Black Zetsu, you're fucking stirring up trouble again!

With a deafening roar, the Forest Konoha Back Mountain trembled violently as if an earthquake had struck, and the terrifying tremor spread in all directions.

Even though Tōka was quite far away, he could clearly sense it.

The ground shook, and it felt like he jumped.

"Killer B Tailed Beast Transformation? The Third Hokage should be able to handle it." Tōka looked back, but didn't see the Eight-Tails Ox Demon.

Sudden!

A familiar aura emanated from ahead, and Tōka's gaze sharpened slightly. He no longer had the mind to pay attention to the Eight-Tails or the Third Hokage.

Locking onto the master's aura, Tōka shifted her feet and swiftly slipped into a Dark Alley to the side.

In the shadowy corner, a figure emerged from the wall like a ghost.

"Hehehe... Tōka, your perception is still as terrifying as ever." Black Zetsu chuckled, a strange smile playing on his lips. He had only just gotten close when he was detected.

Even Uchiha Madara didn't have such exaggerated abilities.

That's really... scary!

"What is it?" Tōka stared intently at Black Zetsu. Black Zetsu, such a despicable schemer, would never set foot in the Five Great Hidden Villages unless absolutely necessary, especially Konoha, where Indra and Asura were reincarnated!

"Well, nothing special..." Black Zetsu shrugged, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Just by looking at Black Zetsu's expression, Tōka knew that this attack on Kumogakure Konoha definitely related to this guy.

Initially, he suspected that Danzo was unhappy with Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage and deliberately leaked information to Kumogakure in order to take advantage of the chaos to suppress the Hokage Faction.

Now it seems...

Black Zetsu possesses the most intelligence in the entire Ninja World, and it's believed he also has most of the information about Konoha.

It's highly likely that Black Zetsu secretly leaked the plan bit by bit.

Tōka felt that someone with Raikage's muscle-bound brains could never have come up with such a brilliant plan.

Now, all the mysteries have been solved.

Black Zetsu, it's you again, stirring up trouble behind the scenes!

Tōka squinted and remained silent.

Seemingly uncomfortable under those fluttering little eyes, Black Zetsu finally couldn't take it anymore and changed the subject, saying, "It seems your Ice-Fire Plan has failed!"

Ice-Fire Plan?

Pakura?!

"What happened?" Tōka's expression changed, and he asked in a deep voice.

"Chiyo seems to have arranged for her to leave." Black Zetsu only uttered half a sentence, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Chiyo, that old hag? She keeps causing trouble, doesn't she? We haven't even settled the score with Ebizo yet!

"I'll deal with you when I have time!" Tōka's face turned slightly cold as she pondered Black Zetsu's words. Leave? That's just running away!

Even the Fourth Kazekage gave up, yet Chiyo still dared to secretly sabotage things? Why would she go to such lengths?

It seems that Pakura and Chiyo don't have much interaction.

Tōka's cunning eyes flickered, revealing her calculating nature.

Seeing Tōka's shifty eyes look away, Black Zetsu breathed a sigh of relief, secretly thinking to himself, "That little Fox is up to her tricks again."

Sudden!

Tōka suddenly looked up at Black Zetsu. Black Zetsu felt a chill run down his spine. "Don't look at me like that!!"

"You must have other White Zetsu with you, right?" Tōka glanced at the other half of the figure and asked casually.

"Hmm... what do you want to do?" Black Zetsu's eyes darted around as he asked Budong.

"White Zetsu seems to be Object Transformation, right?" Tōka asked, though it was just a statement of assumption, his tone was full of certainty.

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked out without looking back.

Black Zetsu understood Tōka's meaning after a moment's thought. His eyes darkened, and he secretly made a hand gesture. A White Zetsu hidden in the ground quickly departed.

Everything happened in just a few breaths, silently...

In the Forest east of Konoha, a figure wearing a straw hat and a thick cloak swiftly passed by, his steps quick and light, as if he were in a hurry.

In the Forest not far away, two dark figures stood among the dense foliage, Shadow Hiding.

"Hehe... I wasn't lying to you!" A deep, lewd laugh echoed from the shadows.

"Ready?" another voice asked coldly, its gaze fixed on the cloaked figure walking through the woods.

"Don't worry..." The shadowy figure glanced into the darkness...

With a whoosh!

A dark figure darted out of the woods and quickly approached the cloaked figure who was hurrying along.

"Who goes there!" The cloaked figure stopped in his tracks, quickly turned around, and placed his hands in front of him, clearly forming Hand Seals.

"It's me, don't be nervous," the shadowy figure emerged from the darkness and responded in a low voice.

"Grandmother Chiyo?!" A cute girl's exclamation suddenly came from under the cloak.

"You haven't gone far, that's great." Chiyo's anxious expression eased slightly, and she took the opportunity to move closer to Pakura while they were talking.

At this moment, the cloaked figure removed his hat, revealing himself to be Pakura, Scorch Release ninja from Sunagakure!

Pakura looked at Chiyo approaching with a puzzled expression, completely unprepared.

She was wondering why Grandmother Chiyo had followed her here, and it seemed that she hadn't told Grandmother Chiyo where she would go after leaving Konoha.

"Heading east, are you going to the Land of Water?" Chiyo glanced eastward and asked in a low voice, her words seemingly filled with concern.

"No, I plan to go to the Land of Bears," Pakura answered instinctively, trusting Grandmother Chiyo from the bottom of her heart.

Although Pakura found the timing, location, and manner of the meeting very strange, she still did not suspect Grandmother Chiyo.

"Oh? The Land of Bears..." Chiyo stopped three steps in front of Pakura, a strange, cold smile appearing on her lips.

"It really is a great place!"

"Grandmother Chiyo, you..." Pakura looked at Chiyo in surprise, wondering why she felt a cold aura coming from her.

"A fine burial ground, isn't it?" Chiyo's gaze sharpened, and she suddenly made her move!

A cold glint flashed, and to Pakura's astonishment and confusion, a sharp Kunai pierced straight into her chest!

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining the pitch-black Kunai red.

Warm blood flowed down the Kunai, Chiyo's dry, wrinkled hand was also covered in a layer of blood...

A stinging sensation came over me.

Pain was evident in Pakura's eyes; her heart was filled with a jumble of emotions, the taste of which was as bitter as water.

Do I hate them? It seems not.

I just feel a little unwilling and reluctant...

And sadness.

"Why?" Pakura murmured, uttering three words.

Even though it was Grandmother Chiyo who arranged for her to leave, she wouldn't be this heartbroken if it were anyone else.

With a soft "thud," Chiyo coldly and Kunai pulled out the Pakura, her eyes flashing with a ferocious glint as she stared at the limp body of Yogura.

"Everything is for the village, you should understand!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chiyo gave Pakura a deep look, as if to confirm that she was beyond saving.

Then, Chiyo her strength and leaped up to the treetop, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Pakura lay on the ground, letting the blood flow from her chest. She stared blankly at the dense foliage, her life slowly slipping away, her beautiful eyes about to lose their luster.

Never mind, let's leave it at that...

For the village? Ha...

"Hey, that idiot went way too far!"

"Well... you already said that guy is an idiot."

"..."

Darkness enveloped Pakura's vision, and in the last moment before losing consciousness, she saw two blurry figures suddenly appear before her.

One tall and one short, they seem to be a little devil?

Hehe...

How could there be any ghosts in a place like this? You must be seeing things...

"Take her with us and let's leave." This Forest isn't far from Konoha, Tōka is worried that fleeing ninjas might come this way.

Seeing Tōka looking over, Black Zetsu then looked at White Zetsu.

Why me?

"All right..."

Under two cold gazes, White Zetsu reached out and hoisted Pakura onto his shoulder.

Several days later, on the vast, boundless sea.

An ordinary merchant ship sailed on the ocean. Tōka sat quietly at the bow, a salty sea breeze blowing in his face.

There was no one around, because Tōka didn't like being disturbed when she was looking at the sea.

Just then, a Pitcher Plant suddenly sprouted from the deck.

Tōka, who was gazing at the vast and magnificent sea in a daze, was immediately awakened by the extraordinary aura emanating from Black Zetsu.

A pair of eerie eyes stared at Tōka's back, as if trying to see through him. When Tōka around, Black Zetsu immediately withdrew his burning gaze.

"Pakura is awake, and seems surprisingly calm!" a low, hoarse voice rang out.

"Hmm... let's go take a look." Tōka glanced at Black Zetsu and replied indifferently. He wouldn't force this guy to show his face in public if he didn't want to.

Anyway, Black Zetsu need to eat. The merchant ship is huge, so he can just find a corner to hide in.

After a brief exchange, Black Zetsu slowly retreated into the deck.

Tōka then walked into the cabin. The merchant ship was very spacious and carried not only cargo but also passengers.

Tōka and Pakura's room was on the second floor, a private room in the high-end area, with a separate bedroom and bathroom. It was not a big deal to spend a little more money so that Pakura could recuperate comfortably.

Thump thump thump!!

A short, gentle knock sounded on the door.

"The door wasn't locked." Pakura's voice was weak and lacked strength, but his words were clear, indicating that he was out of danger.

Tōka pushed open the door and entered. The soft sunlight fell on him, allowing Pakura to clearly see his "savior."

Tōka gently closed the door behind her and looked up into the room.

In the simple room, Pakura sat half-upright on the bed, her face pale from blood loss, her bright eyes looking over.

At first, he showed surprise, then gradually became indifferent.

"An accident?" Tōka slowly walked to the bedside, moved a stool, and sat down next to the small table by the bed.

"It's unexpected." Pakura stared at Tōka, never expecting that it would be the people of Konoha who would come to her rescue.

Not to mention this... brat in front of me.

"What are your plans?" Tōka smiled slightly, not wanting to continue the previous topic, and asked.

"Where is this place?" Pakura asked instead of answering Tōka's question.

Looking out the window, she saw a vast ocean, and the sky was gray and gloomy, as if a huge storm was about to strike.

"At sea," Tōka said directly, without hiding anything.

"Going to the Land of Water?" Pakura asked subconsciously. She turned to look at Tōka, but saw that he seemed unconcerned and unwilling to say more.

The room fell silent immediately. Tōka couldn't possibly tell Ye Cang about his next plan until he was certain that Pakura would forget about Sunagakure and follow him.

However, Tōka was still very confident in taking in Pakura, who had died once before.

Because Tōka is also someone who has "died" once.

The atmosphere wasn't awkward because of their silence; on the contrary, it was filled with a sense of peace and tranquility.

Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu's eyes flickered with confusion. He didn't understand why Tōka was remaining silent. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to win over the enemy's heart?

The merchant ship sailed quietly, occasionally encountering a slightly larger current, causing the ship to rise and fall with it—a characteristic of seafaring.

Inside the cabin, the water in the glass rippled slightly, then began to swirl again.

After a short while, Pakura seemed uncomfortable with the quiet, uncomfortable being in a quiet little house with strangers.

"Where do you want to take me?" she asked earnestly.

"I think?" Tōka tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the sea outside the window. "It's not what I think, it's what you think."

Before her death, Pakura might not have understood, but now Pakura understands Tōka's words.

Where to go?

Born in Sunagakure, raised in Sunagakure.

In the end, however, she was unable to return to Sunagakure.

How ironic...

Pakura stared blankly at the sea outside the window, not knowing where to go.

The world seems to have no need of her anymore. Would it be better if she died? A strange thought kept flashing through Pakura's mind.

"If you really can't find anywhere to go, follow me." Tōka suddenly turned around and looked at Pakura with a sincere expression.

"Follow you?" Pakura chuckled. A little kid even younger than her...

Hearing Pakura's soft laughter, Tōka quietly watched her without saying a word.

Gradually, as Pakura noticed the kid's deep black eyes, the smile on her lips slowly faded.

"What are your plans?" Pakura frowned slightly, realizing that Tōka was serious.

"To create an ideal world." Tōka glanced at Black Zetsu hiding in the shadows and said without hesitation.

"What do you mean?" Pakura was slightly taken aback, and this time he really didn't understand what Tōka meant.

"If you feel like the world doesn't need you anymore, then create a world that needs you." Tōka had found Pakura's weakness; she was currently feeling as if the world had abandoned her.

If it were truly possible to create a world that needs her...

Pakura's eyes flickered slightly; perhaps it was a good choice.

The conversation in the room suddenly stopped. Tōka looked at Pakura Pakura, who was looking down at the blanket, her mind wandering to her ideal world.

"Where are you going?" Pakura looked up, this time her voice full of certainty.

Upon hearing this, Tōka grinned, and Black Zetsu, who had been secretly watching everything, also felt relieved and quietly disappeared into the shadows.