"Sir, this isn't funny."
Kudō's expression turned ugly.
"Sunagakure is already in talks to form an alliance with Konoha. How could we possibly launch an attack at a time like this?"
This new "Kuyue" who'd suddenly appeared…
Was he a complete lunatic?
"Lady Pakura, this alliance with Konoha is Kazekage-sama's will."
Kudō turned to her, voice stiff and edged with sarcasm.
"If not for that, you would never have been released, would you?"
You've been gone from Suna for how many years now?
And you still think you have a crowd of loyal followers waiting for you?
Pakura frowned and instinctively glanced at Evan.
Behind the mask, Evan's lips curled into a wicked smile.
"So what you're saying is, you're against my plan?"
"Sir, you've been away from the village far too long." Kudō did not back down. "You don't understand. Sunagakure can't afford another war."
His gaze sharpened.
"If you really are one of us, why don't you take off the mask and let us see your face?"
"…I see."
Evan took two unhurried steps forward.
Kudō exhaled in relief.
Good.
If he could talk this lunatic down, they might get out of this cleanly.
He was truly afraid this weird "Kuyue" would sway Pakura and drag them into doing something as stupid as attacking Konoha.
Then—
Pupupupu…
A piercing pain exploded in Kudō's chest.
His body froze.
Warm blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as his mind turned hazy. Voices reached him through distant static.
"Why did you kill him?!"
"Kudō-sama!"
"Damn you!"
The shouts grew fainter and fainter.
Kudō tried to look down, to see what was happening to his chest… but he couldn't even lower his head.
"Kazekage-sama… I'm sorry. I couldn't complete the mission…"
He muttered one last apology and collapsed with a dull thud.
Thump!
Everyone stared, stunned, at Kudō's corpse—
at the hole in his chest bored clean through by a spike of black iron sand.
Then, as one, the Sand shinobi turned hostile, eyes locked on the cloaked man in the mask.
Pakura snapped out of her daze and snarled:
"Why did you kill him?!"
He had moved without warning, killing someone just like that…
"Hmph."
Evan snorted, as if he'd done nothing more than swat a fly.
"Pakura, I did it for you."
"What?"
Pakura gave a disbelieving laugh.
"You kill a shinobi of Sunagakure and claim it's for me?"
Evan looked at her with a this is for your own good expression.
"He was sent by Rasa to assassinate you."
Pakura's anger faltered, cooling into something far more dangerous.
"What proof do you have?"
She'd already been betrayed by Rasa once. That wound had never healed.
Evan rolled his eyes.
Proof?
Was she serious?
Would Rasa really let her get safely escorted home, just so she could expose his previous attempt to have her killed?
Even thinking with one's toes would be enough to guess he'd send someone to silence her.
"Proof, huh?"
Evan chuckled softly.
"I'll get you some right now."
He raised his hand slightly.
Cold light gathered at his fingertips—
Shu, shu, shu, shu…
Several streaks of icy brilliance shot out, fast as arrows. In the blink of an eye, they sank into the bodies of every Sand shinobi present.
"W-what was that?!"
"Careful! …Wait, it doesn't hurt?"
"Don't let your guard down. What was that? Ice?"
"Is he playing with us?"
"Lady Pakura, who is this man really?"
"Damn it, he dared kill Kudō-sama! Kill him and avenge—!"
"He controls iron sand. It's Magnet Release…"
"Kill him! There's only one of him!"
They ignored Evan's calm posture and started shouting among themselves, chakra flaring as they prepared to attack.
Evan didn't spare them a glance at first.
He turned to Pakura.
"Woman, use your head. If you don't, you'll die long before you ever make it back to Suna."
Before she could reply, he looked back at the Sand shinobi.
"Alright then. I'll ask… and you'll answer."
Dozens of furious eyes glared back at him as they drew weapons one after another.
"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"
"Pakura, we came all this way to rescue you, and you collude with a traitor to murder a fellow villager! Kazekage-sama will never forgive you!"
One of them took the lead and the rest surged forward, hands flying through seals as they rushed Evan.
Pakura paled and moved to stop them. "Wait—!"
Evan watched the group of Sand nin closing fast. The corner of his mouth lifted.
His index finger flicked downward.
"Kneel."
The word had barely left his lips when—
"AAAAHHHH—!"
A chorus of screams tore through the night.
Every single Sand shinobi shuddered violently, their charge cut short as they collapsed to their knees, then toppled forward to the ground, bodies trembling uncontrollably. Weapons clattered around them, forgotten.
Pakura and Jun, who had been about to rush forward, stumbled to a halt.
They stared, eyes wide in disbelief.
Just a snap of his finger, and dozens of shinobi were groveling at his feet.
The sight was grotesque, shocking on a level that made the scalp go numb.
And it wasn't over.
Once on the ground, the Sand nin started howling, clawing at themselves like madmen, as if ten thousand ants were crawling beneath their skin.
"It itches— it itches—!"
"There's something on me— GET IT OFF—!"
"Damn it, what is this— AAAAAH—!"
"Kill me… just kill me already—!!"
Pakura's heart clenched, her mouth going dry.
What… what was this?
"What did you do?" she whispered, voice tight.
Evan glanced at her bared teeth, then at Jun, who was shaking like a leaf.
He smiled.
"This is the Life and Death Seal."
Jun's heart dropped into an icy pit.
She watched the Sand shinobi rolling on the ground, skin shredded by their own nails, blood running in rivulets as they continued to scratch, even once their flesh had turned into a blur of red.
Her scalp tingled, every hair standing on end.
She had the same seal on her.
Did that mean she'd end up like this too…?
Pakura went rigid, then snapped her head toward her disciple, trembling.
The Life and Death Seal…
A fate worse than death.
Evan couldn't help but grin.
He'd drawn this ability as a reward right after leaving the Hokage Building.
Turned out, it was very convenient.
"Now then," he said leisurely, "let's talk."
He bent down slightly, voice gentle, almost tender.
"Any of you receive… a certain special mission from your Fourth Kazekage?"
"Whoever answers first… I'll end their suffering."
The voice was soft.
But in their ears, it was like the whisper of a demon god.
"I-I'll talk! Let me go!" someone shrieked almost immediately.
"Good. I'll give you a chance."
Evan flicked his wrist. Another thread of cold light shot into the man's body.
The shinobi convulsed, then collapsed limply, panting hard.
The itch vanished as if it had never been.
"K-Kazekage-sama told us to… to assassinate Pakura, in secret…"
Pakura exploded.
"What did you say?!"
"I'll tell you everything— just please, spare me!" the man babbled. "Kudō already had it arranged. On the way back to the village, we were to ambush and kill Pakura…"
"We had no choice. It was the Kazekage's order. We had to obey… Please, spare us—!"
Others, seeing he had really been released from the torment, broke immediately.
Voices overlapped in chaotic confession, all painting the same picture.
Pakura's mind went blank as she listened, rooted to the spot.
She had still… underestimated Rasa's cruelty.
Evan slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest, gently patting her back.
"My silly girl. A single misstep, and you really would've died."
"Rasa…"
Pakura's whole body shook with rage.
"I swear I will kill you!"
"Oh, right," Evan added lightly, "there were a few rats I had to deal with too."
He waved his hand.
Several broken blades on the ground suddenly shot up into the air, streaking through the darkness.
Shnk, shnk, shnk—
Three muffled cries came from the shadows.
Then silence.
Evan had casually dispatched three Konoha ANBU who'd been secretly monitoring the Sand group.
Only then did he look back at the Sand shinobi sprawled across the ground.
"Alright then."
He clapped his hands softly.
"Now… let's discuss how we're going to attack the Hokage Building."
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