19 - Sweet Poison

Before Shin left, he whispered something softly, which only Pakura could hear. The other two Suna ninjas were unaware. 

The Suna team captain rushed to where Shin had fought moments ago, his boots squelching in the mud as he looked at the lifeless puppet master on the ground. His cheeks twitched uncontrollably with rage, teeth grinding audibly.

As proud shinobi of a great village, they had been utterly defeated.

"Pakura!" he shouted, glaring at her. If looks could kill, she would have been dead—but he was powerless against her.

"Why didn't you chase him earlier? You deliberately let that Ame brat escape!"

It wasn't even a question—it was a statement, heavy with suspicion and barely contained violence.

Pakura ignored him, her mind replaying Shin's final words over and over. Tragic hero... why those words? What could he possibly know?

Why did he call me that? Her fingers tightened around the paper shuriken. There's no way... he's just a kid from some backwater village...

She had been planning to throw away the paper shuriken Shin had tossed to her. The logical part of her mind screamed to destroy it, to burn it to ash and scatter it in the wind.

But as the captain's accusations continued, growing louder with each passing moment, she couldn't help but shout, "Shut up!"

She clenched her fist, crumpling the paper shuriken in her palm. The sound of paper crushing was oddly loud in the sudden silence that followed her outburst.

Despite knowing better, she couldn't bring herself to burn the paper to ashes. What's wrong with me? One word from a child and I'm acting like a genin fresh from the academy.

The rest of the day didn't provide any relief for either side. The forest became a battlefield of nerves and patience, each team testing the other's limits. Just because the battle was over didn't mean the conflict had ended.

The Suna ninjas were still trying to locate the Akatsuki's base, planning to seize the resources they so desperately coveted. Each failed attempt only fueled their frustration.

Meanwhile, Shin, Konan, and the others made the most of their home advantage, setting traps around the area, harassing the Suna ninjas and disrupting their scouting efforts. Paper butterflies would appear from nowhere, leading them into dead ends or explosive tags.

Clones would draw them into exhausting chases, only to dissolve into puddles of water or puffs of smoke.

Keep them running, keep them frustrated. Break their unity, Shin thought as he coordinated another round of harassment from the treetops.

Paper butterflies carrying messages for reinforcements had already been sent. Both teams kept pulling at each other in the forest, neither willing to back down for their own reasons.

Though Pakura didn't encounter Shin again, her mind couldn't find peace. The crumpled paper in her hand remained unburnt. Why can't I just destroy it? Were my suspicions about Suna right all along?

By evening, the Suna team, exhausted and worn down by endless traps and harassment, finally decided to call for reinforcement.

"Those Ame ninjas are stubborn. We can't handle this alone," one team member muttered, wringing water from his sleeve.

"What now? Ask the village for reinforcements?" Another spat on the ground. "That would mean admitting we failed our mission."

The captain snorted and shot another malicious glance at Pakura. "Let's call for help. I'll make sure to fully explain the reasons for our failure to the Kazekage."

Pakura said nothing, leaning quietly against a tree branch, already beginning to rest. The threat in his words rolled off her like water. She had bigger concerns now.

In her hand, she slowly uncrumpled the paper shuriken and peeked at the center of the paper.

Even though she had been bracing herself, her eyes still widened slightly when she read the message. The words seemed to burn themselves into her mind:

[Do you want to know the real cause of your previous Kazekage's death? This secret has been hidden by the higher-ups in your village. I can give you the answer.

Come alone to coordinates 35.721, -132.459 after sunset, and I'll tell you the truth.]

Pakura had anticipated that Shin would leave behind some taunt, but she had never imagined he would mention the secret behind the Third Kazekage's death.

Could he really know the truth behind the Kazekage's death? Pakura's fingers tightened on the paper. Using such information as bait was either incredibly bold or dangerously foolish.

The secret bothered her in ways she didn't expect.

Many in Suna had suspected something odd about the Third Kazekage's death. The elders fed a convenient excuse to the lower ranks, blaming Konoha—it gave them an outside enemy to hate while keeping them blind to the truth. Most of the upper echelon saw through the cover-up. The evidence was clear: the elders' strange behavior, the rushed funeral, and the way certain questions were silenced before they could be asked.

But for most, the truth no longer mattered. The village had a new Kazekage, and war with Konoha aligned with their goals. The past was best left buried in the desert sands.

However, for Pakura, the truth still mattered. Each unanswered question was like a thorn in her side, and now this boy had offered to pull them all out at once.

Her relationship with the current Kazekage, Rasa, was like oil and water. Every interaction between them became a battle of wills, each mission assignment hiding another threat.

Now that he had gained the elders' favor, she found herself excluded from the inner circle.

In the original story, Pakura never had the chance to resist. She tried to earn back the village's trust through dedication and service. But in the end, she was abandoned and sacrificed to Kiri as a pawn.

But in this timeline, Shin had placed a new opportunity directly in her hands.

"Is this... the path of survival you mentioned?" Pakura whispered to herself as she watched the setting sun.

The sun sank below the horizon, mirroring the descent of her resolve. Each moment brought her closer to a decision she couldn't take back.

She knew it was the devil's temptation. Still, before the last light faded, she discreetly performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. If this is a trap, she thought, I'll make that boy regret ever crossing paths with me.

Leaving the clone to deceive her teammates, she departed for the coordinates on the paper.

Before long, she met the Ame boy again in the forest. He waited for her, sitting casually on a low branch as if this were nothing more than a friendly chat.

Seeing her approach, Shin smiled. But to Pakura, that smile was that of a devil, and she wasn't about to play his games.

"Where did you get the secret of the Kazekage's death?" she demanded, watching him carefully. If he couldn't name a credible source, she'd expose him as a fraud. "Tell me your source, or I won't believe you."

Shin remained unfazed, which only served to irritate her further.

"I have no obligation to prove my information, nor will I reveal my sources. Verifying the truth is your responsibility."

"Unless, of course, you want to hire me to do it for you. I could be persuaded... if you're willing to pay."

Pakura hadn't expected him to dodge her challenge so smoothly and turn it back on her. His businesslike approach left her momentarily speechless.

"Don't play games with me. Either share what you know, or this conversation is over."

Shin remained calm as he delivered the truth.

"The Third Kazekage was killed by your village's genius puppeteer, Sasori of the Red Sand, and his body was turned into a human puppet."

"What?!"

The moment she heard this, Pakura already believed 70% of it. Pieces she hadn't even known were missing suddenly clicked into place. The boy hadn't recklessly accused Rasa, her rival, which gave his story more credibility. Anyone trying to manipulate her would have played to her obvious hatred. Instead, he'd offered something far more plausible.

Moreover, the elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, had acted strangely after the Kazekage's death.

When Pakura connected all the dots, many inconsistencies became clear to her. Though shocked, she couldn't help but marvel at how easily the boy had given up the secret. He hadn't tried to use it to control her. What a naive kid. Does he think I'll spare him just because he confessed? I'll take this secret and confront the elders!

Pakura felt smug.

She quickly composed her expression and pressed for more, like a scorpion sensing weakness. "And where did you learn your sword techniques?"

Shin answered as though they were discussing training schedules instead of village secrets. "As you've seen, it's Hatake Sakumo's technique—the White Fang of Konoha."

The lie rolled smoothly off his tongue. His Praying Mantis style couldn't be more different from White Fang's wild techniques, but Pakura had no way of knowing that.

"Why do you know the White Fang's techniques?" She leaned forward slightly, hungry for more information.

"Just a bit of luck, nothing more." His casual dismissal only fueled her curiosity. He had to suppress a smile at how easily she accepted his deception.

The Praying Mantis style might be precise and elegant where the White Fang's was supposedly wild and brutal, but as long as it seemed deadly enough, who would question it?

"Are you a rogue ninja from Konoha? Why stay in the Ame? Have you considered joining Suna?" She tried to keep her voice neutral, but Shin already saw through it.

He couldn't believe the audacity of this woman trying to recruit him, and he chuckled. "Ame suits me fine. I'm not fond of desert climates, but I appreciate your offer."

They went back and forth like this for a while, Pakura trying to pry more information out of him. Each question met the same wall of pleasant deflection, but revealing just enough to keep her asking for more.

Then suddenly, Pakura's face changed dramatically. The color drained from her features as memories flooded back to her. Her clone, left behind with her teammates, had been dispelled.

In that instant, Shin used the Body Flicker and darted away without hesitation.

Her anger exploded like a desert storm, the temperature spiking as flames responded to her rage. "You did that on purpose! You were stalling me, creating an opportunity for them!"

Shin landed on a distant tree branch, finally dropping his pleasant mask. "You've already betrayed Suna. Why stay? Have you considered joining Akatsuki?"

"We have lots of water here."

He threw her own words about recruiting him right back at her.

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A/N: We are nearing chapter 20! 40k words already! But it seems like this novel won't be popular, what a pity...