Kakashi intended to confirm the number of Cloud Ninja, as only one person was seen guarding outside the cave, making him suspect it might be a trap.
Shindai asked with a grimace, "So... how do you plan to confirm? Don't tell me you're just going to charge in! If you really intend to do that, I'm leaving without a second thought; I don't want to die."
Kakashi replied, "Of course, we can't just charge in. This is merely a reconnaissance mission. Unless absolutely necessary, we won't engage in combat. If we were to lure them out to confirm their presence, it would alert them.
Therefore, we must infiltrate to confirm. Otherwise, if we alert them, they might withdraw from here and relocate, which would be troublesome. That would mean Lord Jiraiya's intelligence would be wasted, and we would lose the opportunity to eliminate the Cloud Ninja here."
Obito asked seriously, "Kakashi, what do you plan to do?"
Kakashi pondered for a moment before saying, "Rin will stay put. Obito and Shindai, you two quietly lure him away. Then, I'll use the Transformation Jutsu to become him and infiltrate to observe. Once I confirm the situation inside, I'll immediately withdraw, and then we'll retreat."
Shindai said in disbelief, "This involves me too?"
Kakashi, knowing Shindai's strength, said matter-of-factly, "Of course. I'm not entirely at ease with Obito going alone, so Shindai, you'll accompany him to lure that Cloud Ninja away."
Shindai shook his head like a rattle-drum: "No, no, no. What if the lure fails and a group of people rush out? Moreover, I'm very likely to be a hindrance."
Kakashi looked at Shindai earnestly and said, "Shindai, Minato Sensei said that we are now a single entity. Although you are not yet a Konoha Ninja, we are now teammates in a squad. You must believe in yourself and believe in your comrades. The three of us believe you can do it.
We are a squad, and we will be performing many more missions together. Shindai, you can't keep backing down, so you must become confident."
Obito echoed Kakashi, encouraging Shindai, "That's right, Kakashi is correct. We are comrades now."
Rin Nohara also said, "I believe in you too, Shindai."
Shindai looked at Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara with a conflicted expression.
Aside from Pakura, it was the first time someone had said they believed in him, and it felt strange.
Shindai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally said, "Alright, alright."
Kakashi subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Minato Namikaze was right.
Minato Namikaze had specifically instructed Kakashi earlier that if Shindai wanted to back down during a mission, he could try encouraging him.
Minato Namikaze and Shindai had spent some time together, so Minato Namikaze had a bit of understanding of Shindai.
Minato Namikaze felt that Shindai was a person who responded to gentle persuasion, not force. If they were tough with Shindai, he definitely wouldn't listen and might even try to sneak away by any means necessary.
After all, since Shindai came to be an undercover agent, he had already'successfully' infiltrated Konoha and was still thinking about returning all day long.
Because Shindai was forced to be an undercover agent, he was very resistant.
Therefore, being tough with Shindai would absolutely be useless; they had to be gentle, which meant coaxing him.
And now, they saw the effect.
Kakashi continued, "Then, let's prepare to act."
"Wait!"
Shindai suddenly spoke, making Kakashi's eyelids twitch violently. Could he be pulling another trick?
Shindai's eyes darted upwards, and he said guiltily, "I, I know a Ninjutsu that can perform relatively safe reconnaissance, but as you know, I don't have much talent for Ninjutsu, so I can't maintain it for long."
Kakashi immediately inquired, "What Ninjutsu?"
Shindai explained, "I can create an eye to scout inside the cave, and the visual images will be transmitted to my actual eye."
Obito punched Shindai's shoulder in dissatisfaction: "Shindai, you actually have such a Ninjutsu! Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Shindai chuckled dryly, "I said, I can't maintain it for long, and I was afraid of messing up, so I didn't say anything."
Kakashi's eyes lit up slightly. With Shindai having this Jutsu, reconnaissance would be much easier, and they wouldn't have to take such a big risk.
As for the remark about not being able to maintain it for long, Kakashi completely ignored it; he wouldn't believe it.
It seemed that only when Shindai absolutely had to participate would he reluctantly reveal a bit of his true ability.
Kakashi said to Shindai, "Then, Shindai, begin."
Shindai nodded and began forming hand seals.
After completing the hand seals, fine Sand Iron gradually gathered together, coalescing into a Third Eye.
This Third Eye floated towards the cave, while Shindai pressed his left hand over his left eye. The visual images from the Third Eye were transmitted to Shindai's covered left eye.
Because the eyeball was very small, under Shindai's control, it easily passed through the blind spot of the Cloud Ninja standing guard at the entrance and entered the cave.
Through this Third Eye, Shindai saw the interior of the cave.
"Inside, there's a passage. There's no one in the passage. I'll continue deeper..."
Shindai controlled the Third Eye to continue deeper into the cave. The passage wasn't long, and it quickly reached the innermost part of the passage.
Shindai's Third Eye secretly observed from behind a rock.
"At the very end of the passage is something resembling a base. There are many Cloud Ninja inside. Let me count... one, two... there are a total of fifteen Cloud Ninja. There's a map on the table with many markings on it."
After a while, Shindai released the Jutsu, and the Third Eye turned into Sand Iron, scattering on the ground.
Shindai released his hand from his left eye and said to Kakashi, "That's all I saw. The mission should be considered complete now, right? Can we leave?"
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara looked at Shindai's Jutsu with astonished expressions.
It was covert, difficult to detect, and could directly perform reconnaissance.
With just this Jutsu, Shindai could absolutely join the reconnaissance squad.
Seeing Kakashi and the other two looking at him in surprise, Shindai raised an eyebrow and began his act.
"Ah~ Obito, quick, help me!"
Shindai completely went limp, grabbing Obito's shoulder with one hand.
Obito supported Shindai and asked worriedly, "Hey, Shindai, what's wrong?"
Shindai spoke weakly: "I, I've overused my Chakra, and I'm completely drained."
Obito, supporting Shindai, asked confusedly, "Huh? But weren't you fine just a moment ago?"
Shindai feigned a cough twice: "After-effects, these are after-effects. I didn't feel it just now, but now I feel completely drained and can't even walk."
Kakashi and Rin Nohara's eyes twitched. This act was too fake, wasn't it? Who would believe it!
"Oh, I see. Then I'll carry you, Shindai. You've really worked hard."
Obito considerately carried the 'weak' Shindai on his back.
Kakashi and Rin Nohara's mouths were twitching now.
Well... Obito was an idiot; he was an exception.