No matter how Kakashi chose, Shinra would not suffer a loss.
If Kakashi truly prioritized the mission, then he could take Rin Nohara without any loss, which was equivalent to holding a key that could control a future big boss!
And if Kakashi realized it in time, he wouldn't lose either; simply forcing his opponent to acknowledge the importance of the hostage was enough to give him the upper hand in subsequent negotiations.
Either way, he was profiting.
Not to mention, this was also very interesting!
However, while pursuing pleasure, Shinra would not forget to add an insurance policy for himself.
This was all part of the plan!
He subtly moved his position, distancing himself from all surrounding trees and obstacles, while emphasizing with his words.
"My companion can transform into paper at any time, with no vital points around her body. You can't eliminate her with one blow, so don't think you can easily take back your companion."
He said this not only for Kakashi to hear, but more importantly, for Minato Namikaze, who might be hidden in the shadows, to hear!
Kakashi looked to be only around ten years old, and he was not yet a Jonin, so he should not have the ability to lead a team independently.
In other words, their teacher, Minato Namikaze, was very likely in the vicinity!
It was just that, perhaps due to fate, Minato Namikaze was late again this time.
Shortly after Shinra finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared behind Kakashi.
His appearance was indeed without any warning! This made Shinra's pupils instantly constrict and his nerves tighten, making him extremely vigilant.
Fortunately, it seemed his subtle reminder had worked Minato Namikaze deliberately landed behind Kakashi, rather than choosing to attack them immediately to retrieve Rin Nohara.
Konan, with no vital points around her body, to some extent, indeed countered one-hit kill type Ninja like Minato Namikaze.
And Shinra's standing position was also very deliberate; within ten meters around him, there were no obstacles that could obstruct the view, so if Minato Namikaze wanted to get close, he could only throw kunai and force his way.
The moment he landed, Minato Namikaze even had some doubts: Did this young pair of Rain Ninja know about his abilities and were intentionally guarding against him? Or was this just a simple coincidence?
Temporarily suppressing the doubts in his heart, Minato Namikaze reached out and placed his hand on Kakashi's slightly trembling shoulder, speaking softly.
"Rain Ninja, we have no intention of starting a war. Our mission this time is merely to confirm your stance on this war.
We haven't harmed anyone here on our way, so please return our companion to us."
Minato Namikaze had restrained himself as much as possible; if he were facing Ninja from other small countries, he wouldn't be so polite.
However, Shinra did not appreciate it; instead, he continued to look at Kakashi with some amusement.
"Oh? You're revealing the mission information you're currently executing so easily? This doesn't seem to align with this white-haired brat's previous insistence on the mission-first theory."
Kakashi clenched his fists.
Minato Namikaze's hand on his shoulder tightened slightly, and his expression also became more serious.
"Rain Ninja, please stop saying strange things to my disciple. We have already shown our sincerity, so please "
Unexpectedly, Shinra suddenly sneered at this moment, raising his voice and sharply interrupting him.
"Sincerity? Casually entering another country's borders, coming in with a map to scout other people's territory without a greeting, Lord Minato Namikaze, is this what you call sincerity?"
Minato Namikaze was slightly startled, "You know me?"
At this time, the Third Shinobi World War had just begun, and Minato Namikaze's reputation had not yet reached its peak.
If it were in the Kumogakure war zone to the northeast, it wouldn't be strange for others to know him; he had already fought against Kumogakure's AB combination many times there, and his reputation was rising.
But this was the Land of Rain in the western part of the Ninja World!
When did the Rain Ninja's intelligence gathering ability become so strong?
Were these still the submissive Rain Ninja from their traditional impression, who could only barely protect themselves in the conflicts between great nations?
"Yes, I know you, Konoha's Yellow Flash, the elite Jonin most likely to become the Fourth Hokage: Lord Minato Namikaze."
Shinra followed the other party's words and openly revealed Minato Namikaze's identity.
This startled Konan on the side.
We just casually intercepted a Konoha genin squad that crossed the border, and how did we run into the Jonin most likely to become the next Hokage?
Shinra, do you have to play so big every time?
Yet, Shinra was still questioning the future Fourth Hokage sentence by sentence, making Konan tremble with fear.
"The Land of Rain is an independent neutral country, after all, and the Hidden Rain Village is not your Konoha's vassal. You just come in and patrol without a word of greeting. Can that truly be called sincerity?
Your actions are arrogant, and your attitude is even more unlikable. You even refuse to call our leader 'Lord Demigod' even now! You Konoha, have no respect for our Land of Rain whatsoever!"
Minato Namikaze was momentarily speechless, having been refuted.
As the saying goes, a gentleman can be outwitted by his own principles. Precisely because he knew Minato Namikaze was a good-natured person, Shinra dared to so forcefully seize the moral high ground first.
And all of this was merely a prelude; he was about to reveal his true objective
"So stop talking about sincerity, Lord Minato Namikaze. Non-existent things cannot be used as bargaining chips on the negotiation table. Let's talk about what you plan to exchange for your companion.
She appears to be a medical Ninja, which is a very high-value target that is extremely scarce in the Land of Rain."
Minato Namikaze's expression immediately became very ugly.
At this moment, Uchiha Obito, who was also his disciple, was still assisting Shinra from the side.
"Minato-sensei, you must save Rin!"
Minato Namikaze immediately felt an immense headache.
He wanted to use force, but the other party had made it clear from the beginning that they knew his identity and remained calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble, making him unable to gauge their true strength; he wanted to appeal to their emotions, but the other party's words were much sharper than his, having already firmly established the moral high ground, leaving him helpless; finally, even if he wanted to negotiate normally, the initiative was completely in the other party's hands, as Obito had completely exposed how much they cared about the hostage in the other party's possession.
Originally, they could have used Kakashi's attitude to offset this, but unfortunately, Shinra's previous few words had the effect of a spiritual spell, making Kakashi confused, so he couldn't be relied upon now.
Minato Namikaze, who had always moved freely and been omnipotent on the battlefield, was now being stifled by a fourteen-year-old boy from a small Ninja village, experiencing the pain and helplessness of raising children for the first time.
"Rain Ninja, what do you want?" He finally spoke, unwillingly.
Shinra smiled, a genuine smile.
His gamble had paid off!
Provoking Minato Namikaze was a huge gamble, with the possibility of dying at any moment and losing everything.
But he won!