Pakura's Choice

If those black-robed figures were truly from the Sand Village, then capturing Pakura as a hostage might force them to hold back, perhaps granting him a chance to escape.

With this thought, the Kirigakure ninja lunged decisively toward Pakura. One hand reached for the kunai at his waist while the other clawed toward her, hoping to secure her and issue a threat in a single motion.

As he neared her, seeing his own reflection in her panicked eyes...

Closer, just a little closer!

Got her...

Thud!

An invisible force slammed into the Kirigakure ninja, instantly halting his sprint and forcing him to slide backward.

Sensing the anomaly, the ninja desperately channeled chakra into his legs to anchor himself to the earth, fighting against the pulling force while struggling to turn his head toward the source of the tension.

To his horror, he saw that the source was a palm extended toward him by the masked figure in the rear.

Damn it, I didn't see him weave any hand signs!

Is it possible to perform such a bizarre ability just by raising a hand without any seals?

Who on earth is this person?

Screech, screech...

The Kirigakure ninja left two deep furrows in the ground with his feet, but he still couldn't resist the pull; he was dragged off his feet and sent flying straight toward the figure.

With no leverage in mid-air, he hardened his heart, deciding to unleash a suicide technique the moment he was grabbed.

But to his surprise, just as he came within a meter of the masked figure, the pulling force shifted. A massive, repulsive force erupted, striking him like a speeding locomotive and sending him hurtling backward.

"Ah!"

The Kirigakure ninja let out a scream before slamming heavily into the valley wall with such force that his body was left mangled and unrecognizable.

Watching the ninja's gruesome state, Pakura felt a chill run through her.

What kind of technique is this? No hand signs, just a wave of the hand to torture someone into such a state—it's terrifying.

Then, realizing the Kirigakure ninja was still breathing, Pakura mobilized her remaining chakra, summoning an orange fireball and hurling it at him.

Hiss!

The orange fireball landed on the Kirigakure ninja like a red-hot iron plunged into water, releasing a thick cloud of white mist.

When the mist cleared, the ninja had been reduced to a dehydrated corpse, a sight so wretched it was unbearable to look at.

Is this the power of the Scorch Release bloodline limit?

The suffering of those struck by this technique must be unimaginable. No wonder the people of Kirigakure insisted on using her life as a condition for the peace treaty.

The masked figure, having realized this, turned his gaze back to the dying Pakura.

She has no strength left, yet to exact revenge, she didn't hesitate to push her body to its absolute limit to unleash a Scorch Release jutsu. What a vengeful woman.

Tap.

Tap.

Watching the black-robed figure walk toward her, even though he had helped her exact her revenge, the strangeness of his methods and his unknown identity made her want to retreat. Unfortunately, her paralyzed body made that impossible.

"Who... who are you?"

Pakura forced her head up and asked the masked figure.

"My existence is to provide an opportunity for those abandoned by fate, to help them turn the tides. You may call me The Fool!"

This mysterious man calling himself The Fool was naturally Hyuga Lan in disguise. Beneath the mask, he looked at the weak Pakura on the ground with complex emotions, his mind drifting back to the Third Ninja World War, where he had seen her dominate the battlefield with her Scorch Release.

Because the Sand Village and Konoha Village were allies during the Third Ninja World War, the two had met briefly while dealing with Kirigakure.

Back then, he had been deeply impressed by this Scorch Release ninja who would eventually meet such a frustrating end, but he was merely a minor member of the Hyuga branch family; she likely had no memory of him.

Now, less than a year later, their circumstances had undergone a complete transformation. Pakura's plight made him realize more deeply than ever that ninjas, as high-offense but low-defense entities, could die from a single moment of negligence at the hands of a lowly kunai, even if they possessed the destructive power of a terrestrial deity.

Therefore, until he possessed overwhelming power, he must keep his intelligence hidden to minimize the risks of exposure.

The Fool?

Is that just a code name?

Pakura searched her memory for a long time, but she could not match the name to anyone. Neither the ability of his techniques nor this code name had ever appeared in the Ninja World before.

Thinking that someone with such astonishing strength was still this cautious and hidden, she feared his ambitions must be vast.

Seeing Pakura looking at him with such vigilance, Lan felt a sense of helplessness; their mutual silence made the atmosphere awkward.

His plan was not to witness her pathetic death. Seeing that Pakura remained silent, perhaps out of some concern, Lan broke the tension first.

"To have earned such a resounding reputation at this age, your talent must be second to none in the entire Sand Village. It would be a pity to wither away into obscurity like this."

Though he said this, Lan made no move, as if he would truly watch her die if she did not speak.

Blocked by the mask, Pakura could not judge Lan's expression. Driven by the instinct to survive, she finally said, "Save... save me. I am willing to pay a price that will satisfy you."

Seeing Pakura finally bow her head, Lan's lips curled upward beneath the mask.

He channeled his chakra, gathering the power of the Tenseigan into his palm. Soon, a sphere of chakra radiating a gentle aura appeared in his hand.

Lan held the glowing orb of chakra before Pakura and said, "Every exchange has its price marked by fate long ago; the vitality you seek is right before your eyes. Tell me, are you willing to sell your soul to me in order to continue living?"

Hearing Lan's words, the mysterious, glowing chakra sphere seemed to transform into a soul-snaring, malevolent object in Pakura's eyes.

If she agreed and merged with this chakra sphere, she feared that her future will, and perhaps even her life and death, would no longer be under her own control.

Yet, if she refused, she knew her current injuries would not allow her to last much longer.

In this moment of difficult choice, the words of the Kirigakure ninja echoed in her mind.

The high-ranking officials of the Sand Village, led by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, had chosen to discard her like a pawn. They had even used deception to ensure that she, a hero of the village, would be executed by Kirigakure ninjas in exchange for peace between the two villages. At the thought of this, Pakura's blood boiled with rage.

Consumed by fury, she began to overflow with hatred toward the Sand Village, Kirigakure, and indeed the entire Ninja World. She cursed the source of all this—this damned world.

Driven by this hatred, Pakura's perspective shifted. To her, whether it was changing her fate or being fooled by it like a puppet under someone else's control no longer mattered. Now, she only wanted to survive, for only by living could she wait for the day of her revenge.

Even if she were destined for hell in the future, she would drag certain people down there with her.

With this thought, Pakura reached her decision.

"I... am willing!"