Chapter 187: The Completely Tamed Pakura of the Scorch Release!
Hearing Pakura's response, which was steeped in the traditional flavor of the Nara clan, Keisuke fell silent for a moment. It seemed he really had domesticated this wildcat... perhaps a little too well. She was starting to get spoiled.
"Wake up, Pakura! You're a ninja!" Keisuke said, his tone sharpening. "If all you do is laze around, what good are you to me?"
"You have plenty of use for me..." Pakura pouted. They both knew each other inside and out by now; she was well aware of all his preferences. But the captive-in-name-only decided against saying that part aloud. Under Keisuke's oppressive gaze, she shrank back and conceded. "Alright, fine. What's the mission?"
After being cooped up in the house for so long, getting out for some fresh air wasn't such a bad option.
"Originally, I just wanted you to run a simple errand. But now..." Keisuke pinched the soft flesh around her abdomen. "I've changed my mind."
He remembered the last time he had done this, her abs had been clearly defined, the smooth skin impossibly tight. He had barely been able to let go. But now... she was well on her way to becoming a "Pak-hamster." Not that he disliked this fleshier version of her, but...
"How troublesome..." Pakura muttered, having picked up the local dialect. She lightly slapped his hand away. "If you want to get started, then get started. Stop pinching. When you say you 'changed your mind,' do you mean... you want to 'relax' first?"
"I mean," Keisuke retracted his hand and led her to the villa's training room, "you're going to spar with me. I need to see if your skills have degraded to a pathetic level."
"Do we really have to fight? I'd rather not," Pakura said, crossing her arms, looking troubled. "I haven't used any ninjutsu in months. Besides, I was never a match for you to begin with..."
"Less talk." Keisuke unhooked his personal short sword, Little Jizō, from his waist and tossed it to her. "This is my private blade, forged from chakra-conductive metal."
"What a beautiful sword!" Pakura's eyes lit up. She caught the blade and drew it from its sheath. "Wow... it's like a work of art!"
She gave it a few clumsy practice swings to get a feel for the weapon. "Here I come!"
Pakura gripped the sword and, like an ordinary girl, charged him with a series of tiny steps, her speed agonizingly slow.
"Where's your chakra?" Keisuke asked, watching her crawl toward him. "Or have you already forgotten how to use it?"
"As if using chakra would let me win..." she grumbled, but finally channeled chakra to her feet, her speed increasing. The black blade of Little Jizō sliced through the air, aimed at his neck. A shadow shield appeared silently, blocking the blade.
Clink!
The chakra-metal blade striking the shadow shield produced a crisp sound, but it failed to break the defense. At that moment, a new mission prompt appeared on Keisuke's panel.
[C-Rank Ninja Battle Mission has been detected!]
[C-Rank Mission: Nara's Pakura]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill Pakura]
[Mission Reward: C-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll]
Keisuke pushed her back with one hand on her stomach and checked the notification.
'A C-rank mission... The Jonin Pakura has degenerated into the Chunin Pakura.' He closed the panel and looked at her. "Right now, you are as weak as a Chunin."
"What do you want from me?" Pakura said, holding the sword and spreading her free hand. "You sealed my chakra for months. It's a miracle I can even remember how to use it at all."
He had no rebuttal to that. Ninja are trained rigorously from childhood, but almost all of that training requires the participation of chakra. Even the greatest genius would feel a sense of unfamiliarity if they went that long without using it.
"Again," he beckoned.
'I knew nothing good would come from you returning!' Pakura grit her teeth and charged again.
They clashed for a few moments, and she was once again lightly pushed away.
"I'm tired!" she said, stumbling back. She immediately plopped down on the floor in a full display of "letting it rot." "I surrender! Do whatever you want with me!"
[You have defeated the C-Rank Ninja Battle Mission target!]
[You have obtained one C-Rank [Shinobi Secret Scroll]!]
"You're sure you want to surrender just like that?" Keisuke asked, looking down at her. "Does this mean you're ready to go on the mission?"
"There might still be a small problem with that." Pakura sheathed the sword, her voice half-probing, half-whining. "I think I still need to rest for a while... you know, I only just got my chakra back. I still need time to adapt."
"That's fine. The mission I have doesn't really require much from you," he replied, shaking his head and perfectly mimicking her earlier tone. "As you know, Konoha and Suna are at war. Although your elite puppet brigade has been severely damaged, the resistance from your rank-and-file ninja is still very stubborn. Konoha needs an opportunity to strike a blow against their morale."
Strike their morale? What better way than a betrayal from one of their own heroes? Pakura suddenly remembered what he had told her before. One day, what if the Scorch Release was aimed not at Suna's enemies, but at Suna itself...
She stared at him in disbelief, just in time to hear him continue. "Of course, I'm not a demon..." He created a Shadow Doppelganger, which stood beside him. "Get up. Pick up the weapon. Keep fighting. If you haven't met my requirements by the end of the day, you and I are going to take a trip to Sunagakure."
The lazy thoughts in Pakura's mind were instantly shattered. She drew Little Jizō again and shot toward the clone, her face twisted with the rage of someone looking at a lover who had betrayed her.
Keisuke let the doppelganger spar with her while he sat cross-legged on the side, opening the C-rank scroll he had just earned.
[Opening...]
[Contents of this C-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[C-Rank Technique: Wind Release: Airflow Disturbance]
[Description: A gust of wind from an unexpected angle!]
[Effect: Creates a strong gust of wind with chakra that can blow light materials, either to block common projectiles or to obstruct the enemy's vision.]
[Evaluation: Updraft~]
'This jutsu... I remember Ebizō using this, didn't he? It makes sense that a scroll from a Scorch Release user would contain Wind Style... It's just... so weak.'
He turned his attention back to the fight. Aside from its inability to use regular ninjutsu and its slightly lacking chakra reserves, the Shadow Doppelganger's combat abilities were identical to his own. Even Pakura in her prime would have struggled against it, let alone this lazy, weakened version. But under the continuous assault, her old instincts and senses began to return. The speed and power of her slashes increased, their angles growing sharper.
Swish—
Filled with its wielder's resentment, the black blade once again aimed for the clone's neck. The clone, using the same old trick, created a shadow shield to block the attack. But this time, a sharp light flashed in Pakura's orange eyes. She poured her silently molded wind chakra into Little Jizō, and a faint chakra blade extended from its edge. The wind-infused chakra, focused on cutting, gave the sword terrifying killing power.
This time, when the sword hit the shield, it didn't just bounce off. It sliced the shield in two.
"Shine!" (Die!) Pakura roared.
Just as the blade was about to hit the clone's neck, its skin took on a dark, metallic luster.
CLANG!
The sword and skin collided, creating the sound of metal striking metal. Pakura's hand went numb from the shock. The clone, ignoring the blade at its neck, pushed her away again.
Seizing the chance this created, Pakura decisively let go of the sword, flew through hand seals, and smoothly unleashed her signature jutsu.
"Scorch Release: Extreme Steam Killing!"
A giant, orange fireball erupted from in front of her, carrying enough heat to instantly evaporate blood. It shot past the clone... and aimed directly at the real Nara Keisuke sitting on the sidelines.
"Hm?" With a mere thought, a hexagonal black shield rose from his shadow.
Shadow Armor Technique!
BOOM!
The fireball slammed into the shield but failed to even shake it. However, a new notification popped up on his panel.
[B-Rank Ninja Battle Mission has been detected!]
[B-Rank Mission: Pakura of the Scorch Release]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill Pakura]
[Mission Reward: One B-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll]
"Shields! Again with the shields!" Pakura screamed, looking like she was about to lose her mind. "I hate seal-less ninjutsu! Are all you Konoha ninja monsters?!"
Despite her complaints, she began molding chakra for an even bigger fireball.
"Alright, that's enough. You don't need to fight anymore," Keisuke's voice cut through her rage.
She froze. "What?"
"Do you want to keep going?"
"No, no! I... I can surrender?"
"What do you think?"
"But what about the mission?"
"I was just bluffing. I have no interest in the sand on a desert."
Although she disliked how he described her village, Pakura chose to decisively surrender. "I give up!"
When it came to giving up, there was no difference between the first time and the hundredth. She had already lost to him too many times to count.
[You have defeated the B-Rank Ninja Battle Mission target!]
[You have obtained one B-Rank [Shinobi Secret Scroll]!]
[Opening...]
[Contents of this B-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[B-Rank Technique: Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique]
[Description: A sharp gale! Transformed into a fierce blade!]
[Effect: Uses wind chakra and shape transformation to create blades of wind, attacking the enemy with a force strong enough to sever trees and split rock.]
[Evaluation: You thought it was just a harmless breeze?]
"Tsk, tsk." Keisuke dispelled the clone, stood up, and walked over to her. "You used that Scorch Release very smoothly, Pakura. It seems you're not as weak as I thought."
Pakura really wanted to chop his head off, but she kept that thought to herself. She obediently sheathed the sword and handed it back. "I told you, I just needed some time to adapt."
"I think you're adapted," he said, taking Little Jizō and pulling a Yin Release Mask from his summoning seal, pushing it into her hands. "Now, it's time to complete the mission."
"There's still a mission?" Pakura frowned, looking at the white mask.
"Relax. I never intended to give you a difficult one anyway," Keisuke reassured her. "I just need you to run an errand for me."
Following his instructions, Pakura put on the mask and covered herself in a black robe to hide her features. Once ready, she left the villa alone. She walked openly through the bustling streets of Kikyo Castle, her disguise drawing no attention. She left the town and entered the wilderness outside.
'I'm... just out? Like this?'
Pakura stopped, looking around in disbelief. There was no one in sight.
'No seal, no chakra-suppressing drugs, no one following me, nothing but the forest...'
The first thought that popped into her head was: 'Which way to that 'Empty District' he mentioned?'
She struggled to get her bearings, carefully avoiding the main area of Konoha Village and making her way from Kikyo Castle to the Empty District on the southeast side. And then... she promptly got lost in its complex alleyways. If not for the special incense he had given her, she might have wandered around for hours.
A wisp of white smoke drifted through the alleys. Several ninja cats emerged from the depths, drawn by the scent.
"Hm? This smell, meow?" The lead cat, Denka, approached and sniffed her carefully. "It smells like little brother Keisuke, but then again, it doesn't..."
Little brother... Keisuke?
The corners of Pakura's mouth twitched under her mask. Are all you cats blind? What part of him is 'little'?
"I was sent by Nara Keisuke to pick something up," she said, pulling out Little Jizō and showing it to them. "He said if any ninja cats saw this blade, they would know what it means."
"So you really are one of little brother's people, meow!" Denka waved a paw at the other cats, who immediately dispersed. "Please wait a moment, meow! Little brother ordered quite a lot this time!"
Pakura waited. After a while, the cats returned, carrying a massive scroll that was half the height of a person.
"This is what he wanted, meow," Denka said. "You can take it and go, meow."
"Um..." Pakura shouldered the clearly valuable and very heavy scroll. "This is a bit embarrassing, but... could one of you please show me the way out?"
"I'll take you, meow..." Denka stepped forward and led her out of the district. Back in the open, Pakura bowed. "Thank you, Mr. Cat."
Denka waited a moment, and seeing that this human had no catnip-infused drinks for him, he turned and left in disappointment.
Pakura, completely oblivious, began the trek back to Kikyo Castle with the giant scroll on her back.
'Seriously, why did you make an outsider run this errand for you...'
She searched the town, but instead of returning to the villa, she followed the new directions he had given her to another remote, two-story house. Keisuke was waiting by the door.
"I thought you might take this chance to run away," he said with a nod.
Pakura just rolled her eyes and gestured to the scroll. "Where does this go?"
"Follow me." He led her inside. "This is my private research base. Only a very few people know it exists."
"Research base?" Pakura paused, but then remembered he had already figured out her Scorch Release anyway, so she continued walking.
"Yes. It's still pretty basic for now," he said, leading her to the basement. "See that white figure over there? That's the only experiment material currently in this base."
Pakura didn't want to know, though the thing definitely didn't look normal. She unbound the giant scroll, placed it on the floor, and asked, "So my only mission was to be an errand girl?"
"No. Your mission has changed," he replied. "Your new mission is to guard this research base."
A gatekeeper? Pakura didn't particularly mind the job. Easy was good. But out of curiosity, she had to ask. "What would you have done if I hadn't completed the mission and just ran away?"
"Failed to complete the mission?" Keisuke raised an eyebrow and pointed at the White Zetsu floating in its tank. "Then right now, you'd be in the jar right next to him."
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