Pakura assumed a guarded stance and glared at the leading Kirigakure shinobi.
"Does Kirigakure intend to break the treaty and start another war?!"
The leader of the Mist ninja let out a sinister laugh.
"No."
"We're only here today to fulfill the final condition of the peace agreement between Kirigakure and Sunagakure."
Pakura frowned.
"What condition?"
A fierce light burst from the Mist ninja's eyes.
"Your life."
"What?!"
Pakura's expression instantly changed.
The Mist leader sneered.
"Scorch Release Pakura, hero of the Sand."
"But that heroic title was written with the blood of our Kirigakure shinobi."
"Now, in order to achieve peace with us, Sunagakure has abandoned its hero."
"Today…"
"This will be the place where Pakura of the Scorch Release dies."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before his words even finished, the sound of cutting air rang out.
Multiple kunai shot toward Pakura from every direction.
The battle erupted instantly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Several kunai carried explosive tags.
The explosions engulfed Pakura in smoke.
Then—
A clear voice rang out from within the smoke.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Kill!"
A blazing fireball burst out of the smoke, rushing toward the Mist leader.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The Mist shinobi rapidly formed hand seals.
A torrent of water surged forward, forming a roaring water dragon that collided with the fireball.
Fire and water collided violently.
A massive explosion produced clouds of thick steam.
Suddenly—
Pakura burst out of the swirling steam.
With a flick of her wrist, she hurled over a dozen shuriken at the Mist leader.
The leader leapt away.
Every shuriken missed.
At that same moment—
Three Mist shinobi suddenly appeared around Pakura.
Three long blades slashed toward her simultaneously.
Slash!
Pakura's body was pierced—
Then instantly exploded into smoke.
Shadow Clone!
The Mist leader quickly scanned the surroundings.
Just then—
Behind him, a figure silently rose.
A flash of cold steel streaked forward.
Pakura thrust a short blade toward his back.
CLANG!
A Mist ninja intercepted the strike, blocking the blade.
Pakura immediately leapt away to evade the other attackers.
The Mist leader glared at her.
"As expected of Sunagakure's hero."
"You really are troublesome."
He was clearly furious that he had almost been killed.
Pakura landed on a tree branch.
Her eyes swept the surrounding forest.
She was searching for an escape route.
But what she saw made her heart sink.
There were fifteen Mist shinobi.
The entire area was completely sealed off.
Rasa…
After the initial shock, rage filled Pakura's heart.
She had never imagined that her own village would betray her.
And now she realized—
This situation was likely arranged by Rasa, using Kirigakure's hands to eliminate her.
Before she left the village, Sunagakure had been preparing to select the Fourth Kazekage.
The strongest candidates were herself and Rasa.
Pakura tightened her grip on her blade.
"My life…"
"won't be taken so easily."
The Mist leader grinned cruelly.
In his eyes, she was already prey trapped in a cage.
He slowly drew the blade from his back.
Then pointed it at her.
"Kill!"
At once—
The Mist shinobi all lunged forward.
In the dense forest nearby—
A breeze stirred the leaves.
A figure raced silently across the treetops, moving effortlessly between branches.
Found them.
The figure suddenly stopped on a thick branch.
Uchiha Yuan turned his gaze toward the direction where intense chakra fluctuations were coming from.
The next moment—
He leapt forward.
His body soared hundreds of meters through the air toward the battlefield.
The clearing had already been devastated by battle.
Pakura knelt weakly on the ground.
One hand supported her body with her short blade as she struggled to stand.
She looked extremely battered.
Her clothes were torn in multiple places, exposing much of her back.
Several deep wounds bled steadily across her pale skin.
Her breathing was ragged.
When she raised her head, the world in her vision had already turned gray.
Around her lay several corpses of Mist shinobi.
Three of them were especially horrific—
Their bodies had been completely dehydrated and charred, the result of Scorch Release.
The Mist leader stood before her.
He was also in rough shape.
A long wound cut across his chest.
A kunai was embedded in his left shoulder.
Worse—
The skin on his entire right arm had turned charred black, as though roasted by intense heat.
Nine Mist shinobi remained.
They surrounded Pakura cautiously.
Even now, none dared lower their guard.
The leader stepped forward and raised his blade high.
"Pakura of the Scorch Release."
"Your life… is mine."
The blade swung down.
CLANG!
A sudden metallic crash echoed through the clearing.
The Mist leader staggered back two steps.
The Mist shinobi instantly shifted into combat stances.
"Who's there?!"
The leader shouted.
A crack had appeared in his blade.
A powerful force had struck it just now and knocked him back.
Under the wary gazes of the Mist shinobi—
A figure descended lightly from above.
Landing directly in front of Pakura.
"A Konoha ninja?"
The Mist leader frowned.
"Are you planning to interfere in matters between Kirigakure and Sunagakure?"
Pakura coughed up a mouthful of blood.
She lifted her head weakly and saw the Uchiha fan crest on the newcomer's back.
An Uchiha…
Uchiha Yuan casually glanced around the battlefield.
Then he looked down at Pakura and smiled.
"It would be a pity…"
"…for such a cute and beautiful girl to die here."
The Mist leader pointed his blade at Yuan.
"Brat."
"If you save her, you'll become an enemy of Kirigakure."
Pakura stared at Yuan's face.
Something about it seemed familiar.
Then shock appeared in her eyes.
She remembered.
That face appeared in the high-alert ninja records kept by Sunagakure.
"You're the Konoha Absolute Fierce Tiger—Uchi—"
Before she could finish—
Her vision went black.
Pakura collapsed into unconsciousness.
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