As expected, there was no escape. Pakura was yanked underground by Akagi with brutal force.
This wasn't a training exercise. Akagi had no intention of letting Pakura's head resurface from the earth, he fully intended to execute her beneath the ground.
A genius like her, if not from one's own village, was better off dead.
Murderous intent surged from Akagi, his resolve to kill Pakura unwavering.
But what he hadn't accounted for, was that Pakura, despite being dragged underground, still had enough strength to fight back.
Scorch Release: Oversteam Kill.
Trapped underground, Pakura could no longer afford to care about friendly fire. Before Akagi could act, she unleashed three fireballs of Scorch Release directly into his body.
"Pakura…!"
The five Suna puppet masters assigned to protect her were struck dumb as she vanished before their eyes, dragged beneath the sands in an instant.
Ken, sharp-eyed and vigilant, heard the distant shout and immediately knew something was wrong.
That bastard Akagi had launched a sneak attack on Pakura while pretending to duel with him.
Ken knew full well that the tide of this battle had shifted entirely because of Pakura. If she hadn't teamed up with several Wind Release shinobi to annihilate over sixty Iwa-nin in a single strike, there was no way they'd be holding the advantage now.
Which made the realization that Akagi's ambush had succeeded all the more infuriating.
"Pakura, please… hang in there!"
He raced toward her location, heart pounding.
But before he could arrive, he saw the five puppet masters leap backward in retreat.
"You—!"
Ken, unaware of what had happened below the surface, felt fury ignite within him.
They were abandoning her.
When his grieving eyes turned toward where Pakura had disappeared, he saw the sand glowing crimson, radiating heat like a kiln. He dared not go closer.
"What is…?"
Beneath the scorched surface, Akagi's charred corpse had already turned to ash, roasted alive in the searing heat of Pakura's jutsu.
The elite Jōnin of Iwagakure had died a shameful death. His ambush failed, and he was killed for it.
So much for honor, his own bones now buried where he attacked.
But Pakura was in no better shape.
Though she'd anticipated the risk and canceled Scorch Release: Oversteam Kill as soon as Akagi perished, the moment those fireballs exploded underground, the surrounding sand turned into a blazing inferno.
Even after canceling the technique, the heat from the scorched sand enveloped her, trapping her in a furnace of her own making.
With Akagi dead, and her chakra depleted, Pakura's desperate will to survive drove her to claw her way toward the surface.
Under the stunned gazes of Ken and the five puppet masters, a hand, singed red, suddenly thrust out from the glowing sands.
A girl's hand.
Then it went limp, unmoving.
Pakura had passed out. With her chakra completely drained and body scorched by the heat, she slipped into shock the moment her hand broke through the surface.
Without immediate medical attention, she'd be lost.
"It's Pakura, get her out of there, now!"
Ken's voice cracked with urgency as he sprinted toward her.
"So hot—!"
The moment his hands touched the burning sand, the heat seared his skin. But he didn't hesitate, he dug her out with raw hands, peeling her from the deadly trap.
Her entire body was flushed red, unconscious and near-lifeless.
But Ken breathed a sigh of relief.
It was shock. Just shock.
Which meant, she was still alive.
Cradling her in his arms, he carried her away from Akagi's grave and gently laid her down on the cooler ground. Then, turning to the puppet masters, he barked:
"Keep everyone away from me!"
There was no time for confirmation. Ken immediately began emergency treatment on Pakura.
On the battlefield, reinforcements led by Seiji's vanguard unit had arrived. Suna quickly rallied and launched a counteroffensive. Within minutes, they seized the upper hand.
The price was steep: over three hundred Suna-nin lost their lives.
But in exchange, they wiped out all five hundred Iwa-nin stationed at the village gate.
Not a single enemy survived.
As the battle drew to a close, Pakura, still unconscious, was successfully stabilized by Ken. Though her wounds were grave and she had yet to awaken, one truth remained:
Her life was preserved.
...
Land of Fire, Kikyo Pass, Konoha Forward Command Base.
The atmosphere in the command tent was tense and strange. Ever since Veigar, Minato, and Hizashi returned last night, they had been summoned by Orochimaru for debriefing.
Veigar had faithfully reported the flawless execution of their mission.
When they arrived, Orochimaru's golden eyes had gleamed with delight. One by one, they answered every question in detail.
Worried that Suna might retaliate recklessly, Orochimaru placed all units on high alert and deployed numerous shinobi for reconnaissance.
Now, that unease lingered in the air, an odd mix of excitement, gravity, and disbelief.
Because Veigar's operation had been too perfect.
Without losing a single man, they had annihilated at least three thousand Suna-nin.
Yes, at least three thousand.
Without concrete figures, Veigar had conservatively reported the number, downplaying it intentionally.
He knew the truth would come to light eventually. And when it did, it would make their victory all the more shocking.
It was like taking a test and telling your classmates you barely passed, only for the grades to come out and show you got a perfect score.
The astonishment would hit that much harder.
On Orochimaru's desk lay a scroll, almost complete, documenting the details of the battle. It was a report meant for the village elders, needing only confirmation from scouts to finalize.
Once those shinobi returned and filled in the last pieces, Orochimaru would dispatch the scroll with utmost speed.
Everyone waited in silence.
They all knew Suna's losses were severe, so severe, in fact, that not even desperation had driven them to assault Kikyo Pass.
Just then, the doors burst open.
A member of the Hyuga clan, Keisuke Hyuga, stepped in.
One of the scouts Orochimaru had sent out that night.
His face beamed with uncontainable excitement.
"Orochimaru-sama! Suna… Suna suffered devastating losses! They didn't even take our front line!"
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