Although he was happy as well, he still felt that his brother's intentions weren't entirely pure, there was something a little underhanded about them.
Noticing Minato's thoughts, Shin shot him an annoyed glare and said, "From now on, you need to take good care of Konan, understand?"
"Oh!" What else could he say?
"Alright, let's go find the other two kids. Konan, do you want to come with us?"
"If my parents come home and don't see me, they'll be worried," Konan replied very sensibly.
"Then let's go tell them first."
When they arrived at the fields owned by Konan's adoptive parents, Shin and the others saw the couple hard at work.
Noticing the three unexpected visitors, the couple froze for a moment before quickly coming forward to greet them.
They naturally recognized Shin, after all, he was the one who had brought Konan to them.
What's more, Shin's fame had recently skyrocketed. Even among the people of the Land of Fire, there were few who hadn't heard his name.
When Shin told them that he wanted to take Konan back to Konoha for training, and even hoped they would come along, the couple hesitated.
Of course, they didn't want to be separated from Konan, but leaving the place they had lived in for so many years would naturally make them uneasy.
However, after Shin promised to find them good jobs and look after them, and that they could return anytime if they wished, for the sake of Konan's future, the couple agreed.
After all, a man of such status wouldn't lie to them; if he said he would take care of them, he definitely would.
Once that was settled, Shin brought them to Yahiko's home and told Yahiko and his adoptive parents the same thing.
With Shin's mix of patient persuasion, coaxing, and convincing, plus Konan's family as an example, this family also agreed.
Naturally, the happiest person was Yahiko.
Just thinking about being able to see Konan every day from now on made it impossible for him to hide the smile on his face.
Next stop, Nagato's house!
But when they arrived, an unexpected situation arose.
He had run away from home three days earlier, leaving behind a clumsily written note.
When his adoptive parents returned from work that day and saw the letter, they couldn't help but clutch their heads and cry.
It was both from the pain of his leaving and from the pain of his excessive thoughtfulness.
In the letter, he explained that he was worried his "ominous" eyes would bring disaster to his adoptive parents, Minato, Konan, Yahiko, and the others.
He believed that for anyone he loved, his leaving might be the best choice.
But how could a child come up with such an idea?
This was undoubtedly because Madara was afraid of future changes and had taken certain measures.
Such a good child, yet he was being completely ruined by Madara. Still, Shin felt helpless, he couldn't watch Nagato twenty-four hours a day.
Besides, after all these years of searching across the shinobi world, he still hadn't found Madara's whereabouts.
He couldn't even find him, let alone stop his schemes.
In the end, it was because Shin and Nagato weren't close and shared no real bond.
If it had been Minato instead, he would have searched to the ends of the earth to find Madara and kill him.
As for now, Shin could only comfort the couple, assuring them that he would do his best to search for Nagato.
Because Nagato had left, although Shin offered to take his adoptive parents to Konoha so they could live a better life, the couple refused without hesitation.
Their reason was that they believed Nagato would return one day.
If he came back and didn't see them, how heartbroken would he be?
This scene made everyone's noses sting with emotion; Konan and Yahiko couldn't hold back their tears.
Over the past half year, the three kids had met several times, and every time they met, they were especially happy, always with endless things to talk about.
But now, Nagato had chosen to run away from home out of fear of dragging them down.
His adoptive parents loved him deeply and insisted on waiting for him to return.
It was touching, yes, but why did something so moving also feel so unbearably sad?
Even Shin began to wonder whether he had truly made a mistake.
But the next moment, he dismissed that thought.
The ones plotting to harm and use Nagato were Madara and Black Zetsu, what did that have to do with him?
Still, he made up his mind: two years from now, when his body had fully evolved, he would find Madara and have a proper "chat" with him.
Without the Rinnegan, even at his peak, Madara was not a real threat to him.
When that time came, he would bring Nagato back to Konoha, give him a new pair of eyes, and a brand-new life.
The one he truly feared was never Madara, but rather Black Zetsu.
Though weak in power, he was immortal, elusive, and willing to spend a thousand years scheming and executing his plans, making him nearly impossible to guard against.
Yet, while someone consumed by a deep obsession was dangerous, they were also the easiest to deceive.
The reason others had been manipulated by Black Zetsu so thoroughly was simply because they knew nothing about him.
But if one fully understood his background and objectives, fooling him might not be difficult at all.
Start with his "mother," that approach could never go wrong.
Who knew, once tricked, Black Zetsu might even thank Shin.
After a somewhat somber farewell to Nagato's adoptive parents, Shin led the group back to Konoha.
Before long, Konan and Yahiko's new identities were processed, and they successfully enrolled in the Ninja Academy.
In Shin's view, Konan was a strategic-level figure, once grown, her assistance to Tsunade would be of great significance. That was why he aimed to cultivate her into Tsunade's right hand, and naturally, he couldn't let her slip away.
As for their parents, they were arranged to work at the Namikaze Grand Supermarket, with excellent salaries and benefits. Their housing was close to both the academy and the supermarket, making it convenient to care for the children.
That's right!
The small shop owned by Yasuto and his wife had now upgraded into the largest department store in all of Konoha.
And they had done it entirely on their own, without any help from Tsunade, Shin, or Minato.
The reason for expanding from a small shop to a supermarket was that, inspired by their two sons, the couple decided to strive for greater achievements and revive past glories.
Since they were kind and generous to everyone, and their goods were both high-quality and reasonably priced, business had been booming since the opening.
From time to time, people who had failed to curry favor with Shin and Minato would come to the Namikaze supermarket to spend lavishly, hoping to use Yasuto and his wife as a bridge to connect with the two brothers.