The Consequences of a Loose Tongue: Vaporized on the Spot!

Orochimaru ignored Qian Ye's flattery and turned to look at the right-wing battlefield again.

The situation there could no longer be described as merely tragic.

Four orange-red fireballs spun rapidly through the air, warping even the air wherever they passed.

Pakura had completely abandoned defense today, positioning herself at the very front of Sunagakure's formation as chakra poured from her without restraint.

Three massive breaches had been burned through Hidden Leaf's defensive fortifications.

The Hidden Leaf ninjas sent to plug the gaps did not even have time to form hand seals before they became dried fragments scattered across the ground.

Qian Ye leaned over the railing and looked down, cold sweat breaking out across his back again.

Had this woman taken the wrong medicine?

When she had chased him yesterday, she had at least held something back. But today, she looked like she intended to flatten all of Kikyo Pass.

"She is angry."

Orochimaru's voice drifted over from beside him.

"Very angry. Angry enough to lose her reason."

Qian Ye gave a dry laugh.

"It's a battlefield. Getting emotional is normal."

Orochimaru tilted his head and looked Qian Ye over from head to toe.

"ANBU reported that some very interesting news came out of the Sunagakure camp last night."

Orochimaru deliberately stressed the words "very interesting."

Qian Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly played dumb.

"What news?"

Orochimaru said nothing and pointed toward the right-wing battlefield.

On the right-wing position.

The Hidden Leaf Jonin leading the defense had been replaced by a fat man from the Akimichi clan.

Choza Akimichi.

He swung a massive staff, forcibly smashing apart two fireballs before retreating behind cover, panting heavily.

"Does that crazy woman have unlimited chakra?!"

Chōza wiped the sweat from his face.

Several Hidden Leaf Chunin beside him exchanged glances. One of them gathered his courage and stepped closer.

"Lord Chōza, I heard from the brothers who withdrew from the right wing last night that this woman seemed to have been dumped by someone on our side."

Chōza froze.

"Dumped? What kind of nonsense is that?!"

The Chunin hurriedly explained.

"It's true! The rumors have gone crazy in Sunagakure. They say she and one of our Genin used to be lovers, and that they had a love-hate battle on the battlefield last night. That Genin even ran away without any pants on!"

Chōza was completely confused, but he had no time to care about that now.

Pakura was pressing forward again with her fireballs.

Chōza let out a roar, preparing to use the Partial Multi-Size Jutsu.

The Chunin who had just been running his mouth suddenly had a lapse in judgment and leaped out from behind cover.

Pointing at Pakura in the air, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Crazy Sunagakure hag! Stop looking!"

"Your bare-assed little lover didn't come today!"

"Even if you burn through our position, he still won't want you!"

His words sounded exceptionally jarring amid the chaotic battlefield.

The surrounding Hidden Leaf ninjas were all dumbfounded.

Even the Sunagakure soldiers charging forward stumbled.

Pakura abruptly stopped in midair.

She lowered her head and stared fixedly at the Hidden Leaf Chunin who had shouted.

The temperature in the air instantly surged.

The four fireballs floating around her changed from orange-red to a blinding white.

That was a sign that their temperature had reached the extreme.

"What... did... you... say."

Pakura's voice descended from the air, every word carrying a heatwave capable of roasting someone dry.

The Hidden Leaf Chunin could barely breathe beneath that pressure, but to raise morale, he forced himself to keep shouting.

"Was I wrong?! Your own Sunagakure people are spreading it!"

"You're a Jonin throwing yourself at one of our Hidden Leaf Genin, and he doesn't even want you!"

"How desperate are you to—"

He never got the last word out.

Pakura raised one hand and slammed it downward.

Boom!

The four white fireballs instantly merged into one enormous flaming wheel and crashed directly onto the spot where the Chunin stood.

There was no scream.

There was no blood.

The Chunin, along with all the dirt, rocks, and ninja tools within five meters of him, was completely vaporized in less than half a second.

All that remained was a bottomless, glass-like crater.

Chōza's fat shook violently as he scrambled backward in terror.

Was that even damage a human could deal?

Pakura landed at the edge of the crater, her backless combat uniform fluttering despite the lack of wind.

She swept her gaze across the Hidden Leaf ninjas frantically retreating around her.

"Bare-Assed War God, huh."

"Old lover, huh."

Pakura rapidly formed hand seals.

"If I don't burn every one of you foul-mouthed pieces of trash into ash today, then my name isn't Pakura!"

Scorch Release: Great Steaming Murder!

More than a dozen white-hot fireballs instantly condensed in the air and rained down upon the Hidden Leaf position.

At the command tower.

Qian Ye saw every bit of it clearly.

He could feel his calves cramping.

That Chunin had been truly brave.

He had actually dared to shout something like that right in front of Pakura. Wasn't that just courting death?

Orochimaru folded his arms and watched the right-wing defensive line completely collapse below. Then he suddenly gave a soft laugh.

"Bare-Assed War God."

Orochimaru turned and looked at Qian Ye.

"That's quite a resounding nickname."

Qian Ye's face turned green.

He wanted nothing more than to jump straight off the command tower.

"Sensei, don't listen to their nonsense."

Qian Ye hurriedly explained.

"Yesterday, she roasted my ass with fireballs, and my pants just got burned off."

"Those rumors were all made up by other people. They have absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Orochimaru waved a hand, cutting off Qian Ye's explanation.

"Whether they are connected is not important."

"What matters is that those rumors have caused her to completely lose the judgment expected of a commander."

Orochimaru pointed toward the distant Sunagakure formation.

"Look over there."

Qian Ye followed Orochimaru's finger.

Because Pakura was advancing madly at any cost, the assault force she led had already pulled far ahead of Sunagakure's main army.

Sunagakure's right-wing formation had been stretched into an extremely dangerous, elongated line.

Its front and rear could no longer support each other.

"That old woman Chiyo is always cautious. She would never permit the formation to become this disconnected."

Orochimaru's fingers tapped out a rapid rhythm against the wooden railing.

"Pakura's current state means she cannot listen to any orders."

"Her mind is filled with nothing but killing people to vent her anger."

Orochimaru turned around, walked over to the desk, and picked up a tactical scroll that had just been delivered.

"This is an excellent opportunity."

Orochimaru tossed the scroll to Qian Ye.

"Since she is coming for you, only you can serve as the bait."

Qian Ye's hand shook violently as he caught the scroll.

"Sensei, you're joking, right?"

Orochimaru leaned against the railing, showing no sign that he was joking.

Qian Ye looked at Pakura below as she continued raining down fireballs, and his scalp went numb.

How terrifying was a woman who had lost her mind?

Qian Ye knew all too well.

Sending him, a Genin, to act as bait for a rampaging Shadow Level powerhouse.

That was basically like sending Liu Yongjun to duel Madara Uchiha!

Who was Liu Yongjun, you asked?

He was Qian Ye's uncle from his past life—a middle-aged, overweight man who needed two shots of baijiu for courage before even killing a chicken.

There was no way he could accept this mission!