"We finally made it back to the Land of Fire…"
Standing at the border, Natsuhiko stretched lazily, the tension in his body easing ever so slightly.
It had been over a month since the mission began.
And throughout that entire time, he had remained in a constant state of vigilance.
Even after entering the Land of Rivers, he never once let his guard down. Half of that territory was effectively under the control of the Land of Wind—being too conspicuous there was just asking for trouble.
Not to mention…
Only later did he learn that among the ANBU he had killed, there were actually two division commanders.
One of them was Viper—the man he had eliminated instantly using Wood Release in combination with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The other… had died almost by accident, caught in the crossfire while Natsuhiko was engaged in a prolonged clash with Sunagakure's shinobi.
It had to be said—
Their deaths were downright miserable.
But at the same time, it only proved one thing:
In an era before monstrous, eye-based powers came to dominate the battlefield, the Flying Thunder God Technique was nothing short of terrifying.
No matter how strong someone was, if they couldn't withstand direct hits from ninja tools—or didn't have a second life to fall back on—
The moment they were marked and ambushed…
Their fate was already sealed.
—
"Yeah… we're finally back."
Kakashi, standing beside him, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Although he hadn't truly participated in the mission—being dismissed by Natsuhiko before it even began—he hadn't returned to the Land of Fire either.
Instead, he remained near the border of the Land of Rivers, constantly gathering intelligence on Natsuhiko's movements and relaying what he could back to Minato through his ninken.
At the same time, he had to keep a close watch on Pakura.
He couldn't let her be discovered.
But he also couldn't let her starve.
The balancing act alone had been exhausting.
Truth be told, the past month had left him mentally drained, constantly walking a tightrope between caution and danger.
Fortunately, things had worked out.
Natsuhiko eventually passed through the Land of Rivers—and Kakashi had chosen his hiding spot well. It was directly along Natsuhiko's route.
Even more cleverly, Kakashi had left behind a series of ANBU-coded markings in the area.
When Natsuhiko arrived, he noticed them immediately.
That was how he realized—
Kakashi had never gone back.
—
But when they finally reunited, there was no heartfelt moment.
No relief.
No gratitude.
Natsuhiko didn't hold back—he berated Kakashi on the spot.
And Kakashi… took it without a word.
After all, he knew he had disobeyed a direct order.
He had no grounds to argue.
—
Once they cleared away all the hidden markings, the two of them set off together toward Konoha.
The journey back wasn't easy.
They spent days weaving around inspections and patrols, taking the long way just to avoid unnecessary risks.
Step by step, they finally crossed back into the Land of Fire.
—
"If you hadn't disobeyed my orders," Natsuhiko shot Kakashi a glance, "you'd have been back a long time ago."
He then looked over at Pakura—
Bound tightly with ropes, a rag stuffed into her mouth, her chakra completely sealed.
Natsuhiko couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"At the very least, we wouldn't be dragging around a walking problem—parading her across the countryside while worrying about her being exposed."
To him, Pakura was nothing but trouble.
A massive liability.
And yet…
Her value made it impossible for him to simply kill her.
So they had no choice but to keep her in tow, moving carefully every step of the way.
Because if she escaped—
It wouldn't just be a loss.
It would turn into an even bigger disaster.
After all, if she managed to alert the Sunagakure forces stationed in the Land of Rivers…
That would be bad news for both of them.
Even though Natsuhiko already had the full details of her mission, there was no way he could reveal them now.
If he did, that woman would only become more desperate—more reckless in her determination to return to Sunagakure and uncover the truth for herself.
—
"This time… luck was really on our side."
Natsuhiko exhaled softly, his tone almost reflective.
"Not only did we complete the primary objective, but I also accomplished what I personally set out to do… and even wrapped up a few unexpected tasks along the way."
The gains from this mission were staggering.
So much so that even he found it hard to believe.
Beyond the original objectives, the things he had extracted from Chiyo alone were more than enough to make this mission worthwhile.
In the end… Chiyo had compromised.
Even with fury burning in her eyes.
Even with her blood pressure rising, her fists trembling in restrained rage.
For the sake of Sunagakure's reputation—
And for the information regarding Sasori—
She chose to yield.
Piece by piece, she traded away intelligence that chipped at Sunagakure's interests, all to protect secrets that absolutely could not be exposed… and in return, obtain what she desperately wanted.
On the surface, it might have seemed like a fair deal.
Perhaps even a profitable one.
But in reality—
What she had done was slowly, invisibly push Sunagakure deeper into Konoha's grasp.
Like a fuse being extended on a bomb.
It might delay the explosion…
But it would never prevent it.
She had no choice.
Natsuhiko had left her with none.
And in the end, all she could do was hand over what he demanded, hoping to stabilize what little she still could.
The ANBU communication codes. And the research on the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique. Both now rested firmly in Natsuhiko's hands.
The codes, at least, had already been verified.
After all, he possessed a letter taken directly from the ANBU commander—Viper.
Once decoded, the contents had left even Natsuhiko momentarily stunned.
The letter had been issued personally by Rasa.
Its purpose was simple:
After completing his mission, Viper was to make his way to Kirigakure… and retrieve Pakura's body.
—
By the time he arrived, her corpse would likely have already been thoroughly studied.
Even so, it still had to be recovered.
A hollow gesture, perhaps.
But a necessary one.
—
No matter how you looked at it, Natsuhiko now held concrete evidence—
Proof that Sunagakure had intended to abandon Pakura.
And if he played his cards right…
Once they returned to Konoha, and once she had calmed down…
There was a real possibility he could turn her.
—
"Still… this code won't stay useful for long."
Natsuhiko narrowed his eyes slightly.
"It won't take long before Ebizō finds a way to completely overhaul it. Between him and Chiyo, there aren't many secrets left to hide anyway."
He understood this much clearly—
The value of the code was temporary.
Using it to claim long-term merit? That was wishful thinking.
After all, if Sunagakure didn't change it, they might as well lay all their secrets bare before Konoha.
No village would tolerate that.
And Natsuhiko had never expected them to sit idly by.
—
As for the One's Own Life Reincarnation research…
He was far less certain of its authenticity.
Chiyo had handed it over too easily.
And he had accepted it just as quickly.
When things went that smoothly…
It usually meant trouble.
Still—
Something was better than nothing.
And perhaps, buried within those materials, there might be something… interesting.
—
"Alright, enough of that," Natsuhiko shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.
Then, finally, he spoke again.
"Let's go. Time to head back to Konoha."
—
It had taken nearly another week, but finally, Natsuhiko and Kakashi brought Pakura back to the Land of Fire. Both of them let out long, quiet sighs of relief.
The journey back hadn't been particularly tense. After all, they were now within Konoha's sphere of influence. A measured level of caution was all that was needed.
Still… after being away for so long, after dealing with so many unexpected complications along the way, finally seeing Konoha in the distance brought a sense of genuine comfort.
—
As for Pakura herself, there was a reluctant sense of relief as well.
She had never imagined that she could be captured so easily. The thought alone filled her with bitter frustration.
When she realized there was only a single guard watching her, she had briefly considered running.
But that was hopeless.
Her chakra had been sealed, her body tightly bound, and she had spent long stretches unconscious.
If it weren't for the guard's routine checks—waking her, giving her food, and allowing her brief moments to tend to her hygiene—Pakura might have starved long ago, or become unbearably foul from neglect.
Even then, the tiny corner where she could clean herself was completely hidden. No windows, no ventilation—just a dead end.
With her chakra sealed and the rations barely sufficient, her physical strength had reached its absolute limit. Any thought of resistance was impossible.
She had no idea when this torment would end.
Nor why this figure, the one she suspected might be Kakashi, hadn't simply returned her to Konoha.
All she could do was endure.
—
After nearly a month of this, Pakura finally came face to face with the person who had bested her.
And she realized, with a mix of fury and dread, that this white-haired shinobi had probably carried out some unspeakable, secret mission in Sunagakure.
The thought made her blood boil—and only intensified her desire to escape.
But despair came quickly.
This white-haired man was worse than the other one she had encountered. More cunning. More relentless. More impossible to defy.
The seals she had painstakingly worn down over the last month? Refilled, as if with a single gesture from him.
And the surveillance—far stricter than before.
The other white-haired figure, the one she suspected was Kakashi, had at least allowed her small private moments, spaces to tend to her personal needs.
Not this one.
He didn't care about privacy. He didn't provide any space for herself. None at all.
Yet in essence… it made little difference.
By chance, Pakura had overheard a snippet of conversation between the two white-haired men.
The one they called "captain"—this relentless man—was a sensory ninja.
A sensory ninja.
One who could detect and perceive everything about her.
A skill that made privacy impossible.
The thought alone sent chills crawling down Pakura's spine.
She almost wished she could go back to how things were before—when she'd been under what was supposedly Kakashi's watch. At least back then, she knew she still had a bit of room to breathe.
Now, though… coming to Konoha wasn't much better. Sure, she'd effectively lost her freedom either way, but at least it wasn't as utterly miserable as her current situation.
—
The three of them arrived at Konoha's side gate. The shinobi on duty, responsible for inspection, were visibly taken aback when they learned that Natsuhiko had returned. Still, they quickly let the group pass—and immediately reported the matter to the Hokage.
"Looks like we're in for another busy day," Natsuhiko muttered, shaking his head with a hint of resignation. "Take this woman back to the division. Lock her up properly—no complications. I'll head straight to the Hokage's office."
"Yes, Captain," Kakashi responded smartly with a nod.
The expressions on the ANBU guards at the gate had already said everything. What Natsuhiko had done… it had likely spread through Konoha's upper ranks by now.
And it wouldn't be long before the story reached the upper echelons of the entire ninja world.
Every village planted operatives in other villages—intelligence agents who ultimately served the highest leaders of their respective nations.
Normal shinobi wouldn't be privy to such information. But for those at the top? Secrets were few and far between.
Natsuhiko himself was a Konoha shinobi. With Kakashi handling intelligence transmission, it was only natural that Konoha would know quickly what had happened.
Now that he had returned, he needed to report immediately. And as his subordinate, Kakashi's role was to handle things for him.
Watching Kakashi's retreating figure, Natsuhiko nodded quietly before turning sharply and running in another direction.
—
Along the way, he couldn't help but think about how he would report this mission.
After all, the scale of what he had done was unprecedented.
And after disappearing for so long following his escape, he needed a plausible explanation ready.
He couldn't simply say, "Oh, I went to the Ryūmyaku and used a chunk of Hashirama Senju's flesh I found in Root to undergo a transformation"
Even thinking it made him smile wryly. Saying something like that would be tantamount to suicide.
—
"…Speaking of which, that piece of Hashirama's flesh…" Natsuhiko muttered to himself, frowning slightly. "Even though I recovered it, the power inside seems to be gone. That's… troublesome."
He had embedded that flesh into a tree, which had unexpectedly granted it a strange, almost mystical power. He'd extracted that power—and it had shaped him into what he was now.
The problem was, that very same trump card… had lost its uniqueness in the process.
Even after digging it back out, its size and appearance hadn't changed.
But Natsuhiko was certain—anyone, even an ordinary person, could tell that this piece of flesh was no longer what it once had been.
Shaking his head, he forced the thought aside.
This wasn't the time to dwell on it. The priority was getting through the current situation.
As for the flesh… if it really came down to it, maybe it was time to pay another visit to that ever-kind and benevolent Lord Shimura Danzō.
After all, the last time he'd found it in Danzō's laboratory.
Who's to say he wouldn't find something else this time?
"…Let's just hope Lord Danzō doesn't disappoint me," Natsuhiko murmured with a faint smirk. "If not… then I might have to start digging into his records for real this time."
...
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