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🕑 Added 2025-06-05 16:30:17 +0000 UTCChapter 21: Arrival at the Hidden Leaf Village
Kakashi and Rin Nohara were already awake when the ninja hawk started squawking in the forest. Honestly, that hawk's squawking was so loud, it was like it was afraid it wouldn't wake them up! Though, it really couldn't wake some people. Just look at Jindai, sleeping like a log. That hawk even flew over and pecked him on the head! Clearly, it was a desperate measure, an adventurous peck because nothing else worked. You gotta feel for that hawk, getting stuck with a master like Jindai.
Meanwhile, Jindai was off to the side, reading a letter. The very first line of it made him absolutely furious.
"Seriously?! I've been through so much torture, and they tell me I have to endure it?! Is there no humanity left?! Who wants to be a hero?! This hero crap, whoever wants it can have it! If I hadn't thought going to the battlefield was more dangerous than being a spy, I wouldn't have come!"
Jindai angrily threw the letter to the ground and stomped on it several times. The ninja hawk, sensing trouble and fearing that an enraged Jindai might actually stew and eat it, quickly flew away.
Obito, who was sleeping soundly, jolted awake. "Who?! Who's shouting?! Are there enemies?!"
Rin just covered her eyes, unable to watch. Jindai's roar had even woken Obito, which tells you just how loud he was. As a spy, shouldn't he be a bit more discreet?
Kakashi whispered, "Hey, Obito, don't expose yourself!"
Obito stared blankly at Kakashi. "Expose what?"
Minato Namikaze heard footsteps and, without time to explain to Obito, quickly hit him on the head with a pebble. Obito's eyes rolled back, and he promptly passed out. Minato, Kakashi, and Rin immediately closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Jindai, fuming, returned to where he had been lying. Just thinking about the letter's contents made his blood boil. Did his safety mean nothing? Even if there wasn't much affection, they were still family, right? Unable to sleep due to his anger, Jindai stayed awake until dawn.
The 'waking up' Minato opened his eyes and looked at Jindai, who was still awake and sulking. "Awake so early, Jindai?"
Jindai managed a strained smile. Angry as he was, he still had to protect his own skin, so he couldn't show Minato a sour face. "Yeah, I'm super excited to see the Hokage soon!"
Minato gave a subtle smile. "Is that so? Well, you'll see him today. Kakashi, wake Obito. Then we'll head out."
Kakashi walked over to the still unconscious Obito, grabbed his collar, and lifted him. "Hey, wake up!" Under Kakashi's vigorous shaking, Obito slowly came to.
Obito looked at Kakashi with confusion. "Huh, Kakashi... wait, last night..."
Just as Obito was about to say something, Kakashi glared at him with a murderous look. "Nothing happened last night! We need to get going, so pack up and let's move!"
To prevent Obito from saying anything that might make Jindai suspicious, Minato added, "Alright, let's get going. Jindai is really looking forward to seeing the Third Hokage, so let's not waste any time. The sooner we get back to the Hidden Leaf, the sooner Jindai can get what he wished for, right, Jindai?"
Jindai gave a dry chuckle. "Yes, yes, that's right. I wish I were in the Hidden Leaf already."
Everyone packed up and continued their journey towards the Hidden Leaf.
Around 2:00 PM.
Obito stretched. "Ah, finally back! It feels like the last time I was in the Hidden Leaf was... the last time."
Rin, sensing something off, thought about Obito's words carefully. "Obito, what you said... it sounds like you said nothing at all."
Kakashi immediately retorted, "It's just pointless rambling."
Jindai looked at the main gate of the Hidden Leaf Village. It felt completely different from the Sand Village's gate. The Sand Village's gate looked dilapidated from the wind and sand erosion, but the Hidden Leaf's gate looked majestic and imposing.
Minato smiled. "Alright, let's go in."
Jindai followed Minato, Kakashi, and Rin, successfully entering the Hidden Leaf. Once they were on the streets of the Hidden Leaf, Jindai became completely uncomfortable due to the sheer number of people. His body stiffened, and he felt utterly helpless.
The Hidden Leaf and the Sand Village were truly at two extremes. One was dirt poor, and the other was incredibly rich. No wonder the Sand Village was so envious of the Hidden Leaf. The aroma from the food stalls made Jindai constantly swallow.
Minato noticed Jindai's odd behavior and asked, concerned, "What's wrong, Jindai?"
Jindai swallowed hard before replying, "I, I'm fine. It's just... there are too many people, and I'm not used to it."
Obito asked curiously, "Are you... socially anxious?"
Jindai puffed out his chest and retorted, "No! How could I be socially anxious?! In the Sand Village, I was known as a social bandit!" Then Jindai wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and slightly hunched his back. "It's just... I've never seen so many people in the Sand Village, so I'm a bit unaccustomed to it."
Minato recalled Yamanaka Inoichi's findings from Jindai's memories. Jindai seemed to have lived alone since childhood and never went out. Considering Jindai's helplessness, nervous and unnatural expression, blushing, rapid heartbeat, and avoidance of eye contact, Obito might have been right. Jindai was likely socially anxious.
Minato also noticed Jindai's gaze fixed on a tempura shop, swallowing several times. Minato chuckled and said, "Since we've arrived in the Hidden Leaf, how about we eat first before seeing the Third Hokage? There's no rush. My treat, how about tempura?"
When Jindai heard that Minato was treating and that it was for the tempura he was craving, he immediately said, "Yes, yes, that sounds great, Lord Minato! You're too kind!"
"It's nothing. Let's go then."
Minato led Jindai, Kakashi, and Rin into the shop, specifically finding a private room. Minato handed the menu to Jindai. "Here, order anything you want."
Jindai's eyes sparkled as he looked at Minato. "Can I really order anything?"
Minato nodded with a smile. "Of course, order whatever you like." Minato wasn't worried about Jindai eating too much. After all, how much could a ten-year-old eat?
However, Minato's composed expression slowly started to falter.
"Ten servings of sea bream tempura to start, just to get us going."
"Another ten servings of oyster tempura."
"Oh, crab meat tempura looks delicious too, make that fifteen servings."
Minato's eye twitched. He wanted to take back what he said about 'eating whatever you want'. Why was this kid starting with ten servings for everything?! Who orders like that?! This was clearly milking him dry. Kakashi and the others were dumbfounded too. He could eat that much?!
Chapter 22: Hiruzen Sarutobi
In a tempura shop in Konoha, just like Ichiraku Ramen, but for tempura...
Jindai was holding the menu, ready to order.
However, each time Jindai marked an item, Minato Namikaze's heart twitched a little, much like Jiraiya's wallet often suffered.
"Eel tempura, just thinking about it makes it taste good! Order it!"
Just as Jindai was about to check off the next dish, Minato couldn't hold back anymore and gently pressed down on Jindai's hand holding the pen.
Minato forced a smile. "Jindai, you've already ordered a lot from the menu. Let's eat these first, and if it's not enough, we can order more. Wouldn't it be a waste if we couldn't finish it all?"
Jindai nodded. "Hmm, you're right. Lord Minato, you're always so thoughtful."
Minato called over the server and specifically instructed, "Don't bring everything out at once. We'll eat the tempura on the table first, and then you can fry the next batch for us."
The server replied, "Understood!"
Minato thought that with how much Jindai had ordered, he probably wouldn't be able to finish it all, so he could just cancel the uncooked items later. Jindai's ordering style was truly a threat to his wallet!
Soon, the first batch of tempura arrived. Jindai looked at the dishes on the table, his eyes filled with eager anticipation, like a hungry ninja staring at a fresh bowl of ramen.
After all, Minato was treating, so it wouldn't be polite to just dig in. He had to wait for Minato to say it was okay to eat.
Minato smiled and said, "All right, everyone, dig in! Tempura doesn't taste as good when it's cold."
Jindai picked up a piece of sea bream tempura and put it into his mouth.
The crispy texture and the delicious freshness of the sea bream made Jindai, who had barely eaten anything truly good before, want to cry tears of joy. Forget etiquette! He was going to eat his fill!
Jindai began to devour the food at the table like a hungry beast, reminiscent of Naruto at a ramen eating contest.
He couldn't reach some dishes while sitting due to his height, so Jindai simply stood up.
Minato, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin watched in shock as Jindai wolfed down his food, their chopsticks frozen in mid-air.
Obito, wide-eyed, stammered, "Didn't he... didn't he eat something when we were traveling today? Why does it look like he hasn't eaten in 800 years?"
Kakashi mused, "He probably hasn't had food this good before. The Land of Wind is nothing but sandstorms, with hardly any plants, let alone rivers. Resources are scarce, so the only requirement for food there is that it's edible and fills you up. They probably don't care much about the taste."
"Exactly, exactly! It's so good, it makes me want to cry!"
Jindai's words were muffled, his mouth stuffed with food.
Rin looked at Jindai, who was still stuffing his mouth even though it was already full, and reminded him, "Jindai, it wouldn't be good if you choked. You can eat slowly, no one's going to steal your food."
Minato now felt a faint sadness lingering in his heart. With the way Jindai was eating, even if he didn't finish everything, the bill would still be substantial. He was starting to regret this.
An hour later...
"I really... can't eat anymore, bleh~ Mmph!"
Jindai was so full that the food was practically at his throat. He almost threw up while speaking, but he somehow managed to swallow it back down.
Minato and the Konoha Genin, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, looked at Jindai with deadpan expressions, like they'd seen a ninja use a forbidden jutsu on his stomach.
No matter how delicious it was, was there really a need to eat like that?
"Sigh~"
Minato sighed. In the end, Jindai had eaten almost everything they ordered by himself.
When it came time to pay, Minato felt his heart bleeding, much like how Kakashi felt after reading the latest Icha Icha Paradise novel.
After putting his now-deflated wallet back in his pocket, Minato said, "Alright, it's paid. Let's go. It's time to see the Third Hokage."
Jindai, holding his distended belly, slowly shuffled behind Minato. It wasn't that Jindai didn't want to walk faster; it was just that if he moved too quickly and bounced a little, the contents of his stomach might come right back up. He had finally eaten something so delicious; Jindai couldn't bear to throw it up.
What would normally be a half-hour walk to the Hokage's office ended up taking a full hour.
Upon reaching the Hokage's office, Minato told Kakashi, Obito, Rin, and Jindai, "You all wait in the lobby for a bit. I'll come get you after I report the mission and Jindai's situation to the Third Hokage."
Minato went alone to the Hokage's office.
After knocking on the office door, a strong, clear voice came from inside. "Come in."
Minato pushed the door open. Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a small black beard under his chin, dressed in the white Hokage robe with a red ninja uniform underneath, was sitting in his chair, much like he always was when dealing with important village matters.
Seeing it was Minato, Hiruzen smiled and said, "Ah, Minato."
Minato reported to Hiruzen, "Third Hokage, I've brought the child back. He's waiting in the Hokage building lobby now."
Hiruzen's expression immediately became serious, like when he had to deal with Orochimaru's mischief. "The child with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai? I've read Soichi's letter. After Soichi's mind-reading jutsu, his memories were investigated, and there shouldn't be any issues. So, I plan to let him join Konoha, embrace Konoha, and become a part of Konoha. What are your thoughts, Minato?"
Minato shook his head. "Third Hokage, that child is actually a spy sent by the Sand Village to Konoha. He might have been subjected to some secret jutsu, and the most crucial part of his memory is missing, which is why Soichi couldn't detect it. His objective is to gather information about Konoha's intelligence, ninjutsu, and secret techniques."
"The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, intends to invade our Konoha Village when the war fully escalates, with that child leading the way to seize our Konoha's ninjutsu, secret techniques..."
Hearing Minato say that Jindai was a spy, Hiruzen's eyes instantly sharpened, much like his gaze when he confronted a dangerous foe.
But then, Hiruzen felt something was amiss. "Minato, how did you know that child was a spy?"
Minato explained his previous analysis, his subsequent tests, and the hawk's letter to Hiruzen in detail, leaving nothing out.
Hiruzen's expression was initially serious, his brow deeply furrowed. Then, as Minato continued his explanation, his expression relaxed, and his brow unfurrowed. Now, his expression was a strange mix of confusion and amusement.
Hiruzen looked puzzled. "That child thought being a spy would be easier than going to the battlefield, so he agreed to be one? Now he feels being a spy is even harder, so he wrote a letter to Rasa wanting to go back? How could Rasa choose an inexperienced child to be a spy?"
Minato speculated and analyzed, "Actually, I also found it strange at first, why they would send an inexperienced Jindai as a spy. Then, I thought of a possibility."
"Because the Sand Village is lacking in high-level combatants, and kekkei genkai users are generally more powerful than ordinary ninja. The Kazekage wants to lure us into a trap. He's unwilling to sacrifice his talented kekkei genkai users, and even though Jindai has kekkei genkai abilities, in his eyes, he's just an untalented child."
"Therefore, from his perspective, it's best if Jindai can infiltrate Konoha as a spy. Even if he's exposed, it's no great loss to the Sand Village if they abandon him. Also, Jindai is a social recluse who rarely leaves his home, so he knows very little about the Sand Village's situation. That means we won't be able to get any useful information about the Sand Village from him."
"Moreover, Jindai and the Kazekage are from the same clan, so the Kazekage trusts Jindai, as a fellow clan member, not to betray the Sand Village. In the end, he decided to send Jindai as a spy to Konoha, just to try his luck."
Hiruzen felt that Minato's analysis made a lot of sense, like a perfectly executed ninja strategy.
Chapter 23: I Am Your Idol
After listening to Minato's analysis, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt it made a lot of sense. He took a puff from his pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and then asked, "So, even though that child is a spy, he can essentially be considered a disposable pawn of the Sand Village, much like how a ninja might abandon a faulty kunai. It's precisely because he's not important that Rasa sent him to Konoha as a spy."
"After all, it's not uncommon for the Five Great Shinobi Nations to send spies to each other. Even if we know that child is a spy, we can't directly gain anything from the Sand Village through him."
Minato nodded in agreement. "Yes. Furthermore, this child doesn't know any critical Sand Village intelligence. On the surface, he was a bargaining chip in a trade between the Sand Village and the Stone Village, and we intercepted him. The Sand Village will definitely not admit he's a spy. They might even unite with the Stone Village and use this child as a pretext to launch an attack on Konoha."
Hiruzen's expression became slightly grave, like a Hokage contemplating war. "Then this child seems to have become a hot potato, doesn't he? That Onoki won't be content to let us just take this child with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai. He might already be preparing to make a move against us. Minato, what do you think we should do with this child?"
Minato spoke with a serious expression, like a diligent shinobi presenting a crucial strategy. "Third Hokage, I don't think this child is a hot potato at all. In my opinion, Jindai is extremely valuable and precious to Konoha."
"First, although this child is a spy, we already know he is. And his ninja hawk can directly contact the Kazekage. We can use this child to feed the Kazekage false information and intelligence, just like a Genjutsu."
"Second, Jindai's talent is exceptionally high. Earlier, at the Konoha outpost, I had Oishi and Kakashi test Jindai. Jindai's combat skills were not inferior at all. I suspect Jindai already has the strength of a Jonin."
Hiruzen's expression showed surprise, like he'd just heard a Genin had mastered the Rasengan. "How old is that child?" he asked in astonishment.
Minato replied, "I asked Jindai; he's ten years old, the same age as Kakashi and the others."
Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly. Ten years old, Jonin level strength? If he didn't know Minato was a very meticulous person, Hiruzen might have thought Minato was exaggerating.
"However..." Minato's tone shifted, "that child is very afraid of combat. It's clear he hasn't experienced real battle. His thought process during a fight isn't about defeating the opponent. Even when he creates opportunities to heavily wound his adversary, he focuses on how to escape. As a result, despite his immense strength, he can barely utilize it, fighting purely on raw power."
Minato recalled Jindai's fight that day and found it difficult to describe. If it were him, as long as he could suppress his opponent, he wouldn't give them a chance to breathe. Giving an opponent a chance to recover would be a loss for him.
Minato continued, "More importantly, that child doesn't have a strong sense of belonging to the Sand Village. Therefore, I believe we can make Jindai accept Konoha, make Jindai truly join Konoha, and become a part of our village. Like an orphan being brought into the Konoha family."
"So, Third Hokage, I hope you'll allow me to mentor Jindai. I will do my best to make Jindai embrace Konoha's ideals and become one of us. At the same time, I also want to change his fear of combat."
"That way, when the day comes that Jindai fully embraces Konoha, our village will gain a powerful ninja."
Hiruzen agreed to Minato's proposal without hesitation. "Good, Minato. I'll entrust that child's guidance to you."
Hiruzen had no reason to refuse Minato's suggestion. If Minato succeeded, Konoha would have its first Magnet Release kekkei genkai user. Not only that, but after Jindai settles in Konoha, a Magnet Release ninja clan might even emerge in the future. That would be incredibly beneficial! It would be like the Sand Village giving Konoha a free rare jutsu!
Hiruzen laughed and said, "Then, Minato, bring that child to meet me."
Minato nodded. "Alright, I'll call them up now."
Minato left the office, went to the Hokage building lobby, and found Jindai and the others.
"Jindai, the Third Hokage wants to see you. Come up with me. Kakashi, you three can go home and rest after you've reported and completed your mission."
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin left to turn in their mission reports.
Meanwhile, Jindai, feeling nervous like a Genin about to meet the Hokage for the first time, followed behind Minato to the Hokage's office.
Upon entering the Hokage's office, Jindai finally met Konoha's supreme leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Jindai's first impression of Hiruzen was that he seemed quite amiable, not very stern at all, and was looking at him with a smile.
Minato chuckled as he introduced Jindai. "Jindai, this is the esteemed Hokage you admire."
Jindai stammered as he greeted Hiruzen, "Lord Hokage, hello there. I'm your idol... no, your idol is me... that doesn't sound right either. Anyway, you're my admirer, that's it!"
Minato looked at Jindai with a prominent sweatdrop, like he'd just seen Naruto's Sexy Jutsu. What kind of nonsense was he spouting?
Hiruzen didn't mind at all and chuckled. "Jindai, Konoha welcomes your arrival. When you come to Konoha, it's like coming home. No need to be formal."
Hearing Hiruzen say it was like coming home, Jindai's eyes lit up slightly. "Lord Hokage, does this mean I've officially joined Konoha? Can I stay in Konoha now?"
"I promise, once I'm in Konoha, I'll work diligently! Lord Hokage, you can give me a research position, let me study some ninjutsu, secret techniques, and so on. But it would be best if I could learn about Konoha's existing technological data. I guarantee I'll advance Konoha's technology to the next level!"
"As for salary, it doesn't have to be too high, just enough for three good meals a day. My demands aren't high! If Lord Hokage insists on giving me research funds, I can reluctantly accept those too!"
Minato and Hiruzen stared at Jindai, dumbfounded. How thick-skinned did one have to be to say something like that? This was "not asking for much"? What would be considered "asking for a lot" then? Did he truly have no self-awareness of his situation?
Hiruzen coughed dryly. "Jindai, I personally welcome you to Konoha, but even though I'm the Hokage, I can't break the rules. We still need to follow the proper procedures. For now, you'll be working with Minato, and when the time is right, I'll arrange for you to officially join Konoha."
Now it was Jindai's turn to be dumbfounded. So, when Hiruzen said to treat Konoha like home, he was just speaking politely!
Chapter 24: Cool, But Useless
When Hiruzen Sarutobi told Shindai to go with Minato Namikaze, Shindai immediately panicked. Minato, the 'Yellow Flash' who was already famous throughout the ninja world, was definitely going to be heading wherever the danger was greatest. If he followed Minato, wouldn't he be in danger too?
Shindai quickly blurted out, "Lord Hokage, even though I really want to follow Lord Minato, I just can't keep up! I've always been really frail since I was a kid. I can barely walk a few steps without getting winded. Lord Minato knows, too—when I use a jutsu, I can only keep it up for a moment before I'm too weak and collapse from exhaustion. If I were to go with Lord Minato, wouldn't I just be a burden to him? To avoid holding back Lord Minato, and to avoid holding back the Hidden Leaf, I think it's better if I just stay here!"
Shindai spoke with such righteous indignation, looking completely like he was doing it for the good of the Hidden Leaf.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Minato a meaningful look. Minato, with a somewhat helpless expression, looked back at Hiruzen, as if to say, "See? This guy is just like that."
Hiruzen put down his tobacco pipe and spoke to Shindai with great sincerity. "Shindai, if you were a civilian from another country, and you wanted to join the Hidden Leaf, I'd approve it immediately. But your previous identity was a shinobi from the Sand Village. As a shinobi, you can't be treated the same as civilians. Especially now, with the ninja world showing signs of war, and our Hidden Leaf already having skirmishes with the Cloud Village.
"So, the Hidden Leaf is currently on full alert, in a state of war readiness. With your past as a Sand Village shinobi, you can't just directly join the Hidden Leaf. Minato should have told you: a shinobi from another village who wants to join the Hidden Leaf must first contribute to the Hidden Leaf and then have a guarantor. Your memories have been checked, and there are no issues. Minato has also agreed to be your guarantor. However, you are not yet a member of the Hidden Leaf, so you can't stay here long. According to regulations, you can only remain in the Hidden Leaf for three days before you must leave. You can't contribute here. Therefore, the only way for you to contribute to the Hidden Leaf is outside the village. Don't worry, Shindai, Minato will protect your safety; he won't let you be in danger. As soon as you meet the contribution standards for joining the Hidden Leaf, I will immediately approve your entry."
Shindai frowned and looked at Minato. It seemed if he wanted to join the Hidden Leaf, he had no choice but to follow Minato. Still, following Minato was definitely better than following anyone else. At least Minato was super strong, so if he clung tightly to Minato's side, he should be safe. Whenever Obito or Rin got into trouble in the future, it was always because Minato wasn't around. And the full-scale war hadn't even started yet, so he should be relatively safe staying with Kakashi and the others now... right?
Having no other options, Shindai could only agree. "I understand. Thank you, Lord Hokage. Thank you, Lord Minato. Lord Minato, I'll be in your care from now on."
Minato smiled and said, "Don't worry, Shindai. I won't let any of my comrades get hurt."
Shindai sighed inwardly, thinking how cool Minato sounded when he said that, radiating absolute confidence. But it was useless. In the end, only Kakashi survived.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then spoke to Minato. "Minato, you might not have much time to rest. The Cloud Village shinobi in the Land of Hot Water have realized you're gone and have started a new offensive. So, you'll need to depart tomorrow and head to the Land of Hot Water immediately."
Minato nodded. "Understood. Tomorrow morning, I'll take Kakashi and the others, along with Shindai, to the Land of Hot Water."
After leaving the Hokage's office, since Shindai had nowhere to go, Minato decided to have Shindai stay at his place for now. Minato was still a bachelor, so there was no need to worry about inconvenience.
Minato told Shindai, "Shindai, it's evening now. You can rest at my house. There's food in the fridge, and if you get bored, you can watch TV. I'm going out for a bit."
Shindai raised an eyebrow, asking very nosily, "Is Lord Minato going to see his girlfriend?"
Minato's face immediately flushed red. "No, no, it's not like that! Alright, it's getting late. I'm going now; I'll be back soon." Minato vanished instantly.
However, Minato hadn't completely let his guard down around Shindai. After all, this was the Hidden Leaf Village, and Shindai was still technically a spy. So, Minato summoned a toad to monitor Shindai nearby.
But Shindai had no intention of going out. He loved the feeling of just staying home and not going anywhere. Things like ninjutsu or secret techniques didn't interest him at all right now. Shindai was currently more interested in the television set. Not the content on the TV, but its internal structure. With his hands itching, Shindai used his Magnet Release to loosen the screws on the television, muttering, "I'll just take it apart to see, and then put it back together later."
Minato arrived near a building away from the central area of the Hidden Leaf. As he reached the entrance of the building, two Anbu shinobi instantly appeared before him. Minato told the two Anbu, "I'm here to visit Kushina." The two Anbu nodded and swiftly disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
Because Kushina Uzumaki had the Nine-Tails sealed inside her, and she couldn't perfectly control it yet, her current residence was located far from the Hidden Leaf's central area and was protected by a barrier. This barrier was not only to prevent Kushina from losing control and endangering the Hidden Leaf, but also because within this barrier, its power would help Kushina suppress the Nine-Tails within her. However, as a Jinchuriki, Kushina couldn't leave the barrier to prevent the sealing power from weakening, so her activity was limited to the area within the barrier, centered around this building. Anyone could enter and exit this barrier, but entering the building itself wasn't something just anyone could do. The two Anbu shinobi just now were specifically guarding this building and Kushina.
Of course, Minato could enter freely. As soon as Minato stepped through the building's main door, he saw Kushina Uzumaki running towards him. Kushina was incredibly happy to see Minato.
"Minato!"
Seeing Kushina, Minato's face also unconsciously broke into a smile. "Kushina."
After jogging up to Minato, Kushina pouted. "Minato, you haven't come to see me in ages!"
Minato apologized to Kushina. "Sorry, sorry. I've been away from the Hidden Leaf because of missions. I only just returned today."
Kushina's unhappiness came and went quickly. She immediately became enthusiastic again. "Minato, tell me about what you've been doing lately! I'm so bored here." Kushina grabbed Minato's wrist and led him further into the building.
Chapter 25: Home Wrecker
Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were now in the living room. Minato was recounting the events he'd encountered recently, and Kushina listened intently. When Minato got to talking about Shindai, Kushina couldn't hold back. "Is there really a kid that dumb? He sounds even dumber than Obito!"
Minato thought for a moment before replying, "Dumb, huh? I don't think Shindai is dumb; he just isn't good at disguising himself. According to Inoichi, this kid never leaves his house and doesn't interact with people. So Shindai has absolutely no experience as an undercover agent. And because he doesn't talk to people, he doesn't even know what kind of expressions to use to respond. That's why all the expressions Shindai makes when he tries to lie look incredibly stiff. You can tell if he's lying at a glance. Most importantly, this kid is resisting being an undercover agent from the bottom of his heart, and he also resists fighting. So even if we hadn't found out his identity at first, he would have exposed himself sooner or later."
Kushina asked curiously, "How come you seem to know this kid so well, Minato?"
Minato sighed helplessly. "It's not that I want to know Shindai; it's just that Shindai is too easy to read. He can't hide anything."
Kushina burst into unladylike laughter. "Hearing you say that, it sounds like that kid is really interesting! I suddenly want to meet him."
Minato's lips curved into a smile. "He really is interesting. I've already put him on my team. I hope he'll come to accept the Hidden Leaf and join us. Once he does, I'll bring him to see you. For now, since he's still undercover, he can't come to see you."
Kushina cheered Minato on. "Alright, Minato, do your best then! Try to get that interesting kid to join the Hidden Leaf."
"I'll do my best." Minato stood up. "Alright, it's getting late. I should head back. I have to leave for the Land of Hot Water tomorrow morning, and Shindai is staying at my house right now, so I'm a little uneasy. I'll come see you next time I'm back in the Hidden Leaf."
Kushina felt a pang of reluctance when she heard Minato was leaving, but she still bid him farewell.
Minato left the building where Kushina was and started walking home. However, for some reason, his right eyelid wouldn't stop twitching.
At Minato's house.
"Huh? Why are there so many extra screws and parts? That's not right. I put it back together exactly how I took it apart!" Shindai stared at the screws and parts on the floor, deep in thought.
Shindai hadn't just disassembled Minato's television; he'd pretty much taken apart every single electrical appliance that could be disassembled. He was incredibly amazed by these appliances. In the Sand Village, there were almost no electrical appliances; it felt like living in a primitive society. But at Minato's house, by taking apart these appliances, Shindai felt like he had suddenly arrived in modern times.
However, because all the parts were mixed together, Shindai couldn't figure out which was which. He just put things back wherever he saw an empty spot, and now there were an incredible number of leftover screws and parts piled up, leaving Shindai completely baffled.
Just then, Shindai heard the sound of the door opening. Uh oh, Shindai thought, quickly trying to hide the screws and parts on the floor. But he was too late; Minato had already entered. Shindai immediately stood in front of the pile of parts, trying to block Minato's view.
Shindai gave a dry chuckle. "Lord Minato, why are you here?"
Minato was bewildered by Shindai's question. "Because... this is my house, isn't it?"
Shindai's face stiffened. Minato seemed to have a point. And there was something else, too. Given Shindai's height and build, he couldn't block the view at all. Minato had already seen it.
Minato pointed at the parts behind Shindai and asked, "What are these?"
A few beads of sweat appeared on Shindai's forehead. "Th-these are... Oh, right! These are the trash I swept up. How could I stay at Lord Minato's house for free? So I saw that Lord Minato's house was a bit dirty, and I helped tidy it up. I didn't expect to sweep up such a huge pile of trash."
Minato walked forward and picked up an antenna from the pile of parts. "Why does this look a bit like my radio's antenna?"
Shindai tried to fool him. "Lord Minato, you must be mistaken! This is clearly for picking your teeth!"
Minato frowned. "Who would use something this thick to pick their teeth? This is definitely an antenna..." Minato's body suddenly trembled, and he immediately walked to the cabinet and picked up his radio. The antenna was gone, and the weight was wrong; it was much lighter. Then Minato immediately ran to the television, picked up the remote, and tried to turn it on. But, of course, it wouldn't turn on.
Minato tried every single electrical appliance in his house. Without exception, they were all useless. So, who was the culprit? Minato looked with dead fish eyes at Shindai, who was now lying on the sofa pretending to be asleep. Who else could it be but this kid?
Minato looked at the parts on the floor with a pang of heartache. These appliances, he had bought them one by one with his mission earnings. He had an emotional attachment to them. For example, that radio, he bought it with the reward from his very first mission after becoming a shinobi. And that television, he saved up money for half a year and gritted his teeth to buy it. Now... after just a few hours outside, they were all gone!
Shindai, pretending to be asleep, opened one eye just a crack, secretly looking at Minato. Seeing Minato's somewhat grim expression, Shindai immediately closed his eyes again. He should have sorted the parts when he took them apart.
Minato sighed. Forget it, he thought. I won't be using these appliances anyway. I'm leaving the Hidden Leaf tomorrow for a mission. If they're taken apart, they're taken apart. Besides, they're not completely broken; they might still work once these parts are put back together.
However, Minato secretly vowed in his heart that if Shindai ever came to his house again, he would absolutely never leave Shindai alone. With his ability to tear apart a house, Minato worried that if he didn't keep an eye on Shindai, his whole house might end up being dismantled.
Minato spoke to Shindai. "Stop pretending to be asleep. Go sleep in the guest room. I'll get the bed ready for you; it won't take long."
Shindai stopped pretending and opened his eyes. He had taken apart all of Minato's appliances, yet Minato hadn't said a single word of blame, which made Shindai feel quite embarrassed. Shindai scratched his head and apologized to Minato. "I'm sorry, Lord Minato. I just wanted to see what was inside. I promise I can put it back together for you."
Minato quickly stopped him. "No, no need! It's not a big deal. Alright, come with me to the guest room." Minato was worried that if Shindai fiddled with it again, something that could have been fixed might end up being completely ruined.
