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 ant 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 ."
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 ti. 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 co 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 ant. 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 an Ino-Shika-Cho had a choice?
The mont 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 ca 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 ca 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 retirent, 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 co. 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 soone 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 so 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 soone 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.
"Co 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 imdiately understand what they ant.
They found a cave to use as a resting spot, conveniently located near a stream, making washing up easy.
"All yours," Takuya said, tossing so ga and seasoning at Pakura before heading into the cave to rest.
Pakura silently began prepping the ga 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 slly 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 nace: "And make sure they're clean. If you ss them up on purpose, I'll use your clothes as replacents."
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 , fold the bedding, bring tea—what, you think you can slack off, Pakura?
Soday, I'll repay every ounce of humiliation you've put 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 ti—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 co 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.
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