The Ultimate Sacrifice

With a more or less decided plan and after a sweet night with Pakura, the next morning we set off from the Sky Island and divided into two teams.

Pakura, Anko, and Maki will first visit the Wind Daimyo and then head to Sunagakure to meet with Temari and propose her job promotion (and power), while at the same time dissuading the elders and convincing everyone as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Ameyuri, I, and Karin will move towards Kumogakure to pay for Asuma's head, deliver the next order, and propose the tentative alliance that would result in giving them the Bara Bara fruit if they agree.

As for the possible "side effects" I invented, I will make sure to emphasize that one of them is stuttering or muteness.

That GUARANTEES that the rapper jinchuriki will treat the Bara Bara fruit as if it were a cocktail of arsenic mixed with hemlock and mercury. He won't want to be near it even by obligation, and he might even avoid fruits for a while!

POV Team Pakura

"When you said the Wind Daimyo held you in 'high esteem' back then, I admit I thought it was something... different," Anko commented, clicking her tongue after finishing the meeting with the leader.

"Yes, sensei. He couldn't stop giving you inappropriate looks!" said Maki, turning her head in disgust at the Daimyo's behavior. "He probably thinks we didn't notice because he had that ridiculous fan covering most of his face, right?"

"You thought he respected me for my skills as a powerful and recognized kunoichi who developed her Kekkei Genkai?" Pakura shook her head. "The only reason he didn't dare ask me to be one of his consorts back then is that I can use chakra and had the support of Sunagakure. He was afraid of angering me and ending his insignificant life, mummifying him using my Scorch Release ability—too much woman for him at the end of the day."

"Do you know it's better that our blonde hunk doesn't find out how that idiot acted during the meeting, right?" Anko raised an eyebrow as she looked at her. "Ameyuri told me what he did to one of the Mist swordsmen when they left Kirigakure after picking up their things. If he finds out, I think there'll be a bloodstorm for his successor to ascend. And we'll have to go through another boring meeting!"

"If there's anyone left..." Maki added in a low voice, causing the two older kunoichis to turn and look at her in surprise. "What? Haku heard Ameyuri tell the story more than once vividly during the night. He says they're suitable tales for a ninja."

"Yes, although his jealousy is cute, I think it's better not to stimulate it," Pakura sighed, trying to contain a smile as she imagined it. "In any case, we got what we wanted. He'll send missions to Sunagakure again, and when Temari's promotion to Kazekage is confirmed, their budget will return at least to the amount they had before Rasa ruined everything. From there, it depends on their performance. Although..." she looked at Anko with exasperation while pouting, "I don't think it was necessary to use that mode to demonstrate the effect of the Golden Apple."

Maki looked at Anko, seemingly agreeing with her sensei's statement.

"Hey, he demanded a demonstration!" Anko raised her hands in a defensive position to demonstrate her innocence in the matter. "You knew his arm would grow back; it wasn't that big of a deal."

...

"Did you at least eliminate the paralyzing poison from his guards before leaving?"

...

"I thought so," Pakura rolled her eyes. "Let's head to Sunagakure; the longer we wait, the less panic they'll have, and that would go against our plan of presenting them with a 'savior' on a silver platter."

They summoned a large-enough Kinton cloud for all three of them once they left the capital and climbed on top to plunge down at high speed towards the village.

"Sensei, what about the guards...?" Maki asked, confused.

Weren't they going to neutralize the poison before leaving?

"Anko?" Pakura asked without even turning around.

"They'll be back to normal in... fourteen hours. I just hope they don't feel like going to the bathroom because the poison also causes mild incontinence," Anko laughed as she took out a plate of three-colored dangos from a universal capsule. "Want some?"

"I think Enel told you not to eat too many dangos, or you'll end up getting fat," Pakura reminded her sister while taking two. "It's not like I would love you any less for it; I can say that I was actually worried about your health and self-esteem."

"Don't worry, I indulged for a lifetime with the ones you stole from Konoha," Anko denied with a headshake, remembering how stuffed and regretful she ended up. "I specifically looked for Nemu to help me make these with what she called molecular gastronomy," she pointed at the plate of dangos. "Although they taste the same as my favorites, I can eat as many as I want without worrying about gaining weight or damaging my health."

"And why don't you eat them at home?" Maki asked as she took three. "I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you or Nemu take them out even once."

"In fact, I don't remember seeing you or Nemu make them in the kitchen," Pakura confirmed.

"I have to make them in the lab, and I don't want to see the worried expression on her face..." Anko lowered her voice and looked at the dango she was about to eat, sighed, and put it back on the plate untouched. "Pakura, do you think we could look for some snack later that could get these dangos out of my head? You're the one who masters cooking among the three of us."

"Sure! Enel gave me a book of recipes never seen before after my disappointment with the book I stole from Ichiraku Ramen. Surely, we can find something," Pakura assured her sister, knowing how much she liked them and how painful it must be for her to give them up.

But she was willing to do it for love!

"Sensei, do you think we can avoid a fight?" Maki asked with her cheeks puffed from the dangos.

"It's a possibility," Pakura replied without saying the rest she had in mind.

Sunagakure had just gone through a deception that cost them a great price, so now they could be quite hesitant about any proposal for a while, especially coming from them. Although no Sunagakure ninja had the strength to harm them, and with Anko present, poison wasn't a concern, if a fight broke out, it would be much harder to convince Sunagakure that they didn't come with malicious intentions.

"Should we disguise ourselves and enter?" Anko suggested, putting away the dangos.

"No, I think it's best if we go openly to the entrance," Pakura said, stating her plan. "Sunagakure's ninjas must have reported everything that happened in the Chunin Exam, so if they see me, they should be tense and not be the first to attack until we declare our intentions," she explained. "That's all the margin we need to be able to talk, strictly; it's not even necessary for us to enter the village as long as we can talk to the ones we want."

...A while later...

"I think we're lucky; one of those guarding the gate is Nonota," Maki said after looking through binoculars from the sky. "I know him; he also learned the Cloth Binding Technique, but he was never as good as me and had to team up with a man named Musai. With his personality, I think we should be able to talk."

"Well, let's see how it goes," Pakura took a deep breath and landed the cloud behind a dune to approach the village entrance on foot.

"Stop!" Nonota shouted upon seeing the figures approaching the village. "Who goes there?"

"Hello, Nonota," Maki greeted from a distance.

"Maki?"

-------

Remember that you have more in advance on my Patreon, exclusive content, you can support and all that.

There are also drafts of future FFs.