Before long, Pakura returned.
Her face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with fury and despair.
Clearly, she had learned the truth from those two "observers"-or rather, after witnessing Lin Ze's strength, the two had confessed everything to save their lives.
As for their fate, it went without saying.
"Why..."
Pakura murmured to herself, her fists clenched.
She had risked her life for Sunagakure for years and earned countless military honors, only to receive such betrayal in return.
"This is the true nature of ninja villages."
Lin Ze said calmly, "In the eyes of the higher-ups, all shinobi are merely tools. They use you when you're useful and discard you when you're not."
Pakura raised her head and looked at Lin Ze.
"Why did you save me?"
"Because you have value."
Lin Ze spoke bluntly. "Your Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, your strength as an Elite Jōnin, if not Kage Level, and more importantly, you've completely lost faith in Sunagakure, haven't you?"
Pakura fell silent.
Yes, she truly had lost faith.
The moment her village sold her out, everything she believed in had crumbled.
"So, what do you want?"
Pakura asked.
"Join our forces."
Lin Ze said, "Dragon Release Village, on the Main Island of the Land of Whirlpools. There, you can gain a new identity, new comrades, and..."
"A chance for revenge."
Pakura's eyes flickered.
"Dragon Release Village... That's the Konoha Azure Dragon's territory! What's your relationship with Azure Dragon?"
The corners of Lin Ze's mouth lifted slightly beneath his mask as he gave a half-truth.
"Azure Dragon and I aren't particularly close."
"But he's already defected from Konoha, so you don't need to worry about our former allegiances."
Pakura sank into thought.
She truly had nowhere else to go.
Return to Sunagakure? That would be walking straight into a