"I'm telling you guys, I was actually really scared back then. If Chiyo had caught me, I would have been done for. After all, my close-quarters combat ability isn't very strong. The safer approach would have been to have my Sand Iron clone deliver that slap.
But why did I take such a big risk? It's because I had a strong sense of conviction. I thought of a saying: 'Those who are born are not afraid of death; those who are afraid of death were never born.' So, what's there to be afraid of? Just go for it!
It was with such a powerful sense of conviction that I succeeded. What does this prove?
Hmm? No one's answering? You must be waiting for my answer, right? Well, I'll tell you then: it proves that I am a person of great courage, extremely high intelligence, and both wise and brave!"
It had been almost a month since Shindai slapped Chiyo.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara had been listening to Shindai boast for almost a month.
Obito said, troubled, "Shindai, can you please stop? My head is really starting to hurt from listening!"
Shindai looked at Obito with disdain and said, "Obito, you're not very good. Look at Kakashi, how seriously he's listening!"
"Hmm? What's wrong? Did you finish talking, Shindai?"
Kakashi pulled out the earplugs from his ears and asked Shindai, confused.
The corner of Shindai's mouth twitched, and his left fist was already clenched.
"Kakashi, this guy, he's just one of those sly, cunning people who always try to cut corners!" Shindai looked at Rin Nohara on the other side: "Obito, don't learn from him, learn from Rin!"
Kakashi frowned slightly, his gaze at Shindai a little bewildered.
Why was he suddenly scolding him?
Rin Nohara, whose eyes were unfocused, heard Shindai call her name. After her vision focused, she asked, "Ah? Did you call me, Shindai?"
A vein popped out on Shindai's forehead: "Rin, do you have something in your ears too?"
"No, I was just spacing out."
Shindai was too annoying, his incessant chatter made Rin Nohara feel mentally drained. Under such high pressure, Rin Nohara learned to empty her mind. After emptying her mind, she couldn't hear any sounds around her, and her ears became quiet.
Shindai's right fist also unconsciously clenched.
One after another, why were they all so infuriating?
He had done such a big thing, what was wrong with boasting a little?
Obito asked, "Shindai, do I still need to learn?"
"Learn my ass!"
Shindai angrily turned around, presenting his back to the three of them.
Kakashi and Rin Nohara asked Obito, confused, "What's wrong with him again?"
Obito spread his hands, "Who knows?"
Kakashi clapped his hands, "Alright, we're almost at the base. After we turn in the mission, let's rest for a day and take on a new mission tomorrow."
Upon returning to the base, they found Might Guy sitting on the ground, looking dejected. Shiranui Genma and Ebisu were comforting Might Guy.
Obito ran over and asked, "What happened? What's wrong?"
Shiranui Genma's voice, filled with deep sadness, replied, "While we were on a mission, we encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Hidden Mist Village. At the critical moment, Guys Father arrived. To protect us, Guys Father fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, allowing us to retreat. But Guys Father…"
Ebisu took off his sunglasses, rubbed his swollen eyes, and said, "Guys Father opened the Eight Gates Formation - Gate of Death to fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. If it weren't for Guys Father, we would definitely be dead."
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara's expressions all became incredibly somber.
The Eight Gates Formation - Gate of Death, once opened, meant certain death.
Shindai was not close with Might Guy and the other two, so he stood behind Obito without speaking.
However, when Shindai heard that Might Dai, Guys Father, had opened the Gate of Death to fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Hidden Mist Village, he was somewhat curious about what the scene must have been like. It must have been spectacular.
After all, even Madara acknowledged future Might Guy's dance skills.
Although he was very curious about the power of the Eight Gates Formation - Gate of Death, even if Shindai could learn the Eight Gates, he wouldn't learn it even if it killed him.
Shindai couldn't endure that kind of suffering even a little bit.
Might Guy wiped away his tears, stood up from the ground, and said with resolute eyes, "There's no need to be sad. My dad swore to protect what was most important to him until death. I'm proud of my dad! I will also inherit my dad's will and continue to move forward!"
Obito gave Might Guy a thumbs up: "I believe you can definitely do it, Might Guy!"
Might Guy returned a thumbs up to Obito, showing a smile that was harder than crying, his white teeth reflecting light that flashed in Shindai's eyes: "Thank you, Obito! I also firmly believe I can do it!"
This sudden "gay" atmosphere made Shindai get goosebumps all over.
A Ninja walked over: "Squad Kakashi, go to the combat command room. Lord Orochimaru is looking for you."
The four of them, Squad Kakashi, arrived at the combat command room.
Orochimaru said to the four of them, "Now that the Sand Ninja have withdrawn from this border, the Kirigakure alone are nothing to fear, so there's no need to keep so many people here. You will now return to Konoha and await new assignments. It seems Minato Namikaze is also in Konoha now, so you should be acting with Minato Namikaze when you get there."
Hearing that they would be able to meet up with Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara were all very happy.
But Shindai couldn't be happy.
Because it was already considered the late stage of the war, if they were to meet up with Minato Namikaze now... that meant the drastic change for Squad Kakashi was about to happen.
And next, it would be time to truly test Shindai.
Shindai followed the three of them, Kakashi, out of the combat command room.
Obito excitedly told Rin Nohara and Kakashi that when he saw Minato Namikaze, he would definitely tell Minato Namikaze about his progress.
However, as Obito spoke, he felt something was off.
According to his understanding of Shindai, he should be even more excited than him right now, and then recount everything he did to Chiyo, along with his mental journey, and finally say he would tell Minato Namikaze.
Why was he so quiet? This wasn't like Shindai at all.
Obito turned his head to look at Shindai behind him and saw that Shindai was frowning deeply, looking very serious.
Obito asked, puzzled, "Shindai, what's wrong? Why do you seem unhappy? We're about to see Minato-sensei!"
Shindai, who had snapped out of his thoughts, shook his head and blurted out, "Nothing, I was just thinking about Guys Father. He was truly great and had such a spirit of sacrifice. It's such a pity for a Ninja like that to die."
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara looked at Shindai with some bewilderment.
When they learned of Guys Father's death, they hadn't noticed any particular emotional fluctuations from Shindai; it seemed more like curiosity. Why did he suddenly become sad after leaving the combat command room?
The emotional reaction was a bit too slow, wasn't it?
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