Pakura's Scorch Release was, in essence, a bloodline technique—born from the innate fusion of two chakra natures.
Ironically, Pakura herself did not come from any special bloodline clan. Her family background was entirely ordinary, which suggested that her awakening of Scorch Release had been nothing short of a gift from heaven.
When it came to Fire Release theory and application, Pakura was regarded as one of Sunagakure's foremost authorities. Many of the insights she shared through correspondence were, in fact, clearer and more direct than even Ebizō's.
As for Fire Spark, Shiraishi continued its cultivation steadily, conducting daily simulations without haste. The technique's very existence served one purpose—to pave the way for the eventual public emergence of Azure Flame.
Speaking of Azure Flame, Shiraishi still felt a lingering chill of fear.
Even a Dream-Eating Bat with terrifying illusionary power had been utterly incinerated by it. One could only imagine the devastation once its mastery reached one hundred percent.
At the Enlightenment Mountain Range, the joint Sunagakure–Iwagakure Chūnin Exams had entered the latter half of the second round.
Iwagakure's elite genin were beginning to reveal themselves one by one—and most notably among them was Gari of the Explosion Release. His appearance alone had caused repeated heavy casualties on Sunagakure's side.
"Where are the medics?! Lan won't make it much longer!"
A hoarse, desperate roar echoed through the battlefield—only to be met with silence.
To the shock of both the genin and Iwagakure's observers, Sunagakure had not deployed a proper medical unit for the exams.
Even among the Kazekage's escort forces, medical ninja were little more than decoration. Most had been reassigned elsewhere. As a result, the genin participating in the exams were forced to handle their own treatment.
This was unprecedented since the establishment of the medical-nin system.
Not only were Sunagakure's genin stunned—even Iwagakure found Rasa's decision incomprehensible.
In truth, after learning of the Yamaji clan incident, the Kazekage's mood had soured completely. His displeasure extended to the students trained by Shiraishi as well.
Medical ninjas were precious resources—how could they be "wasted" on a group of academy-born commoners?
This omission was not negligence.
It was deliberate.
Steel clashed with explosions across the mountain battlefield.
Facing Gari, Nagase Bizen unleashed a powerful Cyclone Blade from his longsword. In the midst of their violent exchange, he twisted sideways and struck with a psychic-infused blade—only for Gari to seize it mid-motion.
"Got you!"
"Who caught whom?!"
Boom!
The explosion tore into Nagase's body, leaving him a mangled, blood-soaked mess. At the same time, Gari was heavily injured by a countering Cyclone Blade and was forced to abandon his pursuit of Sunagakure's elite genin.
When the phase ended, Iwagakure's medical team immediately rushed to treat Gari.
Sunagakure, by contrast, was in dire straits.
Not a single professional medic was present. Only a handful of genin with basic medical training struggled to save their comrades.
"The Kazekage is suppressing our exam results just to spite our teacher… He wouldn't even assign medics. This is too much…"
Nagase whispered weakly, his face pale.
Earlier, deep in the mountains, he had faced Gari again. To cover his teammates' retreat, Nagase had engaged him alone—his arm nearly destroyed.
And now, before the second phase had even concluded, he had encountered Gari once more.
Driven beyond his limits, Nagase had finally forced Gari back—but his injuries were far worse.
"Don't talk."
Morimoto Ryōji moved swiftly, hands glowing with practiced precision as he performed emergency treatment. He passed over soldier pills and medical salves prepared in advance.
As one of the three genin personally groomed by Shiraishi, Morimoto had undergone intensive training in basic medical ninjutsu and pharmacology before leaving Sunagakure.
More than a dozen others had done the same—barely mitigating the Kazekage's malicious decision to withhold medical support.
Hoshino Mai had lost her usual cheer entirely. Watching her comrades fall one by one filled her with burning rage. Her ox-head crescent halberd gleamed with murderous intent.
Nagase's condition stabilized after rest, but the damage had already been done.
The genin participating in the Chūnin Exams felt their goodwill toward the Kazekage plummet to rock bottom.
"This is something worth learning from."
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, observed quietly.
"Genin harboring such hostility toward their own Kage… Sunagakure has decayed faster than expected."
The idea that a Kazekage would intentionally deny medical support—effectively sending his own genin to die—spoke volumes about Rasa's narrow-mindedness.
"It may be related to the Sand Festival incident."
The intelligence chief promptly reported everything—Shiraishi's public execution of a clan elder, the Yamaji clan's retaliation, and the internal fallout.
The incident's impact had been enormous.
A genius publicly killing a noble elder had openly exposed Sunagakure's internal fractures.
"Conflict between the Elders and the noble clans…"
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes.
"Then perhaps the time has come to strike Sunagakure."
If Sunagakure was already teetering on the brink of internal collapse, Iwagakure would not miss such an opportunity.
A direct invasion.
Not just Iwagakure—Konoha was stirring as well.
Compared to Iwagakure's limited intelligence, Orochimaru's information was far more detailed.
It even included records of Shiraishi's newly developed illusion technique.
"A method strikingly similar to the Second Mizukage's lost techniques?"
Even Kirigakure itself barely understood its former Mizukage. Yet Orochimaru recalled the history effortlessly.
As he read further, his tongue slid slowly across his lips, his eyes gleaming with fascination.
The principles behind the Hōzuki clan's lost techniques became increasingly clear to him.
But more than anything—
His mind returned to that fleeting glimpse at Kikyo Pass.
"Black Mist Shiraishi… You are a truly fascinating existence."
From forbidden body techniques to Mirage-style illusions, Shiraishi had produced one shock after another.
At last, Sunagakure's prodigy had fully entered Orochimaru's sights.
"Jiraiya, Minato—you're here as well?"
That night, as Orochimaru stepped outside, he found Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, and a silver-haired youth waiting beyond the camp.
Jiraiya. Minato.
And the son of the White Fang.
It was clear the Hokage was placing immense importance on the coming battle at Kikyo Pass.
"This is the Hokage's appointment order," Jiraiya said. "We've all been reassigned here."
After more than a year of stalemate, even the Third Hokage had lost patience.
Konoha's upper echelons had decided—
The battle for Kikyo Pass would be ended, once and for all.
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