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Land of Water.
In the hazy mist, a figure slowly appeared in the valley.
"Lady Pakura, I am here to welcome you."
Just then, a figure of a Mist Ninja slowly emerged from behind the rocks in the dense fog. When his face was revealed, Pakura saw the relaxed expression on the forehead protector of the other party.
"It's no trouble, but it's just crossing a valley, impossible to get lost."
"Hehe, you're right, please." The Mist Ninja, scratching his head, revealed a shy smile, quite deceptive.
Pakura looked at the Mist Ninja with a feigned smile, but after the recent reminder from Uchiha Yoru of Konoha, she was still very cautious.
Observing secretly, she found no traps around. She scoffed at herself for actually believing the ninjas of Konoha, how foolish.
The Sand Ninjas and Mist Ninjas, so far apart and without conflicting interests, allying would be the best choice.
Just as Pakura relaxed her guard and exchanged a glance with the Mist Ninja and walked forward, she didn't notice the cold light in the eyes of the shyly smiling Mist Ninja, his head bowed.
Puff!
In an instant, a figure flashed away, and blood splattered. Pakura's face showed disbelief, a kunai still stuck in her back. Had she not reacted quickly, the kunai would have penetrated deeper, cutting through her heart.
"What... are you doing!"
Pakura, recalling Uchiha Yoru's sympathetic eyes and warning, glared at the Mist Ninja in anger.
"Die!"
The Mist Ninja burst into a maniacal laugh, all shyness just a disguise.
The figure disappeared into the thick fog, but the sounds of whistling from all directions in the sky shocked Pakura. Kunai and shuriken were coming from everywhere.
Behind a large rock in the dense fog, Pakura, with cold sweat sliding down her temples, her back bleeding, cursed, "Damn, Uchiha Yoru was right."
'Such a beautiful back, it would be a pity to fill it with kunai.'
Remembering these words, Pakura shivered. Was all this really as Uchiha Yoru said, or just a conspiracy of Konoha?
Her eyes coolly scanning the surroundings, Pakura's figure slowly disappeared without a trace, but in various parts of the valley, the Mist Ninjas revealed bloodthirsty smiles like cats catching mice.
In a cave, Pakura knew she couldn't escape for now. She was on guard, but still fell into the trap.
The moment the glass tube shattered, a black snake seemed to awaken from hibernation. In the dim environment, the snake opened its mouth, emitting a nauseating regurgitating sound.
First, a hand slowly stretched out, and then the figure of a person emerged from the black snake, propping themselves up from the ground.
The shadowy figure's slimy wetness rapidly dried in the air, revealing the face of Uchiha Yoru.
"Heh, it seems you still haven't listened."
Facing Uchiha Yoru's mockery, Pakura coldly sneered: "Isn't this exactly what you wanted to see?"
She didn't believe the other party would kindly save her without an ulterior motive.
"Ha, every village has its corrupt upper echelons clinging to power, unwilling to let go, and then there are people like you and me, who once they become strong, face ostracism."
In response to Pakura's cold laughter, Uchiha Yoru didn't hide anything, "The rotten roots have begun greedily stealing the nutrients of the great tree, so you need my help, and I need yours too."
Confronting this somewhat enigmatic man, Pakura's eyes showed wariness. She was no naive and sweet fool, nor a simple ninja. Being a figure feared by the Fourth Kazekage, she must have her own faction and power. Otherwise, a mere ninja would be nothing more than a powerful tool.
"You want to incite internal chaos in the Sand Village!"
Pakura's affirmative statement echoed in the cave, but Uchiha Yoru showed a disappointed expression and shook his head: "Too superficial. If that's all you can see, then you've greatly disappointed me."
"Once you return to the Sand Village, calm your mind. I believe you have the potential to gain insight."
Walking slowly behind Pakura, looking at her bloody back, Uchiha Yoru sighed and shook his head: "I've said before, such a beautiful back, it's a pity."
"Shut up!" Faced with Yoru's teasing, Pakura coldly huffed. At this point, she was trapped, and if the other party could save her, that would be best. If not, she had nothing to lose.
"I told you, this gift will save your life at the brink of death, but it could also bring you closer to death."
Facing the threat of death, Pakura only had a cold expression. Walking this path, simple death no longer frightened them.
Uchiha Yoru first extended his hands to slowly treat and stop the bleeding on her beautiful back, thankfully the wounds were not deep. Then, he slowly bowed his head, leaning on her neck.
With a sinister smile, Uchiha Yoru slowly opened his mouth and bit into the skin of her neck. Instantly, blood flowed from the skin, and the mysterious curse mark power from his teeth rapidly entered her body through the wound, causing Pakura to involuntarily groan in pain.
"This is the gift. Whether you survive or not is up to you. This shadow clone of mine is chakra sealed within a summoning beast. As time passes, the chakra also fades. Just enough to treat and maintain your body for two hours without collapsing."
The pain from the curse mark was unimaginable. Pakura bit her teeth, covering her neck, and her intense pain was all turned into muffled groans, while Uchiha Yoru slowly took out explosive tags, steel wires, Kunai, and other weapons from her blade pack.
Traps were then set up in the surrounding corridors, and finally, Uchiha Yoru set up a barrier with a hand seal.
"This barrier can prevent sensory ninjas from probing, but I also need to stabilize your body. The chakra can only support for an hour and a half, the rest is up to your own fate."
Watching Pakura, who was biting her teeth in pain and could no longer make a sound, Uchiha Yoru shook his head and then stepped forward to use medical ninjutsu to stabilize the other's cells, quickly adapting to the power of the curse mark.
In the valley, shadows flickered continuously like fleas.
"Keep searching, the Sand ninja must be hiding somewhere, they couldn't have escaped."
"Yes."
Dozens of Mist ninja angrily searched the valley but still found nothing. In their rage, they began a thorough search. At dawn, in a cave, a pair of eyes slowly opened.
Bloodshot eyes slowly opened, and at this moment, Pakura felt a change in her body filled with power. The wound on her back had healed, a testament to the power of a high-level medical ninja.
More importantly, when she touched the curse mark on her neck, she sneered, "Although I don't know what your plot is, I indeed survived."
There was an exploding tag on her chest, along with a life seal connected to it. If she lost her life force, the exploding tag would detonate, burying her in the cave.
Pakura angrily tore off the exploding tag, gritting her teeth in anger. Last night, she was in unbearable pain, but she was not without sensation, "Uchiha Yoru!"
'What a beautiful back, what a pity to lose such a figure,' and these words, and finally, the exploding tag was stuck on her chest.
With anger, the power of the curse mark began to spread. In a short moment, half of Pakura's body was covered with black curse mark lines, and her body was further enhanced.
Boom~
In the valley, a roaring sound was heard, and then, Pakura, using her powerful strength, broke through and disappeared into the Water Country.
…
The turmoil within the Uchiha of the Konoha Village spread throughout the ninja world. Uchiha Fugaku was assassinated, and the new clan leader turned out to be Uchiha Yoru, a genius ninja who had just turned eighteen.
Subsequently, it was rumored that under the pressure of his family, Uchiha Yoru awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, causing a stir in the entire ninja world. Those familiar with the Mangekyō Sharingan grew immensely wary after learning about it.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Yoru transcended the rank of a genius and was classified by the major ninja villages as an S-rank ninja with the strength of a Kage.
Meanwhile, the Konoha Village's turmoil continued to create shockwaves in the ninja world. The other major ninja villages laughed gleefully, perceiving the Konoha, once known as the foremost ninja village, to be on a downward spiral since the Third Great Ninja War.
The death of the eldest son of the Third Hokage, the assassination of the Uchiha clan leader, the division of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Daimyo, and border unrest are among the incidents that gave hope to many.
There was even a sense in the ninja world that the Konoha Village might not be as formidable as it seemed, and some villages began to plot in secret.
However, the Konoha Village wasn't the only one in turmoil. The Mist and Sand Villages also experienced unprecedented upheaval.
In the Mist Village, the rogue ninja Terumi Mei, known for having two Kekkei Genkai, formed a rebel army after slaughtering the Fourth Mizukage, who aimed to eliminate all Kekkei Genkai wielders in the Land of Water.
Terumi Mei's strength was proven when she wielded the giant sword Samehada. Faced with this, Suikazan Fuguki, another strong ninja, had to concede defeat, preferring to be bested by a fellow Mist ninja rather than an outsider.
Terumi Mei's formidable power and the Land of Water's politics that oppressed Kekkei Genkai wielders led many Kekkei Genkai ninjas to join her cause.
Even some ninja who had deserted due to the Blood Mist policies returned to the Land of Water to join the rebel army.
Terumi Mei's rebel force grew more influential by the day.
In the Sand Village, the hero Pakura, who could use Scorch Release, returned from a mission and chose to confront the Fourth Kazekage with his own group of Kekkei Genkai ninjas. He publicly accused the Kazekage and the higher-ups of framing the village's hero.
This created a huge stir in the Sand Village, dividing it into two factions.
With three of the five great ninja villages experiencing turmoil in the same year, the other villages, especially the smaller ones, saw an opportunity to rise.
The Cloud and Stone Villages grew worried, suspecting a mastermind behind these events. Despite it seeming unlikely, they began investigating their own villages for any instability.
Even the Konoha Village, along with the Mist and Sand, wasn't immune to unrest, prompting these villages to address their internal issues urgently.
…
Hokage Office.
"Pakura from the Sand Village, Terumi Mei from the Mist Village."
Looking at the information from the ninja world, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, with his now gray hair, showed a rare sign of relief on his tired face.
Taking a deep puff from his pipe, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and said, "I have already ordered Nara Shikaku on the front lines to prepare for negotiations with the Mist Village."
"At the same time, I instructed Nara Shikaku to secretly contact the rebel forces of the Mist Village to establish diplomacy. The Konoha can sell or even exchange various strategic materials."
Seizing the opportunity, Sarutobi Hiruzen certainly wouldn't miss out on establishing diplomacy with the rebels. In plain terms, it meant trading and even selling resources at a loss if necessary, as it also serves as an indirect way to weaken the Mist Village.
Send someone to secretly gather intelligence on the Sand Village, especially on Pakura, the Scorch Release user. We must thoroughly investigate and possibly establish some friendships. The Konoha welcomes all friends who yearn for peace.'
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane looked at their friend, who had regained his former vigor, and smiles appeared on their faces.
"Hiruzen, the Sand and Mist Villages have finally shown their vulnerabilities, and we naturally must seize the opportunity."
Previously, among the Five Great Ninja Villages, only our Konoha had many issues. Now, it's clear that the situation is like the younger brother laughing at the elder brother – everyone is in a similar state. The more the major countries are weakened, the less likely a great ninja war will break out.
"Hiruzen, the Uchiha clan's issues have also been exposed publicly. Now, ninja from the Stone, Cloud, Mist, and even the Sand are starting to investigate secretly, probably with the same intentions."
Homura Mitokado said with a frown. They wanted to support weaker forces in other villages to cause internal strife, and the other villages were thinking the same.
The conflict between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha's higher-ups, now blatantly exposed, was not something other villages could just watch idly – that would be foolish.
Everyone knows that supporting the weaker side allows them to watch the drama unfold with little to no cost. This is the most profitable business.
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally thought of this as well. The best method would be to use a powerful force to eliminate this threat in its infancy.
But the current Uchiha clan is not a sapling but a fully grown tree.
Taking a deep puff of his pipe, Sarutobi Hiruzen said solemnly, "For now, stabilize the Uchiha clan first. The situation cannot deteriorate further, and there must even be some easing. First, resolve the unrest at the borders and in the Daimyo's territories."
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane also showed agreement with Sarutobi Hiruzen's politically stable approach and nodded.
The Konoha could not withstand more turmoil, especially now with the Uchiha clan possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan, posing an unprecedented danger to them.