Even late at night, Shirakawa Town remained brightly lit.
The two main streets near the center were adorned with colorful lanterns, and faint sounds of women's laughter floated through the air. The area was filled with inns, taverns, and dancing girls who entertained late-night revelers. On the outskirts of the town, large warehouses bustled with activity—despite the hour, workers were still unloading and loading goods.
Carriages rolled steadily along the north-south road, giving no indication that it was already deep into the night. Occasionally, the clanking of armor echoed as patrols, clad in samurai armor and armed with katanas, made their rounds through the streets.
...
In the nearby forest, several figures perched silently on a large tree, watching the town.
"It's about time. Destroy as many buildings as possible."
"Understood."
"Got it."
Just as they jumped down to disperse, a flash of lightning blocked their path.
"Welcome to Shirakawa Town." Kakashi stepped out from the shadows, his face obscured by a mask.
"Leave one alive. End this quickly," Itachi commanded from the tree above, his voice calm and cold. Despite his youthful tone, his words carried a strange authority.
"Yes." Without hesitation, Kakashi's Chidori crackled to life, and he charged forward. Two ANBU members followed close behind.
This mission, assigned by the Fourth Hokage, was to follow the orders of the Root division. Kakashi, privy to certain details, understood that these enemies hailed from the Land of Fire. His teacher, the Hokage, still seemed hesitant about this operation.
"You brats are awfully cocky…"
The four men glared at the masked youngsters who treated them like mere small fry. When had they ever been looked down upon like this?
Sparks of lightning danced across their bodies—more intense than Kakashi's Chidori. It was clear they were highly skilled in Lightning Release techniques.
Yet Kakashi and Itachi weren't troubled. They frowned instead when they saw the four enemies holding their positions rather than fleeing after being discovered. Their behavior was puzzling for shinobi.
"Staying to fight after a failed mission? They're more reckless than I expected." Itachi's Sharingan activated, the three tomoe spinning as he prepared to join the fray.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson"
The four shinobi, masters of Lightning Release, consisted of three jonin and one elite jonin. Their coordinated combat style matched the intelligence reports—these were the infamous Four Brothers of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire.
Even with Kakashi, Itachi, and two ANBU jonin, they couldn't easily take down the brothers in a short time.
Clang, clang, clang!
"Lightning Style: Hell Pillar!"
One of the brothers, repelling Itachi's attack, suddenly shouted, "Something's wrong, boss! We should retreat!"
"Only realizing that now? Seems your cushy life in the Land of Fire has made you forget the rules of being a shinobi."
The battle came to a temporary halt. Kakashi and the others pulled back to a safer distance. More masked Konoha shinobi had quietly surrounded the area, with even more arriving by the second.
At Root's headquarters, the dark room was filled with a suffocating heat and the lingering, nauseating stench of burning flesh.
"Snap!"
"The rat has been captured." Pakura tossed a charred corpse onto the ground with a smug look, brushing her hair aside in satisfaction. Danzo gave her a silent, exasperated glance.
"Hmm, not bad. But it's hard to tell which member of the Twelve this one was."
The corpse had been dehydrated to the point of mummification, its identity only identifiable by the faint "Fire" symbol on its tattered uniform.
The shriveled remains looked grotesque in the dim light, though Pakura seemed entirely unaffected.
Danzo's praise made Pakura squint with pleasure as she slowly moved behind him, radiating a childlike joy that even Danzo could sense.
Looking at the neglected body, Danzo sighed bitterly. The Twelve Guardian Ninja' clumsy actions had disappointed him. What were they even trying to accomplish? Was the infiltrator here to assassinate him or gather intelligence?
And Asuma of all people… part of this brain-dead organization?
Danzo glanced at the corpse again, noting the scent of burnt flesh still hanging in the air.
"Pakura, take care of the body."
"Ah… yes."
As sealing bandages coiled around the corpse, Danzo's gaze followed Pakura's graceful movements. He couldn't help but wonder if the trauma of being abandoned by Sunagakure had affected her more than expected. The subtle influence of the Sharingan couldn't account for such drastic changes.
Her personality shift was drastic—as if she'd become someone else. She now clung to him with uncharacteristic dependence. At first, Danzo found this useful, but it had grown tiresome over time.
Pakura's combat prowess and talent were top-tier—he'd rate her nine out of ten. With her kekkei genkai, she was already at Kage-level strength, something Danzo was highly satisfied with.
But outside of combat? She had no social skills, couldn't read people, and was incapable of independent leadership. Worse, she was fiercely possessive over what she considered hers.
"In Root, wear your mask… Pakura." Danzo sighed with resignation.
"Yakushi Nonō doesn't wear hers. Why should I?" Pakura shot back defiantly.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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