"Subarashii!"
Amid Uchiha Ran's awed exclamation, Aburame Mukura led Ran and Uchiha Ryūka to a position roughly two kilometers away from Pakura of the Scorch Release.
"This is as far as I can go," Mukura said as he stopped. "I'll provide overwatch from here. My combat ability is limited, so I'll leave Pakura to the two of you."
That was the way reconnaissance shinobi survived.
If you lacked overwhelming strength, you stayed far from the battlefield—otherwise, you risked being captured and used as leverage against your allies.
As they closed the final two kilometers, Ryūka suddenly asked,
"So… when we reach her, do you go in first, or should I?"
"…?"
Ran stared at her in disbelief.
"Obviously we go together. Since when do ninja care about chivalry or one-on-one honor? Or are Konoha ninja somehow special?" he asked, genuinely confused.
It was as if he were reminding her that shinobi were highly trained operatives, specialists in stealth, assassination, intelligence gathering, and interrogation—not wandering martial artists bound by moral duels.
In this twisted world, a ninja's worth was proven through action and results.Completing the mission came first—always.Only a rare few placed their comrades above the mission itself.
"…You're right," Ryūka admitted after a pause. "Then we'll use the Uchiha clan's classic tactics and test her."
Two kilometers was nothing to trained shinobi.
In an instant—
shaa!
Uchiha Ran and Uchiha Ryūka appeared directly in front of Pakura.
For a brief moment, the girl looked as if a dozen question marks had popped up over her head.
Seeing the Konoha forehead protectors, Pakura froze.
What the hell!?I've been sneaking around, constantly retreating back into the Land of Wind's desert just to avoid you Konoha dogs—and you still found me!?Then why the hell have I been eating sand every day for nothing!?
"Pakura of the Scorch Release," Ryūka said coldly, recognizing the girl's signature black-and-orange hair. "As a jōnin of Sunagakure, what are you doing infiltrating another country's territory without notice?"
"…Uchiha?" Pakura asked sharply when she noticed the clan crest on their arms.
In the next instant—
"Scorch Release: Foxfire Orb!"
Pakura formed seals and spat out an orange-yellow fireball shaped like a fox from her mouth.
It shot forward at terrifying speed, reaching Ran and Ryūka almost instantly.
This was deception in its purest form.
The moment Pakura recognized the Uchiha, she chose to strike first.
A jōnin of Sunagakure launching a sneak attack without hesitation.
The foxfire suddenly flared, flooding the battlefield with blinding light.
Ran and Ryūka were startled—but only for a fraction of a second.
Like the Uchiha clan's own Great Fireball Technique, Pakura's Foxfire Orb had a fatal weakness.
Its speed… still wasn't fast enough.
For Ran and Ryūka, they didn't even need to use the Substitution Technique. With a simple burst of movement, both vanished from its path.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
As a response to Pakura's ambush, two Fire Release techniques surged toward her without mercy.
Fire Release?Fire Release can kill people?
Pakura sneered internally.
As a Scorch Release wielder, she had always believed that mixed-nature techniques were inferior to Kekkei Genkai—whether in practicality or lethality. As for ordinary single-nature jutsu—especially B-rank or C-rank techniques—she didn't even consider them worth attention.
Her figure flickered as she effortlessly dodged Ran's Phoenix Flower Jutsu—
—and immediately followed up with another Scorch Release: Foxfire Orb.
The foxfire collided head-on with Ryūka's Great Fire Annihilation.
Orange flames and crimson fire intertwined violently, erupting into dazzling light.
The massive red inferno was swallowed whole by the orange fireball, ending in a thunderous explosion.
The battlefield grew tense—charged with lethal heat.
"Pakura," Ryūka shouted, "this is your last chance. Surrender now!"
"Don't make me laugh," Pakura shot back. "There's no such thing as surrender during a mission. If you want answers, come take them yourselves. As for being captured—"
She smirked.
"—with your level of strength?"
She didn't take the two Uchiha seriously at all.
Is this what's left of the Uchiha clan?A woman and a child?
Ryūka was clearly a few years younger than her, and while Ran looked tall and well-built, his face was unmistakably youthful.
At that moment—
Ran slowly drew the blade at his side.
"Bloom… A Dream of Fleeting Life."
From the start of the battle, Pakura had been careful—her gaze never straying above the Uchiha's necks. She absolutely refused to look into their eyes.
Yet as Ran drew his sword, the cold gleam of the blade reflected in her vision—
—accompanied by Ran's soft whisper, low and demonic.
"Hmph. Just a few seconds—including the moment you watched me draw my sword. Don't worry. I won't waste much of your time."
"Next… regret everything within death itself."
"Along with your blade… and the pride of the Uchiha clan—all of it will be reduced to ashes."
Scorch Release: Overheat Kill.
Pakura's signature technique.The very reason she was known as Pakura of the Scorch Release.
Overheat Kill was a fusion of Fire Release and Wind Release. When activated, flame-like spheres manifested around her—either hovering nearby or launching from a distance.
In close combat, the moment these orbs touched an opponent—
—the moisture inside their body would instantly evaporate, leaving behind nothing but a dried corpse.
An attack that was horrifyingly difficult to defend against.
"Die, you damned Uchiha!"
Pakura wildly hurled her Scorch Release flames—
Yet—
Uchiha Ran and Uchiha Ryūka were standing calmly atop a distant tree branch.
Meanwhile, Pakura was still at her original position—
—furiously attacking empty air.
"…Ran?" Ryūka blinked. "What is she doing? What's wrong with her? What did you do?"
Ran chuckled softly.
"Ryūka-nee… do you really think Uchiha ocular techniques—genjutsu—can only be activated through the Sharingan?"
"Sometimes," he continued, "all it takes is a movement to guide perception… and then the illusion takes hold."
"Just like my ability."
"My zanpakutō—A Dream of Fleeting Life—has already constructed a genjutsu space around her."
"At this point, she's probably already 'killed' us several times inside the illusion."
As Pakura continued her awkward flailing, Ran subtly adjusted the genjutsu—
—and her violent movements abruptly transformed into something far more rhythmic.
She was now… dancing.
A full-on hula dance.
"…Your ability," Ryūka said slowly, watching Pakura sway helplessly, "isn't just unusual."
"It's terrifyingly effective."