Chapter 20 The "Smart" Sleeper Agent

Shindai thought he had accidentally exposed his sleeper agent identity, which frightened him so much that he nearly lost his mind.

But Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara all said they hadn't heard what he'd just said, greatly relieving Shindai.

For a moment, he thought he'd been exposed.

Next time I sleep, I can't afford to be that deep in—scared the hell out of me.

Forcing an awkward smile, Shindai bluffed, "I didn't say anything just now. I'm just super excited because we're finally going to Konoha! I'll finally get to meet my idol, the Hokage! I'm really looking forward to it—I can't wait to pour my heart into serving Konoha!"

Minato and the others almost rolled their eyes upon hearing this.

Now Kakashi, Obito, and Rin finally understood why Minato had specifically warned them not to let Shindai realize they already knew about his sleeper agent identity.

This guy might just blow his own cover—who can deal with that?

Smiling, Minato Namikaze said, "Since you're so excited, let's head out right away then. Come on, Shindai."

Shindai got up and followed Minato Namikaze and the other three as they left Konoha's base camp, heading toward Konoha.

...

Three days later,

Shindai's Ninja Hawk finally returned to Sunagakure.

The Third Kazekage retrieved the scroll from the bird's back and began reading its contents.

Seeing that Minato was also in the Land of Rivers, the Third Kazekage felt quite surprised—no wonder those ninjas trading with Iwagakure had gone silent.

So Minato had intercepted Iwagakure's supplies. Too bad for them, I suppose.

Reading further, the Third Kazekage learned that Minato seemed to value Shindai highly, even reporting him directly to the Third Hokage of Konoha. If nothing unexpected happened, Shindai's sleeper mission would proceed smoothly, and unconsciously, a smile appeared on his face.

"I originally only intended this as an experiment. Unexpectedly, Shindai seems to have quite the talent for being a sleeper agent—he's actually making good use of his abilities.

Once he earns Sarutobi Hiruzen's favor, he'll be like a nail driven deep into Konoha—impossible to pull out.

Though naturally, this process must be pretty difficult for a sleeper agent. Poor Shindai—it is his first mission after all. Maybe I should send him an encouraging message—give him a little praise too."

The Third Kazekage wrote a letter, tied it onto the Ninja Hawk, and sent it off to deliver into Shindai's hands.

...

It had already been six days since Shindai left Konoha's base camp.

They had now entered the Land of Fire and were about to arrive at Konoha.

During these six days, Shindai obediently followed behind Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, and the others.

Besides Minato occasionally talking with him, Kakashi and the rest barely spoke to Shindai at all.

After all, Shindai was a sleeper agent. To Kakashi and the others, he was an enemy. To prevent any slip-ups, it was best to speak as little as possible.

Minato Namikaze had been inquiring about Shindai's background, but he stopped due to the potential danger involved.

The reason was that Shindai had practically admitted, "I'm a spy."

Shindai himself felt nothing strange about it, but Minato was genuinely terrified.

What if Shindai realized his cover was blown and tried to escape?

Shindai was a valuable asset. If he disappeared, where else could they find such an intelligent spy who could directly communicate with the leader of a ninja village?

Meanwhile, Shindai felt he had been hiding perfectly well.

Just look how enthusiastic Minato was—he always checked on him first whenever there was food or drink available.

He constantly asked if Shindai needed a rest.

What a great guy!

If Minato knew he was a spy, would he treat him this nicely?

If he really knew, wouldn't he choke the life out of him instead of feeding him so well?

As night fell,

Minato Namikaze stopped walking and said to Shindai and Kakashi, "We're not far from Konoha anymore. Let's rest here tonight and resume our journey in the morning—we should arrive by tomorrow afternoon."

Everyone set up camp for the night.

In the middle of the night,

Leaning against a tree trunk, Minato suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the sky.

Then he turned his gaze toward Shindai on the other side—fast asleep.

Minato vanished from his spot.

A Ninja Hawk carrying a message addressed to the Third Kazekage flapped its wings as it flew toward Shindai.

The next second, the hawk blacked out and fell unconscious.

Minato had placed a tracking mark on this hawk—if it got close enough, he would sense it immediately.

Minato retrieved the letter strapped to the hawk and opened it.

[Shindai, your performance has been exceptional this time. As you will soon meet Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi, ensure you gain his trust through every possible method and report any intelligence immediately.

Your time undercover won't last long. Once the war begins, we will cooperate from both inside and outside, seizing Konoha's ninjutsu and hidden techniques. Your espionage mission will then conclude—you will become a hero of Sunagakure.

Work hard. I have high hopes for you.]

After reading the letter, Minato raised one eyebrow.

Now he finally understood what Shindai's mission in Konoha truly was.

He rewrote the letter, altering only the first sentence:

[There is no room for discussion regarding your role as a spy. As a ninja, you must endure any hardship and do everything possible to earn the trust of Konoha's Shinobi. Report every piece of intelligence to me immediately.]

Once done rewriting, Minato tied the letter back onto the hawk and left silently.

Minato Namikaze returned to his resting place as if nothing had happened, leaning casually against the tree trunk.

Half an hour later, the Ninja Hawk regained consciousness.

The Ninja Hawk blinked in bewilderment.

What just happened? Did I black out mid-flight again?

This had never happened before.

Unable to figure it out, the Ninja Hawk blamed everything on Shindai.

After all, the last time he fainted was right after carrying Shindai's scroll. He barely flew a short distance before losing consciousness.

And this time, just as he was about to reach Shindai's location, he fainted again.

If it wasn't Shindai's fault, then whose was it?

The Ninja Hawk felt like it had committed unthinkable sins over eight lifetimes just for crossing paths with Shindai.

But the mission still needed completion. With no choice, the Ninja Hawk headed toward Shindai's location once more.

Shindai, who was sleeping, felt something pecking at his head and suddenly opened his eyes wide. Seeing the Ninja Hawk, he exclaimed joyfully, "You're finally back!"

The Ninja Hawk gave Shindai a look of disdain. It had called out several times from a nearby distance, but Shindai didn't respond at all. It had no option but to take the risk and approach him directly.

Shindai stole a glance at Minato and the others, noticing they were all fast asleep. He then took the Ninja Hawk behind a nearby tree.

Kakashi and Rin Nohara opened their eyes and glanced toward Minato.

Obito, meanwhile, was sleeping soundly, just as Shindai had been moments before.

Minato slightly opened his eyes and shook his head, signaling to Kakashi and Rin not to worry.

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