Not long after, Pakura returned.
Her complexion was pale, her eyes filled with anger and despair.
Clearly, she had already learned the truth from those two "observers"—or rather, after witnessing Sora's strength, those two had confessed everything to save their own lives.
As for their fate, it went without saying.
"Why..."
Pakura murmured to herself, her fists clenched tightly.
She had risked her life for Sunagakure for many years, earning countless merits in battle, only to be met with such betrayal in the end.
"This is the nature of hidden villages."
Sora said calmly: "In the eyes of the higher-ups, all ninja are merely tools—useful when needed, discardable when not."
Pakura looked up, gazing at Sora:
"Why did you save me?"
"Because you have value."
Sora stated bluntly: "The Shakuton Kekkei Genkai, strength at the elite jōnin or even Kage level, and more importantly, you're already completely disillusioned with Sunagakure, aren't you?"
Pakura fell silent.
Yes, she was indeed disillusioned.
The moment her village sold her out, the faith in her heart had already crumbled.
"So, what is your goal?"
Pakura asked.
"Join our faction."
Sora said: "Ryūgakure, located on the main island of the Land of Whirlpools. There, you can gain a new identity, new companions, and..."
"An opportunity for revenge."
Pakura's eyes flickered slightly.
"Ryūgakure... that's the territory of Konoha's Seiryū! What is your relationship with Seiryū?"
The corner of Sora's mouth beneath his mask curled slightly, speaking half-truthfully:
"My relationship with Seiryū is average."
"However, he has now defected from Konoha, so you don't need to worry about past allegiances."
Pakura fell into deep thought.
She truly had nowhere else to go.
Return to Sunagakure? That would be walking right into a trap.
Defect to another hidden village?
As a missing-nin, who would genuinely accept her?
Although she had been on the opposing side during the Third Shinobi World War against Sora, she had now defected from Sunagakure and Sora had defected from Konoha.
The issue of allegiances no longer existed.
Moreover, Ryūgakure was powerful; with Sora's reputation as the "God," it could fully be considered the strongest faction in the ninja world on the surface.
"...Alright."
After a long moment, Pakura nodded: "I'll join."
Sora wasn't surprised.
Pakura had no other choice.
"Then, welcome."
He turned and walked towards the bay: "Follow me, let's leave the Land of Water first."
Pakura took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions within her, and followed.
...
Three days later, aboard a ship heading to the Land of Whirlpools.
Sora stood at the bow, gazing at the distant horizon.
Pakura rested inside the cabin; her physical wounds had been treated, but the trauma in her heart would still need time.
Sora touched his eye.
After successfully fusing the Eternal Mangekyō, he had tested his newly acquired abilities in the seas near Ascension Island.
The Mangekyō ability of Uchiha Yami's right eye was called "Divine Healing: Barrier."
It was an ultimate defensive dōjutsu, capable of instantly deploying an absolute barrier constructed from Yin Release chakra, virtually immune to all physical and ninjutsu attacks.
But no defense was absolute.
Just as when Sora had once shattered Uchiha Yami's defense head-on with a single "Super: Thunderclap Eight Trigrams."
"Divine Healing: Barrier" was strong, but faced with an attack exceeding its limit, it could still be broken.
Even so, it was an extremely practical defensive dōjutsu, sufficient to protect one's life in the vast majority of situations, at least.
And the ability of Uchiha Yami's left eye, "Divine Healing: Retrograde," was a powerful healing dōjutsu, capable of reversing injuries on a temporal level and healing fatal wounds.
Combined with Uchiha Kenta's "Divine Banishment" and "Amaterasu," these dōjutsu working together formed an integrated offense and defense.
Sora's current Yin Release clone was already firmly standing at the peak of Kage level, even touching the threshold of Transcendent level.
Pity the synchronization between soul and body was slightly lacking, preventing him from using his full power.
"Ryūgakure's development also needs to accelerate."
Sora gazed at the sea surface, mentally calculating his next plans.
Pakura was only the first step.
Jūgo, Karin, and others who might be recruited in the future...
What he wanted to establish was a faction truly his own.
A faction capable of wielding influence in this chaotic ninja world, and along the path of its establishment, it would inevitably face various challenges, which could conveniently serve to synchronize his clone.
...
Land of Whirlpools, at the entrance of Ryūgakure.
Pakura stood beside the massive Manda; even though she had already mentally prepared herself, seeing this legendary, terrifying summoning beast coiled here like a carved stone guardian with her own eyes still filled her heart with shock.
Even more unsettling were the faint yet seemingly abyssal, vast several strands of chakra signatures deep within the village.
One of them was cold and immense, carrying a sense of nature, clearly the master of Ryūchi Cave mentioned in the intelligence—the White Snake Sage.
"This... is Ryūgakure."
"Let's go, I'll take you to meet the person in charge."
Sora's voice sounded beside her.
Pakura took a deep breath, suppressing her churning thoughts, and nodded.
Since she had chosen this path, there was no turning back.
The scene inside the village was more orderly than she had anticipated.
The streets were clean, and although the buildings were mostly stone and somewhat rustic, they were neatly arranged.
She could see quite a few ninja wearing simple "coiled dragon" forehead protectors moving about, and from further away came the sounds of training shouts and ninjutsu collisions, giving a vibrant impression.
Miyamoto Ichirō soon arrived upon hearing the news.
This young man, one year older than Sora, with a resolute and steady countenance, was now effectively Ryūgakure's administrative chief, bearing a distinctly capable and sharp air.
"Yōyō."
Miyamoto Ichirō nodded to Sora's clone, then his gaze fell upon Pakura, and he nodded slightly in greeting.
"Ichirō, this is Pakura, former elite jōnin of Sunagakure and holder of the Shakuton Kekkei Genkai."
Sora introduced simply: "She has agreed to join us. I'll leave the specific arrangements to you."
"Understood."
Miyamoto Ichirō acknowledged, then turned to Pakura: "Lady Pakura, welcome to Ryūgakure. I am Miyamoto Ichirō, responsible for daily village affairs. Please come with me to complete your registration and learn about the village rules and duties."
"Much obliged." Pakura responded.
Sora spoke up at this point: "By the way, Pakura, I need a small sample of your cellular tissue."
"Cellular tissue?"
Pakura's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion on her face.
"For Kekkei Genkai research."
Sora didn't completely hide it, but also didn't explain in detail: "It will be helpful for constructing the village's future power system. Of course, the sample taken will be a very small amount, and it won't cause you any harm."
Pakura hesitated slightly, then nodded.
She extended her arm and rolled up her sleeve.
Sora took out a specially made thin needle, skillfully collected a small amount of cellular tissue and a blood sample, sealed it, and put it away.
"Thank you."
Having done this, Sora said to Miyamoto Ichirō: "I'll leave things here to you. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
As his voice faded, his figure disappeared in a faint puff of smoke.
Pakura gazed at the spot where he vanished, the sense of mystery surrounding Ryūgakure and Sora himself deepening within her.
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