I will be taking a break for a couple of weeks. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I feel I need some time to refresh myself.
Thank you for all your support. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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In Kumogakure main base
Kumogakure main tent
The eyepatch-wearing Kumogakure shinobi escorted Fuguki through Kumogakure bustling military camp, his heavy footsteps muffled against the damp earth. The atmosphere around the Kumogakure base was tense, filled with the sharp clang of weapons and the distant voices of shinobi preparing for battle.
Without a word, the shinobi pushed aside the flap of a massive command tent and brought Fuguki before the main headquarters of the Kumogakure forces.
The massive tent fell silent as the flap was pulled aside. Standing before Fuguki was the legendary Third Raikage, his towering frame radiating overwhelming pressure like a raging storm. Beside him stood his two sons—Ay, with his fierce glare and imposing presence, and Bee, who was giving him a carefree smile but Fuguki could sense his chakra it was like untamed beast ready to devour him at any moment.
The Third Raikage's cold gray eyes locked onto Fuguki like bolts of lightning striking the earth, heavy with pressure and authority. In that tense silence, the eyepatched shinobi stepped forward without hesitation. Reaching into his flak jacket, he produced Kaito's letter and respectfully handed the scroll to the Raikage.
The Third Raikage accepted the letter with a slow, deliberate motion, his towering presence alone enough to suffocate the atmosphere inside the command tent.
He unfurled the scroll with a sharp flick of his wrist, the crackling parchment echoing through the silent command tent. His cold, battle-hardened eyes narrowed as they moved across the contents of the letter, each word carefully weighed beneath the overwhelming pressure of his presence.
The more the Third Raikage read through the letter, the deeper his frown became. His lone visible eye gradually narrowed, sharp as a blade cutting through the heavy silence inside the command tent.
By the time he reached the final line, an oppressive stillness had fallen over the area.
Slowly lowering the scroll, the Third Raikage lifted his head and locked his cold, steel-gray gaze onto Fuguki once more.
At that moment, a terrifying surge of chakra erupted from his body uncontrollably, crackling violently through the air like a raging storm.
"Answer me this, Fuguki… are these reports truly accurate?" the Third Raikage demanded, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. His cold gray eyes bore into Fuguki with murderous intent as crackling chakra began to surge violently around him.
"If you value your life, then speak nothing but the truth. The moment I sense even the slightest deception from you…" His killing intent exploded through the tent, suffocating the air itself. "I will kill you right here and now."
Fuguki met the Third Raikage's piercing gaze without the slightest trace of fear. Even beneath the crushing pressure radiating from the Raikage, his expression remained calm and unwavering as he answered in a steady voice.
"Kirigakure has no reason to deceive you," he said calmly. "Everything written within that scroll is the absolute truth. If you doubt the capabilities of our intelligence network, then investigate the matter yourself."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"With the skill of Kumogakure's shinobi, I am certain you can verify the legitimacy of that information in no time at all."
The Third Raikage smirked faintly, his piercing eyes settling on Fuguki with the slightest trace of respect hidden within their cold depths.
"Tell your Mizukage this—we will not make our decision until Kumogakure has personally verified the legitimacy of this information. Once our investigation is complete, he will receive our answer."
Fuguki nodded his head respectfully to the Third Raikage and said.
"I understand, Raikage-sama," he said in a steady voice. "I shall take my leave at once and inform Mizukage-sama that Kumogakure will deliver its answer after completing its investigation."
The Third Raikage gave a slow, satisfied nod, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his lips. His piercing gray eyes then shifted toward the eyepatch-wearing Kumogakure shinobi beside him as he spoke in a commanding voice.
"Dodai, escort Fuguki back for now. And send word to the intelligence division immediately—I want every detail in that scroll verified without delay."
After receiving the scroll, Dodai bowed respectfully before the Third Raikage and replied in a solemn voice.
"As you wish Raikage-sama."
In the very next instant, both Fuguki and Dodai vanished in a blur of speed, using Shunshin. Without another word, the two shinobi departed from Kumogakure's main base, disappearing into the distance like fleeting shadows under the clear sky.
The Third Raikage then shifted his piercing gaze toward Ay, his expression stern and commanding as the atmosphere inside the tent grew heavier with pressure.
"Ay," he said in a deep voice that carried unquestionable authority.
"I want you to assemble four scout teams immediately and investigate whether Konohagakure and Sunagakure have established any form of contact with one another."
He paused briefly, his gaze narrowing with intensity.
"This is an S-rank mission. I want only the finest trackers and reconnaissance shinobi Kumogakure has to offer assigned to this operation. Their movements must remain completely undetected. Gather every piece of intelligence possible and report back to me without delay."
Ay's eyes widened slightly upon hearing those words. A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he quickly regained his composure and asked in a deep voice.
"Father… what is going on? Our spies never reported any contact between Konoha and Sunagakure."
The Third Raikage gave a slow nod, his stern expression unwavering as he replied in a deep voice.
"If what the Mizukage says is true…" he continued coldly, "then there are only two possibilities. Our spies have either been killed… or they have been captured."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ay and Bee expression turned grim.
"If Konoha and Sunagakure succeed in forging an alliance, it will place Kumogakure at a severe disadvantage. We cannot allow such a union to come to pass."
Ay and Bee nodded their heads seriously then Ay said to the Third Raikage.
"I understand, Father," his expression turning serious. "I will take my leave now."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ay's figure blurred and vanished from the main tent in an instant. A fierce gust of wind swept through the area as he shunshined away at blinding speed, his expression grim and resolute.
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At the same time
In the outskirts of Kirigakure
In Kensei 's lab
Inside a dimly lit laboratory hidden away from the outside world, Pakura lay suspended within a tall, square glass chamber filled with a strange green solution while naked. The liquid shimmered faintly as it circulated around her motionless form, sealing her away from any external disturbance.
Kensei stood just beyond the glass, his expression sharp and focused. Without looking away, he adjusted his notes and quickly scribbled down observations in his notebook, tracking every fluctuation in the fluid and every subtle change in her condition.
"Fascinating…" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he studied the experiment with unwavering intensity, completely absorbed in the results unfolding before him.
He let out a quiet chuckle, his gaze never leaving Pakura as she floated suspended within the translucent green fluid. The chamber hummed softly with sealing arrays etched into the glass, chakra readings flickering across the seals like faint lightning.
"Incredible…" he muttered under his breath, scribbling another line of notes.
With calm precision, he adjusted the dials of the apparatus beside him, watching as the liquid responded—tiny pulses of chakra rippling through her sealed form. Every reaction, every fluctuation in her energy, was another piece of data to him.
Pakura's condition was not a concern.
Only the results were.
"How interesting…" he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as his eyes lingered on the data before him. "My theory has been confirmed."
He tapped lightly against the scroll, as if sealing the conclusion in his mind.
"Those who inherit a Kekkei Genkai… their very cells are altered. Mutated by their unique chakra signature."
His gaze sharpened, almost gleaming with fascination.
"It isn't just power they're born with… their bodies evolve to withstand it. Their chakra forces their flesh to adapt—so it doesn't destroy them from within."
A slow exhale escaped him, equal parts awe and satisfaction.
"Their bodies aren't chosen by fate… they're rewritten by chakra itself."
"I need to study her chakra in greater depth," he muttered, eyes narrowing with clinical focus, "if I am to uncover the true essence behind her Kekkei Genkai."
Without another glance at the chamber behind him, he turned on his heel and stepped out of the experimentation room. The heavy door slid shut with a dull thud, sealing away the faint hum of containment seals and the green glow of the fluid-filled tank.
His footsteps echoed down the sterile corridor.
There was no hesitation in his stride now—only focus.
"If I'm going to push this further…" he murmured under his breath, eyes narrowing slightly, "…then I need to prepare properly."
He adjusted his gloves, his mind already running through calculations, adjustments, and possible outcomes. Pakura's chakra profile, the instability patterns, the traces of mutation he had observed—all of it replayed in precise detail.
Ahead of him lay another set of tools, another round of refinements.
Soon, the next stage of his experiment will begin.
At that very instant, Pakura's eyes snapped open—burning with a fierce, unyielding rage, as if the very flames of her spirit had awakened alongside her.
'Damn you… Kirigakure scum!' She roared in her head, veins bulging as killing intent erupted around her. 'I'll make you pay… I'll tear your life away piece by piece and end you in the most agonizing way imaginable!'
She forcefully pushed down the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, sealing them behind a hardened will. With sharp focus, she turned her attention inward—analyzing the flow of chakra within her body, searching for any irregularities, any trace of manipulation hidden beneath the surface.
'Good… he underestimated me. My body is slowly building immunity to this poison. I may be low on chakra, but it's still enough… enough for me to escape from here.'
At that instant, the green liquid encasing Pakura's body began to churn violently, bubbles surging to the surface as if the very substance had come alive.
A sharp, piercing alarm echoed through the entire laboratory—warning bells ringing one after another, drowning the sterile silence in chaos.
"TEE!, NEE!, TEE!, NEE!, TEE!, NEE!"
With Kensei
Kensei had been seated in his office, the room quiet except for the faint scratch of his pen against paper.
Then—
A sharp, piercing alarm tore through the silence.
The warning bell.
His head snapped up instantly.
"What…?"
In a blur of motion, he was already at the monitoring screen, eyes narrowing as the live feed loaded. For a brief second, confusion flickered across his face—then it shattered.
Pakura.
She was awake.
His pupils contracted.
"…Impossible."
Without wasting another heartbeat, chakra flared beneath his feet. The floor cracked faintly under the surge as he vanished in a burst of speed.
The air itself seemed to distort as Kensei reappeared in the corridor, already sprinting toward the experiment wing, coat trailing behind him like a shadow.
"Damn that bitch I understimated her…" he muttered under his breath, urgency sharpening every step.
The lab doors came into view ahead.
And he pushed himself faster.
The moment Kensei stepped into his experiment room, a deafening series of explosions erupted from within, the shockwaves tearing through the sealed walls as smoke and shattered glass burst outward in violent succession.
"BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!"
The shockwave erupted like a roaring beast, tearing through the chamber in an instant.
Kensei's body was violently hurled backward, smashing through the air as the force of the explosion swallowed the space he had just occupied. Debris and shattered fragments spun around him like a storm of blades, the impact driving the breath from his lungs.
For a brief moment, everything blurred—light, sound, even thought.
And then he saw her.
Pakura stood amidst the lingering smoke and flickering heat haze, untouched by the chaos she had unleashed. A slow, cruel smirk curled at the edge of her lips, her eyes burning with cold satisfaction as they locked onto his falling form.
"So this is all you amount to," her gaze seemed to say, sharp and merciless.
Kensei crashed toward the ground, the world still trembling from the aftermath of her power, while Pakura's dark smile lingered in the ruined air like a promise of worse to come.
Without a moment of hesitation, an orange-red orb ignited above her palm, swirling violently as if the very flames of the desert had been compressed into a single point of annihilation.
Her gaze sharpened.
Then, with a decisive flick of her wrist, she hurled it forward.
The orb tore through the air in a blazing arc, screaming toward Kensei with relentless intent—carrying nothing but pure, condensed destruction, aimed to erase him from existence once and for all.
"SWISH!"
"Water Style: Violent Wave."
"PPPSSSHHTTT!"
In that instant, a barrage of Water Jutsus tore through the air, surging forward in a relentless wave.
They collided head-on with the blazing, scorching orb, the impact erupting in a violent hiss as steam exploded outward, swallowing the entire experiment room in a thick, blinding fog.
Within moments, visibility vanished—only the sound of boiling vapor and crackling chakra lingered in the suffocating white haze.
Pakura clicked her tongue sharply, a low curse slipping past her lips as her eyes narrowed at the unfolding scene.
"Damn it… reinforcements already? They arrived too fast…" her eyes narrowing as she clicked his tongue again. "I can't drag this out any longer. I'm nowhere near my full strength yet… I need to retreat—now."
With swift precision, she weaved through five hand seals in rapid succession. In an instant, five blazing red-orange orbs ignited into existence above her, radiating searing heat that warped the air around them.
Without hesitation, she thrust her hand upward, and the orbs shot toward the ceiling like meteors—aimed to tear through the roof in a violent burst of fire and light.
"Scorch Release: Scorching Destructive Orbs."
"SWISH!, SWISH!, SWISH!, SWISH!, SWISH!"
"BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!"
"AAGGGGHHHHH!"
Rubble crashed down onto the Kirigakure reinforcement shinobi, burying them beneath shattered stone and dust. Their screams echoed through the collapsing facility as pain and chaos swallowed them.
Pakura didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat.
Before the dust could settle, she vanished out of the lab in a blur of motion, leaving only a fading trace of heat behind her.
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