Pakura left Shapo Port by ship, disembarking at a small port in the Land of Whirlpools.
Carrying the peace agreement, she cautiously walked along the coastline of the Land of Whirlpools.
Near her destination, she left the coast and ventured inland.
The Land of Whirlpools was a long, narrow peninsula nation surrounded by sea on three sides. At night, the water vapor was exceptionally dense.
Her destination was a canyon. High cliffs rose on both sides, confining the water vapor and reducing visibility even further.
Anything related to Kiri-nin, and water vapor signed ill omen. Unease grew in Pakura's heart.
She truly hoped to smoothly exchange the peace agreement and end the conflict with Kirigakure. That way, she could do what she wanted: teach little Matsuri, and also... Pakura bit her lip. She had seen Kōji again. That man was still so mysterious. He had just kissed her and then vanished. He even bit her lip... such an enigmatic person.
Thinking back to her encounter with that man at the Crescent Moon Oasis during the Second Great Ninja War, it was all shrouded in mystery now.
Lost in her thoughts, Pakura saw three dark figures appearing in the thick fog.
"Suna-nin, did you bring the peace agreement?"
Pakura took the scroll from her ninja tool pouch. "Advisor Rasa ordered me to exchange the peace agreement with you."
The Kiri-nin said, "Good. At least you show some sincerity, sending you alone with the agreement. The battle at Shapo Port was a draw. If it weren't for a mysterious person intervening, Shapo Port would already belong to Kirigakure. Now, let's exchange the agreement."
Pakura thought the mysterious person the Kiri-nin mentioned must be Kōji. Kōji's strength was truly formidable, repelling the Kiri-nin using only ordinary Taijutsu or Body Flicker Technique.
Pakura raised the scroll, offering it to the Kiri-nin. The Kiri-nin also held a scroll, extending it towards Pakura.
However, the Kiri-nin suddenly accelerated, thrusting the scroll towards Pakura! A steel needle shot out from the scroll's wooden handle!
Pakura never expected the Kiri-nin to attack her. The steel needle pierced her abdomen. She was greatly startled and was about to react when numerous traps around her were triggered.
Kunai, shuriken, countless weapons flew towards Pakura.
Pakura broke free from the Kiri-nin and jumped, but it was already too late.
She dodged a few kunai mid-air before being hit by a relentless barrage of follow-up attacks.
A few dozen seconds later, Pakura fell to the ground.
She hadn't even had time to release her Scorch Release before being ambushed and killed by the Kiri-nin.
"What a pity. Such a beautiful back, now pierced by over twenty kunai."
"Not just her back, look at her neck, so long, so fair, so beautiful. A pity it's also pierced by several kunai."
"Sunagakure doesn't cherish such a beautiful woman, sending her to her death."
"I heard Lord Genji left the village for the Land of Waves to meet some important figure."
"Yes, Lord Genji instructed us to inform him of the result here immediately."
The Kiri-nin chatted, unaware that Pakura, lying on the ground, her pupils were trembling violently.
On the verge of certain death, her consciousness faded, arriving in a strange space.
Before she were three deity statues reaching hundreds of meters into the sky.
On the left ground drifted a thick layer of gray mist.
On the right ground was a pool of viscous blood.
"Come closer, Pakura..."
This voice was so familiar!
Pakura looked forward. At the feet of the central deity statue was a man-shaped blood shadow!
She walked forward, her left foot stepping into the gray mist, her right foot stepping into the blood pool.
The gray mist under her left foot was icy cold; the blood pool under her right foot was warm.
"Kōji, is that you?"
Pakura stared intently at the crimson silhouette of the human figure.
"It's me," Fox said. "Just as I expected, Pakura, you still died by Rasa's scheme."
A wave of desolation welled up from Pakura's heart.
Over these years, she had studied desperately, trained desperately, carried out missions desperately for the village, seeing the village as her everything.
Yet, the village's high-ranking official, Rasa, had actually sold her to Kirigakure.
She murmured in despair and pain, "Why, Kōji? Why is it like this..."
Fox said, "Because Sunagakure wants to reconcile with Kirigakure and jointly join the Anti-Konoha Alliance. Rasa believes that joining the Anti-Konoha Alliance will make Sunagakure great again, helping it through the low period after the Kazekage's disappearance. Offering a powerful Kekkei Genkai user like you as a gift of sincerity, Kirigakure would certainly recognize Sunagakure's good faith and not escalate the conflict. And you became a political sacrifice."
The alliance of four ninja villages was a major move, impossible to keep absolutely hidden.
The spy network managed by Yakushi Nonō had already informed him of the unusual movements in these villages. Yakushi Nonō herself had returned to the field and was now gathering intelligence in Kumogakure.
What Fox needed to do was start with Sunagakure to weaken and dismantle this alliance.
Pakura didn't know the secrets of Sunagakure's high command. She never imagined the truth would be so cruel—she was Rasa's gift of sincerity to Kirigakure for their alliance.
"Kōji, is this hell? Do souls come here after death?"
"This is not hell. This is the Three Gods Temple Hall. The Vidyārāja, the Shinigami, and the Evil God jointly built this temple hall. This is a forbidden zone for the living, the destination of wandering souls. Pray piously to the Three Gods, and they will grant you the power of immortality. On behalf of the Three Gods, I welcome you into the Three Gods Religion. Sunagakure and the Land of Wind have already abandoned you. From now on, those are your past. Fulfill the Three Gods' instructions, and you too will be a member of the Calamity Organization."
"Calamity Organization?"
It was the first time Pakura heard this name. This Calamity Organization sounded powerful, actually related to the Three Gods and immortality.
"Yes, the Calamity Organization," Fox said. "I am the leader of the Calamity Organization. You may address me as 'Thunder.' You are 'Fire' of the Calamity Organization. Thunder, Fire, Wind, Blade, Pestilence, Famine—the Calamity Organization will have six members in total. Anti-Konoha Alliance. Sunagakure standing against Konoha will only lead to destruction. Second, cooperate with Pestilence to spread the faith of the Three Gods Religion."
Pakura nodded, memorizing the two tasks.
Fox continued, "Pakura, use your immortality to return to the real world and kill those Kiri-nin who attacked you."
"Alright." Pakura asked, "Kōji...Thunder, will I see you again?"
"Of course," Fox said. "The first shrine of the Three Gods Religion has appeared in Shapo Port. After returning to Shapo Port, pray to the Three Gods, and I will naturally appear before you."
Pakura saw Thunder's blood shadow gradually fade and vanish.
Simultaneously, the gray mist beneath her left foot and the blood plasma beneath her right foot surged towards her.
Suppressing the urge to flee, Pakura allowed her soul to be submerged by the gray mist and blood plasma.
Kōji wouldn't harm me...
In the real world, Pakura's pupils suddenly lit up.
She had actually come back to life!
The Three Gods could actually transcend death! Even with dozens of kunai in her back, even with kunai in her throat, she was not dead.
The pain—though not dead, the pain from the wounds was real.
Pakura slowly rose from the ground.
On the canyon walls, the Kiri-nin, seeing Pakura stand up, were stunned, mouths agape.
Two Kiri-nin, seeing this, jumped down from left and right.
One ninjato entered Pakura's left shoulder, piercing through her chest and exiting from her right abdomen.
Another ninjato entered her right shoulder, piercing through her chest and exiting from her left abdomen.
All the Kiri-nin thought, With two more blows, she's undoubtedly dead.
However!
Pakura raised her hands!
Two blazing Scorch Release fireballs were suddenly pressed onto the heads of the two Kiri-nin!
The Kiri-nin's heads rapidly shriveled like dried persimmons.
Pakura looked up at the Kiri-nin on the cliff walls, thinking her immortality was a secret that must not be known by anyone.
Therefore, leave no witnesses...
***
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(End of Chapter)