"That's good, that's good. We really shouldn't get involved in such things," Nara Shikashin said, wiping the sweat from his brow and exhaling in relief.
He was thankful that Shinki was a rational person who knew when to heed advice.
"But you were ruthless, sending the Sarutobi and Shimura clans on this revenge mission. It's extremely risky. If they get ambushed and hunted down, I doubt many who sneak into the Land of Wind will return," Shikashin noted, marveling at the Third Hokage's "generosity."
To persuade Shinki, Hiruzen had unwittingly put his own clansmen in the line of fire.
Generosity? More like desperation!
If the Third Hokage had known what Shikashin was thinking, he would have been livid.
*I didn't even get a chance to explain, and Koharu fell for Shinki's bait. What else could I do?*
Refuse? That would have given Shinki an opportunity to make a public spectacle, claiming the Sarutobi clan considered their lives more valuable than others. The clan's reputation would have been in shambles.
Shinki grinned, "They enjoy scrutinizing me, so I have to keep them busy. Besides, I'm not easy to kill. As for the others...well, that's another story."
Shinki wished he could say to the Third Hokage: *If missions like these come up again, count me in. I'll gladly participate as long as you're willing to sacrifice your own.*
A few more missions like this, and the clans supporting the Third Hokage would suffer serious losses.
Nara Shikashin found himself feeling a bit sorry for the shinobi on this mission. The mission was already dangerous on paper, and with Shinki and the two elder advisors involved, the stakes would be even higher.
Three high-value targets—the Sand Village wouldn't let such an opportunity pass by.
Whether they won or lost the battle, the Sand Village would go all out to eliminate such significant threats. The pursuit would be relentless.
In the ninja world, danger rarely came with opportunity; it was more like a series of traps waiting to ensnare you.
---
That night, while having dinner at home, Shinki addressed the three young ones at the table.
"In a few days, I'll need to leave the village for a while," he said.
"???"
Kushina's eyes widened with concern. "Is it for a mission? But you just got back from the Land of Rain! Uncle Hokage must be out of his mind. Why does he keep sending you on missions?"
"What do you know?" Nawaki scoffed. "Shinki is an important figure in the Anbu, and the village is at war with the Sand Village. Of course he's going to have more missions. You really don't know anything, do you? I mean—Hey, Minato, why are you pulling me?"
Nawaki turned to see Minato tugging at his sleeve, pointing urgently at Kushina.
Nawaki turned back, only to freeze on the spot. Kushina's eyes were locked on him, unblinking, and her long red hair began to float, a clear sign of her growing anger.
Oh no.
*I'm going to get clobbered.*
Nawaki's heart sank. *Why did I have to run my mouth?* He realized too late that Kushina's outburst wasn't out of ignorance; it was out of genuine concern for Shinki.
"Alright, Kushina. Nawaki didn't mean any harm. Let's let it go this time. And we're eating—no fighting," Shinki said calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Kushina's head.
As if a switch had been flipped, Kushina's anger dissipated. Her floating hair fell back into place, and she took a deep breath.
Nawaki, who had been looking for an escape route, exhaled shakily. He wouldn't dare speak up again anytime soon.
Kushina shot him one last warning glare, as if to say, *One more word and you're done for.*
The truth was, Nawaki's interruption wasn't the issue. The problem was that he belittled Kushina when she was worried about Shinki, stepping directly onto her last nerve. If Shinki hadn't intervened, Nawaki would definitely have been pummeled.
"If you don't change, Nawaki, you'll have a hard time finding a girlfriend," Shinki teased, shaking his head.
Being cheeky was one thing, but being tactlessly blunt was a problem.
"What? No way! When I grow up, there will be loads of girls who like me," Nawaki declared confidently.
"Uh…"
Minato looked at him in astonishment, wondering where Nawaki's confidence came from.
*Well, as long as he's happy, I guess.*
Ignoring Nawaki, Shinki turned to Kushina. "Nawaki was right about one thing, Kushina. As a high-ranking Anbu member, I can't refuse certain missions. This one is particularly complicated, and there isn't anyone else suitable for it in the village."
"Is it dangerous?" Kushina's eyes were wide with worry.
Hearing Shinki describe the mission as "complicated," she assumed the worst—that it was dangerous.
"Humph! He's the most dangerous one of them all! Don't let him fool you, kid, he—"
Before the Nine-Tails could finish his sentence in Kushina's mind, chains wrapped around him, cutting him off. He was suspended midair within the sealed space.
As she matured, Kushina had become more adept at wielding the unique sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Subduing the Nine-Tails was now a matter of minutes.
"Talk badly about Shinki again, and I'll make you regret it," she warned before returning her focus to the conversation.
Shinki noticed a brief fluctuation in Kushina's chakra and saw the determined look in her eyes. He could guess that the Nine-Tails had said something to rile her up and paid the price for it.
"It's not dangerous for me," Shinki said with a reassuring smile. "Just a bit more troublesome than usual."
A mission like this would certainly involve danger, especially with the Sand Village's inevitable retaliation. But for others, not for him. If he wanted to leave, no one in the Sand Village could stop him—not even if they sent their entire army after him.
He wasn't the Third Raikage, after all.
But the others on the mission would need to be very careful. Otherwise, they could lose their lives at any moment.
---
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 355 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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