The Gedo Mazo statue loomed in the massive cavern like a corpse too stubborn to die. Its monstrous frame was fused to the stone, bound by black chakra rods and pulsing with faint, unsettling light. Thick cords connected the statue to the frail body of Madara Uchiha, who sat reclined in a stone seat carved directly into the floor. His breathing was shallow, his body was weak, but the determination, conviction, and hint of craze in his eys had not faded over the years of isolation; it had even grown.
Obito hated this place. He hated the damp air, the sound of dripping water echoing endlessly through the tunnels, and the way the cave smelled faintly of blood and earth. But most of all, he hated being trapped here while the world he cared about moved without him.
He knelt before Madara's chair with his shoulders tense, and bandages wrapped around half his body like a crude patchwork. His right hand curled and uncurled restlessly, the motion tugging slightly at the strange, living white flesh grafted to his left side. It still felt unnatural and foreign, but slowly, he could tell that his body was adapting.
"Madara," Obito said, voice tight. "I want to go back."
Madara did not immediately open his eyes. Slowly, deliberately, the old Uchiha exhaled, annoyed by his constant requests, but the time was not right, the pieces were not in place, and the boy before him could barely walk, yet his desire to help his friends had not whined.
"You ask the same thing every day," Madara rasped. "And every day, the answer is the same."
"I can't just stay here," Obito pressed. "My team… Kakashi and Rin… They're out there, fighting in a war. They need me."
Madara let out a low, humorless hum. "You cannot protect them in your condition."
"I don't care." Obito's voice cracked. "They're on the front lines. People are dying. If something happens..."
"Something will happen," Madara interrupted smoothly. "That is the nature of war."
Obito's breath hitched. "Then I have to stop it."
"And how do you propose to travel across a country," Madara asked calmly, "when you can barely walk the length of this chamber without assistance?"
Obito stiffened. His entire torso still ached with every movement. The Hashirama cells in his grafted half pulsed uncomfortably, alive and foreign.
"I'm getting stronger," he insisted. "I can push myself..."
"Into your grave, perhaps," Madara cut in. "You lost to a single falling rock. A pathetic, meaningless accident, and now you think you can navigate mountains, forests, and battlefields without collapsing halfway there?"
Obito flushed with shame and anger. "I have to try."
"You have to live," Madara corrected. "For now."
Obito clenched his fists. "I made a promise."
"Yes," Madara murmured. "And promises built on naïve idealism are the first to shatter."
"That's not true!"
"You think the war will stop because you claw your way out of this cave?" Madara's eyes opened, the ancient, red glow condemning him with a cold glare. "You think your fragile sentiment will save anyone?"
Obito faltered, unable to form an answer.
Madara's voice gentled, but in a way that made Obito's skin crawl. "Child… even if you reached them, you lack the strength to change anything. You would only die in front of them, again... would you make your Rin suffer such pain?"
Obito closed his eyes, trying to push down the image of Rin crying over him, Kakashi staring at his corpse with that hollow look he had worn after his father's death/
Madara's tone grew softer still, insidious. "You cannot protect them. Not yet. You will only bring them pain."
"I… don't want that."
"Then rest," Madara said simply. "Recover. Train. If you truly wish to protect what is precious to you, you must gain the strength to bend the world itself. That cannot be done while limping across a battlefield like a fool."
Obito's breathing hitched. He wanted to argue, to scream, to run, but he knew the truth. The soreness of his limbs, the unhealed fractures along his ribs, in the heaviness of his reconstructed body. He was not ready, and he hated it.
"I'll get stronger," he said quietly, voice hoarse. "But I won't abandon them."
Madara smiled faintly. "I wouldn't ask that of you, but I won't let you go to your death. White Zetsu is watching over Rin, and she is safe for now, so take this time to learn the techniques I gave you. You're no good to anyone the way you are now."
Anger lingered in Obito's eyes for a moment before he turned away, limping down the tunnel toward the small, dim room that served as his quarters. His footsteps echoed hollowly until they faded entirely.
Only then did the wall near Madara ripple. A figure slid out of the stone, half white, half black, plant-like tendrils forming a mockery of a humanoid body. Its white half grinned while its black half scowled.
"Well," White Zetsu chimed, "he's determined to play hero."
"Annoyingly so," Black Zetsu muttered. "Emotionally unstable, physically crippled, mentally malleable. He is both ideal and infuriating."
Madara exhaled slowly. "Report."
Zetsu drifted forward.
"Just as you wanted," Black Zetsu said, "war pressures are rising. Konoha's teams are being cycled toward multiple fronts, including the Mist. Kakashi and Rin are no longer in the village."
Madara's eyes glinted. "Excellent."
"But," White Zetsu said, tilting his head, "there's a… complication."
Madara's expression did not shift. "Which is?"
"Rin and Kakashi weren't sent to back to the Stone front, or to the Cloud front," White Zetsu said. "They were assigned to the Mist front, under Akari Sarutobi."
Madara's brows rose faintly.
Black Zetsu's tone turned serious. "She uses the Flying Thunder God not for combat, but for quick reinforcements. She has laid down an extensive Hiraishin network across the Mist front. If Rin is in danger, she can teleport to her instantly."
"And she is not the type to abandon her people," White Zetsu added. "She's annoyingly protective."
Madara chuckled quietly. "That girl… Hiruzen's little prodigy. I've heard of her, but that doesn't mean she is as dangerous as you think. There is a limit to how many people the Hiraishin can carry at once."
"She is a threat to the plan," Black Zetsu said bluntly.
Madara opened one eye fully, irritation flickering there. "A threat? To me?"
"To the timing," Black Zetsu corrected. "If she interferes, Rin may not be taken alive. Or worse, may not be taken at all."
White Zetsu nodded vigorously. "You said yourself Rin needed to die at the right place, in front of the right people."
Madara's lips curled in a faint, confident smirk.
"One kunoichi, no matter how fast, will not stop the inevitable."
"She stopped the Kazekage," Black Zetsu reminded him.
Madara waved a hand dismissively. "The Kazekage was arrogant, predictable, and alone. The Mist still have a strong force in reserve, and the Cloud are close enough to be pulled in if needed."
Black Zetsu hesitated. "…Even so..."
"Do not overthink this," Madara said sharply. "Akari Sarutobi is bound by duty. She cannot teleport everywhere at once. Create pressure she cannot ignore elsewhere on the coast, multiple places. When her attention is diverted…"
His smile became cold and thin.
"…the Mist can take the girl."
Black Zetsu still looked troubled. "If we misjudge…"
"If we misjudge," Madara said, "we adjust, but the conclusion will not change. The world is already killing itself. I am simply nudging it along."
He closed his eyes again, letting the Gedo Mazo's dark chakra pulse through him.
"Begin preparations," he ordered. "Make Rin's capture… inevitable."
Zetsu bowed; one half cheerfully, the other grudgingly.
"As you wish," both halves said.
Then they sank back into the stone, leaving Madara alone with the humming statue and his fading heartbeat. The old Uchiha smirked faintly.
"As if a single woman defy fate. I will fullfil my destiny and bring Peace to this cursed world."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Konoha had not felt this alive for months. Banners hung from the rooftops and lanterns lined the main avenue which swayed gently in the late-morning breeze as hundreds of civilians filed into the village square. Children sat on their parents' shoulders, waving tiny flags. Vendors had abandoned caution and set up food stalls along the road, filling the air thick with the scents of roasted chestnuts, grilled dumplings, and sweet red-bean cakes.
A stage had been built at the far end of the square, facing the crowd. On it stood Hiruzen Sarutobi, straight-backed despite the weight of war on his shoulders. His robes were immaculate; his Hokage hat gleaming beneath the sunlight. To his right stood Pakura of the Sand, Kazekage cloak draped over her shoulders, posture poised and confident. On Hiruzen's left stood Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the remaining Village elders.
The crowd quieted when the gates creaked open.
Five Stone envoys entered the square in perfect formation, four flanking the one who seemed to be their leader. They wore official red-and-black uniforms, and Stone forehead protectors. Each of their expressions was composed, respectful, and unreadable.
A cheer rose from the crowd nonetheless. Any hope was worth clinging to. Hiruzen stepped forward and raised his hand in greetings.
"Citizens of Konoha," his voice boomed, strengthened by chakra and carried effortlessly across the plaza. "Today, we welcome honored guests from the Hidden Stone, envoys who have journeyed far not for conquest, but for peace."
The applause was loud and hopeful. Parents held their children closer, as if wanting them to remember this moment when the future felt bright again.
Hiruzen continued, "The Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and our own Land of Fire have shed too much blood. It is time we look toward unity rather than division. Time we end the suffering of our shinobi and civilians alike."
He turned to Pakura, who inclined her head and stepped forward.
"On behalf of the Sand," she said clearly, "we stand with the Leaf in seeking an end to this conflict. May today mark the dawn of cooperation between our three nations."
More applause, sounding louder this time. The Stone leader stepped forward then, bowing with perfect politeness.
"Konoha has shown great wisdom in its desire for reconciliation," he said. "The Tsuchikage sends his warmest regards and hopes that our discussions here will usher in a new, lasting peace."
The words felt smooth, practiced, almost too polished, but the crowd did not notice. They cheered again, hats thrown into the air, shinobi pounding their fists on the railing of the nearby watchtower. Homura followed with a speech thick with political formality, and Koharu added her own aged but steady voice to the chorus of hope. The envoys bowed several times, smiling faintly, playing their part with meticulous precision.
There were still cheers throughout the village as the mixed group retired to the Hokage Tower to begin their discussion. All had spoken of peace as if it were already written in stone, yet none of those involved in the negotiations believed it would be a simple or quick matter. And... the first few days proved that it was going to be an incredibly slow process.
Since the Tsuchikage had not come along with the delegation, everything Konoha proposed had to be carried back to the envoys' temporary residence, where they allegedly communicated with their leader each night. It was understandable at first, but after two full weeks of talks, only the most basic matters, such as confirming traditional borders, had been agreed upon. Everything else seemed stuck in limbo.
Even Hiruzen, renowned for his patience, was beginning to suspect the Stone delegation was deliberately dragging their feet. But diplomacy carried expectations, and he had not yet reached the point of ending the discussions outright. The conference chamber felt heavier than usual as they settled into their seats for another morning session.
On one side sat Hiruzen Sarutobi with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane flanking him while Pakura was seated nearest the window where thin morning light spilled onto the table. On the opposite side, the five Stone envoys arranged themselves with mechanical precision, their leader's unreadable dark brown eyes sweeping calmly over the documents laid out before them. Polite greetings were exchanged, but even the pleasantries sounded rehearsed by now.
Hiruzen unrolled a scroll and spoke calmly, "Let us return to the matter of trade route escorts. Konoha proposes allocating joint patrols along the merchant paths near the Land of Fire's northern border, alternating command responsibility every three weeks."
He slid the document across the table. The Stone leader accepted it and read through it with far more care than the simple clause warranted. At last, he hummed thoughtfully.
"Hm… the patrol frequency seems slightly high for our current resources." He tapped a finger against the edge of the parchment. "Perhaps a longer interval? Every five weeks instead of three?"
Homura's eye twitched. That same objection had been raised three days earlier. And two days before that. And again yesterday... each time with slightly different wording, always requiring the entire discussion to be revisited from the beginning.
Hiruzen folded his hands. "Stone patrol units will not be expected to carry the bulk of the burden. Konoha will shoulder the additional workload."
The envoy smiled faintly. "That is generous of you, Hokage-sama. However, we must ensure we do not over-extend even in shared duties."
A polite refusal. Again. Koharu's brush left a large splotch on the paper before her as she pressed in subconsciously with her annoyance. Pakura kept her posture still and resisted the urge to roll her eyes with restrained impatience.
Homura leaned forward. "Envoy-sama, if the matter of escort frequency is so sensitive, perhaps you could present a counter-structure instead of asking us to revise ours repeatedly?"
The envoy blinked with mild surprise, as though the suggestion was unexpected. "Oh… yes. Of course." He turned to whisper something to the jonin at his right. They exchanged a hushed conversation for far too long before he finally replied. "We propose alternating patrols every… ah… six weeks."
Koharu's head snapped up. "That is worse than your previous suggestion."
The envoy smiled apologetically. "Our apologies. We simply seek balance."
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose. "We will table the patrol issue for now. Let us move on to reparations."
A subtle tension slipped into the room. That topic should have prompted real debate.
The envoy nodded. "Naturally. We reviewed your proposed numbers with the Tsuchikage last night."
Hiruzen and the elders straightened slightly.
"And?" Koharu prompted.
"We believe the amount is… high." He tapped the scroll lightly. "But not unacceptable. However, the delivery timetable may pose challenges. Perhaps a delay of six months before initial payments begin?"
Homura frowned. "Stone has ample resources. Six months is excessive."
The envoy bowed his head slightly. "Our treasuries are strained after years of conflict. We simply ask for accommodation."
Hiruzen replied evenly, "We may consider a shorter delay; three months, no more."
The envoy conferred with his colleagues in another entirely unnecessary whispering session.
At last he said, "We will reflect on your offer tonight."
Homura closed his eyes briefly, and Pakura could practically feel the elder throttling his temper behind a veneer of diplomacy. Two weeks... Two weeks of circling the same arguments without progress.
Hiruzen set down his pipe. "Envoy-sama, I must observe that these repeated postponements are hindering the process. You request time to consider each matter yet submit minimal counterarguments."
The envoy's smile remained serene. "Peace requires caution. One must proceed gently to avoid missteps."
"Two weeks of caution are beginning to resemble obstruction," Koharu muttered.
The envoy did not take the bait. He simply inclined his head. "We value harmony, Elder Utatane. We prefer not to rush decisions of such importance."
Harmony again. It was the envoy's favorite word throughout the negotiations and his excuse with every delay. The Stone had a reputation for being stubborn, but there was something wrong behind their calm facade. A knock at the door drew all eyes, and an ANBU walked into the room, wheeling a small cart that had covered plates of food for everyone.
"Lunch has arrived," an ANBU announced.
Hiruzen did not look at the man twice, but Pakura did. Her instincts warned her about the young ninja, but it was not a sense of danger that she felt from him. Despite the alliance of the Sand and Leaf, not everyone was happy about it, so she tried to tell herself that he was just one of those.
Hiruzen exhaled. "Let us take a moment to eat, then continue."
Covered trays were opened one by one... rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and fried fish. Pakura did not touch hers out of habit, never letting things distract her during negotiations. Hiruzen took a sip of tea, barely wetting his lips before setting the cup aside. Homura, annoyed from the fruitless morning, dug into his rice immediately, and followed by Koharu with the same gutso.
Pakura's eyes tracked the Stone envoys. They picked at their food, moved it around, and even hid bits. They did not eat. Not a grain of rice. Not a sip of tea. Nothing.
"Elder Homura..." Pakura began.
But Homura was already taking another bite. Koharu was halfway through her soup. Something clicked into place inside Pakura's mind, and a realization struck her like lightning. She opened her mouth to speak again... but it was already too late.
Homura choked. His chopsticks clattered to the floor as his throat seized violently. One hand gripped the table while the other clawed at his chest. Koharu collapsed sideways, her half-finished tray spilling across the polished wood. Her breath came in frantic, broken gasps. Her chakra flared once then sputtered like a flame struck by wind.
"Poison," Pakura snapped, already rising to her feet.
Hiruzen's head snapped up. The Stone envoys rose in a single, fluid motion, as five perfect smiles disappeared and killing auras erupted.
The closest ANBU moved but too slow. A Stone jonin blurred behind him and drove a kunai into the base of his skull. The ANBU collapsed without a sound. Two more ANBU charged from opposite sides, but two other Stone jonin slashed their throats in a sweeping arc. Blood sprayed across the conference table within moments of Homura's and Koharu's collapse.
The room, which had been full of quiet scratching brushes and murmured diplomacy a heartbeat ago, erupted into chaos. One of the Stone jonin vaulted over the table toward Hiruzen, blade flashing for the Hokage's throat while another lunged for the poisoned elders. The other three moved for the remaining ANBU and the door in a coordinated sweep to kill everyone inside the room. Pakura's chair toppled backward and shattered against the wall as she moved, heat surging under her skin. Flashing through a few hand signs, chakra condensed in her palm so quickly that the air distorted around it.
"Scorch Release..."
The closest Stone jonin, the one diving for Homura, flickered away in a blur, anticipating a point-blank blast. Instead of firing at him directly, Pakura slammed her palm down against the table.
"...Heat Wave."
The temperature in the room spiked in an instant. The polished wood of the conference table blackened, lacquer bubbling and peeling as a superheated shockwave blasted outward. Papers ignited. The half-spilled food trays cracked and hissed as moisture evaporated in a heartbeat.
The Stone jonin going for Hiruzen aborted his strike, twisting in midair and landing in a crouch instead of committing to the kill. The one reaching toward Koharu jerked back with a snarl, skin blistering along his forearm where the Scorch chakra had come too close.
Two ANBU did not move fast enough. The heat caught them full-on. Their flak jackets smoldered, and they dropped to the floor with strangled cries, desperately rolling to smother invisible fire that was not burning flesh so much as stripping moisture from it. Pakura gritted her teeth; she had not had the luxury of a careful, precise technique. They would live if they received treatment quickly. Maybe.
"H-Help…!" Koharu wheezed, sliding off her chair.
"Stay down!" Pakura snapped without looking at them, her gaze locked on the enemy.
Hiruzen had already moved and was slamming his hand down on the ground. His staff appeared in a puff of chakra and expanded along his arm, ironwood shaft thickening as Enma's full weight settled into his grasp. Two Stone jonin converged on him.
He met the first with a short, brutal swing that cracked the man's ribs and sent him crashing into the far wall hard enough to splinter plaster. The second slipped under the arc of the staff, kunai darting for Hiruzen's side. The Hokage pivoted, deflecting with the butt of the staff and twisting his torso just enough to avoid a killing blow. The kunai skated along his ribs instead of piercing his lung, causing blood to drip down his side.
"ANBU, protect the elders!" Hiruzen barked.
The last two masked guards moved to obey, only to be intercepted immediately. The Stone jonin who had been quietly playing the diplomat's assistant all week blurred between them, striking one in the throat and the other in the gut in the same motion. A second assassin followed in his wake, finishing them with merciless, efficient slashes.
Five ANBU down in less than a minute. The conference room suddenly felt very small. Pakura did not give the assassins time to reset as she stepped forward, heat rolling off her in shimmering waves as she finished her next set of hand signs.
"Scorch Release: Desiccating Spheres!"
Three compact orbs of superheated chakra spun into existence around her shoulders like miniature suns and then shot forward in tight, controlled arcs. The Stone jonin were forced to scatter, one diving behind a ruined bookcase, another vaulting onto the wall itself, chakra clinging to stone as he ran sideways to avoid the blistering projectiles, but the last was not fast enough.
A sphere grazed his leg. He screamed as the moisture was sucked from muscle and skin in an instant, flesh shriveling and cracking like over-dried leather. He collapsed, clutching his thigh, and Pakura ended his suffering with a swift, precise burst of heat that left his body a husk on the floor.
"Three left," she said, more for Hiruzen's benefit than her own.
Hiruzen simply nodded his head seriously without taking his eyes off the remaining Stone ninjas. He was bleeding steadily from his side, but his stance was solid with Emna's indestructible form in front of him protectively. One of the remaining Stone jonin glanced at Homura and Koharu and then at the door. His eyes sharpened, calculating.
Homura and Koharu would not die from the poison since it was just strong enough to disrupt their chakra, but it kept them from supporting the Hokage and Kazekage. Those two were the goal of this specialize team, but their secondary goal of causing destruction across the village was just as important; the Stone had spent a fortune for this plot to win the war.
The Stone ninja dashed towards the collapsed pair, but Pakura moved to intercept him. Unfortunately, the last two had been waiting for that opening and charged directly at Hiruzen. One appeared at Hiruzen's back in a blur of motion with a kunai aimed at his heart while the other came from the side, low and fast, aiming to cripple his legs.
Hiruzen spun, Enma elongating in an instant as he swept the staff in a wide, punishing arc. The low attacker was forced to throw himself backward to avoid being crushed, but the rear jonin slipped through the narrow gap left in the Hokage's guard with his blade angled for Hiruzen's heart. Pakura saw it out of the corner of her eye but was too committed in her own motion toward the elders.
"HIRUZEN!" she shouted.
The Hokage twisted at the last second, instincts and experience pulling him away from a fatal blow, but he could not fully evade. The kunai sliced through robes and into flesh in a single brutal thrust. The tip of the blade sliced through his back, left shoulder, and arm, cracking the shoulder blade, which left his arm dangling uselessly at his side.
Hiruzen staggered with a sharp exhale as blood sprayed across the charred documents scattered across the ground, but he did not faulter. Despite the wound, he did not stop the swing of Emna which slammed heavily into the Stone ninja's crossed arms. He flew backward with such force that he crashed through the chamber wall in an explosion of stone and wood, vanishing into the hallway beyond. A jagged hole rained down dust and debris from the ceiling as the building shook from the impact. Another Stone jonin used the distraction and the fresh debris as cover, leaping through the new opening and sprinting for the front door.
"They're trying to take it outside," Pakura snapped.
"The Village!" Hiruzen managed through gritted teeth, clamping his remaining hand over the bleeding gash down his upper left arm. His robes were already soaked red. "We can't let them rampage and attack the civilians!"
Pakura snarled and flung another wave of Scorch chakra to keep the last jonin away from Homura and Koharu, forcing him to retreat toward the damaged wall instead. She pushed forward, driving the remaining assassins back through the broken wall with bursts of heat and precise, punishing strikes. The corridor outside was already filling with smoke as a pair of lower-ranked shinobi rounded the corner and froze at the sight of the Hokage's blood and ruined arm.
"Stay back!" Hiruzen barked. "Get medics for the injured, now!"
They scattered, footsteps pounding down the stairs.
One of the fleeing Stone jonin reached the far end of the corridor, slammed his palms against the wall, and roared, "Earth Style: Rock Lance Barrage!"
Spikes of stone erupted from the floor and walls, spearing through doors, desks, and the ceiling itself. The tower groaned, old wood and masonry protesting the sudden violence. Pakura darted between the lances with grace while Hiruzen shattered a section with Enma, causing stones to explode with each impact.
The assassins reached a larger window at the end of the hall and crashed through it, glass and wood exploding outward as they flung themselves into open air. Pakura did not hesitate and followed right behind. They burst through the storm of dust and broken wood. The assassins scattered the moment they were outside while Pakura and Hiruzen were right behind them.
The Stone jonin did not run for cover. They ran for people. The closest one vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing beside a group of vendors. He ripped open the pouch at his hip which revealed a string of explosive tags that flashed in the sunlight.
"NO!" Pakura shouted.
She flickered forward, hand slashing through the air, as she used a technique that she had developed from working with Akari. A blade of shimmering heat cut the space between them, forcing the jonin to leap back before he could ignite the tags. They detonated in the air, causing a chain of thunderous blasts that still ripped through abandoned stalls and sent shards of splintered wood and torn fabric flying.
Children shrieked. Bystanders dove for the ground. Pakura appeared in the middle of the smoke, heat flaring around her as she stood between the civilians and the Stone jonin, blocking the worst of the debris with a wall of swirling Wind chakra.
The Stone jonin grinned with a crazed look in his eye as if he had no fear of death then he sprinted again. Pakura's next Scorch blast hit him square in the back. His skin shriveled instantly, his clothing igniting as he crumpled mid-stride, but even as he was dying, he tried to crawl toward the nearest crowd with another explosive tag clenched in his hand. Pakura incinerated him before he could reach it.
"Hokage-sama!" a medic called from across the plaza. "We need to..."
"NOT now!" Hiruzen barked.
Because the other two assassins had made their moves.
One hurled himself onto a rooftop overlooking the main road, forming seals with one hand while the other dripped blood into a glowing sphere of molded chakra. Hiruzen's eyes widen with shock, recognizing the sensation of Explosion Release chakra, just before the jonin slammed the chakra sphere against the roof.
A deafening blast tore the tiles apart, shockwaves rolling down the street in a cone of devastation. Windows exploded outward. Civilians screamed. The roof buckled under the jonin's feet, but he did not even try to save himself. He rode the collapsing structure down, laughing as he formed another sphere, ready to detonate himself just to take more Leaf shinobi with him. Hiruzen gritted his teeth and slammed Enma into the ground.
"Adamantine Expansion: Barrier Form!"
The staff elongated and split into a lattice of black ironwood bars that formed a protective cage around a cluster of civilians just before the explosion hit. The shockwave hammered the barrier, rattling Hiruzen's bones, nearly driving him to one knee.
"Hokage-sama!" someone screamed.
"I'm fine!" he lied, voice cracking.
The assassin burst free of the wreckage, half-burned, half-laughing, and both of his hands glowing with unstable chakra. Dragging his broken leg behind him, the jonin dashed towards market street which still had civilians hiding within. Pakura rushed towards the him, but an earthen wall sprung up right in front of her, cast by a dying third Stone ninja. She was forced to slow down and leap over the new wall, but that delay was enough to allow him to close the distance.
The Stone jonin reached the edge of the market district and his body began to swell with unstable chakra. Pakura knew that there was no time to think, only act, as she wrangled control of every scrap of chakra that she had left. With a thrust of her hands and strong exhale, she released a beam of pure, concentrated Scorch chakra.
Heat rippled outward in a tidal wave, distorting the air so violently that the colors bled and danced across the street like a mirage. It hit the jonin right as his technique peaked. For a split second, the two energies clashed against each other, raw explosive chakra versus scorching heat. The explosion lit the street with blinding white light, blowing tiles off rooftops and flattening vendor stands. The shockwave flung bodies and debris in every direction.
A wave of heat shot through Pakura and the surrounding structures. In an instant, her skin was blistered, the air was ripped from her lungs, and the force of the blast launched her into a building wall. Anything flammable within fifty meters of the blast site was on fire or charred to coal, and the shockwave damaged things as far away as two hundred fifty meters aways. A deep, sunken molten crater was what was left from the explosion and scorch release, having been directed downwards due to the force of Pakura's chakra.
The plaza was burning in places, smoking in others. ANBU were securing perimeters. Medical teams raced toward fallen civilians and the ruins of the Hokage Tower. And in the center of it all, Hiruzen still stood, swaying slightly but unbroken, Enma planted in the ground like a monument to stubborn survival.
"Lock down the village! Evacuate the wounded! ANBU, secure every exit! No one leaves the village!" the Hokage shouted.
The gathering ANBU bolted to carry out his orders while other ninjas began to assist the medical teams and help rescue civilians from the debris. One of the older doctors from the hospital, with two genin assistants, approached the Hokage, but Hiruzen had ignored him completely as he walked over to Pakura. Her arms, legs, and torso were covered in heavy burns with patches of her neck and face also burned, but she turned and stared at him, unable to speak currently.
"Help the Kazekage. I'll have Tsunade return and treat you as soon as possible," Hiruzen assured.
She looked at him for a moment longer as the medics rushed towards her then closed her eyes and gave a slight nod. Hiruzen looked at the ruined plaza, damaged buildings, and bodies of the dead and injured with rare anger in his eyes. Onoki had used his desire for peace to stab him in the back, completely mocking him, but it had reawakened his fighting spirit. If the Stone was willing to spit in the face of proper etiquette in war, then he would no longer hold back Konoha's full strength.
A/N: So, what did you think of the first major 'cause-and-effect' change due to Akari's presence? Thanks for keeping with my story despite the delays!