obito's face was as ugly as if he'd eaten dirt. 

Was Shindai a mind-reader or something?! 

"Achoo!" 

At home, Shindai, who was engrossed in his research, suddenly sneezed violently. 

Shindai rubbed his nose and muttered, "I wonder how Obito's progress is going. Hmph, if he dares to give my carving to Rin, he's in for it! Anyway, why am I worrying so much about his dating life? I should focus on my Kannazuki." 

Shindai once again threw himself wholeheartedly into his research. 

--- 

Obito was incredibly embarrassed now, not knowing how to explain it to Rin. 

After all, he'd already given Rin the statue Shindai made. If he then gave her his own, the cat would be out of the bag. 

Rin would surely guess that he couldn't bring himself to give her his own, which is why he gave her someone else's. 

"I, I..." 

Just as Obito was about to say he'd grabbed the wrong gift, Rin suddenly stepped to Obito's left and looked at his left hand, which he had been keeping behind his back. 

"Obito, the statue you want to give me must be in your left hand, right?" 

Cold sweat broke out on Obito's forehead. He couldn't believe Rin had already found out. 

What to do? What to do? 

Seeing Rin's expectant gaze, Obito was really reluctant to show it. 

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Obito could only give up and pulled out the abstract statue he'd been holding in his left hand. 

Obito lowered his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Rin. Actually, the one in your hand is Shindai's. I really wanted to carve a statue more beautiful than Shindai's as a birthday gift for you, but I'm just too clumsy. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't carve it well. It only turned out like this. Let's just forget about this one. I'll get you a different birthday present." 

Just as Obito was about to pull his hand back, Rin suddenly grabbed his hand and took the rather abstract statue from him. 

Rin looked seriously into Obito's eyes and said, "Why are you apologizing? This is a gift from you, Obito. Why would you want to change it? While it's true your carving isn't as beautiful as Shindai's, I actually find yours more interesting. Compared to Shindai's, I prefer the one you carved, Obito. 

Obito, don't compare your weaknesses to other people's strengths. You are actually very talented, and I don't think Shindai's first carving could have been better than yours. You did a great job, Obito." 

Obito stared blankly at Rin, suddenly feeling his heart pound. 

"Achoo, achoo..." 

Shindai sneezed several times in a row. 

Shindai rubbed his nose furiously, looking at the iron sand scattered on his desk from the sneezes, and grumbled, "What's going on? Who's talking bad about me? Whatever, I don't know who it is, so I'll just assume it's Obito!" 

Obito snapped out of his daze and quickly lowered his head, his face as red as a monkey's bottom. 

"R-really? As long as you like it, Rin." 

"Obito, could you hold these two statues for me? Keep your left hand free, okay?" 

"Huh? Oh." 

A bewildered Obito held both statues in his right hand. 

Then Rin actively took Obito's left hand. 

Obito shivered as if he'd been electrocuted, and his heart immediately swelled with joy. 

Rin was holding his hand! Was this a dream? 

"Obito, be careful when you're carving. Look at all the cuts on your left hand. You didn't even treat them. Just a moment, it'll be quick." 

Rin took out some ointment for external injuries from her ninja pouch and carefully applied it to the cuts on Obito's left hand. 

Obito felt a slight disappointment. So she wasn't trying to hold his hand after all. 

But that small disappointment vanished immediately. 

Didn't this still count as holding hands? 

For Obito, this definitely counted as holding hands! 

After Rin finished applying the ointment, she bandaged his hand. 

"Alright, give it to me." 

Obito handed the statue he carved to Rin, but not Shindai's. "Rin, I'll take this one." 

"Mm-hm." 

Rin nodded, after all, that one wasn't her gift. 

Obito looked at the statue Shindai carved in his hand, especially the words 'Obito, big idiot, I look down on you' at the bottom. Obito pouted. 

"Take that!" 

Obito directly threw the statue Shindai had carved far away. 

After throwing it, Obito felt refreshed and smiled at Rin. "Rin, I'll walk you home." 

Rin looked subtly in the direction Obito had thrown the statue, praying inwardly that it wouldn't hit anyone. If it did, and they saw it was her statue, they might think she threw it. 

"Ow! Which hooligan threw that?!" 

Old Lady Tosei, who Obito often helped, stumbled and fell on her backside. The statue didn't hit her, but landed on the ground in front of her, scaring her into falling. 

Just then, Kakashi appeared and helped Old Lady Tosei up. "Are you alright, Old Lady Tosei?" 

"I was almost hurt! I don't know who has such poor manners, throwing things around." 

Kakashi looked at the ground in front of them, saw Rin's statue, and his expression instantly became incredibly strange. 

--- 

This is truly a classic Obito moment, isn't it? Even with his clumsy attempts, Rin's kindness shines through. It reminds me of the strong bonds that form among ninja teams, like Team 7! 

Chapter 117: That Feeling of Falling in Love 

Perhaps spring was approaching, the season when everything awakens. 

While Obito and Rin were walking through the streets of Konoha, within the barrier district, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were also walking together. 

Kushina asked curiously, "Minato, that jutsu you used... I felt it was very similar to a Tailed Beast Bomb that the Nine-Tails would try to use. How did you develop it?" 

Minato replied, "I saw a jinchuriki use a Tailed Beast Bomb on the battlefield, and I just used that as a reference... because I wanted to develop a jutsu that could counter a jinchuriki, for you, Kushina." Minato proudly told Kushina, "The name of this jutsu is 'Light Wheel Popsicle Swirl Jiraiya Twin Style Orb'!" 

Kushina retorted, "That's so lame! And the name is way too long!" 

Minato, who didn't think the name was lame at all, looked puzzled. "Is it? I thought it was alright..." 

Kushina pointed to herself. "It's a jutsu developed for me, right? If that's the case, can I name it?" 

"I don't mind." Minato wasn't very particular about the name of the jutsu; he just thought his names sounded cool. 

Kushina took Minato's hand. "Minato, come with me. I'll take you to a place where we can really get our minds flowing." Kushina pulled Minato and ran forward. 

Minato, whose hand was being held, looked at Kushina's back, his cheeks involuntarily flushing slightly. 

Oh no, that's the feeling of falling in love. 

Kushina led Minato to the top of the Spiral Tower. Seeing the breathtaking view, and the Hokage Rock that seemed close enough to touch, Minato exclaimed, "I can't believe there's such a wonderful place!" Minato saw a butterfly fly past him, so he extended a finger, and the butterfly landed on his fingertip. 

As the butterfly flew away, Kushina suddenly spoke. "Rasengan." 

Minato turned to look at Kushina. "Huh?" 

"That's the name of the new jutsu... What do you think?" Kushina asked Minato, a bit nervously. 

"Rasengan..." 

Under Kushina's expectant gaze, Minato gave a bright, gentle smile. "Mm! That's a great name!" Kushina looked at Minato's smile and genuinely broke into a happy grin herself. 

Minato practiced sealing jutsu with Kushina, and after a while, Minato left for a mission. The task of bringing food to Shindai, which was originally Minato's, now fell to Obito and the others. Then, not long after Minato left for his mission, Kakashi's team of three also received a mission and departed. 

"Ugh... I'm so hungry. What's going on with Obito and them today? Why aren't they here yet?" 

Shindai hadn't stepped out of his house for days, completely absorbed in tinkering with his puppet. By now, Shindai had completely lost track of time, unable to distinguish between day and night. When he couldn't stand the exhaustion anymore, he'd sleep for a bit, then wake up and continue working. 

Shindai's puppet was already taking shape; the basic outline was done, and now it was time for the fine details. Just as Shindai was unbearably hungry and contemplating whether to endure it a bit longer or go out for food, the door suddenly opened. 

"You're finally here, I'm practically starving." Shindai thought it was Obito and the others, but it was Kushina Uzumaki who appeared at the doorway. 

"Huh? Big Sister Kushina, why are you here?" 

Kushina walked in, placed the food she was carrying on the table, and said, "If I didn't come, and with Minato or Obito and them not here to bring you food, I was afraid you'd starve to death here. Obito and the others already left for their mission; they told me, so why didn't they tell you?" 

Shindai thought back. When Obito and the others brought him food yesterday, they did mention going on a mission. But Shindai was completely focused on his work at the time, so it went in one ear and out the other. He just mumbled a distracted "okay" and didn't remember it at all. 

Shindai scratched his head. "Oh, right, I forgot. But, Big Sister Kushina, are you allowed to leave now?" 

Kushina nodded. "Yes, my progress with sealing jutsu has improved a lot while teaching Minato. My seal inside is very firm now, so I don't need to worry about the Nine-Tails affecting the seal even outside the barrier district. However, I still need to be observed for a while, so my time outside the barrier district is limited; I have to go back when it's time. Looking at you, if Minato and the others don't bring you food, you won't eat until you're on the verge of starvation. I'll make food every day and bring it to you from now on." 

Shindai stared at Kushina blankly for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "Big Sister Kushina, why do I feel like you're being so nice to me?" 

The next second, a new bump appeared on Shindai's head. 

"Take out the 'feel like'!" Kushina sat across from Shindai and then smiled at him again. "Maybe it's because you're like me, coming to Konoha alone from another village. So, I feel a kinship with you. Alright, hurry up and eat." 

Shindai lowered the hand that was covering his head, opened the bento box, and began to eat. Shindai, you see, could be very quiet when he wanted to be, but when he talked, he really talked, and he was good at remembering food but not lessons learned from pain. 

Sure enough, Shindai couldn't keep his mouth shut again. "Big Sister Kushina, you need to be gentler. Don't just resort to hitting all the time. Look at Lord Minato, he's such a gentle person; you should really learn from him." 

A vein popped on Kushina's forehead. "Food can't even shut you up, huh?" Feeling the warning signs of another beating, Shindai immediately closed his mouth. 

Kushina looked at the area next to Shindai. Next to him stood the unskinned shell of Kaminari. Since Shindai hadn't applied the outer layer, Kaminari was currently just a humanoid figure made of iron sand. 

Kushina asked curiously, "Is your puppet not finished yet?" 

Shindai swallowed his food. "Not even close. Many problems haven't been solved yet. For example, since Kaminari is made entirely of magnetic iron sand, I need to research a magnetic suppressor that won't affect Kaminari's inherent magnetism, otherwise, this will happen in combat." 

Shindai picked up a kunai and tossed it into the air. Suddenly, the kunai was instantly pulled and stuck to Kaminari's body. 

Shindai explained, "Strong magnetism will cause all metal to be attracted to Kaminari's body, which would be fatal in combat. So, the first thing I need to solve is that. There are many other problems waiting for me to fix. Luckily, Lord Minato brought me those technology documents; otherwise, with my previous knowledge, I would have had to temporarily give up." 

Shindai explained many of the problems he was encountering to Kushina. Kushina listened, her eyes glazed over, completely lost, and inexplicably began to get a headache. 

After Shindai finished eating, Kushina took the empty bento box, tossed out a quick "I'll come back at mealtime tomorrow," and then promptly ran off. 

Shindai shook his head and sighed. "Ah, so she's a bad student after all~ I was just talking to a brick wall." 

It seems Minato and Kushina are truly hitting it off, even if Minato's naming sense is a bit... unique! And Shindai is still in his lab, working diligently on his puppet, while Kushina seems to be developing a soft spot for him, despite his annoying habits.  

Chapter 118: Sasori of the Red Sand is Just Trash 

Another month and more had passed. 

Not counting the previous localized conflicts, this full-scale war had already lasted over a year. 

And Shindai hadn't left his house for over a month, completely engrossed in researching his puppet. 

Thanks to Kushina Uzumaki bringing him food every day, Shindai was able to focus entirely on his research. 

However, Kushina Uzumaki thought Shindai was going crazy on several occasions. 

There were times when Kushina came to deliver food and saw Shindai with bloodshot eyes, clearly exhausted but looking frantically excited, as if he'd lost his mind. 

When Kushina saw Shindai like that, she'd act without hesitation, knocking him out with a punch so he could get some much-needed sleep. 

Shindai's progress on Kannazuki's development was accelerating, and it was nearing completion. 

Now, Shindai was making a "skin" for Kannazuki, but this skin was different from the one he'd made before. 

This new skin was also made of magnetic iron sand, but each grain of iron sand had been coated with a skin-like material by Shindai. Through magnetism, they would adhere to Kannazuki's body to form its skin. 

Currently, Shindai held a spherical, yellowish-white iron sand ball in his hand. He threw this iron sand ball onto Kannazuki's body. 

The moment it touched Kannazuki's body, the iron sand ball instantly dispersed and began to spread evenly over its surface. 

Within a few breaths, the yellowish-white iron sand covered Kannazuki's entire body, forming an incredibly realistic yellowish-white skin. 

Shindai looked at Kannazuki, his excitement overflowing. 

Shindai connected a chakra thread to Kannazuki, then hooked his ring finger. 

In an instant, Kannazuki's entire right arm suddenly exploded into iron sand, scattering outwards, but the iron sand abruptly stopped in mid-air. 

If allowed to scatter, the room would be riddled with small holes from the flying iron sand. 

Shindai hooked his finger again, and the scattered iron sand systematically gathered, reforming the right arm. 

Then, Shindai moved his finger again, and Kannazuki's right arm began to change shape, forming a cannon barrel. Simultaneously, the "Lightning Flash Sword" was triggered, and a missile was instantly loaded into the barrel, ready to be fired. 

Shindai was getting more and more excited as he experimented. After hooking his finger again, Kannazuki's left arm detached and floated in mid-air, transforming into an iron sand cylinder. This cylinder also contained a "Lightning Flash Sword" sealing tag, and numerous small holes appeared on its surface, each filled with senbon. 

His only regret was that Shindai wasn't very skilled with poisons; applying some would have been highly effective. 

Kannazuki now had three "Lightning Flash Sword" sealing tags inside it. Two of these tags contained various ninja tools, while the third tag stored different models of missiles manufactured by Shindai, ready for use at any time, making it incredibly convenient. 

Shindai bent all five of his fingers simultaneously. The senbon and missiles were resealed into their tags, the iron sand cylinder scattered and reassembled into the left arm, and Kannazuki's right arm also returned to normal. The entire process was incredibly smooth and fluid. 

At the same time, the core Konoha technology data that Minato Namikaze had given him allowed Shindai to deepen his mastery of the Magnet Release Bloodline Limit to a new level. 

Magnetism is an aspect of electromagnetism, specifically the manifestation of magnetic force. The generation of magnetism is related to the arrangement of electrons in an object and its interaction with magnetic fields. 

Magnetic fields and electric fields are interconnected physical quantities: changing electric fields produce magnetic fields, and changing magnetic fields produce electric fields. 

In other words, 

Shindai snapped his fingers, and Kannazuki's body was instantly covered in blue electricity. 

At the same time, electricity also appeared at Shindai's fingertips. 

Now, Shindai could easily generate electricity through his Magnet Release Bloodline Limit. This electricity wasn't a Lightning Release jutsu; it was simply power generated through magnetism. 

This phenomenon is called electromagnetic induction, which is the process of converting kinetic energy into electrical energy through a magnetic field. 

And these currents had many applications, but because he was at home, Shindai couldn't demonstrate many of them. 

Looking at Kannazuki, sparking with electricity, Shindai held his head and laughed maniacally. 

"Hahaha... It's done, it's done! What Sasori of the Red Sand? You're just trash! You couldn't compare to me before, and now you're only fit to eat my dust! What 'human puppets'? They're just garbage! My Kannazuki is a hundred or eighty streets ahead of yours now! 

I can't wait to face you, to trample your pride and joy, your human puppets, underfoot!" 

Just as Shindai was deliriously happy, the door suddenly opened. 

"I heard you laughing from a mile away, Shindai, what are you laughing about..." 

Kushina Uzumaki froze. Kannazuki's skin had just been made, and Shindai hadn't put clothes on it yet, so it was naked. 

And Shindai laughing at a naked Kannazuki looked completely wrong. 

Shindai's laughter cut off abruptly. He also realized something was off. 

He was currently laughing at the naked, well-proportioned Kannazuki. Even if it was a puppet, in other people's eyes, he'd definitely look very perverted. 

Shindai saw Kushina Uzumaki's hair swaying without wind, and his face instantly changed. 

This was a clear sign that Kushina Uzumaki was about to unleash a beating. 

"W-wait, Sister Kushina, it's not what you think!" 

"So this is the new puppet you've been working on? It looks quite beautiful. Someone might even mistake it for your twin sister; it's really lifelike." 

Looking at Kannazuki, Kushina Uzumaki 'tsk-tsked' in admiration. 

Shindai, with several large bumps on his head, put his hands on his hips and proudly declared, "Kannazuki isn't just beautiful! I can tell you right now, there's no puppet in the entire ninja world more powerful than my Kannazuki!" 

"Hmph, quite the big talk, aren't you?" Kushina Uzumaki then asked curiously, "Speaking of which, I heard you laughing and cursing someone earlier. Were you cursing that 'Scorpion of the Sand' guy?" 

Shindai said scornfully, "Yes, Sasori, Sasori of the Red Sand, known as the genius puppet master of the Sand Village. Everyone says his puppet techniques are top-notch, but in my opinion, they're nothing special. And he's just a guy who's starved for love, despicable, and shameless. 

I am the most powerful puppet master, not just in the Sand Village, but in the entire ninja world!" 

Kushina Uzumaki looked at Shindai with a subtle expression. She could tell that Shindai really disliked this Sasori. 

Kushina Uzumaki asked again, still curious, "Have you fought him with puppets? Who won?" 

Shindai declared confidently, "No, we haven't fought, but I will definitely win!" 

"Pfft." 

Kushina Uzumaki couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. 

Shindai twitched his lips and scoffed, "Fine, don't believe me then." 

Shindai couldn't be bothered to explain Kannazuki's principles to a "bookworm" like Kushina Uzumaki. She wouldn't understand, and might even get angry and lash out if he mocked her for not understanding. 

It seems Shindai is really confident in his new Kannazuki! And it sounds like he's pushing the boundaries of puppet technology. He's certainly got the fiery competitive spirit of a true ninja, challenging even the likes of Sasori of the Red Sand! 

What do you think will happen when (or if!) Shindai actually meets Sasori? 

Chapter 119: Shindai's Concerns 

Shindai's Kaminari was now successfully constructed. 

Kushina asked, "So, your puppet is finished? Are you ready to rendezvous with Kakashi and the others?" 

The thought of his peaceful life in Konoha coming to a halt and heading to a battlefield to fight for his life made Shindai one hundred percent unwilling. So, he replied nonchalantly, "I've been working so hard for so long, I need a few days of rest, at least. Anyway, Kakashi's missions usually don't involve direct combat, and Kakashi and Obito are pretty strong now. Plus, Rin is there to back them up, so it's all the same whether I'm there or not. I'll go after I've had enough rest." 

Kushina pursed her lips. "Minato really predicted this, and it was exactly as he guessed." 

Shindai asked, puzzled, "Huh? What do you mean?" 

Kushina explained, "Before Minato left for his mission, he told me that once your puppet was finished, you'd likely make all sorts of excuses to stay in Konoha and wouldn't want to leave. So, Minato instructed me to talk to the Third Hokage and force you to rejoin Kakashi and the others once your puppet is done." 

Shindai's expression gradually turned to disbelief. "Lord Minato is so unfair! How could he do that?! He's being completely inhumane! This is too much!" 

Kushina coughed, defending Minato. "Hey, how can you say that? It's wartime now, and you're a glorious Konoha genin. Minato specifically spoke to the Third Hokage to help you, which is why you were able to comfortably do your research at home. Otherwise, during wartime, any ninja must follow orders and go to the battlefield at any time. There's no way you'd be allowed to do research so comfortably. Besides, Obito and the others have been waiting for you to return to the team. Can you really bear to let them keep hoping for you to fight alongside them while you're dodging duty in Konoha?" 

Shindai mumbled, "What's so glorious about being a genin? And I'm not really dodging; I just want to rest for a bit. Alright, alright, I'll go. Big Sister Kushina, what's the situation in the ninja world right now?" 

About two months had passed since he arrived in Konoha from the Land of Grass, and Shindai guessed the situation must have changed. 

Kushina said seriously, "The situation in the ninja world is changing by the day. I heard that Minato has already clashed with Kumogakure's A and the new Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer B, several times in the Land of Rice Fields..." 

Shindai was surprised. "Isn't Kumogakure locked in a death match with Iwagakure? Why are they fighting with Lord Minato's group now?" 

Kushina shrugged. "Who knows? From what I heard, it seems Kumogakure plundered a lot of Konoha's supplies, which is why Minato was dispatched. And because the Cloud ninja couldn't deal with Minato, Kumogakure was forced to send A and the jinchuriki. But now Kumogakure has almost withdrawn from this war." 

Shindai asked, bewildered, "What happened? Why has Kumogakure almost withdrawn from this war?" 

Kushina explained, "Kumogakure's Third Raikage died. I heard the Third Raikage led a ninja squad to try and launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure, but Iwagakure saw through it, and the Third Raikage and his ninja squad were ambushed by tens of thousands of Iwa ninja. To allow his comrades to escape, the Third Raikage fought alone, drawing the enemy away. He fought for three days and three nights, pushing himself to exhaustion and death, all to buy his comrades time to escape. Because of this incident, Kumogakure's morale was severely damaged. They fought back desperately against Iwagakure for revenge, but that kind of hatred-driven battle couldn't last long. Soon after, Kumogakure's higher-ups started recalling their ninja from outside, seemingly to withdraw from this war." 

Shindai's mouth hung open. He expected the situation to change, but he didn't expect such a massive shift; the Third Raikage had actually died. 

Shindai asked curiously, "By the way, were there really tens of thousands of Iwa ninja?" 

Kushina chuckled. "How could there be? That's definitely an exaggeration. A few thousand Iwa ninja would be impressive enough." 

Kushina continued, "Iwagakure was also severely weakened by this incident and has become much more cautious. I heard they're not directly confronting us on the battlefield anymore; they avoid battles whenever possible. But they're definitely recuperating, and they might attack Konoha at any time. Right now, the most troublesome for us in Konoha are Sunagakure and Kirigakure. They were originally fighting a chaotic war in the Land of Tea, and that chaotic fight has now spilled into our Land of Fire. Because of this, our Konoha ninja have had to join their chaotic battles. Based on our assessment, this war might end in as little as a year." 

Shindai thought for a moment. Indeed, as Kushina said, the war might end in about a year. That's because Kakashi was about to turn 12. When Kakashi turns 12, he'll become a true Jonin. After becoming a Jonin, in the Kannabi Bridge battle, Kakashi will receive Obito's Sharingan. After that, Rin Nohara will become the Three-Tails' jinchuriki and return to Konoha intending to destroy it, only to be stopped by Kakashi. Finally, Konoha will apparently be pushed to its doorstep, and after that battle, the Third Great Shinobi War will pretty much be over. 

Shindai looked at Kushina strangely. "Wait, Big Sister Kushina, weren't you in Konoha this whole time? How do you know the situation so well?" 

Kushina gave an embarrassed laugh. "You caught me, huh? It's because Minato sends me messages from time to time, and he tells me about the situation, so I know a bit." 

"Alright." 

Shindai's expression turned grim. He wasn't happy at all that the war might be ending, and the reason was, of course, Obito and the others. Obito, Rin Nohara, and Kakashi were his good friends now. Shindai absolutely did not want Obito to become the masked man who abandoned himself and lived in darkness. He much preferred this goofy, mischievous Obito. He also didn't want the very kind Rin, who was so good to him, to become a sacrifice, a tool to push Obito into darkness. Similarly, he didn't want Kakashi to be deeply traumatized by losing both Obito and Rin, constantly suffering physically and mentally. As a good friend, Shindai didn't want to see them in pain, plunged into endless darkness. 

Honestly, if he could just save Obito, perhaps those chain of tragedies wouldn't happen later. But... should he really change it? Shindai wanted to change Hōji's future because Hōji wasn't important to the future timeline. However, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were all extremely important. What if the entire future changed? One of Shindai's sources of security was his knowledge of the future. Although those memories were gradually fading, he still understood the general direction. If it changed, he would lose that sense of security. And what if the future changed for the worse instead of the better? 

Chapter 120: I Have a Friend 

Shindai was in a huge dilemma. He'd actually been conflicted about this before, but since he couldn't resolve it, he'd deliberately tried to forget about it. 

However, time was running out, and these events were about to happen soon, so Shindai couldn't ignore them anymore. 

In fact, due to Shindai's presence, things had already changed to some extent. 

Take Obito's Sharingan, for example. 

Originally, Obito's Sharingan should have awakened during the Kannabi Bridge Battle, but now, because of Shindai, it had awakened much earlier. 

And because Obito's Sharingan had awakened, his strength was soaring, and he was no longer the clumsy Obito he used to be. 

This could very likely lead to changes in the upcoming Kannabi Bridge Battle. 

Speaking of which, the "Dance Master" Madara Uchiha might already be eyeing Obito and thinking about how to push him into darkness. 

But why would Madara Uchiha target Obito in the first place? 

Obito was a dead last back then, so how could Madara Uchiha have taken an interest in him? 

It's not like Madara Uchiha had foresight and already knew Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan would awaken the "Kamui" ability, which is totally overpowered, right? 

As for that mama's boy, Black Zetsu, he probably wouldn't have thought much of Obito at first either. Obito didn't have Indra's or Asura's chakra. 

Shindai wracked his brain, then suddenly, a flash of insight hit him, and he understood why Madara Uchiha had set his sights on Obito. 

Choosing Obito wasn't because Madara Uchiha saw potential in Obito's abilities, but because he saw potential in Obito's personality. 

The current Obito was full of kindness towards others and would go out of his way to help the weak. 

The Uchiha clan believes strongly in love, but they are also very extreme. When they lose that love, their hearts are replaced by an even stronger hatred. Once their minds are covered by hatred and their eyes are clouded, they go to another extreme and become easier to control. 

Moreover, the Sharingan, as an eye that reflects the heart, can awaken and continuously evolve through strong emotional stimulation, eventually evolving into the Mangekyo Sharingan. 

This meant that no matter how bad Obito's talent or strength was, as long as his heart was filled with extreme hatred, he could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his strength would undergo a qualitative leap. 

Therefore, Madara Uchiha didn't care about Obito's strength at all. He only targeted Obito because a very loving Obito would be more prone to becoming extreme and easier to control. 

Shindai was a bit frustrated. Even knowing all this, what good was it? 

Although Obito's Sharingan had awakened and his strength had increased, leading to significant changes, Obito's personality hadn't changed. So, he would still be targeted. 

Should he stand by and do nothing? 

But as a good friend, knowing the disaster that would befall them later and doing nothing — what kind of friend would that be? Would he even be human? 

Shindai vigorously scratched his head. "I should have just hidden in some obscure corner and never come out! Then I wouldn't be so conflicted!" 

Kushina Uzumaki looked blankly at the frantic Shindai, not understanding what had suddenly gotten into him. 

She had just told Shindai about the ninja world's situation. Was such a big reaction necessary? 

"Hey, Shindai, what are you doing?" 

Shindai sighed and asked, visibly troubled, "Sister Kushina, can I ask you a question?" 

Kushina Uzumaki asked curiously, "What kind of question?" 

Shindai thought for a moment and said, "Uh... a personal one, I guess." 

Kushina Uzumaki immediately sat up straight. 

A personal question! She wondered which girl Shindai liked. 

Could it be Rin Nohara? 

After all, among the girls his age that Shindai knew in Konoha, it seemed Rin was the only one. 

But Obito liked Rin, so could it be that Shindai was troubled because Obito liked Rin, and Shindai also liked Rin, and since Obito was Shindai's good friend, Shindai didn't know what to do and wanted to ask her for advice? 

Kushina Uzumaki was incredibly excited now, feeling like she was about to hear some juicy gossip. 

Kushina Uzumaki cleared her throat and said seriously, "Go ahead and ask. I'll definitely help you analyze it properly!" 

Shindai pondered for a moment and then said, "I have a friend..." 

Hearing Shindai's opening line, Kushina Uzumaki almost burst out laughing. 

It was confirmed. What came next would most likely be exactly as she suspected. 

"I have a friend, and he knows that his friends might encounter some very, very bad things. My friend is very conflicted about whether or not to help them, because helping them might lead to even worse things. My friend actually just wants to live a peaceful life, doing things he's interested in, and doesn't want to get caught in a whirlwind. But if he doesn't help, he feels like he's not being human. 

So... if it were you, Sister Kushina, what would you do?" 

Kushina Uzumaki's eyes widened. She looked at Shindai in disbelief. "Why would you ask that? Shouldn't you be asking..." 

Kushina Uzumaki quickly covered her mouth, almost letting it slip. 

Shindai asked, confused, "What should I be asking?" 

Kushina Uzumaki released her hand from her mouth and gave a dry laugh. "Ah, no, nothing." 

Shindai asked again, "Sister Kushina, if it were you, what would you do? If my friend helps, he might get deeply entangled in a whirlwind and be unable to escape. There might be a lot of trouble, and he might never return to a peaceful life." 

Kushina Uzumaki thought for a moment, then tilted her head and asked, puzzled, "But, don't you already have the answer yourself?" 

Shindai asked, surprised, "Huh? When did I have the answer? I'm asking you." 

"You said you..." 

Kushina Uzumaki was about to explain, but Shindai quickly denied it. "No, no, no, it's not me, it's my friend's problem! Not my problem!" 

Kushina Uzumaki slammed the table. "Hypothetically! You are your friend! You know your friends will encounter bad things, and you have the ability to change it, but you don't want to help because you're afraid of worse things happening and disrupting your peaceful life. But you also feel like it's not right not to help, right?" 

Shindai nodded. "Yes, that's exactly it." 

Kushina Uzumaki smiled and said, "If you were worried about disrupting your peaceful life, you wouldn't have even asked this question. You asked because you're already prepared for your peaceful life to be broken. 

So, you're not actually conflicted about whether to help or not. You're just missing a reason, a reason to convince yourself to break your peaceful life and help." 

Shindai's face scrunched up. To be honest, he was quite dissatisfied with Kushina Uzumaki's answer. 

It seems Shindai is wrestling with some serious moral dilemmas, a common challenge in the world of shinobi, isn't it? Kushina, with her directness, seems to have seen right through him! 

What do you think Shindai's "answer" truly is, and how will he move forward with it?