86-90

Chapter 86: Eyes Open! 

Shindai wove hand signs and unleashed Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wave! 

Potoki saw the iron sand surge towards him like a tsunami. His heart jumped, and he wanted to dodge, but Kanna's relentlessly fast and sharp slashes left him no time to react. After finishing his jutsu, Shindai kept his chakra strings attached to Kanna, manually controlling the puppet. 

As the iron sand wave bore down on him, practically on top of him, Potoki seized a moment during Kanna's assault to block with a kunai. He then quickly wove two simple hand signs. 

Suddenly, Potoki was engulfed in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a tree stump where he had been standing. 

Shindai's eyes widened. "Oh, man! I completely forgot about the ultimate Substitution Jutsu!" The iron sand flowed right over the tree stump. Shindai stood atop the iron sand. 

At the same time, Shindai felt the added weight on his special iron sand disappear. So, he re-controlled his special iron sand, compressing it tightly to form wings on his shoulders, hovering in the air. 

Now that Potoki was nowhere to be seen, Shindai cautiously surveyed his surroundings. As long as he was airborne, it wouldn't be easy for Potoki to ambush him. Besides, he'd already fallen for that trick once; there was no way he'd fall for it again. 

Shindai also manipulated some regular iron sand to circle around his body. If Potoki still wanted to use Earth Style: Weighted Boulder Jutsu to make his iron sand heavy, then so be it. The regular iron sand didn't matter, and there was still a pile of iron sand on the ground anyway. 

Shindai waited and waited, but Potoki never reappeared. Shindai frowned. Had Potoki fled? No way, his other four comrades were still fighting! 

Shindai glanced at Kakashi and Obito's fights. Kakashi truly lived up to his genius reputation. Even though the two Hidden Stone ninja fighting him were Chunin and older than Kakashi, he was still relentlessly pushing them back with his exceptional speed and reaction time. One Hidden Stone ninja's left arm hung limply, blood steadily dripping. If it weren't for the other Hidden Stone ninja assisting him, Kakashi probably would have finished him off already. It looked like it was only a matter of time before Kakashi dealt with these two. 

On Obito's side... Ugh, best not to mention it. Obito was being chased from start to finish. Although he wasn't injured, he was covered in dirt and looked absolutely pathetic. Still, it seemed like Obito could hold his own. 

With Potoki, the strongest one here, focused on fighting him, Kakashi and Obito's pressure was significantly reduced. Once Kakashi dealt with his two opponents, he could then help Obito with his pursuers. 

But where had Potoki gone? If he just kept hiding like this, Shindai couldn't do much. If only they had a sensory ninja! With one of those, they'd know exactly where he was hiding, making things so much easier instead of stumbling around blindly. 

Seeing Obito still just running, Shindai clicked his tongue. "That idiot, Obito." He remembered Obito having explosive tags in his ninja pouch. Why couldn't he throw a couple of explosive tags while running? He was just running for crying out loud. So embarrassing! 

Just as Shindai was keeping an eye out for Potoki's ambush while watching Obito run, Shindai's expression suddenly hardened. He saw the ground trembling not far from Obito's side. Shindai's face instantly changed. 

He knew this jutsu! He'd seen the Hidden Stone ninja use it before when Minato Namikaze had rescued him and the team from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone in the Land of Rivers. 

Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage! This jutsu allowed the user to turn solid earth and rock into a fluid state with chakra, enabling them to move rapidly underground. Since all four Hidden Stone ninja were accounted for on the surface, it was clear who was underground! 

It was Potoki! Shindai's analysis was correct; it was Potoki burrowing underground. Because Shindai was hovering in mid-air, and the ground was covered in iron sand, and he'd been ambushed before, Shindai would definitely be on guard. It would be hard to successfully ambush him again. 

Given that, Potoki had to find a way to distract Shindai and create an opening for an attack. So, Potoki thought of using Kakashi or Obito. But Kakashi was too fast, and the Hidden Stone ninja's strength wasn't speed. Potoki wasn't confident in successfully ambushing Kakashi. 

Obito, on the other hand, looked clumsy, couldn't even counter-attack, and could only run. Compared to Kakashi, the success rate of ambushing Obito was much higher. 

Shindai roared at Obito, "Obito! Run towards me! Don't worry about anything else!" 

Hearing Shindai's roar, Obito ran towards Shindai without thinking. 

Shindai immediately manipulated Kanna. Kanna's left arm rapidly transformed, and half of the missile loaded within its arm became visible. The missile was launched directly towards Potoki, who was ambushing Obito from underground. This missile was a low-grade one Shindai had made using materials Jiraiya had given him. Its power was far inferior to the original missile, but it was enough to get Obito out of trouble. 

The missile exploded behind Obito, and the resulting blast wave knocked Obito off his feet. Obito slammed into a tree and fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Obito didn't understand why Shindai told him to run towards him, then caused such a huge explosion behind him. All he knew right now was that his body felt like it was breaking apart. 

Shindai, controlling Kanna, immediately grabbed Obito. The spot where Obito had just been lying was immediately riddled with earth spikes. Obito was almost impaled! 

Obito was now thoroughly terrified, his face pale. He was about to thank Shindai when he saw a person suddenly burst out of the smoke behind Shindai. 

The person who burst out was none other than Potoki, who had been waiting for this chance. And now, this was his opportunity. Shindai's attention was on Obito, both hands were busy controlling Kanna, and his back was turned. He had no time to weave hand signs. 

"You brat! Die!" 

"Earth Style: Weighted Boulder Jutsu!" 

Potoki once again amplified the weight in his fist and slammed it into Shindai. Shindai's entire body bristled. He was too close; there was no time to dodge. Shindai could only use the iron sand wings on his back to shield himself. 

Potoki's heavy punch landed squarely on Shindai's back. Shindai was sent hurtling straight into the ground. Because Kanna lost Shindai's control, it couldn't hold onto Obito and toppled to the ground. 

Obito stared blankly at Shindai, who was blasted into the earth. His eyes were wide with shock, his pupils dilating to twice their normal size due to the sheer astonishment. 

Obito's black eyes gradually turned red, and two tomoe appeared within them. Witnessing Shindai being blasted into the ground to save him, Obito awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan. 

Chapter 87: The Tables Turn 

Witnessing Shindai get slammed into the ground by Pakuto Ki's punch in order to save him, an enraged Obito directly activated his two-tomoe Sharingan. 

With uncontrollable fury in his heart, Obito locked onto Pakuto Ki, who had landed on the ground, with his Sharingan and rapidly formed hand signs. 

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" 

Obito spat out flames resembling phoenix flower seeds, which flew towards Pakuto Ki from all directions. 

However, Pakuto Ki easily dodged the flames by leaping from side to side. 

Just as Pakuto Ki was about to charge towards Obito, wanting to take him out, several kunai with explosive tags attached flew towards Pakuto Ki's back. 

Although Pakuto Ki wasn't hit by the kunai, he hadn't expected them to have explosive tags. The shockwave from the explosions sent Pakuto Ki flying. 

These kunai with explosive tags had been thrown by Kakashi. 

The situation with Shindai and Obito had been too sudden, and Kakashi was also facing two Stone ninja, unable to provide immediate support. 

Now, he could only spare moments to throw a few kunai with explosive tags to help out. 

After Pakuto Ki was blown away by the shockwave, two Stone Chunin attacked Obito from the left and right. 

Obito's body, not even his head, moved an inch. He simply glanced left and right with his eyes and then took a step back. 

The two Stone Chunin flanking Obito hadn't anticipated that he would react so quickly and suddenly step back just as they were about to attack him. 

They both simultaneously tried to stop their momentum, because if they didn't, they would end up attacking each other. 

And Obito seized this opportunity. 

Now, the movements of these two Stone Chunin seemed to slow down in Obito's eyes, becoming clearly visible. 

Obito drew a kunai with his backhand and directly stabbed the Stone Chunin on his right. 

The Stone Chunin crossed his arms to block, but Obito's kunai pierced his arm. 

The other Stone Chunin launched a flying kick. 

Obito jumped backward, dodging the kick and creating distance, his hands forming hand signs once more. 

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" 

Obito spat out a massive fireball towards the front, and the two Stone ninja immediately released Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall to defend. 

Obito, fighting two opponents, was holding his own after activating his Sharingan. 

Meanwhile, Shindai was lying flat on his back on the ground, a look of lingering fear on his face as he stared at the sky. 

That was a close call. 

When Pakuto Ki's fist was about to hit him, Shindai used the wings on his shoulders to protect his back, absorbing some of the force. 

Then, just as he was about to be slammed into the ground, his Sand Iron wings quickly changed shape, acting as a cushion to negate the impact of the fall. 

If Shindai hadn't had the quick wit and fast reaction to negate the force of Pakuto Ki's punch and the impact of landing, his small frame would have been in serious trouble. 

But even after mitigating most of the impact, Shindai's whole body ached. 

"Seriously, that was way too rough! If we could just solve problems by trash-talking, I'd win every time." 

Shindai sat up, enduring the pain, and saw a scene that shocked him. 

Obito hadn't run away; he was still fighting the two Stone Chunin head-on. 

"Huh... wait! Am I seeing things? Why do Obito's eyes look all red?" 

"Yeah, it must be my imagination. I actually saw the Sharingan, and it had two tomoe." 

Shindai's jaw gradually dropped as he stared at Obito, dumbfounded. 

It wasn't his imagination. Obito had actually awakened his Sharingan. 

That shouldn't be happening! 

Shouldn't Obito awaken his Sharingan after Kakashi became a Jonin, and because of Kakashi? 

Right now, Kakashi was still a Chunin and was still tangled up with those two Stone ninja. 

Rin's voice... 

"Shindai, are you alright?" 

Rin Nohara, who had been hiding, appeared, calling out to Shindai from a short distance behind him. 

When Rin saw Shindai get sent flying by that punch, her heart skipped a beat. Not caring about concealing herself anymore, she hurriedly and stealthily approached Shindai, wanting to check on his condition and heal him. 

Rin was also unharmed, and if Rin were hurt, it wouldn't be a matter of the Sharingan, but a matter of whether or not she could hold back her tears. 

So... Obito awakened his Sharingan for him? 

No way, right? Could Obito be wearing colored contacts? 

Snapping back to reality, Shindai stopped Rin, who was slowly approaching him from behind. "Rin, I'm fine. Don't come out. Keep hiding!" 

Shindai looked towards Obito and Kakashi. 

Kakashi had just killed one of the Stone Chunin and was fighting defensively against the other, retreating towards Obito's position. 

Although Obito had awakened his Sharingan and his strength had increased, he was still finding it somewhat difficult to fight those two Stone Chunin head-on. 

The only reason Obito had managed to injure one of the Stone Chunin with his kunai at the beginning was because of the element of surprise. 

Obito had been clumsy at the start of the fight, only knowing how to run. But after awakening his Sharingan, he had a sudden surge of power, throwing the two Stone Chunin off their rhythm. 

However, the two Stone Chunin had now adapted to Obito's fighting style and were once again suppressing him. 

Shindai searched for Pakuto Ki and successfully spotted him not far away. 

Pakuto Ki was also looking for Shindai. 

Because Pakuto Ki wasn't certain if his punch had actually finished Shindai off, he wouldn't be at ease until he saw Shindai's corpse. 

Shindai's eyes darted around, and he immediately came up with an idea, lying flat on the ground. 

Pakuto Ki rushed towards the spot where he had slammed Shindai into the ground. 

Upon reaching the location, Pakuto Ki saw Shindai lying in the crater, his tongue sticking out a long way, his eyes rolled back so only the whites were visible, and he wasn't breathing. He looked as dead as could be. 

A smug smile appeared on Pakuto Ki's face. 

Confident in his previous punch, Pakuto Ki subconsciously believed that Shindai was already a corpse. 

Although he only knew Earth Style: Added Weight Rock Technique and not Earth Style: Light Weight Rock Technique, this one move had allowed him to successfully join the ranks of the Jonin. He had lost count of how many Jonin had been killed by his punch. 

Moreover, this was one of their Tsuchikage Onoki's signature moves. There was no way this brat could have withstood it. 

Pakuto Ki took out a kunai, intending to cut off Shindai's head and take it back. 

Just as Pakuto Ki's kunai touched Shindai's neck, Shindai's entire body turned black. 

Pakuto Ki's heart leaped. 

It was a Sand Iron clone! 

And the real Shindai was hiding beneath the Sand Iron clone. 

Shindai flashed a bright, sunny smile at Pakuto Ki. 

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Coffin!" 

Pakuto Ki jumped back, trying to evade, but the Sand Iron had already wrapped around his body. 

Pakuto Ki was incredibly shocked. He had actually been fooled by a little brat. 

Before the Sand Iron could completely cover his body, Pakuto Ki immediately formed hand signs. 

"Earth Style: Covered Rock Body!" 

A large amount of rock covered Pakuto Ki's entire body, and at the same time, Pakuto Ki used Earth Style: Added Weight Rock Technique to increase the rock's durability. 

Shindai's Sand Iron also completely enveloped Pakuto Ki's body. 

Shindai felt an immense sense of satisfaction in his heart. 

Finally, the tables had turned! This bastard was caught in his trap! 

Chapter 88: Choked to Death! 

Shindai successfully fooled Potoki, using an Iron Sand Clone to make the overconfident Potoki believe he was dead, crushed beneath his fist. This allowed Shindai to get close enough. And just as planned, Shindai then used the iron sand from the clone to perform Magnet Release: Iron Sand Coffin, completely encasing and binding Potoki. 

The commotion caught the attention of Obito, Kakashi, and the three remaining Hidden Stone ninja, who all looked towards Shindai. 

Seeing Shindai alive, Obito's face lit up with surprise. "Shindai, you're alive!" 

Shindai shot back, "Can you ever wish me well?! Hey, watch out! I'll handle this Jonin myself. You and Kakashi need to take care of those three Chunin, fast! I've already taken on so much pressure for you guys. If you still can't win after this, you can just take off those fancy contact lenses and give 'em to me!" 

Obito retorted, "What 'fancy contact lenses'?! These are my Sharingan! No way I'm giving them to you! Besides, I feel super strong right now!" 

Seeing that Shindai was okay, Obito was overjoyed, and a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Earlier, Obito had been blaming himself, thinking that if he hadn't held Shindai back, Shindai wouldn't have died. 

Now, Obito was full of fighting spirit. Kakashi also rejoined him, and the two worked together, actively attacking the three Hidden Stone ninja. 

Meanwhile, Shindai was ready to finish off Potoki. 

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Funeral!" Shindai compressed the iron sand, intending to crush Potoki, who was wrapped inside, to death. 

However, before the iron sand completely enveloped him, Potoki had covered his body with a layer of rock and used Earth Style: Weighted Boulder Jutsu to increase the rock's density, making it incredibly tough. The rock was too strong; Shindai couldn't crush it. Thus, Shindai's attempt to crush Potoki to death with iron sand failed. 

Shindai tried several more times, not just squeezing but also trying to pierce through the rock on Potoki's body with iron sand spikes, but all attempts failed. 

Shindai pinched his chin, thinking of a solution. Actually, the safest bet right now would be to simply leave Potoki alone, trapped inside the Iron Sand Coffin. Because the Iron Sand Coffin was so dense, no air could get in, and Potoki would eventually suffocate from lack of oxygen. 

But Shindai also felt like he wasn't involved enough. This guy had hit him with a super-powerful punch! If Shindai hadn't been smart, his bones might have shattered, and his body could have been completely deformed after being blasted into the ground. 

A lightbulb went off in Shindai's head. He dropped his hand from his chin and began weaving hand signs. 

"Magnet Release! Iron Sand Top!" Shindai reshaped the iron sand encasing Potoki into a triangular prism and began to spin it. Shindai's plan was to make Potoki dizzy, forcing him to lose control of his jutsu. 

Inside the iron sand, Potoki was already struggling to breathe due to the lack of air. He dared not take deep breaths, because the faster he breathed, the quicker the oxygen inside the iron sand would be depleted. And Shindai kept trying to kill him. 

Potoki felt incredibly stifled. He was a Jonin, yet he was being defeated by a mere kid. It was truly humiliating. Actually, losing to a kid wasn't that hard to accept; Potoki had seen plenty of young, powerful ninja. What truly bothered Potoki was that this kid was the Hidden Sand traitor who had made the Hidden Stone Village take the blame, and he had only succeeded because Potoki had been careless and let his guard down. If he hadn't relaxed his guard, he should have thrown a few kunai from a distance before getting close to Shindai. But there were no "ifs." 

Shindai's repeated attempts to kill him forced Potoki to constantly maintain his jutsu, which made him breathe faster and faster. The feeling of oxygen deprivation swept over him, making him dizzy. 

Shindai's attempts paused for a moment, allowing Potoki a brief moment of relief. However, the danger wasn't over. He was completely immobilized, unable to perform hand signs or break free from the iron sand. He was dizzy and lightheaded. If this continued, he would suffocate even without Shindai's intervention. Potoki could only hope for his comrades to help him now. 

But... as Kakashi and Obito worked together to attack, another Hidden Stone Chunin was taken down by Kakashi, who seized an opening and stabbed him in the neck. Now, besides Potoki, only two Hidden Stone ninja remained on the field. Four Hidden Stone Chunin couldn't handle Kakashi and Obito, so two stood no chance. Victory was practically guaranteed. 

Potoki, already dizzy, was now being spun like a top by Shindai. At first, he thought it was just a hallucination caused by his dizziness from lack of oxygen. But as the iron sand top spun faster and faster, Potoki realized he was indeed rotating. The dizziness from oxygen deprivation combined with the high-speed rotation made Potoki's stomach churn. He bit down hard, desperate not to vomit. He was in an enclosed space, and if he threw up, the vomit would flow back and could block his windpipe. Potoki absolutely refused to die by choking on his own vomit. He'd rather just suffocate from lack of oxygen! 

However, some things Potoki simply couldn't endure, no matter how much he tried. 

"Ugh~" Potoki finally couldn't hold it in and vomited. And as he was in a sealed space, just as Potoki expected, his vomit flowed back and blocked his windpipe. Already oxygen-deprived, with his windpipe blocked, Potoki's situation worsened drastically. His face turned from red to blue, and the high-speed rotation and centrifugal force made his eyeballs bulge out. 

Finally, Potoki was literally choked to death by his own vomit. 

After spinning the Iron Sand Top for a while, Shindai stopped, sensing that Potoki inside seemed to have given up resisting. Shindai wasn't sure if he'd been spun dizzy or what, so he transformed the iron sand encasing Potoki into sharp spikes and thrust them inward. This time, there was no resistance. The spikes smoothly pierced through, and Shindai loosened some of the iron sand. Blood seeped out. 

"Looks like it worked!" 

Shindai dispelled the iron sand, and Potoki's body, riddled with several holes, dropped to the ground. Shindai clamped his hand over his nose, "What's that smell? Like garlic?!" 

Because of Potoki's previous trick, the cautious Shindai conjured a sharp iron sand spear and hurled it at Potoki's corpse. The spear pierced through Potoki's body, and blood continued to flow. 

Shindai sighed in relief. He had finally dealt with that annoying Hidden Stone Jonin. Shindai wiped the sweat from his brow and exclaimed, "Man, what a fair and exhilarating fight!" 

The remaining two Hidden Stone Chunin were dealt with by Kakashi and Obito working together. One was stabbed in the neck by Kakashi's short blade, and the other was directly hit by Obito's Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu and burned to death. 

Shindai was utterly astonished. Did the gentle Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu actually kill someone?! 

Chapter 89: Stone Ninja's Breaking Point 

The Stone ninja attack battle had finally ended. 

All the Stone ninja were defeated, and Shindai collapsed onto his backside, then lay flat on the ground, gasping for breath. 

He had exerted himself too much all at once, and his chakra was almost completely depleted. 

Moreover, the punch from Pakuto Ki, even after two layers of cushioning that minimized the damage, had still injured Shindai. 

During the battle, the adrenaline rush had masked the pain, but as soon as the fight ended and his body relaxed, the pain washed over him. 

"Ah! Rin, hurry up and heal me! I think I'm gonna die!" 

Feeling excruciating pain, Shindai called out to Rin Nohara. 

The hidden Rin hurriedly ran over and began examining Shindai. 

Obito and Kakashi also quickly came to Shindai's side. 

Obito asked Rin worriedly, "Rin, is Shindai alright?" 

Rin carefully checked Shindai's body. "Shindai has extensive bruising on his back, a fractured scapula, multiple contusions, and his chakra is severely depleted. He's showing signs of overexertion. Other than that... it seems like nothing else." 

Hearing this, Obito and Kakashi simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. 

Obito looked at the wailing Shindai and said, "Well, this injury doesn't sound as bad as when Tsunade-sama beat him up last time." 

Shindai retorted with a full voice, "You're full of it! You and Kakashi are fine, but all the bad stuff happened to me! I'm in so much pain right now!" 

Kakashi crouched down in front of Shindai, sighing. "Alright, Shindai, stop howling and save your strength. We owe this victory to you. If you hadn't stopped that Stone ninja Jonin, the three of us would have been in danger." 

Obito looked at Shindai with intense eyes and said very seriously, "Shindai, thank you!" 

Shindai frowned, looking into Obito's eyes, whose Sharingan was still active. 

The thought that Obito had awakened his Sharingan because of him made Shindai feel a bit strange. 

"Obito, could you turn off your colored contacts? It's kinda creepy." 

"Huh? Oh." 

Obito deactivated his Sharingan. Seeing Obito's black pupils made Shindai feel much more comfortable. 

But Shindai felt a little uneasy in his heart. 

Obito was originally supposed to awaken his Sharingan because of Kakashi, but now he had awakened it early because of Shindai. This meant that things could change. 

Would Obito not be able to hide his tears for Rin in the future, and might even not be able to hide his tears for him? 

No way! If Obito ever cried for him, he'd have to bury himself! 

After Rin healed and bandaged Shindai, she also treated and bandaged Obito and Kakashi. 

During the recent battle, Kakashi and Obito had both sustained minor injuries, just not as severe as Shindai's. 

Once the healing was done. 

Kannazuki was found by Obito and returned to Shindai. 

Shindai sighed, looking at Kannazuki's damaged legs. 

When Obito was almost impaled by earth spikes released by Pakuto Ki, Shindai had controlled Kannazuki to help Obito out, and Kannazuki's legs had been hit and damaged by the spikes. 

Seeing Shindai sigh, Obito apologized with guilt, "Sorry, Shindai. It's all my fault. Not only were you injured, but your Kannazuki also..." 

Shindai waved his hand. "It's not your fault. The fact that it was so easily damaged just shows that it wasn't sturdy enough. We need to change the materials." 

When the war ended and he had time, Shindai wanted to thoroughly research metals and upgrade Kannazuki's body materials. 

Moreover, researching metals would also benefit his Magnet Release ninjutsu. 

His Kekkei Genkai was Magnet Release, not Sand Iron Release. 

As long as it was a magnetic metal, Shindai could control it. 

A little while later. 

Kakashi, Obito, Shindai (who was being carried on Obito's back), and Rin were examining Pakuto Ki's corpse. 

Obito looked at Pakuto Ki's pale-faced corpse, puzzled. "This Stone ninja Jonin... it doesn't feel like he was stabbed to death by your Sand Iron, Shindai." 

Shindai, resting his chin on Obito's shoulder as he was being carried, carefully looked at Pakuto Ki's body on the ground. "Don't even mention it. I feel the same way. It's like he suffocated. He probably ran out of oxygen while trapped in my Sand Iron." 

The professional Rin glanced at Pakuto Ki's slightly open mouth and analyzed, "He did die from suffocation, but not from ordinary lack of oxygen. He choked to death on his own vomit, which blocked his airway." 

Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi's expressions instantly turned very strange. To choke to death on one's own vomit was truly... a unique way to die. 

Kakashi took a light breath and said, "Alright, let's stop studying the enemy's death. Our mission isn't over yet. We still need to deliver supplies. Obito, you carry Shindai. I'll carry three scrolls of supplies, and Rin, you carry two. Let's hurry and set off." 

Kakashi and Rin shouldered the scrolls of supplies, and the four of them continued towards their destination. 

Time flew by quickly. 

Shindai and his team had already spent five months at the logistics outpost. 

In these five months, they had delivered countless batches of supplies. 

They had also encountered many battles, both large and small. 

Shindai and the others had grown rapidly, and their teamwork and coordination had become increasingly seamless. 

As soon as a battle began, Rin, as the medical-nin, would immediately hide herself. 

Then, Shindai, Obito, and Kakashi would coordinate their attacks. Sometimes, a single glance was enough for them to understand what the others wanted to do. 

Obito, who had awakened his Sharingan, had made the most progress. He had learned several advanced Fire Style ninjutsu techniques from within the Uchiha clan and had become increasingly confident in battle. 

After awakening his Sharingan, Obito was like a completely different person... but only in terms of strength. Obito was still his usual goofy self in everyday life. 

And in these five months, the ninja world had also undergone significant changes. 

The Cloud Village, starting with sneak attacks, had now dispatched several ninja units to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Waterfall, frequently ambushing Stone ninja within the Land of Earth, effectively declaring war on the Stone Village. 

The Mist Village had also made a move two months prior, setting off from the Land of Waves and entering the Land of Fire along the coastline, declaring war on the Leaf Village. 

As for the Sand Village ninja, they were still skirmishing with Leaf Village ninja in the Land of Rivers, engaging in small-scale conflicts. Consequently, Orochimaru had left the Land of Rivers and returned to the Land of Fire to command the battle against the Mist ninja. 

Because both the Stone Village and the Leaf Village had to divide their forces to defend against the Cloud and Mist ninja, they remained evenly matched in their ongoing battles in the Land of Grass. 

However, the intensity of the fighting between the Stone Village and the Leaf Village wasn't as fierce as it had been initially. 

And Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya, who had been sent out from the beginning to harass the Stone ninja's rear lines in the Land of Grass, had made life miserable for the Stone ninja. 

Due to Minato's mobility, Minato and Jiraiya were elusive and unpredictable. 

The Stone ninja's supply units were frequently intercepted by the two of them. 

Moreover, on several occasions, Minato and Jiraiya had discovered the Stone ninja's marching routes, analyzed their next operational plans, and notified the Leaf Village ninja, inflicting significant losses on the Stone ninja. 

The Stone ninja in the Land of Grass had reached their breaking point with Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya. 

Chapter 90: Jinchuriki Attack! 

Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya's actions were seriously disrupting the Hidden Stone ninja's movements in the Land of Grass. Since the war with the Leaf Village began, the Hidden Stone ninja had been fighting so fiercely with Leaf shinobi that they couldn't spare the energy to deal with Minato and Jiraiya. But even if they could, it wouldn't have helped much, because Minato's Flying Raijin Jutsu was just too ridiculous. Not only was Minato incredibly fast himself, but he could also take others with him. 

Minato and Jiraiya had already inflicted heavy losses on them. Now, with the Hidden Stone Village and Leaf Village being ambushed by the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist respectively, the fighting between the two sides in the Land of Grass wasn't as intense as it had been. The Hidden Stone ninja initially thought that since the fighting with the Leaf had cooled down and they were being ambushed by the Hidden Mist from behind, Minato and Jiraiya would surely retreat, right? Ha! Not at all! Minato and Jiraiya were still actively harassing the Hidden Stone's rear, constantly launching surprise attacks. 

Even worse, two days ago, Minato and Jiraiya secretly infiltrated a Hidden Stone encampment. Jiraiya summoned the toads from Mount Myoboku and, combining their efforts, used Fire Style: Toad Oil Bullet to burn down a supply depot within the Hidden Stone's base. That place held a significant amount of Hidden Stone's military provisions, and burning it down was a huge blow. When they tried to pursue, Minato and Jiraiya simply dusted their hands off and vanished using the Flying Raijin Jutsu. 

The Hidden Stone ninja in the Land of Grass couldn't stand it anymore, but they had no way to deal with Minato and Jiraiya. So, they reported the situation to Onoki, hoping he would send powerful ninja capable of handling Minato and Jiraiya. 

Upon receiving the news, Onoki decided that the situation with Minato and Jiraiya had to be resolved. If Minato and Jiraiya continued to harass them so brazenly, the morale of the Hidden Stone ninja in the Land of Grass would plummet. Now, it was becoming routine for Hidden Cloud ninja to secretly infiltrate the Land of Earth and attack them. In Onoki's view, the Hidden Stone Village's focus in the war would likely shift from the Leaf to the Hidden Cloud. Therefore, they had to stabilize the situation with the Leaf ninja in the Land of Grass so they could properly deal with the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Onoki pondered for a moment before summoning two individuals. One was a bearded man wearing purple clothing and chest armor. The other was a man wearing a straw hat and armor. These two were the Hidden Stone Village's Jinchuriki: Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. Onoki believed that sending other ninja would be useless against Minato and Jiraiya; only by deploying the Jinchuriki could they counter these two, and also intimidate the Leaf ninja in the Land of Grass. 

Onoki spoke sternly, "Roshi, Han, you two take a few ninja and go to the Land of Grass. Deal with the Leaf ninja Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya, who have been constantly harassing our Hidden Stone positions!" 

Roshi and Han accepted the mission, casually taking three ninja with them, and then set off for the Land of Grass. 

"Ugh, when will these days ever end~" 

They'd been on delivery duty for almost half a year, and Shindai felt like he was becoming nothing but a cold, emotionless delivery machine. In the past few months, their logistics squad, which originally had 11 members, had lost another 3, leaving only 8. Due to the shortage of personnel, deliveries became even more frequent. Even their captain, Takehiko, was personally making deliveries now. There were several times they returned to camp after a delivery and had to immediately go out for the next one without any rest. Shindai hadn't done anything he wanted to do in ages. 

Obito, lying beside Shindai, looked up at the sky and sighed, "This is war. We can't help it." 

Rin sat near Obito and Shindai, looking down thoughtfully at a small flower on the ground. "We're already very lucky. We're just transporting supplies; we're not directly involved in the frontline battles. It's really brutal out there." 

Shindai pouted, a little aggrieved. "I want a break! I'm tired! Kakashi, can you talk to Captain Takehiko for me? You guys can keep working; I'm gonna take a rest first." 

Obito suddenly sat up, immediately refusing. "No way! We're a team! How can you just take a break by yourself, Shindai?" 

Shindai rolled his eyes and retorted, "I'm not even a Leaf ninja yet! Working for you guys like this, it feels like I'm not even getting paid. Aren't I working for free? And I've been nice enough, working with you for months without pay! You can't guilt-trip me anymore!" 

Obito shot back, "What guilt-tripping?! You are a Leaf ninja now! And our comrade!" 

Shindai put on a strange voice. "Oh? I'm a Leaf ninja? Do I have a Leaf headband? Do I get paid? I have nothing! What am I working so hard for? Because you're an idiot? Or because Kakashi's a closet pervert? Or because Rin's pretty?" 

Veins popped on Obito and Kakashi's foreheads simultaneously. They'd been together for so long, yet Shindai's words were still just as infuriating. However, Rin didn't find Shindai infuriating. After all, Shindai said she was pretty! 

And ever since Shindai joined them, the atmosphere had greatly improved. Obito and Kakashi used to argue all the time. Though they still bickered occasionally now, it wasn't as frequent. And the old Kakashi was cold, rational, sharp-tongued, humorless, and kept his heart guarded. But after Shindai arrived, Rin could clearly feel that Kakashi's guarded heart was slowly opening up. 

Obito huffily untied his headband and shoved it into Shindai's hand. Then he rummaged in his pocket, pulled out his small wallet, and also shoved it into Shindai's hand. 

Shindai looked at the headband and small wallet in his hands, staring blankly at Obito. "What are you doing?" 

Obito ignored Shindai and looked at Kakashi and Rin. "Kakashi, Rin, you two get your money out too." 

Kakashi and Rin understood Obito's meaning. They took out their wallets and handed them to Obito. Obito took Kakashi and Rin's wallets and then shoved them all into Shindai's hand. "Now you have a headband and money. Is that enough?" 

Shindai stared at Obito in disbelief. "Are you... are you crazy?" Shindai stuffed all three wallets into his own pockets, then shoved the headband back to Obito, stating righteously, "I just feel like the mission intensity is too high, and I'm physically and mentally exhausted. I just want a few days off, not to leave the team! Once I'm rested, I'll be back on duty. And who do you take me for?! Can I be bought with money? You're underestimating me too much!" 

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin stared at Shindai's bulging pants pockets with deadpan expressions. What was the meaning of stuffing the wallets into his own pockets then? 

The Jinchuriki are on the move, and it looks like Minato and Jiraiya are in for a serious challenge! Meanwhile, Shindai is keeping things lively for Team Minato, even if he's driving them a little crazy. 

What do you think will happen when the Jinchuriki finally catch up to Minato and Jiraiya? And will Shindai actually get his "vacation"?!