Chapter 42: Scorch Release Pakura
A few kilometers away from Kyosuke and Rei, a figure was whistling through the forest at an incredible speed.
The figure had long, flowing hair, and the magatama earrings he wore swayed with his every movement.
This person was none other than Orochimaru, who had come to the rescue.
After receiving Kyosuke's call for help, he had made some brief arrangements and immediately set off to meet him. The Sand ninja hadn't been causing any trouble for the past few days, so he wasn't needed at the main camp at all times.
Besides, Kyosuke's current existence was quite important to him. For reasons both personal and professional, he did not want Kyosuke to die at this time.
Thump.
In a short period of time, Rei had been sent flying by Pakura's kick for the umpteenth time.
In terms of raw strength, as a Jounin, she shouldn't have been so easily defeated.
But the problem was that her Gentle Fist style of combat required her to be in close range to be most effective. And Pakura's Scorch Release was a perfect counter to most forms of taijutsu.
This was evident from Rei's right arm, which was already somewhat shriveled. It was the result of landing a single palm strike on Pakura while moving at high speed. Although Pakura herself was not unscathed, the damage Rei had sustained was far more severe.
Seeing her opponent struggle to her feet, the now-impatient Pakura was about to step forward and end her life when a pair of black hands suddenly shot out from the ground and grabbed her feet.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu."
It was Kyosuke, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, finally finding the moment when the enemy was distracted and unleashing his ninjutsu without hesitation.
Unfortunately, this technique was not very effective against Pakura, whose strength was already close to that of an elite Jounin.
"Annoying little brat," Pakura cursed inwardly. She then raised her right hand and slammed it into the ground.
"Scorch Release: Distillation Fist."
Even the hard, dry earth sizzled under the heat of her Scorch Release ninjutsu.
"Hm?! Not good." Just as Pakura was about to enjoy the sight of her enemy's demise, she discovered that there was no sign of Kyosuke in the shattered earth.
Startled, she looked up and saw only the masked Rei. There was no sign of Kyosuke.
"Psst~ over there," Rei's head gestured slightly to the side, and Pakura's gaze naturally followed.
But there was no one there. It was clear she had been deceived by Rei.
"Damn you, little girl." Pakura struggled to break free from Kyosuke's hands while glaring angrily at Rei.
What met her eyes, however, was Kyosuke, who had unexpectedly appeared there. And Rei herself was charging at her again at high speed.
"You arrogant brat, I..." Just as Pakura was about to say something, she unexpectedly stopped again.
Because she found that she couldn't move her body.
Damn it, what's going on?! Pakura quickly replayed the last few moments in her mind, her memory finally settling on that pair of otherworldly eyes.
A genjutsu? Hmph, you think you can control me with this? Pakura snorted. Recalling the method to break a Sharingan genjutsu, she began to try.
Her method was simple: use the heat infused with chakra to violently冲击 her own meridians, thus breaking the genjutsu.
...Didn't they say that a Sharingan genjutsu can't be broken by oneself? How is it that everyone can break free from it now? Kyosuke complained silently to himself.
Although his genjutsu was successfully broken by Pakura, his goal had been achieved.
Because in front of her, Rei had already taken her stance.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."
Rei didn't shout the phrase the Hyuga clan was so fond of: "You have entered my domain." She simply launched her attack.
Although Pakura had promptly mobilized her chakra to counterattack after breaking free from the genjutsu, she was still a step too slow.
"Two palms."
With Rei's chakra point strikes, Pakura's chakra flow was suddenly interrupted.
"Four palms."
This time, the attack was aimed at Pakura's limbs, preventing her from escaping Rei's attack range by releasing a burst of chakra.
"Eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty-two palms..."
Having been subjected to such a fierce barrage of attacks in a short period of time, Pakura's body was involuntarily sent flying backward, spitting blood.
But Rei's attack was not over yet.
"Sixty-four palms!!!"
In less than a single breath, Rei had struck 32 times, finally succeeding in sealing all of Pakura's chakra points and knocking her unconscious.
With that, the victor was decided.
Seeing this, Kyosuke, in addition to feeling happy, also felt a slight stirring in his heart.
He had the urge to "kill-steal" her again.
But after thinking about it, he gave up on the idea.
The reason was simple. The previous "Sand ninja" was just a weakling. It was one thing for Rei to give him that kill.
But Pakura was different. Regardless of her current strength, she was still a well-known figure in the Sand Village. A "war achievement" of this level, no matter how generous Rei was, she would never just hand it over.
So, Kyosuke could only watch silently from the side.
Just as the two of them thought the battle was over, the heavily injured and unconscious Pakura suddenly stood up and charged at Kyosuke with a speed even greater than before.
Kyosuke's pupils contracted sharply. With one hand, he quickly formed a few seals inside his sleeve, while raising his other arm and aiming it at the rapidly approaching Pakura.
"Striking Shadow Snakes."
In this urgent situation, only this jutsu, which didn't require hand seals, could slightly impede Pakura's advance.
That's right, only slightly.
Because the poisonous snakes had just flown out of Kyosuke's sleeve when they were incinerated by the scorching chakra.
But Kyosuke hadn't expected them to be a game-changer. This jutsu was just a delaying tactic while he prepared his Body Replacement Technique.
However, Kyosuke, who had successfully escaped to a distance using the Body Replacement Technique, felt no joy.
Because Pakura, seeing him escape, did not pursue him. Instead, she rushed toward the wooden crate containing the hostages.
"I will complete my mission, even if I die," Pakura shouted, gathering her Scorch Release chakra.
Kyosuke watched this scene helplessly. At the same time, a sliver of doubt arose in his mind. Was the Pakura from the original story... this kind of person?
Just as Pakura's hands were about to touch the wooden crate, a hoarse voice suddenly sounded in everyone's ears.
At the same time, a brilliant smile spread across Kyosuke's face, though it was hidden by his mask.
"You'll complete your mission, even if you die? I greatly admire your determination."
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