Pakura was completely unprepared for the arrival of the Third Kazekage.
Seeing the great figure step through the door, she immediately stood up in shock.
"Lord Third Kazekage!"
"Pakura."
The Third Kazekage waved his hand, signaling her to sit down and keep her voice down.
He pulled a nearby chair and sat down, quickly scanning her injuries. The medical ninja had treated her wounds, and her shoulder was wrapped in medical bandages. The worst had passed.
"That was a serious injury."
Even though it had been treated, the Kazekage could still tell how severe it was from the way it had been handled.
As Sunagakure's heroine, Pakura could not afford to show weakness, especially in front of the village's strongest and greatest leader. She subtly shifted her injured right shoulder back but couldn't deny the truth. She simply nodded with a soft hum.
"Pakura, tell me—how did you get injured?" The Third Kazekage ignored her small movements and got straight to the point. "Who was your opponent? The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
Given Kirigakure's notorious secrecy, the Kazekage could only think of them as potential suspects.
"It wasn't the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Pakura shook her head and began relaying the intelligence she had gathered during the battle.
"My opponent was Yagura. He was incredibly strong..."
From his lightning-fast speed enhanced by Lightning Release, to his Water Release that was strong enough to counter her Scorch Release, and finally, the devastating Water Release attack that had wounded her shoulder and decided the fight—Pakura laid it all out.
She made no attempt to hide any details. While Yagura had spared her life, she remained loyal to her village. A promise was one thing, but she was still a Sunagakure kunoichi.
The Third Kazekage listened with a frown while his secretary swiftly transcribed her words.
He had never heard of such a powerful shinobi from Kirigakure.
If he was strong enough to defeat Pakura, he had to be at least on par with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. There was no way someone like that should have gone unnoticed.
"And, he is very likely a Jinchuriki," Pakura added after a pause. "His age..." She glanced at the Kazekage, whose frown deepened, then continued, "I estimate he is between seven and ten years old."
The Kazekage's expression shifted from solemn to shocked, a flicker of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Are you certain?"
Sensing his sudden burst of hostility, Pakura closed her eyes briefly and answered,
"Yes. Lord Kazekage, there is one more thing."
She took a breath and stated, "I suspect my intel was leaked."
Pakura then detailed the circumstances of her battle with Yagura.
The Kazekage's expression turned even graver.
In any village, the intel of its top combatants was classified at the highest level.
And yet, the information on Pakura, one of Sunagakure's elite Jonin, had potentially been leaked?!
Even if it was only a suspicion, such a matter could not be taken lightly.
"Leave this matter to me. I will investigate it thoroughly."
The killing intent in the Kazekage's tone was even stronger than before.
Pakura nodded in acknowledgment.
"Yagura...?"
The Kazekage's secretary murmured the name, finding it oddly familiar.
The Kazekage's sharp ears caught it immediately. "Do you recognize that name?"
The secretary nodded and pulled out a document from the files he carried—records of the Chunin Exam candidates from various villages.
After scanning through the list, he handed the document to the Kazekage.
"Karatachi Yagura."
Seeing the name, the Kazekage flipped the file over, revealing a photograph.
"Pakura, take a look. Is this him?"
Pakura's gaze landed on the unmistakable image of a boy with ash-green hair and violet eyes. She nodded.
"Yes."
So, he was among the Genin participating in the joint Chunin Exams.
"Good."
That made things much simpler.
The Kazekage handed the file back to his secretary and stood up.
"I have other matters to attend to. Get some rest. I will temporarily assign Rasa to oversee the defenses in the Land of Water. The village still needs you, so don't overstrain yourself."
"Understood. Thank you for your consideration, Lord Kazekage."
"Mm. Once you recover, the village will require you to take over Rasa's task and be stationed at the border between our land and the Land of Fire."
"Yes."
Rasa—another prodigy of the village, possessing the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai just like the Kazekage, allowing him to manipulate gold dust.
Pakura pictured Rasa in her mind. His abilities were undeniable.
Just as she suspected, now that her intel had potentially been compromised, she was no longer suited for the Land of Water.
The hospital room door clicked shut, and silence returned.
Pakura lay back on the bed, inhaling the faint scent of herbs from the medicine beneath her bandages.
Ever since she became a "hero" and a "prodigy," she had rarely had the chance to rest like this.
"I suppose this isn't so bad."
Exhaling softly, she stared at the beige and white walls of the hospital, finding a bit of bitter amusement in her situation.
"If Maki saw me like this, she'd probably laugh at me."
...
Back in the Kazekage's office, the Third Kazekage wasted no time.
"Have our Chunin Exam teams already departed?" he asked his secretary.
"Of the twenty-seven Genin in nine squads, seven teams have already left. The remaining two will depart tomorrow under their supervising Jonin."
The Kazekage hummed in thought, closing his eyes momentarily.
So the Jinchuriki of Kirigakure was heading to the Chunin Exams.
What was the Mizukage thinking, allowing such a valuable asset to roam freely?
This was an unprecedented opportunity.
Sunagakure had lucked out. Pakura had managed to escape and bring back this critical intel.
Opportunities like this couldn't be ignored.
Capture that Jinchuriki. Steal a Tailed Beast from Kirigakure.
A single Tailed Beast.
If they succeeded, what would it mean for Sunagakure?
Even the Kazekage's years of discipline faltered before the allure of such a prize.
Suppressing his greed, he contemplated the best approach to capture a Jinchuriki.
The Chunin Exams provided the perfect cover.
That boy had been strong enough to seriously wound Pakura. Whoever was assigned this mission had to be at least on her level.
And then there was the issue of the intel leak—an internal risk that couldn't be ignored.
They needed someone young enough to blend in, yet powerful, discreet, and efficient.
The Kazekage scanned through potential candidates, eliminating one familiar name after another.
A single crimson figure emerged in his mind, making him frown.
Was he the only option left?
Opening his eyes, he swiftly penned a message in Sunagakure's encrypted script.
Once finished, he handed the scroll to his secretary.
"Deliver this to Sasori. Make the necessary arrangements."
The secretary accepted it. "Yes, sir."
...
At the elder Chiyo's residence, where her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand, resided.
When the Kazekage's messenger knocked, the boy answered, his tone cold and indifferent.
"What is it?"
The room was dimly lit.
Half of Sasori's face was shrouded in shadow, his amber eyes devoid of warmth, staring at the visitor as though he were nothing more than a lifeless puppet.
The messenger kept it brief. "The Kazekage has a mission for you, Sasori."
Sasori accepted the scroll and glanced over the contents.
A high-paying mission. That was all that mattered.
With funds, he could further develop his puppetry techniques—something his grandmother had recently begun restricting.
A Super S-Rank mission with a ten-million Ryo reward.
Sasori nodded, tucking the scroll away. "I accept. I will depart as scheduled. You may leave."
The messenger didn't linger.
...
Meanwhile, in the Land of Fire.
Several days after setting foot on its soil, the Kirigakure team finally arrived at their destination—Konohagakure, the site of the Chunin Exams.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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