NoviceAuthor
patreon
[NTU] [ARC-15] Chapter : 191
🕑 Added 2024-10-19 19:46:53 +0000 UTCWhile Toshiro was making his deal with Gaara, elsewhere in the Sand Village, a small whirlwind, no more than half a meter wide, blew through the open door of a secluded building. It stirred up a faint cloud of dust as a slender figure emerged from within the swirling wind.
"Fugi, this is the place you arranged? Quite the view!" A clear, feminine voice rang out as she surveyed her surroundings.
The building was discreetly located within the Sand Village, in close proximity to the Kazekage's office. It was an excellent spot, offering both seclusion and a strategic advantage. From the window, one could see the Kazekage's office clearly, observing every movement around it.
"This time, we're working together for mutual benefit... How are your preparations coming along?" Pakura asked without a hint of courtesy. Her usual haughty demeanor was on full display, treating Fugi as though he were one of her subordinates rather than an equal.
"Hmph, Pakura... you haven’t changed at all," Fugi responded with a smirk. "We're all set on our end. Once night falls, we’ll proceed as planned."
Fugi squinted as he watched Pakura by the window, her arrogance still palpable despite the setbacks she had faced. It was just like her—to act superior, even after such a loss.
With a subtle glance at his companion, Fugi signaled. Madou, another high-ranking ninja, casually touched his pouch of tools, exchanged a knowing look with Fugi, and flashed a smile full of hidden intent.
"Pakura, assassinating the Kazekage is no small matter. We must proceed with caution. Is there anything else we need to prepare on this end?" Fugi spoke, trying to divert her attention from the distant Kazekage Building, where her focus had remained since they entered.
He worried that Pakura might falter at this critical moment. After all, ninjas like her, driven by betrayal and revenge, often make unexpected and reckless decisions. Distracting her with the details of tonight's plan seemed the best course of action.
It was still astonishing to him. Pakura, after being stabbed in the back by her own people, had sought out an alliance with ninjas like them—their faction had tried to bring Pakura to their side for a long time despite their rejections. And now that she was bent on assassinating Rasa, the Kazekage. Even going as far as asking them for help so that the village would not come in to jeopardy because of it..
"This woman..." Fugi muttered under his breath.
Seeing that Pakura remained frozen in place for some time, Fugi walked up beside her, intending to remind her to focus on the mission. But as he followed her gaze, he noticed a short-haired girl wearing a Sand Ninja forehead protector walking into the Kazekage Building.
"If I'm not mistaken, that’s one of your former subordinates in the village," Fugi remarked, a sly grin forming on his lips. "What a sweet-looking kid... Didn't you come back to see your disciples?"
With just a glance at the girl’s retreating figure, Fugi recognized her. If his memory served him right, that girl was Maki.
"No need. I'm no longer the hero of the Sand Ninja Village—just a traitor. There's no point in seeing those who no longer matter for now," Pakura said, reluctantly tearing her gaze away. She refocused on the plan for tonight's mission.
"I'll handle the assassination of Rasa, but you’ll need to stabilize things afterward," she continued, her voice calm but firm. "Are you sure you can do that?"
Since her betrayal, Pakura had been seething with unrelenting anger. The fact that Rasa labeled her a traitor only fueled her desire for revenge. Yet, despite her need for vengeance, she couldn’t ignore that the ordinary villagers and the lower-ranking ninjas were innocent of the betrayal.
After much consideration, Pakura resolved to reach out to Fugi, someone she had dealt with before. She knew that with the support from his backers, along with their allies, there would be no issue stabilizing the situation after Rasa's death.
"Rest assured," Fugi said confidently, "the power behind us is far greater than you imagine. Once Rasa is gone, we can easily restore your honor, as an esteemed jōnin."
He emphasized the word jōnin deliberately, knowing it struck a chord with Pakura. It was part of the deal she had sought when approaching them, and their leader had eagerly agreed—but only after she fulfilled her part and eliminated Rasa.
"And then, you’ll be able to openly visit your disciples again," Fugi added, his voice smooth, as if the plan were already a success.
"Is that so? That's great!" Pakura's voice carried a hint of excitement, though her expression quickly turned serious. The prospect of restoring her reputation clearly meant a lot to her.
Meanwhile, Toshiro was completely unaware of the conversation taking place. He stood off to the side, holding a tissue as he wiped the blood from the corner of his eye.
"I didn't expect it would take so much chakra to plant a long-term suggestion on Shukaku," he muttered. "Good thing my eyes have been strengthened... otherwise, this would've been a lot more difficult."
After applying a few drops of green fluorescent eye drops, Toshiro felt a noticeable relief in his eyes.
"Are you... okay?" Gaara hesitated, visibly concerned after witnessing blood trickling from Toshiro's eyes. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to do.
"It's nothing," Toshiro replied casually, brushing off Gaara’s worry. Without further explanation, he tossed a colorful gemstone pendant to Gaara. "Here, keep this. Whenever you want a peaceful night's sleep, just take this out and shake it in front of your eyes. Shukaku will fall into a deep slumber and won't bother you or try to take control of your body while you're resting."
This was no ordinary trinket—Toshiro had invested significant effort, using his powerful Mangekyo Sharingan to plant a psychological suggestion deep within Shukaku's mind.
The pendant would put Shukaku to sleep for several hours just by being dangled in front of Gaara’s eyes.
"Really?" Gaara asked, taking the pendant from Toshiro and marveling at the multicolored light it emitted before clutching it tightly.
"Yes, but remember, everything has its limits," Toshiro warned. "The pendant’s effect will weaken over time and with repeated use. Eventually, you'll have to face Shukaku's harassment on your own."
There was no avoiding it—no matter how powerful his Mangekyo Sharingan was, even nearing the Eternal Mangekyō, its influence couldn’t last forever. If Gaara used the pendant wisely, it should last until he was a teenager, but beyond that, its power would fade.
Obito was able to control the third mizukage for a long time because he used to visit the mizukage in regular intervals to cast and re-strengthen his genjutsu. He had flexibility because of his Kamui.
"If you use it sparingly, this pendant will lose its effect by the time you're a teenager. But if you use it too often, it might become useless before you even turn ten."
"...Thank you," Gaara said, his voice no longer as hoarse as before. His tone had become more lively, and even his face, once pale from years of insomnia, now seemed to regain some color.
Toshiro wasn’t sure if the change was due to Gaara learning that his mother had always been watching over him, or the relief of finally being able to sleep.
"Hold off on the thanks just yet," Toshiro said with a grin. "You're going to need to endure a bit of discomfort now."
Patting the boy on the head once more, Toshiro prepared to begin extracting a portion of Shukaku's chakra.
