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To Pakura, Nara Shikashige was no stranger. Back during the Second Great Ninja War, Shikashige had assisted Hatake Sakumo in their fight against Sunagakure. Sunagakure had suffered quite a bit at his hands. And now, this famed strategist was playing second fiddle to Takuya?

Pakura was left a bit confused. So, what about Sakumo?

"Yes, it's Pakura. I captured her while gathering intel. I've sealed her chakra, and she'll stay by my side for now," Takuya casually explained, settling into a chair and rubbing his aching temples. "Look, I know Lady Tsunade trusts me, but the truth is, I have no clue how to handle all this logistical stuff. Sakumo would rather fight on the frontlines with the jonin squad than sit in the command tent. You can't expect me to manage everything here, can you?"

"Ahem!" Shikashige cleared his throat, feeling a bit cornered. Sure, making someone unqualified handle the logistics was unfair, but he didn't want to get tangled up in high-level politics either. So, no matter what, he wasn't willing to sit in that command chair. He was happy enough to help Takuya with some tasks, but since Tsunade had specifically chosen him, Takuya was just going to have to figure it out.

"Takuya, I get that you're struggling, but you don't need to drag this old man into it too. Am I right?"

"Yeah, yeah, the Nara Clan always stays neutral, right? I got it." Takuya sighed heavily. Sometimes, he felt the clan took their neutrality a bit too far.

"And what's your plan for her?" Shikashige glanced over at Pakura, standing by the door as stiff as a statue. There were some things better left unsaid in front of outsiders, especially an enemy shinobi.

"Hmm..." Takuya paused, considering his options. "I'll just keep her by my side for now, have her do some chores, you know? Serving tea, cooking, cleaning—basic stuff. Should be manageable."

Shikashige's eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't think Takuya was the type to mess around like this. Serving tea and cooking? What next, getting her to warm his bed? This young generation really had a flair for things he couldn't quite keep up with.

"Have her sent to my quarters to tidy up the place," Takuya said, snapping his fingers as if it were nothing.

"Understood, sir." An ANBU member appeared in the command tent, leading Pakura away.

With only the two of them left, Shikashige poured two cups of tea, sliding one over to Takuya while giving the table a light tap. "Alright, what's really going on? Because I don't believe for a second that Yagami Takuya is the kind of guy who just can't resist a pretty face."

With a sly smile, Takuya cupped the tea in both hands, his eyes gleaming. "I want her to get used to things for a while, let Sunagakure adjust too. Her Scorch Release is impressive, and she has a lot of potential. She's strong and definitely worth recruiting."

Pakura was still young—barely in her twenties. And to be an elite jonin at that age with such a fierce kekkei genkai as the Scorch Release made her worth cultivating.

Shikashige, however, had his doubts. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Are you sure she'll be willing to betray Sunagakure and join us in Konoha?"

It wouldn't be easy to make someone like Pakura switch sides.

"That's why I said she needs time—time to adjust to us and for Sunagakure to adjust as well. Also, her relationship with Rasa, the Third Kazekage's student, isn't great. They're pretty fierce rivals," Takuya replied.

"Understood," Shikashige nodded. "If she genuinely defects to Konoha, she'd be a valuable asset. I'll spread some rumors to help set the stage, but keep in mind, it might affect your reputation a bit."

Takuya rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed. "Just keep it subtle, alright? Don't go overboard. I don't want Lady Tsunade coming after me with a grudge."

Yeah, imagine that—being sent to battle against Sunagakure, only to drag back a woman to serve him tea, do laundry, and maybe even share a bed. That wouldn't look great.

With a chuckle, Shikashige teased, "What, afraid? You can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. Maybe give Tsunade a heads-up, just so she doesn't get the wrong idea."

I knew this old guy was up to no good, Takuya thought, feeling a headache coming on. Fine, he'd let Tsunade know. As for his reputation... who cared? If it meant getting Pakura to Konoha's side, it was worth it. If your conscience was clear, you had nothing to fear.

"The second batch of reinforcements is arriving soon. I'll handle the arrangements. Just don't run off again and cause more chaos. Remember, winning a war takes more than one person's strength—you can't avoid the fight when your time comes," Shikashige added before heading out.

That same afternoon, after Takuya sent word to Tsunade, Shikashige arranged for some rumors to spread around the camp. He even made sure the intel found its way to Sunagakure.

"Not bad," Takuya commented as he inspected his tent. "The cleaning's decent, and the food is okay too." He glanced over at Pakura, who stood nearby with a cold expression. She wasn't buying into any of it.

"Later, pack up everything and bring it over to the command tent. I'll be staying there for the foreseeable future. Help her out," Takuya instructed before walking away. He wasn't a fan of rice balls—the taste was just too bland for him.

Soon after, the Intelligence Division delivered a scroll to Tsunade.

"Pakura? Scorch Release?" Tsunade muttered, scanning the contents before storing the scroll away. "If she can be recruited, it's worth a shot." Still, someone like her would be hard to sway. Tsunade didn't give it much more thought, not even bothering to send Takuya an encouraging response. In her view, the odds were slim. If Takuya wanted to try, she'd let him.

As long as Konoha could land a solid blow on Sunagakure and force them back, she didn't care about Takuya's little side projects.

Meanwhile, the mood in Sunagakure was anything but relaxed. In the command tent, the Third Kazekage sat with a dark expression while Rasa fumed beside him. Chiyo and Ebizo, too, were visibly upset.

Just days earlier, they'd been worrying about Pakura and Rasa's rivalry, fearing it could lead to trouble. Now, there was no need to worry—Pakura had been taken by Takuya. Not only that, but she was apparently serving as his maid, doing his cooking and laundry.

She even followed him around the command tent without restrictions, and rumor had it she slept next to him at night.

Had Pakura betrayed them? Or had Yagami Takuya somehow claimed her? No one knew for sure, but what they did know was that they could no longer fully trust Pakura.

Even if these rumors were deliberately spread by the enemy, they couldn't ignore them. Pakura had been captured—whether she had betrayed them or given up any secrets, no one could say for certain.

Was she truly loyal to Sunagakure? Or had she fallen for that pretty boy Takuya and decided to switch sides?

One thing was for sure: Pakura was with Takuya, not facing any restrictions, even attending meetings. That was enough to sow doubt.

No one in Sunagakure would dare let a captive roam freely, attend meetings, and participate in daily life as if nothing happened. Who knew if Pakura might really end up becoming one of Konoha's shinobi?

The thought left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth, as if they'd just swallowed a spoonful of something rotten.

The village had painstakingly nurtured a talent, only for that person to end up joining the enemy without a second thought.

Could anything be more infuriating than that?

"Sensei, I think this whole 'Pakura being captured' thing is just a cover. The truth is that she willingly ran off with Yagami Takuya, that pretty boy. With her strength, even if Yagami Takuya is strong, there's no way she'd be taken down that easily..."

The more Rasa thought about it, the angrier he became. His personality, already extreme, led him to curse internally.

"Damn Pakura. I always knew you weren't any good."

Just as the Third Kazekage had his narrow-minded tendencies, Rasa wasn't much better. He was cold and obsessed, to the point of using his own child as a Jinchūriki. He was also ruthless enough to deceive Pakura and have her sold off because of some petty conflict with Kirigakure.

"That's enough. Haven't we embarrassed ourselves enough already?" The Third Kazekage barked, glaring at his student while trying to suppress his own anger. "The plan to rescue Pakura is temporarily on hold. We'll revisit it after the war ends."

When weighed against the larger interests of the war, Pakura herself was of little importance. Though the situation was infuriating, the Third Kazekage wouldn't allow it to have a wider impact.

Just as Sunagakure suspected, Takuya kept Pakura at the command post. Where she slept was her business—whether on a chair, a table, or hanging from a post, Takuya didn't care.

"It won't be easy to defeat Sunagakure in a short amount of time. This is our positioning. As long as they don't launch a full-on offensive, it will be difficult for them to break through, even though they have the numbers advantage," Hatake Sakumo said, seriously analyzing his war strategy.

Takuya kept himself inconspicuous, and Pakura, standing beside him, could feel her brain buzzing from the situation.

The command center was filled with participants—every jonin involved in the war effort. The meeting was largely chaired by Nara Shikashige and Hatake Sakumo, both veterans in this kind of strategy. Sakumo himself wanted nothing more than to leave it all behind.

But Takuya wouldn't allow it. If Sakumo wasn't willing to take charge, then he had to at least share some of the burden. Otherwise, Takuya threatened, he'd go on strike—and they would be left watching the supreme commander recklessly hacking his way through the enemy lines.

Facing Takuya's threats, Sakumo relented. He truly feared that Takuya might actually charge into Sunagakure's ranks with his blade, making life much more complicated for both him and Shikashige.

"The supply lines are of utmost importance. Given the two-front situation, we can't afford any losses there. These supply routes are critical and must be defended. Luckily, we're better positioned logistically compared to Sunagakure," Sakumo explained.

"We don't have to haul supplies across a barren desert; we don't need to worry about sandstorms or fear running out of food and water halfway through."

Sakumo made a rare joke, mocking Sunagakure's poverty, and laughter rippled through the command center.

As for Takuya...

To be honest, he was struggling to stay awake.

It reminded him of his past life, when he was a poor student sitting through English class. He knew he should pay attention, but his body insisted on drifting off to sleep.

"Is this jerk seriously dozing off?" Pakura thought, watching Takuya leaning on the table, propping his head up with one hand and holding a map with the other as if to shield himself. His head bobbed up and down as sleep threatened to overtake him, making Pakura's eye twitch involuntarily.

"Alright, that's about all I have to say. Everyone, prepare for any sudden attacks from the enemy," Sakumo said, wrapping up the meeting before making a hasty exit.

Nara Shikashige shot a smile toward Takuya, giving a slight nod. He also let his gaze pass over Pakura, leaving a scroll on the table before leaving.

Facing Shikashige's smiling face, Pakura felt a sudden chill, an ominous feeling welling up inside her as if something bad was about to happen.

"Finally, it's over," Takuya sighed. The whole ordeal had been exhausting. He silently vowed to give Tsunade a piece of his mind once the war ended. She had promised he'd only need to lend a hand, but now he was carrying the whole operation. Tsunade, you liar!

Rubbing his eyes, Takuya glanced at the scroll, opened it, and promptly choked.

After a closer look, he held the scroll up, turning toward Pakura.

"Pakura, do you like kids?"

"No, I don't!" Pakura replied expressionlessly.

"Well, that's too bad. Your village seems to think you've run off with me, and that you're planning to help me make babies." Takuya handed the scroll over to Pakura, whose mind seemed to stall as she processed what he had just said.

Ran off with him? Planning to help him make babies?

Pakura's neck stiffened, her eyes slowly dropping to the scroll. It was filled with information and intel that Konoha had gathered, much of which concerned her.

"I was captured, not running off willingly! Which bastard started this rumor?!"

Moments later, Pakura exploded with rage, tearing the scroll to shreds while glaring daggers at Takuya.

"This was you, wasn't it? You did this on purpose!"

"The information release was on my orders, yes. But I never said you ran off willingly. I clearly stated that you were attacked by me and then captured. If you have a problem, you should take it up with your fellow villagers." Takuya shrugged. "Don't go blaming me for this. It wasn't my doing. If you want answers, ask your own people. This has nothing to do with Yagami Takuya."

"Make sure you read the last part of the scroll before tearing it up entirely. It says something about Rasa spreading that rumor," Takuya added.

"That bastard!" Pakura seethed, her eyes practically aflame.

Takuya could tell that if Rasa were standing in front of her right now, Pakura wouldn't hesitate to go all out on him.

Seeing Pakura on the brink of losing it, frustrated to the point of madness with no outlet, Takuya couldn't help but laugh to himself. Rasa and Sunagakure's actions were indirectly helping him out, pushing Pakura further toward the edge.

As Pakura found herself increasingly cornered, she would have no choice but to lean toward Takuya if she wanted to avoid a tragic end.

With the arrival of the second wave of ninja reinforcements, local skirmishes began escalating. Despite having fewer participants than Sunagakure, Konoha wasn't easy to push back, and Sunagakure's numerical advantage wasn't enough to expand their gains.

After asking around, Takuya finally understood why the Third Kazekage hadn't ordered Sunagakure's forces to invade the Fire Nation to spread chaos.

Takuya tossed the scroll onto the table, letting out a sigh.

"If a village wants to grow, it can't do it without money. The Wind Daimyo holds too much power."

The real reason why Sunagakure hadn't launched a large-scale invasion of the Fire Nation was that the Third Kazekage had compromised with the Wind Daimyo, who was reluctant to fund such an extensive military operation.

This was absolutely insane! It was as if Sunagakure had thrown away all of their advantages. If Sunagakure had invaded the Land of Fire the moment they declared war, it might have cost them dearly, but they could've plunged the Land of Fire into chaos, causing immense damage. Instead, because of the Wind Daimyo's threats, the Third Kazekage chose to compromise. All Takuya could say was, "Wow, impressive!"

If this were the Land of Fire, Danzo would have scared the Daimyo just by glaring at him. When trying to gather military power, Danzo would do so quietly, fearing retaliation from Konoha's higher-ups. In contrast, the Wind Daimyo felt comfortable exerting control over Sunagakure openly.

"Your village really has it tough, letting the Daimyo just sit on you like that," Takuya quipped.

Pakura's face darkened, but she kept her gaze straight ahead, acting as if she hadn't heard him. Takuya knew he had hit a sore spot—one that hurt every Sunagakure shinobi deeply. Fortunately, these kinds of issues were something Konoha never had to deal with. Even if the Fire Daimyo tried to meddle in Konoha's affairs, it was none of Takuya's concern.

"How long do you think this war between the villages will last?" Takuya asked, tilting his head to look at Pakura.

"I don't know," Pakura replied, no longer ignoring him. She knew that if she pushed things too far, Takuya wouldn't go easy on her. She'd learned that lesson already—like the time he made her wash one piece of clothing eight times.

Pakura swore that even as a woman, she'd never washed something eight times. Takuya had definitely been messing with her on purpose.

"Maybe it'll last three to five years," she added.

A war involving the Five Great Shinobi Villages wasn't something that could end casually. Three years was the bare minimum, and five years wasn't unlikely. The unique nature of shinobi warfare meant that, aside from specific circumstances, ninja wouldn't amass in one place for an all-out attack; it was mostly fought through skirmishes.

Conventional military tactics didn't often apply to shinobi wars—at least not most of the time. This had everything to do with the massive power disparity among ninja. Lower-level shinobi could be killed by regular people, while top-tier shinobi could potentially wipe out an entire major village. That was the difference.

Though she wished for Konoha's swift defeat, Pakura managed to maintain some level of composure as she analyzed the situation.

"Three to five years? Not a bad assessment," Takuya nodded.

If there were no outside interference, the war might indeed last that long. In the original timeline, the Third Great Ninja War spanned quite a long period, roughly a decade. After the Nine-Tails attack, if the Third Hokage hadn't forced the Hyuga clan to sacrifice Hizashi, the war could have lasted even longer.

Takuya's main concern wasn't Sunagakure; he had never really viewed them as a significant threat. His worry was whether Iwagakure and Kumogakure would join in. If they entered the fray, Konoha would be in big trouble. Four of the Five Great Shinobi Villages fighting against Konoha—that would be a serious issue, potentially leading to the village's destruction.

Of course, that was assuming all four villages worked together seamlessly and pooled their resources.

"I'm planning to send you back to the village," Takuya said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Pakura frowned. "You promised that I could stay by your side until the war ended and then you'd let me go. You didn't say anything about sending me to Konoha to be imprisoned."

Was Yagami Takuya going back on his word?

"That's not what I meant."

She was getting anxious, and Takuya could see it. He smirked, but he wasn't in the mood to tease her. Instead, he turned serious and explained, "Although there are a couple of old men here trying to shift responsibility onto others, I can't stay in the command post forever. It's only a matter of time before I head out to the battlefield. That's why I'm thinking of sending you to Konoha, where you can stay with Tsunade. After the war, you'll be released."

It was fine when they were in the camp, but once Takuya was on the frontlines, he couldn't take Pakura with him, right? Take her along to kill Sunagakure shinobi? Now that was a provocative thought.

"I refuse," Pakura said without hesitation.

Over the past few days, she had followed Takuya around, and he had made no attempt to hide anything from her. She knew Konoha's arrangements and preparations, and she also knew that Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikashige had no intention of taking charge—they had shifted that responsibility to Takuya.

And as much as Takuya wanted to throw it back at them, the two old veterans were cunning enough to evade it. This meant that everything in the camp was ultimately decided by Takuya. If he made a mistake, Sakumo and Shikashige would step in to correct him immediately.

Hatake Sakumo was mostly out on the battlefield, leaving the nitty-gritty details to Shikashige. Takuya had made plenty of small mistakes, but none of them had been serious. Shikashige patiently corrected and explained everything, almost like a teacher guiding a student—attentive and thorough.

But that wasn't what Takuya wanted. He would rather fight on the battlefield than stay in camp dealing with the complexities of logistics and planning.

In the camp, Takuya had the final say, and he gave Pakura the freedom to move around without anyone objecting. If she were sent to Konoha, Pakura couldn't even imagine what awaited her there, and she didn't want to. So, she flatly refused, even if Takuya promised she wouldn't be imprisoned.

It was just Takuya's promise—who knew if she would actually be locked up once she arrived in Konoha?

"Fine, suit yourself," Takuya shrugged.

Since Pakura didn't want to go, Takuya wouldn't force her. Besides, if he was out on the battlefield, Shikashige would make sure someone kept an eye on Pakura. She wouldn't get any opportunities to act out. On top of that, her chakra was still sealed, and unsealing it wasn't easy.

Sealing techniques were always Sunagakure's weak point. If it weren't, Shukaku wouldn't constantly be breaking free and causing chaos.

Wait a second!

Suddenly, Takuya thought of Shukaku.

"How about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" Pakura replied warily.

Drumming his fingers lightly on the table, Takuya thought for a moment before saying, "It's simple. I'll keep you here in the camp and won't send you back to Konoha, but in return, you need to tell me some basic intel—like whether your village is planning to use the tailed beast."

Although he wasn't afraid, Takuya wasn't looking for trouble either. Even though Shukaku was one of the weaker tailed beasts, it could still cause a lot of damage on the battlefield, which was something Takuya wanted to avoid. The last thing he needed was for Tsunade to face more issues while she was still dealing with the aftermath of the war with Kirigakure.

If Tsunade ended up in a tight spot, it would end up causing him trouble.

"You already promised not to send me to Konoha," Pakura said, her face darkening. She felt like she was being played. Takuya had just agreed to let her stay, and now he was pushing for a deal.

"I changed my mind."

Takuya made a gesture, smiling.

"You...!" Pakura was livid, her chest heaving in anger. Clearly, Takuya's shamelessness had gotten to her.

Yeah, I'm being a jerk—what are you gonna do about it? Don't forget, you're my prisoner. It's already a favor that I'm not keeping you locked in a cage.

Support Naruto: I Traveled with a Max Level AccountRegardless of whether it was Konoha or any other village, the treatment of prisoners of war was far from kind. They would chop some wood, make a large cage, throw the people inside, and call it a day. Imagine a group of people crammed into one place, forced to eat, drink, and relieve themselves all together—the thought of it was dark and unbearable.

Snapping his fingers, Takuya gave Pakura a sharp reminder, "You were captured by me. You're a prisoner, and me treating you a little better is entirely up to me. You can't dictate terms with me. If you insist on doing so, I have no problem playing hardball and tossing you in with the others. I believe you know well what happens to prisoners when they get thrown in those places."

Pakura knew this wasn't a game—she wasn't some fresh academy graduate. She fully understood how villages treated their captives. The mere idea of being shoved into a cage or a basement, crammed with a bunch of others, forced to handle all of life's necessities in that cramped space—her face turned pale at the thought.

Forget being a shinobi—Pakura was also a woman. A beautiful, proud, and dignified woman. Being thrown into such a place would be worse than being killed. At least then, she wouldn't have to endure the humiliation.

"No, Sunagakure isn't Kirigakure! At least, I haven't heard anything from Lord Kazekage discussing that. As for whether he'll decide to bring Shukaku to the battlefield in the future, I can't say for sure." She gritted her teeth as she finished speaking, lowering her head to avoid Takuya's gaze, her hands clenched tightly.

It seemed the Third Kazekage had some sense after all—using a Tailed Beast's power recklessly was not a good move. Sunagakure had a Tailed Beast, a Jinchūriki, but so did Konoha. And Konoha's Tailed Beast was even more terrifying. Unless absolutely necessary, the Third Kazekage wasn't going to take that kind of risk.

The Third Mizukage might have been crazy enough to take reckless actions, but the Third Kazekage was not. The Mizukage's goal was to drain the strength and resources of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, whereas the Kazekage's purpose in waging war was to make Sunagakure stronger, not to turn into a lunatic intent on taking Konoha down at all costs. There was a fundamental difference between them.

Takuya stared at the thick stack of documents piled on the table, along with the neatly organized scrolls. He rubbed his forehead in exasperation—if he stayed at the command center much longer, he felt he would lose his mind. The worst part was, these were all already sorted through by Nara Shikashige.

If Takuya had to go through all of it from start to finish, it wouldn't be a matter of almost going crazy—he would've already gone mad.

Konoha really knew how to push someone to the brink.

Every time Takuya scratched his head in frustration, Pakura's lips twitched slightly. She genuinely couldn't understand why Konoha's higher-ups had entrusted command to someone like Takuya, a complete novice. Was it just because of his strength?

But strength and leading a command center were two very different things. People said Hatake Sakumo wasn't suited for these kinds of tasks, but Takuya seemed even worse. Far worse.

Screw it!

Why should he put up with this? When Sakumo was in charge, Nara Shikashige handled all sorts of matters, allowing Sakumo to focus purely on the fighting. But now that it was his turn, Shikashige kept making excuses.

You don't want to get caught up in the internal politics, huh?

Everything's dumped on me, huh?

Fine. I'm done with it.

Choosing to "opt-out," Takuya carefully studied the map, compared Sunagakure's military positions, and then decided to make his move—grabbing Pakura and making a run for it.

Nara Shikashige, after finishing a document and sipping his tea leisurely, said, "Well, at least Takuya's reasonable. If it were that stubborn Sakumo, he would've refused from the get-go." Thinking back to the days of the Second Shinobi War with Sakumo, Shikashige felt a tinge of frustration.

Dumping everything on an old man like him—was that fair?

Of course not.

"Sir," one of the ANBU members entered the tent. Shikashige straightened up. "What is it?"

After a moment of hesitation, the ANBU ninja finally said, "Lord Takuya... he's gone."

"Gone?" Shikashige blinked. "Are you kidding? A man that conspicuous just vanished under your watchful eyes?"

"Oh no!" Shikashige's eyelid twitched, realizing the trouble he was now in. He rushed out of the tent, heading for the command center.

On the table in the command center was a new document, with just two big characters: "See ya." One glance at the handwriting, and it was clear that it was from Takuya.

That little brat actually ran off!

Shikashige was fuming, his mustache practically twitching in anger. Just a few minutes ago, he had praised Takuya as being more reasonable than Sakumo, at least willing to listen. And now? His words came back to bite him almost instantly.

Sakumo would at least play games, shirking duties onto others—Takuya, on the other hand, simply took off.

Keep bringing up Tsunade, huh?

Well, I'm done. I'm outta here—good luck dealing with it yourselves.

If it weren't for worrying about his reputation and Tsunade possibly coming after him, Shikashige would've already started cursing up a storm.

"I knew it. Just like Sakumo, that brat would never be content just staying at the camp," he muttered, doing his best to hold back the urge to start swearing.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Where's Pakura?"

Takuya had run away, which brought up another problem—what about Pakura, who had been following him?

"And didn't you ANBU guys notice he was leaving?"

"She's also gone," replied the ANBU member, sweat forming on his brow. Nervously, he continued, "Two of our men were following Lord Takuya, but they were put under a genjutsu. You know Lord Takuya's skills in that area..."

When it came to genjutsu, many considered Takuya the strongest—even the Uchiha had to take a back seat. After all, Takuya had taken down the Third Kazekage with genjutsu not long after graduating from the academy. Time had passed, and putting two ANBU members to sleep with ease was par for the course.

Shikashige could only stare, utterly at a loss for words.

With Takuya's strength, if he wanted to give ANBU the slip, they wouldn't be able to keep tabs on him. Maybe Hatake Sakumo could keep up, but would Sakumo do that sort of thing?

"Forget it, forget it," Shikashige sighed, feeling the tension release. What else could he say at this point?

The trap had already been sprung. Shikashige was certain—Takuya wouldn't be back anytime soon. Now everything at camp fell squarely on his shoulders. As for Hatake Sakumo? There was no point even hoping for his help.

The most frustrating part was that, even with Takuya off gallivanting around, there was no way to make him come back.

Issuing a direct order? Shikashige didn't have that authority.

Forcing him back? He didn't have the strength.

Even if Hatake Sakumo himself stepped in, there was no guarantee he could do it. Besides, Sakumo would probably just laugh and then walk away. There was no chance of relying on him.

As for politely asking him to come back? Yeah, that was even more impossible.

Takuya had made up his mind to bail; there was no way he'd come back that easily.

"Two damn bastards!" Shikashige cursed. In the Second Great Ninja War, Sakumo had dumped all the responsibilities onto him, but in the Third Great Ninja War, Takuya took it up a notch—he straight-up ran off.

He never wanted to get involved, but here he was, carrying the weight anyway.

Meanwhile, Takuya had no clue about Shikashige's frustrations. All he knew was that now he was away from the camp, he was in a great mood.

Finding a nice spot to relax, he hunted some game and was now casually grilling meat.

"Are you seriously bringing me onto the battlefield?" Pakura was, frankly, bewildered by Takuya's decision, even though she was technically his prisoner.

It was the first time she'd ever seen someone take a prisoner onto the battlefield—how reckless did he have to be?

Was he not worried she'd run away, or leave some signs to coordinate with their enemies and kill him?

Sprinkling some seasoning onto the meat, Takuya replied nonchalantly:

"Why wouldn't I? You think I'm worried you'll try to escape? Or leave signals for Sunagakure to kill me?"

He sniffed the roasting meat, smiling with satisfaction.

Gotta admit, I'm pretty damn good at this.

Placing the meat aside, Takuya turned to Pakura with a smirk in his eyes, his voice confident:

"To be honest, if I'm bringing you along, it's because I'm not scared of you running away. You're free to try if you want. And as for signaling others to kill me—go ahead."

He added casually, "But let me warn you, if you do decide to run, I'll be pissed. Even if you manage to hide back in Sunagakure, I'll still drag you out myself."

Yeah, right.

Pakura rolled her amber eyes, giving him the biggest eye roll imaginable.

Hide in Sunagakure and he'd drag her out? This guy—Yagami Takuya—really thought he was all that.

Takuya noticed her eye roll and figured she was doubting his capabilities.

"By the way, I've always been curious," Takuya started, "Why is your hair half green and half brown? Are the folks in your village really into edgy hairstyles or something?"

Some people get a patch of green hair by accident, but Pakura here had gone and gotten her entire head done in green.

Pakura: "????"

She didn't know what he meant by "edgy," but the way he said it, she knew it wasn't anything nice, so she chose to stay silent.

Pakura didn't respond, but Takuya didn't mind. He was already used to her silence after these past few days.

After finishing his meal and grabbing his gear, Takuya didn't hesitate; he took Pakura straight to the battlefield.

Bang!

The moment they got near, a flare went off in the sky. Takuya left Pakura behind and dashed towards the signal.

In an instant, he vanished from Pakura's sight, rushing to provide support.

Pakura narrowed her eyes. She was considering whether or not to escape.

Was Takuya actually going to provide support, or was this just a test to see what she'd do?

That was the question. Given the chance to escape, would Pakura take it?

The answer was yes.

Even if she suspected it was a test, Pakura would choose to escape rather than wait around for Takuya to come back.

And if it was a test? Well, she'd still leave some signals along the way—anything to aid her escape or give her comrades an edge against Takuya.

How she would explain her capture after getting back to her village—that was a problem for later, if she made it back at all.

Whether her actions would piss Takuya off wasn't her concern at the moment.

"What a hassle," Takuya muttered as he rushed towards the signal.

He glanced back towards where he had left Pakura.

He was curious to see if Pakura would take the opportunity he was giving her.

How many from Sunagakure would come for him?

The war with Sunagakure had only just begun, and yet even so, it had already tested Takuya's patience.

Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikashige weren't the types to take risks, not unless they were absolutely certain of success.

That was why they had opposed Takuya's suggestion for an all-out offensive. They assumed he was desperate for glory, eager to prove himself to Tsunade.

They preferred a slow, steady pace. Both believed that as long as no major mistakes were made, Konoha would emerge victorious in the end.

According to their strategy, along with Sunagakure's preparations, this war might very well drag on for years, as Pakura had predicted.

But could Takuya really drag this out for three or five years, slowly grinding away against Sunagakure?

Obviously not.

In Takuya's mind, a year—at most—was all he needed to push Sunagakure back into the desert and force them to sign a peace treaty with Konoha.

With no support from Sakumo or Shikashige, Takuya had no choice but to take matters into his own hands to change the course of the war.

"Hold on, everyone! I've fired the signal flare; reinforcements will be here soon. We have to hold out no matter what!"

"No matter what, we can't give up!"

On the battlefield, a group of Konoha shinobi were putting up a fierce resistance, holding off the enemy as best they could.

The battlefield was littered with bodies—Konoha shinobi and Sunagakure shinobi alike.

Even though they were outmatched, Konoha's shinobi showed no signs of panic or retreat.

As much as Takuya found it a bit cheesy, he had to admit: under the influence of the Third Hokage's "Will of Fire" ideology, Konoha shinobi had incredible resolve.

"Kill them! Don't give them a chance to hold out for reinforcements!"

The enemy wasn't about to let Konoha stall for time and wait for help to arrive.

Lightning Flash!!!

A bolt of lightning shot straight through the battlefield like an arrow. Amid screams, more than half of the Sunagakure shinobi fell to the ground.

Some died instantly, while others were left with missing limbs, clutching their wounds in agony.

Everyone froze, not knowing what had just happened. No one had seen the lightning bolt clearly.

It was too fast—so fast that their eyes couldn't keep up.

Although it used a lot of chakra and took a toll on his body, one of the perks of using Lightning Release was that it didn't leave behind a bloody mess with body parts flying everywhere.

The lightning cauterized the blood vessels instantly.

Using some large-scale jutsu or ability wasn't practical for Takuya if he wanted to take down an entire group in one go—especially if they were spread out.

But cutting down a line of enemies? That was easy.

Flicking his Kusanagi sword, the intense lightning dissipated, and Takuya appeared before everyone.

"Is that…"

"Lord Takuya!!"

"Thank goodness, we're saved!!"

After a few seconds, the Konoha shinobi cheered, while the Sunagakure shinobi visibly deflated.

They couldn't believe their bad luck. The surrounded enemies fired a single flare, and not only did reinforcements arrive—they arrived fast.

And it wasn't just any reinforcement; it was one of Konoha's big guns.

They thought they could wrap up the battle in a few minutes, but now, this untouchable monster had shown up.

"Retreat!!!"

These enemies were beyond their league now.

The remaining Sunagakure shinobi were no fools; they heard a shout and scattered in all directions.

Running into Takuya meant survival wasn't about fighting back; it was about making it back to the village alive with any piece of intel they could muster.

"You guys, carry back the bodies of our comrades. Leave the remaining enemies to me."

After giving this order, Takuya disappeared, chasing after the fleeing Sunagakure shinobi.

"Aaaah!!!"

One after another, the screams rang out as Takuya caught up with each fleeing ninja, taking them down with precision and ruthless efficiency.

The enemies were simply too slow; no matter how many directions they fled, they couldn't outrun Takuya.

"Get moving!"

The Konoha shinobi didn't waste time. They gathered up their comrades' bodies and made a quick retreat, heading straight for the camp to report the situation.

"I knew it!"

Shikashige couldn't help but slam the table when he heard what had happened. Hatake Sakumo, who'd just come back, couldn't help but laugh.

"Senior, even though the Ino-Shika-Cho clan alliance has tried to remain neutral, it seems you still can't avoid all this," Sakumo chuckled.

"What are you laughing at, huh? And the Hatake clan?" Shikashige grumbled.

It's bad enough that he was forced into taking command, but Sakumo actually had the nerve to laugh at him? Like he hadn't pushed all the work onto Shikashige in the first place. What nerve.

Yeah, Sakumo wasn't smiling anymore.

The hostility and double standards from the higher-ups had already left Sakumo feeling disillusioned.

"Senior, the Hatake clan never really had a choice in the matter, did we?" Sakumo sighed.

"..."

Seeing Sakumo's bitter smile and the complicated expression on his face, Shikashige felt a pang of regret.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. Honestly, Lady Tsunade is still a good choice—at least she's more reliable than Orochimaru."

Sakumo wasn't wrong. The Hatake clan had no choice. But did that mean Ino-Shika-Cho had a choice?

The moment Shikashige was called out by the Third Hokage, his options were pretty much set. Ino-Shika-Cho was equally pushed into siding with Tsunade.

If it came down to a choice between Tsunade and Orochimaru for the position of Fourth Hokage, Shikashige wouldn't hesitate to pick Tsunade.

Sure, Tsunade might be a "fat sheep" in terms of her penchant for gambling, but when it came to official duties, she was never one to falter.

Orochimaru, on the other hand—everyone knew that his partnership with Danzo spelled trouble.

"Forget it, let's not dwell on this," Shikashige sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "Let's talk about Takuya, that damn kid, instead."

Sakumo chuckled, got up, and headed for the exit. Before stepping out, he turned back and said, "Senior, since Takuya's got his own plans, let him test the waters on the battlefield. With his strength, even if he gets surrounded, he'll break through."

"I'll leave the camp matters to you. I have other things to take care of. I'll be off now."

"..."

Watching Sakumo leave, Shikashige was left speechless and fuming.

That last bit was what you really wanted to say, wasn't it? Afraid I'll dump it all back on you, huh?

Other people would kill to get into leadership positions like this. And here these three were—passing the responsibility around like a hot potato.

If Danzo, who'd been demoted to a civilian and forced into retirement, heard about this, he'd probably cough up three liters of blood from sheer rage.

Having helped out the Konoha shinobi, Takuya returned the way he'd come. He was still figuring out how to chase down Pakura, but to his surprise, she hadn't even tried to run.

"Wow, didn't expect that," Takuya teased. "I was all ready to chase you down on the battlefield."

Pakura folded her arms, her voice cold as ice: "My chakra is sealed, and I'm not exactly a sealing jutsu expert. Where exactly could I run to?"

Run!

Pakura had thought about it, but she quickly gave up on the idea.

With her chakra sealed, she wouldn't make it far.

And she couldn't guarantee she'd run into her comrades from Sunagakure who'd not only take her back but also figure out how to undo the sealing.

If she managed to escape, great. But if she failed, she'd be caught again and drag others down with her.

The risk was too high. Takuya's Body Flicker Technique was absurdly fast.

Pakura had never imagined someone could use the Body Flicker with such insane explosive speed.

She was outmatched, restricted by a seal, and unsure if any strong comrades were even nearby—running would be the dumbest move.

So Pakura cut off any thoughts of running and instead left some subtle markers around the area.

If any Sunagakure shinobi passed by, they'd notice and report her position back to their camp.

"Not a bad plan," Takuya nodded, giving her a thumbs-up.

Good, you understand the situation. As for those markers you left, I'll just pretend I didn't see them.

Pakura was someone full of pride. Even after days of being Takuya's captive, she showed no signs of wavering.

Takuya had to give her a little hope, then crush that hope himself.

If he couldn't destroy the walls of her pride, breaking her spirit, then it'd be impossible to make her his ally.

"Come on. We need to find a quiet place to rest. The last thing I want is a few enemies sneaking up on us while I'm trying to sleep," Takuya said, gesturing for her to follow as he slung his Kusanagi sword over his shoulder.

Around the area were faint markings, simple crescent-shaped burn marks—symbols frequently used by Sunagakure scouts. Any Sunagakure shinobi who had been in contact with Pakura would immediately understand what they meant.

They found a cave to use as a resting spot, conveniently located near a stream, making washing up easy.

"All yours," Takuya said, tossing some game and seasoning at Pakura before heading into the cave to rest.

Pakura silently began prepping the game for cooking.

After they ate, Takuya tossed his dirty clothes at Pakura: "There's water up ahead. Wash these. And clean yourself up while you're at it. I don't like having a smelly woman around."

"..."

Pakura's face flushed with anger as she stared at the pile of clothes, her voice trembling: "You're pushing it too far."

"Oh?"

Takuya raised an eyebrow at her, shrugging. "Washing bandage wraps isn't that big a deal. Be grateful I didn't ask you to wash my underwear too."

He added, his tone full of teasing menace: "And make sure they're clean. If you mess them up on purpose, I'll use your clothes as replacements."

Bandages were a staple for shinobi; many wore them for various reasons, Takuya included.

He wrapped his arms and legs in them to reduce the strain on his body when using the Body Flicker or Lightning Release.

Sure, he had plenty of extra bandages, but making Pakura wash them was deliberate—a reminder of her position.

Serve me, fold the bedding, bring me tea—what, you think you can slack off, Pakura?

Someday, I'll repay every ounce of humiliation you've put me through, Pakura seethed, grabbing the clothes and bandages, her face dark as she headed towards the stream.

Watching her storm off, Takuya whistled after her: "I've got a few spare outfits if you want to borrow one."

"Wearing an open-back outfit all the time—you're gonna catch a cold, y'know."

She didn't respond, vanishing into the forest, and Takuya chuckled to himself.

"Gave her plenty of chances along the way. She's probably left a whole trail of markers by now. I wonder if the Third Kazekage himself will come out," he muttered.

If he wanted to win against Sunagakure, the best move would be to exploit a weakness in the Third Kazekage.

And if he could, he'd get a little payback too. He hadn't forgotten the way they'd chased him around years ago.

That old man had even spread false information about him, leading more enemies to target him.

Yeah, those grudges—Takuya still held onto them.

Takuya had intentionally given Pakura opportunities to leave marks behind. He wanted to see if the Third Kazekage himself would make an appearance to rescue her.

Whether the Third Kazekage would come, Takuya wasn't entirely sure. But he knew that Pakura leaving those marks was equivalent to giving Sunagakure a chance to rescue her.

No matter what rumors were spreading on the outside, Takuya figured Sunagakure would choose to save Pakura.

If the Third Kazekage came, great. If not, using Pakura as bait to wipe out a few squads of Sunagakure elites would be just as satisfying.

Crushing the enemy and taking down their strongest fighters while breaking Pakura's spirit—Takuya figured it was a win-win.

The camp had Shikashige keeping things steady, and the battlefield had Hatake Sakumo. Takuya didn't have to worry about those matters.

All he needed to do was handle what he was best at.

Sure, he wasn't great with strategy and paperwork, but that didn't mean he couldn't win a war his own way.

Two days went by without incident.

Finally, some Sunagakure shinobi stumbled upon the marks Pakura had left behind, and they immediately reported the information up the chain of command.

They didn't notice Takuya, who was perched on a faraway tree, well hidden by the thick leaves, observing them.

"Let's see just how far up the chain they'll take this," Takuya murmured.

Pakura's marks were bound to be a big deal for Sunagakure. But whether it would reach the Third Kazekage was another question entirely.

After all, he was the village leader. He had many responsibilities, including keeping an eye on Sakumo.

Sunagakure would definitely send someone to investigate, to make sure it wasn't a trap set by Konoha.

Luring the Third Kazekage out wouldn't be easy—it was not as simple as just wanting to save Pakura.

What Takuya didn't expect was for the person investigating to be a famous figure from Sunagakure.

The grandson of Chiyo, the Red Sand Scorpion!

In the original storyline, this guy poisoned and killed the Third Kazekage, becoming one of the main reasons the Third Great Ninja War happened in the first place.

Not bad. The future handsome rogue of the Akatsuki, Scorpion, really lived up to his hype.

Recalling what some Naruto fans in his previous life had said about Scorpion, Takuya couldn't help but chuckle.

"Who's there?!"

Two puppets burst out from Scorpion's wide black cloak, rushing towards where the sound had come from. Before the puppets even reached him, a barrage of poisoned needles shot out towards Takuya.

But an idea had formed in Takuya's mind the moment he laid eyes on Scorpion—one he was eager to try out.

Too bad Scorpion didn't bother with small talk and went straight for the attack.

Effortlessly dodging the poisoned needles, Takuya landed steadily on a boulder not far from Scorpion.

"Didn't expect to run into the famous Red Sand Scorpion," Takuya said with a grin.

"Nor did I expect to meet Konoha's prodigy, Yagami Takuya," Scorpion replied, his voice youthful and soft, matching his appearance.

But his expression and eyes told a different story—they were devoid of emotion, more like a lifeless machine than a living person.

It seemed Scorpion had already begun defying Chiyo's wishes, modifying his body. Perhaps the oversized cloak was meant to hide those changes.

Despite his young face, there was no shortage of youthful-looking shinobi in this world—like Yagura, for example.

In fact, every male in Yagura's family seemed to have that same small build and baby face.

Scorpion's cold eyes locked onto Takuya, while the two puppets returned to his side.

"Looks like Pakura was allowed to leave those markers intentionally by you," Scorpion analyzed. "Maybe she's already defected to your side?"

Leaving those markers could mean Pakura had switched sides, or perhaps it was a trap to lure Sunagakure shinobi in.

"Oh, I wish," Takuya mused. Pakura was stubborn, that much was certain.

"Good guess, though. But wrong," Takuya said, moving his right foot forward and resting his hands on his knee, looking down at Scorpion. "Pakura hasn't defected to Konoha, and she hasn't joined me either. You're one of Sunagakure's rising stars—do you really distrust your comrades so much?"

Scorpion's expression didn't change in the slightest.

"So, those markers were your idea," Scorpion stated plainly.

"More or less," Takuya said, straightening up. "I was hoping to lure out the Third Kazekage. Worst case, I figured some Sunagakure shinobi would come and rescue Pakura. Didn't expect it'd be you."

"You seem to know a lot about me," Scorpion said, his voice hinting at suspicion. "Did Pakura tell you?"

After his parents' deaths, Scorpion's world crumbled. Hatred filled his heart, and he buried his emotions deep, isolating himself while spending his days with puppets.

He was reserved, unlike Rasa who was always in the spotlight or Pakura who was always striving for greatness. Scorpion just hid away, barely known even by his own village, let alone by Konoha.

Naturally, he suspected Pakura of leaking information.

As he asked, he remained on guard, wary of Takuya making a sudden move. Even though he was confident, Scorpion wasn't arrogant enough to think he could take Takuya down.

He knew how powerful Pakura was, and she hadn't even lasted two minutes against Takuya. If he faced Takuya, it'd be no different.

At this stage, Scorpion wasn't yet strong enough to kill the Third Kazekage or fully embrace his twisted artistic ambitions.

But even with his transformation, he could never bring himself to truly harm his grandmother, Chiyo.

Which was why, in the original story, he pulled his punches during their battle.

Both Scorpion and Itachi had their own form of hesitation—Scorpion held back for Chiyo, while Itachi practically unleashed an ocean to ensure Sasuke's safety.

For an organization like the Akatsuki, having such sentimental oddballs was likely maddening for leaders like Konan and Nagato.

With a chuckle, Takuya shook his head in mock disappointment. "I wish I could say Pakura shared some inside info, but unfortunately, she didn't cooperate. Not that it matters—Konoha's intel on Sunagakure isn't perfect, but we know enough. It doesn't make much difference to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scorpion's voice hardened. He was far from loyal to the Kazekage, but he was still a shinobi of Sunagakure.

Takuya's dismissive words about the village irked him.

"It means," Takuya said with a sly grin, "you're just too weak."

Scorpion blinked, stunned into silence.

There wasn't anything in the intel suggesting that Takuya was prone to exaggerating his strength.

Takuya's arrogance and offhanded dismissal of Sunagakure left Scorpion at a loss for words.

"Wanna make a deal?" Takuya finally offered.

"What kind of deal?" Scorpion's eyes narrowed.

Holding Scorpion's unwavering gaze, Takuya smiled darkly. "You and I team up to take down the Third Kazekage. Afterward, his body is yours. What do you say?"

"?!!!"

Scorpion's expression remained unchanged, but he instinctively took two steps back, clearly taken aback by Takuya's audacious proposition.

Scorpion's shock made Takuya burst out in laughter.

"What, surprised? Haven't you always wanted to get rid of the Third Kazekage?" Takuya taunted. "Now, I'm giving you a hand. You get to eliminate one of the people responsible for your parents' deaths, and in return, I represent Konoha and get some war benefits. As for the Kazekage's corpse, it's useless to me—you can turn it into a puppet."

Do you really think I'd believe you that easily?

No matter how Takuya knew he wanted to kill the Kazekage, Scorpion wasn't about to trust him that easily. Taking out two sealing scrolls, he slowly backed away, controlling the puppets by his side.

If Takuya made a move, Scorpion would instantly release more puppets to attack and buy time to escape.

Seems like being too straightforward scared the guy off.

Rubbing his chin, Takuya turned and started to walk into the forest.

"I'll give you a day to think about it. If you agree, come find me in the forest tonight. If you report it and bring a whole team to ambush me, that's fine too," Takuya said, vanishing into the trees.

Scorpion kept retreating until he was far enough to feel safe. Then, he stopped, turning to look in the direction of the forest.

He pondered whether Takuya's offer to join forces and kill the Third Kazekage was genuine or a trap to frame him.

After parting ways with Scorpion, Takuya returned to the cave.

Pakura sat alone by the fire, staring blankly. A deer leg was roasting over the flames.

Takuya's sudden return startled her; she instinctively recoiled, clutching a kunai tightly. Upon recognizing him, she slowly relaxed.

Sitting by the fire, Takuya grabbed a kunai and sliced off a piece of meat. He turned his head slightly, teasing, "What's wrong? No one found your marks and came to rescue you, so you're disappointed?"

Crap.

Pakura's face went pale; she thought Takuya hadn't noticed.

He did.

"Hmph!" Pakura knew punishment was inevitable. Instead of defending herself, she just turned her head away with a snort.

To her surprise, Takuya didn't seem to have any intention of punishing her. Instead, he took a bite of the meat and casually asked, "You didn't poison this, did you?"

I spent hours roasting that—you think I poisoned it?!

Pakura's frustration boiled over. She grabbed the meat, stuffing it into her mouth to prove her innocence.

Seeing her cheeks puffed with anger as she ate, Takuya couldn't help but smile. He cut off another slice and continued eating, adding, "Your markers have already been found by Sunagakure shinobi."

Pakura froze mid-bite, her eyes widening as she stared at him.

If the village found her marks, it meant they had come—and now they were dead.

Her back straightened for a moment, but then she slumped. Hope was slipping away.

Already feeling defeated?

The real despair is yet to come.

Swallowing his bite, Takuya added nonchalantly, "Afterward, the Red Sand Scorpion showed up. I wanted to strike a deal with him, so I let him go."

Pakura's hope, which had just been extinguished, flickered back to life. Takuya didn't mind letting her have that momentary spark—what would happen when Scorpion returned, well, that wasn't his problem.

With renewed hope, Pakura even managed to eat more than usual.

Takuya knew exactly what she was thinking, but he didn't bother to point it out.

Night fell, and after washing up, Pakura returned to the cave to rest. By now, she had completely given in to his demands. As long as the orders weren't too much, she complied—like making sure to bathe every day. If she didn't, Takuya would just throw her into the river.

Time ticked by, and Takuya remained by the campfire at the cave entrance until a shadow appeared.

"No need to lurk—just come over," Takuya called. "Looks like you're willing to work with me."

Scorpion's arrival hadn't escaped Takuya's senses. He'd known the puppet master would agree—after all, the person Scorpion hated most was the Third Kazekage.

It was the Kazekage's orders that led to Scorpion's parents infiltrating the Land of Fire, which ultimately got them killed by Hatake Sakumo.

The second person on Scorpion's list? The White Fang of Konoha—Hatake Sakumo himself.

That was why, in the original timeline, Scorpion silently killed the Third Kazekage, which triggered the Third Great Ninja War.

In hindsight, Sunagakure's logic was pretty weird.

The Kazekage went missing, and instead of quickly appointing a Fourth Kazekage to stabilize the situation, they launched a huge search.

And fine, search if you must—but why make it so public? And then, why turn the search into a reason to start a war?

What were they thinking?

They launched a reckless war and got beaten so badly they had to crawl back, eventually turning to Konoha and practically begging to be an ally.

"What makes you so sure I'd agree to your deal?" Scorpion asked, stepping out of the shadows.

"Scorpion?!"

Hearing voices, Pakura ran out of the cave, her emotions running high. Unfortunately for her, Scorpion hadn't come to rescue her. In fact, he didn't even spare her a glance, treating her like she was invisible.

Without hiding anything from Pakura, Takuya gestured for Scorpion to sit by the fire.

Scorpion didn't refuse, but even while sitting, he remained wary of Takuya.

Throwing a few more sticks into the fire, Takuya looked up.

"The fact that I made the offer means I knew you'd come find me. The Third Kazekage was one of the people indirectly responsible for your parents' deaths. You want to kill him, and that's no secret. If I hadn't approached you, you'd have probably done it yourself once you were strong enough."

Scorpion wasn't exactly the village's poster child of morality, otherwise he wouldn't have killed his own Kazekage.

He did it without anyone realizing—a testament to how ignoble the Kazekage's end was.

It was likely poison—there's no way a puppet master like Scorpion could take down the Third Kazekage in direct combat. The Kazekage's Magnet Release would naturally counter any puppeteer.

Even though it wasn't detailed in the original, Takuya was sure Scorpion had used poison to do the job.

And the Kazekage, knowing that Scorpion was Chiyo's grandson and a promising talent, wouldn't have expected an attack—even if he knew Scorpion resented him for his parents' deaths.

That underestimation led to the Kazekage's downfall, ultimately allowing Scorpion to turn him into a puppet.

"Between the Kazekage and Hatake Sakumo, I'd rather kill the White Fang," Scorpion stated.

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you. Killing the Third Kazekage benefits me, which is why I proposed the alliance. Hatake Sakumo—that's a no-go," Takuya replied.

Yagami Takuya wants to ally with Scorpion to kill the Kazekage?

Pakura was completely stunned.

When Scorpion appeared, she initially felt a rush of excitement. But that excitement vanished almost instantly. Scorpion didn't even glance at her; instead, he sat down and started talking to Takuya about their plan to kill the Third Kazekage.

Pakura's heart sank. She couldn't stop the question from running through her mind—why? Why would the Red Sand Scorpion, a loyal shinobi of the village, have such a treacherous idea?

And what's more, Scorpion was actually considering doing it—not just thinking about it, but acting on it!

Scorpion understood that getting Takuya's help to kill Hatake Sakumo was impossible. But killing the Kazekage... Scorpion wouldn't hesitate.

"What do you need me to do?" Scorpion asked.

He wasn't naive enough to expect Takuya to help with Sakumo, but when it came to the Third Kazekage… there was no holding back.

Talking to someone straightforward had its perks—it cut through the nonsense. Takuya smiled, satisfied, and snapped his fingers.

"Simple. Injure yourself a bit—doesn't have to be too serious. Make yourself look beaten up. Destroy a few of your puppets, and then report everything just as it happened," Takuya instructed. "If the Third Kazekage hears I'm not in the camp, that I'm out here wandering around with Pakura, he'll come for me."

"This plan is full of holes," Scorpion frowned. If Takuya wasn't too powerful to fight directly, he would've slapped him right there. What kind of idiotic idea was this? Did Takuya think the Third Kazekage would just walk into an obvious trap?

"Plans full of holes are the easiest to believe," Takuya countered.

It was clear Scorpion was not impressed. There was no strategic brilliance, no efforts to cover their tracks—the plan seemed juvenile, like some sort of game. How could anyone find that reassuring?

To Scorpion, it sounded reckless. But Takuya thought otherwise. The glaring flaws made it more likely that the Third Kazekage would bite.

Even if the Kazekage suspected a trap, he would still come. Why? Because he was the strongest Kazekage in Sunagakure's history. Because Takuya had once used genjutsu on him and made him perform a ridiculous dance. And because of the numerous rumors and humiliations, the Third Kazekage hated Takuya with a passion.

Beyond that, his pride as the strongest Kazekage played a big role. He believed that even if he did end up surrounded by Konoha's forces, he could simply fly away. The ability to fly was a huge tactical advantage.

"Even if he knows it's a trap, he'll still come," Takuya said confidently.

After a moment of silence, Scorpion stood up to leave. "I hope your plan works," he muttered.

"You're insane! You want to team up with an outsider to target the Kazekage?!" Pakura shouted at Scorpion.

But Scorpion acted as if he hadn't heard her, vanishing into the night. Takuya crossed his arms, amused by the scene.

"This plan will never work!" Pakura yelled, fuming as she watched Scorpion ignore her. However, neither Scorpion nor Takuya bothered to acknowledge her outburst.

Pakura was left to stew in her frustration, alone in the cave, with no way to release her anger.

After parting ways with Takuya, Scorpion followed his instructions. He destroyed a few of his own puppets, made himself look worse for wear, and inflicted a few non-lethal wounds on himself. Then, he returned to the camp to report to the Third Kazekage.

"You're saying Yagami Takuya took Pakura out of the Konoha camp and deliberately let her leave signs behind to lure our shinobi into a trap?" the Kazekage asked.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama. He destroyed several of my puppets," Scorpion responded, kneeling before him. "I couldn't sense Pakura's chakra. It must be sealed."

"What's that boy trying to pull?" Chiyo muttered, skeptical but clearly worried for her grandson. Seeing Scorpion's disheveled state, her heart ached.

Ebizo sighed quietly beside her. "Sister, the Kazekage is still watching. Could you maybe not be so obvious?"

The Third Kazekage, meanwhile, silently examined Scorpion, taking in his injuries. After a few moments, the Kazekage's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You did those wounds to yourself, didn't you?" the Kazekage asked.

"Uh…" Scorpion hesitated, clearly caught off guard.

"What?" Chiyo gasped, shocked. Ebizo just hung his head, exasperated—his sister was always so jumpy when it came to Scorpion.

"Yes," Scorpion admitted after a long pause, his voice strained. "His strength is too much. I couldn't fight him, so I…"

"Enough!" The Kazekage's irritation was palpable.

He assumed that Scorpion had inflicted those wounds on himself to appear more pitiful, to give himself an excuse for failure. The Kazekage disliked such petty tricks the most.

"Leave. Get some rest. I'll handle this. Don't pull stunts like this again. I'm only letting it slide this time for Chiyo's sake," he added, clearly displeased.

The Third Kazekage couldn't help but compare Scorpion to other young talents in the village. Why was there such a gap? And to top it off, Scorpion even resorted to deceit.

Waving his hand dismissively, he declared, "I'll deal with Yagami Takuya personally."

Yagami Takuya… there's still unfinished business between us.

The memory of the humiliation he had suffered—the forced dance—made the Kazekage's face flush with anger.

"Kazekage-sama, it's too risky for you to go in person. Let this old lady go instead. I can make sure justice is served for my grandson," Chiyo quickly interjected, stepping forward to dissuade him.

She didn't want the Kazekage to take unnecessary risks, and besides, she wanted to help Scorpion redeem himself.

"Kazekage-sama, as our leader, your safety is paramount. You shouldn't take such risks," she pleaded.

"Enough, Chiyo," the Kazekage cut her off, waving his hand impatiently.

He knew Chiyo's intentions were good, but her attempts to restore his impression of Scorpion wouldn't work.

"No matter his actions, Scorpion is still one of our own. Even if his behavior is questionable, I won't punish him over something like this," he said.

Anyone would be upset by such a deceitful act, and the Third Kazekage was no exception. But such trivial matters weren't enough for him to take serious action against Scorpion.

"Understood," Chiyo replied, bowing slightly. If the Kazekage promised not to target Scorpion, she had nothing left to say.

Changing the topic was the wisest choice now.

"What about Pakura?" she asked.

"I'll personally go and see what Konoha is planning—or more accurately, what Yagami Takuya is planning," the Kazekage responded.

"But…" Chiyo began, hesitant. Was it really safe for him to confront Takuya directly?

She stopped herself, realizing the Kazekage was determined to go. Besides, with his strength, even if there was a trap, he could escape. In the world of shinobi, the ability to fly was a massive advantage.

Just look at Onoki and the Third Raikage. The mighty Raikage had no way to deal with Onoki—before they even fought, Onoki would just float in the sky, leaving his opponent helpless.

"Chiyo, Ebizo, while I'm gone, I'll leave the camp to both of you. As for Rasa, he's still young and has much to learn. I hope you can help him grow quickly," the Kazekage said.

"Understood, Kazekage-sama," they both replied.

Neither Chiyo nor Ebizo needed any extra encouragement to help Rasa grow as quickly as possible. Compared to Pakura, Rasa was simply a better fit to succeed the Third Kazekage. As for Sasori, Chiyo never intended for her grandson to take any high-ranking position in the village. All she ever wanted was for him to live a happy life.

With the camp's responsibilities handed over to Chiyo and Ebizo, the Third Kazekage felt reassured enough to leave.

Takuya had fled, and with Nara Shikaku holding down the Konoha camp, there wouldn't be any problems there. But for the Kazekage, it wasn't that simple. If he left without a word, the entire camp would descend into chaos.

Once everything was settled, the Third Kazekage flew off, standing atop his iron sand, heading towards the location where Pakura had left her marks. He had decided to confront Takuya alone. He needed to know if Konoha was using Pakura as bait to lure him into a trap.

Not long after the Third Kazekage departed, Scorpion quietly slipped away from the camp as well.

Back in the cave, Pakura found herself unable to sleep. The conversation between Takuya and Scorpion had left her utterly stunned.

The two of them planned to kill the Kazekage? Takuya was a Konoha shinobi, so that made sense—but Scorpion? What could he possibly gain from this? Pakura couldn't understand it. Was he really willing to kill the Kazekage over his parents' deaths? It seemed like an awfully flimsy excuse.

"You can't possibly succeed. The Kazekage's power far exceeds anything you can imagine! You still have time to back out," she said, voice trembling.

"Are you worried about me?" Takuya looked genuinely surprised. He turned towards her, raising his hand to scratch his chin, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Don't tell me you've fallen for me after tagging along for all these days?"

"…" Pakura's face darkened instantly. She cursed under her breath, wishing he would drop dead.

Takuya burst into laughter, clearly entertained by her reaction.

The more Takuya laughed, the worse Pakura felt. He seemed to relish her misery.

"Relax, I'll be fine. Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should pray for your Kazekage. Pray that he doesn't die, because if he does, Sunagakure is going to fall apart. His death might very well be the spark that leads to the village's defeat," Takuya said nonchalantly.

Pakura took a deep breath and rolled her eyes before turning away, deciding it was pointless to argue with him.

Why was it that no one believed her when she spoke the truth?

Were they underestimating the power of the Uchiha clan?

Or had Madara Uchiha been gone so long that everyone in the shinobi world had forgotten how terrifying he truly was?

Madara Uchiha had made the entire shinobi world tremble under the power of the Uchiha. Did they really think Takuya Yagami couldn't do the same?

Maybe he had been too low-key for too long.

As he flew through the air, scanning the area below, the Third Kazekage was surprised by what he found—or rather, what he didn't find. No ambushes, no traps—he didn't even see a single Konoha shinobi.

He had prepared himself for a fierce battle, but now he was beginning to feel uneasy.

Was he overthinking this?

With all these thoughts in his head, the Third Kazekage finally arrived at the cave where the trail Pakura left behind ended. He could see the glow of firelight in the dark and felt a familiar but irritating chakra presence.

That damn brat.

Controlling the iron sand beneath his feet, the Third Kazekage descended from the sky, landing not far from the cave entrance. He looked directly at Takuya.

Takuya lifted his head and gave the Kazekage a bright smile.

"K-Kazekage-sama!" Pakura's voice cracked as the Third Kazekage appeared from the sky, just like Takuya and Scorpion had predicted. Her mind went blank.

The Third Kazekage's cold, slightly angry gaze swept over Pakura before locking onto Takuya.

"I expected Pakura to be taken back to Konoha and held there," he said, pausing briefly, "I can't sense her chakra flow—it's been sealed, hasn't it?"

"Correct."

"I placed a seal on her, sealing off her chakra. Sealing techniques are not exactly Sunagakure's specialty. Pakura has been trying to break free, but she hasn't been able to," Takuya explained.

Compared to Minato or Kushina, Takuya's skill in sealing techniques wasn't anything special, but it was more than enough to seal Pakura's chakra. He was fully aware of Pakura's constant attempts to break the seal—he simply chose to ignore it.

The Kazekage nodded, unbothered by the admission. He knew well that Sunagakure's weakness had always been sealing techniques; it was the reason Shukaku often ran rampant.

"So you let Pakura leave those marks to draw me here. Why?"

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he looked at Takuya's familiar yet irritating face. Seeing Takuya's smile made all those humiliating memories rush back.

Takuya dropped the stick he had been holding and stood up, facing the Kazekage across the clearing.

"I hold grudges," he said simply.

One sentence was enough to explain everything.

The Third Kazekage blinked, then clenched his jaw. "Funny, so do I."

Takuya was holding a grudge over what had happened between them, which was why he had used Pakura to lure him out here. There was no need to ask—Takuya was obviously planning to kill him.

And it just so happened that the Kazekage held a grudge too. The embarrassing dance, the way his reputation had been tarnished—it was all Takuya's doing, and he hadn't forgotten any of it.

He had simply been waiting for the right opportunity.

And now, it seemed, his enemy had delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Throwing off his white robe, the Kazekage glared coldly at Takuya.

"You lured me out here with Pakura as bait. So, where are your allies?" he demanded.

"My allies?" Takuya blinked, then glanced around at the darkened forest as if looking for something. A smirk spread across his face as he turned back to the Kazekage.

"Oh, you think this is a trap? That I have backup hidden somewhere nearby?"

Apparently, everyone assumed he had no chance against the Kazekage on his own.

Takuya didn't bother to answer directly—he just smiled mysteriously. The Kazekage frowned, growing more suspicious.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but there are no Konoha shinobi here—no reinforcements. However, there is someone from your village."

It was time for the main event to begin. The Kazekage was here, and so was Scorpion. Takuya had no intention of hiding anything anymore.

"Scorpion, our guest of honor has arrived. Aren't you going to come out and join us?" Takuya called out.

"Scorpion?!"

A series of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the forest, drawing the Kazekage's attention.

When Scorpion finally stepped into the light, the Kazekage's face darkened.

Scorpion ignored the Kazekage's furious glare and walked until he was about fifty meters away from both of them. His voice was calm as he addressed Takuya.

"He's here. So, how do you plan to kill him?"

Scorpion didn't seem to care that his betrayal had been revealed. It didn't matter to him if Takuya had exposed him.

The only thing on Scorpion's mind was how they could kill the Third Kazekage.

From the moment he agreed to Takuya's plan, Scorpion had been ready to become a rogue ninja.

Even if they failed to kill the Kazekage, as long as Takuya didn't betray him—as long as he tried—Scorpion wouldn't complain. He was ready to be labeled a traitor and simply wait for another chance to finish the job.

These two are insane! Pakura thought, feeling like she was on the verge of losing her mind. Who were these people? They didn't just boast in private—they were doing it right in front of the man they planned to kill.