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In the Land of Fire, within a luxurious inn, Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, with a demeanor more befitting a Daimyo than a ninja, impassively examines the wine glass in her hand.
After a long while, a look of impatience and disgust appears on Tsunade's brow as she slowly says, "Shizune, are you telling me that the Fire Temple has been destroyed?"
Shizune, although adept at reading people, misunderstands Tsunade's anger as being about the incident itself.
"Lady Tsunade, according to the intelligence, first the Fire Temple's elder monks, who were preparing to visit the Daimyo's residence, were attacked. Then, the Fire Temple itself was destroyed, leaving no survivors," Shizune reports solemnly, her eyes revealing shock and anger. The Fire Temple is an important symbol of the Land of Fire's power.
"The Daimyo, upon learning of this, is furious and has ordered the Third Hokage to send ANBU and ROOT agents to investigate thoroughly. He has also commanded the reconstruction of the Fire Temple, involving the twelve Guardian Shinobi of the Land of Fire. All wandering monks of the Fire Temple have been recalled," Shizune continues.
The Fire Temple, a place for training monks who would serve the Daimyo in various secret and protective missions, couldn't have been completely annihilated due to their dispersed activities, including intelligence gathering. However, all monks present at the temple at the time, including several high monks responsible for training, were killed, dealing a severe blow to the temple.
Tsunade listens to Shizune's report with a scornful sneer, her eyes filled with disgust. "Dirty political conspiracies," she comments.
Shizune, destined to become a reliable assistant to the Fifth Hokage, is no fool. Realizing from Tsunade's comment that this might involve an internal plot, her face turns pale as she starts to ponder deeply.
"Shizune, pour the drink," Tsunade orders, seeking to drown her frustrations in alcohol, cursing the village elders in her mind.
Indeed, the situation in the Daimyo's residence is dire, having been made worse by the division among the Daimyo's twelve Guardian Shinobi, especially after the arrival of Sarutobi Asuma. The elders from the village must be involved in this plot.
Now, with the destruction of the Fire Temple, an important military force of the Land of Fire's Daimyo, it's clear that the elders are stirring trouble. The destruction serves as a warning to the Daimyo while weakening his power, with only the Konoha standing to gain.
It must be said, from the last conspiracy theory to such a coincidence now, Konoha is really in a mess, like getting mud in their pants – it's bad either way.
Moreover, Konoha did indeed plan to strike against the Daimyo's mansion, but they didn't have the guts yet. They only wanted to ambush and eliminate a radical elder monk ninja from the Fire Temple as a warning.
Such things are common in the ninja world, just a covert struggle between two sides.
But it just so happened that Tsunade stumbled upon it. Are there really such coincidences in the world? If she investigates carefully, she will indeed find traces of Konoha, silently eliminating the Fire Temple within the borders of the Land of Fire.
Tsk tsk, this time Konoha is really in a bind, like a mute who has swallowed Coptis – they have bitterness but cannot speak. The Daimyo is truly furious, Konoha has gone too far, this is a warning to him.
You can fight in secret, but this time you have crossed the line. And after the Third Hokage of Konoha found out, he was furious, thinking 'even jumping into the Yellow River won't wash me clean'.
"A bunch of old guys, the older they get, the bolder they become."
Tsunade, drinking sullenly, couldn't help but curse under her breath. In this situation, inside and out, it's filled with Konoha's maneuvers. Even if the Fire Temple incident wasn't done by Konoha, they are not clean either, perhaps they hired external forces.
It must be said that the misunderstanding is really too big. The original twelve ninja guardians of the Land of Fire were already challenging her limits, but with the emergence of the Fire Temple incident, good heavens, these old guys are more wild than in their youth.
Especially in this situation, it makes Tsunade even more uneasy. She really feels that the old guys in the village must have gained some kind of power, like Wood Release or the Mangekyo Sharingan, otherwise it's impossible to explain how Konoha, now at its weakest, is still causing so much trouble.
…
In the forest at the border of the Land of Fire, amidst howling wind and snow, a hidden tree hollow flickered with light.
Within the hollow, a figure with a high bun of deep green hair, with strands of brownish-yellow at the sides of the forehead protector, was visible. Despite the cold wind, this beautiful female ninja from the Village Hidden in the Sand wore a thin, backless outfit.
The fire crackling inside the hollow drew the attention of Pakura, who glanced outside at the snowstorm without a trace.
"If you've seen enough, you can come out now."
Her crisp voice echoed in the storm, seemingly talking to herself. However, the next moment, footsteps crunched on the snow, and a black figure slowly emerged.
Upon seeing the unmistakable forehead protector of a Konoha ninja, Pakura's face lit up with a smile, though it was tinged with coldness.
"I thought Konoha wouldn't come. I didn't expect you to show up near the border."
Uchiha Yoru, dusty from travel, removed his hat, revealing a handsome face. He casually shook off the snow from his shoulders and sat down by the fire. The relationship between the two mirrored the alliance between their respective villages.
However, Pakura remained on guard, his face calm: "It seems Konoha is determined this time, even sending a genius of the Uchiha clan."
Pakura recognized him instantly. Uchiha Yoru was no longer an unknown figure. He was Orochimaru's disciple, a frontline commander, and even surpassed Kakashi Hatake in talent. His information was well-known in the ninja world.
"There have been frictions between the Sand and Stone villages, mostly over mineral resources. It seems the Sand Village sent you to seek the Mist Village's support, or perhaps to trade materials."
Although the Sand and Stone villages had a secret alliance, competition was inevitable in the ninja world, especially over territory and cross-national missions.
The Sand Village needed external support. Given recent events, Konoha wouldn't easily assist them, making the Mist Village, capable of sea transport and possessing needed resources, a logical choice.
Admiring Pakura, the illustrious ninja of the Sand Village, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but take a second glance and remarked: "You truly are the 'Beauty with a Back', Pakura."
Taken aback by the nickname and his gaze, Pakura's eye twitched. Though she appreciated beauty, she was foremost a seasoned ninja.
"Want some?"
Pakura, hailing from the desert lands of the Wind Country, offered a roasted fruit with a generous and straightforward demeanor.
Uchiha Yoru, without hesitation, accepted it, scrutinizing this striking character who, despite limited appearances in the original story, left a profound impact.
Her strength and reputation were worth his efforts to ally.
"Can't wait, can you?"
Seeing Uchiha Yoru not eating the fruit, Pakura shrugged and smiled, "It seems Konoha has impressive intelligence. My movements were so secretive, yet you still managed to track me."
"Pakura, an elite jounin from the Sand Village, 166.3 cm tall, weighing 46.3 kg, blood type A, born on April 9th. Now a hero of her village, her fame rivals the current Fourth Kazekage."
Uchiha Yoru spoke plainly about her intelligence, but Pakura shook her head and said, "It seems that you from Konoha have come to disrupt the alliance between the Sand Village and the Mist Village."
In the world of ninjas, it was not uncommon to assassinate envoys from other countries midway to disrupt peace talks and alliances between nations.
However, this time Uchiha Yoru calmly nodded, "Indeed, we received intelligence from the Sand Village, so we want to disrupt your alliance. But this time, it's a bit different."
"This is warm clothing, a beautiful back is indeed beautiful, but you must also keep warm. Also, I have another gift and a piece of news for you."
Looking at Pakura, Uchiha Yoru did not hide anything and squinted his eyes, "Your reputation is too high. In the Sand Village, you are already overshadowing the current Fourth Kazekage. Don't you think this is very dangerous?"
"Dangerous?" Pakura gave a self-deprecating smile, as if mocking his poor attempt at sowing discord.
Uchiha Yoru did not explain further, believing that some things must be experienced to be believed, and some people will not turn back unless they hit a wall.
"There is intelligence suggesting that the higher-ups of the Sand Village and the current Kazekage want to eliminate you as a threat. They plan to sell you out to the Mist Village, hoping to use them to remove the threat while also establishing friendship."
Under Uchiha Yoru's calm voice, Pakura's expression remained very calm, not believing the other party, nor showing any anger.
As a renowned ninja, how could she be easily provoked? Moreover, his words were too absurd.
Seemingly realizing Pakura's distrust, Uchiha Yoru gave a self-deprecating smile, "Some things are only understood after experiencing them. I'll give you this book for now. You might not understand it now, but see what fortune it brings you this time. If you survive, maybe you'll understand. If not, it might be good to take it to the afterlife."
A book with a red cover was pulled out and thrown to the other party. Pakura caught it and looked at the words 'My Struggle', showing a puzzled expression.
Is he crazy? He came here not to fight, but to sow such absurd discord, and then gave a book?
"Seeing your expression, it's really too bad."
Pakura's expression made Uchiha Yoru shake his head in disappointment, as if regretting something, "Such a beautiful back, it would be a real pity if it was filled with shuriken."
"This gift might save your life when you're on the brink of death, but it might also hasten your journey to the afterlife."
A black snake as thick as a finger slowly crawled out of Uchiha Yoru's sleeve, but was then put into a sturdy glass test tube and thrown to the other party.
Looking at the venomous snake in the test tube, Pakura carefully confirmed there were no traps, her eyes filled with suspicion as she gazed at the other party.
"I don't need to act personally. As I said, there's intelligence indicating you would set an ambush in the Mist Village," Uchiha Yoru said teasingly, but Pakura shook her head, her eyes brimming with distrust. "Your purpose."
"My purpose? It's quite simple," replied Uchiha Yoru, facing Pakura's distrust. He revealed a pitiful look in his eyes and then sighed, "Perhaps we are both castaways in this world. In the future, you and I may need to encourage each other."
Pakura, a hero feared by the Fourth Kazekage, was not just about strength. She also had her own political system. Although not fully understood, it was clear that Pakura was not a lone fighter.
Thus, saving Pakura would lead to a power split in the Sand Village upon his return, with Pakura likely being at a disadvantage.
The Uchiha clan in Konoha was also at a disadvantage. More importantly, in the Land of Fire, the Uchiha were isolated and could only seek allies from outside.
The Sand Village, adjacent to the Land of Fire, could potentially become an ally, as well as the Mist Village's Terumi Mei.
As for failure, it would not affect him much. At worst, Pakura would just end up dead.
Pakura, having reached this point, was naturally not a fool. Although she still didn't believe the village would betray her, she was more solemn. Uchiha Yoru in front of her was ambitious.
However, this was a good thing for both her and the Sand Village.
Realizing this, Pakura smiled, slowly accepting the other's gift and revealing a political smile.
"Fine, I look forward to forming an alliance with you in the future."
Originally, her words were more of a joke, or perhaps a way to create trouble and cause problems for Konoha, which other countries would naturally welcome.
However, seeing Pakura's confident smile, Uchiha Yoru laughed in his heart. She wanted to see a spectacle, not knowing she was the main focus of it.
The trouble would start with her.
After a night, the two seemed to be friends in their exchanges, but each was wary of the other. When dawn broke and the snow stopped, they went their separate ways.
After parting ways, Pakura was cautious until she reached the border and changed several boats before finally leaving, quietly relieved. What was the other party's true purpose?
From the beginning to the end, Pakura never doubted her village's loyalty, which showed her lack of political awareness.
Meanwhile, on the way back to Konoha, or rather, on his way to pick up his students and return, Uchiha Yoru's confident smile hid his solemnity.
He had gone to great lengths to prepare all of this, creating a backup plan for himself.
After this return, he knew the conflict between the village and the Uchiha would worsen. With Shinzo's death in battle, the old men, for the so-called stability of the village, had already started to target the Uchiha.
After the snowstorm, a new year began. Uchiha Itachi was nine years old, and the night of the clan's annihilation would erupt when he was thirteen.