Tricking Black Zetsu, Tōka's Little Thoughts

The yellow sand blew with a howling sound, painful like knives scraping across the skin.

Sakumo Hatake and the other two exchanged glances, reaching a conclusion.

One goes, one stays. Since Pakura had already been captured, the only remaining one naturally had to be killed.

After all, they were a squad deep in enemy territory to carry out sabotage and assassination. If they hadn't needed to extract information from Pakura's mind, this battle would have been much more straightforward.

Sakumo Hatake grew serious, and a chilling killing intent permeated the surrounding air.

A terrifying and strange aura, as if it were tangible, stimulated everyone's nerves.

Tōka, the weakest, felt his breathing become difficult. However, he forcibly mustered his nascent aura, resisting with difficulty.

So this is the true face of the God of Slaughter! he lamented inwardly, knowing Sakumo Hatake was about to get serious.

However, Karura should have no problem escaping.

With sand defenses faster than Gaara's, even Sakumo Hatake might not be able to defeat her.

Tōka received a signal and, along with the Cat-faced man, quickly moved Pakura to a safe distance.

His gaze shifted from the center of the battlefield to his side. "Pakura, Scorch Release..."

A thousand thoughts flashed through Tōka's mind. I don't really want Pakura to die, but what can be done?

Karura was strong; she could hold her own against Sakumo Hatake for a while even in a one-on-one fight.

However, under the combined assault of another elite Jonin, Karura's defeat was inevitable.

It was just a matter of whether she would escape or choose to "stay."

Time is running out. Once the battle over there ends, they'll definitely use mental intrusion on Pakura, Tōka thought to himself.

The Cat-faced man's Genjutsu was powerful, making it ideal for extracting information.

As his thoughts swirled, a cry of pain suddenly came from the sandy ground not far away.

Tōka turned his head and saw Sakumo Hatake, White Fang in hand, with lightning crackling in his palm, piercing directly through Karura's sand defenses.

Blood spurted from Karura's shoulder. Her face turned pale, and she struggled to look up at Pakura.

Konoha's White Fang lives up to its name. Karura had a plan. She was gentle, but also intelligent.

In their first exchange, Sakumo Hatake's attacks had intentionally or unintentionally avoided her vital points. But now, every blow was aimed at killing her.

If the sand hadn't blocked for a moment, giving her time to shift her position, she would be a corpse standing here now.

A cold glint flashed in Sakumo Hatake's eyes as he drew his sword and thrust again.

Sizzle...

A burnt, acrid smell filled the air.

"It's an Explosive Tag, Captain, be careful!" the Dog-faced man, who was assisting Sakumo Hatake, urgently warned.

Sakumo Hatake had naturally noticed it as well. The moment the sound rang out, he activated the Body Flicker Technique.

Whoosh!

Bang!

A massive explosion erupted. The area where Karura stood was engulfed in yellow sand, which rained down like pellets.

"She got away."

His vision obscured by the sand, his hearing drowned out by the howling wind.

Sakumo Hatake still detected Karura's escape within the first moment.

At close range, Sakumo Hatake's perception was equally powerful, the strongest of the four.

"What now?" the Dog-faced man glanced at the dark sky. If this were Konoha, it would be a heavy rain.

But this was the Land of Wind, so it was definitely a sandstorm!

"It seems the plan has been exposed!" Sakumo Hatake said calmly, retracting his killing intent and returning to being an ordinary middle-aged man.

"Captain is truly composed!" the Cat-faced man said with a hint of helplessness. Even though the plan was exposed, he knew Sakumo Hatake wouldn't give up.

"Let's find a place to hide first. We need to get some information," Sakumo Hatake said in a deep voice, glancing at the unconscious Pakura.

The four quickly departed as the wind grew stronger.

It whipped up the yellow sand, instantly covering their tracks.

In a pile of abandoned, sand-eroded rocks, the White Fang squad took temporary shelter, hiding from the approaching sandstorm.

"Cat, begin," Sakumo Hatake personally guarded, signaling the Cat-faced man to invade Pakura's mind and extract information.

All the way here, countless thoughts had flashed through Tōka's mind, only to be dismissed.

Undoubtedly, all strategies were futile. In the face of absolute power, any scheme or trick was useless.

Tōka wanted to save Pakura, but he was powerless.

"How about I try?" Tōka suddenly blurted out, his mind racing.

"You?" The Cat-faced man, who was forming hand seals to begin, paused slightly before looking at Sakumo Hatake.

Both the White Fang squad and the Konoha western garrison camp were under Sakumo Hatake's supreme command.

A strange look flashed in Sakumo Hatake's eyes as he gazed at Tōka.

The atmosphere grew silent. Outside the rock formations, the wind roared, kicking up sand that lashed against the rocks.

Tōka regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, cursing himself for being too impulsive.

However, if Pakura could be saved, it wouldn't be a loss, because he knew Pakura was eventually betrayed by Sunagakure.

At that time, hehehe...

"What are you standing around for? Move," Sakumo Hatake said coldly, clearly addressing Tōka.

Seeing this, the Cat-faced man took a step back, clearing the way.

Tōka extended his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together against Pakura's forehead.

The method of extracting information was simple, yet extremely difficult.

Simple in that it relied on superior mental strength to directly invade the opponent's brain and uncover the secrets they wanted to know.

The difficulty lay in the fact that a forceful invasion would basically turn the opponent into an idiot, so Tōka needed to be "gentle."

Tōka could precisely control chakra, and he could just as precisely control his mental power.

This was a talent he was born with.

Pakura's Scorch Release was formidable, and her Ninjutsu was equally powerful. If she hadn't encountered Sakumo Hatake, she absolutely wouldn't have been defeated so quickly.

However, the unconscious girl lay with her eyes closed, her expression soft as if asleep.

She was like a tender little white rabbit, completely defenseless.

To Tōka, Pakura's mental defenses were like a thin piece of paper.

Soon, he delved deep into her mind...

Time passed like this, and everyone stood or sat quietly to the side.

Suddenly!

"Found it! Information about Sunagakure!" Tōka withdrew his fingers, a flicker of joy in his eyes.

"Tell me," Sakumo Hatake opened his eyes, which had been closed in meditation.

"Some of Sunagakure's grain and fodder are in the camp; she doesn't know about the rest, but..." Tōka's lips curved into a smile.

"But what?" the Dog-faced man asked impatiently.

"But I know the mission they're here for," Tōka's eyes flashed. Sunagakure had actually sent people to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth for aid.

In other words, the Sand Shinobi wouldn't last much longer.

On one hand, there was the pressure of supplies, and on the other, the pressure from the Daimyo.

After a year of war, the Sand Shinobi had only managed to raid the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, and hadn't even crossed the border into the Land of Fire.

This had also led to increasing opposition to the war within Sunagakure.

If it weren't for Chiyo, Rasa, and the others holding things down, they probably would have collapsed long ago.

"It seems we need to change our plan," Sakumo Hatake said after a moment of thought.

Everyone perked up their ears, waiting for what came next.

"The team will split into two groups. Cat and Mastiff will be responsible for taking Pakura back. Fox will be with me to continue the mission," Sakumo Hatake stated.

Beneath the Fox mask, Tōka's mouth twitched. He was only a Genin!

This wasn't how you gained experience points; the enemy was too powerful, and one group skill hitting him would mean death!

"Captain, shouldn't I go with you, and Fox and Cat take Pakura back?" the Dog-faced man interjected at the opportune moment.

Tōka's Medical Ninjutsu was excellent, but he was still just a Genin.

He could handle a three-on-one situation, but with only Sakumo Hatake left, it would be...

"Mastiff is right. I don't think Fox is suited for infiltration missions," the Cat-faced man agreed with the Dog-faced man's assessment.

Tōka silently gave these two brothers a thumbs-up in his heart. He really didn't want to go around causing destruction or assassinating people.

"Execute the order!" Sakumo Hatake offered no explanation and closed his eyes as his words fell.

Of the four, only Sakumo Hatake knew about Tōka's abilities besides Tōka himself.

That ability to instantly kill with a single hit was more powerful than any Ninjutsu.

Furthermore, Sakumo Hatake believed Tōka's Mystical Palm Technique was superior even to Tsunade's, which was the real reason Sakumo Hatake wanted to bring Tōka along.

The Cat-faced man and the Dog-faced man exchanged a glance before parting ways.

Even in the sandstorm, the group couldn't afford to be careless.

Tōka was assigned to the nine o'clock position. While resting, he also had to monitor any movements in that direction.

The other three occupied the twelve, three, and six o'clock positions.

Pakura, who was bound like a rice dumpling, was personally guarded by Sakumo Hatake...

The camp fell silent.

Yellow sand filled the sky, making it impossible to tell if it was day or night.

Tōka felt the air around him growing colder, his exhaled breath visible as mist.

The desert was a strange place, scorching hot during the day and deadly cold at night.

Just as Tōka, wrapped in his clothes, was dozing off, a strange yet familiar presence suddenly appeared.

"Who?!" Tōka exclaimed, his eyes snapping open.

Wooooosh~~~

The wind howled, filling his ears with a ringing noise.

"Heh, quite alert." From the sandy ground, a pitcher plant slowly emerged.

"Black Zetsu?" Tōka's eyelids twitched. He hadn't heard from Black Zetsu in a year and a half and thought the guy wouldn't come looking for him.

"It seems you've been doing well during this time," Black Zetsu's raspy voice sent a shiver down Tōka's spine.

"Something you need?" Tōka subtly glanced in Sakumo Hatake's direction.

"Don't worry, they won't be able to detect me." Black Zetsu was confident and skilled in hiding.

Tōka remained silent, watching Black Zetsu. He knew Black Zetsu wouldn't appear without a reason.

Moreover, at this time, Black Zetsu should be by Madara Uchiha's side.

The two men stared at each other, their eyes flashing with a look only they understood.

The atmosphere was silent and eerie.

"I want to know what you think," Black Zetsu broke the silence first, saying it inexplicably.

"Think about what?" Tōka tilted his head, frowning. He wore a fox mask, so he wasn't worried about the other person seeing his expression.

"About mother..." Black Zetsu had investigated several times but couldn't ascertain Tōka's identity.

However, the familiar aura on Tōka, the aura of Kaguya Otsutsuki, made Black Zetsu utterly convinced.

Furthermore, All-Killing Ash Bones was a technique Black Zetsu had never seen anyone else use besides Kaguya Otsutsuki.

During this time, Black Zetsu had been secretly observing Tōka without revealing himself.

"You must have a plan..." Tōka said calmly.

"Are you planning to help?" Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes, his words laced with probing.

He didn't want his millennia of waiting to be in vain. He believed in Tōka's identity but not in Tōka himself.

"If I absolutely have to answer, then..."

Tōka paused, and Black Zetsu tensed.

"Yes."

"That's my good child."

Black Zetsu let out a strange laugh, seemingly directed at Tōka, but perhaps also at himself.

Tōka glanced at Black Zetsu, his mind already formulating some ideas.

The Akatsuki probably hadn't formed yet, but Madara Uchiha was by Black Zetsu's side.

If he could save Pakura, and later use his connections with Kirigakure...

"There's a small matter I need your help with," Tōka said.

"What is it?" Black Zetsu neither agreed nor refused outright. As long as it didn't interfere with his plan, he considered Tōka one of his own.

"See that girl Sakumo Hatake is guarding?" Tōka gestured towards White Fang.

"Mm, it's Pakura, the Scorch Release ninja from Sunagakure." Black Zetsu's intelligence was top-notch; even the combined might of the five great nations might not match him.

"Tomorrow, Sakumo Hatake and I will go to the Land of Wind to cause trouble. The other two will escort Pakura back."

"You're going to the Land of Wind? Are you trying to die?" Black Zetsu glanced dismissively at Tōka. Perhaps Tōka would become strong in the future, but he was too weak now.

"I don't need you to worry about me. You just need to let her go," Tōka said, his mouth twitching slightly in displeasure.

"That's not difficult." Black Zetsu didn't know what Tōka was planning, nor did he care to find out.

"Did you come to see me for something?" Tōka changed the subject.

"I just wanted to feel mother's aura," Black Zetsu sniffed, as if inhaling the "body fragrance" from Tōka.

Tōka felt a chill run down his spine, veins throbbing on his forehead. I'm not your mother!!

Black Zetsu arrived silently and left without a trace.

The next day, the sandstorm that had raged all night had buried more than half of the scattered rocks.

When Tōka woke up, he was covered in sand, and it took him a while to crawl out from the yellow dunes.

The other three were in a similar state, their bodies half-buried in sand.

"The sandstorm has stopped. Let's split up," Sakumo Hatake tossed Pakura to the dog-faced man.

"What are you going to do?" Pakura had sobered up by now. She had no idea that the intelligence had been leaked while she was unconscious yesterday.

"Hmph, just behave yourself, girl!" The dog-faced man slapped Pakura's butt.

Pakura's face flushed with anger, blood rushing to her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she looked as if she could devour the dog-faced man whole!

"Let's go." Sakumo Hatake glanced at Tōka and turned to walk deeper into the desert.

Tōka indifferently glanced at Pakura, as if looking forward to their next meeting. (To be continued)