The Land of Wind.
In the vast desert.
Among a forest of wind-eroded pillars.
Pakura stood waiting, her back still bare and her figure alluring. She seemed to be waiting for someone to arrive.
After an unknown amount of time, amid the sound of blowing sand, a group of footsteps approached.
A group of ninja wearing Sand Ninja Forehead Protectors arrived. Their leader had his hair wrapped in white cloth, and his face was marked with paint.
This man was Maki's former teacher and the mentor of Gaara, Kankuro, and the others. In the original timeline, during the Chunin Ninja Exams, he had killed Gekko Hayate for eavesdropping. His strength ranked among the best in Sunagakure, making him an elite jonin: Baki.
Pakura looked at Baki, a trace of disappointment passing through her eyes. It seemed the person who had come wasn't the one she'd hoped to see. She had known all along that this would be the outcome, but now that it had come to pass, she still found it deeply upsetting.
"I didn't expect you to be the one who came. How is Maki?"
In response to Pakura's question, Baki stepped forward and said gravely,
"You don't need to worry about her. Pakura, for the sake of peace in the village and our fellow villagers, surrender peacefully."
"Heh..."
Pakura scoffed at Baki's attempt to persuade her to surrender.
If Maki had come here today, Pakura might have held back out of consideration for their bond as teacher and student. But unfortunately, only elite members of Sunagakure's Anbu had come. She had completely lost faith in the village, and there was no way she would show them mercy, let alone surrender.
"Ever since I gained control of my Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, I've never used it against ninja from my own village. Today, I'll show you what I'm truly capable of."
With that, Pakura formed Hand Seals and summoned several orange-red fireballs.
These fireballs were the manifestation of Scorch Release. Anyone struck by one would have the moisture in their body instantly evaporated, leaving them a dried-out corpse.
It was a particularly cruel way to die. During the Third Shinobi World War, countless Kirigakure ninja had fallen to this technique. That was why Kirigakure, which hated Pakura to the core, had made her one of its conditions for signing a peace treaty.
Now the tables had turned. The hero who had once defended her village was about to use the same technique against her former comrades.
Seeing Pakura unleash the power of Scorch Release right away, Baki's expression tightened.
He was an elite jonin himself, but there was still a vast gap between him and a jonin like Pakura, who possessed a Kekkei Genkai.
Even with his teammates supporting him, capturing or killing her was out of the question. Even simply defeating Pakura would be a long shot.
Still, they didn't retreat. One after another, they formed Hand Seals and launched ninjutsu at her.
Soon, Pakura and the elite Anbu led by Baki were locked in a fierce battle among the wind-eroded pillars.
During the battle, Baki and the others repeatedly found themselves in dire straits under Pakura's Scorch Release attacks. But thanks to their numbers, they managed to hold their own.
As the battle dragged on, Baki grew increasingly anxious. The reinforcements he'd been waiting for still hadn't arrived.
According to the plan, the other teams should have reached them by now. Why was there still no sign of support? Had something happened to them, too?
Pakura seemed to have guessed what Baki was thinking. As she used her Scorch Release fireballs to destroy the various ninja tools flying toward her, she said,
"Did you really think you could take me on with just this many people? You must have been counting on the others to show up and support you at any moment. Unfortunately, it looks like your plan is going to fail."
Baki's expression changed as he heard Pakura's words. He said darkly,
"Did you call in help, too?"
"Of course. Did you think I was still the same naive fool I used to be?
"Today, I'll make Sunagakure feel pain. I'll show you just how bitter the consequences of betraying me can be."
Pakura spoke viciously. These people had obeyed Rasa's orders and set a trap to capture her. She had already marked them as enemies, and she never showed mercy to her enemies.
Baki realized that Pakura had never fallen for their trap. She had been prepared all along. His expression grew even more serious, but he didn't lose his composure.
He knew that the Fourth Kazekage had planned to finish Pakura off in one fell swoop. The others were only there to fill out their numbers; the Kazekage was the one who could truly deliver the decisive blow.
No matter how strong Pakura was, she couldn't possibly defeat Kazekage Rasa in this desert.
That confidence was precisely why Baki and the others hadn't broken, even as Pakura's attacks left them looking increasingly battered.
But Baki and the others didn't know that the Rasa they were so desperately waiting for was about to disappoint them.
In a stretch of rocky desert.
Blood flowed across the sand, then quickly seeped underground.
Severed limbs lay everywhere. The horrific scene made the Sunagakure Anbu squad that had just arrived suck in a sharp breath.
Seeing their comrades barely clinging to life, the Sunagakure Anbu were so furious their eyes nearly bulged. They all stared at the black-robed figure standing calmly among them.
The stranger was wrapped head to toe in a specially made robe and wore a mask carved with a pattern of howling winds.
Who was this mysterious person who had blocked their path?
The two squads hadn't arrived very far apart in time, yet they were still too late. Their companions from the first squad had been taken out in such a short time. This person's strength had to be far beyond that of an elite jonin.
Looking at their comrades, each riddled with holes, they could tell the wounds had been inflicted by some kind of sharp weapon. Was this person an expert in ninja tools?
But after looking around carefully, they couldn't find any weapons nearby. How had the stranger done it?
Just as the Anbu squad was about to launch a tentative attack and probe the stranger's methods, a voice behind them stopped them.
"Everyone, fall back and get clear. I'll deal with this person."
To the Anbu, that sudden voice was like a lifeline. They turned around excitedly, only to see a young-looking man with short red hair. Though he seemed young, he had a steady air about him and the bearing of someone in a high position.
"It's Lord Kazekage!"
"Thank goodness! With Lord Kazekage here, this person is no threat!"
From the Anbu's words, it was clear that the newcomer was the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, Rasa, wielder of Magnet Release: Gold Dust.
Rasa looked at the strange masked figure ahead. The stranger stood among the bodies of the Sunagakure ninja and was looking him over, too, with an unabashed stare, as if he were some kind of object.
"Are you an accomplice Pakura brought in?
"Tell me who you are!"
In response to Rasa's question, the masked man shrugged.
"I'm just an ordinary Bounty Ninja, collecting money to solve other people's problems.
"You... understand?"
Rasa naturally didn't believe this taunting answer. Since when had a Bounty Ninja been strong enough to wipe out an Anbu squad so effortlessly?
The stranger's evasiveness made it seem likely that his identity was highly suspicious.
"Pakura doesn't have enough money to pay you much. Making an enemy of Sunagakure for a little profit isn't a wise decision."
"Hmm, you're right."
The man nodded, seeming to agree with Rasa. Then his tone abruptly shifted, and he spoke in a low voice.
"But if I add you to the reward, that'll make it worthwhile!"