One side sought death.
The other sought custody.
Neither was willing to retreat, nor abandon their mission.
And so, words lost their meaning.
Only battle remained.
The rain continued to fall steadily, striking the scorched earth with a faint hiss. Steam rose where lingering heat from Pakura's chakra still lingered, warping the air and blurring the outlines of the battlefield.
Aosui lifted his hand.
"Konan. Yahiko. Nagato," he said calmly. "Fall back."
The three children hesitated for only a fraction of a second before retreating several dozen meters, their eyes never leaving him.
Across from them, Pakura made a similar gesture. Her subordinates immediately dragged the bound Okubo Kiiya farther away, clearing the battlefield without question.
This was no longer a team mission.
This was a duel.
Aosui slowly drew his ninja blade, the steel whispering softly as it slid free of its sheath. He leveled the blade forward, the tip aimed directly at Pakura's chest.
Pakura tightened her grip on her kunai.
The air around her grew hotter.
"This man is insane," one of Pakura's subordinates muttered under his breath. "He actually dares to draw his blade against Teacher Pakura."
Another shook his head. "An unknown Konoha ninja challenging Scorch Release Pakura? He must have lost his mind."
They spoke without restraint.
Because in their eyes, the outcome was already decided.
Pakura herself initially shared that confidence.
She stood tall, rain evaporating before it could touch her skin. Four spheres of blazing heat formed silently around her body, orbiting like miniature suns.
Scorch Release.
Wind and Fire, fused into a chakra nature that robbed the enemy of moisture itself.
Contact meant instant dehydration.
A dried corpse.
A terrifying bloodline limit.
"Konoha ninja," Pakura said calmly, her voice steady and controlled, "I won't kill you."
It was not mercy.
It was calculation.
"If I can help it, I won't provoke another war."
The Second Great Ninja War had ended barely a year ago. Sunagakure was still licking its wounds, rebuilding strength and resources.
Killing a promising Konoha ninja here—even in a mission dispute—could ignite a conflict Sunagakure simply couldn't afford.
If that happened, Pakura would become a sinner in her village's history.
That was something she would never allow.
If Aosui had known her thoughts, he might have laughed.
But instead, he watched her silently, eyes sharp and analytical.
He studied the four scorching orbs orbiting her body.
The heat.
The airflow.
The subtle distortion of rain as it approached them.
"So this is Scorch Release," Aosui murmured, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Pakura's eyes narrowed.
She felt… observed.
Before she could respond, she launched forward.
There was no warning.
No hesitation.
The moment her foot touched the ground, the earth cracked beneath her, and her figure blurred into motion.
The four scorching orbs surged ahead of her like hunting beasts, closing in on Aosui from multiple angles.
The heat was overwhelming.
Aosui felt his skin prickle instantly.
Clang!
Steel met steel.
Aosui blocked Pakura's kunai with his blade using one hand—
—and in that same instant, his free hand moved.
A single seal.
Water Release.
A powerful torrent erupted outward, not as a wall, but as a precise, concentrated blast.
The water struck the scorching orbs directly.
Hiss—!
Steam exploded into the air.
All four Scorch Release fireballs were extinguished instantly.
Pakura was forced to leap back, her sandals skidding across the wet ground as she regained her footing.
Silence fell.
Rain resumed its natural rhythm.
Pakura stared at Aosui.
Her pupils contracted.
Single-hand sealing.
No, not just that.
It was seamless.
Effortless.
As if the technique had been second nature.
This wasn't something an ordinary jōnin could do.
In the ninja world, it was common knowledge that most techniques required two hands to form seals.
Only a rare few—true elites—could perform jutsu with a single hand.
Even fewer could do so under direct pressure.
And legends said the First Hokage didn't even need seals at all.
Pakura had always thought those were exaggerated stories.
But now…
Her condescension vanished.
Her posture shifted.
Her chakra rose.
"I see," Pakura said quietly. "So that's why you're confident."
In that moment, she discarded her earlier assumptions.
This man wasn't arrogant.
He wasn't reckless.
He was simply strong.
Strong enough to be entrusted with leading three extraordinary children.
Strong enough to remain unknown while refining his power in silence.
A hidden blade of Konoha.
Aosui felt the shift immediately.
The killing intent sharpened.
The pressure increased.
Pakura straightened, her expression no longer dismissive.
"Konoha ninja," she said, eyes locked onto his, "state your name."
"You are worthy of being remembered."
Aosui didn't hesitate.
"Hirakawa Aosui."
Pakura nodded once.
"I'll remember you, Hirakawa Aosui."
"I hope you don't disappoint me."
Her subordinates froze.
They had never—never—seen Pakura ask for an enemy's name.
Much less acknowledge them like this.
Was this Konoha ninja truly that strong?
They didn't understand what had just happened.
They didn't see the single-hand seal.
But Pakura did.
The rain intensified.
Four new orbs of Scorch Release formed—larger, brighter, denser than before.
The heat was significantly greater.
Aosui's lips curved upward.
She's serious now.
The fireballs shot forward.
At the same time, Pakura vanished.
Body Flicker.
She appeared directly in front of Aosui, kunai aimed for his throat, her movements sharp and decisive.
She wasn't giving him time.
No seals.
No breathing room.
This was her specialty.
Close combat suppression.
Against a ninjutsu specialist, overwhelming taijutsu was the fastest path to victory.
Pakura's strikes were relentless.
Each movement precise.
Each angle lethal.
The fireballs chased Aosui relentlessly, forcing him to dodge while blocking Pakura's physical assaults.
Aosui retreated three steps—
Then four—
Then twisted aside as scorching heat brushed past his shoulder, evaporating rain in midair.
But he did not panic.
He did not falter.
He adapted.
Pakura's eyes narrowed.
Why wasn't he overwhelmed?
Any other jōnin would have cracked by now.
Her speed was exceptional.
Her pressure unrelenting.
Yet Aosui continued to evade, block, and reposition.
He hadn't formed a single seal since the exchange began.
But he wasn't losing ground either.
"How is that possible…?"
One of Pakura's subordinates clenched his fists.
"He's actually keeping up with Teacher Pakura!"
Another shook his head violently. "Impossible. Teacher Pakura must be holding back."
"She has to be."
"There's no way she can't defeat someone her own age."
They clung to the idea desperately.
Across the battlefield, Konan crossed her arms smugly.
"I told you already," she said. "Brother Aosui is really strong."
Yahiko nodded enthusiastically.
"Don't worry. Big Brother Aosui won't kill your teacher."
The words stung.
Pakura's subordinates burned with frustration.
But they couldn't refute it.
Because the battlefield didn't lie.
And Pakura—
Pakura was beginning to feel it too.
This wasn't a warm-up anymore.
This was a real fight.
And for the first time in years—
She felt pressure.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)