When Orochimaru heard Shindai say that he already had the idea of making a concession, he truly felt that Shindai understood him very well.
What Orochimaru said this time was also from the heart; he genuinely wanted to take Shindai as his disciple.
Because Shindai was slick and resourceful, Orochimaru wouldn't need to worry about troublesome trivial matters; Shindai could handle them for him, and he could just focus on his research.
Shindai grumbled, "Lord Orochimaru, aren't you just treating me like a tool? Lord Orochimaru should agree, right? Then, Lord Orochimaru, will you go talk to Sister Yakushi Nonou about this?"
Orochimaru glanced at Yakushi Nono, who was still treating the injured, and said to Shindai, "You go talk to Nonoyu about this. As for me, I still need to return to Konoha and discuss it with Hiruzen Sarutobi before I can make a decision."
Everything depended on his discussion with Hiruzen Sarutobi; only if Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed could Orochimaru make a decision.
Otherwise, for the sake of his research, he would remain a member of Root.
Just as Shindai was about to say something, a 'beep-beep' sound suddenly came from his Ninja tool pouch.
Shindai's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly took out the small screen from his Ninja tool pouch to look at it.
Sure enough, Pakura was moving!
"It seems it's time to depart," Orochimaru said, looking at Shindai's drastically changed expression, guessing that Shindai's fiancée, Pakura, must have already taken action. He then found a man with a pineapple-shaped haircut and said, "Masaki, the Jonin sent by the Stone Village haven't made any progress, so they shouldn't act rashly in the short term. I'll be leaving for a while; you will take over command and deployment."
The man Orochimaru called Masaki was from the Nara clan.
The Ninja of the Nara clan were known for their intelligence, so many strategies in war came from members of the Nara clan.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
Shindai immediately used Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wings to fly up.
Shindai looked down at Orochimaru and said, "Lord Orochimaru, I'll take you with my Sand Iron Wings!"
"No need, just fly towards the destination; I can keep up."
"Alright."
Shindai's heart was now a mix of worry, fear, joy, and excitement; it was quite complex.
Shindai's Sand Iron Wings flapped rapidly, speeding forward... Rasa finally couldn't hold back any longer, mainly because he was on the verge of collapsing.
The pressure from the Daimyo was too great because the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations were discussing ending the war, and the Hidden Mist Village seemed determined to fight to the death with the Hidden Sand Village. So, the Daimyo kept urging him to quickly resolve the dispute with the Hidden Mist Village, reach a settlement with them, and thus bring about the end of this Ninja Great War.
Rasa gathered Ebizo and other high-ranking officials to discuss how to reconcile with the Hidden Mist Village.
Chiyo hadn't come; she was at home feeling dejected.
However, after discussing for a long time, they couldn't come up with a solution, and even Ebizo, the Hidden Sand Village's most brilliant strategist, couldn't think of a good plan.
Because of the Bloody Mist policy, the Hidden Mist Village was very belligerent, making reconciliation through normal means very difficult.
Rasa then proposed using Pakura as a bargaining chip for reconciliation with the Hidden Mist Village, because Pakura had been the most ruthless in killing Hidden Mist Ninja.
Therefore, the person the Hidden Mist Village hated the most was Pakura.
Initially, Rasa's proposal was met with opposition. After all, Pakura had rendered great service to the Hidden Sand Village, was called a hero within the Hidden Sand Village, and was also one of the few powerful individuals in the Hidden Sand Village, belonging to the first tier of strong people.
Giving up Pakura like this would be too much of a loss.
However, Rasa argued that it was imperative to reach a reconciliation with the Hidden Mist Village immediately, that it was a matter of utmost urgency, and that sacrificing one person for peace was well worth it. He used this as an excuse to persuade everyone present to agree to use Pakura as a sacrifice to achieve reconciliation with the Hidden Mist Village.
The Hidden Mist Village also agreed to the Hidden Sand Village using Pakura as a bargaining chip for reconciliation.
After receiving the Hidden Mist Village's agreement, Rasa immediately summoned Pakura. Under the pretext of a confidential mission, he instructed Pakura to act as an envoy to the Hidden Mist Village to deliver a very important scroll, specifically telling her to leave the Hidden Sand Village quietly.
As a Ninja, Pakura naturally wouldn't refuse the mission. She took the scroll and left the Hidden Sand Village.
Just after leaving the Hidden Sand Village, Pakura remembered the small note Shindai had given her. Rasa had told her that when she was on a solo mission, she must press the red button on the small box.
So, Pakura took out the small box from her Ninja tool pouch, pressed the red button, and then continued her journey to the Hidden Mist Village.
Shindai desperately squeezed the Chakra in his body, rushing in Pakura's direction.
Having pushed his Chakra almost to its limit, Shindai had to rest for a while to refine some Chakra.
Shindai took out the screen and glanced at it: "This direction... is it really the Hidden Mist Village?!"
Shindai estimated that by the time Pakura arrived at the Hidden Mist Village, he might still be on the way.
"No, I need to go faster!"
Shindai swallowed two Military Rations Pills, refined some Chakra, and then continued to use Sand Iron Wings to travel.
Three days later.
Pakura entered the Tea Country by water, then entered the Land of Water's territory by water again, heading towards the Hidden Mist Village.
Walking alone, Pakura felt something was amiss.
The source of this unease came from Shindai's small note.
Shindai seemed to have known all along that Rasa would give her a solo mission.
And Shindai must have thought that this mission would be detrimental to her.
However, thinking about it carefully, it did seem a bit strange.
She had been very ruthless in killing Kirigakure Ninja for military achievements, so Kirigakure Ninja harbored a deep hatred for her. This was almost common knowledge in the Hidden Sand Village, and Rasa couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
As an envoy to deliver a scroll to the Hidden Mist Village, it shouldn't be entrusted to her, someone hated by the Hidden Mist Village, as her presence might seem provocative.
Also, when she accepted the mission, Rasa specifically instructed her to leave the Hidden Sand Village quietly, without letting anyone else discover her departure.
Pakura's brow furrowed slightly; something was wrong, very wrong.
Was she truly just delivering a scroll? It felt as if there was a conspiracy at play.
The Land of Water, being surrounded by sea, could experience dense fog at any time.
Just like now, Pakura was walking alone in a valley, surrounded by thick fog, with very low visibility.
A Mist Village Ninja appeared ahead, walking towards Pakura.
"Lady Pakura of the Blaze Release, I am here to welcome you. It is an honor to meet you."
The Mist Village Ninja stopped in front of Pakura and said with a smile, "After all, the fog is very thick, so you will surely need a guide."
Pakura's guard went up: "Thank you for your trouble, but it's just passing through a valley; I can't get lost."
The Mist Village Ninja scratched his head sheepishly: "Hmm, you're right. Please, allow me to guide you to the Hidden Mist Village from now on, as the path ahead is quite complicated and it's easy to get lost."
The Kirigakure Ninja stepped aside, inviting Pakura to walk ahead.
As Pakura walked forward, she secretly fumbled inside her Ninja tool pouch.
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