"Only three days together and you're already reluctant to part?" Shin said with a laugh.
"I just think… if we could teach them ninjutsu, wouldn't that be better?" Minato said seriously.
"Don't tell me you've taken a liking to that girl? Better be careful or Kushina's going to flip out when we get back."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Minato's face turned red, and he argued earnestly, "Konan is only six! How could I be that twisted?"
"She may only be six now, but she's definitely going to grow up to be a beauty." Shin nodded as he spoke. "But you're right, she's only six. You'd have to wait a few more years before making a move."
"Argh! that's it, I'm going to fight you!" This time, Minato was truly flustered, looking ready to duel Shin over his outrageous words.
"Alright, alright!" Tsunade, who had been watching from the side, couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Shin by the ear and scolded, "Can't you act a little more decent?"
Feeling the pain from his ear, Shin quickly begged for mercy, and only after a while did Tsunade finally let go. Seeing Minato gloating at his misfortune, he shot him a look that clearly said: Just you wait.
At that moment, Tsunade said, "Minato, I actually understand how you feel. Those three little ones are indeed very endearing. Even though it's only been three days, they've really grown attached to you. It's natural for you to like them and care about them. But what made you think about teaching them ninjutsu?"
"I just think that only when someone has enough strength can they control their own destiny. I want them to be able to protect themselves and the people they love in the future," Minato explained.
"I agree." Shin also got serious at this point. "Anyway, you've already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, and where they live isn't far from Konoha. After we return to the village, you can set aside some time each day to guide them. But there are a few conditions."
Minato immediately sat up straight, listening attentively.
"First, don't lump all three of them together out of convenience. They've just moved to their new homes and need time to bond with their foster families, so you need to visit and teach them one-on-one."
Minato nodded solemnly.
"Second, your guidance must come with no other motives, it should be purely out of a desire to help. You mustn't expect anything in return, nor should you plan their futures for them. Their paths should be decided by themselves."
"Of course," Minato promised quickly. He was never the type to offer help expecting repayment, his desire to assist truly came from the heart.
Shin patted Minato's head and smiled warmly. The reason he made that condition was so that Minato wouldn't place too many expectations on the three kids. If they ended up going down a bad path in the future, at least he wouldn't feel too guilty about it.
"The third and final condition: you must not let your own training fall behind."
"Understood! I'll complete the mission!" Minato nodded firmly, committing all three conditions to memory.
Watching Minato run off excitedly, Shin couldn't help but sigh.
"What's the matter?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"The more bonds a person has, the more weaknesses they gain. I really don't want him to end up hurt because of them."
"You know something, don't you?" Tsunade, who knew Shin extremely well, asked sharply.
"Haha, nothing gets past you!" But Shin didn't explain and just said, "When the time is right, I'll tell you."
And so, the days passed by.
Because the Root ninjas had failed several times in a row, Hiruzen no longer sent people to the border to deal with Shin and his companions. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he was truly afraid.
Five elite ninjas, eleven special jonin!
These were the elite forces he had secretly nurtured over the years, and yet a full third of them had been wiped out in a short time. For any ninja village, that would be a force not to be underestimated. And worse, all those ninjas died under mysterious circumstances, without even making a splash. How could he not be terrified?
He feared that if this went on, Shin would be completely fine, while his own forces would be entirely crippled. So now, he began seriously considering Danzō's proposal, to demand talented individuals from the various clans.
If Tsunade weren't a threat to his position as Hokage, he likely would've agreed already. But right now, she was watching him like a hawk.
If he agreed to Danzō's proposal, it would mean offending multiple clans at once. And with public opinion already turning against him due to various rumors circulating in the village, the consequences would be unbearable if the clans grew resentful and rallied behind Tsunade. Yet if he didn't recruit talent from the clans, when would Root ever take shape and become the sharp weapon in his hand? And that wasn't even what troubled Hiruzen the most.
What really worried him… was that Tsunade was about to return. He had given her a mission timeframe of three months. Now that the deadline was approaching fast, he had neither an excuse to delay it, nor the dare to do so. Every time he remembered how Shin had once placed a vial of poison on his desk as a warning, his hair stood on end.
That experience was terrifying.
Tsunade's status was also highly unique, she was a top figure in the Medical Corps, second in authority only to Koharu. And since the village wasn't currently at war, he couldn't activate wartime protocols.
If Tsunade insisted on staying in Konoha after returning, he truly wouldn't be able to force her to leave. Public opinion alone would crush him.
Shin… oh Shin!
How am I supposed to confront you? Just how much are you scheming behind the scenes?
He even had reason to suspect that Shin hadn't been staying at the border this whole time, he had probably returned to the village multiple times already. Otherwise, there was no way Uchiha Fukuyama could have repeatedly seen through and neutralized all of Hiruzen's plans so precisely.
And Torifu, after being stripped of his post, couldn't have possibly gone from dejected and despondent to so cheerful and content in such a short time. So the so-called "Hokage's reassignment orders" meant absolutely nothing to Shin. And if he couldn't do anything to stop Shin and Tsunade while they were away, what could he do once they returned?
Now all he could do was hope Orochimaru would deliver some results. In Orochimaru's latest research proposal, there was a method specifically designed to counter Shin. For that reason, Hiruzen had provided him with a large research grant.
But no research yields results overnight. he feared he wouldn't live to see the day it succeeded.
Meanwhile, Shin had already regrouped at the border with Tsunade and Minato, and the three of them were now heading toward Konoha. And just like them, another group was also making their way toward the village: a team of ninja from Iwa.
He had once said he'd deliver a "grand gift" to Hiruzen. And he was a man of his word.
---
200 = +1 bonus chapter
---
Completed at Chapter 278!