Chapter 398: Mugetsu vs. Sunagakure Heroes
Mugetsu's caution proved correct. Obito and the others were not just unlucky. The Land of Rain really was that chaotic.
Just as the team was about to deliver the client to his destination, a squad of Sand ninja spotted them and immediately surrounded them.
Since Sunagakure had not officially declared war on Konoha, Kakashi did not strike first. He simply shot Obito a warning look, stopping him from charging in.
At the front of the Sand squad, a green and yellow haired kunoichi stared at them coldly.
"What do you Konoha ninja want?"
Obito's eye twitched. "Are you sick? You are the ones who ran over here and surrounded us, and now you're asking what we want?"
Even with twelve Sand ninja on the other side, Obito did not flinch. Mugetsu was standing right beside him, after all.
A Sand ninja next to the kunoichi snapped, "Brat, didn't your parents teach you not to interrupt when adults are speaking? Lady Pakura wasn't asking you."
He clearly admired her, and he could not tolerate Obito's tone.
Obito was not intimidated in the slightest. He glared back. "Do you think I'm talking to you? What are you even saying?"
The Sand ninja immediately drew a long sword.
The air turned razor tense.
Kakashi silently pulled out his White Fang short blade. Even if Sunagakure and Konoha were not at war yet, the other side had already shown hostility. They could not just stand there and smile.
Shisui and the others focused their breathing, ready to move at any moment.
Clang!
A transparent surge of chakra slammed into the sword and snapped it clean in half.
Mugetsu slowly lowered his hand, smiling as if nothing had happened. "Didn't your teacher teach you not to point weapons at people whenever you feel like it?"
Mugetsu had no patience for arrogance backed by weak hands.
The Sand ninja stared at his broken blade, horror creeping across his face.
That was not wood. It was steel, sharp and sturdy even without chakra reinforcement.
If that strike had landed on his body instead of the weapon, he would not be standing there anymore.
The more frightened the Sand ninja became, the more pleased Obito looked.
"I've got Mugetsu sensei," Obito said, grinning wider. "What do you have?"
For a brief, dangerous moment, Obito finally understood why villains in cheap novels loved to brag about their backers. It really was satisfying.
Pakura looked at Mugetsu with surprise. She had not expected a random Konoha ninja in the Land of Rain to carry that kind of strength.
Still, she did not panic. She was a hero of Sunagakure. This was not enough to shake her.
She motioned for the Sand ninja whose sword had been broken to step back, then fixed her gaze on Mugetsu.
"Yesterday, a four man Sunagakure squad went missing. Nearby villagers only saw Konoha ninja operating in this area that day."
Pakura did not provoke trouble without reason. Sunagakure had recently suffered internal strife, and they were still at war with Kumogakure. Their situation was already unstable.
Mugetsu did not even need to think. If that squad had vanished, it was most likely Iwagakure or Kumogakure. Those two troublemakers loved playing games like this.
Anyone with even a basic grasp of the shinobi world's situation would not believe Konoha did it. Konoha was already facing three Great Villages declaring war. They would have to be insane to provoke Sunagakure too.
"As a ninja, you should know how easy it is to fool ordinary people," Mugetsu replied calmly. "You should investigate Kumogakure or Iwagakure instead."
Ordinary people could not see through the Transformation Technique. Even an average user could deceive them easily.
If they also acquired real Konoha headbands and uniforms, ordinary villagers would have no chance of telling the difference.
Pakura's eyes narrowed. "Whether it's true or false, the truth will come out once you cooperate with an investigation."
She admitted his point had merit, but she could also interpret it as Konoha covering for its own.
Normally, Konoha had no reason to provoke Sunagakure right now. But every ninja had their own mind. Pakura considered the possibility that some separate cause had led to conflict, and the Sunagakure squad had died as a result.
[Name: Pakura]
[Chakra: 56000]
[Skills: Scorch Release (Proficient: 2800 / 15000), Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder (Proficient)]
As a ninja, Pakura had far more right to be proud than the Sand ninja who had drawn a sword earlier.
Her Scorch Release, combined with proficient Fire and Wind nature transformation, placed her above more than ninety percent of the shinobi world.
Unfortunately for her, she had run into Mugetsu, a ninja who had mastered hundreds of techniques and was proficient in all seven chakra natures.
"What if I refuse?" Mugetsu asked, voice steady, shifting slightly so his disciples were behind him.
Scorch Release was infamous for its killing power among bloodline limits. At Pakura's level, even a jonin could die instantly if touched.
Mugetsu had no intention of letting his students stand too close.
Pakura's stance settled, killing intent rising. "Then we defeat you, and investigate after."
At the same time, she ordered her subordinates to cut off every angle of escape.
Several Sand ninja flickered, appearing behind Mugetsu and the others.
Pakura had underestimated Kakashi, Obito, and the rest.
Obito intensified his breathing, boosting his body and sharpening his nature transformation. His Three Tomoe Sharingan spun to life.
With taijutsu alone, he slammed two Sand chunin to the ground in moments.
Shisui activated his Sharingan as well.
"Phantom Body Flicker Technique!"
To the Sand ninja, dozens of Shisui appeared across the battlefield.
They assumed it was some kind of clone trick, but when those figures moved, fists crashed into them with real weight.
Two more Sand chunin dropped before they could even locate the real Shisui.
Kakashi pushed his breathing to its limit and entered Transparent World.
A Sand jonin tried to prioritize Kakashi first, planning to eliminate him and then clean up the rest.
He abandoned that thought almost immediately.
The pressure Kakashi radiated was suffocating.
Every attack was read. Every opening was exploited. He could not endure Kakashi's counters at all.
In just over a minute, five Sand ninja were incapacitated.
The rest were blocked by Mugetsu.
Whenever one tried to slip past him toward Kakashi's group, Mugetsu flashed over, struck once, and tossed them to the ground like discarded sandbags.
Pakura's expression hardened. This Konoha squad's strength was beyond what she imagined.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
After watching Mugetsu's taijutsu, Pakura had no intention of fighting him up close. She activated her bloodline limit at once.
A surge of chakra erupted as six fireballs, each about the size of a head, formed around her and shot toward Mugetsu.
Mugetsu did not underestimate them just because they were small. Scorch Release was not ordinary Fire Release.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Mugetsu gathered chakra and unleashed a roaring torrent, like a waterfall ripped from the sky, surging toward the Sand squad.
A Water Release user.
Pakura's eyes stayed calm. "Annoying, but not a real problem."
Scorch Release was a fusion of Wind and Fire nature transformation. It did not behave like normal flames. Water did not simply smother it.
Under Pakura's control, the fireballs cut through the torrent in a straight line, charging directly at Mugetsu.
The water evaporated violently. The fireballs shrank, but they did not extinguish.
"Freezing Ray!"
Mugetsu leaped lightly onto the surface of the rushing water and raised his hand. A beam of frigid air poured into the torrent, freezing it instantly.
Pakura's Scorch Release flames struggled against the ice and dispersed.
"Ice Release?" Pakura stared, genuinely surprised. Konoha had a shinobi like this?
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Mugetsu tossed out a large number of Flying Thunder God kunai, spreading them to cover every Sand ninja, including Pakura.
Pakura sidestepped easily. A thrown kunai was not enough to touch her.
"Scorch Release: Blazing Wave!"
She changed tactics, choosing a wider range attack.
Scorch Release flames poured from her mouth, rolling forward like a burning tide, surging toward Mugetsu.
Even if her opponent possessed a bloodline limit as well, Pakura still believed she could win.
There was no simple elemental advantage like the five basic natures, but she felt her Scorch Release held a natural edge over ice. Flames melted ice. Ice did not freeze flames.
Facing the incoming sea of Scorch Release, Mugetsu did not dodge.
He did not release a technique either.
He simply stood still and condensed chakra.
Pakura's instincts screamed.
What was he doing?
With the strength Mugetsu had shown, there was no chance he was frozen by fear. That meant he had something she did not understand.
Pakura scanned the surroundings with her peripheral vision.
No abnormalities.
The other Konoha ninja did not move.
Then Mugetsu moved.
Whoosh!
Pakura's vision blurred. She reflexively kicked forward.
But her reaction speed was nowhere near Mugetsu's.
Bang!
A heavy impact echoed as Pakura's face and body slammed into the ground, carving out a crater.
"Lady Pakura!" the Sand ninja behind her shouted, staring at Mugetsu in disbelief.
Pakura was a hero of Sunagakure. Many in the village admired her. When the Third Kazekage disappeared, she had even been considered a strong candidate for the position of Fourth Kazekage.
"It's the Yellow Flash!" one Sand ninja cried out, remembering the shinobi who had recently become famous on the battlefield in the Land of Grass and in the Land of Hot Water.
"Shouldn't he be on the front lines?" another muttered, dazed. "Why is he in the Land of Rain?"
Mugetsu had always been kind hearted. Seeing how worried they were for Pakura, he generously let them share her condition.
Whoosh whoosh!
Flying Thunder God activated again.
Mugetsu appeared beside them, and in a blink, every remaining Sand ninja joined Pakura on the ground.
From a safe distance, Obito clicked his tongue. "These Sand ninja are not very tough. Besides that green and yellow haired lady, did the others even last ten seconds total?"
Since Mugetsu had ordered them to keep back, Obito and the others did not rush in even after handling the Sand ninja who had tried to flank them.
Obito wanted to fight alongside Mugetsu, but he did not want to create problems. If Mugetsu told them to retreat, there was a reason.
"It's not that they're weak," Kakashi corrected flatly. "It's that Mugetsu sensei is too strong."
Kakashi glanced at Obito. "Do you even know who that kunoichi you mentioned is?"
Obito scratched his head, then shook it. "Is she famous? She didn't look that strong."
Strictly speaking, Mugetsu had only used a few techniques to put Pakura down, making it look effortless.
"That's why you need to study basic shinobi world information," Kakashi said with a tired sigh.
"Her name is Pakura. She's known as the Hero of Sunagakure, and she has the Scorch Release bloodline limit," Kakashi explained. "If those flames touch you, you dry out and die. She's a well known powerhouse."
Even though Mugetsu defeated her in a few moves, Kakashi knew why.
Information was a weapon.
Kakashi doubted Mugetsu would be clueless the way Obito was. Mugetsu likely knew Pakura's capabilities.
But Pakura could not possibly know Mugetsu's true cards. Mugetsu was far too low key.
She did not know he had mastered Flying Thunder God, so being instantly suppressed at close range was almost inevitable.
It looked simple, but if Kakashi's team had to fight her directly, Kakashi believed all four of them together might still lose.
Scorch Release was too lethal. If someone got hit, even Rin's medical ninjutsu might not save them in time.
"Is this really common knowledge?" Obito asked, offended. "Where did you even learn that?"
To Obito, this did not feel common at all.
"It is common knowledge, and more importantly, it's a basic skill," Kakashi replied, looking at him as if he had grown a second head. "Do you not understand how important information is to a ninja?"
"Watch more, listen more, and pay attention to major events in the shinobi world," Kakashi added.
Then he stopped wasting words and walked toward Mugetsu. Shisui had already gone over while they were talking.
Obito muttered as he followed, "So what if she's the Hero of Sunagakure? She still got crushed by us and Mugetsu sensei."
Pakura slowly pushed herself up, dust and shame clinging to her, as Mugetsu looked down at her calmly.
"Does this count as a clear investigation now?" Mugetsu asked. "If Konoha truly wanted to deal with Sunagakure, do you think you would still be alive?"
Rasa might not like Pakura, and if he heard she died, he might celebrate.
But Pakura's status in Sunagakure was not simple. Killing her could easily spiral into a diplomatic incident.
Mugetsu had no interest in helping Konoha speedrun its way into being targeted by four Great Villages at once.
That would not be a good thing.
"You should focus your attention on Kumogakure or Iwagakure," Mugetsu said again.
Pakura steadied herself, then bowed her head slightly. "The Yellow Flash lives up to the name. This was my mistake. I will investigate again when I return."
"My name is Hayate Mugetsu," Mugetsu replied. "Don't mistake me next time."
With that, he led the still shaken client onward and delivered him to his destination.
Behind them, Pakura and the Sand ninja stood frozen in place, expressions blank with disbelief.
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