Just as the Konoha Hundred-Man Unit took control of the city gates, a thick mist suddenly rose around the daimyo's mansion, spreading through the surrounding streets.
"Not good—the plan's been exposed! The Konoha shinobi moved ahead of schedule!"
Kawagami Akira paled, finally realizing something was wrong. He immediately rushed into the daimyo's mansion, hoping to seize the daimyo as a bargaining chip.
But before he could get close, he was intercepted by Kagawa Momoyo and Chagakure Ryuusuke.
"Kagawa Momoyo, you're colluding with Konoha ninja and betraying the daimyo?" Kawagami Akira accused, shifting blame first. He then turned to Ryuusuke, urging, "Ryuusuke, help me take down Kagawa Momoyo and prove your loyalty to the daimyo!"
But Chagakure Ryuusuke only shook his head, smirking. "Kawagami Akira, save your breath. Just surrender."
Seeing no way out, Kawagami Akira tried to retreat and regroup with the three Sunagakure-born guardian ninja, but Ryuusuke cut off his escape.
Knowing Kawagami was no match for Ryuusuke, Kagawa Momoyo stood back, ensuring only the daimyo's safety.
Meanwhile, Umino Yoru (not to be confused with that Yoru) saw that Kawagami's defeat was inevitable. He sent his shadow clones—alongside Uchiha Shun, Shirakumo Yamanaka, Sokoku Raidou, Yamashiro Midori, and the Fuujin-Raijin brothers—to surround the remaining three guardian ninja.
As for his real body, he went to eliminate the Sunagakure supply unit.
---
### The Suna Supply Unit's Last Stand
The Suna supply team consisted mostly of civilians handling logistics, with only nine shinobi—one jonin, two special jonin, and six chunin/genin.
Following his usual tactics, Umino Yoru cast the Hidden Mist Jutsu, shrouding the area in thick fog. Then, without hesitation, he unleashed ten mechanized puppets.
Hidden within the mist, Yoru's real body waited for the right moment. As the Sunagakure jonin dodged the puppets' attacks—
"Wind Breathing: Second Form—Water Wheel Slash!"
A flash of cold steel.
The Suna jonin's head flew from his shoulders.
Just as Yoru prepared to continue his ambush, the mist suddenly cleared—burned away by several scorching fireballs.
"Pakura of the Scorch Style?"
Yoru's gaze sharpened.
Standing not far away was a beautiful young girl with an exposed back—Pakura, wielder of the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai.
Judging by her outfit, this was undoubtedly the infamous "Fair-Backed Pakura".
However, this Pakura was still young—only fourteen or fifteen, holding the rank of special jonin. Even with her powerful Scorch Release, her combat strength was only at standard jonin level.
"Too bad I can't give her a cupping treatment," Yoru mused, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from her smooth, flawless back.
Pakura's Scorch Release was far hotter than any cupping fire—hot enough to melt kunai and shuriken. Cupping would be pointless.
"Chaotic Wind Slash!"
The mechanized puppets immediately launched a coordinated assault on Pakura.
Their high defense countered her well, and while Yoru's shadow clones' ultrasonic attacks couldn't fully disrupt her Scorch Release fireballs, they still destabilized them.
Once a fireball was formed, disrupting its chakra balance with ultrasonic waves made it impossible for Pakura to maintain its structure.
Effectively, she was forced to use her Scorch Release like ordinary Fire Release.
---
### A Desperate Gamble
Seeing the battle was lost, one of the Suna special jonin—Fuuukimaru—retreated into the warehouse, snarling:
"Damn Konoha dogs! If I'm going to die, I'm taking you all with me!"
"Fuuukimaru, NO!" Pakura's face paled.
She burst forth with a storm of Scorch fireballs, forcing the puppets back, then shunshin'd into the warehouse after him.
When she caught up, she shouted, "Fuuukimaru, what are you doing?!"
"Pakura, we've lost! Konoha will take the Land of Rivers' capital!" Fuuukimaru's expression twisted into madness. "If we can't win, then we'll release the poison gas bombs—let these Konoha bastards die with us!"
Pakura's blood ran cold. "Are you insane?! If those bombs break, tens of thousands of civilians will die!"
"So what? They're just worthless commoners. Dying alongside shinobi is an honor!" Fuuukimaru sneered, then added bitterly, "But you… you have Scorch Release. You could survive the gas. Seems like you're the only one walking out of here alive, huh?"
As the puppets and Yoru closed in, Fuuukimaru formed hand signs, preparing to unleash a Wind Release jutsu to shatter every poison bomb.
"I won't let you!"
Pakura instinctively fired a Scorch fireball, disrupting his technique.
Fuuukimaru cursed her stupidity but then pulled out explosive tags, ready to detonate the bombs manually.
Seeing no other choice, Pakura blitzed forward and chopped his neck, knocking him unconscious. Only when the tags failed to ignite did she exhale in relief.
---
### A Blade at Her Back
Yoru, witnessing Pakura's actions, lowered his water-style hand signs and instead raised his katana, slashing toward her—
...Well, her back was the most visible target in the dark warehouse.
"Konoha jonin, STOP! You'll break the poison bombs!"
Pakura dodged frantically, unable to counterattack for fear of triggering a catastrophe.
These poison bombs were specially crafted by Chiyo, meant for coastal defense against Kiri pirates. Even jonin would die if exposed—only a Kekkei Genkai user like her could resist.
But Yoru didn't stop. If anything, he attacked more fiercely, feigning recklessness—as if capturing her mattered more than the bombs.
Cornered between swords, puppets, and poison, Pakura's space to evade shrank until her back pressed against the gas canisters.
With nowhere left to run, she closed her eyes and spread her arms, silently accepting death—
...Only for the puppet's blades to halt at her neck.
She had chosen sacrifice over slaughter.
And for that, Yoru spared her.
---