This... this person...
Maki no longer knew what kind of label to attach to Kiyoshi. Such an arrogant and shameless person was truly a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Perhaps a single breath passed, or perhaps ten. Pakura's breathing grew increasingly steady, showing signs of waking from her daze.
The flames on Kiyoshi's katana began to burn once more from the hilt, spreading inch by inch toward the tip. The point of the blade was directed exactly where Pakura lay. It was predictable that once the flames reached the end, Pakura would be scorched by the Fire Style.
Maki bit her lip tightly, her hesitation eclipsed by the sight of Pakura's back. Pakura-sensei treated her exceptionally well on a daily basis; how could a few ninjutsu be measured against her teacher's life?
Once the thought took hold, Maki could no longer bear it. She clenched her teeth and said in a tiny voice:
"I can give them to you, but I have no pen or paper."
"It's fine, I have them."
Kiyoshi pulled a sealing scroll from his ninja tool pouch and extracted several blank scrolls from within. Maki subconsciously caught the three scrolls Kiyoshi tossed over. She discovered she could move again. One of the scrolls even had a pen attached to it.
Maki felt utterly numb. To think someone would carry such things at all times. Did this guy go around extorting ninjutsu everywhere?
Despite her thoughts, Maki began to write characters onto the scroll. Kiyoshi waited quietly for her to finish. Whenever Pakura was about to wake up, Kiyoshi would give her another jolt of Lightning Style.
A small puddle gradually accumulated in the desert. It was formed from the blood flowing from the nearby Sand ninjas, which had already soaked into the ground, mixed with the residual water from Pakura's previous Water Style technique.
By the time Kiyoshi could see a new Sand unit approaching in the distance, Maki had finished writing. The time spent writing was short, and the text wasn't extensive.
"Throw it over," Kiyoshi said.
Maki looked at Pakura-sensei lying in the sand, gritted her teeth, and hurled the scroll. After Kiyoshi caught it, he didn't check it immediately but instead activated a Sharingan Genjutsu.
"!"
Maki didn't expect Kiyoshi to use the Sharingan's Genjutsu again and was caught off guard. Watching her eyes gradually grow hollow, Kiyoshi asked:
"Did you intentionally write anything incorrectly or leave anything out?"
"...No."
Hearing this answer, Kiyoshi released the Genjutsu with satisfaction. It was always best to be cautious.
"Your disciple truly cares for you, Pakura."
Kiyoshi placed the three ninjutsu scrolls into his tool pouch. He crouched down and lightly patted Pakura's cheek, and her unfocused eyes immediately began to find their center.
"Uchiha brat, release Pakura this instant!"
Chiyo and her group arrived at the scene during their search for Sasori and the Third Kazekage.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!*
Over a dozen kunai were fired from Chiyo's hand. Kiyoshi threw out his remaining shuriken.
*Clang, clang!*
The shuriken and kunai clashed in mid-air, colliding repeatedly. Kiyoshi's side was tied with specialized rubber cords, while Chiyo's used chakra threads—a technique known as [Puppet Style: Striking Blades].
Simultaneously, ten white-robed, masked puppets attacked. Kiyoshi recognized them at a glance as the [White Secret Technique: The Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu]. Just ten puppets were said to be a match for Sasori's [Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets]. It was rumored that Chiyo had once used these ten puppets to take down an entire castle!
Kiyoshi moved away from Pakura, retreating several steps to stay out of the puppets' attack range. Once Kiyoshi moved, the newly arrived Sand ninjas immediately unleashed Wind Style ninjutsu.
"Wind Style: Net!"
A blast of wind shaped like a massive net swept toward Kiyoshi. If hit, he would not only take damage but also be restrained. Kiyoshi refined his chakra and spat out a fireball, his body already feeling the onset of fatigue.
Seeing this, Kiyoshi decided to end things quickly. He had only been taking advantage of the situation; after hours of pursuit, only a few ninjas specialized in speed had caught up initially. Now, the majority of the ninjas sent to search for Sasori and the Third Kazekage were converging on this area.
These were the true elite Jonin of the Sand. Even Tsunade couldn't face so many enemies at once. After swallowing a few Food Pills, they were quickly digested by Kiyoshi's stomach, replenishing his physical strength. Food Pills could not be eaten in excess, as they placed a heavy burden on a ninja's body and could even damage the meridian system. Kiyoshi could feel a spicy sensation in his meridians.
However, the restored stamina was quickly refined into chakra by Kiyoshi and concentrated in his lower limbs.
*Crackle!*
No longer just faint, vague sparks, visible phantom arcs of electricity appeared beneath Kiyoshi's feet. In an instant, he charged toward Maki. Less than two seconds had passed from the moment Kiyoshi dodged the wind net to him swallowing the pills.
Just as Chiyo tried to stop him, before the previous fireball had even hit the ground, a second fireball erupted from Kiyoshi's mouth. The first collided with the wind net, and as it slowed, the second fireball smashed into it. The two fireballs, much larger than average, caused a violent explosion instantly.
Chiyo's chakra threads were disrupted by the shockwave produced by the explosion, causing them to veer off course. Taking advantage of the timing, Kiyoshi allowed the electric network in his legs to surge to the highest level he could endure. The resulting activation allowed him to move away toward the distance at extreme speed.
"You all go after him. That boy won't last long before he runs out of chakra," Chiyo exhaled a breath of turbid air. Her old bones couldn't handle constant running. How many ninjas had stamina as good as Kiyoshi's?
The reason they hadn't caught up after hours was that both Kiyoshi and Tsunade were essentially taijutsu-style ninjas who knew how to use chakra to strengthen their physical bodies. A puppet master's entire strength lay in manipulating puppets; unless they modified their own bodies into puppets, their raw physical strength would be weaker than an average ninja's.
"Pakura, Pakura." Chiyo called out. Pakura's eyes were no longer as dazed as before.
"I... what happened to me...?" Pakura realized she had inexplicably fainted. She looked up to see Chiyo's face. Pakura quickly stood up, bracing herself against the ground. Upon rising, her hands were stained with water and blood.
Vaguely, Pakura seemed to remember something. She stared at the blood on her palm, distracted, still somewhat in a daze.
"We must chase Kiyoshi Uchiha quickly. His chakra is nearly bottomed out, and this desert offers no place for him to hide." Chiyo paused and continued, "There are many Jonin in the team this time; Kiyoshi Uchiha cannot withstand them. I will continue the pursuit of the Slug Woman; you all take a rest first."
Hearing Kiyoshi's name, Pakura's face filled with indignation. She finally remembered. It was that fellow Kiyoshi using Maki to distract her mind, and while she was off guard, he had struck her chakra points with Lightning Style.
Pakura now wished she could trample Kiyoshi under her feet. New grudges added to old ones made her nearly lose her sanity. That guy had made her release a Water Style technique in front of Maki, causing water to splash everywhere.
*Whoosh...*
The water and blood on her pants were not yet dry. As the wind blew past, there was a chilly feeling. This cold sensation happened to dampen Pakura's fury, allowing her to regain her reason.
"Yes."
***
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