On the eastern border of the Land of Rain, in an abandoned town.
The town was not particularly large. A few dozen houses lined both sides of its main road, but after repeated bouts of warfare, most had collapsed or burned down, exposing blackened beams amid the ruins.
Craters and scorch marks left by explosive tags remained on the ground. In some places, the soil was still dark brown, clearly fresh earth blasted up from underground.
Wind swept through the streets, stirring up dust and fine debris.
Pitter-patter...
They struck the broken windows with faint crackling sounds.
Pakura walked into the dilapidated square at the center of town, her gaze sweeping over her surroundings.
A dozen or so Sunagakure jonin and chunin stood behind her, all trusted followers she had trained over the years.
No matter how I look at it, this town doesn't seem like a place for negotiations...
Peace talks were not something so secretive. Besides, negotiating peace required discussing terms, which took time and effort. At the very least, it simply could not be done out in the middle of nowhere.
Something about this felt wrong.
"Lady Pakura, it's almost the appointed time."
One jonin could not help speaking in a low voice.
Pakura's beautiful orange-yellow eyes slowly narrowed. She raised a hand, and those behind her immediately stopped.
She looked at the empty intersection at the far end of the street opposite her. A faint breeze blew from that direction, carrying a barely perceptible smell of blood and burning.
She suddenly spoke. "Withdraw. Quickly."
Everyone behind her froze for a moment. "What?"
But Pakura was their commander, and her orders were absolute. Though puzzled, they did not argue. Instead, they quickly spread out into a formation that allowed them to react at any moment, then turned