Kakashi felt his body rapidly recovering under the nourishment of the unusually pure life energy that had suddenly poured into him. Moved, he looked toward Shin Uchiha, who stood nearby with his arms folded, and said with some emotion:
"Lord Shin, thank you."
Shin Uchiha now possessed a Sage Body comparable to the First's. Not only was his physique powerful, but he also had vast reserves of chakra. Most importantly, the vitality within his body was practically inexhaustible. The life energy he had just transferred into Kakashi accounted for only one ten-thousandth of his reserves, an amount he could replenish in just a few breaths.
So, upon hearing Kakashi's thanks, Shin Uchiha merely waved a hand to tell him not to worry about it, then began asking Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji about their progress in training.
Since he had become their instructor, he ought to take some responsibility. After all, their fathers were now loyally following him and Tsunade. He would feel rather embarrassed if he failed to train them properly.
Just then, Naruto suddenly ran over. His eyes shone as he looked at Shin Uchiha and asked expectantly:
"Uncle Shin, Uncle Shin, did you see how Sasuke and I fought that Hidan guy?"
Naruto's eyes sparkled as he gestured excitedly, speaking to the man who had always treated him so well:
"I worked with big brother Haku and had Hidan completely turned around! We even took one of his arms when they retreated!"
Before Shin Uchiha could respond, Sasuke spoke up beside him:
"Idiot. Big brother Haku was the one who cut off that Hidan guy's arm. The way you described it, you'd think you were the one who did it."
Naruto gave a startled "Huh?" at Sasuke's words, then turned to Karin, who was watching nearby, and asked: