Is this the place?" Pakura murmured, unaware of the danger awaiting her.
She had been sent on a secret mission to the Hidden Mist Village by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, Gaara's father. This was where the meeting was to take place.
After checking the mission scroll on her waist, Pakura gave the secret signal.
A short while later, a ninja from the Hidden Mist Village appeared—a man with a kind face that exuded a deceptive air, resembling a benevolent elder. He greeted her with a smile.
"Scorch Release Master Pakura, I am the Kirigakure messenger sent to greet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Due to the dense fog in the Land of Water, Elder Yuanshi ordered me to wait for you here."
As was customary, both parties exchanged proof of identity.
Once confirmed, Pakura had no reason to doubt him and followed the Mist ninja into the mountain path.
"Go to hell."
Suddenly, as they walked deeper into the path, the seemingly kind Mist ninja's expression changed. He hurled several kunai at her.
Pakura, one of the strongest warriors from the Sand Village, reacted swiftly, narrowly dodging the kunai. She glared at him and barked, "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to sabotage the peace treaty between the Sand and Mist Villages?"
Her mission had been to finalize the details of the peace treaty with the Elder of the Hidden Mist Village.
The Mist ninja sneered, looking at her with disdain as if she were a fool. "Idiot. The peace treaty between Sand and Mist was already finalized. The condition? Your death."
"Pakura of the Scorch Release, you killed many of our comrades from the Mist during the Third Great Ninja War. Now, it's time to pay with your life."
"You can't escape this time."
As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of Mist Village ninjas emerged from the high ground on both sides of the mountain path.
They glared at Pakura with a mixture of amusement and hatred.
"Bastards..." Pakura muttered. It dawned on her that she had been betrayed by the leadership of Sunagakure.
She quickly formed hand seals, intending to use her Scorch Release, but the kunai from the Mist ninja forced her back.
"Pakura, we know all about you, and we won't give you a chance to use Scorch Release. Get ready," the Mist ninja taunted as he distanced himself using the Body Flicker Technique.
At that moment, the Mist ninjas, brimming with hatred from the war, launched a barrage of shuriken and kunai at Pakura simultaneously.
In an instant, the sky darkened as countless blades rained down toward Pakura.
"Damn it!" Realizing there was no escape, Pakura let out a roar of frustration and anger.
Her heart sank. She couldn't comprehend why the village she had given her life to protect had betrayed her.
Just as despair gripped her, a shadow appeared before her, like a divine figure descending from the heavens. In her astonished gaze, the figure raised his right hand and projected an invisible shield of light around them both.
Kunai and shuriken clashed against the shield, sparking as they made contact, creating sharp metallic sounds. Yet, none of the projectiles penetrated. Instead, they all bounced harmlessly away.
Pakura stared in disbelief at the young man who had appeared so suddenly, rescuing her from certain death.
"Looks like I made it just in time," Kirito said calmly as he flashed behind the Mist ninja. He quickly struck the ninja's pressure points, subduing him, and then kicked him to the ground before Pakura.
At last, Pakura saw her savior's face clearly.
He wore a black robe adorned with red clouds, a ring with the kanji for "Blue" on his right index finger, and a wide-brimmed hat with wind chimes. Beneath the bamboo hat, she glimpsed a handsome, youthful face.
In an instant, Pakura recognized him and gasped, "Kirito of the Uchiha."
It was impossible not to recognize him—Kirito's reputation had spread across the entire ninja world. Whether in the underground or the major ninja villages, the mention of Kirito's name struck fear into the hearts of all.
This was the man known for slaughtering the Third Hokage and dismantling powerful clans.
"Haha, it seems I don't need to introduce myself," Kirito said, removing his wind chime hat to reveal his medium-length black hair and a Konoha forehead protector with a slash mark across it. His face was undeniably striking, both handsome and intimidating.
As they exchanged words, the sound of explosions, clashing metal, and the screams of Mist ninjas filled the air.
Pakura, on high alert, activated her Scorch Release. Four fiery orbs materialized around her, orbiting her body, prepared to fend off any attack.
Kirito noticed her caution and chuckled. "Relax. The noise around us is from my comrades. One of them is an old acquaintance of yours. You're safe now."
Pakura, still wary, hesitated. "Why did you save me?" she asked.
Kirito smiled and replied, "It's simple. Our leader recognizes your strength and wants to recruit you to join our organization."
"Join… the organization?" Pakura echoed, confused.
Kirito nodded. "Yes. And by now, I'm sure you realize that you've been betrayed by the leaders of the Sand Village."
He then calmly explained the conspiracy between Sunagakure and Kirigakure to eliminate her.
"Those bastards. How could they do this to me?" Pakura growled, her brows furrowing as her anger boiled over.
She had bled and fought for her village.
She had dedicated her life to it.
And now, she found herself betrayed by the very people she had sworn to protect.
Enraged, Pakura grabbed the neck of the Mist ninja that Kirito had paralyzed with a single hand. Without bothering to ask any questions, she snapped his neck.
As if that weren't enough to satisfy her fury, she used her Scorch Release to reduce the ninja to a charred husk.
Kirito shrugged slightly and continued, "Actually, this sort of thing is fairly common."
"Think about it. You and Rasa were both strong contenders for the Fourth Kazekage position. Even though you gave up, you still posed a threat in Rasa's eyes."
"And because you voluntarily stepped aside, the Sunagakure officials who once supported you completely shifted their allegiance to Rasa."
"Even without this situation with the Mist, Rasa would have eventually killed you."
"He's similar to the Third Hokage—outwardly composed, but ruthless inside. In some ways, Rasa's methods are even more cruel."
"At least Sarutobi Hiruzen had to maintain his public image and left the dirty work to Danzo."
"But Rasa is different. If I'm not mistaken, the mission scroll he gave you is completely blank."
"If you don't believe me, check for yourself."
Pakura, skeptical but curious, opened the scroll as instructed.
It was indeed blank.
Enraged, she tore the scroll into pieces.
(End of the Chapter).
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