Right now, Shindai only had one belief in his heart!
There were just some things a person must do in their lifetime. Now, Shindai had finally found his purpose!
At this moment, Shindai *was* a hero! A fearless warrior! A true embodiment of courage—standing tall even in the face of impossible odds!
Shindai did not fear hardship or challenges. With unwavering conviction and extraordinary courage, he was determined to protect justice and peace!
Faced with the darkness of the ninja village, Shindai would use his wisdom and strength to create a haven for the weak.
It was precisely this belief that made Shindai forget timidity and fear. Right now, he was courageous and unyielding, unafraid of power. He swore to fight relentlessly against the evil forces led by Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizō!
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara looked at Shindai with disdain.
"Hey… don't you have any shame?"
"Who actually talks like that out loud? And in third person too!"
"That's not even inner thoughts. It's pure ego-boosting. If you wanna take revenge, just say so—why drag in all this 'belief' crap?"
...
Hearing Obito and the other two undermining him like this, Shindai protested with dissatisfaction: "Come on guys, I'm the team leader! What I say right now is absolute truth! You have no right to question me!"
Translation:
Hearing Obito and the other two undermining him like this, Shindai protested, "Come on guys, I'm the team leader! What I say right now is absolute truth! You have no right to question me!"
Hearing Obito and the other two undermining him like this, Shindai protested angrily, "Come on guys, I'm the team leader! What I say right now is absolute truth! You have no right to question me!"
Translation:
Hearing Obito and the other two speaking against him like this, Shindai protested angrily, "Come on, guys, I'm the team leader! What I'm saying right now is the absolute truth! You have no right to question me!"
"Yeah yeah, you're absolutely right!"
"Mmhm, such truth, all truth. Shindai, your sense of conviction is truly remarkable~"
"You're the ultimate example, there's no better example than you."
Obito and the other two responded half-heartedly, merely humoring Shindai.
Shindai was about to get angry. His facial expression was already set, but suddenly he stopped himself mid-expression, and his footsteps halted as well.
He pressed his left eye and observed through his Third Eye.
Obito and the other two also stopped walking. They realized Shindai must've detected something, so they kept quiet and didn't interrupt.
Heh heh heh, finally found the main target. Way too smooth~
Shindai let out an eerie chuckle. His Third Eye had spotted Chiyo's trail.
Shindai, together with Obito and the rest, had been tracking for two full days now.
And those were non-stop 24-hour days.
With seamless cooperation, they avoided encounters with Sand ninjas by taking detours whenever they sensed them. Their journey had gone very smoothly.
Now they'd successfully located Chiyo—what incredibly good fortune.
To prevent Chiyo from detecting his Third Eye if it got too close, Shindai deactivated his Third Eye.
Barely containing his excitement, Shindai whispered to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara: "I've already found Chiyo. I'll go deal with her right now. When you peep next time, be careful. Don't get caught like last time when you spied on Pakura or Lord Orochimaru. This mission—I'm totally confident doing alone. But if you guys come along? Not a single ounce of confidence left."
"If you brats screw up my meeting with Old Lady Chiyo, then for the rest of your lives, I'll hound all three of you nonstop! Got it?"
The threat of being hounded every single day by Shindai Tenten weighed heavily on Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara.
Kakashi said to Shindai, "Don't worry. I promise this time we won't be discovered. We'll observe from an extreme distance; they won't have a chance to find us."
Shindai nodded, "Remember what you just said—I'm heading out now."
Just as Shindai took his first step forward, he suddenly turned his head toward Kakashi again and said, "Kakashi, let me apologize in advance~"
Kakashi looked at Shindai in confusion.
Apologize in advance? Why?
But Shindai had already rushed ahead, leaving Kakashi no chance to ask.
Chiyo's eyelid had been twitching uncontrollably ever since it began.
An inexplicable feeling told her that her downfall would come in disgrace.
Suddenly, Chiyo halted mid-step, turned sharply toward the woods behind her, and shouted, "Come out!"
Shindai stepped out from behind a tree and stared at Chiyo with a dark expression.
Frowning, Chiyo asked, "Who are you?"
Since Shindai wasn't wearing a Konoha forehead protector, Chiyo didn't immediately attack him.
Shindai sneered coldly, "Don't you recognize me?! You old bastard woman—you, along with your illegitimate child Rasa, your own younger brother Ebizō who betrayed you to Onoki, and the other village leaders—you branded me a traitor, remember? After doing that, how dare you claim you don't know me?"
Chiyo's pupils instantly constricted: "You're that undercover agent sent to Konoha?!"
Shindai immediately started shouting curses at Chiyo. "Old hag! I've been busting my ass as an undercover agent in Konoha, but you people just open your mouths and label me a traitor overnight. Is there anyone more shameless than you lot? You really are scumbags—exactly like those despicable people.
And don't even talk about being the Flower of the Ninja World! Look at your wrinkled face—it could even trap flies between those folds. Clearly, you weren't good-looking back in your youth either, plus you're super short, which probably explains why that old pervert Onoki fancied you in the first place. You gave birth to that lowlife Rasa!
Use that empty head of yours to store something useful. The desert may lack water, but it's not completely dry—so at least fill your brain with some moisture, you foul old woman!"
He let out a deep breath, feeling completely satisfied.
Watching silently from hiding, Kakashi and the others felt exhilarated—they were practically itching to jump out and hurl a few curses themselves.
Chiyo's face turned green, but knowing how unjust their actions truly were, she could only argue weakly, "It was for the sake of the village! As a ninja of our village, you should understand our difficulties—understand the hardships faced by the village!"
"Tch!"
Shindai spat on the ground, "So you really are scum. You'd say anything to drag Konoha into this war. Don't even think about dragging me into this. You're such a shameless bastard. Good-for-nothing trash! No wonder Sasori fled the village. Having a grandma like you is humiliation enough!"
Chiyo was furious at Shindai's words, even though she knew their actions hadn't been entirely honorable, especially when he mentioned Sasori.
Chiyo unfurled a scroll and summoned one of her puppets—an ordinary model only.
Since the Third Kazekage had once said that the infiltrator they had sent behind enemy lines had some talent in puppet-making but was otherwise completely incompetent, struggling even with basic puppet control, she wouldn't need her Chikamatsu Collection against someone like this.
"I'll give you one chance," Chiyo said coldly. "Return to the village with me. I'll help you take on a new identity in Sunagakure. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Shindai sneered, "Ruthless? How bossy of you! You're the ones who labeled me a traitor, yet now you demand I return? Like everything always goes your way, huh? But if you're looking to play hardball first, then wait just a moment—don't you at least want to know the truth about the Third Kazekage's disappearance?"
At those words, Chiyo's body stiffened slightly, and alarm flashed in her eyes.
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