Obito's emotions at that moment were a mix of joy and complexity.
Kakashi, his teammate, had refused to save Rin, yet it was Shinji who had extended a hand without hesitation.
He looked at Shinji, his gaze earnest and resolute. "Shinji, I owe you a favor this time."
"Alright, I'll wait for you to repay it."
Shinji merely smiled lightly, saying nothing more.
He understood better than anyone that once Obito left, he might never return. So, he held no expectations.
Before departing, Shinji took out the kunai Minato had given him and handed it to Asuma beside him.
"Asuma, take Kurenai and hide. This kunai will allow Lord Minato to find you."
Kurenai Yuhi's heart tightened, her eyes growing slightly warm with reluctance. She instinctively wanted to reach out and stop him, but in the end, it only became a trembling whisper:
"Do you really have to go?"
She couldn't explain why, but deep down, she didn't want Shinji to take such a risk.
Shinji's tone remained unwavering:
"If it were you two who were captured, I would definitely save you as well."
Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi were deeply moved, their hearts trembling.
Asuma silently accepted the kunai.
He understood better than anyone that Kurenai had lost her combat ability and needed someone to protect her. At a time like this, he was the only one who could stay.
He clenched his fist tightly, his eyes filled with confusion and frustration, almost shouting:
"Why! How did our two squads suddenly end up like this!"
Just moments ago, the six of them were fine, but now they were about to scatter in all directions.
Shinji sighed softly, lamenting, "This is war. It never makes sense."
He looked at Asuma, his tone carrying an undeniable seriousness:
"Asuma, you must protect Kurenai. Otherwise, I won't let you off."
Upon hearing this, Kurenai Yuhi's heart warmed, her cheeks instantly flushing red. She whispered to herself:
"Shinji, are you concerned about me?"
Asuma's face darkened as he recalled the scene of Shinji treating and feeding medicine to Kurenai earlier. His tone carried a hint of jealousy as he said:
"You don't need to tell me."
Kakashi hadn't left yet, standing motionless in place.
Shinji saw it clearly—Obito's words had likely struck deep into Kakashi's heart, leaving him in the midst of an intense internal struggle.
So Shinji decided to add fuel to the fire. Looking at Kakashi's back, he said calmly:
"Kakashi, don't do something you'll regret."
"If it were your father in this situation today, what would he do?"
The fate of Team Minato had always been filled with irony and regret. Minato Namikaze, hailed as the fastest in the shinobi world, always arrived too late for the most critical moments. Rin, who was dedicated to saving lives, was the first to wither on the battlefield. Obito, naive and determined to become Hokage, ultimately fell into endless darkness. And Kakashi, redeemed by his comrades, ended up alone in the end.
Kakashi remained silent for a long time.
He looked up, glancing at Obito and then at Shinji. Without a word, he finally turned and left.
Obito clenched his fist tightly, burning with anger. "That guy Kakashi! Is he really going to abandon Rin?"
He turned to Shinji, his tone firm. "Let's go, Shinji."
Shinji nodded lightly, giving Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi a meaningful glance before leaping into the dense forest with Obito.
…
The two of them raced in the direction Shou and the others had gone, passing through layers of trees. About twenty minutes later, they finally discovered a hidden cave.
They hid behind a thick tree trunk, observing the entrance from a distance.
"Do you have a plan, Shinji?"
Obito quietly leaned back, his tone filled with trust. He knew his own abilities were far inferior to Shinji's and was willing to follow Shinji's arrangements completely.
On either side of the cave entrance, Shou and Ōishi stood guard vigilantly.
"Rin must be inside," Shinji judged calmly. "I'll try to lure one of the two ninjas away. After that, I'll break free as quickly as possible and come back to support you."
He looked at Obito, his tone serious:
"Obito, seize the opportunity. Focus on rescuing Rin. Absolutely do not get drawn into a prolonged fight."
Obito nodded heavily. He knew Shinji was extremely fast and had learned Shisui's Body Flicker Technique, making him the most reliable ally at that moment.
"Alright! Be careful."
Shinji emerged from behind the tree, charging forward as his figure blurred into a faint afterimage.
As he rapidly closed in, his crimson Sharingan suddenly opened. His hands flew through a series of hand seals, his chest swelling intensely:
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A fiery orange-red fireball, two to three meters in diameter, shot forth, carrying a wave of violent heat.
"Enemies! It's a brat from the Uchiha Clan!"
Ōishi recognized it at a glance, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"He can see through my Camouflage Concealment Technique. That's troublesome."
Shou nodded in understanding, clearly aware of the Sharingan's abilities. Facing the oncoming Great Fireball, he remained expressionless, slamming his hands onto the ground:
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Instantly, a thick stone wall, ten meters wide, erupted from the ground, blocking the two of them.
The fireball collided with the stone wall, producing a deafening explosion. Debris flew in all directions, and the air twisted from the heat.
Shou sneered. "Ōishi, guard the entrance. I'll go dig out this brat's eyes. After all, the Sharingan is priceless."
Without waiting for Ōishi's response, he kicked off the ground and charged straight at Shinji.
Shinji frowned slightly. "Only one is chasing me?"
"Well, they are two Jonin, and we're just a few Chunin. It's normal for them to look down on us."
With a flick of his wrist, unwilling to engage Shou in close combat, Shinji flung out over a dozen shuriken, aiming straight for his opponent's vital points.
"Too naive."
Shou casually sidestepped, deflecting the attacks effortlessly with his kunai.
Shinji's expression remained unchanged as he maintained long-range pressure, alternating between ninjutsu, shuriken, and explosive tags. While keeping Shou occupied, he gradually lured him away from the cave entrance.
Hidden in the rear, Obito's expression shifted. "He only lured one away?"
"I can't waste the opportunity Shinji created."
He patted his cheeks, forcing himself to muster courage. "Don't be afraid, Obito. Rin is waiting for you."
He looked toward the cave, about to move forward, but the next moment, his heart tightened, his pupils constricting as his heart sank.
"The other ninja is gone!"
Ōishi's figure slowly materialized behind Obito, his voice icy:
"Where do you think you're going?"
Before the words finished, his short blade slashed toward Obito!
At the critical moment—
"Obito, watch out!"
Kakashi's figure suddenly leaped out, taking the blow for Obito.
Blood splattered.
Obito cried out in shock, "Kakashi!"
…
On the other side, Shinji continued to lure Shou away from the cave entrance. Facing the steadily approaching formidable enemy, his face showed no trace of panic.
He took a deep breath, focusing his consciousness into the System, his gaze falling on the Quest Log on the right.
"Side Quest: Keep Up the Good Work has been completed."
"Quest Rewards: 200,000 Points, S-Rank Gift Box ×1 have been automatically received."
"Note: Completing such a difficult task within the time limit is truly astonishing!"
That's right—Shinji had completed the task of conquering five people to the first stage within fifteen days.
Apart from Minato, the affection levels of Obito, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi had all reached the first stage.
In addition to each of them providing him with a sum of Points, this increase in affection had also allowed him to directly complete this Side Quest.
Earlier actions—feeding medicine to Kurenai and stepping forward to rescue Rin—had significantly boosted their approval of him, allowing him to complete the first stage in one go.
Shinji didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Half of the 200,000 Points he had just received instantly disappeared, fully invested into upgrading his Sharingan.
On the System Panel, the information under the Talent section updated immediately.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Sharingan (Three Tomoe)]
[Type: Talent, Upgradable]
[Description: A Dōjutsu awakened when the Uchiha Clan experiences intense emotional stimulation, producing special Chakra that stimulates the optic nerves.]
[Effects: Possesses exceptional dynamic vision, allowing clear observation of an opponent's hand seal sequence and Chakra flow trajectory; can predict kunai and Taijutsu trajectories, replicate most ordinary Ninjutsu and Taijutsu that are not Kekkei Genkai; can see through and cast intermediate to high-level Genjutsu.]
[Next Stage Upgrade Required: 400,000 Points (Mangekyo Sharingan)]