Being betrayed… is something that's hard to bear.
Especially when it comes from someone you trust.
After crying herself out, Pakura fell asleep lying against Kiyosuke's chest. He gently laid her on the bed and tucked her in.
Such was the life of a ninja—tools to be used and discarded. If not for him, Hizashi would've been sacrificed by his village too. Pakura was just lucky enough to have run into him on that particular night.
Kiyosuke lay down on the small bed next to hers. The next morning, when Pakura woke up, he was sitting nearby munching on dried fish. Honestly, these snacks weren't half bad.
"You're awake?"
He looked over and asked,
"Feeling any better?"
"A little."
Pakura's face was pale as she said,
"I'm starving."
"I had them prepare breakfast for you."
He turned and left the room. A little while later, he returned carrying a bowl of porridge.
"This is all we have for now. And with your current condition, you shouldn't be eating anything heavy anyway."
Pakura took the bowl and started gulping it down. One bowl later, some color had returned to her face, though she still looked deathly pale.
Kiyosuke set the bowl aside.
"So, what mission did the Fourth Kazekage give you?"
Pakura had considered keeping it a secret, thinking it was a classified mission—but then again, the village had treated her like a disposable pawn. What was the point in hiding it?
"The village wanted to ally with Kirigakure and launch a pincer attack on the Land of Fire. If the Land of Fire focused on one side, the other would use the opportunity to strike."
A classic "rescue the besieged ally" strategy—force the enemy to split their attention.
Kiyosuke couldn't help but laugh.
"And you believed that? Haven't you seen how Konoha handles multi-front battles? One village going up against four others—do you really think just two villages could corner them?"
Pakura opened her mouth but didn't reply. Suddenly, she realized something was off. The reasoning behind the Fourth Kazekage's mission didn't hold up.
She reached for her ninja tool pouch and pulled out a scroll.
Unsealing it, she unrolled the contents—and her whole body trembled with rage.
Kiyosuke leaned over to take a look.
"Wow," he muttered. The scroll was packed with detailed transaction terms.
Pakura's Scorch Release was to be sold to Kirigakure for research. In exchange, they would pay Sunagakure a hefty sum.
"So they really just sold you off. Sunagakure's even worse than Konoha," Kiyosuke said with a scoff.
"They must be desperate for money, huh? Selling off their own kekkei genkai ninja. Rasa really shot himself in the foot with this one."
Even Chiyo wouldn't have gone that far.
"Rasa… that bastard!!!"
Pakura hurled the scroll across the room in fury.
Kiyosuke picked it up and chuckled.
"… seriously? They had you carry the contract with you? I guess no one expected the 'merchandise' to be carrying the receipt. Ninjas… follow the rules too blindly and you get burned."
Ninjas were trained to execute missions without questioning their contents—especially escort missions like this one.
That's why the Fourth Kazekage had felt no hesitation handing the contract to Pakura herself. She was just cargo. Who would ever think the cargo would read the invoice?
"They turned me into a hero of Sunagakure… then sold me off like a product! Rasa! Damn you!"
Pakura coughed violently, then spat out a mouthful of blood.
It was pitch black, reeking of rot and iron.
Kiyosuke handed her a glass of water.
"Your body still needs rest. So? Want to come with me to Konoha?"
To Konoha?
Pakura gave him a mocking smile.
"What, you want to study the secrets of my Scorch Release too?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If I wanted to dissect you, you'd be on an operating table, not a bed."
Kiyosuke rolled his eyes.
"You're just too pretty to die. That's all."
Pakura smiled at that.
"So you like this body? Fine. Help me kill Rasa, and it's yours to do with as you please."
She looked straight at him.
"Asakawa, I know you can do it. You're the hero who ended the Third Great War. The man who went one-on-one against the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee. If anyone can kill Rasa, it's you. Just do that for me, and this body is yours."
Whoa.
This woman might already be broken.
Twisted by the betrayal of her village?
Kiyosuke glanced at her figure—honestly even better than Terumī Mei's—and let his imagination run a little wild. Then he coughed awkwardly.
"Nope. As much as I'm tempted, I'll pass."
Pakura wasn't deterred.
"I have the Scorch Release kekkei genkai. If we had a child together, they'd be unbelievably strong. With your bloodline and mine, they'd be unmatched in the ninja world. Don't you want that?"
"Nope."
He shook his head.
"There's a girl in Kirigakure with two kekkei genkai. If I were after strong kids, I'd have kidnapped her for Konoha long ago."
He sighed and looked at her.
"Don't be like this, Pakura. The you I know isn't someone who'd sell herself for revenge. Don't let hatred blind you."
Pakura shouted,
"You're not the one who was betrayed! What the hell do you know?! If I had your power, I'd have stormed Sunagakure already! You don't understand a damn thing! Asakawa, you were a perv even at ten years old—why are you chickening out now?!"
You wanted to date me back then, and now you're backing off?
Kiyosuke coughed again.
"I was joking back then, alright? You were flat as a board—like Konoha's village square. I wasn't interested. It was just a joke. I get that you're angry, and I understand why. But if I killed Rasa just to get your body—would you really want to stay with a guy like that?"
He looked her in the eyes.
"Wouldn't that kind of man just disgust you?"
"So what?! As long as you kill him! If it's you, I'm willing!"
Pakura stared at him fiercely.
"Asakawa, you're a shallow, flirtatious man. But you're a good man too."
"Ah… well…"
Dang. Being complimented by a pretty girl felt nice.
No! Focus!
"Pakura, calm down! Please!"
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was weak-willed to begin with, and she was seriously throwing him off balance.
"I am calm."
She moved a little too suddenly, pulling at her wounds. The pain made her wince.
"Sorry," Kiyosuke said.
"My medical ninjutsu isn't great. I stopped the bleeding, but I had to stitch some parts up. You'll have scars… you probably won't be able to wear clothes like that anymore."
Pakura was silent for a moment, then smiled.
"Then I just won't wear things like this. If Wind Country weren't so damn hot, I wouldn't have worn it in the first place. Do you like it?"
No, I like it even better backwards!
Of course, there was no way he could say that out loud. Kiyosuke stiffened his expression.
"I like black stockings."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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