"So… all they want is Pakura's life…"
Inside the Kazekage conference room, seven elders sat around a circular table. Dim yellow light illuminated their grave expressions, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating.
Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo were among them.
"Pakura's contributions to the village cannot be denied," Chiyo was the first to break the silence.
"But if we don't compromise with Kirigakure, then while we're helping Konoha hold off Iwagakure, Kirigakure will absolutely seize the opportunity to attack Sunagakure. This recent infiltration is the best proof of that.
"And if we abandon Konoha in resisting Iwagakure, that would mean we're the ones unilaterally breaking the treaty—still extremely disadvantageous for us!
"Moreover, the shinobi world already believes Sunagakure has allied with Konoha.
"If we tear up the agreement now, it's equivalent to making enemies of Iwagakure, Konoha, and Kirigakure all at once!"
"So Pakura must be sacrificed… to stabilize Kirigakure," Ebizo said softly, his voice filled with helplessness.
Rasa slowly stood up, gazing out the window into the night. His fists clenched tightly.
"How did things end up like this…?"
He knew very well that Pakura's death would not buy true peace—at best, it was only a delaying tactic.
"What if we ask Konoha for help?" one elder suggested, looking at Rasa.
"No!" Chiyo immediately cut him off.
"This absolutely cannot be known by Konoha. If they find out we're secretly contacting Kirigakure, it sends a clear message that Sunagakure is unreliable.
"And that would be the moment Sunagakure becomes truly isolated."
Rasa remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:
"Then… let Pakura 'disappear' as a hero."
Night fell deep. The desert wind swept across Sunagakure's rooftops, carrying fine grains of sand.
Before long, a stunningly beautiful woman entered the Kazekage council chamber.
Green hair, orange-tipped ends, a shinobi outfit that exposed her smooth back.
She knelt on one knee.
"Pakura greets Lord Kazekage, Lady Chiyo, Lord Ebizo, and all the elders."
Rasa looked at Pakura kneeling before him, his expression complicated.
"Pakura… the village needs you to do something," he said slowly.
"This is not an order… but a request."
Pakura raised her head, her eyes clear and resolute.
"Please instruct me, Lord Kazekage. As long as the village needs it, I will give everything."
Rasa's heart trembled.
He knew this woman had protected Sunagakure countless times with her own strength—yet now, he was personally sending her to the abyss.
"Sunagakure will be joining Konoha to resist Iwagakure. However, there are… matters with Kirigakure that require negotiation.
"Because this is a secret operation, we need you alone, as an envoy, to go to Kirigakure and complete this negotiation."
"I will complete the mission," Pakura answered without hesitation.
"Go," Rasa said.
Pakura rose, bowed slightly, and turned to leave the chamber.
"One whole month already… how long are we supposed to stay stuck here?"
In the desert, Genma Shiranui lay beneath a rock, lazily complaining with a senbon in his mouth.
Sand everywhere.
Scorching heat during the day, freezing cold at night.
The four-man squad rested beneath the rock, surrounded by endless silence broken only by the howling wind.
"Stop whining," Wen Lan said, sipping water from a tightly sealed cup through a straw, his words muffled.
"Our mission is to monitor contact between Sunagakure and Kirigakure. There's no clear end date.
"Besides, keeping you off the battlefield means you're at least not risking your life, right?"
Genma clasped his hands behind his head and stared at Wen Lan helplessly.
"Do you really say that with a straight face? We're deep in enemy territory right now. This is more dangerous than the battlefield!"
Wen Lan chuckled and shook his head, quickly putting the straw back in his mouth—out here, if you exposed it for even a few seconds, it'd be full of sand.
"We're just here to finish the mission. Where we go doesn't matter," Yūhi Kurenai said softly.
"And look at Guy—he's way more motivated than you."
She nodded toward Might Guy, who was drenched in sweat and happily doing push-ups nearby.
Genma rolled his eyes. "I can't compare myself to a beast like that."
"Shh—"
Wen Lan's eyes suddenly sharpened. He signaled everyone to be quiet, setting down his water cup as his hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
Mixed into the wind was the faint sound of footsteps—approaching rapidly.
Guy stopped moving as well, his gaze turning alert.
Genma spat out the senbon and quietly drew a few more.
"Let's hope it's not a whole unit. I really don't want to die in this hellhole."
Kurenai stood, quickly forming seals with her eyes closed. When she opened them, her voice was low.
"There's a large number of shinobi moving rapidly near the border of the Land of Wind. They stopped near the rocky formations along the coastline.
"And from Sunagakure's side, a fairly strong jōnin is heading there."
The tension thickened as the four held their breath.
"Rock Forest…" Wen Lan narrowed his eyes.
He remembered that area—small mountain-like formations made of towering natural rock near the Wind Country's coast.
Complex terrain. Perfect for ambushes.
The four hid behind rocks and waited.
Soon, a slender silhouette appeared in the distance under the moonlight—steady, swift footsteps betraying considerable strength.
As the figure drew closer, Wen Lan's eyes widened in shock.
Pakura?! She's still alive in this timeline?!
In the original story, Pakura had already died during the Third Shinobi World War—killed by Kirigakure's kunai during negotiations after Rasa feared a Kirigakure sneak attack.
Wen Lan knew Pakura well for a very simple reason—
She was legendary.
On par with Kurotsuchi as one of the shinobi world's most famous "back silhouettes."
With a back like that, not using fire release would be a crime.
Pakura's figure grew clearer in the moonlight as she jogged toward the border.
Wen Lan thought for a moment, then whispered:
"Follow her. Don't expose yourselves."
The four immediately moved silently, keeping their distance.
Pakura suddenly stopped and turned around, her sharp gaze cutting through the darkness like a blade.
Wen Lan's heart tightened. He held his breath. The others lowered themselves further, afraid of being detected.
Her gaze lingered in their direction for several seconds—
Then she turned away and continued forward, as if she had lost interest.
The night swallowed her figure once more.
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