Shindai had already broken free from the Subconscious Brain-Control Sand Jutsu and regained all his memories.
But right now, Shindai felt truly terrified inside.
Minato Namikaze—this was one of the ninja standing at the pinnacle of power in the ninja world.
If Minato wanted to kill him, it would take nothing more than a flick of his finger.
Although Shindai had been forced into becoming a spy, this was his very first time doing such work. He had absolutely no experience and couldn't even figure out what to do next.
The Third Kazekage had said that once the plan succeeded, he should act like he was from Konoha and gather intelligence on Konoha's tactics, Ninjutsu, secret jutsu, etc.
Acting like he was from Konoha sounded easy enough, but it was far harder in practice. Right now, he felt just like a thief caught mid-heist—there was no way he could pretend otherwise. His mind simply wasn't strong enough for this.
As for gathering intel on Konoha's tactics and jutsu... well, he'd need to actually enter Konoha before he could do that, and nobody had even told him whether he'd be allowed to join yet.
Suddenly, Shindai felt lost.
At first, he thought being a spy would be better than fighting on the battlefield—but now, war seemed far easier than espionage.
The mental pressure was unbearable—he no longer had control over his own life. Facing such an overwhelmingly powerful figure head-on, the stress nearly made his mind go blank, making it hard for him to think clearly.
Minato Namikaze kept observing Shindai closely. Seeing Shindai's current state, Minato's eyes narrowed slightly.
Shindai's behavior just now showed a noticeable shift.
Earlier, he had been desperately pleading with all his energy, but after Yamanaka Aoi probed his memories, he suddenly appeared dazed and visibly panicked.
Minato asked aloud, "Are you okay?"
When Shindai heard Minato asking if he was alright, he guiltily raised his eyes and stammered, "I-I'm fine."
Looking at Shindai's reaction, Minato narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled. "Good, as long as you're fine."
Minato took out his kunai and cut the ropes binding Shindai, freeing him.
Then Minato turned to Yamanaka Aoi and said, "Aoi, immediately report this matter to the Third."
"Understood! I'll leave at once!"
Aoi dared not delay. He left immediately, eager to deliver this unexpected piece of good news to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After Aoi left, Minato asked, "What is your name?"
"S-Shindai…"
"Shindai, huh? I suppose you already know—you became a sacrifice for the alliance between Sunagakure and Iwagakure. But now you've been intercepted by our Konoha ninja. What are your thoughts on this?"
As Minato asked about his thoughts, Shindai tried his best to calm himself down and think carefully about how to respond.
Shindai hesitated, his face twisting in exaggerated frustration. "I'm outraged! Infuriated! Never did I expect Sunagakure to treat me this way! Since it was Minato who saved me, I beg him to take me in! I never want to return to that heartless village again!"
Minato Namikaze was now certain in his mind—something was definitely off about Shindai.
The boy's expression looked overly stiff, and his words sounded unnaturally flat. Even though he stressed a few key phrases, there was hardly any real fury behind them.
So... Shindai's anger was fake.
Although Minato couldn't figure out how Shindai had managed to deceive Yamanaka Aoi's Mind-Reading Technique, perhaps Shindai had been dispatched by Sunagakure for a mission aimed at infiltrating Iwagakure.
But one thing puzzled Minato.
Why would Sunagakure choose someone as young and inexperienced as this kid?
This boy practically had 'suspicious' written across his face.
Minato reviewed every detail about Shindai since arriving at the tent with Yamanaka Aoi.
Initially, Shindai had desperately begged for mercy, saying he was willing to cooperate.
Then after Yamanaka Aoi probed Shindai's memories, the boy underwent a complete transformation—he stared blankly for a long time before becoming visibly anxious.
Minato considered one possibility: That the memories Aoi had extracted were genuine.
However, part of Shindai's memories had been missing and therefore inaccessible.
And that missing piece might be the key to understanding why Shindai had been chosen as a disposable tool.
After Aoi extracted those memories, that previously lost fragment resurfaced within Shindai.
That could explain why Shindai suddenly changed so drastically.
Minato noticed another suspicious point.
The trading location agreed upon between Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Why choose the Land of Rivers?
To the left of the Land of Rivers lay the Land of Wind, and to its right was the Land of Fire.
If they truly wanted to trade with Iwagakure, they should have picked the Land of Birds, which connected the Lands of Wind and Earth—it would've been far safer.
Another possibility crossed Minato's mind.
Perhaps Shindai hadn't been sent to infiltrate Iwagakure at all; maybe his actual target was Konoha!
The brilliant Minato had already pieced together nearly everything, coming extremely close to the truth.
Meanwhile, Shindai's heart pounded with anxiety.
During this silent moment from Minato, the man's expression had shifted several times.
Now Minato fixed him with a piercing gaze, making Shindai's pulse race nervously.
Could it be… he wouldn't be allowed into Konoha?
But hadn't that Yamanaka clansman just said he had great value to Konoha?
If he was so valuable, why still rejection? Were their standards really that strict?
Shindai had no idea his cover was already on the verge of being blown, and now he was growing increasingly anxious.
After a long silence, Minato Namikaze finally spoke with a warm smile. "There's no rush for you to join Konoha. After all, you were previously a ninja from Sunagakure, and the process of joining Konoha is quite complicated. Outsiders must make certain contributions to Konoha and also need someone to vouch for them.
By the way, Yamanaka Aoi mentioned that you're highly skilled in Magnet Release ninjutsu. Would you like to demonstrate it?"
Shindai shivered slightly.
Could it be...Minato Namikaze wanted to test his strength and then send him to the battlefield?
No good! He became a mole specifically to avoid going to war!
If Minato Namikaze sent him to fight, wouldn't he be both a mole and a frontline fighter?
Then why did he come here at all?
Back then, he should have just revealed his strength in front of Third Kazekage and gone to war directly.
But since Yamanaka Aoi had already read his mind, Minato Namikaze already knew that his abilities weren't weak, so there was no chance of deceiving Minato Namikaze anymore.
With tears welling up and a gloomy face, Shindai said, "Lord Minato, I'm more of a technical specialist, not suited for combat. My jutsu are merely showy techniques; they look powerful but are actually weak and can't kill anyone!"
Now Minato Namikaze could tell that Shindai's reaction was genuine this time, further confirming that the memories Yamanaka Aoi had extracted about Shindai were true.
The memory Aoi obtained showed that Shindai deeply feared combat. Afraid of Third Kazekage discovering his talent and sending him to battle, Shindai had kept hiding his abilities all along.
It seemed like Third Kazekage truly didn't know about Shindai's talents, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed a gifted yet completely inexperienced ninja like Shindai to carry out a secret mission.
Because if Shindai were an untalented ninja, even his death wouldn't have caused any real loss to Sunagakure.
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