76-80

Chapter 76: Branded a Criminal 

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had received orders to evacuate the Land of Hot Water and proceed to the Land of Grass. 

They had also caught wind of the rumors, which left both Jiraiya and Minato speechless. 

Jiraiya's face was wrinkled with concern. "Is the Hidden Sand Village's shamelessness contagious, like that kid Shindai's?" 

"Uh... Shindai's probably much better than them." 

Minato thought for a moment before defending Shindai. After all, Shindai was going to be their comrade, so they shouldn't speak ill of him. 

Jiraiya inquired, "So, does Shindai know about the Third Kazekage's disappearance yet?" 

Minato shook his head. "Shindai himself guessed that Hidden Sand Village got a new Kazekage, but I haven't told him about the Third Kazekage's disappearance." 

Jiraiya's expression was a little subtle as he suggested, "The Hidden Sand Village is proclaiming those so-called 'evidences,' and Shindai's been branded as a heinous criminal, someone who abandoned his home and nation. 

I think you should go tell that kid now. At least give him some time to process this news. We'll probably be fighting as soon as we reach the Land of Grass. If he only finds out then, with his personality, it's unlikely he won't make a fuss, right?" 

Minato felt Jiraiya's concern was perfectly reasonable. 

Absolutely, Shindai would definitely make a scene once he found out, and a big one at that. 

Minato sighed. "I'll go find him now and tell him about this." 

Jiraiya nodded. "Alright, I'll go find Tsunade, then gather all the shinobi. Once we've packed everything in the encampment, we'll depart immediately. Minato, just come to the meeting point before we leave." 

Minato left the command tent and headed towards Shindai's tent. 

Shindai, still unaware of the 'big surprise' awaiting him, was busy tinkering with the wiring inside Kannazuki's body. 

As soon as Minato entered the tent, he saw a completely bare Kannazuki. Though a puppet, it looked so much like a real person that it made the innocent Minato blush a little. 

"Ahem, Shindai, could you put your puppet away? I have something very important to tell you." 

"Mama mia~" 

Shindai was so focused that he hadn't noticed Minato enter the tent. Minato's sudden voice almost scared the soul out of him. 

Shindai saw it was Minato and complained, "Lord Minato, why are you just like Obito? But at least Obito makes some noise! You made no sound at all! Scaring people like that can kill them!" 

Minato chuckled dryly. "Sorry, this matter is really urgent, and we're about to leave, so I just came right in." 

Shindai's eyes lit up with surprise. "We're leaving here? Does that mean we're going back to Konoha?" 

Minato looked at Shindai with a hint of pity and shook his head. "No, we're going to the Land of Grass. Unless something unexpected happens, Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Stone Village will soon declare war on Konoha together. So we need to head to the Land of Grass immediately to prepare for battle." 

"Huh?" 

Shindai was stunned. Weren't Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone fighting each other? Why were they suddenly teaming up to fight Konoha? 

Maybe he hadn't slept well last night and his ears were playing tricks on him. 

Minato grabbed Shindai's arm, gently but firmly pressing him into a chair. He spoke to Shindai seriously, "Shindai, what I'm about to tell you might be difficult to accept, but it's the truth. So... you need to be prepared!" 

Seeing Minato so serious, Shindai nervously swallowed. 

What kind of truth could make the usually gentle Minato so solemn? 

He suddenly didn't want to know... It would definitely be troublesome if he knew. 

"The Third Kazekage has gone missing..." 

"Hm?" 

Shindai tilted his head, his eyes turning into little dots as he looked at Minato. 

This is the important thing? 

He already knew this. He knew it the moment he found out Rasa was appointed the Fourth Kazekage. 

He even knew who killed the Third Kazekage. 

Shindai breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was something major. What was so hard to accept about this? 

Minato looked at Shindai with a strange expression. Shindai breathed a sigh of relief hearing about the Third Kazekage's disappearance? 

It almost felt like... the Third Kazekage and Shindai didn't have a good relationship. 

Shindai also noticed Minato's odd expression and felt a pang of guilt. He quickly explained, "The Third Kazekage only went missing. If he were dead, that would be pretty bad." 

Minato's expression grew even stranger. 

Dead... is just 'pretty bad'? 

Why, when it came out of Shindai's mouth, did the Third Kazekage's disappearance not seem like a big deal at all? 

Shindai felt increasingly guilty; he didn't know what to say. 

Then Shindai had a sudden thought. Wait, no! In Minato's eyes, his relationship with the Third Kazekage was already bad! He sold him out to the Hidden Stone Village, didn't he? 

So why was he feeling guilty?! 

Minato shook his head, almost getting sidetracked by Shindai. He hadn't gotten to the main point yet. 

Minato continued, "The Third Kazekage went missing. Initially, the Hidden Sand Village's investigation found a Hidden Stone headband. Hidden Sand Village then declared war on Hidden Stone Village, claiming the Stone shinobi attacked the Third Kazekage. But now, Hidden Sand Village has 're-investigated' and found some so-called new evidence. 

First, there's a scroll. The content of the scroll says, 'Uncle Kaito, I have very important Konoha intelligence that I must report to you in person. Please, Uncle Kaito, meet me outside Hidden Sand Village right now.' 

Then, in another location, they found a large amount of iron sand, along with fragments of puppet battles, and fragments of Konoha shinobi uniforms. 

Hidden Sand Village used this to conclude... that you, who were intercepted by us, were turned by Konoha. Using your identity as a clansman of the Third Kazekage, you lured the Third Kazekage out of the village. Then, our Konoha shinobi ambushed and killed the Third Kazekage, and finally, it was all disguised as the work of the Hidden Stone Village. 

The people of Hidden Sand Village don't seem to know who you are, but they've issued an order: any shinobi using Magnet Release found among Konoha shinobi must be killed, no matter the cost. 

That means, Shindai, you've been branded a wanted criminal by Hidden Sand Village. And according to the Hokage's judgment, Hidden Sand Village will soon cooperate with Hidden Stone Village and declare war on us, Konoha, together. 

So, we must immediately head to the Land of Grass, intercept the Stone shinobi there, and engage them in battle." 

Shindai was left wide-eyed and speechless, his mouth hanging open. 

Minato waited for Shindai to recover, but after a while, Shindai still had no reaction. 

Minato called out Shindai's name a few times. 

Shindai snapped back to reality and asked in a dry voice, "Lord Minato, you're not kidding me, are you?" 

Minato's expression was grim. "I'm not kidding. This is the truth, Shindai." 

Shindai felt like his brain had crashed; he couldn't think anymore. 

"Shindai..." 

"Lord Minato, could... could you just let me be alone for a bit?" 

Minato nodded. "Okay. I'll come get you when it's time to leave." 

As soon as Minato left the tent, he heard Shindai's wild laughter from inside. 

"Hahahaha... hahahaha..." 

Minato felt a little worried about Shindai's mental state. Had he gone mad? 

Chapter 77: Shindai's Outburst of Rage 

Inside the tent, Shindai suddenly clutched his forehead and burst into maniacal laughter, tears streaming from his eyes. Of course, he wasn't laughing from happiness; he was laughing from pure, unadulterated rage. 

"Sensei Minato, is Shindai alright?" Obito asked from outside the tent, having been filled in on the whole situation. He was worried, hearing Shindai's somewhat deranged laughter. 

Minato Namikaze, also concerned that Shindai might be losing his mind, quickly used his Flying Thunder God Jutsu to bring Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara over. Minato hoped the three of them could talk some sense into Shindai and calm him down before he truly went crazy. 

"Just by the sound of his laugh, something's definitely wrong," Rin said anxiously. "Shindai's usual laugh sounds kind of mischievous, but this one sounds… mournful." 

Kakashi gave his signature deadpan stare at Minato. "Sensei Minato, you're not seriously going to ask us to talk to Shindai, are you?" 

Minato chuckled sheepishly. "Well, yes. You're all the same age, and you have a good relationship with him. Shindai will probably listen to your advice more." 

Obito, full of enthusiasm, slammed his right fist into his left palm. "Leave it to us! We'll definitely talk to Shindai! Kakashi, Rin, let's go!" Obito puffed out his chest and marched confidently towards Shindai's tent. Kakashi and Rin followed behind him. 

The Unstoppable Rant 

Suddenly, Shindai, having laughed enough inside the tent, slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Damn you, Rasa! I swear I'll have my revenge! Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west! You're picking on me now? I'll mess with your kids later!" 

That shout made Obito jump back a step, literally hiding behind Kakashi and Rin. Kakashi and Rin both turned around, giving Obito a speechless look. Where did all that bravado go? 

Obito mumbled, embarrassed, "I... I think maybe we should wait a bit before going in. I'm afraid Shindai will beat me up if we go in now, and our future children might get beaten up by him too..." 

Kakashi and Rin exchanged a glance and said in unison, "I agree." Hearing Shindai's furious shouts, it was clear he was absolutely livid. Going in now would be like walking into a trap. 

Shindai's rant wasn't over yet: "Ebizo, I wish you everlasting youth! Drop the 'old' part and go for a sea burial! Chiyo, I wish that old hag would put on a swimsuit and try to seduce that old red-nosed Ohnoki! I wish all of you get turned into human puppets by Sasori, that guy whose puppet jutsu isn't even as good as mine!" 

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin didn't know who Ebizo or Chiyo were, so Shindai's curses didn't make much sense to them. But Minato certainly understood. 

"Hiss... he's cursing that harshly?" Minato gasped, taking a sharp breath. It seemed Shindai was genuinely, incredibly angry this time. But what were "Sasori" and "human puppets"? A scorpion in the desert? Puppets that looked like humans? 

Shindai's chest heaved with anger. How was it that he didn't remember writing a scroll telling the Third Kazekage to leave the Sand Village? How was it that he didn't know he'd been turned by the Leaf? How was it that he didn't know he lured out the Third Kazekage and then let Leaf ninjas attack him? He'd been working diligently as a spy here, living a life of constant worry, battling wits every day with strong ninjas like Minato and Jiraiya... was it easy for him? And after all this, he'd become a traitor? 

This whole thing was definitely concocted by Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo, he didn't even need to think about it. Declaring war on the Leaf was a huge deal for the Sand Village; it couldn't have been decided by just one person. And the fact that he'd inexplicably become a traitor was very likely that scoundrel Rasa's idea. While Shindai hadn't met Chiyo and Ebizo, the Third Kazekage and Pakura had spoken of them. Chiyo and Ebizo were quite good to their own villagers. But Rasa? That man was ruthless enough to assassinate his own son. So, fabricating such a malicious accusation of him being a traitor was something Rasa, that rotten egg, would absolutely do. 

Shindai's eyes were sharp, like he wanted to devour someone. He never even wanted to be a spy; the Third Kazekage forced him into it. The Third Kazekage just blinked his eyes and was gone, not caring about anything, while he, the spy, was forcibly branded a traitor. Rasa, that bastard, was truly devious. This dirty trick was supposed to be used on Pakura, but unexpectedly, it was used on him first. Shindai felt incredibly wronged. How could someone be bullied like this?! 

When he learned the Third Kazekage was missing, he'd still thought about contacting other Sand Village members. Even if he couldn't summon his ninja hawk or reach anyone in the Sand Village, he'd thought they'd actively try to contact him. He never expected to finally learn that he had become a traitor. 

Shindai gritted his teeth, seething, "No bloodline, no special eyes, just cannon fodder like me, what are you all so proud of?! You don't want me? Well, I don't want you either! Cannon fodder also has its ranks, and one day, I'll make you realize what a formidable piece of cannon fodder you abandoned! This makes me so mad, I can't swallow this! Be careful, I might just send Masked Obito to cause you trouble later!" 

Outside the tent, after Shindai's rant died down, Kakashi and Rin both turned to look at Obito behind them. Obito felt a chill, seeing Kakashi and Rin staring at him. "Wh-what are you looking at me for?" 

Kakashi said, "We can go in now. Let's go." 

Obito's earlier bravado had vanished without a trace; he was a bit timid now. He cleared his throat. "Kakashi, you go first. I'll think about how to persuade Shindai from the back." 

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Obito. "Obito, are you scared?" 

Hearing Kakashi's words, Obito froze. Rin was right there, how could he admit he was scared?! Obito stiffened his neck and retorted, "Who's scared?! Why would I be scared? Let's go, who's afraid of who? Rin, I'm telling you, I'm the bravest man in the world!" 

After saying that, Obito bravely walked to the front. A slight curve appeared under Kakashi's mask. His reverse psychology had worked! He really didn't want to be the first to enter the tent. Shindai was enough of a headache normally, and an angry Shindai? He'd definitely be even more helpless. Besides, persuading people wasn't Kakashi's strong suit; sarcasm was more his thing. 

Rin, walking behind Obito, whispered, "You can do it, Obito~" 

Obito instantly felt a surge of energy, and in his mind, Shindai's words about being "cool" intermittently echoed. Obito suppressed a smile, coolly stating, "Rin, watch me perform!" 

Chapter 78: Do Me a Favor 

After a simple "Good luck!" from Rin Nohara, Obito, with his love-struck brain in overdrive, charged towards Shindai's tent like he'd just guzzled an energy drink. 

Obito's booming voice rang out the moment he entered the tent: "Shindai! I heard you became a traitor?!" 

Kakashi and Rin, who were just about to step into the tent, instantly recoiled, then simultaneously slapped their foreheads. 

That idiot! We sent him to calm Shindai down, not to provoke him! 

A short distance away, Minato Namikaze sighed helplessly. 

He regretted asking Obito to go. This was just pure fuel to the fire, wasn't it? 

Shindai glared at Obito, looking incredibly annoyed. "What? Are you here to mock me?" 

Obito, head held high, walked over to Shindai, then slapped him hard on the shoulder, making Shindai stumble and fall right onto his chair. 

Obito didn't notice Shindai's face, which had completely darkened, and continued speaking to himself: "So what if you were framed as a traitor? It's no big deal! Listen to me, you don't need to care at all. If you do care, then I'll really mock you, okay~" 

Rin had already quietly taken a step back, and Kakashi thoughtfully pulled the tent zipper closed for Shindai. 

The next moment, just as Kakashi and Rin expected, Obito's pained yelp echoed from inside. 

"Ow! What are you doing, Shindai?! I came to comfort you! Seriously, believe me! Don't hit my face!" 

"Comfort?! I'll comfort your big head, you idiot! Who do you think I am? Do I need your comfort?! And is this 'comforting'? You're just here to cause trouble!" 

A little while later. 

Obito's screams from inside the tent finally stopped. 

Kakashi and Rin felt it was probably enough. After Shindai had beaten Obito to vent his frustration, Shindai's mood should be a bit better. 

Kakashi reopened the zipper, and he and Rin saw a scene that left them utterly shocked and a little disgusted. 

They saw Shindai cradling a horizontal Obito in his right arm, his left hand pressed against Obito's chest, looking at Obito with 'affectionate' eyes. 

Meanwhile, Obito was staring at Shindai with sheer terror. 

Obito felt a chill in his heart from Shindai's gaze, and goosebumps broke out all over him. "Shin... Shindai, you've already hit me. What more do you want? Don't do anything weird!" 

Shindai's left hand gently rubbed Obito's chest, and he asked in a soft, feigned voice, "Obito~ Are we good friends?" 

Obito felt Shindai was seriously off right now, giving him an unsettling feeling. "Are... we?" 

Shindai's left hand gently patted Obito's chest, 'pouting,' "I'm asking you, why are you asking me back?" 

Obito felt a little creeped out, a little scared. "Yeah... I guess. Shindai, can you please act normal?" 

Shindai pursed his lips. "I am normal! It's all your fault, Obito! I was already in a bad mood, and you came to provoke me, which made me lose control and lightly hit you a couple of times. Are you okay? Does it still hurt? Do you need me to call Rin to give you a comforting rub?" 

Rin, standing at the tent entrance, shivered violently, immediately performing an incredibly long backward step, retreating three meters. 

Why was she involved in this?! She did not want to get caught up in this extremely strange atmosphere between Shindai and Obito. 

Obito also shivered. His face was swollen like a pig's head, but he shook it desperately. "No, no, no, it's fine! I don't hurt, I really don't hurt! I even feel quite comfortable!" 

Shindai's expression subtly raised an eyebrow at Obito. "Oh~ Obito, your preferences are so unique~ While I don't understand, I respect them. Since we're good friends now, could you do me a favor sometime in the future?" 

Obito was genuinely panicked now, wanting to escape, but he couldn't. 

"Wh-what favor?" 

Shindai's eyes narrowed, and his voice returned to normal as he spoke seriously to Obito: "Obito, once you're super powerful in the future, help me beat someone up! Leave the three small fries to me, and the big one is all yours!" 

Obito's face scrunched up. He had a bad feeling that the person Shindai wanted him to beat up wasn't simple. 

Obito cautiously asked, "Who is it?" 

Shindai gritted his teeth. "He's an utterly shameless bastard who treats people like dirt and always kicks them to the curb once they're no longer useful! You don't need to know who it is now. You're not powerful enough yet. I'll tell you when you are!" 

Outside the tent, Minato had already vaguely guessed. It must be Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo. 

But... their combined age must be almost 150, right? And they're "small fries"? 

So who's the "big one"? 

Minato, who had already guessed wrong, pondered who Shindai's "big one" could be. 

Shindai's voice returned to his feigned tone, and he asked with a smile, "So, are you going to do it, Obito~?" 

"Yes, yes, yes! I promise! I'll promise you anything!" 

Obito just wanted to escape right now. He'd agree first, and as for later, that could wait. Maybe Shindai would forget about it? 

Shindai put on a one-second face-change for Obito. 

The moment Obito agreed, the smile on Shindai's face instantly vanished, and he let go, allowing Obito to fall to the ground. 

Obito, who had landed with a thud on his backside, stared blankly at Shindai. 

Shindai wasn't like this just a moment ago! 

His mood swings were way too fast! 

Shindai squinted at Obito, who was sitting on the ground staring blankly at him. "What's wrong? You want me to help you up?" 

Obito shot to his feet in an instant. 

Seeing Shindai packing various small parts into his backpack, Obito curiously asked, "Shindai, what are you doing?" 

Shindai gave Obito a fierce eye-roll. "Did Lord Minato or someone else not tell you? Aren't we leaving here soon? If I don't pack these things, are you going to buy them for me?" 

Obito quickly clutched his pockets. "I don't have much pocket money!" 

Shindai scoffed. "Your measly pennies? I wouldn't even bother with them. If I want real money, I'll just go ask Lord Jiraiya for it." 

Obito asked, puzzled, "Ask Lord Jiraiya for it? Why would Lord Jiraiya give you money?" 

Shindai proudly puffed out his chest. "Obito, you know, a person always needs a skill to fall back on, understand?" 

Obito didn't understand what Shindai meant, but Kakashi, Rin, and Minato instantly got it. 

Minato and the other two now had dark lines on their foreheads. He's completely forgotten about being laid up in the hospital for so many days after Tsunade beat him up, hasn't he? 

Obito, seeing that Shindai seemed to be in a decent mood, inquired, "Shindai, are you emotionally stable now?" 

Shindai retorted annoyed, "Which eye are you looking at to think my emotions aren't normal?! I am an extremely emotionally stable person! Hurry up and go! Do you want to see my privacy?!" 

Obito's mouth twitched. Emotionally stable? Then what about his head, which is swollen like a pig's? 

Besides, they were both guys! What was there that he couldn't see?! 

Obito left the tent. 

Kakashi, Rin, and Minato all simultaneously gave Obito a thumbs-up. "It had to be you, Obito!" 

For the first time, Obito felt no joy in being praised. 

Chapter 79: Heading to the Land of Grass 

Shindai, packed and ready, emerged from his tent with a bulging backpack. 

Outside the tent, Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha were waiting for him. 

Obito waved at Shindai. "We were just waiting for you, Shindai! Hurry up, let's go!" 

"Coming!" 

Shindai jogged over to Minato's side. 

Minato smiled softly at Shindai. "We're always here for you, so don't be afraid." 

Shindai stared blankly at Minato. 

Whoa, those words packed a surprisingly powerful punch. 

Shindai was actually a little moved by Minato's sincerity. 

Minato took a deep breath, his expression turning serious. "Alright, this journey to the Land of Grass is our last easy period. Shindai, I hope you're mentally prepared. The mission in the Land of Grass will very likely involve combat. I want you to advance and retreat together with Obito, Kakashi, and Rin!" 

Shindai nodded. "I understand, Lord Minato. I won't hold Kakashi and the others back." 

Minato looked at Shindai with a hint of exasperation. 

Still putting on an act, huh? 

What 'holding them back'? He wanted Shindai to fight alongside Kakashi and the others! 

Shindai had exposed himself so much during training, he probably still thought he hadn't revealed his true abilities! 

Minato decided not to call Shindai out on it. After all, Shindai's mood had just improved. If he exposed him now, Shindai would get upset again. 

Obito's swollen face would take a while to go down anyway, so let's just leave it for now. 

"Alright, it's time to go. We should be the last ones." 

Minato led the way, taking Shindai and the other two (Kakashi and Rin) to join the main group, heading towards the Land of Grass. 

One Week Later 

Shindai followed the main Konoha ninja force and arrived at the Konoha encampment in the Land of Grass. 

The atmosphere within the camp was incredibly tense. Everyone's expressions were grim, and they moved with hurried urgency. You could even spot injured shinobi missing limbs being rushed to medical ninjas for treatment. 

It was clear that the Konoha shinobi here were already engaged in battle. 

Shindai's heart tightened as well, and he nervously swallowed. 

Tsunade had already used her Body Flicker Technique to slip away. 

After all, she had hemophobia. She'd accidentally caught a glimpse of blood just now, and her body was already trembling. If she accidentally saw more, she might just collapse. 

No matter what, she was Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, and she had her pride to maintain. 

Minato frowned and said to Jiraiya, "Sensei Jiraiya, it seems our Konoha's war has already begun." 

Jiraiya's expression was equally grave. "Indeed. Come on, let's head to the command center and get an update on the situation." 

Jiraiya turned to Shindai and the other shinobi who had just arrived from the Land of Hot Water. "Go to logistics in an orderly fashion to collect your supplies, find a place to set up camp and rest! We'll arrange missions later!" 

Shindai followed Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, along with other shinobi, to the logistics area to pick up tents, then searched for an empty spot to set up their camps. 

Under Shindai's "guidance," Kakashi, Obito, and Rin's tents formed a triangle. 

Shindai's tent was right in the middle of theirs, for no other reason than to feel safe and secure. 

Although Kakashi and Rin were extremely reluctant, under Shindai's "forceful arguments" (which involved crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang himself), Kakashi and Rin "happily" agreed. 

'You know, I'm all alone, far from home, in a strange place, and you're the only people I know.' 

'And you also know, I'm wanted by the Hidden Sand Village now. I live in fear every day; I have no sense of security.' 

"If you guys don't help me, I don't know who else I can turn to. After all, I've lost everything." 

This, combined with Shindai's exaggerated, sorrowful expression... 

Of course, Kakashi and Rin didn't fall for it, only Obito did. 

After this little combo of tactics, even though they knew Shindai was faking it, Kakashi and Rin had no choice but to agree. 

In the Command Center 

The commander wasn't Orochimaru; Orochimaru had gone directly to the Land of Rivers to command operations there. 

The current commander here was Shikaku Nara, with Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi assisting him. 

Minato was friends with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and hadn't seen them in a long time. He was happy to see them here, but it was clearly not the time for pleasantries. 

Jiraiya inquired, "Shikaku, what's the situation like here?" 

Shikaku reported, "Lord Jiraiya, the situation is very bad, but at least it's stabilized. Both Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone forces are present in the Land of Grass. It's very difficult for us Konoha shinobi to face both Sand and Stone head-on at the same time. 

Fortunately, the Third Hokage had us come to the Land of Grass early to establish our positions, and we've secured many advantageous terrains. Also, both the Stone and Sand shinobi have their own selfish intentions. If they united to attack us, it would be a tough fight even with our advantageous positions. However, neither side wants their own shinobi to sacrifice themselves, so they're waiting for the other to make the first move. 

Because of this, our situation has barely stabilized, and we're temporarily at a stalemate with them." 

Minato said gravely, "I've brought all the shinobi from the Land of Hot Water here to support. Shikaku, just tell us what you need us to do!" 

Shikaku nodded. "Later, I'll disperse the shinobi you brought into various ninja squads. That will significantly relieve the pressure on our comrades in those positions. Also, I suspect the alliance between Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Stone Village will end soon. After all, they're not truly united; a cooperation built on mutual suspicion and caution won't last long." 

Jiraiya's eyes lit up, a little hopeful. "If their alliance ends, will our Konoha's pressure be much lighter?" 

Shikaku's expression was grim. "No, in my opinion, it's quite the opposite. If the cooperation between Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Stone Village ends, then we will face the full force of the Hidden Stone shinobi head-on, and our pressure will actually increase. While we hold many advantageous positions, the Stone shinobi excel at Earth Style ninjutsu, making our advantageous terrain somewhat meaningless against them. 

Furthermore, Hidden Sand Village will also be eyeing us in the rear. Now, it all comes down to the Hidden Cloud Village; whether they want to move on Hidden Stone Village or us, Konoha. At the same time, we must also be cautious of the Hidden Mist Village, who haven't made a move yet. 

In short, our Konoha's current situation is not optimistic!" 

Hearing Shikaku's analysis, Jiraiya and Minato's expressions grew even more serious. 

Shikaku let out a soft sigh and said, "Lord Jiraiya, Minato, you've both had a long journey. Please rest for now. I'll have special arrangements for you later." 

Jiraiya and Minato both nodded and agreed, "Alright!" 

Chapter 80: Inciting or Incinerating? 

At the Leaf Village's outpost in the Land of Grass, Shindai was busy setting up his tent. With the fighting so intense here, there was no chance of sleeping in a proper bed like he did back in the Land of Hot Water. The logistics department only provided a sleeping bag, meant for the floor. Shindai, however, wasn't having any of that. What if snakes, insects, or rats crawled on him? What if he rolled over in his sleep and ended up on the ground? 

Shindai's ninja way was "Never let yourself suffer!" What? You thought his ninja way was "Only by enduring the unendurable can one achieve the unachievable!"? Nah, a ninja way is just a guideline; people are flexible. You gotta adapt! So, Shindai used the materials Jiraiya gave him to build a bed. Solid as a rock, with his bedding on top, it was incredibly comfortable, like a vacation. 

Shindai then pulled out some paper and a pen, but this time, he wasn't writing letters (they wouldn't get delivered anyway). He was drawing. As a puppet master, Shindai's drawing skills were top-notch. He drew three extremely abstract portraits. Each one was big-headed and fat-eared, pushing abstract art to its limits. These three drawings corresponded to Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo. Shindai hadn't actually met them, so he drew them from memory. The purpose of these drawings, Shindai claimed, was to "spur himself on"—these were the three culprits who had inexplicably branded him a traitor. 

"Screw it, I'm done pretending!" Shindai roared, punching through all three freshly drawn pictures. "Spurring himself on"? No way, it was pure catharsis! "Not satisfying enough. When I have time, I'll make three puppets just to vent. That's the good thing about being a puppet master; if you need to vent, just make your own punching bag." Shindai let out a breath. It wasn't completely satisfying, but he felt a little better. 

Shindai and Obito's Antics 

"Shindai, I'm here to visit! Hey, how come you have a bed?" Obito walked into Shindai's tent, surprised to see a bed inside. 

Shindai rolled his eyes. "Can't you just go get one yourself?" 

"Really? Did I forget to pick up a bed just now? I'll go get one right away!" Obito arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry. 

Shindai shook his head. "Foolish humans..." 

Half an hour later, Obito stormed back, fuming. "Shindai, you tricked me! There's no bed!" 

Shindai reclined on his bed, legs crossed, casually reading a scroll filled with scientific knowledge. "I never said the logistics department had beds, did I?" 

Obito's face flushed crimson. "You clearly told me to go get one! Do you know how embarrassing that was?! Everyone was looking at me like I was an idiot! I was humiliated!" 

Shindai eyed Obito, whose face was red with anger, and calmly replied, "I told you to get one; I didn't say to get it from the logistics department." 

Obito's teeth ground together audibly as he glared at Shindai. Finally, Obito did something that completely caught Shindai off guard. Obito made a dive and tackled Shindai's bed. 

Now it was Shindai's turn to panic. "What are you doing, Obito?!" 

Obito whined stubbornly, "What am I doing? I'm sleeping here! Unless you go get a bed for me!" 

"There's no bed to get! I made this one! Get off!" Shindai pushed Obito, but Obito clung stubbornly to the edge of the bed. 

"I don't care! I don't care if you made it or got it, since you said it, you have to give it to me!" Now it was Shindai's face that turned red. "Hey! I'll make you one, okay?! Just get down first!" 

Seeing Shindai's flushed face, Obito felt incredibly smug. But he didn't fall for it. "You make it first, then I'll get down! Otherwise, this bed is mine!" 

Shindai stared at Obito in disbelief. How did he suddenly get so smart? Shindai had planned to trick Obito into getting off, but this time, it didn't work. Shindai pushed Obito a couple more times, but Obito held on tight. Shindai finally gave up. He regretted teasing Obito now. Anyway, making a bed didn't take much effort, so he'd just make another one. 

Soon, Obito's bed was ready. Shindai grumbled at Obito, who was still on his bed. "It's done. Now get off my bed!" 

"Alrighty!" Obito performed a graceful somersault off the bed and started inspecting the new bed Shindai had just made, his face beaming. "I forgive you!" 

With that, Obito hoisted the bed onto his shoulder and ran off. Shindai stood there, dumbfounded. Not even a "thank you," and he had the audacity to say he "forgave" him?! Who could put up with that?! But Obito was already gone. Shindai had no one to vent his frustration on. Grumbling, Shindai returned to his bed and continued reading. 

A New Mission 

The next day, while Shindai was still asleep, Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had already gone to the command center to find Shikaku Nara. Shikaku's expression was grim. "Lord Jiraiya, Minato, I have a mission for you two!" 

Jiraiya and Minato also nodded, their faces serious. "Just tell us, Shikaku!" 

Shikaku said in a low voice, "You two will form a team and operate independently. The mission's end time is unknown, meaning you two will be out on solo missions for a long time—perhaps a month, perhaps several months—and you'll need to survive on your own. Your task is to infiltrate enemy territory and act independently. Whether you cut off their supply lines or launch surprise attacks on their forces, it's up to you. I need you to put significant pressure on them. This mission can only be accomplished by someone with high mobility like you, Minato. Lord Jiraiya will assist Minato. If you obtain any intelligence, please relay it to us immediately." 

Jiraiya and Minato accepted the mission, both saying, "Understood!" 

Minato then said to Shikaku, "Shikaku, I have a rather special person in my squad named Shindai. He's the Magnet Release user. He'll be acting with Kakashi and the others. Could you please keep an eye on them?" 

Shikaku looked surprised. "So the Magnet Release ninja is with you, Minato? Can he be trusted?" 

Minato nodded. "Yes, and Kakashi and the others will also be watching Shindai." 

Shikaku agreed to Minato's request. "I understand. I'll look after your students, Minato, and the Magnet Release ninja. You and Lord Jiraiya can depart whenever you're ready after preparing." 

After leaving the command center, Minato said to Jiraiya, "Sensei Jiraiya, after I pack my things, I'll go brief Kakashi and the others. Then I'll come find you." 

"Alright, I'll wait for you at the outpost gate." 

Jiraiya and Minato split up. Minato didn't really have much to pack, having just arrived at the outpost yesterday. He simply gathered his essential combat gear. Once ready, Minato headed to the tent where Shindai and the other three were.