Minato's words were like a shackle that tightly bound Shin. And with the lock Tsunade added on top of that, he was completely trapped.
Was this what they call a "bond"?
He was really damn well tripped up by it.
Shin didn't know what Tsunade and Minato talked about that night, but it definitely wasn't just some casual chitchat.
He never expected that after all his calculations and schemes, in the end, he would be outmaneuvered by Minato, who tried everything he could to keep him from leaving. Who could he even argue with about this?
He had been explicitly told not to show his freakishly clever side in front of others, and his sunny, honest appearance really did fool everyone. Yet all that cleverness was used entirely on Shin.
And of all things, this kid knew how to act all sweet and coy in front of him. That time when he was getting spanked, just one sentence made Shin unable to keep hitting him, it was a total emotional chokehold.
He had no way to deal with it.
Maybe this was what Orochimaru meant when he said Shin wasn't as good as Minato.
But was Orochimaru really born cold and heartless?
The idea for his research, didn't it first come from the pain of losing his parents and close friends? Didn't he go dark and ruthless in the end because of the death of Nawaki?
And wasn't it the same for Shin, losing the people he cared about one by one, feeling how fragile life was, and refusing to suffer for love, so he closed off his heart?
So, who was he to talk so much?
Of course, Orochimaru's words from a few days ago also played a critical role.
When they were talking about whether to set up a lab outside the village, he suddenly grinned and said, "Why should we be the ones to leave? My research is what matters, not where I conduct it. If the village supports us, we'll use their resources. If they get in the way, we can just team up and kick them out as far as possible."
Shin knew Orochimaru said this at Tsunade's request, to get him to stay. But he had to admit, Orochimaru made a really good point.
So, faced with Minato's eager gaze, he nodded and said, "I'm not leaving."
"Really?"
"Really."
"That's great!" Minato jumped up in excitement, dancing around happily.
Seeing him that happy, Shin was speechless.
But it didn't matter anymore, Orochimaru was right. What difference did the place make? And where else could he find a colleague as brilliant as Orochimaru?
If anyone was getting kicked out, it'd be them. And honestly, if they kept interfering with his research, he wouldn't mind having more "research materials" to work with.
For now, the research hadn't started yet, so those "materials" could wait.
Minato calmed down a little and proudly said, "From now on, I'll protect you. Anyone who tries to hurt you, I'll make them pay!"
"Haha, then you'd better work hard!" Shin laughed. "Because I'm really strong, so the people who could actually hurt me aren't ordinary at all. With your current strength, you're still not quite there."
"Just watch me!" Minato wasn't discouraged at all. Instead, he looked serious and full of determination.
He was still young, but he'd always been smart. Under Shin's guidance, he'd matured early.
Shin always protected him, but hadn't Minato always felt the same way toward him? So even when he was little, he secretly swore to himself, he would make sure Shin could live a normal, happy life.
Originally, he wanted to wait until he was strong enough to back his brother with sheer power, so no one could mess with him. But now, Shin had broken free of his predicament through his own strength. Minato was overjoyed, but also deeply ashamed.
Because from beginning to end, he hadn't helped his brother at all. In fact, he nearly messed things up.
So he swore: he had to work harder, push himself even more, become incredibly strong, enough to truly protect his brother. And he was going to become Hokage, and build his brother a massive research institute, to fully support his research.
That evening, after the full-fish feast, for once, Minato didn't cling to Shin, who was also having dinner at home. Instead, he rushed off, using "training" as an excuse.
Seeing the boy like that, Shin couldn't help but chuckle and tease, "Do you think Minato went on a date?"
Hearing this, Yasuto scratched his head and replied in his honest way, "No way, right? He is too young, what would he know about that?"
"Forget it, never mind him. I've got a date."
The early-stage prep work for the research lab was still ongoing. Shin was anxious inside, but some things weren't up to his will, so he figured he might as well treat it like a little vacation.
---
Meanwhile, Minato was sneaking off to a hidden spot.
"This way!" Kushina, who had been waiting there, quickly waved him over.
When they met up, their expressions were both rather awkward. Looking around cautiously, Kushina asked nervously, "Are we really going to do this?"
"Don't be scared. It'll be quick!"
"But you're still a kid!"
"I'm not a kid!" Minato lifted his head, putting on the look of someone who thought he was already a grown-up.
"But..."
"No more buts. Let's do it!"
Kushina looked extremely conflicted. After a long silence, she finally sighed and gave in. "Alright, fine."
She was persuaded in the end. She took off her jacket and pulled out a stack of sealing tags from her pocket, then began setting up a barrier around Minato.
Even though she was young, under the careful guidance of the leader of the Uzumaki clan, Ashina, and Mito, she had developed a certain proficiency in sealing techniques. And since barriers are closely related to sealing arts, her talent in one carried over to the other.
With the help of the tags, she quickly finished setting up a small barrier, about 3 meters in length, width, and height.
Unlike the nervous Kushina, Minato, inside the barrier, had a look of surprise and excitement on his face.
"I can really sense it!"
The tags Kushina used were specially developed by Shin to help Minato better perceive space, meant to be used while practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique. When one of the tags was attached, it enhanced spatial perception.
The barrier she had set up amplified the tags' effects. It was a simple setup, mostly meant for beginners to practice with, not particularly powerful or complex.
But for Minato, this barrier was a dream come true, because he could genuinely feel the spatial fluctuations clearly.
"Take that kunai I gave you and place it far away from here," Minato said eagerly, looking ready to go.
Kushina hesitated, uneasy. "Shin-niisan said your foundations still aren't stable. Maybe we should stop here?"
"No!" Minato rejected the idea immediately. "He is about to get really busy and might not have time to hang out with me anymore. But he told me that the moment I master Flying Thunder God, I can see him whenever I want."
"I said I'd protect him, so I can't back down now."
"But—!" Kushina grew more anxious.
She believed in Minato's talent, but she trusted Shin's judgment even more. After all, he was currently the only person in the shinobi world who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. His opinion was authoritative.
"Just let me try it once. Really." Minato coaxed gently. "I can clearly sense the spatial fluctuations, and I can feel the spatial pathway too. All the key elements my brother told me about, I can sense them. There's absolutely no problem."
"Just once, really?" Kushina couldn't resist the persuasive Minato. She was wavering.
"Just once," Minato nodded seriously.
"Okay then..." Kushina walked ten meters away, placed the kunai on the ground, and then stared at hhim with extreme tension.
She didn't know much about the Flying Thunder God Technique, only that it allowed a person to teleport. She had no idea how difficult or dangerous it was to practice.
But because she trusted him, she chose to support him.
What she didn't expect was that this would become the most regretful decision of her entire life.