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🕑 Added 2025-06-22 16:29:24 +0000 UTCChapter 91: Ambush Encounter
"Shindai, you seriously can't try to bribe me like that!" Shindai righteously scolded Obito for his "terrible" behavior.
Obito, pointing to his head with a confident smirk, retorted, "Shindai, your lies can't hide from my superior intellect! You just want to slack off, don't you?"
Now it was Shindai's turn to get that dead-fish eye look. "Intellect? Are you sure there isn't just water sloshing around in that head of yours?"
But Obito, ever the Obito, was already red-faced again. "There's water in your head!"
Shindai then turned to Rin Nohara. "Rin, let me tell you, the reason Obito wears sunglasses, slicks his hair back, and occasionally speaks in six words or less to look cool is all to get your..."
Before Shindai could finish, Obito shrieked, effectively drowning out the rest of Shindai's sentence.
Obito pounced on Shindai, clamping his hands tightly over Shindai's mouth. "You can't say that! That would be way too messed up!"
Shindai rolled his eyes.
In Obito's mind, Shindai was just mocking him. After all, Shindai always rolled his eyes at him or Kakashi.
"You're still rolling your eyes at me?!" Obito fumed. "Don't you dare say it! Or I'll fight you!"
Rin, seeing Shindai's rolling eyes, suddenly felt a jolt of alarm. "Hey, Obito, you're covering Shindai's mouth and nose! He's rolling his eyes because he's running out of oxygen!"
Hearing Rin, Obito saw Shindai's face turning blue and quickly released his grip.
Shindai coughed twice, then gulped in huge breaths of air.
Obito, feeling guilty, started backing away, step by step.
He hadn't moved far when he heard Shindai's roar.
"Obito! You big idiot! I'm gonna get you!"
Shindai lunged like an angry tiger, tackling Obito, and the two began their "intense discussion."
Kakashi glanced at the sky, then at the fiercely "communicating" Shindai and Obito, and reminded them, "We have three minutes left of rest time. We're moving out when it's up."
Obito, now sporting a bruised face, asked, "Kakashi, how much further do we have?"
Kakashi checked the map. "At this pace, about another day's travel."
Shindai, with two black eyes and a swollen left cheek, grumbled, "Why are the supply delivery points getting further and further away?"
Since Obito awakened his Sharingan, his strength had been increasing significantly. Shindai's Magnet Release ninjutsu and puppet manipulation were good, but close-quarters taijutsu wasn't his strong suit. Now that Obito was fighting back, Shindai might not actually be able to beat him in a brawl. Obito's growth rate after activating his Sharingan was truly astonishingly fast.
Kakashi put away the map. "The fighting with the Iwa shinobi isn't as intense as it used to be. Our nearby front-line positions have enough supplies, so our current delivery destination is indeed a bit further out."
Shindai sighed in frustration. "Can't each village just pick one person to fight, and whoever wins, their village wins the war? All this constant fighting is so annoying."
Kakashi sternly replied, "Alright, enough complaining. Stay alert. This front-line position we're heading to is very close to the Iwa shinobi's territory, so we need to be extra careful. Stick to our usual formation!"
Rin stayed in the middle, while Kakashi and Obito led the way. Shindai brought up the rear, using his Third Eye to scan their surroundings.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mission, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya were resting in a secluded spot.
Minato was intently studying a map, analyzing the situation for Jiraiya. "Jiraiya-sensei, according to intelligence we just got from an Iwa shinobi, they plan to occupy this area and set up an ambush there to attack our supply transport ninjas. This is a crossroads; ninjas transporting supplies to three different logistical bases will all pass through this spot. If Iwa occupies it, our comrades on the front lines near their territory won't get their supplies, and those supplies will be intercepted by Iwa. So, we absolutely have to deal with the Iwa shinobi occupying this location!"
Jiraiya looked at the area Minato had marked on the map, his expression grim.
"If that's the case, then let's go now," Jiraiya agreed. "War is all about logistics. Supply lines are the backbone of our comrades on the front lines, so we absolutely cannot let Iwa occupy the path our supply teams must take!"
Minato and Jiraiya immediately set off for the marked location. After traveling for half a day, they arrived.
However, upon arrival, both Minato and Jiraiya frowned.
According to Iwa's plan, there should have been many Iwa shinobi ambushing this area, but now there wasn't a single one to be found.
Suddenly, Minato and Jiraiya quickly dodged backward as two lava-like fireballs shot towards where they had just been standing.
The fireballs hit the ground and exploded, sending lava splashing and setting the surrounding trees ablaze.
At the same time, five figures appeared, surrounding Minato and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as he recognized two of them. "It's you two! Onoki actually sent you?!"
Minato asked, puzzled, "Who are they?"
Jiraiya's voice was heavy. "Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"What?!" Minato's expression also changed as he looked at Roshi and Han. So, they were Jinchuriki, just like Kushina Uzumaki.
Roshi scoffed. "We thought we'd be facing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of the Leaf when they sent us both, but it turns out it's just the two of you."
Jiraiya's face was grim. "It seems we fell for it. The intelligence we got from those Iwa shinobi was fake."
Han sneered, "Of course. Jiraiya, you and your disciple are always hopping around. It's not easy to find you, so instead of us looking for you, we thought it would be better to let you come to us."
Minato's eyes were fixed on Roshi and Han as he suggested to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sensei, let's try it!"
Jiraiya looked at Minato in surprise. Try to fight two Jinchuriki? Was he serious?
Minato's gaze was resolute. "If Jinchuriki join the war, it will be a disaster for our comrades. So, I want to try. I want to see if we can stop them here!"
Jiraiya felt that Minato's idea was insane. But, just as Minato said, if two Jinchuriki from Iwagakure joined the battle, it would be a devastating blow to the Leaf shinobi stationed here, and the losses would be severe.
Jiraiya took a deep breath, his eyes also hardening. "Then... let's try!"
Chapter 92: Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya's Battle
Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya found themselves caught in a trap laid by Roshi and Han. They were now surrounded by the two jinchuriki, Roshi and Han, along with three Iwagakure jonin.
Since Roshi and Han, as jinchuriki, posed a significant threat to the Konoha ninja within the Land of Grass if they decided to join the battle, Minato aimed to stop them right here.
Minato swiftly tossed two Flying Thunder God kunai towards Roshi and Han.
Han's armor wasn't just any ordinary suit; it was a special steam-powered armor that could unleash incredible power through steam. This unique ability earned Han the title of "Steam Ninja."
Han channeled his chakra through the vents on his steam armor, blasting out steam and blowing Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai off course. The kunai aimed at Han was deflected by the steam, while the one thrown at Roshi was almost upon him.
However, Minato didn't instantly teleport using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to the kunai's location. This was because Roshi was already enveloped in a magma-like aura, clearly a defense against a sudden close-range attack from Minato's Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Roshi's hands moved rapidly through hand signs.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
From Roshi's mouth, multiple magma balls erupted, hurtling towards Minato and Jiraiya. Both ninja deftly dodged the incoming attacks.
These magma balls packed a serious punch; ordinary ninjutsu wouldn't stand a chance against them. After Minato and Jiraiya dodged, the magma balls slammed into the ground. A large crater immediately formed, and molten rock splattered everywhere, igniting all the surrounding trees.
It was Han's turn to move. He burst forward with incredible speed, powered by his steam armor, charging at Jiraiya and delivering a flying kick. Han was so fast that Jiraiya could only cross his arms to block.
Han's kick connected with Jiraiya's forearms, sending him flying backward. Jiraiya performed a stylish 360-degree spin in mid-air before landing gracefully, patting the kick mark on his arm. "Not bad, not bad."
However, Jiraiya wasn't as relaxed as he seemed. Han's earlier kick had left his arm muscles trembling slightly, and he was likely already bruised.
Han scoffed, "Jiraiya, is all you can do talk big?"
Han once again used his steam armor to gain immense speed, charging at Jiraiya. Roshi's gaze also shifted towards Jiraiya.
In the eyes of Roshi and Han, while Minato Namikaze was their primary target according to their mission, when compared to Jiraiya, Jiraiya was the one they truly wanted to take down first. After all, Jiraiya was a ninja of their generation, and they considered Minato to be nothing more than a fresh-faced rookie.
Roshi intended to team up with Han to deal with Jiraiya, leaving the three Iwagakure jonin to handle Minato. Just as Roshi was about to charge forward, a uniquely shaped kunai landed not far in front of him.
In a flash, Minato appeared at the kunai's location in a cool stance, his eyes burning with fighting spirit as he looked at Roshi. "Your opponent is me!"
Minato threw several Flying Thunder God kunai towards Roshi, then instantly teleported to one of them, aiming to stab Roshi's neck.
With a "clink," Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai failed to pierce Roshi's neck; it felt as if it had struck solid rock. Roshi swung his arm, aiming to smash Minato. Minato instantly teleported to another Flying Thunder God kunai, gracefully dodging Roshi's attack.
Minato frowned, looking at the Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand, which was partially melted by the high temperature. Roshi had been continuously activating his Lava Release Chakra Mode, his entire body enveloped in scorching molten rock. Anything it touched would melt, and it also significantly enhanced his defense. This Lava Release Armor was both lethal and defensive.
Roshi wasn't particularly strong in terms of mobility, but aside from that, he was an all-rounder: high defense, high attack, and his Lava Release ninjutsu had an incredibly wide range. If Minato couldn't break through Roshi's defense, his speed, no matter how great, wouldn't be enough to deal with him.
However, Minato needed to hold off Roshi and the other three Iwa ninja, preventing Roshi from bothering Jiraiya, and then find an opportunity to coordinate with Jiraiya.
Minato continuously used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, instantly teleporting to harass and prevent Roshi from getting close to Jiraiya. Roshi, in turn, was becoming increasingly annoyed by Minato's constant harassment. He tried to unleash ninjutsu to attack Minato, but Minato was too fast; the moment the jutsu was cast, Minato would already be gone.
The other three Iwagakure jonin kept using Earth Release ninjutsu to alter the terrain, harassing both Minato and Jiraiya. Minato wasn't particularly affected, but Jiraiya was having a tougher time.
After Han kicked Jiraiya away earlier, he once again burst forward with increased speed from his steam, kicking at Jiraiya. Jiraiya used the Ninja Art: Needle Jizo, hardening his long silver hair with chakra to envelop his entire body. If Han dared to kick him now, his foot would be thoroughly punctured.
However, Han's steam armor was incredibly tough; it showed no damage even after kicking Jiraiya's hardened, spiky hair.
"Needle Hell!"
Jiraiya launched his hardened hair like senbon, a dense barrage flying towards Han. Han's steam armor unleashed a powerful burst of steam, blowing away the hardened hair Jiraiya had launched. Jiraiya seized the opportunity to create some distance from Han.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
The moment he created distance, Jiraiya formed hand signs, holding chakra-infused oil in his mouth. As he spat it out, he ignited it with Fire Release, sending a flaming projectile roaring towards Han.
The vents on the left side of Han's steam armor blasted out steam, quickly propelling him to the right, allowing him to dodge Jiraiya's Flame Bullet.
During a brief lull in their back-and-forth attacks, Jiraiya glanced over at Minato's fight. Minato was indeed holding off Roshi, but that was all he was doing. As long as Roshi maintained his Lava Release Chakra Mode, Minato would struggle to inflict any significant damage.
However, while holding off Roshi, Minato managed to kill one of the Iwagakure jonin. Roshi now finally understood why the mission emphasized dealing with Minato first. While he could withstand Minato's attacks, that was due to his Lava Release and the continuous chakra provided by his Tailed Beast to maintain his Lava Release Chakra Mode, which left Minato with no openings.
Other ninja facing Minato's speed simply weren't a match; they would be killed before they could even unleash a ninjutsu. The other two Iwagakure jonin, even if they tried to help, wouldn't be much use and would likely be killed by Minato.
So, Roshi ordered them to retreat and keep their distance, preventing Minato from catching them off guard and killing them. Roshi's eyes were grave, filled with killing intent as he looked at Minato not far away. This Minato Namikaze was too great a threat to their Iwagakure; they had to find a way to kill him!
Chapter 93: Shindai's Ambition
"Huh, looks like there's a fire over there," Shindai commented.
"Yeah, it probably started as an accidental forest fire," someone else chimed in.
Shindai and his team had reached the edge of the forest, and from a distance, they could see the sky glowing red, with thick smoke swirling upwards. Animals were fleeing the forest in droves. Shindai, quick as a flash, grabbed a rabbit, expertly twisted its neck, and hung it from his belt. He figured they'd roast it later to improve their rations. Living on nothing but soldier pills, Shindai felt like his blood was getting diluted with the stuff; they needed a proper meal once in a while.
Kakashi frowned at the map. "Just our luck. Beyond this forest is a crossroads. The rightmost path leads straight to the supply front, but taking a detour would add over a day to our journey."
"So, what do we do?" Obito asked.
Shindai spread his hands. "What can we do? We detour, of course. It's a forest fire, are we supposed to go in there and roast ourselves?"
Kakashi looked up at the sky and made a decision. "We're going through the forest!"
Shindai reached out and felt Kakashi's forehead. "Kakashi, did your brain get roasted or something?"
Kakashi irritably slapped Shindai's hand away. "I'm serious. Look at the sky. The forest fire is causing the air temperature to rise sharply, creating updrafts. These updrafts are forming cumulonimbus clouds, so the temperature will continue to increase, and it should rain soon."
Shindai looked up at the sky above the forest. Dark clouds were indeed gathering, making it look like rain was imminent.
Obito looked confused. "Kakashi, where do you learn all these weird things?"
Kakashi put away his map, his tone seemingly casual, but with a definite hint of sarcasm. "You'd know if you spent less time doing useless things and more time reading."
Obito retorted, annoyed, "Who's doing useless things?"
Kakashi shot a sidelong glance at Shindai. "Do I really need to spill the beans about what you and Shindai were talking about?"
Shindai's eyes widened in disbelief, then he instantly stood at attention. "Hey, I didn't provoke you! This has nothing to do with me!"
Under Shindai's frantic winks, Obito realized Kakashi already knew and quickly caved. "I'm sorry!"
Rin Nohara asked curiously, "What were you two talking about?"
Since Obito and Shindai had shown good attitudes about admitting their mistakes, Kakashi didn't elaborate, simply saying, "Let's go." Shindai and Obito both let out a sigh of relief.
Shindai glared at Obito, annoyed. "Hey, did you spill the beans?"
Obito immediately shook his head. "I didn't expose anything!"
Shindai "tsk"-ed. "Then Kakashi must have been eavesdropping on our conversation. How annoying! We'll have to be more careful in the future, got it?"
Obito nodded again. "Got it!"
These past few days, Shindai had been pondering his future. Right now, Konoha was his only option. After the war ended, Shindai didn't want to be a ninja doing missions, so he'd need to make his own money. He was brainstorming ways to earn a living. Shindai definitely didn't want to work for anyone, so opening his own shop seemed like the best bet. What kind of shop, though?
After mulling it over, Shindai suddenly had an idea. It combined his interests with something he was good at. Shindai's inspiration came from Jiraiya. It was about puppets. Specifically, adult puppets designed to solve the loneliness problem for future single men. His target customers? Guys like the future old bachelors Kakashi and Iruka. For funding, Jiraiya would definitely be interested in investing. He'd start small in Konoha, expand the business to other countries, and eventually open adult puppet chain stores all across the ninja world!
This! This was Shindai's ambition!
Since this was still in the conceptual stage, Shindai would occasionally chat with Obito during their evening breaks, asking Obito, excluding Rin, what kind of girls he liked, preparing for his future adult puppet designs. However, Shindai was still a bit shy about it and didn't want anyone else to know besides Obito.
Led by Kakashi, Shindai, Obito, and Rin entered the forest. Just as Kakashi predicted, shortly after they entered, a torrential downpour began, curbing the spread of the forest fire and causing the flames to shrink.
However, as the group delved deeper into the forest, they all stopped in unison.
"Did anyone else hear fighting?"
"I heard it too, sounds pretty intense."
"Could this forest fire be caused by the people fighting over there?"
Shindai and Obito discussed back and forth.
Rin looked at Kakashi. "Kakashi, it sounds like Konoha ninja and Iwagakure ninja are fighting over there. Should we go help?"
Kakashi frowned deeply. Their mission was to transport supplies. They had no idea about the situation over there, and approaching carelessly could put them in danger. After considering for a moment, Kakashi decided, "Our mission is to transport supplies. The mission comes first. We'll bypass their fighting, quickly deliver the supplies to the front lines, and then inform our comrades there to provide support."
Shindai gave Kakashi a thumbs up. "Good call!"
Before Shindai could even retract his thumb, a fireball plummeted from the sky, landing not far from the four of them. When the fireball hit the ground, magma splattered everywhere. Shindai, Kakashi, and Rin managed to dodge in time, but Obito wasn't so lucky. A bit of magma landed on his backside, sending him hopping and yelping in pain. Obito hadn't meant to get hit, but Shindai had pulled him in front of him to dodge, which led to Obito getting caught.
Shindai's "divine kick" directly extinguished the flames that had ignited on Obito's rear due to the magma. Obito rubbed his backside frantically, complaining, "What was that?! Why did a piece of magma just fall from the sky?!"
Kakashi looked at the burning magma nearby, his expression grim. "That's a ninjutsu!"
Shindai looked up at the sky, warning, "Look up!"
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all looked up, seeing many small red dots. Obito activated his Sharingan to observe, then exclaimed in horror, "Those are fireballs in the sky! No! They're magma fireballs, just like the one that just hit!"
A large number of magma fireballs were raining down from the sky. Kakashi assessed their landing points and said sternly, "This won't do. When these magma balls hit the ground, the splattering magma will be impossible to avoid. Shindai!"
Shindai immediately understood Kakashi's meaning, forming hand signs and pressing his hands to the ground.
"Magnet Release! Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Shindai manipulated the iron sand beneath the ground to rise. Unlike the previous Iron Sand Drizzle that encased and rotated around the Tsuchikage, this time Shindai created spinning, top-like formations of iron sand around them, blocking the magma splattering from the falling magma fireballs.
Chapter 94: Repulsion
Just as Shindai and his team planned to take a detour, they were suddenly attacked by lava fireballs. The fireballs exploded on impact, spewing lava everywhere. There was no escaping the splashing molten rock.
Under the protection of Shindai's Magnet Release: Iron Sand Spindle, the lava splattered onto the spinning iron sand. It was either flung away or absorbed into the sand, completely shielding the four of them inside. Shindai then created his Third Eye, which floated into the air to observe. Once he confirmed there were no more lava fireballs, he dispelled the Iron Sand Spindle.
"What's going on up ahead?" Obito asked, looking at the surrounding lava. "Why are there so many lava fireballs?"
Shindai's expression was grim as he watched the lava, which was now emitting huge clouds of smoke as it touched the rain. "Whatever's happening, we definitely can't go that way. We need to get out of here, fast."
Kakashi also looked serious. He agreed with Shindai's suggestion; given the power of those lava fireballs, the fight ahead was definitely beyond their ability to approach.
"Earth Style! Earth Spikes!"
The ground beneath Shindai's team suddenly trembled. All four of them leaped into the air as sharp rocks burst from the ground. They looked ahead and saw two figures with their hands pressed to the earth. Clearly, they were responsible for the Earth Style jutsu.
Shindai's face scrunched up. Judging by their attire, they looked just like that Iwa Jonin, Paku Tsuchi. That meant these two were also Iwa Jonin. These two Iwa Jonin couldn't directly intervene in Roshi and Han's fight against Minato and Jiraiya, so they had been guarding the perimeter to prevent any surprises. While on alert, they sensed four people approaching, so they rushed over to investigate. If they were Leaf ninja, they'd eliminate them.
Upon confirming that Shindai's team were Leaf ninja, the two Iwa Jonin attacked without hesitation. They were surprised by how quickly their opponents reacted, immediately jumping to dodge the earth spikes. However, it seemed their opponents consisted of only one Chunin, two Genin, and another ninja whose rank was unknown, but who looked to be at most a Chunin due to their age. The two Iwa Jonin had expended a lot of chakra and stamina constantly harassing Minato and Jiraiya with Earth Style jutsu, but they were confident they could easily handle a few Chunin and Genin.
Kakashi looked at the two formidable Iwa Jonin. "Has the fight up ahead ended? This is troublesome." Kakashi assumed the lava fireballs were cast by these two Iwa ninja, especially since they looked dirty, clearly having just come from a battle.
"Rin, get to cover. Shindai, Obito, let's use that move!"
Rin immediately retreated. Shindai began forming hand signs.
"Magnet Release: Magnetic Transformation!"
Shindai magnetized his own body, then placed his hands on Kakashi's and Obito's shoulders, magnetizing their bodies as well. Obito quickly formed hand signs and placed his right hand in front of his mouth.
"Fire Style! Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Obito spewed a massive fireball from his mouth, sending it soaring towards the two Iwa ninja in the distance. As the fire dragon headed for the Iwa ninja, Shindai crouched down, pulling on Kakashi's arms. Kakashi was facing away from him, with his feet seemingly on Shindai's legs. If you looked closely, it appeared Kakashi was stepping on Shindai's legs, but his feet were actually suspended above Shindai's legs.
This was due to the magnetic properties of Shindai's and Kakashi's bodies. Like poles repel, and opposite poles attract. Shindai used Magnetic Transformation, making Kakashi's body a positive magnetic pole and his own body also a positive magnetic pole. Therefore, the two of them repelled each other. Shindai holding Kakashi's arms, bringing him as close as possible, was an attempt to use this repulsive force to launch Kakashi, increasing his speed. Shindai got the idea for this method while tinkering with Kannazuki's electrical system, and it had proven quite effective in battle.
However, its drawback was obvious: it could only be used in a straight line. So, someone needed to provide cover to prevent the target from dodging, and that job naturally fell to Obito.
The fire dragon shot towards the two Iwa ninja in front of them. The two ninja simultaneously dodged, one to the left and one to the right. The Iwa ninja who dodged left did so with a roll, while the one who dodged right did so with a jump. That made the target clear: the Iwa ninja who jumped to dodge. As everyone knew, it's impossible to dodge in mid-air without anything to push off of.
Shindai gritted his teeth, squeezing out words from between them. "Well? Can I let go?"
"Pull tighter!"
"With this speed, can you even see clearly?"
Kakashi, who assumed the previous lava fireballs were released by these two Iwa ninja, spoke cautiously. "These two Iwa ninja are strong. We need to take one out first!"
Shindai had no choice but to pull Kakashi's arms even harder, bringing him closer to increase the repulsive force. Shindai strained so much that the veins in his neck bulged. "Is this good enough now?"
"Now!"
The moment Kakashi said "Now," Shindai released his hands.
Kakashi was launched forward, taking off at a speed too fast for the naked eye to track, rushing towards the Iwa ninja who was airborne. Because of the extreme speed, Kakashi's vision was blurred, but he had already aimed himself from the start. He held his short blade horizontally, charging straight at the Iwa ninja. The Iwa ninja noticed Kakashi lunging towards him, but it was too late.
Kakashi shot past the Iwa ninja, his short blade cutting through the ninja's neck like tofu, instantly separating his head from his body. But Kakashi's speed was so great that he couldn't stop, rolling a considerable distance after landing until he crashed into a rock.
Kakashi grimaced in pain from the fall, but he was also exhilarated, having killed an Iwa ninja with a single strike. The other Iwa ninja was stunned, seeing his comrade killed so easily. Is this the speed of a Chunin? You're kidding, right? Wearing a Chunin's skin, but actually a Jonin?
While the Iwa ninja was still in shock, Obito had already formed hand signs again to release another jutsu.
"Fire Style! Dragon Fire Technique!"
Obito unleashed a fast, straight line of fire towards the stunned Iwa ninja. The Iwa ninja, snapping out of his daze, immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.
"Shindai! Give me a boost!"
Obito kicked at Shindai's feet.
Shindai's face darkened. "What are you doing joining in?!"
Shindai couldn't do anything about it; Obito had already kicked him. He could only cross his arms in front of him. Obito "stepped" on Shindai's arms, using the repulsive force from Shindai's body to launch himself towards the Iwa ninja, engaging him in combat.
Chapter 95: Encounter
Shindai and his three teammates found themselves under attack by two Iwagakure jonin. Thanks to the repulsion provided by Shindai's Magnet Release: Magnetization Jutsu, Kakashi managed to swiftly cut down one of the Iwagakure jonin. Now, Obito was using the same repulsion to launch himself toward the remaining Iwagakure jonin.
As he closed in, Obito hurled several kunai at the Iwagakure ninja. The ninja pulled out his own kunai, deflecting all of Obito's thrown weapons. Obito, now within striking distance, aimed his kunai at the ninja's neck. But just as he was about to strike, the Iwagakure ninja delivered a powerful kick, sending Obito flying.
Obito tumbled on the ground, incredulous. "How come it wasn't like with Kakashi?!"
Shindai retorted, "You seriously thought you could kill him like that?! Your speed compared to Kakashi's just now was like a turtle crawling! That guy's a jonin! When he's prepared, there's no way he'd fall for something so easily, you idiot!"
Kakashi had already gotten back on his feet and returned to Shindai's side. Obito, having missed his attack, also rejoined them. Facing a jonin alone would be incredibly difficult and dangerous. But with the three of them together, just one jonin? No sweat!
Shindai summoned Kamunari, planning to attack alongside Obito and Kakashi. Just as the three of them were about to launch their assault, a crashing sound echoed in the distance. Shindai's team looked in the direction of the noise and saw many large trees toppling over. Then, two figures burst out from the wreckage.
Shindai, Kakashi, Obito, and a hidden Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. It was Jiraiya! However, Jiraiya wasn't the one knocking down trees; it was the person chasing him—Han.
Steam erupted from all the vents on Han's armor, producing a sound like a speeding train as he rapidly sprinted straight ahead, plowing through trees in his path, hot on Jiraiya's heels. Jiraiya, seeing the dumbfounded Shindai and his team, was equally stunned.
Concerned that Han might harm Shindai's group, Jiraiya decisively stopped running. He quickly formed hand signs and slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
As Han advanced, the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened. He looked down to see that the earth had turned into a swamp. Before Jiraiya could continue his attack on Han, a black rectangular object plummeted from the sky, crashing down hard on the stuck Han.
This black rectangle was Shindai's doing. Having recovered from his shock, Shindai immediately used Magnet Release: Iron Sand Rectangle, creating a rectangular shape out of iron sand to strike Han. Anyone who could make Jiraiya run was clearly no ordinary foe. And seeing Han's bizarre attire, Shindai recognized him as Han, the Five-Tails jinchuriki from Iwagakure. It would be disastrous if Han decided to come after them, so seeing him trapped in the swamp created by Jiraiya, Shindai wasted no time and decided to strike first.
Jiraiya watched as Shindai's iron sand rectangle hit and pinned Han, then immediately gave Shindai a thumbs-up. "Nice one, kid!"
Shindai completely ignored Jiraiya, shouting at a still-愣神的 Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, "That's the Five-Tails jinchuriki! Let Lord Jiraiya handle him alone! Let's get out of here, fast! We absolutely can't stay here!"
After shouting, Shindai immediately took off running.
Jiraiya's mouth twitched. While he had indeed planned for Shindai's team to escape quickly, seeing Shindai so unhesitatingly abandon him still stung a bit. Kakashi and Obito looked at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya nodded. "That kid's right, you guys run! This isn't a battle you can be involved in!"
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Kakashi and Obito, taking the still-hidden Rin with them, immediately turned and fled. A jinchuriki—they had only heard of them, war weapons that symbolized a nation's military power!
Before Shindai and his team could run much further, the iron sand rectangle pinning Han suddenly shot into the air. Steam erupted from the vents of Han's armor, and he burst out of the swamp. Covered in mud, Han's gaze fixated on Shindai, who was running forward without daring to look back.
All the vents on Han's steam armor once again spewed steam, and he charged, not at Jiraiya, but at Shindai. Jiraiya's heart leaped. He hadn't expected Han to go after Shindai. Jiraiya slammed his hands together forcefully.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya used his chakra to extend his hair, forming a lion's head that tightly coiled around Han. However, the strength Han's steam armor provided was immense. After Jiraiya's hair wrapped around him, he was forcefully dragged for a short distance before Jiraiya managed to brace himself and pull back hard on Han.
Han, realizing he was being pulled by Jiraiya's hair, did the opposite: he turned and charged at Jiraiya. The vents on his gauntlets spewed a large amount of steam as he swung his arm towards Jiraiya. Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat. He immediately released the Wild Lion's Mane Technique and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to dodge. Han's punch hit the ground, instantly cracking the earth and forming a large crater, demonstrating his incredible power.
Han shouted at the Iwagakure jonin, "Tsuchikiba, stop them!"
Tsuchikiba immediately responded, "Yes, Lord Han!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
An earth wall suddenly rose in front of Shindai, blocking his path. However, Shindai used iron sand to easily smash through the earth wall and continued to run. Tsuchikiba repeatedly used Earth Release ninjutsu to prevent Shindai and his three teammates from escaping.
After Jiraiya released his bind and dodged his punch, Han once again charged at Shindai. Jiraiya tried to use the Wild Lion's Mane Technique to bind Han again, but Han's speed, boosted by his steam armor, was too great. Jiraiya was a step too slow.
Shindai turned his head and saw Han charging at him like a wild bull. He was completely terrified. "Damn it! Why are you staring at me?!"
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, seeing Han charging at Shindai, all yelled, "Shindai! Run!"
Shindai was on the verge of tears. Didn't he know how to run? His legs were practically smoking, but he couldn't go any faster! While running, Shindai manipulated iron sand to gather on his shoulders, forming Iron Sand Wings, and he flew into the air to escape.
However, Han's steam armor suddenly blasted out steam, and he too took flight, moving much faster than Shindai. Shindai watched in terror as Han rushed towards him. "Stay away from me!"
Just as Shindai thought his time was up, a uniquely shaped kunai flew towards him at incredible speed. The moment this distinct kunai was about to hit Shindai, Minato Namikaze appeared in front of Shindai and instantly teleported them both to Jiraiya's side.
Shindai, having narrowly escaped death, felt his heart pounding furiously, his mind completely reeling.
