I'm Leaving-Don't Miss Me

His hands had gone completely numb—or rather, they'd shriveled so badly that there was no feeling left in them. Only the places where his forearms joined his upper arms throbbed with needle-sharp pain. He hadn't gained an inch, and he'd been badly injured on top of that. What a terrible deal.

Under normal circumstances, an injury like this would take at least seven or eight days of rest to heal. But this was wartime; he couldn't possibly return with injuries this severe.

Even if Tsunade treated him, at best she could restore his ability to move. He'd be left unable to continue as a ninja. And if his arms later healed from such an incurable injury, how would he explain that to anyone who knew what had happened?

So he had to fully heal his arms before going back.

"Beautiful, are you trying to murder your husband? If I hadn't run fast enough, I'd really be dead." Kaede couldn't resist returning a few loving words.

But inwardly, he thought, Scorch Release... among the Sand Shinobi, she must be the only one with the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai. So the Fourth Kazekage hasn't secretly harmed her yet. What bad luck, running into such a powerful Kekkei Genkai user.

"Brat, if you've got the guts, stop running and fight me head-on!" What Ninjutsu had he used just now? His speed had been unbelievable.

To buy time to heal his arms and give his Shadow Clone more time, Kaede once again faced off against Pakura.

During their standoff, he watched her carefully.

Her dark green hair, usually tied up, now floated in the water. Her long hair covered most of her upper body, keeping certain someone from enjoying the view.

"I'm afraid if I come over, you won't be able to handle it." Kaede never took his eyes off Pakura—not that he dared to. This woman's Scorch Release was too powerful. Just getting close to her fireballs had completely evaporated the moisture in his hands.

His hands were ruined, and he couldn't form Hand Seals. He couldn't even use a hands-free Ninjutsu like [Thunder Flash]. Only the Flying Thunder God, which relied on his mind touching the nodes in space, was still usable.

He had no choice but to keep his Sharingan fixed on Pakura in the lake, ready to flee at the first sign of movement.

At first, she hadn't understood what Kaede meant. But when she saw his lecherous gaze, she caught on. "Tch! You filthy lecher. I never thought the Uchiha Clan would have a ninja like you. Do you have the guts to tell me your name?"

Those scarlet eyes, the jet-black magatama, and the sinister aura as chilling as a demon had already revealed Kaede's identity.

Kaede crouched down, hiding his hands behind his back. The power of the Divine Body Rune gave off a conspicuous golden glow, making him look sacred and untouchable—a power unlike anything in the Shinobi World.

He couldn't let Pakura see anything strange.

He guided the golden power of the Divine Body Rune stored inside him through his meridians, repairing his arms. A faint golden light shone beneath the skin, not spreading outward, while his arms visibly began to recover.

They gradually went from shriveled like old trees to their former fair, fleshy appearance. He endured the maddening itch as his injuries healed, but said, "If you want to know my name, at least introduce yourself first!"

Pakura stayed in the water without answering. She was trying to figure out how to deal with this Uchiha brat. The Sharingan was a troublesome Kekkei Genkai.

Besides, if she moved any closer to shore, the water would become too shallow to cover her lower body.

Kaede picked up the clothes she'd left on the shore and tossed her the towel on top. "Beautiful, if you want to chat, put your clothes on first. Remember your man's name: Uchiha Kaede."

Pakura caught the towel but didn't hurry to wrap it around herself. Instead, she stared at Kaede's hands in disbelief. He picked up the towel with his hands just now, didn't he? How is that possible? His arms should've been burned by my Scorch Release. Or did I not hit him at all?

She was baffled. The fight had been chaotic, and she'd focused most of her attention on herself. She hadn't kept a close eye on the Uchiha brat.

Did I fall for Genjutsu again just now?

She remembered her Scorch Release hitting him.

"What, do you like letting your man look at your body? I already admitted it—you really do have a great figure." Kaede teased her again.

The sky was growing dim. The moon wasn't as bright as before, and a streak of red appeared at the horizon, signaling that the sun was about to rise.

He sensed his Shadow Clone nearing. It should have gotten the information he wanted, so it was time to leave. Now that he knew he was leaving, he'd grown bolder.

Pakura draped the towel over herself, hiding the pale expanse of skin. Kaede felt a pang of regret. Had he been too quick to hand it over? Why had he given her the towel?

She wrapped it tightly around herself. With nothing left to worry about, Pakura glared at Kaede as if she wanted to eat him alive. Her hands flashed through Hand Seals, preparing a wide-area Ninjutsu.

"Think it through. Our fight just interfered with the Barrier Scroll you brought. If you use a powerful Ninjutsu now, you'll definitely destroy the barrier.

"You might not be able to kill me, but you'll definitely draw a crowd of Sand Shinobi. Do you really want to invite your fellow villagers to watch you bathe?" Kaede sat down calmly. He was sure Pakura understood the consequences.

If they found her like this, it wouldn't just be embarrassing. Someone with an agenda might even accuse her of secretly colluding with Konoha.

Pakura's hands froze mid-seal. Her expression darkened as she bit her lip. "Damn brat. I won't let you get away with this."

"Hahahaha! You're beautiful even when you're angry."

A flash of light flickered behind him, and the Shadow Clone appeared.

"All right, I'm leaving. How about I give you a parting gift?"

The Shadow Clone used the Body Flicker Technique. With cold eyes and a blood-red Sharingan, it hurled ninja tools with pinpoint accuracy, closing in on the patch of lake where Pakura was.

She was a Jonin. How could a little stunt like this stump her? She snatched one incoming Kunai out of the air, then knocked the rest of the Kunai and Shuriken aside with a series of clangs.

Neither of them deliberately used Ninjutsu. The surge of Chakra would destroy the barrier.

Kaede's Shadow Clone appeared behind her in an instant, its Kunai a hand's breadth from the back of her neck. As a Scorch Release user, her Taijutsu was only average.

She had time only to channel Chakra into her feet, sending up a splash of water as she dodged the Kunai at the last instant.

The Shadow Clone's Kunai sliced through the towel across her chest. Pakura seethed. Couldn't you attack somewhere else?

Unnoticed by her, Kaede's real body used the splashing water as cover and slipped up beside her. Just as the Shadow Clone tore the towel and Pakura raised a hand to cover herself, Kaede's real body sprang out.

He was practically pressed against her. A streak of lightning crackling in his right hand, he planted it just above her chest. A mark of thunder appeared on her skin.

Faced with that, Pakura forgot everything else. In an instant, she cried, "Scorch Release: Steam Kill!" The fireball appeared again. The Shadow Clone stepped in front of Kaede to block the attack, then vanished in a puff of white smoke.

Kaede had already used the Flying Thunder God to escape. Only his voice lingered in the air. "Beautiful, I'm leaving. Don't miss me too much! Take good care of my gift. It's my personal mark on you—keep it forever!"

The Flying Thunder God mark wouldn't disappear.

Her frenzied Scorch Release dried up the lake in an instant, and the barrier shattered with a sharp crack. The fire lit up the night. Pakura hurried back to shore and got dressed.

"Damn it, Uchiha Kaede! I won't let you get away with this!" She realized her undergarments were missing. She hurriedly pulled on her outer clothes, just as the Sand Shinobi arrived.

Pakura's furious expression instantly turned solemn, and she became the heroic ninja of the Sand Shinobi.