Rescuing Pakura

"Kirigakure? So soon?" Pakura clenched the kunai in her hand.

"Be careful. There's an ambush up ahead. It should be Kirigakure!" Pakura warned her teammates.

"Huh? Weren't we here to negotiate? Is Kirigakure going back on its word?" Though the deputy envoy, Kankuro, said this, his expression remained as calm as still water. The higher-ups had briefed them on this possibility before they set out. It was hard to stomach, but everything was for Sunagakure!

"Looks like we've been spotted! Everyone, come on out. There's no point hiding anymore!" Before anyone appeared, a voice rang out. Two elite jonin from Kirigakure sprang from the nearby bushes, accompanied by a squad of Anbu!

"The person you wanted has been brought here. Our deal is done. Remember your promise. We're leaving!" At the Sunagakure deputy envoy's order, the entire Sunagakure team swiftly retreated, without waiting for their leader, Pakura, to give the command.

At the sight, Pakura smiled bitterly. For a moment, she even felt like ending it all.

"Pakura, the Scorch Release user? How tragic! It must feel awful to be betrayed by your own village, huh? Why not join Kirigakure?" Hozuki Zangetsu grinned coyly, baring a mouthful of pointed teeth.

"No. Pakura of Sunagakure died this moment. From now on, I'm living for myself!" Pakura shifted into a defensive stance and spoke calmly.

Although they outnumbered her, Pakura recalled the rumors about Uchiha Gen's strength in Konoha. Even if only one-ninth of those rumors were true, this fight was winnable!

Besides, since Uchiha Gen had dared to come, he must have been confident he could get her out safely! Kirigakure was nothing to worry about! I'm Pakura, the Scorch Release user!

"Hmph, you're stubborn to the end. Then die! Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!" Hozuki Zangetsu began Kirigakure's traditional pre-battle routine: using the Hidden Mist Technique to create a battlefield that suited him. Next, he'd probably use swordsmanship to assassinate her, right? Although Hozuki Zangetsu didn't carry one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's famed blades, judging by the sword on his back, he was an expert. Come to think of it, Kirigakure might as well have been called Sword Village. It seemed like more of them used swords than Water Release!

"Throat, heart, uh—" Hozuki Zangetsu seemed to be trying to break down Pakura's defenses one step at a time, but Uchiha Gen suddenly appeared and interrupted him.

"Tsukuyomi! If you're going to attack, just attack. Why run your mouth so much? Try to be more careful in your next life!" One Tsukuyomi with a yield of ten million instantly turned Hozuki Zangetsu into an idiot! They weren't even in the same league. Fortunately, Uchiha Gen had no grudge against him, so he hadn't used Danzo's Lower Limit Tsukuyomi on him! If the enemy didn't bring out Danzo, he wouldn't use Lower Limit Tsukuyomi!

After all, killing was one thing, but torturing someone was immoral. Even Uchiha Gen understood that much! From now on, he'd try to avoid using Lower Limit Tsukuyomi whenever possible!

"Oh no!"

"Lord Zangetsu!"

"Attack!"

Seeing what had happened, the surrounding Kirigakure Anbu rushed forward all at once!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

"Water Release: Rain and Dew Senbon!"

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

"Hmph! Mere gravel can't even scratch me!" Uchiha Gen didn't even bother to dodge. He stood right where he was, looking at the Kirigakure shinobi with disdain.

"Wow, so cool. No wonder he's the man I've got my eye on!" From a distance, Pakura gazed at Uchiha Gen's arrogant profile, swooning a little as she thought to herself.

"Masaka!"

"Nani?"

"Is this guy a monster?"

"That's impossible!"

"The ninjutsu had no effect at all?" Kirigakure Cangming studied the man before him, his expression grim as he considered what to do. He was one of the elite jonin leading the group!

Cangming could just barely keep his composure, but the other team members weren't nearly as steady. After all, running into someone immune to ninjutsu had cut their fighting strength by nine-tenths!

"Stay calm. Don't panic! This must be some kind of secret technique, similar to the Hozuki Clan's! Let's try Lightning Release and close combat!" Cangming forced himself to reassure them.

"I see." Shinobi A.

"Is it like the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique?" Kirigakure shinobi B.

"Now that you mention it, it doesn't seem so scary!" Anbu C.

"Um, does anyone here know Lightning Release?" Kirigakure shinobi D.

"..." The Kirigakure shinobi!

"Do you hear yourself?" Kirigakure shinobi B.

"We're Kirigakure! Aside from Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, have you ever seen a Kirigakure shinobi use Lightning Release?" Anbu C.

"Don't panic, everyone. I'm not very skilled at it, but I know a few Lightning Release techniques. I'll go first. You back me up with your swords in close combat!" Their captain, Cangming, stepped forward. That was why it never hurt to learn a few extra skills! They could come in handy at the crucial moment. The youngsters should take note!

"Sounds good! Let's do it!" The Kirigakure shinobi agreed.

"Tsukuyomi!" ×17

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud—

As a string of bodies hit the ground, the entire Kirigakure squad was wiped out!

"What a lot of fuss over nothing. Why do they have so much going on in their heads?" Uchiha Gen looked speechlessly at the Kirigakure shinobi sprawled across the ground.

"Is he really that powerful? I doubt even the strongest Third Kazekage in history was as strong as he is now." Pakura stood nearby, stunned.

"Pakura, what are you spacing out for? Let's go. You're coming back to Konoha with me!" Uchiha Gen waved his intangible hands in front of Pakura's face.

"Hey, you. What's with calling me Pakura like that? It's so embarrassing! I'm probably older than you, you know!" Pakura came to her senses and protested, her face flushed.

"Sure thing, Pakura. Got it, Pakura!" Uchiha Gen did whatever he pleased.

"Hmph, you're so annoying!" Though she said this, Pakura had grudgingly accepted the rather embarrassing nickname.

The two of them made their way toward Konoha, bickering as they went.

Ninja World—Land of Fire—Konohagakure Gate—

"I'm Uchiha Gen, and this is my wife, Pakura. We've made ourselves perfectly clear, so why won't you let us in? Is my Sharingan not obvious enough?" Uchiha Gen was at his wit's end. He'd come home, only to be stopped at the gate!

"I understand, but there's no record of you leaving. Besides, according to the intelligence we have, this woman, Pakura, is an elite jonin from Sunagakure. Without a diplomatic travel permit, I'm afraid I can't let you through. I've already sent someone to inform Lord Hokage about the situation. We'll wait for Lord Hokage to arrive before deciding what to do." Konoha's gatekeeper, Kotetsu Hagane, explained matter-of-factly. Uchiha Gen had clearly left the village without permission. Anyone else would have been taken in for questioning long ago, but this man was far too important for a low-ranking shinobi like him to handle such a matter.

Uchiha Gen wasn't a professional career ninja, so he knew nothing about these procedures. Although he'd inherited the memories from the original story, most of what he knew came from watching it like a movie. His own habits and behavior still came from his past life. The rule that you had to file a report just to leave the village had never even occurred to him!