Spirit Ball and Mission

Time passed quietly.

It had been a mere half-month since Pakura was critically injured, yet thanks to Lan's assistance, she had nearly fully recovered. This feat was entirely due to the miraculous power of the Tenseigan.

Although the Tenseigan lacked the ability to resurrect the dead like the Rinnegan, it was remarkably effective in healing.

In the original timeline, the Hamura Statue summoned by Otsutsuki Toneri through the Giant Tenseigan could not only suppress the Nine-Tails but also regenerate infinitely. Clearly, Tenseigan chakra possessed restorative properties, which was the reason Lan was confident he could heal Pakura.

Lan had left several days ago after providing Pakura with basic treatment, leaving behind only a few puppets imbued with the Tenseigan's spiritual energy to continue caring for her.

The existence of these puppets caused Pakura's estimation of Lan's bizarre methods to rise yet another notch.

Hailing from the Sand Village, she naturally possessed a sufficient understanding of puppetry. Yet, in her previous understanding, no matter how powerful a puppeteer was, they still required chakra threads to manipulate their creations.

To see puppets imbued with a spirit of their own, acting independently—had she not witnessed it with her own eyes, she would have dismissed it as a tall tale.

Just who is this "The Fool"?

Would someone with such strength really have any need for me?

Overestimating Lan's true power, Pakura couldn't help but doubt her own utility.

She touched the area over her heart, where a special chakra that did not belong to her resided—a glowing green Spirit Orb.

Though the amount of chakra contained within the sphere was not vast, its quality far surpassed her own Scorch Release chakra; the two were simply not in the same league.

What kind of Kekkei Genkai power is this? Why does it carry such a dense and potent aura of Yin Release? Could it be some sort of ocular Kekkei Genkai?

Pakura pondered for a long time but could find no answer. Even the most renowned ocular Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan and the Sharingan, likely could not reach this level, could they?

As for the origin of this Spirit Orb, it was naturally left behind by Hyuga Lan on the day he saved Pakura—the price she had to pay.

It must be known that Lan's Tenseigan possessed nearly the same capabilities as the Giant Tenseigan, the treasure of the Otsutsuki Branch Family on the moon. Therefore, Lan naturally possessed the Giant Tenseigan's ability to use Spirit Orbs to manipulate others' wills, turning them into puppets under his control.

In the original timeline, Otsutsuki Toneri had used such a Spirit Orb to control Hinata to use against Naruto.

Had Naruto not intervened and extracted the Spirit Orb, Hinata would likely have remained under Toneri's control indefinitely.

The Spirit Orb inside Pakura was actually more troublesome than the one Toneri used on Hinata. This was not because Lan's Tenseigan was stronger, but because of their differing reactions when the orb was planted: Hinata was in a state of absolute resistance against Toneri, whereas Pakura had actively accepted Lan's Spirit Orb.

If one were to use the Tenseigan to deeply inspect Pakura's body at this moment, they would discover that the Spirit Orb was emitting countless chakra threads, connecting to all of Pakura's internal organs and joints.

Furthermore, a significant portion of threads rich in Yin Release power were bound to her spiritual body.

Had Pakura not voluntarily abandoned her resistance and accepted it, this Spirit Orb could never have entangled itself so deeply with her body, even as a manifestation of Tenseigan power.

Now that this Spirit Orb was tied to Pakura's very soul, there was no possibility of it being safely removed by her own power for the rest of her life.

Because the moment she attempted to remove the orb, Lan would sense it from afar and stop her.

Even if Lan did not intervene, any reckless attempt to force it out would not only severely damage her body but also inflict grave harm upon her spirit. By then, she would be ruined, likely wishing for death.

As long as the Spirit Orb existed, whenever the two were in close proximity, Lan could trigger it with a single thought, easily imprisoning Pakura's will and making her act like a marionette under his control.

As for staying far away from Lan and hiding where he could not find her, that was also impossible. The Spirit Orb was a product of Tenseigan power, essentially a manifestation of Tenseigan chakra.

As long as Lan activated his Tenseigan, he could sense Pakura across space and time. It could be said that Pakura was no different from the puppets activated by Tenseigan chakra.

However, compared to the puppets, Pakura, who possessed the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, was far more powerful. If she were sufficiently cautious, there were actually few people in the ninja world who could defeat her.

This could be inferred from Rasa's wariness of her strength. As the only person in the Sand Village with the potential to threaten Rasa's position as Kazekage, Pakura was a thorn in his side that he had long wanted to remove.

His agreement to the Mist Village's harsh peace terms might well have been a scheme to use the Mist to eliminate his rival, Pakura.

It was for this very reason that rather than controlling her like a marionette and failing to utilize much of her strength, it was better to let her act autonomously with a clear mind. He believed that if steered correctly, Pakura's abilities could help him accomplish many things.

Seemingly aware that Pakura had recovered sufficiently, Lan decided to let her execute her first mission.

"You want me to work for you so soon? Give me the scroll and let me see."

Pakura took the scroll from the escorting puppet and opened it to inspect it.

"Capture members of the Kaguya clan?"

Pakura frowned. What did "The Fool" want with the Kaguya clan?

Could it be that "The Fool" is interested in the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai?

The Kaguya clan were all war-crazed maniacs who fought with no regard for their own lives. While they might be troublesome for others, Pakura certainly did not include herself among them.

After all, the Third Shinobi World War had not ended long ago. During the war between the Sand and the Mist, Pakura, as a hero of the Sand, had clashed with members of the Kaguya clan many times. The number of Kaguya clansmen who had died by her hand was not small, so as a fellow Kekkei Genkai user, Pakura did not feel the Shikotsumyaku was all that powerful.

If even Pakura, with her strength, looked down on the Kaguya clan, then by her own logic, Lan—who was far stronger than her—should have even less reason to covet the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku. So, what did he want with them?

Unable to fathom Lan's purpose, she simply stopped thinking about it. Since he had issued the mission, she, being under his thumb, had no choice but to comply.

Hmph, it seems "The Fool" still doesn't fully understand my strength. This mission has no difficulty at all. Could this be a test?

It was no wonder Pakura thought this way, as Lan's mission only specified the Kaguya clan without providing specific descriptions regarding talent, strength, or age.

As a major clan within the Mist Village, the Kaguya had many members, including many with weak strength. Hunting such Kaguya clansmen was not difficult for her, provided she was careful not to be discovered by the Mist Village.

Sure enough, not long after, Pakura brought four unconscious Kaguya clansmen and threw them before the puppets.

"There, my mission is complete. Take these guys to 'The Fool'."

The puppets stepped forward, hoisted the four Kaguya clansmen, and left quickly. However, the puppet that had delivered the mission remained in place. Seeing this, Pakura asked suspiciously, "What? Does 'The Fool' have other tasks for you to relay?"

The puppet shook its head. "Your mission is not yet complete."

"What? Four isn't enough? Just how many people does he want?"

Pakura suddenly realized that the previous mission scroll had not specified a quantity. She had assumed four would be sufficient, but now it seemed she had rejoiced too soon. The puppet's subsequent answer confirmed her dark premonition.

"The Master says, the more, the better."