When the technique finished, a vibrant green light shrouded the charred corpse, and the slumbering soul in the Pure Land was summoned back.
The blackened shell cracked inch by inch like a cocoon breaking, revealing the pale skin within; the aura of life surfaced once more.
A golden gleam flickered in Kokugetsu's left eye, and both Pakura and he vanished.
Two breaths later, a figure suddenly appeared in the forest.
Two horns rose from his head, brown hair, white robe, six black tomoe on the chest, a red whirlpool mark on the back above a nine-square array of tomoe, hovering in midair.
"Hm? Why is there nothing here?"
"Someone clearly used the Samsara of Heavenly Life to carry a soul from the Pure Land." The Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, sounded surprised.
Finding nothing, Otsutsuki Hagoromo soon departed.
A moment later he appeared again, and, still finding nothing, left once more.
This time he truly departed, without a feint return.
Even if he had returned, it would have been useless. Using Great Black Heaven as a spatial springboard, Kokugetsu had already gone elsewhere.
On an unnamed isle a hundred li from Kirigakure, Kokugetsu stepped from a black-red vortex of space-time and landed on emerald grass.
With a wave, Pakura fell onto the turf, and the remaining charred shell on her body shattered away.
Pakura slowly opened her eyes, rose from the grass, pressed her right hand to her brow, and looked dazed.
Ink-green hair was tied in a knot, two orange locks hanging before her forehead; below, lilac tight pants with a graceful cut.
Above, a black sleeveless backless top, a white bandage-belt at the waist, pale-lilac vented armguards; the proud curves ranked among the world's foremost, and a refined face held a heroic cast.
"What happened to me?" Pakura murmured, confused.
"So fast to forget how you died?" Kokugetsu smiled faintly.
"How I died…"
As she whispered, images flashed through her mind: ambushed from behind by Kiri shinobi, a kunai to the heart, then countless kunai driven into her back.
"I remember. Rasa sold me out and I died for it!"
"And the village betrayed me too!" Pakura's face twisted; she snapped her head up and growled.
She hated Kirigakure, but not as much—their war had been to the death before the truce.
Her deepest hatred was for Rasa, who sold her out, and for Sunagakure.
"So that's it. Truly pitiful, the hero of Suna."
"Look at what you looked like after death. A flower of a beauty, left to this."
Kokugetsu flipped his hand, drew out a compact intel camera, and passed it to her.
Pakura raised the camera and saw the brutal photos of her corpse left to the wild.
In the original tale, Kabuto likely extracted personal data from Pakura's bones.
"This…"
Pakura staggered back a step, face panic-stricken, eyes burning with hate.
"Kirigakure wouldn't even bother to bury me?"
Kokugetsu half-smiled. "Perhaps rotting in the wild is better than being hauled back to Kiri for research."
"Or do you want Kiri to send you back to Suna to be buried as a hero?"
Pakura's eyes reddened; she ground out, "I would rather lie in the wild than return to that disgusting village—unless it is to take revenge."
"You're strong, but not yet Rasa's match. Train hard for a few years."
Pakura nodded slightly, then jolted and fixed on Kokugetsu. "Who are you?"
"I've been dead this long—why am I here again?"
Kokugetsu spread his hands and laughed. "Isn't it obvious?"
"I revived you. Fifteen min—well, the facts are here. Believe it or don't."
After a moment, Pakura said, "I believe."
"As for me… I'm Kokugetsu."
"Kokugetsu? I've heard that name somewhere…"
"I remember—you're the Konoha ANBU known as the Nightmare Shadow-Hunter. You can perform resurrection?"
Ordinary shinobi hardly knew of him, but ANBU across nations and informed high-level ninja had heard the name.
"Yeah, that's me."
"Why did you revive me? Do you want Suna's classified intel?"
"I saw your photo in ANBU, thought you were very beautiful, so I revived you to be my lover and subordinate." Kokugetsu said it straight.
"Huh?" Pakura's mouth fell open; she was dumbstruck.
"Your body is restored; your soul I summoned back from the Pure Land."
"I gave you a second life. You, as a whole, are mine. That seems reasonable." Kokugetsu spoke solemnly, with logic.
"From what I've read, you're only fifteen this year."
"Not even of age." Pakura's eyes turned odd.
"More or less. If not of age, I can keep you for later."
"And while I may be underage, I have all the functions a man should."
"It's only out of regard for your mood and state that I'm being considerate."
"Well? I'm considerate, aren't I?"
Pakura: "…"
Her feelings were complicated.
"Whew… I'm grateful you revived me, but I can't accept your demand."
"But I, Pakura, am no ingrate. I can do three things for you, no matter how dangerous, even at the cost of my life." She exhaled and spoke gravely.
"Heh." Kokugetsu smiled and said lightly, "You think it's up to you?"
Pakura's face stiffened; her eyes sharpened. "So you're very confident in your strength."
"Then let me see the strength of the Nightmare Shadow-Hunter."
"If I can't beat you, I'll count that as doing one thing for you."
"Take this."
Pakura stepped in and struck, her delicate fist carrying real force.
Kokugetsu slipped back a step to evade, then clasped his hands behind him and easily dodged her flurries.
"Too slow. Didn't you eat?" Kokugetsu teased.
Pakura clenched her teeth and stopped holding back, yet still couldn't touch him.
"Still too slow. Don't tell me you're going easy on me."
"Damn you, stop dodging!" Pakura snapped, trying to goad him.
"As you wish."
Kokugetsu's figure flashed; his arm swept out. Pakura raised both forearms to block, but was still blasted away.
"I held back. Otherwise both your arms would be broken, and you'd be hurt inside." Kokugetsu said coolly.
Pakura climbed from the grass, her forearms numb. Looking down, she saw them reddened and swollen, shock churning in her heart.
Wasn't he supposed to excel at stealth and assassination? How was his taijutsu this strong?
Damn. I can only use ninjutsu.
Gritting through the ache, Pakura formed seals; four orange-red fireballs the size of human heads appeared and orbited her.
"Perhaps you know, but I'll remind you: if a fireball touches you, you'll be mummified." Pakura warned, solemn.
"Scorch Release. I've heard of it. Useless on me." Kokugetsu shrugged, utterly calm.
"Big talk. I've never seen Scorch Release fail."
As her words fell, Pakura lunged; her arms swept and the four fireballs spun, turning the air along their path blistering hot.
"Today, you'll see it fail." Kokugetsu pointed at her, all swagger.
"Hmph."
Pakura snorted and drove one fireball straight at Kokugetsu. It flew fast, yet left room for control.
In the next instant, to Pakura's startled, flustered gaze, Kokugetsu raised his hand and pressed it toward the fireball.
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