Challenge!

As I left the meeting room, the moment I closed the door, the sounds of a heated discussion could be heard through the crack in the door, and I could still faintly hear them from a distance.

Even Pakura's usually easygoing face couldn't help but show a wry smile, "I'm sorry you had to witness this."

The worst and ugliest side of the Mist Ninja has been seen by outsiders.

However, he quickly consoled himself, saying that even the most embarrassing scene at present was not as ugly as the past ugliness of the Bloody Mist Village. From this point of view, the Mist Ninja had already taken a big step forward.

Of course, they cannot relax yet; they must continue to move forward and cannot allow people like the elders to hinder their progress.

Policies like isolationism and outdated ideas are no longer suitable for the current state of the Shinobi World!

Do you really think that Kirigakure can just close its borders and develop in seclusion for ten years and then participate in the wars for supremacy among the major powers on the continent?

Putting everything else aside, if Akatsuki doesn't join forces with Konoha and other countries to resolve their problems, and if the Mizukage is also taken into control, the dark and desolate Bloody Mist Village could be transformed back into the Mist Ninja in no time!

These thoughts in Pakura's mind did not surface.

He rallied his spirits and led Sakura Haruno and the others away from the Mizukage Building.

Despite experiencing war and years of turmoil, Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Nations, still retains its prosperous and vibrant character, thanks to its status as a major power.

Walking on the streets of the core area, the crowds of ordinary people and ninjas made Sakura Haruno's Team almost feel like they were still walking on the streets of Konoha.

The only difference was the ninja from the Mist Ninja. Besides wearing black bodysuits, many ninjas also liked to wear striped sweaters, which seemed to be a popular style in the Land of Water. This reminded Sakura Haruno Zabuza, the missing-nin they had encountered years ago. It seems that even demons can't forget the clothes of their hometown.

Besides, the Mist Ninja seem to really like using swords. Most of the ninjas who come and go carry a long sword, regardless of gender, age, strength, or disability. Correspondingly, their eyes are also cold and unfriendly, perhaps because the influence of the Bloody Mist Village still lingers in their hearts.

Especially when they see ninjas from other villages walking on their streets.

The moment they saw the Konoha Forehead Protector, most people became alert, staring at Sakura Haruno and the others with dangerous eyes, making everyone feel extremely uneasy.

If it weren't for Pakura leading the way, several overly sensitive people would probably have drawn their knives and attacked in the street.

"Sorry, although their eyes were a bit fierce," Pakura said with a wry smile as they walked down a sparsely populated street, glancing back at the uncomfortable-looking Sakura Haruno and the others. "But they are actually very nice people."

Sakura Haruno's lips twitched slightly. In the two years since entering Kirigakure, she had lost count of how many times Pakura had apologized.

"It's alright, I understand." She said this with a gentle smile, which reassured Pakura quite a bit; however, what Ying was really thinking was, "It's alright, my foot!"

According to the records, this group of ninjas were all graduates from a bloody, cutthroat exam. Those who survived had all personally killed their classmates. Wouldn't it be an exaggeration to describe such people as ruthless?

Of course, they had no other choice.

In short, these people all had rather eerie eyes. But the most terrifying one was Pakura. After experiencing such a cruel thing, he could still act as if nothing had happened. It was truly chilling to think about, even more terrifying than those ninjas with their cold eyes!

Sakura Haruno subtly increased the distance between herself and Pakura.

"This is our Ninjutsu training ground." After strolling around for a while, Pakura led the four to a flat and spacious area. "Hey, why are you all standing so far away?"

"Cough cough, it's nothing." Sakura Haruno led Konohamaru and the others forward. The training ground that Pakura had specially brought them to visit was quite special, and it was indeed different from the one in Konoha.

A river flows around the training ground, encircling half of it, and a dozen or so Ninjutsu targets made of scrap metal stand on the ground from top to bottom.

The pitted and uneven surface of the iron block shows that it has been through countless battles, yet it still stands firm on the field, suggesting it is made of some kind of exceptionally hard metal. The fact that the Land of Water was able to create seven special Ninja Blade demonstrates that their forging techniques were quite advanced, at least in those days.

In comparison, Konoha's training grounds don't have such good conditions. To practice Water Release, you have to go outside the village—unless you can tolerate the stinking ditch along a tributary of the Naka River. The targets are also made of wood, making them unusable as tools for Ninjutsu training.

"Mr. Pakura," Konohamaru asked, noticing the obvious Water Release marks on the field and the river beside it, "Do all the ninjas from your Land of Water know Water Release?"

Before he could finish speaking, Moegi tapped him on the head. "Idiot, if you do that, won't all the ninjas of the Land of Fire know Fire Style?"

Pakura chuckled, affirming Konohamaru's explanation. "Actually, we Mist Ninja ninjas really do primarily use Water Release techniques. Because we're near the sea with a dense network of waterways, it's easy to train in Water Release, and the power of Water Release is also very strong. So, everyone either has Water as their primary attribute or chooses Water Release as their secondary attribute. That's why we've always had many very powerful Water Release ninjas."

"However," Pakura changed the subject, looking at Sakura Haruno, "When it comes to Water Release, your teacher is probably the most skilled!"

"Huh?" The three children were taken aback. "Is it really that amazing?"

Although they knew that Sakura Haruno was very powerful, possessing Kage Level strength, they had never really grasped just how strong she was. Perhaps it was a case of being too close to the Yamanaka to see the full extent of it.

"Is it true that you'll be right away...?" Pakura said calmly.

Before he could finish speaking, Pakura suddenly pulled out Kunai!

"... I knew it!" he roared, turning around and launching a surprise attack. His kunai Kunai into a streak of cold light, fiercely stabbing towards Sakura Haruno behind him!

The Kunai pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound, seemingly about to kill the girl in one blow, but in the end it stopped on Sakura's forehead.

The sharp edge of the Kunai rested on her smooth skin, just a hair's breadth away from piercing her skull and killing her instantly.

"It's best not to make dangerous jokes like that," Sakura Haruno said Kunai aside. "Otherwise..."

"People will die." Her cold voice came from behind Pakura.

It was none other than Sakura Haruno's true form. The moment Pakura made his move, Sakura switched places with his clone and Body Flicker Technique appeared behind him.

Pakura ignored the Kunai that Sakura Haruno had placed across his neck, her expression unchanged, and smiled faintly, "Your Water Release is indeed very powerful!"

Sakura Haruno put away her Kunai and clone, frowning as she watched him walk to the center of the training field.

Pakura's calm demeanor suggests that he still has a chance to turn the tide in that situation, and he's probably a tough opponent.

She glanced at the three students who were cowering nervously behind her— Konohamaru and the others had already drawn their Kunai and prepared to fight when they saw Pakura attack Sakura Haruno —and patted them on the shoulder, saying, "Don't be afraid, your teacher will protect you."

However, I felt somewhat relieved, at least they dared to take out their weapons and prepare for battle, so the mission before they set off had been effective.

"You are a disciple of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Tsunade," Pakura said in the arena. "Tsunade in her letter that you are very strong."

"So what if it is?" Sakura Haruno frowned and retorted.

"Then, let's have a fight!"

"Why?" Sakura asked, puzzled. "We seem to have no reason to fight."

"No, both of us do," Pakura said firmly. "Your purpose in sending Kirigakure was to facilitate diplomatic relations and cooperation between the two villages, right?"

"Indeed, but what does that have to do with fighting you?"

"I want to test your strength. Beat me, prove your strength, and I'll tell you everything," Pakura said calmly. "If you lose, just stay quietly to the side and wait for the result!"

Sakura Haruno stared straight at him.

She never expected that a simple diplomatic mission would turn out to be so complicated.

Judging from Pakura's actions, it seems that the two sides in the Mist Ninja Village are now irreconcilably at odds. It appears that the Mizukage intends to resolve the issue completely, and is even trying to win over the Konoha Ninja for their assistance.

But is she trying to solve the problem, or to get rid of the person who created it?

It's too complicated. This place is in dire straits. The timing of the mission chosen by Konoha seems to be unfavorable.

For a moment, Sakura had the urge to refuse him: not to fight him, but to return to her residence and wait for everything to settle down on the Mist Ninja's side before coming out to accept the outcome.

However, she reconsidered, realizing that being timid and hesitant wasn't her style. Just like Pakura said, although she was an outsider, she shared the same stance as one side in this matter. If the Mizukage failed, her mission would also fail.

In the fight against Akatsuki, and on the path to peace between the two ninja villages, she seems to have become a crucial deciding factor.

History could be altered by a single decision she made. For the first time, Sakura felt her own importance so clearly.

In short, Sakura Haruno has a reason for appearing.

Furthermore, Tsunade mentioned in her letter that she was very strong. Besides warning the Mist Ninja not to judge people by their appearance or have ulterior motives, was she also hinting at something else?

But is it really a good idea to drag yourself and three students into this mess?

The girl's expression shifted rapidly, her eyes darting around as she thought quickly.

"Don't hesitate," Pakura urged, "Come on!"

"Alright," Sakura Haruno finally made her decision, "You three, step back a bit."

Taking three children on a mission to the Mist Ninja was merely a way of signaling that she wasn't there to cause trouble; it didn't mean that she had no energy left to do anything else while protecting her students.

She created two Ice Clones to protect the three students on either side, then slowly walked onto the field.

"I knew your Water Release was strong when you passed that bridge this morning," Pakura said. He watched as the girl took off her vest containing her luggage and storage scrolls, revealing her slender figure wrapped in a tight-fitting bodysuit. He could easily tell that Sakura Haruno was indeed a Ninjutsu- type ninja.

Sakura Haruno walked up to him, rubbed her knuckles, looked at him calmly, and remained silent.

"Perhaps you are the strongest Water Release ninja I have ever seen," Pakura said, having warmed up slightly, "But my Water Release is definitely not bad either!"

The girl nodded slightly. "Of the Five Elements Release Techniques, my favorite is Water Release, and I've always believed Water Release be the strongest... It's rare to meet a fellow Water Release practitioner, so let's have a Water Release contest!"

The two formed Seal of Confrontation, and the battle officially began...

(Third update! Bonus chapter for 600 monthly votes! I might not be able to write the last chapter, but I estimate I'll finish the bonus chapter for 800 monthly votes tomorrow!)

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