Suna Council Room
"About our ongoing negotiations for a truce with the Hidden Mist, very significant information has come to light"
"What is it Lord Fourth?"
"According to Pakura, Kirigakure has lost their Three Tails to Konoha."
"What!"
Like a dam being breached, shocked Gasps and chatter erupted around the table.
"Although this is significant news, we have made mutiple proposals that were significantly against our favour prior."
"And as expected they refused to budge! So even though we may now have leverage against them, what are the chances of anything significant occurring now" A member of the council exclaimed.
"We dont have time for negotiations! It's almost time for a showdown with the Hidden Stone! They've been collecting their forces near our border and with Pakura stopping their previous schemes tensions have only risen."
Rasa listened to the criticism of the council keenly and sighed.
"I guess we have no choice then… We need Pakura to be useful for the sake of the village once again."
"Ahem… Excuse my rudeness Lord Fourth but we can't quite do that … my grandnephew is quite fond of her and on the off chance he learns about this, I won't be sure how to face him."
"Sora right? We can't risk the safety of the village based on his feelings, even if he is related to you Honoured Grandfather Ebizō."
Meanwhile, peeking through the door of the Suna Council Room was the red haired teen in question.
"Are they still seriously considering sacrificing Pakura", I muttered to myself
I've been peeking on the meetings recently out of fear they would betray Pakura and the topics finally been brought up.
Even despite our new found knowledge, preventing this was scenario still ended up being futile.
"I believe Kirigakure is bluffing, there's even rumours circulating that they lost their seven swordsmen to a genin of Konoha." Another member of the council said.
"Pakura is still a valuable asset to the Hidden Sand, if Kirigakure failed their invasion once, what's the chance they do it again especially with how weak they are now."
Rasa paused, contemplating in silence.
"They haven't gained the reputation of Bloody Mist for nothing, they will still hold their grudge, we simply can't risk a joint battle against Iwa and Kiri, only off the interest of protecting one individual. Kirigakure has already stated they'll accept the truce in exchange for Pakura. As the Kazekage, the village comes first, I'm sure she'll understand."
"I agree with Lord Fourth!"
And just like that many other members of the Suna Council chimed in with their takes.
"That damn Rasa! I guess those corrupted old heads in the Suna Council won't change their ways" I thought to myself.
Leaving frustrated, I now had to plan how to deal with these things myself.
After tinkering in my workshop for a few hours. I dangle a glistening piece of interlocking silver.
Hoisted up is a necklace that hosts a capacitor disguised as a pendant, I've designed it to emit a Chakra Shield with the simple click of a button.
Moreover with the knowledge I've accrued, I've figured out how to make a tracker — using chakra to emit a certain frequency I can coordinate the location of the transmitter via a receiver, so if Pakura leaves the village I'll be able to know when and where.
Now that I think about it, I feel like a bit like stalker but it's for a good cause there's no ill intention at all!
…
Atop a large pillar, the surface of which is flattened for its use as a training ground, clashing sparks fly as Pakura and her student Maki train.
Poof!
Maki unfurls her scroll as a net lunges out towards Pakura, almost ensnaring her.
"I was so close!"
"That was good. You would have caught anyone else."
"Please let me try again!"
"Don't be so hasty, I'm sure you'll get stronger."
"Do you really think so Sensei?"
"You want to get stronger for revenge and to avenge your father, right?"
"Those feelings will make you stronger! Your feelings for your family, this village and your friends. The desire to protect the village is what makes a shinobi strong."
As Pakura was giving her speech, a sudden clack and the descending pitch of repulsors interrupt her.
"Ahem… Pakura I don't mean to interrupt your training session but I came here to give you something in private. It's really important." I said as I hold the necklace in my hand.
"Sensei, who is he?" Maki said blushing slightly.
"He's just a former squad mate Maki, don't be presumptuous, it seems our training has come to a close as I have business to attend to with him, so you can leave now."
"Oh… Well ,thanks for training me today Sensei! And Congratulations, I always thought you would be single forever but I guessed wrong!" Maki said teasingly as she leaped away.
"W-What are you talking about Maki! Just leave already!"
"Ahem… Sora about what Maki said… It's too soon. I'll consider—-", Pakura was nervously muttering as she twirled her foot on the floor only to be abruptly cut off.
"Uh, I think you're misunderstanding something… I was just going to give you a new ninja tool I made, not a token of love" I say, as I hand her the necklace
"Huh… I wasn't misunderstanding anything! I knew that's what you were going to do!
"Anyways what does it do?" Pakura mutters as she puts the necklace around her neck.
"Just click the pendant and a Chakra shield will surround you for up to five minutes, use this if you ever face any danger."
Pakura's eyes narrowed slightly, stopping her usual tirade giving way to suspicion. "Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?"
I shrugged, pretending it was nothing.
"For no particular reason at all, anyways see you later Pakura!
"Thanks Sora…", she mumbles as she clasps at the lustrous pendant with her lips curving upwards into a faint smile and her cheeks blushing red.
"Sigh…It wouldn't be ideal to tell her the truth, especially with our ongoing feud with Iwagakure, after all making Pakura a rogue Shinobi wouldn't be a good idea given the state of the village."
So as much as I hate Rasa for his scheming, I can't do anything to endanger the stability of the village. I guess I'll just have to let the story play its course and allow Orichimaru to deal with him in the future.
A few days later
"You summoned, Lord Fourth"
"Yes Pakura, you have been assigned a top secret mission to act as envoy for Sunagakure to officially enact peace treaty with Kiri."
"It's imperative that no one finds out. You will meet with Kiri Shinobi who will guide you at the specified location listed in the scroll."
Pakura paused in contemplation seemingly preoccupied about something as she glanced at her swaying pendant, her face slightly turning a shade of red as she reminisced
Should I tell Sora about this mission… I wonder what he'll say, he was really worried about me giving that necklace and all.
"Pakura?"
"…Oh! Understood Lord Fourth!" She said as she took the mission scroll frantically and flickered away."
As soon as she left, Rasa leaned back deeply exhaling.
"It's done… I hope this was worth it."
…
Buzz
"What the— she's already heading out?" I muttered, grabbing the receiver
I get alerted as the humming on the simmers down, the cause of which is the chakra signals weakening on the receiver.
Pakuras leaving the village already? I guess I should tail her just to be safe. Swiping the receiver off my desk, I left out taking my Hornet puppet scroll along with me.
I also grab the scroll containing munitions I've painstakingly spent hours crafting for this very occasion.
And within each bullet casing is a dense stack of paper bombs. Konan must've been loaded because I've spent a fortune on these and I really don't want to waste it but if push comes to shove I'll resort to using it of course.
I perched on a sandstone ledge overlooking the main road, crouching low as I spotted Pakura, speaking with the gate guards.
She seems to be requesting the guards for permission to leave the village.
After a brief exchange, she set off, so I summoned Hornet and began charging it with chakra.
Unfurling the puppet scroll with a flick. Its segmented body unfolded midair, each joint clicking together buzzing to life. The wings whirred softly as I infused more chakra, and a gentle rush of wind kicked up dust around me.
"Alright… stealth mode," I whispered, keeping my altitude high as I trailed her.
I designed Hornet to create an opposing frequency of noise whilst hovering to masking my location.
A Few Days Later
Over the course of the next few days, I managed to covertly track Pakura making a few stops here and there until we eventually reached the Land of Water.
A dense mist envelops the land as she enters the valley cautiously.
Appearing out of the mist a Kiri ninja walks up to her with a deceitful smile and wide open arms.
"Pakura of the Scorch! We've come here to welcome you!"
"It is an honour to meet you! The mist shrouds us, so we thought you would need someone to lead the way."
"Thank you very much. But there is no way I would get lost going through this valley."
"Very true" he says scratching his head, "Well then, you may proceed!", he continues as he gestures the way forward.
"Fine then." Pakura says sternly.
That's when I notice it, before Pakura took her next step the man twirls the kunai in his hand, firmly gripping the handle with a reverse grip, aiming to stab into her back.
I instinctively pool chakra to my fingertips as blue threads spiral out, launching out and wrapping at her waist.
"Pakura! Use your pendant!" I yell out while slightly descending down using Hornet.
"Sora?! What are you doing here?!"
"Feel the pain of our comrades who were killed by your village!", The Kiri ninja exclaims as he thrusts the Kunai towards Pakura but at the moment of contact, a dense blue aura stops the blade in its track.
"What! Aargh!"
The man instantly shrivelled up, as Pakura launched a scorching fireball that evaporated all moisture from his body.
How dare Kirigakure attack a Suna Envoy!"
While Pakura berates the dead husk left behind, a barrage of kunais rain down at her from both sides.
It was futile however, the chakra shield prevented the ensuing storm of kunais from penetrating the barrier cast from the pendant.
She begins to swirl all the fireballs with the twist of her arm, coalescing it into a single flaming mass.
With a sizzle, the surround cliffs eviscerates as the ball of fire bursts out, scorching everything in a fifty metre radius.
The dense fog clears out and using my birds eye view, I pinpoint hidden Kiri Anbu.
Clink!
The rear of Hornet aims at the groups of huddled Anbu, launching the custom made ballistic missiles into them at hypersonic speeds.
Each individual missile screams eerily, launching one after the other in rapid succession.
A thunderous crash booms out into the vast expanse, the ground ripples like water, as each shell detonates, flinging metal shrapnel omnidirectionally and piercing the unsuspecting shinobi.
As soon as the enemies are cleared out I swiftly descend to the ground.
"Sora! you better have an explanation for coming here, the Kazekage sent me here on a top secret mission. I'll overlook it for now since you saved me.
Those Kiri bastards are really trying to incite a war between us!"
Does she seriously not doubt Rasa and simply thinks Kirigakure went back on their word on the peace treaty?
I guess it makes sense though, since in the anime even despite knowing the truth she still diverted her hatred towards Kiri rather than Sunagakure, going as far as vowing to destroy Kirigakure after being reanimated.
This works out as it would probably be better to avoid stirring unwanted conflict with the village, I don't want to become Pakura to become a rogue shinobi after all.
Especially now that it's too far gone, we're at a point where we are teetering on the brink of war against two villages.
"I overheard that you were going as an envoy to the Land of Water and I was worried since you're so naive, so I came in case something exactly like this occurred , they do have a deep grudge against you."
"Who are you calling naive! ... B-but thanks anyways for looking out for me" .
"Huh? I didn't catch what you said at the end?"
"N-nothing ! Let's go! We have to report this to Lord Fourth quickly!"