26-30

Chapter 26: First Meeting with Jiraiya

The next day, Minato Namikaze gathered at the main gate of Konoha with Shindai.

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin arrived to meet them, and they were quite surprised to see Shindai. From his appearance, it seemed he was going to be joining them on their mission. In their minds, Shindai was a spy and should have been kept under surveillance in Konoha, fed false information, and then allowed to send it to the Third Kazekage of the Sand Village via his ninja hawk.

Minato smiled and addressed the three of them. "The Third Hokage has agreed. From today onwards, Shindai will be joining us. I've decided to vouch for Shindai. As long as he contributes to Konoha, he will become a true part of our village. Although Shindai was previously a Sand Village ninja, I hope you all will treat him as a genuine comrade."

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin nodded. They figured that the Third Hokage and Minato must have some special plan for Shindai to bring him along.

"Then, let's depart," Minato announced.

Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin followed Minato to the Land of Hot Water.

---

Six days later, Shindai and the group arrived at the Konoha outpost in the Land of Hot Water.

At the Konoha outpost in the Land of Hot Water, the commanders were Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Tsunade was also there, but due to her hemophobia, she couldn't directly engage in combat, and seeing blood made her fear, so she couldn't perform medical treatment either. Thus, Tsunade's main role here was to guide medical ninja in treating the injured.

As commanders, Orochimaru and Jiraiya weren't directly participating in battles. After all, the skirmishes with the Cloud Village ninja were still minor, and it wasn't yet time for them to directly join the fight. Furthermore, they believed the Third Great Ninja War was imminent, and Konoha would likely be targeted by multiple ninja villages. So, the Legendary Sannin were only temporarily gathered. Once full-scale war officially broke out, they would separate and fight independently.

Jiraiya's face lit up with a smile when he saw his favorite student return. He walked up to Minato and clapped him on the shoulder. "Minato, you're finally back! Those Cloud ninja went crazy, like they were on a sugar rush, counterattacking us non-stop when they realized you were gone!"

Minato apologized, "Something came up, which led to my presence in the Land of Rivers being exposed. I'm sorry for causing trouble for you, Master Jiraiya."

Jiraiya waved his hand. "No worries, no worries. Orochimaru commanded a ninja squad that launched a surprise attack on the Cloud ninja's base, forcing them to retreat and defend. Their offensive has been neutralized."

As Minato and Jiraiya conversed, Shindai curiously observed Jiraiya. Shindai had thought Jiraiya would be a bit perverted, but his first impression was that he looked quite handsome, much like a confident hero.

Jiraiya's gaze also turned to Shindai, and he asked Minato, "Minato, who's this child?"

Minato explained to Jiraiya, "I rescued this child when I went to the Land of Rivers. Originally, the Sand Village and the Stone Village intended to form an alliance. They planned to sacrifice this child, who possesses a kekkei genkai, in exchange for military supplies from the Stone Village, and as proof of their alliance."

"However, their plan was discovered early by our comrades in the Land of Rivers, and I happened to be there at the time, so I intercepted this child. Now, this child is with me and will be acting with Kakashi and the others."

Jiraiya looked at Shindai with surprise. "Oh? A kekkei genkai... The Sand Village is really willing to part with one just to form an alliance with the Stone Village."

Shindai shyly greeted Jiraiya, "Lord... Lord Jiraiya, hello."

Jiraiya was puzzled. "Oh? You know me?"

Before Shindai could even speak, Minato sighed helplessly and said, "Master Jiraiya..."

Jiraiya looked a bit embarrassed. Oh right, Minato had just called him "Master Jiraiya."

Minato then told Kakashi and the others, "You guys take Shindai and find an empty tent for him to stay in. Master Jiraiya and I need to talk privately."

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin left with Shindai. Jiraiya gazed at Shindai's departing back and asked, "Minato, is everything alright?"

Minato naturally knew what Jiraiya was asking. Instead of answering immediately, he said, "Master Jiraiya, let's go to your tent to talk."

Jiraiya immediately realized there might be something important about Shindai, so he and Minato went to his tent.

Minato informed Jiraiya, "Master Jiraiya, that child is a spy sent by the Sand Village to Konoha."

Jiraiya showed no surprise, as he had already guessed this possibility on the way to the tent.

Jiraiya asked, "Since you brought this child here, you must have already spoken to the old man about this back in Konoha, right? Did the old man tell you to bring this child here?"

Minato shook his head. "No, I requested it from the Third Hokage myself."

Jiraiya was confused. "You requested it yourself? Why? Is this child very special?"

Minato recounted the entire story to Jiraiya, from beginning to end.

After listening, Jiraiya's expression turned interested. "So that's how it is. If a highly talented Magnet Release kekkei genkai ninja joins Konoha, it would indeed be a good thing for us. But Minato, are you confident you can make that child loyal to Konoha?"

Minato gave a gentle smile, like he was thinking of Naruto's unwavering determination. "I believe I can. Shindai's biggest problem is his lack of security. As long as we treat him well, make him feel a warmth he never felt in the Sand Village, and give him a sense of security, I believe Shindai will embrace Konoha."

Seeing Minato's confidence, Jiraiya was also convinced that Minato could achieve it. At the same time, he felt a little proud; this was, after all, the exceptional student he had trained.

Minato then asked, "So, Master Jiraiya, what's the current situation in the Land of Hot Water?"

Jiraiya explained to Minato, "Although the Cloud ninja launched an offensive while you were away, after Orochimaru neutralized it, they've been much quieter. However, how long they'll remain quiet is uncertain."

"This war is mainly for your generation of young ninja. Right now, your name, Minato, is seen as an unbeatable presence by the Cloud ninja. It's quite possible that after this war, your title, the 'Yellow Flash,' might even surpass that of the Legendary Sannin."

Minato sighed. "Actually, it's quite nice to be unknown, because that means there's peace."

Hearing Minato say that, Jiraiya remarked with a sigh, "That's true. After all, our titles were earned through bloodshed."

Chapter 27: Cowardly and Shameless

Shindai followed Kakashi and the others to a tent. This tent was right next to theirs. Kakashi explained to Shindai, "This tent will be your living quarters from now on. The Hidden Leaf outpost has many guarding shinobi, and many areas are restricted, so don't wander around when you have nothing to do. If you need anything, you can find me, Obito, or Rin. We'll notify you when there's a mission. You need to be ready at all times. Once a mission comes up, you must depart immediately. You're operating with us now, so you'll definitely have to go."

Shindai's face fell. "Lord Minato's enemies must be really strong. Kakashi, you guys are super powerful, so you won't hold Lord Minato back. But I'm super weak! If I go with you, I'll definitely be the one dragging everyone down. How about you guys talk to Lord Minato and let me stay here as a support staff member? Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm excellent at logistics! I'm proficient at laundry, cooking, and if anyone gets tired, I can even give massages—my technique is absolutely professional!"

Kakashi was trying his hardest to control himself, to keep from rolling his eyes. Behind him, Obito and Rin were already stifling their eye-rolls. Just how thick was Shindai's skin to suggest staying here to do laundry, cook, and give massages?! If they didn't know how strong Shindai actually was, maybe he could've fooled them. No! Even if they didn't know, he wouldn't trick them. Shindai was a classic cowardly type!

Kakashi composed himself and said to Shindai, "Sensei's enemies are indeed formidable, so we won't be operating directly with Sensei. Our missions are generally investigative; we almost never have direct combat missions. Also, there's plenty of support staff at the outpost, so we don't need you for logistics, and certainly not for massages. Besides, if you want to join the Hidden Leaf, what you need to do now is earn merit. Doing those things won't count as contributions."

Shindai sighed helplessly, then immediately started buttering up the trio. "Kakashi, Obito, Rin, even though we're not close yet, you guys are so strong, so amazing! I've never seen anyone your age as incredible as the three of you. I can declare it! At your age, you three are invincible! So, if danger strikes, please protect humble little me!"

Since doing missions with Kakashi and the others was unavoidable, and Minato wasn't going with them, the target of his flattery had to change to Kakashi and his team. If a battle broke out, he'd let Kakashi and the others charge ahead while he hid behind them, cheering them on. Anyway, Kakashi and the two of them definitely wouldn't get hurt right now, so using them as shields should be fine.

Kakashi and Rin were speechless. They had never encountered such a shameless person like Shindai. However, Obito completely fell for Shindai's act. Obito scratched his head, embarrassed. "It's not that amazing, really. Don't worry, if we run into danger, I'll definitely protect you!"

Kakashi and Rin's eyes simultaneously turned into dead fish eyes. He needs your protection? This guy, Obito... he's a lost cause.

Minato arrived at Shindai's tent and spoke to Shindai and the three. "Shindai, from now on, you'll be operating with Kakashi and his team. Don't worry, the missions you'll be undertaking usually won't involve combat. There's almost no danger." Minato deliberately emphasized this to Shindai, afraid that Shindai would sense danger and run off.

Then Minato continued, "Kakashi, Obito, Rin, I'll say this again: Shindai is our comrade now. We are a team. As comrades, you must help and support each other in the days to come, understood? Shindai, you too. I know you're afraid of combat, but constantly resisting battle will extinguish your fighting spirit. Sometimes, fighting spirit is incredibly important. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you can't escape, and you have no will to fight, you won't stand a chance. Combat is indeed dangerous, but every one of us should possess courage and conviction, to fight for what's important in our hearts, and not just live to exist."

Shindai looked at Minato with a strange expression. To be honest, what Minato said went in one ear and out the other for Shindai. Because Shindai, as he was now, couldn't grasp Minato's words. In Shindai's mind, you had to survive first to have a good life. If you died, you'd have nothing.

Still, Shindai obediently nodded. "I understand, Lord Minato! I'll definitely make your words my motto, engrave them in my mind, and follow your instructions diligently!"

Minato's mouth twitched. While Shindai agreed readily, it was only readily. Looking at Shindai's expression, it was clear he hadn't absorbed anything. However, Minato didn't expect Shindai to truly take his words to heart right away. Getting Shindai to accept the Hidden Leaf and see himself as a part of it would take time.

Minato and the trio left Shindai's tent. Obito and Rin returned to their own tents, while Minato kept Kakashi behind. Minato led Kakashi into his own tent.

Minato said to Kakashi, "Kakashi, I'm about to leave for a mission. From now on, you'll be operating on your own. You'll still be in command of all operations. And there are a few things I need to tell you."

Kakashi nodded seriously. No need to guess; what Minato was about to say was definitely about Shindai.

Minato explained to Kakashi, "Your primary mission from now on is to watch Shindai. I've placed a marker on Shindai's ninja hawk. Soon, I'll teach you how to sense this marker. You'll be able to detect the ninja hawk whenever it gets within a certain range of you. When you sense the ninja hawk, whether Shindai is sending a letter or receiving a reply, knock the ninja hawk out, then inspect the letter. After that, assess the situation and modify the letter by imitating his handwriting if necessary. You need to make the Kazekage believe that Shindai's infiltration is going smoothly, and make Shindai believe that he can't go back and must remain in the Hidden Leaf. If Shindai tries to report any intelligence to the Kazekage, Kakashi, use your own judgment. If the information isn't important, you don't need to modify it, though I doubt Shindai will get any crucial information. And Kakashi, both the Third Hokage and I agree that Shindai is someone we can recruit, which is why I've kept him with us. And when I tell you to treat Shindai as a genuine comrade, I mean it."

Kakashi looked at Minato in surprise. Kakashi had originally thought that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato had some special arrangement for Shindai, which was why they brought him along. He never expected that they genuinely intended to recruit Shindai.

---

Chapter 28: Principles Can Be Flexible!

Kakashi hadn't expected Minato Namikaze to genuinely want to recruit Shindai, rather than having some special arrangement to keep an eye on him.

Minato continued to brief Kakashi. "Kakashi, if you have any problems, you can find Master Jiraiya. He already knows about Shindai, and I've already spoken to him. Since my next mission involves going deep into enemy territory, I might be gone for a long time. You all be careful."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "I understand, Minato-sensei!"

Minato smiled gently. "Kakashi, I'm counting on you then. I'll teach you how to sense the Flying Raijin markers now."

After teaching Kakashi the method to sense the markers, Kakashi left the tent. Minato, without delay, gathered with a team of Jonin and left the Konoha outpost to execute their mission. Now, Minato's goal was to let the Cloud ninja know: the Yellow Flash was back!

---

Shindai stayed at the Konoha outpost for three days. During this time, Shindai didn't leave his tent, except when Kakashi and the others called him out for meals. However, over these three days, Obito and Shindai had become quite good friends, much like Naruto and Sasuke in their early days.

At this moment, Obito sat across from Shindai, curiously watching him tinker with Kannazuki, his puppet. Obito asked, "Shindai, this puppet looks so real! Did you make it?"

Shindai proudly puffed out his chest. "Of course! I made Kannazuki all by myself! I'm not boasting, but when it comes to puppet-making in the Sand Village, if I say I'm second, no one dares to say they're first!"

Obito exclaimed in awe, "Wow, Shindai, you're amazing!"

Then, Obito looked at Kannazuki's face and asked curiously, "Shindai, your puppet's face looks a lot like yours."

Shindai beamed with satisfaction. "How could it not? After all, this face was modeled after me, isn't she super beautiful?"

Obito instantly lost interest. He thought it was quite beautiful initially, but hearing it was modeled after Shindai made it seem just average.

Obito's eyes darted around, and he quietly asked, "Shindai, can you make a puppet for me? Not a combat puppet, just like a doll."

Shindai looked at Obito with a strange expression. "Obito, you're not trying to get me to make... a comfort puppet for you, modeled after Rin, are you?"

Obito's face instantly turned red like a monkey's backside. "No, no, it's not like that! I never said that! I was just joking, just a casual joke."

Shindai sternly told Obito, "Obito! I have principles! I absolutely will not make that kind of puppet! My puppets are proper combat puppets, not for fulfilling your desires!"

Obito pouted and lowered his head in disappointment. "I get it."

Just then, a tall figure walked into the tent. It was Jiraiya.

The moment Jiraiya saw Kannazuki, he wore a remarkably perverted expression, much like when he was "researching" in the hot springs. "Wow! What a stunning puppet!"

Jiraiya looked at Shindai and asked, "Shindai, did you make this puppet?"

"Lord Jiraiya, I'm no good at anything else, but I do have a little talent for making puppets. It's a hobby. It's a shame though, no matter how well I make my puppets, I can't use them in combat, since my fighting talent is just too poor."

Shindai was startled to see Jiraiya. He hadn't expected such an important figure as Jiraiya to personally visit his tent. Seeing that Jiraiya had caught him fiddling with Kannazuki, Shindai immediately tried to play it down, emphasizing how useless he was.

Hearing Shindai's words, Jiraiya looked at him with a subtle expression. It was just as Minato had said.

Jiraiya smiled and told Shindai, "Minato told me about that. But not having much strength isn't a big deal. As long as you're willing to work hard, even if your talent isn't great, you can still become a capable ninja."

Jiraiya suddenly appeared next to Shindai in a flash, hooking his right arm around Shindai's neck, and asked slyly, "Shindai, can you do custom orders?"

Shindai immediately understood Jiraiya's meaning, and a mischievous smile also appeared on his face. "Of course, Lord Jiraiya! I can make whatever kind you want! If you want a figure, it'll have a figure; if you want a face, it'll have a face. I guarantee Lord Jiraiya will be satisfied!"

Jiraiya chuckled. "It seems we speak the same language! I'll think carefully about my needs, and you can make one for me. I don't need a combat puppet, just one that can comfort my lonely heart at night."

Shindai patted his chest in assurance. "I guarantee I'll take care of it perfectly for Lord Jiraiya! It will definitely comfort Lord Jiraiya's lonely heart!"

"Wait, wait!"

Obito, who had been watching in stunned silence, interrupted Shindai and Jiraiya's interaction. Obito looked at Shindai, pointed at Jiraiya, and asked, "Shindai, the puppet Lord Jiraiya wants you to make, and the puppet I just asked you to make for me, are they actually the same kind?"

Shindai nodded. "Uh-huh, that's right."

Obito asked in disbelief, "Then why, when I asked you to make one for me, did you say you had principles and would never make that kind of puppet, but it's okay when Lord Jiraiya asks? Where are your principles?!"

Shindai waved his hand dismissively. "Principles? Well, they have to be flexible! Lord Jiraiya works so hard, toiling away for Konoha every day. What's wrong with me making a puppet for him?"

"If I make a puppet for Lord Jiraiya, his mood will improve, and when he's in a good mood, everything he does will be twice as effective. That way, Lord Jiraiya can contribute even more to Konoha. And me, by making Lord Jiraiya happy, I'm also contributing to Konoha. So, this is for Konoha!"

Obito was stunned by Shindai's logic. And it wasn't just Obito; even Jiraiya was taken aback. How did this suddenly become "for Konoha"?

But... it made sense!

Obito quickly interjected, "If that's the case, then making one for me would also be contributing to Konoha!"

Shindai rolled his eyes at Obito. "Obito, you've got some nerve! How can you compare yourself to Lord Jiraiya? Lord Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin, a powerful ninja who has made outstanding contributions to Konoha! He's a ninja among ninja! He's my idol! And you?"

Obito stared blankly at Shindai. "But... Shindai, isn't your idol the Hokage?"

Shindai shrugged. "There's no rule saying I can only admire one idol. I admire the Hokage, I admire Lord Minato, I admire Lord Jiraiya, so what?"

Jiraiya clapped his hands enthusiastically, looking at Shindai with an expression of profound admiration.

"Shindai, you truly are a unique talent. I've got high hopes for you!"

Chapter 29: Jiraiya's Empty-Handed Scheme

Jiraiya was now looking at Shindai with increasing approval, feeling like he'd met a kindred spirit, much like when he found a new source of inspiration for his Icha Icha Paradise series. However, it felt a little odd that this kindred spirit was a ten-year-old kid.

Meanwhile, Obito stood with his arms crossed, cheeks puffed out, looking utterly furious. Shindai was just too hypocritical, too shameless! Why did he agree to Jiraiya's request but not his? He, Obito Uchiha, was also a Konoha ninja, and he was contributing to Konoha too! If he were in a good mood, everything he did would also be twice as effective, allowing him to contribute even better to Konoha!

Obito had originally thought of asking Shindai to make a life-sized puppet of Rin for him to hug while sleeping; it would have been heavenly. But now... Obito let out a heavy "Hmph!" He was livid!

"Hmm, okay, so those are your demands for the figure, Master Jiraiya, right? And what about the face? Do you have any ideas, Master Jiraiya?"

Shindai was already deep in discussion with Jiraiya, who began to explain his desires, and Shindai diligently noted them all down. Hearing Shindai ask about his ideas for the face, Jiraiya's mind conjured an image of a super beautiful face with a diamond-shaped mark on the forehead, just like Tsunade's.

Jiraiya's old face suddenly flushed red. Shindai noticed Jiraiya's slight blush and knew exactly what was going on. The person Jiraiya was imagining in his mind had to be Tsunade, also known as one of the Legendary Sannin.

Shindai grinned mischievously. "It seems Master Jiraiya already has someone in mind, huh? So, what are they like?"

Jiraiya wanted to describe her but found himself tongue-tied, unsure how to articulate it. After some thought, Jiraiya said, "How about this? I'll take you to meet her later, but you absolutely must not let on anything! That person has a bad temper. If she found out, I don't even know what kind of terrifying things might happen."

Hearing Jiraiya say that, Shindai swallowed hard. Of course, Tsunade had a bad temper; if she found out, a brutal beating would surely be unavoidable, and there might even be a risk to his life!

Shindai suggested to Jiraiya, "Master Jiraiya, I think it would be better if you just describe her a bit, and I'll make it a close likeness. That way, if it's ever discovered, you can still try to argue your way out of it."

Jiraiya's face wrinkled. "You have a point, but I don't know how to describe her. So, I'll still take you to meet her. Just make a close likeness based on her."

Shindai nodded. As long as he wasn't implicated if things went south, he was fine with it.

Suddenly, Jiraiya slapped the table. "Blast! I forgot about the important matter!"

Shindai and Obito were both startled at the same time and asked in unison, "What important matter?"

Jiraiya turned to Obito. "Obito, go fetch Kakashi and Rin. I came here to give you a mission, but I got too engrossed talking with Shindai and completely forgot about it."

As soon as Obito heard there was a mission, he excitedly left the tent to find Kakashi and Rin. Currently, Obito was still weak but eager for action, much like a Genin fresh out of the academy, and hoped for a combat mission.

Shindai looked at Jiraiya, his eyes darting around. He seemed to get along quite well with Jiraiya; they had just been chatting so happily. So... he had already promised to make a puppet for Jiraiya, surely Jiraiya wouldn't refuse a small request from him, would he?

Shindai's face broke into a fawning smile. "Master Jiraiya, I have a set of extremely exquisite massage techniques. Would you like to try them?"

Jiraiya looked surprised. "Oh? You have that skill too?"

Shindai rubbed his hands together. "Indeed. I don't have much talent for combat, so to survive better, it's good to have many skills, right?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and agreed with a smile. "Alright then, let me try your massage technique."

Shindai began to 'professionally' massage Jiraiya's shoulders. However, as soon as Shindai laid his hands on him, Jiraiya could tell that Shindai had no actual massage technique; he was just squeezing the flesh on his shoulders with pure strength. Not professional at all. After all, Jiraiya had visited more entertainment establishments than Shindai had probably eaten meals. When the ladies at those places massaged him, that was what you called truly comfortable. As for Shindai... don't even mention it. Not having to pay him for damages was already a win.

As Jiraiya had guessed, Shindai was probably about to ask him for a favor. And based on Minato's description of Shindai, Jiraiya could already guess what Shindai wanted to ask.

Shindai, with a face full of smiles, asked, "Master Jiraiya, does that feel good?"

Jiraiya didn't answer whether it felt good or not. Instead, he asked, "Shindai, you probably have something you want to tell me, don't you?"

Shindai flattered him, "As expected of the wise and mighty Master Jiraiya! You truly have keen insight. There is indeed a small matter I'd like to suggest to you."

"Anyway, I can't really help with Kakashi's mission, so I think I should stay here and help Master Jiraiya finish making the puppet. What do you think?"

Jiraiya's lips curved into a slight smile; his guess was right after all. Just as Jiraiya was about to answer, Obito had already brought Kakashi and Rin into the tent.

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin were all stunned to see Shindai massaging Jiraiya.

Obito glared at Shindai, gritting his teeth. He was such a bootlicker! Obito disdained him!

Kakashi remembered how Shindai had tried to avoid joining them on a mission before, saying he'd rather be in logistics and that he could massage. It seemed Shindai still hadn't given up on trying to curry favor with Jiraiya to stay behind in logistics. But how did Shindai and Jiraiya seem to get along so well? It was their first meeting when Shindai arrived at the Konoha outpost, wasn't it?

Kakashi ignored Shindai and asked Jiraiya, "Master Jiraiya, what mission are we going to be executing next?"

Jiraiya first spoke about the mission. "This time, your mission is an investigative one. According to intelligence, there's a secret Cloud ninja encampment about 15 kilometers to the southwest. Your mission is to verify the authenticity of this intelligence."

"If the Cloud ninja really have a secret encampment there, it would be a huge threat to our Konoha outpost, and we would need to immediately dismantle their secret base."

Kakashi nodded seriously. "Understood, Master Jiraiya. We'll move out immediately. Obito, Rin, Shindai, let's go!"

Shindai looked at Jiraiya with pleading eyes.

Jiraiya cleared his throat and said, "Shindai, the mission is more important. The puppet can be made any time after your mission is done. You're part of Minato's squad now, and I can't interfere. So, that's that. I'll be going now."

Jiraiya used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the spot, leaving Shindai dumbfounded. He really did trick him empty-handed; he didn't help him at all?! All that massaging was for nothing! Damn it!

---

Chapter 30: First Mission 

Jiraiya vanished like a puff of smoke, leaving Shindai feeling a little disoriented. 

Obito muttered sarcastically, "Some people's flattery doesn't seem to work so well, huh?" 

Shindai 'tch'ed and turned his gaze to Rin Nohara. "Rin, let me tell you, just now Obito wanted me to..." 

"Ah!!!" 

Realizing what Shindai was about to say, Obito shrieked, darting over to Shindai and clamping a hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say it! If you do, I'll fight you!" 

Rin looked at Shindai and Obito, bewildered, having no idea what those two were up to. Rin looked questioningly at Kakashi, who just shrugged. He was just as clueless about what kind of crazy antics Shindai and Obito were pulling. 

The clever Shindai suddenly had another brilliant idea. Shindai's eyes rolled back, and he dramatically collapsed onto the ground. Obito jumped, startled. "He just suddenly fainted?! N-no, it wasn't my fault!" Rin was also surprised and was about to go check on Shindai, but Kakashi stopped her. 

Kakashi's dead-fish eyes were fixed on Shindai as he told Obito, "Obito, carry him. We're going on the mission." 

Obito was shocked. "Huh? He's fainted, and we still have to take him?" 

Shindai, who was currently in a 'coma,' felt a surge of excitement! Obito was playing along so well! However, Kakashi, who had already seen through everything, didn't give Shindai any chance. "Yes! He'll probably wake up on the way. Anyway, for this mission, we're taking him even if he's dead. No discussion!" 

Obito remembered Minato's instructions and Shindai's undercover identity, so he nodded. "Alright then..." 

Just as Obito was about to hoist Shindai onto his back, Shindai sprang up, pointing at Kakashi indignantly. "You heartless jerk! I was fainted!" 

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Shindai. "Since you're awake, let's move out immediately!" 

Obito and Rin stared blankly at the lively Shindai. They now knew Shindai had been faking it. Obito didn't know what to say to Shindai. After a long pause, he finally managed to blurt out, "Shindai, you really are... persistent." 

Rin shook her head helplessly, looking completely exasperated. 

All of Shindai's plans had failed, and he could only glumly follow Kakashi and the others out of the Hidden Leaf outpost. 

Led by Kakashi, the team of Obito, Rin, and a very reluctant Shindai headed approximately 15 kilometers southwest of the Hidden Leaf outpost. After some travel, Kakashi's team reached their destination. However, the area was deserted; there was no one to be seen. Shindai's heart immediately brightened at the sight. "See? Lord Jiraiya's intel must have been wrong. There's not a single person here, let alone any Cloud Ninja. Can we go back now?" 

Kakashi ignored Shindai and jumped down from the tree trunk onto the grass. He then crouched on the grass, doing something. Obito, Rin, and Shindai also jumped down. 

Rin asked, "Kakashi, did you find something?" 

Kakashi pointed to the grass on the ground and analyzed, "Look, the grass here is bent, and there are very clear footprints. That means this grass has been stepped on. Furthermore, these blades of grass are bent in several sections, and the footprints on the ground vary in size, which indicates that many people have been here. Also, these footprints are still very fresh, so they've been here recently." 

Shindai's face looked odd. "Fresh footprints? Did you smell their foot odor or something?" 

Kakashi's mouth, hidden beneath his mask, twitched. He couldn't be bothered to respond to Shindai. 

Obito guessed, "Kakashi, you think these footprints were left by Cloud Ninja, right?" 

Kakashi nodded seriously. "Exactly. This is a desolate wilderness, and it's also the location Jiraiya-sama told us about for the mission. It's almost certain these footprints were left by Cloud Ninja. If Cloud Ninja really are stationed here, then they should be somewhere nearby." 

Shindai listened, stunned. Gotta say, Kakashi's brain really works. His observation skills were sharp, and his analysis was spot-on. No wonder he was the squad leader. 

Kakashi formed hand signs, then placed his hands on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" 

A puff of smoke appeared, and when it cleared, a ninja dog emerged. "Guruk, sniff out the scent here and lead us to them!" 

The ninja dog, named Guruk, lowered its head and sniffed the grass, then barked twice at Kakashi and ran off in a certain direction. Kakashi told the three, "Follow him!" 

The four of them followed Guruk. Before long, Guruk stopped and barked twice toward the front. Kakashi stared ahead. "Found them!" 

Ahead was a small hill, and at its base was a cave entrance, with a ninja wearing a Cloud Village forehead protector standing guard. 

"Good job, Guruk." Kakashi patted Guruk's head. Guruk barked, a puff of smoke appeared, and it vanished. 

Shindai was a little incredulous. Was the mission really done just like that? This was too easy! There was no challenge at all. Shindai's face immediately brightened. "Alright, our mission is complete! Let's go!" 

But Kakashi, Obito, and Rin didn't move; they remained in place. Shindai's right eyelid twitched violently, and a bad feeling surged within him. "You three... you're not planning something, are you? Hey, no! Our mission was just to confirm the intel! And we don't know how many Cloud Ninja there are or how strong they are. Aren't we just setting ourselves up for a trap?" 

Kakashi said seriously, "Our mission isn't complete yet. Our mission is to investigate the truth of the intel and confirm whether Cloud Ninja are truly stationed here. But we've only seen one Cloud Ninja so far. One person doesn't fit the concept of being 'stationed.' This could be a diversion, a trap set to lure Hidden Leaf shinobi here. If we report this unclear intel, and something goes wrong, we'll be held accountable. So we need to confirm their numbers, at least confirm that there's more than one of them!" 

Obito, a little excited, chimed in, "Kakashi's right! We've come all this way; let's figure it out before we leave!" 

Rin didn't speak, but it was clear she supported Kakashi and Obito. Shindai scratched his head in distress. This was truly a headache! 

Well, it seems like Shindai's first mission isn't going to be as easy as he hoped! Kakashi, Obito, and Rin are clearly ready to push forward. What do you think will happen when they confront the Cloud Ninja?