101-105

Chapter 101: Living Together Again 

After leaving the barbecue joint, toothpick in mouth and utterly satisfied, Shindai suddenly realized he had a problem: where was he gonna crash tonight? 

He frantically started heading towards the Hokage's office building. He'd totally forgotten to ask Hiruzen Sarutobi to assign him a place to live. 

Minato Namikaze, seeing Shindai's panicked expression, asked, "Shindai, where are you off to in such a hurry?" 

"To the Hokage's office, to find the Hokage! I still haven't been assigned a house yet!" 

As soon as Shindai said that, Minato and Jiraiya grabbed him by an arm each, quick as a flash. 

"Hold on there, kid! The old man's getting on in years, let him have some peace and quiet, would ya?" Jiraiya pleaded with Shindai, his face a mix of emotions. 

As Hiruzen's student, Jiraiya could tell the Third Hokage was completely stunned by Shindai's "compliments" earlier. I mean, Shindai told the Hokage his chest muscles were "even bigger than Lady Tsunade's," and Hiruzen didn't even argue! Jiraiya was genuinely worried Hiruzen would have a nervous breakdown if Shindai bothered him again. 

Shindai looked confused. "Peace and quiet? What's there to be quiet about? It's still early! The Hokage probably doesn't get off work this soon, right?" 

Minato explained to Shindai, "Don't worry about the house; it'll be sorted out later. For now, you can just... just stay at Jiraiya-sensei's place." 

Minato had originally thought about offering his own place, but then he remembered what Shindai had done to his home appliances before. He decided against it. Those appliances hadn't even been sent for repair yet; if Shindai went at them again, they might be completely destroyed. Jiraiya's house was huge and had plenty of empty rooms. His own place only had two rooms and a living area, so Shindai would definitely be more comfortable at Jiraiya's. 

Jiraiya shot Minato an annoyed glare. "Minato, you've changed! You weren't like this before! I want some peace and quiet too, so... bye!" With a flick of his wrist, Jiraiya used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished. 

Minato stared blankly at the spot where Jiraiya had disappeared. He ran away? No way! 

With no other choice, Minato looked at Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara. 

"I'd totally let Shindai stay at my place, but Sensei, you know I live in the Uchiha compound. Shindai isn't an Uchiha, so he can't sleep there." 

"I prefer living alone; he's too noisy." 

"Sensei, I'm a girl, so it wouldn't be very convenient..." 

Minato sighed. "Shindai, until a house is arranged for you... you can stay with me for now." 

Shindai, with a perfectly innocent expression, told Minato, "Lord Minato, I promise I won't cause you any trouble! Plus, I've stayed at your place before, haven't I? Don't you trust me?" 

Minato really wanted to retort, "It's because you've stayed before that I don't trust you!" He'd only been gone for a little while, and all his appliances had been dismantled. If he'd come back any later, Minato was sure Shindai would have taken apart the whole house. Minato had planned to go see Kushina Uzumaki later, but he decided to put it off until tomorrow. 

After everyone split up, Minato brought Shindai back to his house. 

"Wow, nothing's changed here at all! These parts are still right here!" Shindai was utterly surprised to see the large pile of parts on the table. 

Minato's eyebrow twitched. After leaving Konoha together that day, they hadn't returned, so of course nothing had changed. Minato scanned his house; it was covered in dust after half a year of being empty. 

"Shindai, help me clean up. We can't live with all this dust." 

"No problem!" 

Minato and Shindai started cleaning the house. In a short while, the entire place was sparkling clean. There was just one tiny problem: except for the light bulbs, none of the other appliances worked. Minato decided he'd go see Kushina Uzumaki tomorrow, then take all the appliances for repair. 

That night, Minato didn't sleep well at all. He kept worrying that Shindai would get his hands on the already unfortunate appliances. But in the end, his worries were for nothing; Shindai slept quite peacefully. 

The Next Day 

Obito and the others came looking for Shindai bright and early. After washing up, Shindai bid farewell to Minato. "Lord Minato, I'm heading out with Obito and the others to explore Konoha!" 

"Alright, have fun, but try to come back early once you're done playing." 

"Got it!" 

After Shindai left, Minato packed up all the appliances that needed repair, left the house, and dropped them off at the repair shop. Then, he entered the barrier area and headed to the building where Kushina Uzumaki was. 

Kushina was absolutely thrilled to see Minato again. And when she heard she could relax in Konoha for a while, she was even happier. 

"This is great, Minato! Since you have some time off, I'll teach you the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu during this period. Haven't you always wanted to learn it?" 

Minato's expression was a bit awkward. He really did want to learn the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu, but right now, he was more focused on developing the Rasengan. However, seeing Kushina's excited and hopeful face, Minato couldn't bring himself to refuse. He smiled and agreed, "Sounds good! Then I'll be in your hands, Sensei Kushina!" 

Kushina thoroughly enjoyed Minato calling her "Sensei Kushina" and puffed out her chest proudly. 

Minato, as usual, began to recount his experiences from the past while. However, he didn't tell Kushina about fighting the two Jinchuriki from the Hidden Stone Village, fearing she would get anxious. 

While Minato and Kushina were enjoying their peaceful time alone, Shindai was having a blast exploring Konoha. 

"Wow, no wonder everyone says Konoha is so prosperous!" 

Shindai hadn't really explored Konoha on his previous visit. Today, with Obito, Kakashi, and Rin showing him around, Shindai truly experienced the village. Even though they were in a time of war, the people of Konoha seemed unaffected, going about their daily lives as usual. 

Suddenly, Obito dashed off. Shindai asked Kakashi and Rin, who were beside him, "Where's Obito suddenly rushing off to?" 

Kakashi pointed ahead. "He's definitely going to help Grandma Higashimori." 

Rin smiled and added, "Obito is really kind and enthusiastic. If he sees someone who needs help, he'd never just stand by." 

Up ahead, an old lady holding a grocery basket was standing in place, rubbing her back, looking tired. Obito helped the old lady walk forward. 

"This is far enough, thank you, child." 

"Grandma Higashimori, it's me, Obito! Don't you recognize me?" 

"Oh, you're Obito?" 

Because Obito wasn't wearing his usual goofy goggles or his somewhat sloppy clothes, and instead had on a pair of small sunglasses, a slicked-back hairstyle, and a sharp, pure black Uchiha uniform, he looked very cool. That's why Grandma Higashimori, who was quite familiar with Obito, didn't recognize him at first. 

Chapter 102: Rin's Birthday Gift 

Because of Obito's dramatic change, the old lady who was very close to him didn't recognize him at first. After Obito revealed his identity, the old lady started praising him. 

"Oh, Obito, you're dressed so nicely now, I didn't recognize you at all! You're really handsome, much more handsome than before." 

"Hehe, no way, I've always been handsome!" Obito started chuckling foolishly. Being complimented on his looks for the first time felt absolutely amazing. 

After chatting with the old lady for a while, Obito walked over to Shindai and the others, scratching his head with a silly grin. 

Kakashi, with his usual sharp tongue, remarked, "What's there to be so happy about? That just means Granny Higashimori didn't think you were handsome before." 

Obito's good mood was instantly ruined. He retorted indignantly, "What are you talking about?! Didn't you hear Granny Higashimori say I'm more handsome than before? That means I was already handsome, just even more handsome now!" 

Shindai rolled his eyes. "Obito, I can't stand you spreading such rumors. Back then, you looked like a complete idiot, nowhere near handsome. If it weren't for me, you'd still be acting like a knucklehead!" 

Obito's face flushed as he tried to argue, but Shindai suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait!" 

Obito actually waited. Shindai turned to ask Rin Nohara beside him, "Rin, do you think Obito is handsome now?" 

Rin Nohara nodded. "Yes, he is." 

Obito performed a top-tier "face-changing" act, his smile instantly becoming incredibly radiant. 

Then Shindai continued to ask Rin Nohara, "What about the Obito from before?" 

Facing Obito's expectant gaze, Rin Nohara could only say tactfully, "They each have their own unique charm." 

Obito, unable to pick up on the subtle nuance in Rin Nohara's tone, thought she was complimenting him. He immediately puffed out his chest as if he'd won a great victory. 

Shindai and Kakashi exchanged glances, both twitching the corners of their mouths. They silently agreed not to say anything more, as there was nothing left to say. 

For the first few days, Obito, Kakashi, and Rin took Shindai around Konoha to help him get familiar with the area. The following days were spent taking Shindai out to eat, drink, and have fun. 

Luckily, Minato Namikaze had given Shindai a large sum of money, a reward for his hard work delivering goods during those few months in the Land of Grass. Otherwise, Obito and the others' meager allowance wouldn't have been enough for Shindai's spending. 

His new house was also assigned. Because he "couldn't bear to part with" Minato Namikaze, Shindai still wanted to mooch meals off him, so at Shindai's strong request, his new home was right next door to Minato's. 

Now, Shindai had his new home in Konoha, and with the help of Obito, Kakashi, and Rin, all the furniture was arranged. To show his gratitude, Shindai treated the three of them to dango. Because dango was the cheapest! 

As for why Minato wasn't invited... Well, Minato had been leaving early and coming home late every day recently, so Shindai never had a chance to treat him. Shindai knew exactly where Minato was going without even thinking about it – he was definitely with Kushina Uzumaki. Every morning, the beaming smile on Minato's face when he left was almost blinding Shindai. 

However, when he came back at night, that smile was gone; he looked very tired. It made Shindai feel a bit bad about disturbing him next door. The reason Minato was so exhausted was that he was currently learning sealing jutsu with Kushina Uzumaki every day. If it were just sealing jutsu, Minato wouldn't be that tired, but he was also spending his nights in the training grounds trying to develop the Rasengan, which is why he was so worn out. 

As for Jiraiya, he was nowhere to be found, so inviting him was out of the question. 

Shindai, having had enough fun, originally planned to stay home today and do things he enjoyed. Like reading books, researching puppets, and metalwork. Kanna's legs being destroyed last time still bothered Shindai, so he wanted to find harder, tougher metals to reconstruct Kanna's skeletal structure. Plus, Shindai hadn't been alone like this in a long time, and the feeling of solitude was incredibly comfortable—a feeling of being able to do whatever he pleased. 

However, aspirations are often rich, while reality is lean. Although he told Obito, Kakashi, and Rin yesterday that he wouldn't be going out today, Shindai knew from the forceful knocking that it was that kid, Obito. 

Shindai opened the door, annoyed. "Hey, Obito, didn't I tell you yesterday? I'm not going out today!" 

Obito, with a serious expression, said to Shindai, "I need your help, Shindai!" 

Seeing Obito so serious, Shindai suspiciously asked, "What kind of help?" 

Obito said a bit awkwardly, "Rin's birthday is in three days, so I was thinking..." 

A "I get it" smile instantly appeared on Shindai's face. He teased, "You want to ask me for advice on what gift to give Rin?" 

Obito nodded. "Yeah, this year I want to give her something different." 

Shindai asked curiously, "What gifts have you given Rin before?" 

Obito thought back. "Last year, I gave Rin a kunai. That kunai wasn't just any ordinary kunai, you know—it had my name carved on it! Then the year before, I gave Rin face paint, and the year before that, I gave her goggles..." Obito listed them off to Shindai as if they were precious treasures. 

Shindai's face darkened. "Stop, stop, stop! Don't say another word! What kind of stuff are you giving her?!" 

Obito looked confused. "What's wrong? Don't you think they're good? These are all gifts I carefully selected. For example, the face paint—Rin likes to put two stripes of paint on her face, so I chose my favorite orange-yellow to give her. And that kunai, because it has my name carved on it, every time Rin uses that kunai, she'll think of me, it's like I'm fighting alongside her..." As he spoke, Obito himself started to get shy. 

Shindai was speechless, almost losing his breath. "Have you ever seen Rin with orange-yellow face paint? Have you ever seen Rin wear those goggles? Have you ever seen Rin use a kunai with your name carved on it? She might use the kunai, but she's probably already thrown it at an enemy!" 

Shindai's questions left Obito completely dumbfounded, as he really hadn't seen Rin Nohara wear goggles or orange-yellow face paint. 

Obito tilted his head, confused. "Why not?" 

Shindai scoffed, "Idiot! Who gives a gift that they like? You're supposed to give Rin what she likes!" 

Obito slapped his left hand with his right fist. "That makes sense! Does that mean I've been giving the wrong gifts all this time?!" 

"Take out the 'does that mean,' you fool! And you expect to win Rin over like this? The fact that Rin is still your good friend just proves her temper is incredibly good!" Shindai was truly speechless. If Obito kept trying to win Rin over like this, he'd be better off spending some money at the adult puppet shop he'd open in the future and customize something more reliable. 

Chapter 103: Obito the Simp and a Grumpy Kushina 

Right now, Obito is seriously panicking after getting an earful from Shindai. 

"Shindai, you gotta help me!" Obito practically begged, grabbing Shindai's arm. "You promised you'd help me get with Rin!" 

Shindai cleared his throat. "Alright, alright, since you're asking so nicely, I guess I'll reluctantly agree. But from now on, you have to listen to every word I say. You totally messed up last time when I told you to keep your sentences under six words!" 

"It's just too hard to only say six words per sentence!" Obito whined. 

Shindai sighed. He had to admit, that was a pretty tough ask for Obito. "So, what are your ideas? Or, what does Rin even like?" 

Obito thought for a moment. "Rin likes... she likes collecting all sorts of seashells, she loves strawberries, and she's really into flower arranging. Oh, and she loves to draw! Shindai, what do you think about giving her flowers for her birthday?" 

Shindai looked relieved. "Finally, your brain's actually working a little! Flowers are a start, but they're too common, no originality at all." 

Obito's eyes lit up. "How about seashells then?" 

Shindai shook his head. "Not really. Think about it, Rin already collects seashells. Unless you can find a really, really special one, she won't be that impressed. And her birthday is in three days! There's no time to find a unique shell like that. You're better off getting her something else, something more unique and creative." 

Obito was about to speak, but Shindai cut him off. "If you're thinking of drawing her a picture yourself, I'm going to nail you to the wall like a painting. Don't you know how bad your drawing is?" 

Obito's mouth twitched. Curse him! Shindai read his mind! 

"So what should I get her then?" Obito asked, looking confused. 

Shindai let out a long sigh. Obito had completely messed up his plans for today. "Forget it. Let's go out and look for some inspiration. We're not going to come up with anything just sitting here, and besides, I don't even know what Rin likes, so I can't really give you any good advice right now." 

Obito nodded vigorously. "Shindai, I'm counting on you for Rin's birthday present!" 

Shindai puffed out his chest. "Hmph, just put your mind at ease. With me on the job, this is no big deal!" 

Shindai left the house with Obito to hit the streets for inspiration. 

But as soon as they stepped out, Shindai and Obito ran into some unexpected people: Kakashi and Rin Nohara. 

Shindai snickered, a strange tone in his voice. "Well, well, Obito, looks like you're out of luck. Kakashi got a head start on you and he's already on a date with Rin." 

Obito's face turned green. His fists clenched tightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. "No! I don't believe it!" 

Obito rushed over immediately. "Rin!" 

Rin Nohara, hearing her name, looked surprised to see Obito. "Obito?" 

Obito ran right up to Rin, then glared at Kakashi so fiercely it stunned him. What did he do to deserve that look from Obito? 

Kakashi saw Shindai walking over and asked, confused, "Didn't you say you weren't going out today?" 

Shindai shrugged. "Someone didn't want me staying home, so I had no choice. What about you? A date with Rin?" 

Obito angrily retorted, "No way! It's obviously not a date! Right, Rin?" Obito stared intensely at Rin, looking like he was about to burst into tears if she said yes. 

Rin quickly waved her hands. "Of course not!" 

Now Kakashi understood why Obito had glared at him. He helplessly turned to Shindai. "Don't spread rumors. I was just going to the ninja tool shop to buy some supplies and ran into Rin." 

Hearing Rin deny it and Kakashi's explanation, Obito immediately relaxed, his spirits soaring. He mumbled, "I knew it! Kakashi's such a loser, why would Rin ever be interested in him?" 

Now it was Kakashi's turn to get annoyed, and his gaze towards Obito became increasingly dangerous. 

"Rin, where are you headed?" Obito asked curiously. 

Rin replied, "I'm also going to buy some ninja tools, and I plan to get some flowers since the ones at home have wilted. Then I'll pick up some groceries." 

Obito immediately started trying to be helpful. "That's a lot of stuff! It'll be hard to carry later, won't it? Rin, let me go with you to buy them~" 

Shindai's expression slowly turned to one of disgust. Weren't they supposed to be looking for inspiration? This idiot Obito just freezes up when he sees Rin, how much more of a simp can he be?! What the heck, he ditched all his plans for today just to watch Obito be a simp? He should have just refused! 

Meanwhile, in the barrier area where Kushina Uzumaki was. 

Kushina suddenly woke up in her bed again. It was the same dream. 

Kushina picked up the glass of water from her nightstand and took a sip, trying to calm herself down. On the nightstand was a photo of a red-haired old woman. This red-haired elder was Mito Uzumaki, one of Konoha's legends and the wife of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju. 

Kushina looked out the window. It was the same unchanging view as always. 

After Kushina finished washing up and stepped into the hallway, two Anbu appeared behind her. They were the two who always monitored her. 

One of the Anbu asked, "What's the plan for today?" 

Kushina said, a bit annoyed, "I'm practicing sealing jutsu with Minato today. Didn't I tell you already?" 

Kushina suddenly noticed a butterfly outside the window and her attention was immediately drawn to it. 

"Just make sure you don't leave the barrier area, Kushina." 

And the same unchanging line. "I know..." 

Under the 'escort' of the two Anbu, Kushina successfully found Minato Namikaze waiting for her within the barrier area. Kushina's mood immediately brightened. She ran up to Minato, full of energy, and said, "Minato, let's have a good training session today too! Your learning ability is really amazing, you've already mastered one sealing jutsu! The Uzumaki clan has many more sealing jutsu, so we can keep going..." 

Minato awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I'm sorry, Kushina, but today I want to practice another jutsu somewhere else, so... I came to tell you about that." A somewhat guilty Minato avoided Kushina's eyes. 

Kushina thrust her face close to Minato's. "What kind of jutsu?!" she demanded, clearly displeased. 

Minato was startled by Kushina's intense presence. "Uh... well..." 

"You said you're going somewhere else?" Kushina pressed. 

Minato quickly replied, "It's at Training Ground Three." 

Kushina's expression was very unhappy. "Is it... a jutsu you can't even tell me about?" 

"No, it's just not finished yet, and it's a pretty dangerous jutsu. I also don't want you to get hurt because of it..." Minato really wanted to finish developing the Rasengan quickly. After learning one sealing jutsu from Kushina, Minato didn't want to drag it out any longer, so he came here to tell her. 

Chapter 104: The Popular Minato 

Minato Namikaze tried to explain to Kushina Uzumaki that he hadn't told her about his jutsu because it wasn't finished yet, and he was afraid she'd get hurt. But man, Kushina was super annoyed! She really looked forward to training with him every day. She just felt like Minato was trying to blow her off because he was tired of her. 

"Is that so... I understand," she said. 

"Huh?" Minato sensed immediately that something was off with Kushina. 

The next second, Kushina loudly declared, "If you don't like being with me, why don't you just say so?!" 

Minato quickly denied it. "No, nothing like that!" 

Just as Minato was about to explain, someone called out to him. "Hey, Minato! You haven't given your mission report to Lord Third Hokage yet! Didn't you say you'd turn it in yesterday? You weren't there, so the Hokage asked me to come check!" 

At the same time, three female ninja spotted Minato and got super excited. "Minato~ Are you free later?" 

"Wanna go on a date later?" 

"You'll come, right?" 

Minato completely ignored the three kunoichi and remembered he hadn't submitted his report from the Land of Grass mission. "Ah, right!" he quickly told Kushina. "Sorry, Kushina, I gotta go! I'll come find you next time!" 

Kushina frantically tried to grab Minato, but just as she was about to step forward, two Anbu behind her grabbed her shoulders. "Wait! Cross this line, and you'll be out of the barrier." 

Kushina was at the very edge of the barrier zone. Feeling a bit down, she watched Minato walk away, then sadly returned inside the building. 

She leaned against the wall in the hallway, head bowed, a phrase echoing in her mind: "We are here as containers for the Nine-Tails." 

Mito Uzumaki had told her that once. Kushina remembered Mito telling her: "But before that, go find your love, and then fill that container with it. That way, even if you become the Nine-Tails' container... even if you live as a Jinchuriki, you can still live a happy life. However, you can't gain love just by waiting aimlessly..." 

The words "you can't gain love just by waiting aimlessly" kept replaying in Kushina's mind. Her eyes hardened, and she crossed her hands, two chains emerging from her palms. 

While the two Anbu behind her weren't paying attention, Kushina bound them on the spot, unable to move. Then, without a backward glance, she ran off. 

The two Anbu were completely stunned. "Wha—what is this?" 

"It's Kushina's sealing jutsu again!" 

"Quick, break the sealing jutsu and chase her down!" 

The two Anbu struggled desperately, trying to break free from the chains made of sealing jutsu, but the chains remained firmly in place. 

"No good! I can't break free!" 

"Me neither. As she gets older, the binding power of her sealing jutsu just keeps getting stronger!" 

The two unlucky guys were still wrestling with the chains while Kushina had already run out of the barrier zone and into the streets of Konoha. 

Suddenly, Kushina's expression turned pained. Without the help of the barrier zone's seal, the Nine-Tails began to stir. 

"Yes, just like that." 

"Your Uzumaki clan has always been proud of that Uzumaki seal, but while you're using that power, you're also being used, and you yourself are now trapped in the vortex of this era." 

"Only I can free you from those who put you in this situation... Don't forget your hatred, don't trust anyone!" 

The Nine-Tails within Kushina constantly tried to tempt her. With her emotions influenced, Kushina couldn't concentrate on suppressing the Nine-Tails, and it managed to break one of the chains binding it. 

Kushina clutched her head. "I..." 

"Oh, isn't that Lady Kushina?" 

Kushina pressed her hand to her forehead and looked up to see Kakashi, Obito, Rin Nohara, and Shindai just chilling on the street. Obito was holding a grocery basket in his left hand and flowers in his right—of course, those were Rin's. Rin wanted to carry them herself, but after Obito's misunderstanding earlier (thinking she and Kakashi were on a date), he was trying to impress her and wasn't about to miss this chance. 

Shindai and Kakashi's assessment was unusually in agreement: Simp. 

Shindai looked at Kushina curiously. It was his first time seeing her, and sure enough, she was the Red-Hot Habanero. Her hair was truly red. You probably couldn't even dye hair that red. Shindai touched his own black hair, wondering if he should dye it. Red and green would be pretty flashy. 

Rin saw Kushina breathing heavily, her face covered in sweat, and rushed forward, asking worriedly, "Lady Kushina, are you feeling unwell?" 

Kushina shook her head. "No, I just need to catch my breath a bit..." 

"There's a bench nearby. Lady Kushina, let me help you sit down." Rin helped Kushina sit on the bench. 

After sitting for a while, Kushina recovered. Kakashi, knowing a bit about the barrier area, asked doubtfully, "Lady Kushina, shouldn't you be in that area?" 

Kushina got annoyed hearing about the barrier zone and unceremoniously punched Kakashi on the head. "None of your business!" 

Kakashi clutched the bump on his head, his mouth twitching. He just had to open his big mouth. 

Obito saw the bump on Kakashi's head and felt so good! He asked curiously, "Lady Kushina, didn't Sensei Minato come to see you?" 

Kushina got even angrier when Obito asked if Minato had come to see her. "Do you see him anywhere near me?" 

Immediately after, Obito looked pathetic, sporting two large bumps on his head. He had celebrated too soon. While Kushina used to hit him and Kakashi before, it was never this sudden. Today, Kushina felt like she'd eaten a hot pepper; her temper was fiery. 

Then Kushina's gaze fell on Shindai. "You must be that idiotic kid Minato said couldn't keep a secret, right?" 

Shindai stared blankly at Kushina. "Huh?" 

The next second, Shindai was also clutching his head, looking at Kushina in disbelief. What the heck?! He hadn't said anything! It was one thing to hit Kakashi and Obito, but why him too?! 

Kushina let out a long breath, a smile appearing on her face. "Much better. You kids really showed up at the right time." 

Kakashi, Obito, and Shindai glared at Kushina with resentment. And Shindai wasn't just glaring at Kushina; he was also looking at Rin. 

Why didn't Rin get hit?! 

It seems like Kushina is having quite the day, doesn't it? 

Chapter 105: Kushina the Dog Killer 

Shindai finally met the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto's mom, and Minato's wife. But for their first meeting, Shindai's impression of Kushina Uzumaki was not good. I mean, who punches someone in the head the first time they meet? And why didn't Rin get a punch too, huh?! 

Kushina narrowed her eyes at Shindai's defiant look. "What, got a problem with that?" 

Obito subtly kicked Shindai's foot and whispered, "Don't mess with Lady Kushina, she'll actually beat you up." 

Shindai jutted out his neck. "I do have a problem!" He pointed at Rin. "You hit Rin on the head too, and then I'll be convinced!" 

Kushina, Rin, and Obito all stared at Shindai, completely flabbergasted. Kakashi covered his forehead, looking like he'd already given up on life. 

Kushina froze for a second, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Rin's face, on the other hand, went completely dark. 

As for Obito? Well, he's just a simp, not worth mentioning. 

In the end, Rin's head remained bump-free. Obito, however, got another one. He'd volunteered to take the hit for Rin, and Kushina isn't one to hold back. Since he volunteered, she gave him an extra one. Obito was even happy about it! 

Watching Obito still grinning like an idiot, Shindai and Kakashi said in unison, "Idiot, he's hopeless." 

Rin, sitting next to Kushina, asked, "Lady Kushina, are you going to see Master Minato?" 

Kushina nodded, looking a bit guilty. "Yeah, I want to apologize to Minato." 

Shindai, having caught a whiff of gossip, completely forgot about the pain in his head. "What happened? Did the little lovebirds have a fight?" he asked, curious. 

Kushina's cheeks instantly flushed. "What 'little lovebirds'? Minato and I aren't even a couple yet, brat! Don't spread rumors!" Kushina then lowered her head, murmuring, "I lost my temper with Minato when he came to see me earlier... I didn't mean to, but I was really looking forward to it. He promised we'd train together every day while I'm in Konoha... maybe he's just tired of it now." 

Shindai scoffed. "With how head-over-heels in love Master Minato is, he'd probably want to spend every single day with you. How could he possibly be tired of it?" 

Kushina suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling, and stared intently at Shindai. "Oh? Tell me more!" 

Shindai explained, "I used to live with Master Minato, and now I live next door to him. Every day when Master Minato leaves, he's got this totally lovesick grin on his face. I can smell the stench of love from my room! Master Minato looks forward to seeing you every single day, so there's no way he's tired of you. If you hit me on the head because you were upset about this, then I totally despise you! I'm not here to be your emotional punching bag for your public displays of affection!" Shindai's gaze at Kushina grew more and more resentful. If he got a bump on his head for that reason, he'd be seriously wronged! 

Kushina completely ignored Shindai's resentful look. Her crestfallen expression vanished instantly, and a smile unconsciously played on her lips. "Is that true?" 

"No! I was just kidding!" Shindai felt Kushina was going too far, asking him if it was true again. Killing the mood once wasn't enough, she had to rub it in! It was way too much! 

Kushina, of course, didn't believe Shindai was joking. She shot up with a "Whoosh!" and, shouting "I'm going to find Minato!", happily ran off towards Training Ground Three. 

While Shindai and Kakashi were relatively unfazed, Obito, who was even more head-over-heels in love than Minato, couldn't handle it. Looking at his envious and somewhat dazed eyes, it was clear he'd already substituted Rin for Kushina and himself for Minato. 

Shindai looked at the daydreaming Obito and decided it was time to make him face reality. Shindai leaned in and whispered in Obito's ear, "You're not Master Minato, and Rin isn't the hot-headed Lady Kushina. Wake up." 

Obito snapped out of it, smacking his lips with a hint of regret. He grumbled at Shindai, "What was that for?" The fantasy Obito had been caught in was just too beautiful, he didn't want to wake up. 

Shindai scoffed. "I was afraid if you kept dreaming, you wouldn't wake up at all. Stop dreaming, you might as well go learn something instead." 

Obito looked confused. "Huh? Learn? Learn what?" 

Shindai answered, "Master Minato might be a love-struck fool, but he's also a master at flirting! He's got even someone as temperamental as Lady Kushina wrapped around his finger. If you can learn even a tiny bit from Master Minato, you won't even need my help; your success rate with Rin will skyrocket!" 

"Really? But is Master Minato really a master at flirting? I've never seen him chat with any girls." Obito tilted his head, skeptical of Shindai's claim about Minato being a flirting master. 

Shindai let out a dismissive snort. "What right do you have to question me?! Master Minato uses all his flirting techniques on Lady Kushina, of course you wouldn't know!" 

Obito eyed Shindai suspiciously up and down. "Shindai, this is your first time meeting Lady Kushina, right? How do you know Master Minato's flirting techniques are all used on Lady Kushina?" 

Shindai puffed out his chest. "That's because Master Minato and I are the same type! I'm a hidden flirting master too! So... if anyone understands Master Minato best, it's definitely me!" 

Kakashi, who had accidentally overheard Shindai and Obito's conversation, retorted sarcastically, "Oh? Then where's your girlfriend?" 

Shindai immediately lost his cool, roaring at Kakashi, "None of your business! I'm still young, and I don't want to flirt right now, okay?!" Shindai impatiently asked Obito, "Are you coming or not? One word, if not, I'm going home!" 

Obito said almost without thinking, "I'm coming!" If what Shindai said about Minato being a flirting master was true, and he could learn even a little to make Rin feel about him the way Kushina felt about Minato, that would be pure bliss! 

Shindai urged him, "Then let's go quickly! Lady Kushina said they're at Training Ground Three. If we get there late, we won't learn anything. We might just end up watching Master Minato and Lady Kushina make out." 

Obito immediately dragged Shindai towards Training Ground Three. Rin sighed and followed them. 

Kakashi asked, confused, "Rin, are you going too?" 

Rin shrugged helplessly. "I have to! My flowers and groceries are still with Obito!" 

"Ugh... that idiot Obito." Kakashi didn't know what to say. He really had no patience for those two, Obito and Shindai. 

Rin went to chase after Obito and Shindai. After a moment's hesitation, Kakashi followed them too. Although Kakashi pretended to be indifferent, deep down, he was really curious if Minato was truly the flirting master Shindai claimed him to be.