96-100

Chapter 96: A Hasty End 

Shindai was almost hit by Han, but Minato Namikaze, like a savior, used his Flying Raijin Jutsu to rescue him. Han's fierce charge had completely stunned Shindai. 

Minato gently ruffled Shindai's hair. "Are you okay, Shindai?" 

Startled and shaken, Shindai finally came to his senses and couldn't hold back. "Ah, Lord Minato, you came just in time! I was almost finished!" Shindai wiped his snot and tears all over Minato's clothes. 

Minato sighed, watching Shindai blow his nose on his sleeve, but didn't say anything. It was clear Shindai was genuinely terrified. 

As Shindai continued to use Minato's clothes as a tissue, the fabric suddenly went slack in his hand. Minato had used the Flying Raijin Jutsu again. A few seconds later, Minato reappeared next to Jiraiya, where he had left a Flying Raijin kunai. Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were brought along too. After Shindai was rescued by Minato, Han and the Iwa shinobi, Tsuchi, had turned their attention back to Kakashi's group. 

At the same time, Roshi also charged towards their position. Shindai's scalp tingled when he saw Roshi. "Lord Minato, Lord Jiraiya, how did you two manage to provoke them?" 

Jiraiya scoffed. "Brat, we didn't provoke them; they came after me and Minato!" 

Roshi, enveloped in his Lava Release Chakra Mode fueled by the tailed beast chakra, sprouted an extra tail. He quickly formed hand signs, preparing a jutsu. 

"Lava Style: Lava Release Stream!" 

Roshi pressed his hands to the ground, using Lava Release to convert the rocks and soil into molten lava, guiding it into a raging torrent that surged towards Shindai and the others. 

Jiraiya bit his finger, then quickly formed hand signs. 

"Summoning Jutsu!" 

A massive cloud of smoke appeared. When it cleared, a huge, imposing toad, looking like it ran a gang, stood there. This was Gamabunta from Mount Myoboku. 

Gamabunta looked at the approaching lava stream and Roshi, who was cloaked in his tailed beast form, his expression grim. "Jiraiya, why do you always summon me to face enemies like this?" 

Jiraiya, standing on Gamabunta's head, replied helplessly, "If it were easy enemies, I wouldn't call you, would I? Hurry up!" 

Gamabunta formed a few hand signs with his large toad hands, took a deep breath, and puffed out his cheeks. 

"Water Style: Toad Oil Bullet!" 

Gamabunta spewed several large water orbs from his mouth, slamming into the lava stream. The water met the hot lava, instantly creating a huge cloud of steam. At the same time, the cooling lava gradually solidified, diverting the rest of the molten flow. 

"Minato, quickly use the Flying Raijin Jutsu to get these kids..." 

Before Jiraiya could finish saying "out of here," Han, clad in his Steam Armor, charged at Minato. 

"Quickly, put your hands on me!" 

Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin immediately placed their hands on Minato. Minato used the Flying Raijin Jutsu to relocate the four, but kept them on the edge of the battlefield, as he needed to quickly return and help Jiraiya. 

"It's dangerous here! Get out of here, fast!" 

Just as Minato was about to use the Flying Raijin Jutsu to return, Shindai grabbed his clothes. "Wait, Lord Minato! Can I ask, is that Five-Tails Jinchuriki's armor made of metal?" 

Minato didn't understand why Shindai asked, but he answered, "Yes." 

"If it's metal, then this is easy!" 

Shindai quickly pulled out the iron sand from within his puppet, Kannazuki, forming it into an iron sand sphere, which he then handed to Minato. When Minato saw Shindai retrieve the iron sand from Kannazuki, he immediately understood what Shindai wanted to do. As Shindai formed the iron sand into a sphere, he used Magnet Release: Magnetic Transformation to magnetize the sand, allowing it to adhere to metal. 

"Lord Minato, find a way to attach this iron sand to that jerk's armor! He tried to scare me? I'll make his armor useless!" The thought of almost wetting himself from fear made Shindai gnash his teeth in anger. A Jinchuriki, big deal! 

Minato thought for a moment. If Shindai's magnetized iron sand could indeed work and render Han's armor useless, it would greatly aid his and Jiraiya's fight. Roshi maintained his Lava Release Chakra Mode, covered in hot, hardened lava, making Minato's attacks difficult to penetrate his defense. And Han, fully armored, was also tough for Minato to break through. Moreover, if an attack missed, he risked being scalded by the high-temperature steam erupting from the armor. Jiraiya had already suffered several burns, but Minato's speed allowed him to dodge with Flying Raijin before the steam could reach him. 

Minato stated seriously, "Stay on the outskirts of the battlefield. If things get too tough, don't push yourselves; retreat immediately." 

Shindai also suggested to Minato, "Lord Minato, while you're at it, could you take care of that other Iwa shinobi too? He might come after us once you're gone." 

Minato nodded. "Understood. Be careful." 

With a "whoosh," Minato vanished instantly. 

Meanwhile, the Iwa Jonin, Tsuchi, was also on the outskirts of the battlefield, carefully hidden and searching for Shindai's group. Han had given him orders: capture Shindai, or if he couldn't, kill him. That Magnet Release kekkei genkai user was not to be given to the Leaf. 

Tsuchi successfully pinpointed Shindai's team's location. Just as Tsuchi was quietly creeping closer, a kunai whizzed towards him. Tsuchi prepared to dodge when, with a "whoosh," he saw only a blur of yellow. Then, with another "whoosh," the yellow blur disappeared. 

Tsuchi looked down at his chest, where three holes had appeared over his heart, blood gushing out. Tsuchi clutched his chest, slowly collapsing to the ground, his eyes filled with unwillingness. His end was so hasty! No matter how unwilling he was, with his heart pierced, Tsuchi could only await death. 

Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were in position on the outermost edge, where they could observe the battlefield, waiting for Minato's move. 

Minato returned to the battlefield. Jiraiya and Gamabunta were working together to fight Roshi, whose power had increased even further by using his tailed beast chakra. Han, engulfed in steam, intended to team up with Roshi to attack Jiraiya, but upon seeing Minato return, he immediately shifted his target to Minato. 

Minato held the iron sand sphere Shindai gave him in his left hand, and pulled out three Flying Raijin kunai with his right, his eyes sharp as he stared at Han. 

The battle between them was about to ignite once more. 

Chapter 97: Enemy Down, I'll Strip Him! 

Minato Namikaze tossed three Flying Thunder God kunai towards Han. The three kunai flew at Han from the left, right, and front. 

"Left? Right? Or front?" Han pondered where Minato would appear from. But he quickly dismissed the thought. Minato would definitely appear from one of those three kunai. Since that much was certain, there was no need to guess which one. Han decided to push his speed to the absolute limit, aiming to kill Minato with a single strike, no matter where he appeared. 

Minato used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. The moment he saw that flash of yellow appear from the left, Han roared, "Boil Release! Unrivaled Strength!" He instantly boosted his chakra to its boiling point, unleashing a surge of power and throwing a punch at Minato. 

But trying to outspeed Minato was like trying to outrun a flash of light. Just as Han's punch was about to connect, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu again, transferring to the kunai on the right, causing Han to punch thin air. Han's reaction speed was impressive; he immediately twisted his body and delivered a spinning kick towards Minato. Minato, however, once again used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, moving to the kunai directly in front. 

At the same time, Minato threw the iron sand ball Shindai had given him onto Han's armor. The iron sand immediately dispersed and clung to the armor. Then, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu again to create distance from Han. 

Han paid no mind to the iron sand; his focus was on the elusive Minato. He scoffed, "You're as slippery as an eel! Do you Konoha ninja only know how to run?" 

Minato replied in his calmest tone, "Then how about you take off your armor?" 

Han's mouth twitched under his metal mask. Without that armor, and without borrowing the Tailed Beast's power, he might truly be no match for Minato. It was just impossible to hit him. 

"Shindai!" Minato called out. 

"Shindai, hurry, hurry, Minato-sensei is calling you!" Obito excitedly shook Shindai's arm. 

Shindai's face darkened. "Stop shaking me! I'm not deaf! You're really messing with me! Kakashi, hold him down!" 

For the first time, Kakashi actually listened to Shindai, decisively holding Obito still to prevent him from bothering Shindai. Shindai concentrated on manipulating the iron sand on Han's steam armor. The iron sand seeped through the armor's holes and crevices. 

Han's steam armor contained incredibly precise mechanisms designed to maximize his Boil Release abilities. What Shindai was doing now was using the iron sand to destroy these intricate parts and block all the vents. Soon, Shindai was finished. 

Shindai grinned maliciously. "Alright, now the show begins!" 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, hearing Shindai's declaration, all looked towards Han in the distance. Minato was already preparing to engage Han again. After all, Shindai's method was just an experiment; Minato couldn't entirely rely on Shindai's iron sand. 

Han's eyes lit up when he saw Minato only throw one Flying Thunder God kunai this time. One kunai would be much easier to deal with. However, Han overlooked the three Flying Thunder God kunai that had fallen near him earlier. 

Believing his opportunity had arrived, Han once again used Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength, instantly boosting his chakra to its boiling point. The moment Han channeled Boil Release to operate his steam armor, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He heard "clunking and popping" sounds from his steam armor, and the expected steam didn't appear. 

Han's expression abruptly changed. These "clunking and popping" sounds were his steam armor's components breaking apart. 

"Damn it!" Han felt the temperature inside his armor rapidly soaring. He wanted to stop his jutsu, but it was too late. The steam armor's vents were blocked by Shindai's iron sand, trapping the steam inside. If this continued... 

Before Minato could use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to attack Han, there was a sudden "bang!" Han exploded on the spot. The explosion sent out a wave of intense heat. Minato stared in shock at Han's sudden explosion. He had only expected Shindai's plan to disable Han's steam armor, not make Han spontaneously combust. 

Jiraiya and Roshi, as if by telepathy, stopped their fight and simultaneously looked towards Han. They saw fragments of the steam armor scattered everywhere, and Han was standing there naked, covered in severe burns, looking almost unrecognizable. 

Shindai's grin stretched so wide it almost reached the back of his head. He was ecstatic! Shindai cleared his throat and coolly declared, "Enemy down! I'll strip him!" (Translator's Note: This is a famous line from the Dynasty Warriors series, "敌羞吾去脱他衣," literally "Enemy shamed, I go to strip his clothes.") 

Minato tried to seize the opportunity to kill Han directly. Suddenly, immense Tailed Beast Chakra erupted from Han's body, covering him in dark red chakra, and two tails emerged behind him. The number of tails continued to increase. 

Roshi frowned. "Hey, Han, are you going full Tailed Beast transformation?" 

Han's hoarse, enraged voice replied, "I'm going to kill them!" 

"Is that so? Then let's end this battle directly." Roshi created distance from Jiraiya and moved to Han's side. Roshi's Tailed Beast Chakra also surged, his body enveloped in dark red chakra, and the number of tails behind him also increased. 

This powerful, ominous chakra made Minato and Jiraiya's expressions grim. Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all began to tremble. Han and Roshi, already in their half-Tailed Beast forms—still humanoid but distinctly monstrous—continued to transform, their Tailed Beast Chakra becoming colossal. When the two massive creatures appeared before everyone, everyone present was utterly horrified. 

Shindai looked at Roshi and Han in disbelief. Were these two... perfect jinchuriki? 

At this moment, Han and Roshi had completed their full Tailed Beast transformations, turning into the Four-Tails and Five-Tails themselves. Han and Roshi had diligently trained to skillfully control their respective Tailed Beasts' power, allowing them to enter full Tailed Beast mode without losing their self-awareness. Simultaneously, two Tailed Beast Bombs began to form in the mouths of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails. 

Jiraiya said grimly, "Minato, it's a Tailed Beast Bomb! Let's retreat for now!" 

"Right!" Minato placed his hand on Jiraiya, using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to appear beside Shindai and his team. Without Minato needing to say a word, Shindai and his teammates immediately placed their hands on Minato. Minato then used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu again, completely escaping the battlefield. 

On the battlefield, the two Tailed Beast Bombs exploded, creating an earth-shattering blast. Even though they were far from the battle, the shockwaves from the explosion nearly knocked Shindai and the others off their feet. Minato gazed deeply at the explosion on the battlefield, his brows furrowed, and murmured, "Is that... the power of a Tailed Beast?" Minato thought of Kushina Uzumaki. That kind of thing also existed within her body. 

Chapter 98: Retreat 

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Kushina Uzumaki was fast asleep. She dreamt of a terrifying, vast, dark figure with nine tails. 

"Oh, new vessel, I sense your fear... and your indecision... Do you know? It's not me that binds you, but yourself..." 

"Let me set you free. Come..." 

Kushina woke with a jolt, sitting up in bed, gasping for air. Her body was soaked in sweat. 

In the Land of Grass, Jiraiya watched the distant explosion, his heart filled with an overwhelming shock. "That was a truly close call." 

Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were all wide-eyed, stunned by the explosion. The power of a Tailed Beast was simply too immense. If they had been in that blast zone, they'd have been blown to bits! 

Jiraiya let out a soft sigh. "Let's officially retreat. With two Jinchuriki from Iwagakure here, we can't stop them. There's no need to continue the mission. Let's head back to the outpost." 

Minato's expression was grave. "Indeed. We don't know if they simply sent the Jinchuriki to deal with us, or if they plan to have them directly join the war." 

"Ow, I think I'm hurt!" Shindai suddenly collapsed to the ground, trembling, his face contorted in pain, looking incredibly distressed. 

Rin immediately rushed to examine Shindai. "Huh? Why can't I find any injuries?" 

Shindai still appeared to be in immense pain, and Rin, unable to find anything, began to sweat in frustration. 

Shindai weakly mumbled, "It, it must be that your medical ninjutsu isn't quite there yet, Rin, so you can't find my injury. Have Lord Jiraiya and Lord Minato take me back to the outpost so the experienced medical ninja can examine me~" 

The moment Shindai uttered those words, everyone around him gave him the dead-fish eye. Rin stood up and unceremoniously kicked Shindai. "Your skills aren't 'there' yet!" 

Kakashi spoke in a chilling tone, "Shindai, we need to leave quickly. It's not safe here. You hit that Five-Tails Jinchuriki with iron sand earlier, and he's been relentlessly chasing you. You just blew up his armor. Who knows what will happen if he catches up now." 

Shindai instantly scrambled to his feet. "I can tough it out a little longer! Let's get going!" 

Shindai was still shaken. Mostly because Han had been chasing him like a mad dog. All he did was hit him with an iron sand cube; did he really have to be so relentless? And now he'd just blown up Han's steam armor. If Han really came after him, there was no telling what he'd do. 

Jiraiya's eye twitched as he quipped, "Kid, your acting is truly... realistic." 

Since they still had to deliver the supplies, Minato decided to escort Shindai's team while Jiraiya returned to the outpost first to report on the mission and the Jinchuriki situation. 

"Oh? Obito has activated his Sharingan, and that Iwa ninja whose head was separated from his body was defeated by the combined efforts of you three. It's only been a few months, but you've all grown so much." Minato smiled contentedly as he listened to Shindai and the others recount the events of the past few months. 

Hearing Minato's praise, Shindai and Obito puffed out their chests, looking incredibly proud. Rin also covered her mouth, chuckling. Kakashi, who loved to act cool, had his mask on, so his current expression was unclear. 

Shindai suddenly ripped off Kakashi's mask. Kakashi's lips were slightly upturned, and he also seemed quite pleased. However, the moment his mask was off, his faint smile vanished. Kakashi quickly put his mask back on, then used a Body Flicker to appear behind Shindai, tripping him with a sweep of his leg and then delivering a punch to Shindai's left eye. 

Kakashi's movements were fluid and seamless. Not only Obito and Rin, but even Minato was dumbfounded. 

Shindai clutched his left eye, indignant. "Ow! Kakashi, what was that for? I was just worried your mask wasn't breathable and helping you get some air. How could you repay kindness with hostility?!" 

Kakashi retorted sarcastically, "I also saw your left eye seemed a little itchy, so I helped you scratch it. I've returned your kindness." 

Just as Shindai was about to start mentally tormenting Kakashi, Minato asked, "By the way, Shindai, have you made a decision?" 

At Minato's question, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all looked at Shindai simultaneously. They knew Minato was asking Shindai if he had decided to join Konoha. 

Shindai countered Minato, "If I join Konoha... will I have to go back to Konoha for a bit?" 

Minato nodded. "Of course, you'll need to register your identity." 

Shindai didn't hesitate, immediately agreeing, "I accept!" 

Minato pursed his lips, feeling that Shindai had agreed simply because he could return to Konoha. Minato reminded him, "Shindai, this is important. You need to think it through. Once you join Konoha, you'll have to live by Konoha's rules from now on." 

Shindai sighed. "Lord Minato, I've been working for Konoha for half a year now. If I didn't want to join, I would've run off a long time ago. Do I have some kind of serious illness that would make me want to stay an unregistered person forever?" 

"Uh..." Minato was momentarily speechless. Shindai actually had a point. 

Minato chuckled. "Then I'll welcome you to Konoha in advance." 

Obito clenched his fists, excitedly exclaiming, "Shindai is finally a Konoha ninja just like us! This is amazing!" Obito seemed even more excited and happy than Shindai. 

Kakashi and Rin were also happy, just not as overly excited as Obito. After all, in their eyes, Shindai, who had been betrayed by Sunagakure, was bound to join Konoha. 

Minato said to Shindai's group, "After you deliver these supplies, you'll come back with me to the outpost. I'll inform Shikaku and have other ninja take over the supply transport duties for you. Then you'll wait a few days at the outpost. If Iwagakure doesn't intend to have their Jinchuriki join the war, then we'll return to Konoha to finalize Shindai's identity registration. You've all worked hard these past few months, so this will be a good time to rest. If Iwagakure does want their Jinchuriki to join the war, then Shindai's identity registration might have to wait a little longer." 

Shindai agreed. "Understood, Lord Minato. But... there's one thing I'd like to ask about." 

"Go ahead." 

"I've transported supplies so many times, I should get a reward, right?" Shindai, looking like a money-grubber, rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. You couldn't blame Shindai for being greedy; when Minato treated him to dinner in Konoha earlier, it seemed quite expensive. And if he was going to open a shop in Konoha later, even if Jiraiya invested, he'd still need some money on hand. 

Minato chuckled. "Of course, you will. You don't have to worry about that. Konoha won't make you work for nothing." 

Shindai immediately grinned brightly. "Perfect!" 

Chapter 99: Back to Konoha 

After Minato escorted Shindai and his team to deliver the supplies to the designated front-line camp, he took them back to the outpost. Once there, Shindai finally got to lie down on his own bed again. He practically didn't move for three days, except to eat. 

After three days of this blissful idleness, Minato gathered Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. "We've finished our investigation," Minato told the four. "The Iwagakure Jinchuriki have left the Land of Grass and returned to the Land of Earth. It seems Iwa doesn't intend to have the Jinchuriki participate in the war. It's likely that Jiraiya-sensei and I just caused them enough trouble with our disruptions that they sent the Jinchuriki to deal with us specifically." 

Obito pursed his lips. "A 'little trouble'? A 'little trouble' that made Iwa send two Jinchuriki to deal with you, Minato-sensei, and Lord Jiraiya?" 

Shindai, however, wasn't interested in that. He was practically vibrating with excitement. "So, if Iwa isn't sending their Jinchuriki to the war, that means... we can go to Konoha?" he asked eagerly. 

Minato smiled faintly. "Yes, that's right. The situation in the Land of Grass is stable now, so I can take you back to Konoha. And Jiraiya-sensei will be coming with us too. Pack up, we're leaving soon!" 

"Oh yeah!" Shindai cheered, practically leaping with joy! He dashed into his tent, shoved everything into his bag in a flash, and was back by Minato's side in no time. 

A little later, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin also finished packing and joined Minato and Shindai. Shindai, buzzing with energy, said, "Lord Minato! Let's go!" 

"Then let's go!" Minato led the four of them to a ready Jiraiya, and they set off on the road back to Konoha. 

A New Jutsu and Old Habits 

On the way, Shindai noticed Minato often staring blankly at his right palm. "Lord Minato, why do you keep looking at your hand?" Shindai asked curiously. 

Minato replied, "I have an idea for a new jutsu in my mind. I'm currently figuring out how to develop it." 

Jiraiya sounded surprised. "Oh? Minato, you want to create a new jutsu? What kind of jutsu? Maybe I can give you some pointers." 

Minato rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's a jutsu similar to a Tailed Beast Ball." 

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. Create a jutsu similar to a Tailed Beast Ball? Was he serious? "...I really can't give you any advice on that. Good luck." Jiraiya didn't want to dampen Minato's enthusiasm, so he could only offer encouragement. 

Shindai's eyes, meanwhile, lit up. It seemed Minato was starting to create the Rasengan! If Minato was creating the Rasengan now, did that mean Shindai could learn it too later, and casually whip out a Rasengan in a fight? The Rasengan was a great technique; you could add anything to it. Later, Minato's son, Naruto Uzumaki, would conquer the ninja world with just one Rasengan. Not enough? Just make another. Still not enough? Keep adding. He'd have plenty of Shadow Clones to make as many Rasengans as he needed. 

Back in Konoha Village 

A few days later, Konoha's gates finally appeared in Shindai's sight, and he was filled with mixed emotions. He remembered coming to Konoha as a spy, desperately trying to join. Now, he could finally join Konoha, but he wasn't a spy anymore. Truly, life is unpredictable. 

Once inside Konoha, Shindai's eyes sparkled as he turned to Minato. "Lord Minato, please treat me to dinner! I want barbecue!" 

Minato flinched, remembering the time he treated Shindai to a meal that almost emptied his wallet. Now, besides Shindai, there were Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. Obito was no lightweight either; he was just as much of a big eater as Shindai. Though Obito's appetite wasn't as immense as Shindai's, Minato truly doubted his wallet could handle all four of them combined. 

"Let's go to the Hokage's office first to see the Third Hokage, then Jiraiya-sensei can treat you all." Minato decisively pushed the responsibility onto Jiraiya; Jiraiya had money anyway. 

Jiraiya, still unaware of the gravity of the situation, clapped his chest boisterously. "Alright, I'll treat you! Consider it a celebration for Shindai joining Konoha! Eat all you want, don't hold back!" 

Minato subtly averted his gaze, hoping Jiraiya had brought enough money. 

Jiraiya and Minato took the four genin into the Hokage's office, where they met Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen was delighted to see his student, Jiraiya, and his grand-student, Minato. The three spoke freely in front of Shindai, discussing Konoha's current situation. 

Konoha's situation was looking good. With Kumogakure's actions becoming more aggressive, Iwagakure had to focus its main efforts on them, easing the tension for Konoha's ninja in the Land of Grass. To Shindai's surprise, Sunagakure had actually started fighting Kirigakure. The reason for the conflict? Orochimaru. Kirigakure ninja had entered the Land of Fire via the coastline, planning a surprise attack on Konoha, but Orochimaru intercepted them. Orochimaru cleverly lured the Kiri and Suna ninja to meet in the Land of Tea, where they clashed fiercely and formed a grudge. Now, both Kiri and Suna had dispatched ninja forces into the Land of Tea, using it as their battlefield. 

Shindai now understood why in the future Pakura would be used as a bargaining chip for peace with Kirigakure, betrayed by Sunagakure, and assassinated as a sacrifice. Shindai had always been confused by it. The Land of Wind and the Land of Water were so far apart—one a desert nation, the other surrounded by sea. They had nothing to do with each other, so what kind of grudge could they have that would require Pakura, a hero of Sunagakure, to be sacrificed for peace? 

With Iwa and Kumo clashing, and Suna and Kiri fighting, Konoha, originally facing the toughest situation, was now in the best position. 

Promotions and a New Beginning 

After discussing official matters, Minato began praising Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin's performance to Hiruzen. Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, smiling kindly. "Katsuhiko also told me about your performances. You all did very well. So, Obito, Rin, I hereby promote you to Chunin. As for Kakashi, you are promoted to Special Jonin." 

Obito was initially thrilled, but hearing Kakashi's promotion to Special Jonin immediately dampened his spirits. He was still a rank below Kakashi! Jiraiya chuckled, "Well, well, an 11-year-old Special Jonin. Kakashi, you're the first." 

Under Shindai's expectant gaze, Minato stated seriously, "Third Hokage, I vouch for Shindai with my name. I request that you approve Shindai's admission into Konoha!" 

Chapter 100: The Embarrassed Hiruzen Sarutobi 

Minato Namikaze earnestly vouched for Shindai, asking Hiruzen Sarutobi to allow Shindai to join Konoha. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, looking at Shindai. "Shindai, what about you?" 

Shindai, with an equally serious expression, declared, "I have long harbored a deep yearning for Konoha. To me, Konoha is a beacon in the night, a role model for the entire shinobi world! Hokage-sama, you are the very soul of Konoha. Without you, Konoha would be like the sky without the sun, the night without the moon, completely devoid of light! 

"Even when I was in Sunagakure, I greatly yearned for Konoha and admired Hokage-sama. The first time I met you, I could tell you were extraordinary. Hokage-sama, you enjoy puffing on your pipe, yet your teeth are as white as jade, and your mustache has such an elegant air. Look at your physique! Even Jiraiya-sama has to step aside! Your image, Hokage-sama, is simply the perfect image of a Kage in my heart! 

"Every word you utter, I find it filled with profound philosophy, enlightening me and benefiting me immensely. You are truly knowledgeable and incredibly wise; no wonder you became the Hokage! And most importantly, it is because Konoha has a leader with your foresight and outstanding management skills, Hokage-sama, that it can cultivate powerful ninja like Jiraiya-sama and Minato-sama. 

"..." 

Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin stared dumbfounded at the still-gushing Shindai. They had heard flattery before. But this was truly the first time they had ever heard someone deliver such outrageous flattery with such a serious expression. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile stiffened a bit. He licked his teeth with his tongue. Just last night, his wife, Biwako Sarutobi, had complained about his constant smoking, saying his teeth were stained with tobacco. And were his every word truly philosophical? Apparently... not. Wasn't he just speaking plain, easy-to-understand common sense? Where was the philosophy in that? 

Jiraiya, seeing Shindai still rambling on, couldn't take it anymore. He elbowed Minato, signaling him to stop Shindai. Jiraiya himself felt embarrassed for Hiruzen. Now Shindai was even starting to praise Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife. Had he even met her to be praising her so profusely? 

Minato awkwardly tugged at Shindai. "Shindai, that's enough. The Third only asked if you were willing to join Konoha. You just need to say yes." 

Shindai's face became stern. "Oh, Minato-sama, now I have to talk to you about this! What do you mean 'that's enough'? Everything I said came from the bottom of my heart! Do you think I'm wrong?" 

Minato's face was a bit dark now. How could he possibly say that Shindai's flattery towards Hiruzen Sarutobi was wrong? Minato said, somewhat ashamed, "You... you're absolutely right." 

Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Shindai about to start again and quickly stopped him, goosebumps already covering his body. "Shindai, so you are willing, is that right?" 

Shindai replied with a solemn expression, "I, Shindai! Am willing to join Konoha. I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to Konoha! I will pour my heart and soul into it! I will contribute everything I have to Konoha! Where the leaves dance, the fire burns bright! I want to be that flame, illuminating Konoha~" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face contorted as he looked at Shindai. It had been a long, long time since he had felt this awkward. Hiruzen Sarutobi forced a gentle smile. "Excellent, excellent. Welcome to Konoha, Shindai. I'll have Minato take you to register your identity later. Since you're new to Konoha, you'll have to start as a Genin. I hope you understand." 

Shindai stood ramrod straight and immediately replied, "I understand perfectly! Any decision made by Hokage-sama is surely the right one! I will resolutely carry out Hokage-sama's orders!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a dry laugh. "Good, Shindai. It's excellent that you have such resolve. Now, Minato, quickly take Shindai." Hiruzen Sarutobi just wanted Shindai to leave as soon as possible. He had been Hokage for so many years and had seen everything, but he was on the verge of losing his composure from Shindai's flattery. 

Seeing Shindai leave with Minato and the others, Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead. He realized he was covered in sweat. Shindai's flattery had literally made Hiruzen Sarutobi sweat. 

After leaving the Hokage's office, Obito complained, "Shindai, you've got some nerve! How could you say such shameless things? Hokage-sama doesn't even have chest muscles! And even if he did, there's no way they'd be bigger than Lady Tsunade's!" 

Shindai squinted at Obito and scoffed, "How do you know he doesn't? Have you seen Hokage-sama naked?" 

Obito retorted, annoyed, "I haven't seen Hokage-sama naked, but you can tell something like that even without seeing him naked, can't you?!" 

Shindai pouted. "Maybe Hokage-sama was wearing something extra?" 

"Enough, let's get this done," Minato stopped Shindai and Obito from further discussing whether they had seen Hiruzen Sarutobi naked. Because there were many people in the Hokage's office, and Shindai and Obito were discussing this loudly, many people were looking their way. Minato was genuinely worried that Shindai and Obito would say something even more outrageous. 

With Minato and Jiraiya accompanying him, Shindai's identity registration went smoothly. Shindai held his fresh identification papers and a Konoha ninja headband, officially declaring him a Konoha ninja. 

Jiraiya clapped his hands and said, "Alright, to celebrate Shindai joining Konoha, Obito and Rin being promoted to Chunin, and Kakashi being promoted to Special Jonin, I'll treat you all to some BBQ!" 

"Yeah!" 

An hour and a half later, Jiraiya, his face pale, quietly asked Minato beside him, "Why didn't you tell me these kids could eat so much?" 

Minato looked at Shindai and Obito, who were stuffing their faces, and sighed. "I thought it was just Shindai, but I didn't expect Obito to get into a contest with him." 

Kakashi and Rin had already finished eating and were now drinking juice. Obito, in fact, was also full, just like Kakashi and Rin. But seeing how much Shindai could eat, Obito's competitive spirit kicked in. He had to prove he could eat more than Shindai, leading to the current situation. 

Jiraiya took out his wallet and peeked inside. It was thick now. But that might not be the case soon. Jiraiya grumbled, "They started a competition, why am I the one getting hurt?" 

Minato tried to comfort him. "Jiraiya-sensei, you just need to go to those places less often." 

Jiraiya retorted, annoyed, "Are you kidding me? How can I?! Do you know how hard those young ladies would struggle if I didn't spend my money there?" 

Minato's mouth twitched. "Young ladies" at his age? He really had no shame. Why couldn't Jiraiya just break that habit? 

Aside from Jiraiya and Obito, who were both pale-faced, Shindai and the others left the BBQ restaurant feeling completely satisfied. Jiraiya's wallet was empty, and Obito was simply stuffed. 

After leaving the BBQ restaurant, Shindai suddenly realized a problem. 

Where was he going to sleep tonight?