16-20

Chapter 16: Cowardice is the Foundation of the Weak! 

Shindai was genuinely furious right now. 

Seriously, if a tiger doesn't assert itself, people will just assume it's a sick cat! 

Kakashi and Oishi Kamiyama were using Earth Release ninjutsu to defend against Shindai's Sand Iron Drizzle. 

Oishi, hiding behind a rock, looked at Kakashi with a serious expression, thinking Kakashi was truly a Hidden Stone ninja there to snatch Shindai away. 

However, when Kakashi looked to his left at Oishi and said, "Let's attack together!" Oishi immediately understood that this 'Hidden Stone ninja' was an ally. 

Shindai's next attack was already prepared. 

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Spears!" 

Shindai compressed the sand iron to a high density, forming sharp, spear-shaped objects that floated in the air before he unleashed them with force. 

The earth walls in front of Oishi and Kakashi were instantly pierced through. 

The two quickly rolled, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the sand iron spears. 

Oishi formed hand signs and pressed his hands on the ground. 

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!" 

Oishi channeled his chakra into the ground, creating an earth dragon that opened its mouth and spat a torrent of mud towards Shindai. 

Shindai manipulated the sand iron, forming a sand iron wall to block the mud torrent spewed by the earth dragon. 

Then, the ground beneath Shindai suddenly trembled. Just a step away from Shindai, Kakashi burst out from underground. 

Kakashi had used Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique to burrow underground, launching a surprise attack from beneath the earth, with his kunai aimed at Shindai. 

Shindai's fingers danced rapidly, and Kannazuki instantly appeared in front of him. All of its joints sprang out blades, attacking Kakashi without any defense. 

If Kakashi continued to attack Kannazuki with his kunai, even if he hit it, he would be struck by the blades on Kannazuki's body. 

These blades were all coated with poison. 

While the poison wasn't particularly potent, it was fast-acting, and getting poisoned would be enough to cause Kakashi significant trouble. 

Kakashi chose to retreat instead of continuing the attack. 

After all, exchanging blows with a puppet, where he would take damage and the puppet wouldn't truly be injured, was incredibly unwise. His kunai, even if it hit the puppet, wouldn't cause any real damage to it. 

Shindai quickly formed hand signs, then clapped his hands together. 

"Magnet Release! Sand Iron World Method!" 

Shindai used sand iron to create a large, spiky barrier in the air. 

Kakashi's hair stood on end. He immediately twisted his body into an extremely contorted position, narrowly dodging the attack. 

However, Kakashi still sustained many scrapes. 

Seeing this, Obito and Rin, who were observing the battle, felt their hearts clench. 

Obito almost rushed out but was stopped by Minato. 

"Don't worry, I'm watching. Kakashi will be fine." 

In fact, Minato had almost rushed out himself just now. 

But seeing that Kakashi had already positioned himself to dodge, Minato restrained his movements. 

Minato gazed at Shindai intently. 

Without a doubt, in Minato's eyes now, Shindai was a genius. 

The elite Chunin Oishi and the Chunin Kakashi, working together, couldn't gain any advantage against Shindai. 

This meant that Shindai's strength was superior to both Kakashi's and Oishi's. 

In Minato's estimation, Shindai's strength should already be at a Jonin level. 

However, Shindai couldn't fully utilize his strength. 

It was very clear that Shindai's combat experience was severely lacking. 

Shindai's Sand Iron World Method had completely restricted Kakashi's movement. 

If Minato were in Shindai's place, he would definitely use the puppet to pursue Kakashi, or use other methods to attack Kakashi by any means necessary. 

Yet, Shindai didn't do that. The puppet remained guarding Shindai. 

Shindai merely casually threw a few kunai, making tentative attacks at Kakashi. 

And facing just a few kunai, Kakashi easily blocked them by throwing shuriken. 

Minato felt a sense of pity for Shindai, seeing him miss such a good opportunity. 

Furthermore, Minato looked at Shindai, who was constantly retreating, feeling a bit speechless. 

What Shindai had said earlier, "I'm not done with you two today," was clearly a lie. 

It was obvious that Shindai had no desire to fight Kakashi and Oishi. Fleeing was likely still Shindai's top priority. 

Minato really didn't know what to say. Wasn't Shindai at an advantage? 

Minato's guess was correct; fleeing was indeed Shindai's first option. 

Setting aside the fact that Shindai was nervous and scared during his first battle, he couldn't even discern advantages or disadvantages. 

In Shindai's mind, he was at a disadvantage. 

Because there were two opponents, and Shindai had only one and a half people. 

Kannazuki, as a puppet, counted as half a person. 

Again, combat carried risks. 

What if he got distracted during a battle and got injured? 

An injury might be minor, but a fatal wound would be the end. 

Also, Kakashi's sudden appearance earlier had truly startled Shindai. 

Shindai couldn't be sure if there were other Hidden Stone ninjas hidden around. If there were, and he foolishly charged in to fight these two Hidden Stone ninjas to the death, wouldn't that just be throwing his life away? 

Even if he won against these two Hidden Stone ninjas, what then? 

These two Hidden Stone ninjas clearly looked like mere cannon fodder, killing them wouldn't have any meaning. 

To be safe, it was better to avoid combat if possible; there was no need to take risks. 

The main priority now was to find Hidden Leaf ninjas and let them handle the dangerous stuff. 

Shindai also had his own ninja way. 

"Only by enduring what ordinary people cannot endure can one achieve what ordinary people cannot achieve!" 

Since it was a ninja way, enduring was the most basic requirement. 

While this might be considered cowardly, Shindai was a weakling right now! 

Therefore, a small lack of patience can lead to great suffering. 

Cowardice was the foundation of the weak! 

So, while Shindai was indeed angry about being ambushed, after calming down, he still decided to run. 

As long as he reached the Hidden Leaf encampment, the Hidden Stone ninjas wouldn't dare to pursue him. 

Even if they did dare to pursue, the Hidden Leaf ninjas would definitely help him deal with the Hidden Stone ninjas. 

Since the Hidden Leaf ninjas would fight for him, why should he exhaust himself and risk being killed? 

That would just be stupid! 

At this point, Kakashi had escaped the sand iron barrier with Oishi's help. 

Kakashi and Oishi were now some distance away from Shindai. 

Shindai's eyes flashed with brilliance; now was the chance! 

Shindai immediately began forming hand signs. 

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Giant Needles!" 

Shindai highly compressed the sand iron, forming multiple sharp spears, and manipulated them to stab towards Oishi and Kakashi. 

Oishi and Kakashi dodged the spears. 

However, these spears were magnetic and could be freely manipulated by Shindai. 

As Oishi and Kakashi continued to dodge, Shindai manipulated Kannazuki. 

Kannazuki's left arm aimed at Oishi and Kakashi, and its arm quickly deformed, half revealing the missile loaded within. 

As Shindai flicked his finger, the missile shot out, blasting towards Oishi and Kakashi. 

Kakashi and Oishi, though they didn't know what this thing was, sensed great danger and immediately dodged. 

The missile slammed into the ground, exploding instantly with a deafening boom, filling the surroundings with smoke and dust. 

Shindai, without looking back, immediately retreated and fled, disappearing into the forest. 

Chapter 17: Give Me a Chance to Shine! 

Even though Shindai had the upper hand in the fight, he had no desire to keep going. He seized an opportunity, launched a missile at Kakashi and Koyama Daishi, and then simply bolted. 

Kakashi's Body Flicker Jutsu was well-practiced and fast, allowing him to successfully dodge the missile's explosion radius. Though he was covered in dirt and looked a bit disheveled, he wasn't seriously hurt. Koyama Daishi wasn't so lucky. His speed wasn't as great as Kakashi's, and even though he used Earth Style: Earth Wall to try and block the explosion when the missile came at him, the earthen wall was instantly swallowed by the blast. The residual force of the explosion still injured Koyama Daishi. His left arm was a bloody mess, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. 

Kakashi was about to chase after Shindai when Minato Namikaze instantly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "Alright, Kakashi, that's enough. You won't be able to stop him on your own; his strength is greater than yours." 

Minato's words frustrated Kakashi, but he couldn't really argue. Kakashi had also felt that Shindai was decent at controlling puppets, but his actual fighting style was far too amateurish. So, Shindai likely rarely fought, or maybe never fought at all, possessing power but unable to use it to its full potential. Because if Shindai had even a little more combat experience, after he used the Sand Iron World Method, Kakashi would have suffered more than just minor injuries. 

Minato turned to Obito and Rin. "Rin, immediately tend to Daishi and Kakashi's injuries. Then, you two take Daishi back to the base for treatment. I'll go keep an eye on him." As soon as Minato finished speaking, he vanished instantly. 

Rin immediately began treating the severely injured Koyama Daishi. Obito, unable to help, saw Kakashi with his head down and assumed Kakashi was upset. After all, Kakashi was a renowned genius of the Hidden Leaf, and yet Shindai, who was roughly their age, was even stronger than him. So Obito figured Kakashi must be feeling really defeated right now. 

Therefore, Obito tried to comfort him. "Kakashi, even though you're a bit behind me, your strength is still pretty good! Just because you lost this time doesn't mean you'll lose in the future. I'll get revenge for you later!" 

Kakashi stood up and rolled his eyes at Obito. "I don't need your comfort, and I'm not at a point where I need comforting. I was just replaying our fight in my head." 

Obito, however, spoke with an air of having seen right through him. "Oh, right, right, I get it, I get it. You don't need my comfort." 

A vein throbbed on Kakashi's forehead, but he couldn't be bothered to argue. The more he argued, the more excited Obito would get. 

Minato had already caught up to Shindai, but he didn't reveal himself immediately. Because Shindai was moving further and further away from the Hidden Leaf base, Minato was a bit confused by him again. Was Shindai trying to escape, or did he not want to leave? 

Shindai was now drenched in sweat. Where exactly was the Hidden Leaf base? Surrounded by trees, Shindai couldn't tell which way was which. 

"Hello?! Is anyone there?! Any Konoha ninja around?!" Shindai, completely lost, could only shout loudly, hoping someone would answer. 

Minato's forehead was covered in dark lines. It seemed... he had overcomplicated things with Shindai. Was the Third Kazekage out of his mind? Why would he send someone like this? Just as Minato was about to reveal himself, he heard Shindai's mumbled words, which made him pause. 

"Forget it, I'll notify Uncle Kaito first, then go look for Konoha ninja." 

Shindai used the Summoning Jutsu, summoning a ninja hawk. After summoning the hawk, Shindai asked it, "Did you deliver the package to Pakura?" 

The ninja hawk couldn't speak, so it just nodded to indicate it had delivered it. 

"Good. If you hadn't, I'd make sure to stew and eat you. It would improve my diet." 

The ninja hawk shuffled its two bird feet back a couple of steps. It truly had the worst luck in eight lifetimes, ending up with this guy as its contractor. 

Shindai pulled out a blank scroll, wiped his finger on the ground, and began writing on the scroll. After he finished, Shindai tied the scroll to the ninja hawk's body. Shindai instructed the hawk, "When you find Uncle Kaito, you absolutely must act like you're in a terrible rush, like I'm in an extremely difficult situation, got it?" 

The ninja hawk looked at Shindai confused, not understanding what Shindai meant. 

Shindai described it. "It's like your master is about to die! And you're very sad! If Uncle Kaito doesn't let me come back, I'm definitely going to die! Show that kind of urgent expression!" 

The ninja hawk's expression suddenly brightened with surprise. He was going to die? That was excellent! 

Suddenly, Shindai slapped the ninja hawk hard on the head, annoyed. "Why do you look so happy?! You think you'll be free if I die? Don't worry, I'll summon you even if I die, and we'll die together!" 

The ninja hawk instantly looked utterly wronged. 

Seeing the hawk's aggrieved expression, Shindai excitedly said, "Yes, yes, that's exactly it! Use this expression when you see Uncle Kaito, remember! Use this expression and hand him my scroll! All right, go!" 

The ninja hawk was eager to fly away immediately. Hearing Shindai say it could go, the hawk quickly flapped its wings and left. As the ninja hawk soared through the sky, its vision suddenly went black, and it lost consciousness. 

The one who caused the ninja hawk to faint was Minato Namikaze. Minato took the scroll from the unconscious hawk and opened it to read. 

[Uncle Kaito, I can't do this spy thing anymore. It's too hard. I'm being hung up and beaten by Konoha ninja, constantly being tormented... But don't worry, Uncle Kaito, I'm tough. I haven't leaked a single piece of Sand Village intel to the Konoha ninja.] 

The first sentence made Minato's eye twitch. When did they ever hang Shindai up and torment him? But it was true, after all: Shindai was a spy sent by the Sand Village to infiltrate Konoha. 

Minato continued reading. 

[Uncle Kaito, the Konoha ninja don't trust me at all. They know that the Sand Village's Magnet Release kekkei genkai user is related to you, so they're planning to kill me to humiliate you. I can take it, but I don't think you can, Uncle Kaito. Isn't this a huge slap in your face? Uncle Kaito, my strength is actually really strong. I was just too low-key before. It's the same if I contribute in the Sand Village! Let me guard the main gate of the Sand Village and keep all invaders out! Please believe me, Uncle Kaito, I'm definitely not trying to save myself; I'm absolutely trying to survive for the sake of our Sand Village! Uncle Kaito, I'm currently on the verge of death. The Konoha ninja might kill me at any moment, so please send people to rescue me immediately! Give me a chance! Give me a chance to work like an ox or a horse for the Sand Village and shine brightly!] 

Minato finished reading all the contents and could only describe it with one phrase: pure nonsense! 

Chapter 18: I'll Die in the Leaf, Even if It Kills Me! 

Minato Namikaze had finished reading the scroll that Shindai intended to send to the Third Kazekage via his ninja hawk. 

This scroll was, simply put, a plea to abandon the mission. 

Minato was speechless at Shindai's audacity; it was pure nonsense, not a single truthful word. 

However, it seemed highly likely that Shindai was forced into this undercover role. 

Minato watched Shindai, who was still calling out for Hidden Leaf ninjas below, lost in thought. 

Shindai was a genius; that much was clear from his recent battle with Kakashi and Oishi Kamiyama. 

And from this scroll, it was also evident that Shindai had no sense of honor towards the Hidden Sand Village. All he wanted was to return home, avoid combat, and not contribute to the Hidden Sand Village. 

Although Shindai was an undercover agent, he was incredibly resistant to that role. 

This sparked an idea in Minato's mind. 

Minato thought that perhaps keeping Shindai was a good idea. 

Aside from Shindai's inherent value, the fact that his ninja hawk could directly contact the Third Kazekage was incredibly important. 

This meant that by keeping Shindai, they could control what information the Hidden Sand Village received. 

In the future, if there were conflicts or a war with the Hidden Sand Village, having Shindai could give the Hidden Leaf a significant advantage. 

Minato didn't go down to meet Shindai. Instead, he took Shindai's ninja hawk and scroll back to the Hidden Leaf encampment, then dispatched three Hidden Leaf ninjas to retrieve Shindai from the forest. 

Alone in his tent, Minato pulled out a blank scroll, copied Shindai's actions by smudging his finger on the ground, and then imitated Shindai's handwriting to write on the scroll. 

[Uncle Kuuto, I have successfully infiltrated the Hidden Leaf encampment. The Hidden Leaf ninjas, after learning I possess the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, did not harm me. Furthermore, the Hidden Leaf's Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, is also stationed in the Land of Rivers. Minato Namikaze thinks highly of me and has already reported my situation to the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. 

If all goes well, the undercover operation will proceed smoothly. Please rest assured, Uncle Kuuto, I will diligently carry out my mission, gather all information, and report it back to you.] 

Minato looked at the words on the scroll, then at the words on Shindai's original scroll. 

Hmm, almost identical. 

Perfect! 

Minato then re-tied the scroll to the ninja hawk, left the Hidden Leaf encampment, returned to the forest, placed the ninja hawk on a tree trunk, and left. 

After waking up, the ninja hawk looked around in confusion. 

Had it passed out just now? 

Was it perhaps too tired lately? 

Maybe it was threatened by Shindai, its spirit weakened, causing it to faint. 

In short, it was all Shindai's fault! 

The ninja hawk looked at its back; the scroll was still there. 

Since the scroll was still there, who cared? It didn't matter. 

The ninja hawk continued to fly into the sky, heading towards the Hidden Sand Village. 

--- 

Meanwhile, Shindai had already been found by the Hidden Leaf ninjas and brought back to the Hidden Leaf encampment. 

Shindai was now stuffing his face with food in the tent. 

The Hidden Leaf truly was the Hidden Leaf; even during wartime, the food was delicious. 

Minato Namikaze entered Shindai's tent. 

Seeing Minato, Shindai immediately began to wail: "Oh, it hurts so much, Lord Minato! Two Hidden Stone ninjas attacked me just now. Luckily, I was clever and escaped, or else I might have lost my life! Thankfully, the Hidden Leaf ninjas found me in time, otherwise, I would have been in grave danger. 

The Hidden Leaf has been so kind to me! From now on, I will work like an ox and horse for the Hidden Leaf, shining brightly. From now on, I will die in the Hidden Leaf, even if it kills me!" 

Although Shindai had exaggerated in the scroll to the Third Kazekage, claiming he was not trusted, tortured, and beaten, if the Third Kazekage ignored him and made him continue his undercover mission, then he would have no choice but to follow the Hidden Leaf ninjas and leave his fate to chance. 

Moreover, Shindai knew that given the Third Kazekage's personality, the chances of him agreeing were very low. 

The Third Kazekage was famously strong-willed and ruthless in the Hidden Sand Village. 

So now, he had to butter up the Hidden Leaf. 

The better he buttered them up, the safer he would be here. 

Minato's lips twitched. On Shindai's original scroll, he had also written about working like an ox and horse and shining brightly for the Hidden Sand Village. 

One moment for the Hidden Sand, the next for the Hidden Leaf... this child's dedication to "working like an ox and horse" and "shining brightly" was truly flexible. 

Minato said to Shindai: "I plan to take you back to the Hidden Leaf tomorrow." 

Shindai's face stiffened: "Huh? That quickly?" 

He hadn't received a reply from the Third Kazekage yet. 

What if the Third Kazekage, on a whim, agreed to let him return to the village? If he was in the Hidden Leaf, wouldn't it be much harder to leave? 

Minato, seeing Shindai's current expression, could more or less guess what he was thinking. 

It was probably something about how if the Third Kazekage sent someone to rescue him, it would be difficult to leave the Hidden Leaf. 

Minato could already anticipate some of Shindai's thoughts. 

Minato smiled and said to Shindai: "Yes. Originally, I only came here to let my students gain some experience. Now, your situation is more important, so I plan to take you back to the Hidden Leaf to meet our Hidden Leaf Village's Hokage." 

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi's reply hadn't arrived yet, Minato guessed that Hiruzen would likely want him to bring Shindai back to the Hidden Leaf. 

After all, Shindai was a Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai user, making him extremely valuable. 

Shindai knew he had no decision-making power here and could only force a smile, saying, "That's wonderful! I've always admired the Hokage-sama. I'll finally get to meet him this time! And to be honest, Lord Minato, I really look up to the Hokage-sama; he's my idol!" 

Minato looked at Shindai with a subtle expression: "Is that so? That's good. The Third Hokage is my idol too." 

Shindai immediately played along like a sycophant: "Heh, what a coincidence! To have the same idol as Lord Minato, that's truly an honor for me." 

Minato felt nothing about Shindai's flattery and said to him: "It's only two or three hours until dawn. Shindai, you should rest well. This time, someone will be guarding outside the tent, so you don't have to worry about anyone attacking you again. I'll come wake you up when it's light. I won't disturb your rest anymore." 

Minato left the tent. 

Shindai, inside the tent, ate and sighed. 

Sigh, he just wanted to live a comfortable little life, why was it so hard? 

But seeing Minato's attitude towards him, it seemed pretty good. So his undercover journey was going quite smoothly; as long as his identity wasn't discovered, it was a huge victory. 

This was the only thing that could bring Shindai some comfort. 

"Well, what's done is done. I'll just be cowardly for now." 

Chapter 19: A Bit Disrespectful, Huh? 

After leaving Shindai's tent, Minato Namikaze headed to Kakashi's tent. Kakashi's injuries were already bandaged, but Rin Nohara was still checking him for any other wounds. 

Obito, looking annoyed, grumbled, "Rin, Kakashi himself said he doesn't have any other injuries, why are you checking him so carefully?" 

Rin replied sternly, "We still need to be careful. The blades on that puppet Shindai uses seem to be coated with poison, so the main thing right now is to check if Kakashi has been poisoned." 

Obito squinted at Kakashi. "This guy doesn't look poisoned at all, does he?" 

Kakashi also chimed in, "Yeah, Rin, I don't feel uncomfortable..." 

Suddenly, Kakashi felt a wave of dizziness and almost fainted. Obito quickly steadied him. "Hey, Kakashi, you're not actually poisoned, are you?" 

Kakashi still tried to be tough. "I'm not poisoned. I just feel a bit tired, and it's all because of you, Obito, constantly yelling in my ear, making me even more tired!" 

Obito looked incredulous. "Huh? You can blame me for that too?" 

"Alright, Kakashi, don't talk anymore! I found the wound!" Rin discovered a tiny wound on Kakashi's ankle, and it was slightly discolored. Rin immediately began treating the small wound on Kakashi's ankle. 

Obito looked at the wound on Kakashi's ankle, puzzled. "This wound... how did you get this, Kakashi?" 

Kakashi was also a bit baffled. He had no memory of when he got this injury; it seemed his ankle shouldn't have had any chance of being hit. 

"That should be the wound Kakashi got earlier when he used Earth Style: Earth Cracking Fang to try and ambush Shindai, but failed. He was probably grazed by the puppet's blade when he retreated." Minato Namikaze entered the tent, offering his guess as to how Kakashi got injured. 

Minato asked, "How is it, Rin? Can you deal with Kakashi's poison? If it's too much trouble, I'll go get the medical ninja from the base." 

Rin shook her head. "No need to trouble them. This poison isn't too problematic. This kind of poison usually takes effect very quickly, but luckily Kakashi only got a slight scrape, so the poisoning isn't deep. That's why it's only affecting him now. We just need to inject a normal antidote into Kakashi, and he'll be fine very soon." As she spoke, Rin had already injected an antidote into Kakashi. 

After a while, Kakashi gradually recovered. Kakashi asked, "Sensei, has that Shindai been brought back?" 

Minato nodded. "Yes, he's back. And when it gets light, we'll take him back to Konoha." 

Kakashi frowned, his expression serious. "Sensei, this Shindai is hiding his strength, and he had a chance to leave the Konoha base but didn't. He's clearly suspicious and targeting Konoha. Is it really a good idea to take him back with us?" 

Minato smiled. "It's a very good idea. And it's now confirmed that he's a spy sent by the Sand Village." 

Obito was shocked and confused. "Huh? You've confirmed he's a spy, and that's a good thing?" 

Minato explained, "Because he can communicate directly with the Sand Village's Kazekage through his ninja hawk." 

Obito asked suspiciously, "So what?" 

Kakashi had already figured out Minato's meaning and retorted to Obito, "Idiot, don't you realize it yet? His ninja hawk can directly contact the Sand Village's Kazekage, which means we can get information about the Sand Village through him, or feed them false information through him." 

Obito suddenly understood, but having been called an idiot by Kakashi, he grumbled, "I knew that already!" 

Kakashi couldn't be bothered with Obito's stubbornness. 

Minato continued, "I intercepted the scroll he sent to the Kazekage earlier; it was all about his desire to return to the Sand Village. However, I destroyed that scroll. I've forged a new one, saying that his spying here has been very successful. So, we need him to stay with us right now. As long as he's here, our Hidden Leaf, as Kakashi just said, can give false information to the Sand Village, allowing us to gain an advantage against them. And he's not a willing spy, and his spying ability and experience are terrible. When you interact with him, don't let him realize that we've already discovered he's a spy." 

Actually, Minato hadn't originally intended to tell Kakashi and the others about Shindai being a spy. But Shindai's spy identity might fool Obito, but it would be too difficult to fool Kakashi, and even Rin would be a tough sell. Honestly, Minato had never seen a spy with such terrible professional skills; he might as well have written "I'm suspicious" on his face. No, not terrible professional skills—he had no professional skills whatsoever. So it was better to give Kakashi and the others a heads-up. 

As dawn broke, Minato, along with Kakashi and his team, arrived at Shindai's tent. Shindai was sprawled out on the bedding on the ground, fast asleep. His sleeping posture made all four of them twitch. He was sleeping so soundly they had walked right in, and he still hadn't woken up. How carefree could one be? 

Minato squatted beside Shindai and patted his shoulder. "Shindai, wake up. It's time to go." 

Shindai was truly exhausted. After being mentally stressed, it took him a long time to finally fall asleep, and he had only slept for a little while. So, when Minato patted him, Shindai, who was in a deep sleep, didn't wake up. Minato patted Shindai again, this time with a bit more force, finally waking him up. 

Shindai groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. Rubbing his eyes blurred his vision, so he didn't clearly see Minato in front of him. His mind was also very hazy, and he was half-asleep, half-awake. "Uncle Kaito, I'll be a good spy, but please don't really throw me in jail..." 

Minato and the three others looked at Shindai with dark lines on their foreheads. "Hey, hey, hey! You're supposed to be a spy right now! Saying that directly in front of us... is that really okay? Isn't that a bit disrespectful?" 

Shindai's mind gradually cleared, and he saw Minato and the three others clearly in front of him, freezing instantly. What did he just say? In his dream, he was in the Sand Village, stubbornly refusing to be a spy, then the Third Kazekage threatened to throw him in jail, and he begged for mercy. 

Could it be... he actually said it out loud? Shindai's expression slowly turned to one of panic. 

Minato cleared his throat. "Shindai, what did you just say? Your voice was too quiet; I didn't hear you. Kakashi, did you guys hear anything?" 

"We didn't hear anything." 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin simultaneously turned their heads away, trying not to look at Shindai, because they were all on the verge of breaking character. 

Chapter 20: The 'Clever' Undercover Agent 

Shindai thought he had revealed his undercover identity, which sent him into a panic. 

But Minato, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all claimed they hadn't heard anything, which made Shindai breathe a huge sigh of relief. 

He truly thought he'd been exposed. 

Next time, he vowed not to sleep so deeply; it scared him half to death. 

Shindai forced an awkward smile and bluffed, "I didn't say anything just now. It's just that I'm about to go to the Hidden Leaf, and I'm going to meet my idol, the Hokage-sama! I'm so excited, I can't wait to shine brightly for the Hidden Leaf!" 

Minato and the three others almost rolled their eyes. 

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin finally understood why Minato had specifically warned them not to let Shindai realize they knew about his undercover identity. 

This guy was practically suicidal with his loose lips; who could keep up with him? 

Minato said with a smile, "Since you're so excited, let's depart immediately. Come on, Shindai." 

Shindai got up and followed Minato and the three others as they left the Hidden Leaf encampment and headed for the Hidden Leaf Village. 

--- 

Three days later. 

Shindai's ninja hawk finally flew back to the Hidden Sand Village. 

The Third Kazekage retrieved the scroll from the ninja hawk and began to read its contents. 

Seeing that Minato Namikaze was also in the Land of Rivers, the Third Kazekage was very surprised. No wonder those ninjas who were supposed to trade with the Hidden Stone had vanished without a trace. 

It seemed the Hidden Stone Village's supplies had been intercepted by Minato Namikaze, which was a bit of a shame. 

The Third Kazekage's face unconsciously broke into a smile when he read that Minato Namikaze thought highly of Shindai, had already reported Shindai's situation to the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, and that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Shindai's undercover mission would proceed smoothly. 

"I only intended to try it out, but I didn't expect Shindai to be quite talented at undercover work. It seems Shindai is putting his talents to good use. 

As long as Shindai catches Hiruzen Sarutobi's eye, then Shindai will be like a nail firmly hammered into the Hidden Leaf, difficult to remove. 

However, I imagine the undercover process must be quite difficult. It's tough on Shindai, especially for his first undercover mission, or rather, his first mission ever. I should send a letter back to encourage him and praise him." 

The Third Kazekage wrote a letter, tied it to the ninja hawk, and sent the hawk to deliver the letter to Shindai. 

--- 

It had been six days since Shindai left the Hidden Leaf encampment. 

They had now entered the Land of Fire and were about to reach the Hidden Leaf Village. 

For these six days, Shindai had diligently followed behind Minato and the three others. 

Aside from Minato occasionally speaking to him, Kakashi and the others had barely exchanged words with Shindai. 

After all, Shindai was an undercover agent, an enemy in their eyes. To avoid giving anything away, speaking less was best. 

Minato, on the other hand, used to ask Shindai about his past, but now he didn't dare to anymore. 

Because Shindai had almost, on multiple occasions, blurted out "I'm an undercover agent." 

Shindai himself didn't feel anything amiss, but it scared Minato quite a bit. 

What if Shindai realized he was exposed and tried to run? 

Shindai was a hot commodity. If Shindai were lost, where would they find such a 'clever' undercover agent, one who could also directly contact a village's highest leader? 

Meanwhile, Shindai felt he was hiding his identity perfectly. 

Look how enthusiastic Minato was! Whenever there was food or drink, he'd ask Shindai first. 

He even constantly asked if Shindai needed a rest. 

What a great person! 

If Minato knew he was an undercover agent, would he treat him so well? 

If he knew, he'd probably strangle him and try to kill him, not feed him delicious food and drinks! 

--- 

As night fell. 

Minato stopped and said to Shindai and the three others, "We're not far from the Hidden Leaf. Let's rest here for the night and depart tomorrow. We should reach the Hidden Leaf by tomorrow afternoon." 

Everyone set up camp on the spot, preparing to rest. 

Late at night. 

Minato, leaning against a tree trunk, suddenly opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. 

Then, Minato looked at Shindai on the other side, who was sleeping soundly. 

Minato vanished from his spot. 

The ninja hawk, carrying the Third Kazekage's letter, was flapping its wings, flying towards Shindai's direction. 

The next second, the ninja hawk's eyes went dark again, and it passed out. 

Minato had already placed a mark on this ninja hawk. As soon as it approached within a certain distance, Minato could sense it. 

Minato retrieved the letter from the ninja hawk, opened it, and began to read. 

[Shindai, you've done exceptionally well this time. Since you're about to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi, you must find a way to gain his trust and then report any information you gather back to me immediately. 

Your undercover time won't be long. Once the war begins, we will coordinate from inside and out. After we acquire the Hidden Leaf's ninjutsu and secret techniques, your undercover mission will end, and you will become a hero of the Hidden Sand Village. 

Work hard; I have high hopes for you.] 

Minato raised an eyebrow after reading the letter's contents. 

Now, Minato finally knew what Shindai's mission as an undercover agent in the Hidden Leaf was. 

Minato began to modify the letter, changing only the first sentence. 

[There's no room for discussion about the undercover mission. As a ninja, you must endure suffering. Furthermore, you must do everything you can to gain the trust of the Hidden Leaf ninjas, and then report any information you gather back to me immediately.] 

After making the modifications, Minato re-tied the letter to the ninja hawk and left. 

Minato returned to the resting place, acting as if nothing had happened, and leaned back against the tree trunk to rest. 

--- 

Half an hour later, the unconscious ninja hawk woke up. 

The ninja hawk's small, hawkish eyes were filled with confusion. 

What was going on? Had it passed out again while flying? 

This had never happened before. 

Unable to understand, the ninja hawk blamed Shindai. 

Because the last time it fainted, it was carrying Shindai's scroll and passed out not long after flying off. 

And this time, it was about to reach Shindai's location when it passed out. 

If it wasn't Shindai's fault, what else could it be? 

The ninja hawk felt like it had the worst luck in eight lifetimes, encountering Shindai. 

But the mission had to be completed, so the ninja hawk could only continue flying towards Shindai's location. 

Shindai, who was sleeping, felt something pecking his head. He suddenly opened his eyes and was overjoyed to see the ninja hawk: "You're finally back!" 

The ninja hawk looked at Shindai with disdain. It had called out several times from nearby, but Shindai hadn't reacted, so it had no choice but to risk getting closer to Shindai. 

Shindai quietly glanced at Minato and the others, saw they were all asleep with their eyes closed, then took the ninja hawk behind a nearby tree. 

Kakashi and Rin suddenly opened their eyes and looked at Minato. 

As for Obito, he was sleeping soundly, just like Shindai had been earlier. 

Minato slightly opened his eyes and shook his head, signaling to Kakashi and Rin that they shouldn't worry.