Shindai followed Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara to a tent.
This tent was right next to where Kakashi and the others were stationed.
Kakashi explained to Shindai, "This tent will be your residence from now on. Konoha's base camp is guarded by many ninjas, and there are many areas that you cannot enter without permission. So don't wander around unnecessarily unless needed. If you need anything, you can always find me or ask Obito or Rin Nohara."
"If we have a mission later," he continued, "we'll come notify you. Be ready at all times. Once a mission is given, you must depart immediately. Since you're acting with us now, you definitely must go too."
Shindai frowned as he asked, "Minato Namikaze's enemies must be incredibly strong. You guys, Kakashi, are super powerful, so you won't drag Minato down. But me? I'm super weak! If I follow you guys, I'd definitely just slow you down. Why don't you talk to Minato and let me stay here as support staff instead?"
"Don't look down on me like this—I'm actually really good at logistics! I can cook, do laundry, everything. And if anyone gets tired, I can even give massages. My techniques are absolutely professional!"
Kakashi tried his hardest to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.
Behind Kakashi, Obito and Rin Nohara had already lost their composure and rolled their eyes.
Just how shamelessly bold could Shindai possibly be, to actually suggest staying behind doing laundry, cooking, and even giving massages?!
If they hadn't known Shindai's true strength, perhaps they might have believed him...
No! Even if they didn't know, they still wouldn't fall for it.
Shindai was exactly the kind of cowardly opportunist who feared death and valued his own life above all else!
After calming himself, Kakashi replied to Shindai, "Our teacher's enemies are indeed extremely dangerous, which is why we rarely accompany him directly on missions. Our usual missions are investigation-based; we seldom receive direct combat assignments."
"There are also plenty of support personnel in the base camp already—there's no need for you to take over those roles, especially not giving massages. Plus, if you want to join Konoha, what you need now is to earn merit. These kinds of tasks won't count toward earning credit."
Sighing helplessly, Shindai immediately began flattering Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara, showering them with praise. "Kakashi, Obito, Rin Nohara... although we aren't that close yet, you three are just so incredibly strong and amazing. I've never met anyone your age even half as impressive as you guys!"
"I can confidently declare! At your age, the three of you are absolutely unrivaled! So when things get dangerous later on, you guys definitely have to protect me—the poor, helpless soul!"
Since joining missions with Kakashi and the others was now unavoidable, and Minato Namikaze wouldn't be accompanying them, Shindai decided he might as well shift his flattery to focus on Kakashi and his team.
If a battle broke out, he'd let Kakashi's group charge ahead while he stayed behind, hiding and cheering them on from safety.
After all, none of the three would certainly die now, so using them as a human shield probably wouldn't bring any danger upon himself either.
Kakashi and Rin Nohara were speechless. They had never encountered anyone as shamelessly audacious as Shindai before.
Obito, however, was completely taken in by Shindai's flattery.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Obito said, "It's not like I'm that amazing… Don't worry, if any danger comes, I'll definitely protect you!"
Both Kakashi and Rin's eyes turned into blank, lifeless fish-like stares at the same time.
As if he even needed protection?
This guy, Obito Uchiha… was hopeless.
Minato Namikaze arrived at Shindai's tent and told Shindai, Kakashi, and the others, "Shindai, from now on, you'll be acting together with Kakashi's team. Don't worry, the missions you're going to carry out generally won't involve fighting. There is virtually no danger."
Minato intentionally reminded Shindai this way, fearing that Shindai might run away when sensing danger.
Then Minato continued, "Kakashi, Obito, Rin—I'll emphasize again: Shindai is now our teammate. We are a single unit. As teammates, we must help each other, support each other in the days ahead. Do you understand?
And Shindai, this applies to you too. I know you fear combat, but constantly avoiding battle will erode your fighting spirit. Sometimes, that fighting spirit is extremely important. If you encounter an inescapable situation in the future without it, you'll have no chance of victory at all.
Indeed, battle is dangerous. But each one of us should possess courage and belief—striving for what we hold dear rather than merely living to stay alive."
Shindai gave Minato a puzzled look.
Frankly speaking, whatever Minato had said went in one ear and out the other for Shindai.
Right now, he simply couldn't grasp the meaning behind Minato's words.
In Shindai's heart, securing his own survival first meant securing a better future.
If he died, there would be nothing left at all.
Still, Shindai obediently nodded and responded, "I understand, Lord Minato. I'll surely take your words as my motto, engrave them deeply into my mind, and strictly follow everything you've advised!"
A twitch pulled at Minato's lips. Although Shindai agreed quickly, he did so a bit too readily; judging by Shindai's expression, he obviously hadn't truly absorbed anything.
Nevertheless, Minato didn't expect Shindai to accept his words right away. Gaining Shindai's loyalty to Konoha and making him see himself as part of the village would take time and patience.
Minato exited Shindai's tent together with Kakashi and the two others.
Obito and Rin returned to their respective tents while Minato kept Kakashi behind.
Minato led Kakashi to his tent.
"There's something I need to tell you, Kakashi," Minato said. "I'm about to go on a mission myself. From now on, you'll be operating independently. You'll remain in command as always, but there are still a few things I need to explain to you."
Kakashi nodded solemnly.
There was no need to guess—it had to be about Shindai.
Minato Namikaze instructed Kakashi, "From now on, your primary mission is to monitor Shindai closely. I've placed a mark on Shindai's Ninja Hawk. Later, I'll teach you how to detect this mark. Once the hawk comes within a certain range of you, you'll be able to sense it.
Once you detect the hawk, whether Shindai is sending a message or replying, knock the hawk unconscious first, inspect the letter, and then decide whether to alter it by imitating the handwriting.
You must ensure the Kazekage believes Shindai's undercover operation here is progressing smoothly, while making him think he has no way out and must remain in Konoha.
If Shindai attempts to report some intelligence to the Kazekage, Kakashi, you will judge its importance yourself. If the information is insignificant, there's no need to modify it. Though honestly, I doubt Shindai could obtain anything of real importance.
Moreover, Kakashi, the Third and I both believe Shindai is worth recruiting. That's why I chose to keep him close. And asking you all to treat Shindai as a real teammate was not just for show."
Kakashi turned to Minato Namikaze in surprise.
Originally, Kakashi had thought Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze had some special plan regarding Shindai, which was why they brought him along. He never imagined they genuinely wanted to recruit him.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>