The parting words Shiba Seika had spoken were naturally quiet enough that only Pakura, standing right in front of him, heard them. The other two Sunagakure ninja hadn't noticed.
Seizing the instant Pakura lost focus, he sprang backward and leaped into the air. He grabbed one of the paper streamers dangling from Konan, and the Paper-Winged Angel carried him swiftly away.
The Sunagakure Captain reached the spot where Shiba Seika had just fought. His face darkened as he looked at the Puppet Master, now lying lifeless on the ground, his jaw twitching uncontrollably.
As proud ninja of a great village, they'd just been trampled into the dirt.
"Pakura!"
The captain could only vent his fury in vain. He turned and glared viciously at Pakura. "Why didn't you chase him just now? You deliberately let that little Rain ninja get away!"
He hadn't even phrased it as a question. It was an accusation.
Pakura ignored him.
Her heart had already been stirred, and Shiba Seika's parting words—"tragic hero"—had struck it hard once more.
Why had that brat said that?
Did he really know something?
The moment her curiosity was piqued, Pakura's heart was already in turmoil.
And the captain's incessant nagging only made her more irritated.
She'd been about to throw away the Paper Shuriken Shiba Seika had tossed her.
But as the captain kept berating her, she couldn't help snapping, "Shut up!"
In that instant, she clenched the fist at her side. A paper Shuriken in her palm was crushed into a wrinkled ball.
Yet despite her mastery of Scorch Release, she never burned the scrap of paper to ash.
For the rest of the day, neither side was idle.
The end of one battle didn't mean the matter was settled.
Sunagakure was still trying to find the Akatsuki Organization's base and planning to seize the supplies that had made them so envious.
Meanwhile, Shiba Seika, Konan, and the others made steady use of their home-field advantage, laying traps throughout the area, harassing the Sunagakure forces, and disrupting their reconnaissance.
The Paper Butterfly carrying their request for reinforcements had also already been sent back.
The two teams of ninja continued their back-and-forth through the woods in the area. Neither side had any reason to give up!
Pakura didn't get another chance to face Shiba Seika blade to blade, but she couldn't settle her thoughts.
The crumpled scrap of paper remained unburned.
By evening, after a full day of suffering one trap after another and relentless harassment, the Sunagakure squad finally stopped and set aside their lofty pride.
"Those Rain ninja are persistent. We probably can't deal with them on our own!"
"What do we do, then? Ask the village for reinforcements? But that would mean our mission failed."
Ninja took their missions seriously and were reluctant to give up easily.
Unfortunately, they'd been dragged around all day and were now completely overwhelmed.
The Sunagakure Captain snorted and fixed Pakura with a malicious look.
"Call for reinforcements. I'll explain the reason for this mission's failure to Lord Kazekage myself."
Pakura said nothing. She leaned quietly against a tree branch and began resting early.
But at last, the crumpled paper in her palm was slowly smoothed out and unfolded.
The seed had sprouted!
Pakura quietly looked at the center of the paper.
She'd been prepared for this, but when she actually saw the words, her pupils still contracted.
It read—
"Want to know the real cause of your previous Kazekage's death? The higher-ups in your village have sealed away this secret. I'm the only one who can give you the answer.
Come alone to coordinates xxx, xxx after sunset and meet me. I'll give you the answer you want."
Pakura had guessed that Shiba Seika would leave behind some words to sway her, but she'd never imagined he would bring up the secret behind the Third Kazekage's death!
Was it true? Could a little Rain ninja really know the secret behind the Kazekage's death?
Pakura couldn't understand it, but she had to admit that the secret had stirred her heart!
In fact, quite a few people in Sunagakure had guessed that something was suspicious about the Third Kazekage's death.
Blaming Konoha might fool the Chunin and Genin, but nearly every Jonin knew it was just an excuse.
For most people, though, the truth no longer mattered. The village had a new Kazekage, and invading Konoha suited their wishes and needs.
But for Pakura, the truth mattered!
She and the current Kazekage, Rasa, were at odds, practically like fire and water!
Yet the elders had already chosen Rasa, while she'd been shut out of the truth!
In the original story, she never had a chance to fight back. She could only repay the village's betrayal with kindness, trying to regain its trust through even greater effort. In the end, though, the village still abandoned her, turning her into a sacrifice to be handed over to Kirigakure.
But in this timeline, Shiba Seika had personally placed a chance that had never existed into Pakura's hands!
"Is this what you meant by... the last way out?"
Pakura murmured to herself, turning to look at the sunset, soon to disappear beyond the horizon. Her eyes were unreadable.
The sun sank little by little below the horizon.
Just like Pakura's heart, sinking little by little into darkness.
She knew it was a devil's temptation, but before the sun had completely set, she quietly formed the hand seal for the Shadow Clone Technique.
Her clone stayed behind to deceive her teammates, while her real body left for the coordinates written on the paper.
Before long, she spotted the Rain ninja boy she hadn't seen since the day before, waiting among the trees.
He was indeed waiting for her.
When Pakura arrived, Shiba Seika smiled with relief. But to her, that smile could only seem sinister and enticing.
Pakura didn't completely trust him. As soon as she arrived, she demanded fiercely, "Brat, how did you learn the secret behind the Kazekage's death? Tell me your source, or I won't believe you!"
She was trying to bluff him. Shiba Seika smiled and didn't bite at such an obvious hook.
"I have no obligation to prove my information to you, and I certainly won't reveal my sources, Miss Pakura. Verifying what I told you is your responsibility.
"Or are you planning to hire me to verify it for you? That can be arranged, as long as you're willing to pay, Miss Pakura."
Pakura hadn't expected Shiba Seika not only to avoid her trap, but to counter so sharply. For a moment, she was left speechless.
After a while, she could only threaten him irritably. "Stop showing off that mouth of yours, brat! Tell me your secret, or I'm leaving!"
Shiba Seika wasn't angry. He spoke leisurely, dropping a bombshell of information on her without hesitation.
"The Third Kazekage was actually killed by Sasori of the Red Sands, a genius Puppet Master from your village. Sasori even turned his body into a Human Puppet."
"What?!"
The moment she heard this, Pakura already believed it seventy percent.
He hadn't made a baseless accusation against Rasa just because she was being sidelined.
And after the Third Kazekage's death, the reactions of Chiyo and Ebizo, the two elders of the village, had been full of irregularities.
Once she connected the dots, Pakura naturally spotted many inconsistencies and understood a great deal.
After the shock passed, she was also somewhat surprised that the boy had revealed the secret so readily, without trying to use it to control her.
Hah, naive brat. Do you think this will make me do what you want? Childish! I can take your secret for free and go confront the elders!
Pakura even felt rather pleased with herself, thinking she was incredibly clever.
She quickly composed herself, then greedily pressed on. "Then what's the story with your swordsmanship?"
Shiba Seika didn't seem in a hurry. He continued speaking leisurely, answering every question.
"As you can see, Miss Pakura, that was the swordsmanship of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo."
"Why do you know the White Fang's swordsmanship?"
"I had a little stroke of luck. It's nothing worth mentioning."
"Hah, brat, you're not a Konoha defector, are you? Why insist on staying in the Land of Rain? Have you considered joining Sunagakure?"
The woman was actually trying to poach him in return. Shiba Seika smiled, still unhurried and calm, answering with serene patience.
"The Land of Rain is lovely, and I'm not well suited to the desert climate. I appreciate the offer, Miss Pakura."
The two of them went back and forth like this for several more exchanges.
Pakura still wanted to pry more information out of him.
Then suddenly, Pakura's face changed!
The clone she'd left with her teammates—had been destroyed!
In that instant, Shiba Seika immediately used the Body Flicker Technique and retreated without hesitation!
Pakura was first bewildered, then stunned, then gritted her teeth, and finally flew into a rage.
"You! You did this on purpose! You deliberately stalled me to create an opportunity for the others!"
At last, Shiba Seika dropped his leisurely, placid act and revealed the devilish intent beneath it.
"Miss Pakura, your betrayal of the village is now irreversible. Why insist on staying in Sunagakure? Have you considered joining the Akatsuki Organization?"
Shiba Seika threw her earlier recruitment pitch right back at her. In an instant, Pakura felt as if she'd fallen into an icy abyss!
Before you continue