The ninja blades had pierced straight through Pakura's chest, yet the blood at the wounds clotted on its own and stopped flowing.
Pakura was shocked to discover that the wounds were wounds, her limbs were her limbs, and the two no longer affected each other.
Even carrying that many fatal injuries, she could still gather chakra freely and move her arms without issue.
A Scorch Release orb appeared in each of her palms, and both fireballs shot toward the Mist ninja.
"A monster! She's a monster!"
Channeling Wind Release chakra, Pakura shook off the kunai embedded all across her back. Then, under the horrified gazes of the Mist ninja, she pulled out the two swords that had skewered her body.
She first grabbed the tips of the blades, pushed them farther through herself, then drew them out from her shoulders.
The sight was beyond human.
Fear and dread spread through the Mist ranks.
Pakura leaped onto the cliff wall and began hunting them down.
Some Mist ninja, spurred on by adrenaline, charged straight at her. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing—sometimes it could grant a person tremendous courage.
Others turned and ran.
After landing atop the cliff, Pakura swung her hand. Four Scorch Release orbs converged, their chakra turning violently unstable. The blazing sphere shot forward, then exploded with a roar.
In an instant, everything within dozens of meters ahead of her was scorched. Living trees became withered branches, and the ground looked as though it had been raked by fire.
The dense fog for hundreds of meters around her was instantly vaporized.
The Mist ninja nearest to her were swallowed by the scorching heat wave, their bodies charred black.
A few minutes later, the last Mist ninja fell.
Exhaustion hit her all at once, and Pakura collapsed.
She forced herself to crawl behind a rock and hide.
Raising a hand, she touched the wound in her throat. It was healing slowly.
She wanted to stay conscious. For someone gravely wounded, losing consciousness usually meant death.
But then she remembered—she had an undying body now. Even if she fainted, she would not die.
And so she fell into a deep sleep.
***
Ten days later.
Inside an empty warehouse in a port town north of the Land of Waves, Ōnoki and the Third Raikage sat behind a long table at the center of the room.
The iron door screeched open.
Kirigakure elder Gensui entered the warehouse with Yagura Karatachi at his side.
Gensui frowned as he looked at Ōnoki and the Raikage.
Who would have thought that one calculating schemer and one muscle-brained brute could sit together so harmoniously?
Ōnoki spoke first. "Please, have a seat, Elder Gensui."
"Don't be so polite, Tsuchikage. It only makes me more uneasy."
Ōnoki laughed loudly several times before saying, "Is my usual impression of you really that terrible? Am I not allowed to be polite?"
Gensui did not answer. He simply sat down across from them.
Ōnoki said, "Elder Gensui, three of Kirigakure's great clan heads—the Hōzuki, Kaguya, and Terumi clan leaders—were all killed by Konoha's Fox.
You must have a very clear understanding of Konoha's strength.
We invited you here today to ask Kirigakure to join the anti-Konoha alliance."
"The anti-Konoha alliance?" Gensui said. "I have no interest in such a thing.
The Land of Water and Kirigakure stand isolated overseas. Can Konoha really send an expeditionary army across the sea to attack us?
In every great shinobi war, we were the ones invading the continental coasts. No one has ever fought their way into the Land of Water and Kirigakure."
Hearing Gensui refuse, Ōnoki did not grow anxious. He calmly continued trying to persuade him.
"Konoha's First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, captured all the Tailed Beasts in the shinobi world and then redistributed them to the other villages.
How ridiculous is that?
The Four-Tails was originally in the Land of Earth. It was ours by rights.
The Three-Tails was originally in the Land of Water. It belonged to Kirigakure.
Elder Gensui, you're not young anymore. Have you forgotten Senju Hashirama coming to the Land of Water to seize the Three-Tails?
If we do not unite now against Fox, then Fox will become the next Senju Hashirama.
Hashirama was one thing—he had a powerful moral compass and unwavering convictions.
But can you guarantee that if Fox captures your Three-Tails, he'll hand it back to Kirigakure afterward?
I imagine you know a thing or two about Konoha's ANBU commander. You know how Fox does things."
Gensui remembered the deaths of clan heads like Hōzuki Miyatsuki.
Just to please Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Fox had deliberately created a patch of dry ground in the middle of the sea.
He had used Wood Release to hem in Hōzuki Miyatsuki and the others, then invited Sarutobi Shinnosuke to kill several clan heads with Five Elements Great Barrage.
Despicable.
Utterly despicable.
At that moment, the Raikage finally spoke.
"My most loyal subordinate, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki Ryuuren, was killed by Konoha's Fox using Wood Release.
Wood Release is naturally suited for dealing with Tailed Beasts. If Fox gets a taste for it and starts collecting the Tailed Beasts of every village, where exactly do you think you can hide your Jinchūriki?
Senju Hashirama went to the Land of Water to seize the Three-Tails, and to the Land of Waves to seize the Six-Tails. Why couldn't Konoha's Fox simply follow the same example and do it all over again?"
Gensui was startled. The Third Raikage had spoken to him with such patience and at such length—it was extremely rare for the Raikage.
Gensui was beginning to waver.
Perhaps there really was a need to join the anti-Konoha alliance.
Ōnoki immediately pressed the advantage.
"We've already convinced Rasa of Sunagakure to join the anti-Konoha alliance.
Soon, he'll show his sincerity.
Rasa wrote to me and said he would hand over Pakura, the very hero who just defended Sabaku Port, to you.
Before we move against Konoha, the four great villages must not descend into internal conflict. Don't you agree, Elder Gensui?"
When Rasa had sent Pakura alone to exchange the peace agreement, Gensui had not understood why.
Now he did.
Rasa hadn't lost his mind—he wanted to join the alliance of Ōnoki and the Raikage.
In that case, everything made sense.
Fortunately, Gensui had decided to take a chance and sent people to kill Pakura anyway.
Now it seemed his gamble had paid off.
Just then, the iron warehouse door screeched open once more.
A Mist ninja hurried over to Gensui's side and bent down to whisper something in his ear.
Gensui's expression changed. His face darkened.
Ōnoki and the Raikage exchanged a glance, unsure what new complication had arisen.
"Rasa's sincerity? Hah. You've both been fooled by that boy. Rasa has no sincerity at all," Gensui said.
"He said he was giving Pakura's life to Kirigakure, and yet Pakura turned around and slaughtered an entire Mist platoon.
This anti-Konoha alliance of yours seems to include someone who doesn't want to join."
Ōnoki thought only briefly before answering at once, "No.
It's not that Rasa doesn't want to join. It's that your Mist ninja are too weak.
You must have ambushed Pakura during the agreement exchange, yes?
Even after a successful ambush, you still let Pakura wipe you out. That can't be blamed on Rasa.
Admit it, Gensui. Your Mist ninja are too weak.
If you don't join the anti-Konoha alliance, and Konoha's Fox comes to Kirigakure to seize your Tailed Beast, then with strength like this, what exactly do you plan to use to stop him?"
Gensui's expression stiffened.
Behind him, Yagura Karatachi felt his face burn with humiliation.
Ōnoki was still the same Ōnoki. Whenever he seemed reasonable, it was only because he wanted something. His true self was always this difficult to deal with.
After weighing the situation, Gensui said, "Fine. I agree to join the anti-Konoha alliance.
Let me also introduce the one behind me—Yagura Karatachi. He will soon become the Fourth Mizukage."
Both Ōnoki and the Raikage turned to look at the baby-faced young man standing behind Gensui.
They had already gathered intelligence on him. Gensui valued this youth greatly.
Yagura Karatachi had very few recorded appearances in battle, so no one knew the limits of his strength. The only thing known for certain was that he had learned Gensui's secret technique, Water Mirror Technique.
Gensui continued, "If Kirigakure is joining the anti-Konoha alliance, then let Yagura serve as the Mist side's overall commander.
Now that we are allies, I hope the two of you will show some care toward Kirigakure's younger generation."
Ōnoki nodded repeatedly.
"The younger generation is stepping onto the grand stage one after another. It's enough to warm an old man's heart.
Though it would warm it even more if we could kill off all of Konoha's younger generation."