Under Orochimaru's lead, Shindai and Pakura successfully reached the Land of Water's border, and then sailed directly towards the Land of Fire's coastline.
Orochimaru had already sent his summoned beast ahead to Konoha to report Pakura's situation to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
On the boat.
Pakura's eye twitched as she looked at her Ninja shoes.
Her Ninja shoes had literally been worn down a layer.
And the culprit, who else could it be but Shindai.
Shindai, sitting in the middle of the boat, kept talking: "See that? I asked you, do you see that! Who said I couldn't carry you? Didn't I carry you onto the boat? Apologize!"
Pakura looked at Shindai in disbelief: "What did you say? You want me to apologize to you?"
Shindai puffed out his chest, confidently stating: "That's right! Apologize! Who told you to look down on me and mock my height? I'm telling you, I just haven't fully developed yet. Once I'm fully developed, I'll be two heads taller than you, believe it or not!"
Pakura rolled her Byakugan and said: "Believe it? I'd believe a big ghost, apologize to you? Maybe in the next life there's a slight chance! Just you wait!"
Pakura's words infuriated Shindai: "You, your weight isn't small, and your mouth is quite tough!"
"Who are you calling not small in weight!"
Pakura delivered a headbutt, her head colliding with Shindai's.
"Hiss!"
Shindai and Pakura both gasped simultaneously.
Especially Pakura, who pulled at her wound due to the excessive movement.
Shindai rubbed his head desperately, while Pakura didn't dare to rub, fearing she'd pull at her wound, and quickly said to Shindai: "Quickly help me rub my head, it hurts so much!"
Shindai rubbed his own head with his left hand and Pakura's head with his right, grumbling: "What are you doing! You headbutt me, and then you still want me to rub your head? What kind of logic is that!"
Pakura retorted unhappily: "Who cares about you! Who told you to make me angry!"
Orochimaru had his back to Shindai and Pakura the whole time, his eyes slightly closed, looking expressionless.
However, a vein on Orochimaru's forehead kept throbbing.
Since they got on the boat... no! It should be since Shindai met Pakura, these two haven't stopped talking.
This feeling was like having a loudspeaker blasting noise right into Orochimaru's ears.
Even Jiraiya hadn't annoyed Orochimaru this much.
He really wanted to sew up these two's mouths; Shindai's mouth would need several layers of stitches, that guy was the most annoying one.
Finally, they arrived at the Land of Fire's coastline.
A Ninja bird flew onto Orochimaru's shoulder.
There was a scroll on its leg.
Orochimaru untied the scroll and opened it to read.
After reading, Orochimaru turned to the still bickering duo and said: "Hiruzen-sensei wants us to return to Konoha immediately. There's no need to go to the border; the situation there has stabilized. At the same time, the Land of Water's Daimyo has relented and decided to open a Daimyo conference to discuss ending the war. If nothing unexpected happens, the war is about to end."
Shindai was overjoyed to hear this news: "Yay, that's great!"
Shindai was happy, but Pakura couldn't be happy.
The war was over, but she had been betrayed by her Village and could never return to her Village.
Shindai patted Pakura, comforting her: "Alright, that unrighteous, broken Village, if you don't go back, then don't go back. No need to be sad. I'm telling you, Konoha has many delicious restaurants. When we get there, I'll have Obito and the others treat us and take you to try them out. When you eat delicious food, you'll feel much better!"
Pakura looked down at Shindai: "Where are you patting with that pig's trotters!"
Shindai glanced at where his hand had patted, quickly pulled it back, and chuckled dryly: "Sorry, sorry, my mistake."
"Alright, stop talking, let's hurry back to Konoha."
Orochimaru interrupted Shindai and Pakura; he would be free after being tormented for a bit longer.
Orochimaru didn't want to waste a single second now; he wanted to go back quickly, then kick Shindai away and let his ears have some peace.
Moreover... Orochimaru also needed to discuss the experiments with Hiruzen Sarutobi upon returning this time.
...
After another period of travel, they finally arrived at Konoha's main gate.
Pakura, who was forcibly requested to be on Shindai's back, tensed up instantly.
After all, they were enemies before, and this mindset couldn't change immediately. Coming to the enemy's headquarters, how could Pakura not be nervous?
Shindai comforted her: "Relax, no need to be nervous. I was also very nervous the first time I came to Konoha, but it gets better once you get used to it. The people inside are quite nice, and you're much better off than I was; I was alone back then, but now I'm with you."
Hearing Shindai's comfort, Pakura relaxed a little.
She thought about how helpless Shindai must have been when he first came to Konoha alone.
"Speaking of which, the first time I came to Konoha, Lord Minato treated me. I felt that the tempura at that place was really good. The first time I ate something so delicious, I almost threw up from being so full. After eating more good things, it seemed just so-so, average. Barbecue is still better.
But barbecue is expensive. Obito and the three of them definitely won't be willing to treat us. If we want to eat barbecue, we'll have to milk Lord Minato or Sister Kushina..."
Pakura pursed her lips. What helplessness? It sounded like Shindai was quite happy the first time he came to Konoha!
Shindai looked at Orochimaru with bright eyes: "Lord Orochimaru, do you want to eat barbecue? Pakura and I really want to!"
"I don't. When you see Hiruzen-sensei, let him treat you. I think he'll be very happy. Get inside quickly!"
Orochimaru was already feeling speechless towards the thick-skinned Shindai.
He was clearly afraid of him, but sometimes it felt like Shindai wasn't afraid of him at all.
Treat Shindai to barbecue? It wasn't impossible, but thinking of the mental torment along the way, and still treating him to a meal?
Not sewing up Shindai's mouth was already him being extremely benevolent.
Now that they were entering Konoha, it would be too unsightly for Shindai to continue carrying her, so Pakura got off Shindai's back and entered Konoha with Shindai and Orochimaru.
After entering Konoha, Pakura looked at the bustling surroundings with eyes full of novelty.
Even though it was still wartime, there was no atmosphere of war in Konoha at all.
It looked very prosperous. Even in peacetime, the atmosphere in Sunagakure and Konoha was completely different.
After all, in the sandy Hidden Sand Village, everyone's main focus was survival.
Shindai asked with a smile: "How is it? Konoha's not bad, right?"
Pakura couldn't take her eyes off everything, nodding: "Mm-hmm, it's very good."
Following Orochimaru, Shindai and Pakura arrived at the Hokage Building to see Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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