If Pakura were to draw a comparison, it would be as if she had constantly opposed the Third Kazekage in the Sand Village, while also clashing with Rasa, and antagonizing people like Chiyo and Ebizō.
What left Pakura speechless was that despite offending so many high-ranking individuals, Takuya Yagami was still perfectly fine. If this were someone with a lesser spirit, they'd surely try everything in their power to take him out.
Guessing what Pakura was thinking, Takuya grinned.
"When I was still weak, I kept my head down. By the time I made any waves, I already had enough power to defect from Konoha if I needed to.
"Enough power to drag Konoha down with me. And with Lady Tsunade on my side.
"If it were anyone else, they'd be buried six feet under by now."
"You thought of defecting?" Pakura could hardly believe what she heard.
Not only had Takuya thought about it, but he was saying it out loud.
"I thought about it, and I even said as much to Tsunade, which is why she was so furious. That's why my defection plan got shelved."
"Otherwise, I would've taken Kushina with me and eventually come back to set off some fireworks!"
Yes, Takuya did have an actual plan to defect and take Kushina along with him. It wasn't just empty talk.
If the Third Hokage and Danzo had pushed even further, Takuya would have made the move without hesitation.
This guy is insane! Not only thinking about defecting but also planning to take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki along.
Pakura rubbed her forehead, wondering if she could still back out of this arrangement.
Following someone with such crazy ideas felt inherently dangerous.
"What do you mean by fireworks?" she asked, almost cautiously.
"Fireworks?" Takuya paused, then raised his hand, gathering Yin-Yang chakra. A small tailed-beast bomb began to form in his palm.
"Okay, enough of that! I get it! I give up, alright?" Pakura's expression changed instantly.
She was grateful that she had no thoughts of betraying him. This guy was absolutely nuts!
Meanwhile, the peace negotiations between Konoha and the Sand Village were progressing without Takuya. Both sides were prepared for talks.
The Third Hokage was resting in the command tent, but Nara Shikashige was feeling rather irritated.
With peace talks underway, and the Third Hokage himself leading, they should be sending out their strongest forces and ANBU to ensure his safety. This was a time when Sakumo Hatake was supposed to be present.
What made Shikashige almost lose his mind was that the Third Hokage didn't even mention it, and Sakumo himself didn't bother to return to camp.
He remained at the frontline post all day, seemingly uninterested in meeting the Third Hokage, let alone serving as a bodyguard.
Late that night, after the Third Hokage had rested, Shikashige brought a group to the frontlines to find Sakumo.
"Sakumo, are you planning to mess around just like that kid Takuya?" Shikashige asked pointedly.
Sakumo looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean by that, Senpai?"
"..."
You really know how to test me, don't you? Shikashige almost laughed out of frustration. He pointed at Sakumo, who looked as if he didn't understand a word.
"Come on, I don't believe you don't get what I'm saying."
Sakumo smiled faintly. Whether he understood or not, he simply pretended not to.
"Sigh..." Shikashige let out a long sigh. Is this karma?
After all their dealings, this was the consequence. Now Sakumo, just like Takuya, was distancing himself from the village leadership. He didn't even want to face the Third Hokage.
For a long time, Shikashige found himself unable to persuade Sakumo, his thoughts and arguments clogging in his throat.
The two sat quietly, sipping tea. After a while, Shikashige looked Sakumo in the eye and spoke earnestly, "Sakumo, even if there have been unpleasant matters in the past, now is not the time to act stubborn. Tomorrow's peace talks are crucial for the village."
"I know." Sakumo nodded. "I'll be here. If there's any sudden movement from the Sand Village, I'll be the first to respond."
"As for the past… please, Senpai, don't bring it up again. I'm someone who's already been through death once."
"What do you mean?"
Shikashige's heart skipped a beat. His face turned pale as he imagined some grim possibilities.
Someone who's been through death once?
Thinking of Sakumo's personality and the Hatake Clan's warrior spirit, Shikashige couldn't help but stand up abruptly, shouting angrily, "That's nonsense! Absolute nonsense!"
"Have you thought about what would happen to Kakashi if you weren't here?"
"It's not your fault."
With a self-mocking smile, Sakumo said, "I know. That's why I'm still sitting here. I can't bring myself to leave Kakashi behind."
"I..."
Shikashige opened his mouth, but the words got caught in his throat. He couldn't say anything to ease the pain.
What kind of a mess had they created! Damn Danzo!
Even a man like Shikashige, usually calm and composed, couldn't help but curse Danzo inwardly.
It showed just how deeply this situation had shaken him. He couldn't even imagine the impact if Sakumo had really gone through with it—how devastating it would be for Konoha. Thankfully, it hadn't happened.
"I'm sorry."
After a long silence, Shikashige let out a sigh.
"No need."
Sakumo gave a faint smile. He had already let go of the past, but facing the Third Hokage and the other elders as he used to—that, he simply couldn't do anymore.
Shikashige gave a bitter smile. "Fine, just stay at the frontlines. I'll accompany the Hokage tomorrow for the negotiations. The Third Kazekage is dead, Rasa is captured, and Pakura has joined our side. All that's left are Chiyo and Ebizō. They won't dare make any sudden moves."
It wasn't that Shikashige underestimated the Sand Village's jonin or elite jonin. Compared to Chiyo and her peers, those shinobi were far less likely to cause significant problems for him and the Third Hokage.
As long as there were any signs of a fight, Sakumo would be there for immediate support.
"Sigh..."
I hope Lady Tsunade can change things for Konoha.
Shikashige looked in the direction of the village, sincerely wishing that Tsunade could change things.
Konoha was truly sick, and the root of the disease lay in the leadership. No ordinary person could change the status quo, even if they wanted to.
Look no further than Jiraiya as an example.
Despite his reputation for being perverted, pulling pranks, and being seen as a "dead last" by Tsunade and Orochimaru, Jiraiya was actually quite sharp.
He knew the issues plaguing Konoha, but he also knew that he lacked the power to change them. So, he stayed away, avoiding the turmoil altogether—a wise choice.
Ever since Orochimaru decided to vie for the position of Hokage, the situation in Konoha had grown more chaotic. Luckily, Tsunade had stepped forward.
She was among the very few—perhaps the only one—capable of changing it all.
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Start giving power stones so I can return to releasing 2 chapters per day, along with bonus chapters. Your support will motivate me, especially since I've lost much of my audience. Being in the Power Stone rankings will help my old readers find the story more easily and bring them back!