A girl with a bun hairstyle stood there, but her hair color was peculiar.
The upper part was dark green, but her bangs on both sides of her face were a striking shade of orange. Her fair skin and petite figure made it clear that she was around the same age as Karura.
Already on edge, the girl's expression sharpened when she saw Uchiha Shin standing in front of Karura.
"Intruder! Get away from Karura!"
"Wait, Pakura—"
Before Karura could finish speaking, Pakura had already launched herself at Uchiha Shin.
As a kunoichi possessing the rare Kekkei Genkai of Scorch Release, Pakura had not been sent to the front lines of battle. Instead, she remained in Sunagakure, undergoing rigorous training while also acting as Karura's guardian.
This was Pakura's own decision. She and Karura had been friends since childhood.
The village elders had agreed to this arrangement, thinking that having a peer as a caretaker would help stabilize Karura's emotions.
Since then, Pakura had been responsible for bringing Karura her meals, keeping her company, and talking to her about the outside world.
But today was different. The moment Pakura arrived, she immediately noticed something wrong—the guards at the entrance were missing. She rushed inside, only to see a 'strange ninja' standing too close to Karura, and without hesitation, she attacked.
Whoosh!
Two kunai shot from Pakura's hands.
At the same time, a blazing sphere of intense heat formed in her palm.
"Scorch Release: Superheated Embers!"
She controlled the fireball and hurled it at Uchiha Shin with precise aim.
Watching the incoming attack, Uchiha Shin's eyes gleamed with interest.
"A Kekkei Genkai that fuses Fire and Wind Release, huh?"
How could he not recognize it?
Scorch Release was terrifying. The orbs created by Pakura didn't just burn—they evaporated moisture on contact, mummifying their victims within seconds. Even without that effect, the sheer heat of Scorch Release made it superior to standard Fire or Wind Jutsu.
However, Pakura was still young and had yet to fully master her power.
"Shigan: Raijin Pierce."
Uchiha Shin casually extended a single finger, a pulse of lightning chakra crackling from its tip.
The sheer difference in power was undeniable. The moment the lightning pierced Pakura's attack, her scorching fireball shattered instantly.
BOOM!
A blinding streak of lightning carved through the air, missing Pakura's ear by inches before tearing through the earth wall behind her.
A moment later, a large hole gaped in the wall, letting in strands of dark sunlight from outside.
Gulp.
For several seconds, neither moved. The killing intent rolling off Uchiha Shin made Pakura's entire body stiffen.
She swallowed hard, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks, unable to even twitch a finger.
This was her first real battle, but even with her limited experience, she understood one thing—she stood no chance.
Pakura had always believed herself to be strong. Even at just thirteen, she could take down Chunin with ease. And if her Scorch Release landed on a Jonin, it could be fatal.
But facing Uchiha Shin now, the thought of attacking again didn't even cross her mind.
Noticing her hesitation, Uchiha Shin slightly reined in his killing intent.
The combination of his sheer aura and the Mangekyō Sharingan's influence was enough to trigger an illusion-like fear in most opponents.
"You're not completely foolish," he remarked. "This isn't a fight you can win."
He stepped forward, lifting Pakura's chin lightly with two fingers. His gaze roamed over her delicate features before he murmured, "Take care of Karura. You have no right to interfere in what I do."
He found Pakura intriguing. Despite growing up in the harsh desert environment of Sunagakure, she was still soft, still pink and pretty—an oddity in the brutal shinobi world. Her skin was smooth, untouched by the harsh sun, and her Kekkei Genkai was no small matter either.
Thinking of what fate might await her in the future, Uchiha Shin smirked.
"If you ever find yourself out of options… maybe try calling my name."
Pakura's brows furrowed in confusion at his cryptic words, but before she could respond, Uchiha Shin turned his attention back to Karura.
"I'm leaving for now, Karura. We'll meet again… if fate allows."
With that, he vanished in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique to disappear instantly.
For several minutes after he was gone, Pakura remained frozen before finally collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath.
Karura, who had been silent the entire time, could understand why she was shaken.
After all, she had personally witnessed Uchiha Shin suppress Shukaku—she knew better than anyone what kind of monster Pakura had just faced.
"Pakura, calm down. Lord Uchiha Shin didn't harm you."
Jailo, Karura's attendant, spoke gently, helping Pakura to her feet.
Pakura swayed, still dazed, her mind a chaotic mess. But when she registered Jailo's words, she froze.
"Uchiha Shin? That was Uchiha Shin!?"
Her gaze snapped to Karura, bewildered. "Karura, how do you know him? Did he hurt you?"
A flood of questions filled her mind as she stared at Karura, who now had a faint blush dusting her cheeks. After Pakura finally managed to regain her composure, Karura hesitated before explaining everything that had just happened.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin had already arrived at another part of the village—the chambers where Sunagakure's high-ranking officials operated.
Inside a dimly lit office, a middle-aged man in his forties was seated at a desk, engrossed in paperwork.
Uchiha Shin's shadow clone had already scouted ahead. He knew this man was a key figure in Sunagakure—one of the few Kage-level shinobi in the village, a senior member of the Elders' Advisory Council.
"Finally found the right target."
"Wood Release: Silent Binding!"
Clasping his hands together, Uchiha Shin activated his jutsu. Instantly, wooden tendrils erupted from beneath the chair, wrapping around the Sand elder in an instant.
The man barely had a second to react before the wooden restraints coiled tightly around his limbs, pinning him in place.
His chakra flared as he attempted to fight back—
But then their eyes met.
"Mangekyō Sharingan: Illusion Technique."
The moment he gazed into Uchiha Shin's spinning Sharingan, the elder's will crumbled.
His pupils dilated, his mind falling into a hypnotic trance.
"Where is the Third Kazekage?"
"How are those clay puppets created?"
Standing before the entranced elder, Uchiha Shin spoke coldly.
Sunagakure had probably never expected that even their high-ranking officials could be so easily compromised.
"The Third Kazekage went to Rōran… He seeks to control the power of the Dragon Vein."
"The clay puppets are infused with the chakra extracted from the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran…"
Hearing this, Uchiha Shin inhaled deeply.
So it really was connected to the Dragon Vein.
His eyes darkened.
This changed everything.
With the elder completely under his control, Uchiha Shin pressed further, extracting every piece of information he could about the secretive Dragon Vein project.
What he uncovered only confirmed his suspicions—Sunagakure was playing with a power they didn't fully understand.
And that meant… an opportunity for him.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones