"Heading to Kirigakure to retrieve classified information, huh?"
The somewhat naïve and straightforward Pakura didn't notice the hatred burning deep in Rasa's eyes as he looked at her.
Although she felt something strange in his tone, she still chose to accept the mission. There was no helping it — for the sake of her village, she had to step up.
And so, Pakura departed from Sunagakure, her destination also being Kirigakure.
...
Three days later — the Land of Water.
Two small boats, arriving from completely different directions, silently docked at a Land of Water port.
As the cabin doors opened, Hoshiyomi and his three Hyūga companions landed almost simultaneously with Pakura.
Neither side hesitated. They quickly concealed their presence and moved toward the direction of Kirigakure.
Looking down at her mission scroll, Pakura muttered,
"The White Mist Valley, huh? What a strange name…"
Meanwhile, on the other side, one of the Hyūga shinobi said to Hoshiyomi,
"Lord Hoshiyomi, according to the reports from our spies within Kirigakure, the best place to conceal ourselves outside the village is the White Mist Valley, about twenty miles out.
It's covered in thick fog all year round, with visibility nearly zero. Other than Kirigakure shinobi who know the paths, no one dares to venture in.
It's the perfect hiding spot. We can stay there to observe Kirigakure's patrol routes and numbers, then plan our infiltration."
Hoshiyomi initially wanted to say there was no need — with him there, he could simply crush through everything head-on.
But after a moment's thought, he decided it was better to prioritize the safety of his team. Since they insisted, he might as well let them hide there.
With that, Hoshiyomi followed them toward the White Mist Valley.
By sheer coincidence, five people — Hoshiyomi's group and Pakura — converged on the same misty valley.
Pakura walked alone through the dense fog, frowning in irritation at the damp air.
As someone skilled in Scorch Release, she absolutely hated this kind of clammy, moisture-heavy environment.
Suppressing her discomfort, she followed her map to the meeting point where she was supposed to rendezvous with the "spy." Crossing her arms, she stood there impatiently, silently hoping that the spy wouldn't keep her waiting too long — otherwise, they'd be in for it.
She had no idea, however, that danger was already creeping silently toward her.
Meanwhile, the three Hyūga shinobi cautiously activated their Byakugan to scan the surroundings. Under the terrifyingly sharp perception of the Byakugan, everything within the fog-shrouded valley was laid bare.
As the group of four proceeded, one of the Hyūga suddenly stopped and said quietly,
"Wait, Lord Hoshiyomi — I see movement up ahead."
At those words, Hoshiyomi and the other two Hyūga immediately focused, Hoshiyomi's hand moving to the hilt of his Mikazuki Munechika blade.
"What's the situation?" he asked.
The Hyūga looked for a moment longer, then frowned.
"Lord Hoshiyomi, something seems off ahead… I can see about eight people ambushing a woman."
"Hm?"
Even Hoshiyomi was surprised by that. He instinctively asked,
"Isn't this supposed to be near Kirigakure's territory? Why would something like that be happening here? Can you make out what they look like?"
The Hyūga shook his head regretfully.
"It's too far away. If we want to get a clear look at their appearance, we'll have to move closer."
Now intrigued, Hoshiyomi smirked. He didn't think eight enemies could pose any threat to the four of them.
So he said simply—
"Then let's go up and see what's really going on."
...
On the other side, just as Pakura was growing impatient, a shadowy figure emerged from the thick fog.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Lady Pakura."
Pakura, who had been on guard at first, relaxed slightly when she saw that the man was smiling and held no visible weapons.
"You're the one delivering the intel, right? Hand it over."
But the man shook his head.
"Lady Pakura, how could we possibly exchange classified information here? If someone ambushed us, neither of us would make it out alive.
Come with me — I'll lead you to a more secure location. Don't worry, in this fog no one can see more than five meters ahead. Everyone relies purely on sensory skills to navigate. You won't be spotted."
Pakura sighed inwardly — What a hassle.
But she agreed that being cautious was better than reckless. With that thought, she didn't press him further and simply said,
"Forget the guiding part. It's just a valley — I'll manage."
As she spoke, she walked past the man, her pale, unguarded back fully exposed to him.
Seeing her step ahead of him, the "spy" licked his lips, his expression turning predatory. Without a sound, he slipped a kunai from his waistband — the blade gleaming faintly in the mist — and lunged to stab it into Pakura's spine.
But before the kunai could strike, another one whistled through the air from within the forest — thunk! — pinning the assassin's wrist.
The sudden sound of slicing wind startled Pakura. She spun around instinctively, just in time to see the man's injured hand clutching a kunai — and another one embedded in it.
Her mind raced — Something's wrong.
Gripping her own kunai, she demanded,
"What were you just trying to do? And who's out there? Show yourself!"
The Kirigakure assassin's face twisted into a vicious grin. He suddenly lunged forward, impaling himself on Pakura's blade while shouting with his dying breath,
"Don't mind me — shoot them! Kill them all!"
His sudden suicidal charge shocked Pakura. With her hands occupied by the kunai, she couldn't form hand seals — and could only watch as a barrage of kunai came hurtling toward her, slicing through the fog with a sharp, hissing wind.
Damn it… how did it come to this?!
No matter how much she couldn't believe it, Pakura now realized: this scene before her was definitely a conspiracy by the higher-ups in the village! They definitely wanted to use this method to make her a sacrificial pawn!
Thinking this, Pakura couldn't help but close her eyes in despair.
But at that very moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Pakura. Who else could it be but Hoshiyomi?
Facing the rain of kunai, Hoshiyomi calmly raised his left hand and said softly,
"Soul-Devouring Demon Seal Slash."
As he spoke, a red vortex of gravitational force materialized in front of his left hand. The countless kunai hurtling toward them suddenly bent off course, sucked helplessly into the swirling red void.
Within seconds, every weapon had vanished into the vortex. Hoshiyomi drew his Mikazuki Munechika and slashed downward in an X-shaped arc — shrrr! — pulverizing the trapped kunai into fragments that clattered harmlessly to the ground.
Not a single blade had breached his defense. Hoshiyomi and Pakura stood untouched amidst the fading mist.
Then his voice came from just ahead of her:
"How long are you planning to keep your eyes shut?
If you stay frozen much longer, those guys are all going to get away."