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 co, 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 ca, 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 an he couldn't win a war his own way.
Two days went by without incident.
Finally, so Sunagakure shinobi stumbled upon the marks Pakura had left behind, and they imdiately 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 soone 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 handso rogue of the Akatsuki, Scorpion, really lived up to his hype.
Recalling what so 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 co from. Before the puppets even reached him, a barrage of poisoned needles shot out towards Takuya.
But an idea had ford in Takuya's mind the mont 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 et 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 seed Scorpion had already begun defying Chiyo's wishes, modifying his body. Perhaps the oversized cloak was ant 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 seed to have that sa 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 an 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 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 so Sunagakure shinobi would co and rescue Pakura. Didn't expect it'd be you."
"You seem to know a lot about ," 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 sentintal oddballs was likely maddening for leaders like Konan and Nagato.
With a chuckle, Takuya shook his head in mock disappointnt. "I wish I could say Pakura shared so 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 ."
"What's that supposed to an?" 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 ans," 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.
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