[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 104 (Patreon)

**Night in the Kingdom of Wind**

The temperature difference between day and night was extreme. The daytime sun is scorching, but at night, the temperature plummets to chilling.

People unfamiliar with this desert will struggle to adapt, like Toshiro currently does.

After a long day's journey, Pakura, who had been escorting Toshiro, suddenly stood up from the campfire. She fixed her gaze on Toshiro, who was seated opposite the bonfire. There was a faint fighting spirit in her eyes.

“Pakura! Don’t be impulsive!” Yashamaru, the team leader, spoke up, trying to curb Pakura’s intentions. However, his words were ignored by Pakura, a proud Scorch release user. Pakura continued to stare at Toshiro with burning eyes.

“Uchiha Toshiro, if you are a man, follow me,” Pakura challenged. He then turned and walked towards the darkness beyond the bonfire's light, leaving Toshiro with an almost perfect back view.

'Tsk! What a headache!' Toshiro thought. Meeting in the middle of the night in a secluded spot might be misconstrued by those unaware of the context, who might think there was something romantic between them.

Earlier that day, after the group of Sand Ninjas who attempted to assassinate Toshiro had been dealt with, Pakura had been acting strangely. Toshiro had expected some restraint from Pakura in the presence of Rasa’s close associate, Yashamaru. Yet, as night fell, Pakura remained confrontational. He blames it completely on his shadow clone!

“You don’t need to pay attention to Pakura’s provocation. With me here, she won’t do anything excessive!” Yashamaru offered Toshiro a way out. The team escorting Toshiro back to Sunagakure included Yashamaru and Pakura, comprising six people—two ninja teams—to prevent any radical actions by Suna ninjas, like those seen during the day.

“Ha! Ha! Thank you, Yashamaru. I think Pakura is just a bit dissatisfied with my last offense. Nothing will happen!” Toshiro reassured. Despite the provocation, Toshiro felt there was no serious grudge between them. It was just a joke, no big deal. Besides, with his current strength, even without entering Sage mode, Pakura is not his match in strength.

With that, Toshiro stood up and walked in the direction Pakura had gone. Yashamaru didn’t stop him but frowned, slightly displeased with Pakura’s rebelliousness.

Nearly a hundred meters from the campsite, Toshiro saw Pakura standing alone on a sand dune, silhouetted against the moon and stars. She exuded a feminine and beautiful aura.

Pakura’s long hair was tied into a cute bun, with bangs framing her delicate face. The touch of orange at the ends of her bangs enlivened her whole demeanor. She wore a light outfit resembling a short cheongsam, accentuating her graceful figure, with a white belt highlighting her slender waist and big chest. Under the moonlight, her beautiful back seemed to glow faintly.

Even Toshiro, who had seen many beauties in his past life, had to admit that Pakura's presence was captivating.

“What are you staring at, you pervert!” Pakura snapped, interrupting Toshiro's thoughts. Standing above him, she felt as though his gaze was crawling over her, making her feel particularly uneasy.

Whoosh! A bright sword light flashed where Toshiro stood.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! I mean no harm by coming to your village this time. Treating an old acquaintance like this from afar... isn't that a bit much?” Dodging the attack and seeing Pakura showing no signs of stopping, Toshiro felt a headache form and could only use words to distract her.

“Who’s your old acquaintance? You pervert, stay away from me!” Pakura retorted, her anger flaring even more at his words. She had a vivid memory of Toshiro's past actions and had waited years for the chance to teach him a lesson.

“Hmm! That ninja sword in your hand?” Toshiro, forced to evade her relentless attacks, recognized the sword. It was the Chakra sword he had lost previously. To his surprise, it had ended up in her possession.

“Pakura! If you keep this up, I will fight back!” Toshiro warned. He had come to deliver a message and didn’t want any conflict with the Suna Ninjas, but if Pakura persisted, he wouldn’t just take a beating without retaliating. Should he give her another dose of special taijutsu? Despite developing many new moves over the years, using them on Pakura again might make her explode with rage.

After saying this, Toshiro saw an opening and punched her in the chest and abdomen.

“Despicable!” Pakura's face turned red as she recognized his familiar attack method. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to defend herself with the ninja sword. However, the slow smirk forming on her lips revealed her plan.

Pakura had meticulously calculated this entire encounter, including standing on higher ground to present her most perfect side, all to provoke Toshiro into using his shameless moves again. She was determined to rise from the defeat he had previously inflicted on her.

Even if the other party was Konoha's messenger, she didn’t care. She just wanted to teach him a lesson and vent the resentment she had harbored for years.

“Success!” Pakura exclaimed as she raised her long legs and stamped the ground in front of her. Black seals began to spread from Toshiro’s feet, ensnaring him while he was mid-punch.

“I didn’t expect the Sand Ninja Village to have a sealing technique similar to the ‘Paralysis technique’. This is quite enlightening!” Toshiro admitted being caught off guard by the unexpected technique.

Of course, what truly surprised him was Pakura’s seduction.

His entire body was encased in black seals, his fists trying to move futilely as he remained motionless, staring directly into Pakura’s eyes.

“Pakura-san, what are you planning to do with me, Use me as your 'personal prisoner'?”

Despite being captured, Toshiro remained calm and curious about her intentions.

“Don’t worry! Since you’re the Hokage’s messenger, I won’t kill you. But…” Pakura's usually cold demeanor cracked into a joyous smile as she saw her long-time adversary finally at her mercy.

“I don’t know if anyone has ever told you, but your smile is really beautiful!”

“Huh! Even as my prisoner, you’re still behaving like a pervert. It seems you won’t learn unless I teach you a lesson~” Pakura narrowed her eyes at Toshiro’s compliment, then aimed a punch at his face.

Judging by her stance, it was clear this punch carried significant force—enough to break his nose.

Thud! Her punch landed, but instead of satisfaction, she watched in shock as Toshiro's body dissolved into colorful bubbles.

“Damn it! A Genjutsu~”

Seeing Toshiro disappear, Pakura realized she had fallen for his trick. But when had he cast the illusion?

“Tsk! I thought there was a small misunderstanding between us, but Pakura-san seems more dissatisfied with me than I expected~” Toshiro’s voice echoed from the bubbles around her, each bubble reflecting his image.

“Misunderstanding? Are those just misunderstandings to you?” Pakura scowled, forming hand seals to disrupt her chakra flow in an attempt to break free from the illusion. To her dismay, nothing changed.

“No need to waste your chakra! This is no ordinary illusion. It can't be broken by conventional methods~” Toshiro’s voice rang out again, just as another image of him appeared three meters away. The bubbles burst into tiny points of light, resembling fireflies, surrounding her.

This illusion was an upgraded version of Toshiro’s projection genjutsu, developed after he identified flaws in his previous technique. By recording images in the Sharingan and projecting them through water molecules in the air, it created a powerful, almost unbreakable illusion.

However, it had a significant weakness—if the water molecules evaporated, the illusion would fail.

“You’re relentless!” Toshiro began, but before he could finish, Pakura drew her ninja sword and slashed at him again, having confirmed that the person before her was indeed his real body.

“If you don’t stop, I won’t hold back!” Toshiro warned. Even a clay figurine has limits; he wouldn’t hesitate to give her another profound lesson.

As he activated his Sharingan, Pakura averted her gaze and began forming seals, preparing to launch a jutsu.

“Tsk! Do you think you can avoid my sight? How naive…”

The world around Pakura changed dramatically. The full moon turned blood red, its three black magatama rotating ominously, with blood-red clouds drifting across the black night sky. A red rope descended, binding her tightly and suspending her in mid-air.

In front of her stood Toshiro, scrutinizing her with a lecherous look. She could easily guess the dirty thoughts in his mind.

“You bastard, let me down!”

“I could, but if I release you, wouldn’t I be asking for trouble?” Toshiro admired her curvaceous figure before turning to leave the spiritual world.

“Where are you going? Put me down quickly!” Pakura demanded, panic rising. Trapped in this mental space, she feared what he might do next.

Ignoring her, Toshiro pondered the strengths and weaknesses of his genjutsu. Using water molecules to project his genjutsu images directly into his opponent’s eyes seemed effective. The Sharingan's reputation made enemies wary, and refraction provided a subtle means of ensnaring them.

“Apologies that she has been a bother to you, Mr. Toshiro!” Yashamaru’s voice broke into Toshiro’s thoughts as he exited Pakura’s spiritual world. Yashamaru stood ten meters away, smiling.

“Oh, it’s nothing! Just some old grudges between Pakura-san and me, nothing important~” Toshiro replied, narrowing his eyes at Yashamaru.

Was he letting Pakura provoke Toshiro to gather intelligence, or was he suspicious of a possible collusion between them, doubting Pakura's loyalty?

—

“Yashamaru, what is the attitude of Konoha’s messenger this time?”

In the Kazekage’s office, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa sat behind his desk and inquired about Yashamaru’s mission.

“Their attitude seems quite favorable. I believe Konoha has come with good intentions this time.”

“That’s reassuring,” Rasa murmured, then continued, “Have you identified the messenger’s identity and strength?”

“The messenger is Uchiha Toshiro, a 15-year-old jounin from the Uchiha clan. He had a minor conflict with Pakura, but nothing severe. His genjutsu skills are exceptional, and based on intelligence gathered at the checkpoint, he is a formidable character.”

Rasa pondered for a moment after hearing Yashamaru’s report before asking about Pakura.

“What about Pakura? What’s her attitude like?”

“Pakura remains distant, showing no intention of getting closer to us,” Yashamaru added, emphasizing, “I didn’t detect any inclination for her to switch allegiances.”

“What do you think of that?” Rasa probed, wanting his brother-in-law’s opinion.

“Pakura is a dedicated ninja. We can leverage her abilities for the village’s benefit, but she is too proud to become a reliable tool.”

“You may go now,” Rasa replied, satisfied with Yashamaru’s answer. He considered transferring him to ANBU.

“Regarding Konoha’s messenger, when do you plan to meet him?” Yashamaru asked before leaving.

“That will have to wait. The Council is still debating the matter,” Rasa sighed, frustrated with the endless arguments among the elders.

“Is the messenger’s security arranged? Ensure no one takes advantage of the situation.”

“Pakura is assigned to protect him,” Yashamaru assured.

“An excellent choice,” Rasa agreed. Since Pakura relies on no one, she is ideal for safeguarding the messenger.

After Yashamaru left, Rasa headed to Elder Chiyo’s residence. He needed her support for his plans to succeed.

---

“Pakura, can’t you cool down a little?” Toshiro strolled through Sunagakure, dressed in a white robe and turban typical of the Land of Wind, his mouth and nose covered. He looked more like a native than the local residents.

“It’s rare to visit Suna Ninja Village. As an acquaintance of Pakura-san, since I don’t want to impose on anyone, I decided to explore on my own,” he said cheerfully.

“Who said we’re acquaintances? Don’t get too close,” Pakura retorted. Despite the recent assassination attempts on him, Toshiro wandered around unconcerned.

“In this vast world, it’s a rare fate that we, from two different countries, after battling each other can be peaceful and enjoy a stroll together. You should appreciate it…”

As he surveyed the village, Toshiro chatted with Pakura, who followed him closely.

“That was just a routine mission. And you, with your sneaky looks, are you gathering intelligence on the village?” Pakura, ever vigilant, questioned him directly.

“Don’t be so harsh! I’m a handsome guy, not some spy,” Toshiro teased. “As for gathering intelligence, it’s been three days without a meeting with the Kazekage. I need to be prepared in case something goes wrong.”

“If that happens, I’ll be the first to take action and kill you,” Pakura warned, puzzled by the delay in meeting the messenger but ready to act if needed.

“Tsk! I regret showing mercy last time,” Toshiro mused, recalling a vivid memory.

“You showed mercy? If I get the chance, I’ll cut you to pieces. Did you do anything perverted when you caught me in the illusion?” Pakura’s anger flared at the memory, unsure if he had taken advantage of her during the illusion.

This uncertainty has troubled her since.

Toshiro pondered her reaction. Despite her ninja training, she seemed unusually disturbed. He had only ‘tied her up’ in the illusion, using no ‘special techniques.’

“What are you staring at?” Pakura demanded, feeling the shame of that night when she was tied up in her mental space.

Toshiro, with a playful look, asked, “Do you have any other stories from the night?”

“Take a guess…” Pakura replied defiantly.