Chapter 47: Confession
"Sister!"
A hoarse voice echoed through the room.
Chiyo slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the doorway. Watching her younger brother walk in with his hands clasped behind his back, she asked lazily,
"Done fishing?"
"The matter still isn't settled."
Ebizō shook his head. After glancing at the clear pond, his gaze came to rest on Chiyo.
"Sister... make a copy of the forbidden technique, One's Own Life Reincarnation."
Chiyo fell silent for a moment.
Her cloudy eyes slowly swept over him from head to toe before she let out a cold snort.
"I thought you planned to bury him. I didn't expect you to use my forbidden jutsu to silence him instead."
"Sister..."
Ebizō's voice rose several octaves as he let out a helpless sigh.
"He can't die. If he does, Shimura Danzō will undoubtedly seize this opportunity. Sunagakure can't survive another disaster."
"Poison him."
"The poison probably won't spread faster than his Medical Ninjutsu can heal it."
"You foolish little brother."
Closing her eyes, Chiyo pulled a scroll from her robes and tossed it toward him. Her aged voice carried a trace of resignation.
"I only hope he never uses this technique on someone he hates."
"He probably won't get the chance."
Ebizō caught the scroll and shook his head.
"I've already sent people to the capital to clean up the loose ends.
"Uchiha Asuka will most likely travel from the Land of Wind to the Land of Water next. Whether he even makes it back to Konoha alive is another matter.
"And even if he does... there'll be nothing he can do about this."
Before he could finish, soft snores drifted across the room.
Looking at his sleeping sister, Ebizō quietly turned and left.
With everything finally in place, he handed over the rest of his responsibilities.
He would spend whatever time he had left by his sister's side.
---
Three days later, early morning.
Pakura walked through the village streets with her travel bag slung over one shoulder, a faint smile on her face as villagers greeted her warmly.
After nearly two months away on missions, the village felt both exactly the same... and strangely different.
She rubbed the sand from her eyes and looked around at the passing villagers.
A puzzled expression slowly spread across her face.
Did everyone eat something that made them fat?
How had they all gained an entire size in just two months?
"Teacher!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Pakura stopped and turned around.
"Maki?"
Looking at her noticeably chubbier student, she reached out with two fingers, pinched her chin, and hesitated.
"...Have you been taking hormones?"
"No!"
Maki squeezed through the crowd until she reached her teacher.
"Teacher! You're finally back!"
"Mmm."
Pakura nodded before asking the question weighing on her mind.
"Did you gain weight?"
"Gain weight?"
Maki looked down at herself and pinched the soft flesh around her waist.
"...I think I'm fine?"
"Oh, you're back."
Before Pakura could decide whether her eyes were deceiving her, another familiar voice reached her ears.
She turned to see Asuka weaving through the crowd.
Without missing a beat, he produced a piece of fried chicken from somewhere and handed it to Maki. She accepted it with practiced ease and immediately started eating.
At last, Pakura understood.
So this is why my student got fat.
Her expression darkened.
Grabbing Asuka by the arm, she glared at him.
"I asked you to look after my student.
"This is what you call looking after her?"
Asuka glanced at Maki before answering with complete sincerity,
"I fed her, kept her hydrated, and even taught her ninjutsu.
"I've never treated my own students this well. They have to pay for their own meals."
Pakura's eye twitched.
Looking at Maki, who would probably be out of breath after running only a short distance, she felt a headache coming on.
She's so out of shape now that traveling will be difficult.
How is she supposed to carry out missions like this?
Thinking that, she pinched Maki's plump cheeks.
"We'll settle this after I get home."
Then she suddenly remembered something.
Turning back to Asuka, she shot him a fierce glare.
"And you too."
Whoosh!
Pakura vanished in a Body Flicker.
Asuka and Maki exchanged glances.
Then Asuka casually asked,
"Maki... can you beat your teacher?"
Maki shook her head without a moment's hesitation.
"No."
"Sigh..."
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Asuka headed off in the opposite direction.
"I can."
Maki lowered her eyes to the fried chicken in her hands before watching Asuka's retreating back.
For some reason...
The chicken didn't taste nearly as good anymore.
---
Knock. Knock.
Pakura rapped on the office door.
"Come in."
"Kazekage-sama."
Pushing open the door, Pakura stepped into the office.
After greeting Rasa, she walked over to the nearby sofa and let out an exhausted sigh as she sat down.
During the war, she hadn't noticed it.
But once the fighting ended, she realized just how desperately short-handed Sunagakure truly was.
For the past two months, she hadn't had a single day to rest.
She had planned to relax after finally coming home.
Instead, she'd been summoned before she even reached her house.
After finishing the documents on his desk, Rasa looked up and smiled.
"Pakura, you've worked hard."
"Thank you for your concern, Kazekage-sama."
She straightened slightly.
"Is there another mission?"
"Yes."
Rasa nodded.
After searching through a drawer, he took out a scroll and placed it on the desk.
"The negotiations with Kirigakure have concluded.
"The terms they proposed have been discussed and approved by the village leadership."
Pakura frowned.
"What are the conditions?"
Rasa folded his hands together.
"They're largely the same as our treaty with Konoha.
"A cessation of hostilities, reparations, and military assistance under specific circumstances."
The moment she heard the word reparations, Pakura's expression darkened.
Pay.
Pay.
Pay again.
At this rate, Sunagakure might as well disband itself.
"Oh, right."
Rasa tossed the mission scroll toward her.
"We now need an envoy to travel to Kirigakure.
"The villagers don't yet know we're negotiating peace, and the leadership fears unrest if the news spreads too soon.
"So this mission is top secret.
"You'll be going alone."
"I understand."
Pakura stood, expressionlessly accepted the scroll, bade farewell to Rasa, and left the Kazekage's office without another word.
If she had a choice...
She would never accept a mission related to a ceasefire treaty.
Not only was it humiliating, it also damaged the village's prestige.
And once the Daimyō learned that Sunagakure had signed yet another humiliating agreement...
Their already meager budget would probably be cut even further.
A vicious cycle.
---
At the same time...
Asuka hurried back to Pakura's house and immediately began cleaning.
He had been living there for the past two months.
The house itself was spotless.
The cat hair...
Not so much.
Rustle.
Hearing movement on the windowsill, Asuka continued sweeping without even looking up.
"Fatty, how about I just shave you bald?"
The orange cat, having just returned from Konoha, froze.
It stared at him in disbelief before exploding in outrage.
"Bastard!
"How is that any different from stripping someone naked in the middle of the street?"
"I'll sew you a couple of outfits afterward."
"Pah! Who'd wear clothes made by someone whose only sewing experience is making underwear?"
Leaping onto the freshly cleaned table, it untied the secret message strapped to its back and tossed it toward Asuka.
"Your superior assigned you another mission."
"What mission?"
"Her husband has gone missing.
"She wants you to head to the Land of Water and see if you can find him."
Asuka set down the broom, puzzled.
"Why not send Konoha shinobi?"
"When people panic, they stop thinking straight."
The orange cat stretched lazily.
"The village already sent people.
"But the more hands searching, the better the chances.
"Since your mission here is basically finished, she figured you could treat it as a vacation."
Asuka picked up the mission scroll and quickly read through it.
A moment later, he looked toward the Land of Water with a strange expression.
"Is Sarutobi Shinnosuke really that unlucky?
"How did an assassination mission end up like this?"
"It wasn't entirely his fault."
Ben Miao suddenly leaned in close and whispered excitedly into Asuka's ear.
"Apparently, before Shinnosuke could make his move, he was accidentally exposed by a Sunagakure shinobi.
"He considered them allies, so he didn't attack.
"Then later, after Sunagakure and Kirigakure started negotiating peace...
"That same Sunagakure shinobi got drunk one night...
"...and reported him."
"And from that moment on...
"Shinnosuke's luck completely ran out."
Asuka silently gazed out the window at the bustling street.
The people of Sunagakure...
Really did betray others with astonishing efficiency.
It hadn't even been three months since signing peace with Konoha, yet they'd already sold out one of Konoha's shinobi.
Compared to them...
Even the people of Kusagakure seemed almost honorable.
Still...
The repeated use of the word apparently meant there was no concrete evidence.
To preserve relations with Sunagakure, Konoha would most likely let the matter drop.
"Tsk... tsk..."
Hearing the cat clicking its tongue, Asuka bent down, picked up the broom again, and resumed sweeping.
"You're back."
Pakura nodded.
Her eyes immediately fell on the pile of orange fur scattered across the floor.
Picking Ben Miao up from Asuka's shoulder, she absentmindedly began stroking its fur.
"So... when are you leaving Sunagakure?"
"In another day or two, probably."
Ignoring Ben Miao's pleading look, Asuka studied the exhaustion on Pakura's face before teasing,
"What?
"Thinking of escorting me all the way back to Konoha?"
Pakura curled her lip and sank into the sofa.
"Not a chance.
"I've already been assigned another mission.
"I only have one day off, and I plan to spend every minute of it lying around at home."
"Another mission?"
Asuka looked at her sympathetically.
Sunagakure really did work its shinobi to the bone.
She had just returned from a two-month mission, had only a single day to rest, and would be leaving again immediately afterward.
"Where are you headed this time?"
Pakura leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.
"That's classified.
"We're only temporary allies.
"We're not close enough to share mission details."
"Aren't we friends?"
The word friends made Pakura pause.
She looked him over from head to toe before letting out a quiet snort.
"Friends have secrets too.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
Seeing Asuka unexpectedly fall silent, she realized her words might have come across a little too harshly.
After gathering her thoughts, she added,
"Our positions are different.
"Something I say without thinking could cost the village dearly...
"...or even bring disaster upon it."
"That's true."
Asuka nodded.
As he absentmindedly scratched Ben Miao behind the ears, he suddenly asked,
"Pakura...
"Have you ever thought about your future?"
"My future?"
She shrugged.
"It'll probably be the same as always.
"I'll complete missions.
"Train the next generation.
"And one day...
"I'll die on the battlefield."
She turned to look at him.
"What about you?"
"Me..."
Asuka leaned back into the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
From childhood until now...
His goal had never really changed.
Survive.
Then, someday...
Find a girlfriend.
Get married.
Have children.
His gaze slowly drifted toward Pakura.
She had started yawning again, her eyelids gradually drooping.
A strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Should I rehearse first...
...then confess before leaving Sunagakure?
After hesitating for several long seconds, he looked at Pakura, who seemed to be drifting off.
His lips moved soundlessly.
"Pakura... I like you."
Pakura had only been pretending to sleep.
She had merely wanted to rest her eyes while talking with him.
Through the narrow slit of her eyelids, however, she clearly saw his tightly pressed lips part and move...
...forming one sentence that left her completely stunned.
Did he seriously think no one could read lips?
Silence settled over the room.
Just as Asuka was about to silently practice the words again, Pakura slowly raised her head.
Her brows were tightly knit.
She stared straight into his eyes.
"Is that..."
Her voice was as cold as ice.
"...how you treat your friends?"
"...?"
Asuka froze.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
She wasn't asleep?
"...Well..."
He raised a finger with complete seriousness.
"Actually...
"You're my only female friend."
Pakura's raised hand stopped in midair.
She looked into his ink-black eyes.
They were so clear that she could see her own reflection in them.
The words Then we can't be friends anymore rose to her lips...
Only for her to swallow them again.
He...
Didn't seem to be lying.
No.
Even if he wasn't...
What did that have to do with her?
They weren't even from the same village.
After a long silence, she gently placed Ben Miao into Asuka's arms without meeting his gaze.
"For the next two days...
"Stay at an inn."
"...Uh..."
Before he could say another word, Pakura pushed him out the front door.
Bang!
Standing before the firmly shut door, Asuka looked down at Ben Miao.
"...Do you think I blew it?"
"Completely."
The orange cat licked its ruffled fur with an irritated expression.
"You never stood a chance with that woman."
It paused before adding resentfully,
"And I don't like her.
"She kept petting my fur the wrong way."
Creak—
The door suddenly opened again.
Without saying a word, Pakura stepped outside, grabbed Ben Miao by the scruff of its neck, and carried it back inside.
Bang!
Leaning against the closed door, Pakura narrowed her eyes at the cat.
Her icy voice made every strand of its fur stand on end.
"Actually...
"I know perfectly well how to pet a cat."
"...Uh..."
Ben Miao hesitated.
Looking at her expressionless face, it carefully replied,
"Lots of people have petted my fur the wrong way before...
"...but none of them felt as comfortable as you."
Pakura simply nodded.
"Gulp..."
The cat swallowed nervously.
After silently counting to several seconds, its whiskers twitched.
If Uchiha Asuka were planning to save me, he would've done it by now.
With that thought, it squeezed its head past Pakura's arm, looked toward the closed door, and screamed at the top of its lungs,
"Damn you, Uchiha!
"Your entire clan is full of scoundrels!
"I must've been out of my mind to let a few cans of food win me over!"
---
Outside...
Asuka scratched his ear.
Looking up at the drifting white clouds, he thought to himself,
Did Pakura's breathing speed up just now...?
---
The next morning.
After washing up, Asuka bought a bag of steamed buns and headed for Pakura's house.
He planned to retrieve his summoning partner...
And, if possible, find a subtle way to warn Pakura about the disaster awaiting her.
Unfortunately...
Too much time had passed since his transmigration.
He could no longer remember exactly when Sunagakure betrayed Pakura.
How was he supposed to warn her without arousing suspicion?
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
After knocking for quite some time without getting an answer, Asuka took out his key.
Just as he was about to unlock the door...
A sleepy cat's head poked out from the second-floor window.
"Bastard!
"Can you stop making so much noise?
"People are trying to sleep!
"Pakura left last night."
Looking up at the half-asleep Ben Miao, Asuka rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Fatty...
"You've still got all your limbs, right?"
The question instantly brought back memories of the torture it had endured throughout the night.
Its face filled with grief and righteous indignation.
Glaring down at Asuka, it leaped straight from the second floor.
Flailing all four paws wildly at his face, it roared,
"Damn you, Uchiha!
"Let's die together!"