46-50

Chapter 46: My Face Is Burning! 

Obito burst into Shindai's tent, still hounding him about what a "blow-up doll" was. Shindai just wanted to read his book in peace, but Obito's pestering made it impossible. Shindai grudgingly got off his bed, rolled his eyes at Obito, and asked, "Where's my grub?" 

Obito put the bento box on the table. "Here! Today it's ramen. I got you a huge bowl." 

Shindai sat down at the table, grabbed his chopsticks, and started eating. Obito sat opposite him, still not giving up, asking again, "Shindai, come on, tell me, what's a 'blow-up doll'?" 

Shindai swallowed his food. "You really wanna know?" 

Obito retorted, annoyed, "Duh! If I didn't, why would I be asking all this time?" 

"Actually, you misheard me. I didn't say 'blow-up doll'; I said 'puppet.' These materials are from Lord Jiraiya. He gave them to me to build a puppet for him." Shindai finally answered Obito. Mostly, he just figured if he didn't, Obito would keep digging until he got an answer, and that sounded like a hassle. 

Obito's eyes lit up, then his cheeks started to flush. He rubbed his hands together and asked, "Shindai, there are so many materials here! Hey, could you, like, use some of the scraps to make one for me too? Please!" 

Obito stood up from his chair and gave Shindai a full 90-degree bow, looking utterly sincere. 

Shindai sighed. "Obito, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's that I just can't bring myself to mess you up like that." 

Obito was confused. "Mess me up? What do you mean?" 

Shindai started his persuasive speech, or rather, his explanation. "Obito, the puppet you want me to make... you want it to look like Rin, right?" 

Obito's face turned red, and he quickly waved his hands. "No, no! I didn't say make it look like Rin!" 

Shindai nudged Obito with his elbow. "It's just you and me here, so why are you acting? You like Rin, even a dummy could tell that." 

Obito's face instantly turned as red as a monkey's butt. He awkwardly scratched his cheek. "Really? Is it really that obvious?" 

Shindai nodded very seriously. "Super obvious! Like I said, even a dummy can tell!" 

Obito was so embarrassed his toes were curling. "Even a dummy can tell... so does that mean Rin can tell too?" 

"Uh..." Shindai was stumped by Obito's question. Did Rin know Obito liked her? Definitely not. Was Rin a dummy? Clearly not! Right now, Obito was just a hot-blooded idiot, and Rin was way smarter than him. 

"Don't worry," Shindai said, "Rin doesn't know you like her." 

Obito asked blankly, "Huh? But Shindai, didn't you say even a dummy could tell?" 

Shindai coughed. "That's not important. What I want to tell you is, you'll never win Rin over acting like this!" 

Obito was puzzled. "What do my chances with Rin have to do with you making me a puppet messing me up?" 

Shindai's face hardened, and he spoke seriously. "Let me explain the risks, and you'll get it. You're not like Lord Jiraiya. Lord Jiraiya has been hitting up those 'entertainment establishments' for years; everyone knows he's a playboy, so if people found out, they wouldn't care, and neither would Lord Jiraiya, because he's got thick skin. But you, Obito, you're a pure, innocent kid right now. If people found out you had something like that, how would they look at you? They'd see you as a perverted little punk, and Rin would see you as utterly disgusting. Your chances of getting with Rin are currently like 10%, but if you were discovered, your chances would drop to negative 100%." 

Obito was bewildered. "There's a negative for that?" 

Shindai said matter-of-factly, "Of course! Because Rin would see you as filth and want to stay far away from you. So, wouldn't that be negative?" 

Obito thought about it, then nodded in agreement. "I guess that kind of makes sense." 

Shindai wasn't satisfied. "Hey, what do you mean 'kind of makes sense'? It is the truth! So, tell me, would me making you that puppet be messing you up?" 

Obito nodded again. "I guess so, yeah." 

Shindai patted Obito's shoulder, speaking earnestly. "See? I'm doing this for your own good. Anyway, if you really want to try to win Rin over, I could give you some advice. Interested?" 

Obito's eyes lit up at the thought of Shindai helping him with Rin. "Yes! Of course, I am!" 

Shindai looked Obito up and down. "To win Rin over, you currently have no chance. First off, you've got Kakashi, who's an excellent person, in your squad. If I were Rin and had to compare you two, I'd definitely pick Kakashi. And then there's me, who's even better than Kakashi, so your hopes are even slimmer." 

Obito automatically ignored the part where Shindai said "and then there's me, who's even better than Kakashi." He grumbled, "What's so great about Kakashi anyway? I think Kakashi is way worse than me!" 

Shindai scoffed. "You? You're really full of yourself, aren't you? Looks like I need to smack some sense into you and wake you up." 

Obito immediately covered his face. "Why are you gonna hit me?!" 

Shindai's eyes turned into Kakashi's signature deadpan look. "I meant 'smack some sense into you,' not literally hit you!" 

Shindai began listing Kakashi's good points: "Kakashi has a high IQ, he's mature and calm, he acts decisively and doesn't drag his feet. He's a true genius among ninja, he's got brains, he's got strength, and he looks all cool and aloof. Girls these days totally fall for that kind of guy." 

Then Shindai started listing Obito's flaws: "And you? I won't even mention your IQ. You're childish and impulsive, you drag your feet, you're not decisive at all, and you're pretty weak, yet you go around saying 'I'm an Uchiha!' all day. You've got no brains, no strength. A girl would have to be blind to fall for you." 

Obito's face turned green as he listened. "I'm not as bad as you make me sound! Don't I have any good qualities?" 

Shindai rubbed his chin. "Good qualities, huh..." 

Obito looked at Shindai expectantly, hoping to hear some praise. However, half an hour passed, and Shindai remained frozen, still rubbing his chin as if in deep thought. 

Obito's mouth twitched. "Is it really that hard to think of one good thing about me?" 

Shindai squinted and thought for another long moment. "Well, there's... like... you're a pretty good person." 

Obito gave up. He finally understood what Shindai meant by "smacking some sense into him." Even though he hadn't been physically hit, his face was burning with embarrassment. 

Chapter 47: Change 

When Obito heard Shindai's analysis, he felt completely worthless. According to Shindai, he seemed to have no redeeming qualities. The worst part was, he actually felt like Shindai was right. 

Obito deflated a bit. "So, according to you, I'm worse than Kakashi in every way. How am I supposed to win Rin over? I'm definitely going to fail, aren't I?" 

Shindai looked seriously into Obito's eyes. "Don't get discouraged, Obito! I just said I'd help you win Rin over. Even though you really are useless right now, starting from today, under my guidance, you can begin to improve until you completely surpass Kakashi! So... Obito Uchiha! Do you have the confidence? My guidance is pretty strict, you know!" 

Shindai's sudden loud voice jolted Obito's spirits. The flame of determination ignited in Obito's eyes. "I have confidence! Shindai, help me! I'll definitely listen to you!" 

Shindai clapped his hands together with force. "Excellent! That's the spirit I'm looking for! So, let's start changing now, beginning with your appearance!" 

Obito looked down at himself. "Appearance? How do I change my appearance?" 

Shindai scrutinized Obito, giving his critique. "First, your clothes are absolutely drab. They make you look so gloomy, so they definitely have to go! And that ridiculous goggle-like eyewear? Take it off! Wearing that thing, people who don't know you would think you're about to go swimming in some river." 

Obito quickly shook his head. "No, I can't. The goggles are to protect my Sharingan." 

Shindai rolled his eyes at Obito. "Sharingan? Let's see you activate it then." 

Obito looked a bit embarrassed. "I... I haven't awakened my Sharingan yet, but! I will awaken it someday, so until that day comes, I have to protect my eyes!" 

Shindai scoffed, "You really are a bad student with too many tools! If someone truly wanted to attack your eyes, do you think those goggles would stop them? Don't fool yourself, that thing just makes you look stupid. Take it off! You just said you'd listen to me completely. Are you going back on your word already?" 

Obito reluctantly took off his goggles. "I've worn them for so long. Taking them off feels like I'm naked, running around without clothes." 

"Hold on a second." 

Shindai grabbed some materials from the pile Jiraiya had given him and immediately began to work. Soon, a pair of sunglasses was completed in Shindai's hands. 

"Here, try these on." Shindai handed the sunglasses to Obito. 

Obito took the sunglasses and put them on. "Shindai, I won't be able to see clearly at night with these. What about during a fight?" 

Shindai sighed. "Your brain, man. If you can't see during a fight, can't you just take them off?" 

"Uh..." Obito said awkwardly, "You make a good point." 

Shindai continued, "Next, it's your hairstyle. That spiky hair just isn't cutting it. You look like some energetic punk. Since you'll be wearing sunglasses now, let's just go with a slicked-back look, shlick, shlick!" 

Shindai spat into his left and right hands, then started messing with Obito's hair. 

"Ah! Spit! Shindai, what are you doing?! Don't get your spit on my head!" 

"Don't move!" 

Obito felt so wronged. Why was Shindai immediately taking off his goggles and putting spit on his head? What exactly was he doing? He regretted asking Shindai for help in a moment of impulse. 

A moment later, Shindai finished styling Obito's hair. Shindai stepped back two paces and looked at Obito. "Hmm, it's starting to look decent, but your clothes are dragging you down. Do you have your Uchiha clan uniform?" 

Obito nodded, looking a bit miserable. "Yes, it's in my backpack in my tent." 

"Wait here for me, I'll go get it for you!" Shindai was incredibly enthusiastic now, suddenly finding joy in this "training" process. 

In the blink of an eye, Shindai returned to his tent with Obito's Uchiha clan uniform. 

"Quick, put it on and let me see." 

Obito obediently took off his current clothes and put on the Uchiha clan uniform. After he changed, Shindai once again scrutinized Obito. 

Slicked-back hair, sunglasses, plus the simple and sharp Uchiha clan uniform — he looked incredibly cool. 

Shindai pulled out a mirror. "Look at yourself now. Are you satisfied?" 

Obito looked in the mirror and was instantly stunned. "Huh? Is this me? Am I really this cool?" 

Shindai proudly tilted his head. "Well? Didn't I tell you? Isn't this much cooler than how you looked before?" 

Obito kept looking in the mirror. "It's not just 'much cooler,' I look like a completely different person! Shindai, what do you think about me wearing a mask? Would that be even cooler?" 

Shindai couldn't hold back his exasperation. "Idiot! I beg you, please use your brain! If you wear a mask, you're just imitating Kakashi, and you'll only be a poor imitation. Wouldn't Rin just see you as a second Kakashi? What you need to do now is have your own style, not imitate Kakashi, understand, you dummy?!" 

Obito shrank his head back, chastised by Shindai. Obito immediately admitted his mistake. "You're right, Shindai. You're right. I can't imitate Kakashi. I need my own style." 

Shindai rubbed his temples and continued, "And your way of speaking needs to change too. It's too silly and doesn't match your new look at all. From now on, try to keep your sentences brief, ideally within six words." 

Obito looked distressed. "Huh? Brief, within six words? How am I supposed to talk like that?!" 

Shindai waved his hand. "You talk to me now, and I'll show you." 

Obito thought for a moment, then asked, "Shindai, how will you make Lord Jiraiya's puppet?" 

"None of your business." 

Obito's mouth slightly agape, he stared blankly at Shindai. 

Shindai coolly said, "Keep asking." 

Obito thought again, then asked, "Shindai, are there any fun or beautiful places in the Hidden Sand Village?" 

"Just sandstorms." 

Obito's mouth twitched. He racked his brain, determined to make Shindai say more than six words today! 

"Shindai, what do you want to eat tomorrow?" 

"Good food." 

"What time are you sleeping tonight?" 

"At night." 

"What kind of person do you think Lord Jiraiya is?" 

"My idol." 

"What do you think I..." 

Before Obito could even finish his question, Shindai answered preemptively. 

"A total idiot." 

Obito: ??? 

Obito, not believing his luck, asked one last question. 

"If it were you reporting that the Cloud Ninja would attack our base in an hour, how would you report it?" 

Shindai paused. Seeing this, Obito immediately felt like he had won. "Hahaha, you got nothing now!" 

Shindai gave Obito a disdainful look, then said, "Cloud Ninja. One hour." 

Obito's mouth opened and closed. In the end, he gave up. He'd thought through every question, and it seemed that with Shindai's way of answering, he could always keep it under six words. 

Chapter 48: Gotta Be Cool 

Obito had undergone a major transformation thanks to Shindai's makeover. His way of speaking, though, hadn't quite caught up yet. That's just how habits are; you can't change them overnight. 

Shindai reminded him, "Normally, it's whatever. But when you see Rin, remember this: talk short, be cool! And keep a straight face, got it?" 

Obito put his thumb and forefinger to his chin. "Cool~ Shindai, am I cool now?" 

Shindai's right eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "I don't really feel the 'cool,' but it's... abstract. Anyway, don't worry about it, take your time. This isn't something you rush. Alright, go on. Remember this look, it's glued to you now. Don't change it." 

Obito adjusted his sunglasses and nodded seriously. "Got it!" 

Obito left the tent. Shindai let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, some peace and quiet. I can actually get some reading done." Shindai picked up a scroll and started reading again. 

Outside the tent, Obito's mind was replaying Shindai's words: "Talk short, be cool, keep a straight face..." 

Lost in thought, Obito unknowingly found himself in front of Rin Nohara's tent. He paused, then slicked back his hair. "Someone as cool as me should definitely be the first person Rin sees!" 

"Rin! You in there?" Obito, who never knocked on Shindai's tent, actually remembered to call out when he got to Rin's. 

However, he didn't get a response from Rin. 

"Rin seemed to head to Kakashi's tent earlier. She's probably checking on him." A passing ninja, hearing Obito call for Rin, kindly informed him. 

"Oh, I see. Thanks!" After thanking the ninja, Obito decided to head to Kakashi's tent. 

The passing ninja looked at Obito, confused. "By the way... who are you? I don't think I've seen you before." 

Obito pointed to himself with his thumb. "It's me, Obito! Uchiha Obito!" 

"Huh? You're Obito? Why the new look? I almost didn't recognize you." 

"That's because..." Obito was about to answer but then remembered Shindai's instructions: "Talk short, be cool, keep a straight face." 

Obito cleared his throat. "Change of pace." With that, Obito turned and walked away. 

The passing ninja watched Obito leave, muttering, "Change of pace? A bit weird." 

Obito arrived at Kakashi's tent. The moment he stepped inside, he wanted to shout. But it was as if Shindai's voice was echoing in his head: "Obito, if you shout, you'll be an idiot, the biggest, dumbest idiot, and Rin will never like you!" 

Obito swallowed hard, suppressing the urge. He walked over to Rin, who was examining Kakashi, and coolly asked Kakashi, "How is it?" 

Kakashi and Rin both looked at the drastically changed Obito in surprise. 

Rin asked curiously, "Obito, why are you dressed like this?" 

Obito replied concisely, "New style." 

Rin looked him up and down and commented, "Gotta say, it's pretty cool." 

"It's alright." Obito's lips involuntarily curved upwards, but he fought desperately to keep his smile in check. He had to be cool right now, no smiling! Hold it in! 

Kakashi looked at Obito's twitching mouth, perplexed. "What's wrong? Did your mouth cramp up?" 

Obito's fingernails dug into his palms. He almost cursed out loud. Obito asked expressionlessly, "You, how?" 

Looking at the current Obito, Kakashi felt a bit strange, but he still replied, "After a few days of rest, I'm pretty much healed." 

"Good." 

Kakashi wondered, "Why are you talking so little today? Usually, you talk a lot. With your personality, you would've yelled our names when you came in, saying you've arrived." 

Obito pushed up his sunglasses with his middle finger and replied, "That was before. Unnecessary." 

Kakashi's eye twitched. Obito... he was acting a bit much! 

Rin asked worriedly, "Obito, did something happen to you?" 

Obito pouted. He looked so cool right now; they should be praising him, not asking if something was wrong. Obito maintained his cool persona. "Nothing. I'm good." 

Kakashi's nose beneath his mask twitched. "Even though we had ramen today, Obito, your ramen smell is way too strong, isn't it?" 

Rin sniffed carefully. "Yeah, that smell... it seems to be coming from your head. Huh, Obito, why is your head so greasy and shiny?" 

Obito's face immediately darkened. Why did he smell like ramen, and why was his head shiny? All because of Shindai. His slicked-back hair was created with two spits from Shindai. Now that he thought about it, it was a bit disgusting. He wanted to go wash his hair. 

"Later!" Obito shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to leave. 

Rin wondered, "What's up with Obito?" 

Kakashi shrugged. "Who knows? But Obito and Shindai get along pretty well. Maybe Obito's sudden change has something to do with Shindai." 

Rin thought about it and nodded in agreement. "Very likely." 

Kakashi and Rin thought this way because, compared to them, Shindai indeed got along better with Obito and had a stronger relationship with him. 

Shindai's Masterpiece 

Shindai spent the entire day reading in his tent. The next morning, after washing up, Shindai began sorting through the materials on the ground, starting work on the puppet for Jiraiya. 

"First, the skeleton... Jiraiya's definitely strong, so it needs to be sturdy. But not too sturdy; when it breaks later and he needs repairs, I can still get some more commission." 

"Next, the filling. It needs to be soft, with a human-like elasticity... Hmm, this material will do." 

"And then the skin... the skin is my specialty; it'll definitely make Jiraiya speechless with praise." 

Shindai was fully engrossed in making the puppet. During this time, Obito visited once to bring him food. Shindai just told Obito to leave the food on the table. Obito stayed and watched for a while, found it confusing, and then left feeling bored. 

It wasn't until the middle of the night that Shindai finally let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The puppet was done. Shindai took out a piece of cloth, made an outfit, and dressed the puppet. 

After dressing it, Shindai stepped back a few paces, examining his freshly crafted puppet. The puppet before him had an incredibly sexy figure, just like Tsunade. As for the face, it did bear a slight resemblance to Tsunade in the brow. But then again, it also didn't. That's because Tsunade's face had a mature, 'older sister' vibe, while this face was a blend of mature elegance and sweet innocence. 

Shindai had perfected the essence of Tsunade to the best of his ability. Shindai nodded, satisfied. "Heh, I truly am amazing!" 

Chapter 49: The Feeling of First Love~ 

Shindai had finished making the puppet for Jiraiya. Feeling a bit tired, Shindai devoured his now cold meal and then crashed on the bed to rest. The next day, Shindai slept until late morning before finally getting up. 

No sooner had Shindai risen than Jiraiya burst into his tent, practically flying in. Jiraiya asked impatiently, "Shindai! Well? Is it done?" 

Shindai simply jutted his chin towards the side. Jiraiya's gaze followed. The moment Jiraiya saw the puppet Shindai had made, he couldn't tear his eyes away. Jiraiya's eyes were practically glowing like light bulbs. 

Jiraiya quickly walked over to the puppet, extending a trembling hand to touch it, but then, as if shocked, he quickly pulled back. Jiraiya circled the puppet several times, meticulously examining every detail. "Perfect, it's absolutely perfect! This is a work of art, Shindai, you're a genius, a total genius!" Jiraiya was utterly impressed with Shindai now. What else could you call someone who could make a puppet so lifelike? 

"Just average, there's still a lot of room for improvement." Shindai said humbly, but a clear look of pride was plastered across his face. 

Jiraiya suddenly made a "tsk" sound. "But that face..." 

Shindai asked, confused, "Is there something wrong with the face? I took Lady Tsunade's mature face and gave it a touch of sweetness, and it's only similar in the brow. I think this face is really good." 

Jiraiya shook his head, sighing. "Even when Tsunade was little, she was violent, but also very sweet. The style of this face is super similar to how she looked back then. Seeing this face just reminds me of young Tsunade. When I think of it that way, this face really does look just like young Tsunade." 

Shindai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that how it is? Then I'll change it, but..." Shindai suggested with a very lecherous grin, "But, Lord Jiraiya, since you remember Lady Tsunade's childhood face so clearly, you must have liked her since she was little, right? So, before I change it, would Lord Jiraiya like to give it a kiss? It'd be like fulfilling a childhood dream." 

Jiraiya's old face flushed. He stammered, "Th-that's not really appropriate, is it?" 

Shindai put his hands on his hips and said righteously, "Why not? It's just Lord Jiraiya and me here. You don't say anything, I don't say anything, and a third person will never know. Plus, I'll turn away when Lord Jiraiya kisses it, how about that?" 

Jiraiya thought about it, then suddenly let out a weird chuckle. 

Shindai, understanding perfectly, turned his back and pretended to marvel at the tent. "This tent material is really good, it's quite impressive." 

Jiraiya, also understanding perfectly, looked at the face that was almost identical to young Tsunade's and felt a long-lost flutter in his heart. Ah~ It's the feeling of first love! 

Jiraiya pursed his lips, blushing, and slowly leaned in towards the puppet's mouth. Meanwhile, Shindai, being completely untrustworthy, subtly turned his head just enough to catch Jiraiya's actions from the corner of his eye. 

Tsk... that's just too much. 

"Lady Tsunade, I just saw Lord Jiraiya go into Shindai's tent." 

Just as Jiraiya's lips touched the puppet's, Rin's voice suddenly came from outside the tent. The tent flap was abruptly pulled open. Shindai's head snapped around, seeing Tsunade and Rin standing at the entrance. At the same time, Jiraiya's eyes also darted to the doorway, though his mouth hadn't quite caught up yet and was still locked onto the puppet. 

Eight eyes met, and suddenly the atmosphere inside the tent became incredibly awkward and stifling. But Jiraiya and Shindai's legs were already trembling. 

Rin stared, dumbfounded, at Jiraiya kissing the puppet's lips. Tsunade, with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes at Jiraiya, her gaze incredibly intimidating. 

Jiraiya's face instantly went white. He quickly retreated a few steps, putting distance between himself and the puppet. Jiraiya started stammering, "Ts-Tsunade, let me explain! It's not what you think!" 

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with disgust, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh? It's not what I think?" She glanced at the puppet Shindai had made. "My, it looks quite a lot like me, doesn't it?" 

Jiraiya decisively sold Shindai out, pointing at him and saying, "No, no, it's Shindai! Shindai just made a puppet and asked me to help test its performance!" 

Shindai's eyes widened. He stared at Jiraiya in disbelief. Seriously? Is that something a human would do?! 

Tsunade let out a cold laugh. "Oh really? And you tested its performance with your mouth, did you?" 

Jiraiya mumbled, unable to explain the kissing part. Shindai felt a shiver run down his spine. Even though Tsunade wasn't looking at him, Shindai knew full well that he was next after Jiraiya! He had to save himself! Since Jiraiya was already being so shameless, why should he care about his own reputation?! 

Shindai gritted his teeth and yelled at Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, don't be fooled by Lord Jiraiya! I'm a victim too! Lord Jiraiya saw that my puppet, Kanno, was indistinguishable from a real person, so he forced me to make this! I strongly objected, but I couldn't do anything under Lord Jiraiya's oppressive power!" 

Jiraiya's eyes also widened in disbelief as he stared at Shindai. This guy's trying to kill me! 

Shindai glared back at Jiraiya, not backing down, his expression saying, You sold me out first, so don't blame me! 

Clap, clap, clap. 

Tsunade suddenly started clapping. "Bravo, truly bravo! You two are quite the characters." Tsunade pulled out a strip of cloth and tied it around her head, covering her eyes. 

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade in terror. "Ts-Tsunade, what are you doing?! Don't do anything crazy!" 

Tsunade flashed a brilliant smile and said to Rin beside her, "Rin, go call a few medical ninja over. Tell them there are about to be two more severely injured people here." 

Jiraiya and Shindai's hair immediately stood on end. Literally. 

Rin was about to speak up for Shindai and Jiraiya, but Tsunade said very gently, "Be a good girl, go quickly." 

Rin shivered at Tsunade's "gentle" voice. She gave Shindai and Jiraiya an "I can't help you" look, then turned and ran to find the medical ninja. 

Jiraiya and Shindai nervously shuffled backward, begging for mercy. "Tsunade, calm down! Just calm down!" 

"Lady Tsunade, I'm still just a kid!" 

Tsunade rubbed her wrists, comforting Shindai and Jiraiya in a very soft voice. "Don't worry, I've already called the medical ninja for you. You won't die." 

Chapter 50: Life Flashing Before Your Eyes 

Tsunade, eyes covered, was rubbing her fists together as she strode towards Shindai and Jiraiya. A blind person could tell that Tsunade was about to beat them both black and blue, and it was going to be a bloody affair. 

Shindai wanted to cry. He was just a puppet maker! A client had a request, and he fulfilled it. What did it have to do with him?! 

Tsunade leaped, cracking the ground beneath her feet, and brought her fist down on Jiraiya. Jiraiya instantly felt a chill down his spine and quickly dodged. Tsunade's fist landed on the puppet, instantly smashing it to dust like tofu. Finally, Tsunade's fist hit the ground. 

BOOM! 

A huge crater appeared in the ground. Shindai and Jiraiya stared wide-eyed at the hole. Shindai sucked in a cold breath. If that punch connected, it would definitely hurt for a long, long time, wouldn't it? 

Jiraiya, his scalp tingling, yelled at Tsunade, "Hey, there's no need to use your monstrous strength!" 

Jiraiya saw Tsunade straighten up, facing him again. He immediately pleaded, "I-I'm sorry, Tsunade! Calm down! Don't be impulsive!" 

Tsunade flicked her right hand, shaking off the dust, and smiled at Jiraiya. "You're not wrong. How could you ever be wrong? It's my fault. Back when you peeked into the women's hot spring, I should have killed you then, instead of just breaking six of your ribs! Today! I'm correcting my past mistake!" 

Tsunade charged at Jiraiya again. Jiraiya shivered, realizing Tsunade was serious this time. He turned, tore through the tent, and tried to escape. Seeing Tsunade chase Jiraiya, Shindai immediately ran in the opposite direction. If he didn't run, what awaited him would probably be worse than just a beating. 

Jiraiya's legs churned furiously. Meanwhile, Tsunade had leaped into mid-air, left leg bent, right leg straightened, and in a flying kick, she sent it towards Jiraiya. 

"Die!" 

Tsunade's right foot landed heavily on Jiraiya's back. 

"Pthh!" 

Jiraiya coughed up a mouthful of blood and then rolled across the ground like a ball. He crashed through several tents and a few trees before finally coming to a stop. Lying on the ground, blood bubbling from his mouth, images flashed through Jiraiya's mind. 

"Is this... is this my life flashing before my eyes?" Jiraiya murmured, his breath ragged, feeling like he was exhaling more than inhaling. If he had another chance... if he had another chance, he would make Shindai create a puppet that was a one-to-one replica of Tsunade! Since he was going to get beaten anyway, he might as well have been bolder! 

Tsunade stood beside Jiraiya. Since her eyes were covered, she couldn't see Jiraiya's blood. The smile on Tsunade's face never disappeared. She said to Jiraiya, "Don't worry, a medical ninja will be here to treat you soon. You're not going to die." 

Jiraiya spoke with difficulty. "I... I have something very important to tell you... Tsunade..." 

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Then say it now. After you're done, I still want to punch you a couple of times in the face. Don't worry, I won't use my monstrous strength this time." 

Jiraiya laboriously raised his hand. "That... that kid Shindai over there... I saw him run off just now... Quick, go beat him up!" 

The vengeful Jiraiya remembered Shindai saying earlier that he was forced to make the puppet due to Jiraiya's "overwhelming intimidation," which made Jiraiya's teeth itch. Even though he had subtly thrown Shindai under the bus just now, Shindai didn't have to say that. Moreover, it was Shindai who told him to kiss that puppet in the first place! He hadn't planned on kissing it! If Shindai hadn't said that, his injuries might have been lighter. And he'd just been beaten by Tsunade to the point of seeing his life flash before his eyes, and Tsunade still wanted to punch him in the face a couple more times. Jiraiya decisively chose to betray Shindai again, urging Tsunade to go after him. 

Tsunade looked in the direction Jiraiya was pointing and saw Shindai's short legs churning even faster than Jiraiya's just now, sprinting forward. Shindai was terrified. If Tsunade's kick had hit him, it wouldn't have been a question of pain, but of survival. So he absolutely had to find a shield. But Shindai didn't know anyone in the Hidden Leaf outpost! Minato Namikaze, the only one who could be his shield, wasn't even at the outpost right now. That perverted Jiraiya was going to be the death of him! 

Tsunade, distracted by Jiraiya, successfully had her attention drawn to the fleeing Shindai. The commotion here caught the attention of many, including Kakashi and Obito. Kakashi and Obito thought the Hidden Leaf outpost was under enemy attack and rushed out. 

Obito forgot about looking cool and frantically yelled, "What happened?! Are the Cloud Ninja attacking our base?!" 

Obito saw a small figure approaching from a distance. Luckily, it was daytime, so he could still see clearly even with sunglasses. "Is that... Shindai?" Obito looked confused at the sprinting Shindai, who was crying and had snot running down his face, looking utterly terrified. 

Obito yelled, "Shindai, what's wrong?!" 

Shindai saw Obito and, without caring about anything else, cried out for help, "Obito, help! Save me!" 

Obito's expression immediately became serious, thinking the outpost really was under attack. Because Obito felt that Shindai was truly terrified, truly scared. Obito pulled out a kunai and sternly asked, "Shindai, where's the enemy?!" 

Just as Obito and Shindai were getting closer, a figure appeared between them. Seeing this figure, Shindai's eyes filled with despair, while Obito's were filled with astonishment. 

Obito asked confusedly, "Lady Tsunade?" 

Tsunade lifted the cloth covering her eyes slightly, turned to Obito, and asked in a very calm tone, "What? Are you going to save this brat?" 

Obito instantly got goosebumps all over. Tsunade's tone was calm, but Obito felt that if he said "yes," he'd be in deep trouble. At the same time, Obito suddenly became super smart and realized that the outpost wasn't under attack at all; Shindai had just provoked Tsunade. 

Obito's eyes darted nervously upwards. "Ah, Lady Tsunade, I don't know anything. I was just passing by." 

Shindai hadn't really expected this idiot Obito to save him anyway. Now, trembling, Shindai's eyes darted around, desperately trying to figure out how to get out of this desperate situation. Shindai saw Kakashi not far away and immediately yelled, "Kaka—" 

However, before Shindai could even finish his name, Kakashi had already vanished, disappearing without a trace. 

Tsunade turned back, scoffing, "Call out, scream all you want. Even if you scream until your throat is hoarse, no one will save you." 

At this moment, Tsunade's incredibly beautiful face looked utterly terrifying in Shindai's eyes.