"This woman... she's Pakura?"
Kakashi Hatake slowly walked over after watching Natsuhiko knock the woman unconscious. He glanced down at her and asked curiously.
Pakura's reputation in the ninja world wasn't small.
Her Scorch Release and her title as one of Sunagakure's heroes had made her well known across the villages.
Because of that, she had naturally become one of the primary targets for intelligence gathering by ANBU units in every village.
Life in the ANBU wasn't exactly pleasant.
But it did have one advantage.
When you encountered an enemy, there was a decent chance you could at least figure out who you were fighting.
Of course, knowing your opponent's identity wasn't meant to help you run away.
It was meant to give you the opportunity to exploit the information gap and eliminate them instead.
After several months in the ANBU, Kakashi had begun to look more and more like a proper operative.
It was obvious he had put considerable effort into studying intelligence reports.
"Yeah, it should be her," Natsuhiko replied with a nod.
"If the photograph in the intel file wasn't wrong."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"And the technique she used earlier was definitely Scorch Release."
"Captain, what do we do with her?" Kakashi asked, staring at the unconscious Pakura.
After a moment's thought, he added bluntly:
"Should we just kill her?"
"Kill her? That would be a waste."
Natsuhiko immediately shook his head.
"After all… that's Scorch Release we're talking about."
Still, after saying that, he fell into thought.
The main reason he had attacked Pakura was to confirm whether she had already accepted that mission—the one that would ultimately lead to her tragic death.
But after confirming that…
What then?
From the perspective of their current mission, killing her would actually be the simplest solution.
They already had Yashamaru in custody, and there were only two of them.
Handling Pakura afterward would be… troublesome.
Yet Natsuhiko didn't really want to kill her.
After all, this was Sunagakure's Scorch Release.
And if the user of such a bloodline ability were handled properly, she might produce unexpected value.
Natsuhiko had always believed in maximizing benefits whenever possible.
This was a chance to add a remarkable achievement to his record.
After thinking it through for a moment, he finally spoke.
"How about this?"
"You take Pakura with you."
"I'll deliver Yashamaru back to Sunagakure."
Kakashi's eyes widened instantly.
"What?"
"Captain, that's not a good idea. Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure."
Natsuhiko nodded without hesitation.
Then his tone grew more serious.
"Like I said before, this woman possesses Scorch Release."
"Now that she's already in our hands, the smartest choice is to maximize the value of that fact."
"Whether it's for our Third Division… or for the village."
He continued calmly.
"And if a war breaks out in the future, a bloodline ninja like her would definitely become a major threat to us."
"During the fight earlier, I used my sensing ability to check the surroundings."
"There weren't any other shinobi nearby."
"And before the battle started, I knocked Yashamaru unconscious."
Natsuhiko gestured toward the desert horizon. "This woman was heading toward the Land of Rivers."
"So even if she disappears for a while, our involvement won't be discovered anytime soon."
He looked directly at Kakashi.
"Your job now is simple."
"Take her back to Konoha secretly."
"Understood?"
Inside, Natsuhiko couldn't help feeling a little lucky.
Earlier, he had knocked Yashamaru out simply because he didn't want the man causing trouble.
Unexpectedly, that decision had created an unexpected advantage.
Pakura's disappearance might not be exposed immediately.
Of course, Natsuhiko had to admit that there was still a bit of gambling involved.
Who knew whether Pakura had recognized something during the earlier exchange of techniques?
Still, regardless of the risks, he needed to send Kakashi away.
And not just for Konoha's sake.
He had his own plans.
There was one thing Natsuhiko had never forgotten—The Ryūmyaku.
On the way here, he had already been thinking about how to separate from Kakashi.
Now—
He had finally found the perfect opportunity.
By sheer coincidence, the opportunity had practically delivered itself right into Natsuhiko's hands.
Naturally, he wasn't about to let it slip away.
"So that's the plan?"
Kakashi Hatake frowned slightly before continuing.
"Captain… are you confident you can get out? You know what I mean. If things go wrong and you get trapped… even the Flying Thunder God might—"
"I'm not stupid enough to walk straight into Sunagakure," Natsuhiko cut him off with a casual smile.
"And besides… Sunagakure wouldn't let me in even if I tried."
He had no intention of stepping foot inside the village.
In fact, he wouldn't even go near that narrow canyon pass—the so-called 'One Line of Sky' entrance leading into the desert fortress.
Yes, his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique was solid. But Sunagakure was still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Even if Natsuhiko privately thought their barrier and sealing techniques were laughably outdated, there was no telling what kind of hidden tricks they might still be hiding.
After all—
Chiyo had managed to develop a resurrection technique.
If someone like her could pull that off, then being cautious wasn't exactly unreasonable.
Besides, there was another issue.
His chakra simply couldn't sustain long-distance teleportation.
If he went too deep into enemy territory and ran out of chakra before escaping…
That would be the end of him.
Still, the thought lingered in his mind.
Speaking of Chiyo…
Her resurrection technique… I think it was called One's Own Life Reincarnation.
I wonder if she's already developed it by now.
If the technique already existed…
Then the value of obtaining it would be almost unimaginable.
With the right manipulation and planning, Natsuhiko might be able to extract even greater benefits from it.
Of course—
That was just a passing fantasy.
Sure, with the help of Lizardmaru, he might actually be capable of sneaking into Sunagakure and stirring up a little chaos.
But if he couldn't escape afterward?
That wouldn't be boldness.
That would be suicide.
Even if he somehow managed to obtain the technique, there would be no way to verify whether it was genuine.
If Chiyo handed him a fake…
He'd be the one getting played.
And that assumption was already based on the idea that the technique had even been created yet.
If it hadn't—
Then he'd be walking straight into an even bigger mess.
Natsuhiko had never been fond of unnecessary risks.
Especially when dealing with the unknown.
Unless he had at least a reasonable degree of certainty, he would never gamble recklessly.
"Alright… I understand."
Kakashi had no idea that all those calculations had just run through Natsuhiko's mind.
After hesitating briefly, he nodded.
"I'll take Pakura out of here."
"Captain… be careful."
"Don't worry."
Natsuhiko smiled lightly.
"To be honest, it might actually be easier for me to move alone."
Then his expression suddenly turned serious.
"There's one more thing you need to remember."
His gaze locked onto Kakashi.
"Under no circumstances can anyone see you."
"From a certain perspective, your mission is even more important than mine."
"No matter who it is—don't let anyone discover your movements."
"Understood?"
"Yes, Captain!"
After sealing Pakura's chakra and watching Kakashi bind her securely before carrying her away, Natsuhiko finally felt free to shift his focus entirely to other matters.
He trusted Kakashi's reliability.
When it came to major missions, that guy had always been exceptionally dependable.
Even in that era of the original timeline, this guy's reliability was top-tier—handing an important task to him was unquestionably a wise choice.
Once Kakashi had left, Natsuhiko finally had the space to think about his next moves. He had a plan, sure, but the details still needed some fine-tuning.
For example…
If Sunagakure tries to trap me, how do I escape?
If a fight is unavoidable, how do I turn the battle to my advantage?
And how can I slip over to Loulan without being detected?
In his mind, Natsuhiko realized that those three points could actually be condensed into two.
Whether it was fighting or fleeing, his current reliance would ultimately be on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But then a thought struck him—how could he pre-set teleportation coordinates not only for escape but also for sudden, unpredictable attacks?
Unless… these coordinates could move.
Or unless there were a huge number of them, hidden so well that no one could detect them.
It was a difficult problem. As far as he could remember, neither Minato Namikaze nor Tobirama Senju ever really solved it.
Otherwise, why would they rely on throwing kunai for teleportation instead of using moving coordinates for more devastating surprise attacks?
Natsuhiko paused, then his expression brightened with a small, knowing smile.
A huge grid of coordinates… not realistic right now, because I haven't even figured out the logistics yet.
But moving coordinates? Now that… that I just might have a way to handle!
He immediately began forming hand seals. Once complete, he slammed his palm onto the sand, sending up a curling cloud of smoke that enveloped him completely.
As the smoke dissipated, eleven tiny lizards appeared, all flicking their tongues curiously at him.
Yes—these were going to be his mobile coordinates.
Small enough to remain unseen, and in the vast desert of the Land of Wind, they could hide in the sand effortlessly.
He wasn't entirely sure if ordinary lizards could survive in this desert, but these were summoned lizards, and summoned lizards didn't follow ordinary rules.
Natsuhiko's plan was simple: leverage their natural concealment and the environment of the Wind Country to create optimal combat conditions.
By marking the lizards with the Flying Thunder God seal and scattering them across the desert, he could maintain jump distances within his control—making retreats far easier.
And since these lizards were summoned, they obeyed him completely. He could have several circling around him at all times.
When unavoidable combat arose, they would act as perfect, mobile Flying Thunder God coordinates.
I never expected that a trip to KubisakiCastle would leave me with more than just Lizardmaru's insane fighting ability and these little intelligence-gathering lizards… it's giving me something truly invaluable.
Natsuhiko crouched, picking up a lizard that clearly looked different from the rest.
This wasn't just any lizard—it was the one capable of chakra resonance with him, allowing him to communicate and control the others indirectly.
While he could technically command the rest himself, in the heat of battle it would be impossible to maintain focus.
Through this lizard, he could manage the others while keeping his mind entirely on combat.
And if anything goes wrong… it can even scout enemy deployments for me, making my retreat that much safer.
...
Meanwhile, in the Sunagakure office, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked toward the distant "One Line of Sky" pass.
Through the billowing sand, he let out a soft sigh. The desert winds painted a chaotic, restless world outside, and the burdens of command weighed on him heavily.
The environment of the Land of Wind was brutal—so harsh it was almost unimaginable. And yet, tragically, they could not leave this desert.
Even though there were smaller neighboring nations surrounding them, these minor states served mostly as buffers, keeping the larger powers from directly clashing.
This had its advantages—it helped prevent disputes from spiraling into irreversible, large-scale wars.
But for the Land of Wind and Sunagakure, it was a curse. These buffers effectively boxed them in, leaving them no real way out.
The most critical problem? They couldn't fully control these minor nations. Each border village naturally claimed half of the territory, and due to differences in power, sometimes outsiders ended up holding more than their share. The economic and mission losses that resulted were the last thing Kazekage Rasa wanted to see.
"Lord Kazekage," a young ninja entered, outfitted in Land of Wind's specialized protective gear. "Movements from Iwagakure are increasing near Kumogakure and Takigakure."
"I know," Rasa replied, steadying his composure. "Our troops should be arriving soon. Once they do, make sure they secure positions. If anything changes, I will move in immediately. Keep them on alert. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage," the young ninja nodded, committing Rasa's words to memory.
"And… Has Pakura been out for a full day?" Rasa turned slightly, as if recalling something important.
"Lady Pakura departed one full day ago," the young ninja answered promptly.
Pakura was a notable figure in Sunagakure. The young ninja knew of her reputation, though not the details of her mission—and he wisely didn't ask. After all, shinobi always had countless missions, many of which were classified; prying into them would only bring trouble.
"One day?" Rasa nodded thoughtfully, pausing for a moment before speaking with resolve. "Notify Ebizo. Make sure he delivers that letter to Viper, and tell him it must not be opened yet."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage." The young ninja didn't fully grasp the significance of the order, but he answered dutifully.
"And… keep an eye on movements from Konoha as well," Rasa continued, as though another thought had struck him. "The person they're sending should have arrived by now, but they likely won't dare enter. I want Ebizo to personally lead the team to intercept them—secretly. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
"Go, Baki. Make sure all of this is done properly. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"
The desert winds howled outside, but inside the office, Rasa's commands set the wheels of strategy into motion, unseen by anyone beyond the walls.
...
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