Pakura Awakens

Time quietly passed amid the bitter scent of medicinal herbs. Pakura's consciousness seemed submerged in the deep sea; several times she tried to rise, only to be dragged back down by crushing exhaustion and dull pain.

At last, at some point, she struggled to pry open her heavy eyelids. Her blurred vision gradually focused on an unfamiliar, rough wooden ceiling.

The dull pain from every part of her body, all properly bandaged, snapped her awake at once.

She instinctively tried to move, but tugged at the wound on her back and couldn't help drawing in a soft breath.

It was then that she keenly sensed something unusual about herself.

The distinctive purple halter top she was used to wearing, with its open back, was gone.

In its place was a set of coarse but clean white underclothes. Beneath them, bandages tightly wrapped her torso and much of her back.

Memories surged in like a tide—betrayal, encirclement, grievous injuries, despair...

Then came a blazing sea of fire and a blurry black figure who had burst onto the battlefield.

"You're awake?"

A gentle male voice sounded beside her.

Pakura sharply turned her head and saw a handsome young man with black hair sitting by the bed, obvious delight in his eyes.

Pakura's awake. The reward has finally arrived.

[ Ding! A drastic alteration has been detected in the fate of the story character "Pakura." World feedback has reached the third tier! ]

[Rewards issued: Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder x1, Scorch Release: Melting Lava Bomb x1, 1:1 Chakra Replication (Pakura's current state)]

"Was... was it you who saved me?" Pakura's voice was hoarse and dry from having had no water for so long.

Shien handed her a cup of warm water and helped prop her up slightly so she could take small sips.

Only after she caught her breath did Shien speak with a trace of apology.

"The situation was urgent. Please forgive the offense. There weren't any other medical ninja at the time."

"To treat the penetrating wound in your back and the wound on your chest, I had no choice but to perform the surgery and bandaging myself."

Though his tone was professional and sincere, Pakura's face instantly flushed scarlet with a boom, even the tips of her ears turning red.

Of course, she understood what "treating the wounds" meant... This unfamiliar young man had seen nearly all of her half-naked body, and might even have touched her for quite some time...

At the thought of that scene, overwhelming shame mixed with an indescribable, strange feeling, making her want to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

She was already thirty-two this year. For years, she had devoted herself to missions and her village, never having such intimate contact with a man...

Pakura lowered her head, not daring to look at Shien. Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, yet she still spoke clearly.

"No... I should be the one apologizing and thanking you. Thank you... for saving my life."

"Ahem, ahem..." Shien coughed, then inexplicably added,

"Mm, don't worry. It won't leave a scar."

He would have been better off saying nothing. After he said it, Pakura's ears grew even redder, and she nearly buried her head in her chest.

"This time, you..."

Shien hurriedly changed the subject, briefly telling her everything he knew so far, including the internal conflict within Hidden Mist and Suikazan Fuguki's collusion with Rasa.

He also told her how she had been made into a political sacrifice.

"...That's roughly the situation. Rasa's move was intended to kill with a borrowed blade while undermining Yagura's authority."

Seeing her face turn pale, Shien asked,

"What are you planning to do next? If you need anything, I can help."

Once things on the Hidden Mist side were more or less settled, Shien planned to intervene in other ninja villages too and see if there was any more wool to fleece.

Shien was determined to fleece all the wool in the ninja world!

As long as he became a true powerhouse, whether he ate beef or not would be entirely up to him.

Pakura leaned against the headboard, processing this cruel truth. Her eyes were filled with the pain and anger of betrayal.

After a moment of silence, she raised her eyes and looked at Shien with a complicated expression.

"Thank you again for telling me the truth, and for helping me. As for what comes next..."

She paused, seemingly not having fully sorted through her thoughts—or perhaps not having fully recovered from the double shock to her body and mind.

"Could... could you give me a little more time to think?"

"And could I trouble you to... step outside for a moment?"

Her voice carried a barely perceptible tremor. Clearly, she still needed space to calm herself.

"Mm. There's a Hidden Mist combat uniform beside you. You can change into it if you need to."

Shien nodded understandingly, reminded her of that, then stood and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Pakura breathed a sigh of relief and lay back against the headboard. She truly disliked interacting with people in this state.

She touched the bandages around herself. Most of her injuries had already been treated.

She picked up the Hidden Mist combat uniform beside her and put it on.

Although Suikazan Fuguki had been executed, Kirigakure was still in chaos.

So they had temporarily been housed in a secluded rural safehouse.

When Shien stepped outside, Akabane was tending to his hair.

With the heat from his Fire Release, the red-highlighted strands around his forehead and temples looked fluffy and flowing.

Akabane smiled confidently at himself in the mirror.

Compared to the bedraggled state he had been in when he first set foot in the Land of Water, he looked like a completely different person.

Seeing Shien come out, Akabane leaned over and asked, "She's awake?"

Shien nodded, considering where to go next.

Akabane nudged him with his elbow, a teasing grin on his face.

"Shien, I didn't expect you to like this type. Though... her temper might be a little fierce."

Shien said irritably, "What nonsense are you talking about? I was just saving someone."

Akabane snorted.

"That might fool other people, but everyone knows you never give the women in the clan the time of day."

"For the past two days, you've been guarding her without leaving her side—checking her wounds, feeding her medicine..."

Shien rolled his eyes. He really did see her as his first patient, and her condition was tied to his reward, so being careful was perfectly normal.

What does the previous owner ignoring women have to do with me?

So there's already a fixed impression of me, huh?

He had just been about to say something when he heard a faint sound behind him.

Pakura had apparently opened the door at some point and was standing beside it.

Dressed in the combat uniform, Pakura had lost some of her allure and gained a more killing aura.

The calm, confident expression had returned to her face. She seemed not to have heard Akabane's words.

She sincerely thanked Shien.

"Thank you both for saving me. I still don't know your name."

Shien gave an awkward laugh. "My apologies. I'm Shien Uchiha, acting clan head of the Uchiha Clan."

"Isn't Fugaku your clan head?"

Pakura asked instinctively upon hearing that.

Akabane curled his lip beside them. "That bastard betrayed the clan. Shien's the clan head now."

Pakura was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected such a major upheaval in the Uchiha Clan, but she had no time to remain here any longer.

"I need to return to Hidden Sand immediately. I'll have to repay this life-saving favor another time."