God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village

Clang! Clang! Clang...

The sharp, intense sound of metal clashing echoed continuously.

Surrounded by several Mist shinobi, Pakura wielded her kunai in one hand, fiercely fending off their attacks. Her other hand remained poised, ready to control the four fiery orbs hovering around her.

Just as Pakura forced one Mist shinobi back, another attempted to seize the opportunity, raising his blade to strike her smooth, pale back. However, Pakura's lips curved into a faint smirk.

With a swift motion of her left hand, one of the fireballs shot toward the Mist shinobi behind her.

Whoosh!

The fireball struck the Mist shinobi directly, producing a sizzling sound as it hit.

Yet, the Mist shinobi's body instantly evaporated into a cloud of white steam. Even with the incredible power of Pakura's Scorch Release, it wasn't capable of vaporizing a body so completely.

It was clear that this was merely a water clone, a decoy meant to distract her.

Pakura, however, remained unfazed. Her lips maintained their subtle curve of confidence.

Suddenly!

As if sensing something, Pakura leapt into the air, her legs stretching into a perfect split midair, lifting her feet as far from the water's surface as possible. Without looking back, she flung three fireballs toward the spot beneath the water where she had just been standing.

Splash!

Her prediction was spot on. The moment she leapt, water erupted from her previous position, revealing two Mist shinobi who had been hiding underwater, ready to ambush her.

But in the next instant, the two Mist shinobi found themselves face-to-face with the three blazing, orange-red fireballs.

"Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!"

Their screams pierced the air as the fireballs made contact.

The moment the fireballs entered their bodies, the liquid within them—blood, intracellular fluid, and more—was instantly vaporized.

To the onlookers, it seemed as though the two Mist shinobi had been thrown into the river of time, their bodies aging rapidly in mere moments.

Their forms withered visibly, shriveling like corpses left to bake under the desert sun for years.

Huff... Huff...

Landing back on the ground, Pakura panted lightly. Facing the relentless assault of the Mist shinobi and constantly multitasking in battle was rapidly depleting her stamina.

Taking advantage of a brief respite, she scanned the battlefield filled with the cacophony of clashes and explosions.

The situation was dire.

Sunagakure's forces were clearly on the defensive, retreating step by step. The bodies floating on the water's surface were mostly clad in the uniforms of Sunagakure shinobi...

The Mist shinobi outnumbered and outmatched them in strength, and they had successfully trapped Sunagakure's forces in this artificial water domain.

Their tactics were brutal yet effective: Mist shinobi on the water's surface launched fierce attacks, then retreated to create a gap.

This momentary lull often caused their opponents to drop their guard, allowing Mist shinobi hiding underwater to drag them down or trap them in Water Prison Jutsu before delivering the killing blow.

Now, the Mist shinobi were once again deploying the Hidden Mist Technique. Thick, sticky white mist began to spread toward the Sunagakure forces.

Pakura's anxiety grew. If this dense mist enveloped them, the Sunagakure shinobi would inevitably be picked off one by one, leading to a devastating defeat.

This mist, infused with the Chakra of multiple Mist shinobi, was far too dense for ordinary Wind Release techniques to disperse.

And while Pakura's Scorch Release was the most effective counter to the Hidden Mist Technique, she was being held down by the enemy, unable to act freely.

Moreover, the screams coming from the northern front only added to the heavy shadow looming over Pakura's heart.

"Do the Mist shinobi have no new tricks beyond this?"

Despite facing three remaining Mist shinobi, Pakura's expression betrayed no weakness. Her calm demeanor remained as she taunted them.

The grotesque man among the Mist shinobi appeared to hold some authority, as the other two seemed to adopt a protective stance around him during their attacks.

Pakura's sharp instincts picked up on this, creating opportunities to exploit.

"Useless!"

"All of you are useless!"

"You can't even handle one woman!"

The grotesque man berated the two Mist shinobi beside him, though they appeared unfazed, keeping their focus on Pakura.

The man's thick, flat nose twitched as he tightened his grip on his twin blades. The silver gleam of the blades reflected the sunlight, their handles wrapped in emerald-green bindings, and the guards intricately engraved with fish-scale patterns. The craftsmanship exuded both elegance and power.

Pakura's pupils narrowed slightly, and her body tensed. She knew the destructive potential of such finely-crafted blades.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, as if expelling the fatigue and unease from her heart.

Then, with six newly-formed fireballs orbiting her, she charged toward the enemy.

"Secret Ninja Skill: Water Soar Slash!"

The grotesque man swung his blade across the water's surface. As the blade lifted, a thin, translucent, fan-shaped arc of energy—resembling sword energy—emerged from the blade and slashed forward.

One of the Mist shinobi wielding a kunai rushed forward, attempting to block Pakura's advance, while the other rapidly formed hand seals. Judging by the speed of his seals, his fundamentals were exceptionally strong.

Moments later, he completed his jutsu.

"Water Release: Water Whip!"

Clang!

Pakura's kunai clashed with the Mist shinobi's weapon. He pushed against her with all his strength, forcing her to deflect his attack. Seizing the moment, he crouched and delivered a rising kick with his right leg.

Pakura sidestepped to evade, but a thick water whip surged from the surface at her feet, lashing toward her.

Snap!

The water whip struck the surface, sending a massive spray of water into the air, showcasing its immense power.

While dodging, Pakura didn't forget to retaliate. With a wave of her hands, four fireballs shot toward the kunai-wielding Mist shinobi.

Although her vision was briefly obscured by the spray, Pakura's heightened senses detected an incoming threat. Sunlight glinted off a shimmering arc of energy headed straight for her.

Fortunately, two fireballs remained near Pakura. Without hesitation, she summoned them in front of her and quickly formed hand seals.

Whoosh!

The two fireballs merged into a massive, house-sized sphere of flames, forming a fiery prison.

The water whip and the incoming slash were engulfed within, evaporating into steam.

Meanwhile, a sharp, abrupt scream echoed from the other side.

The four fireballs Pakura had launched earlier expanded in size as she completed her seals. The Mist shinobi, unable to dodge in time, was engulfed in flames, his charred corpse sinking into the water.

But just as Pakura's body trembled slightly from exhaustion, an even greater danger loomed over her.

Using such powerful techniques on a single target was wasteful, but Pakura had no choice while being pinned down.

"Why hasn't she been dealt with yet?"

The burly Mist shinobi who had stood atop the wave earlier had now joined the grotesque man.

He was accompanied by over a dozen masked shinobi, their presence radiating a menacing and bloodthirsty aura.

The grotesque man's demeanor shifted completely as he stammered out an explanation.

But the burly shinobi waved him off impatiently. "I'll handle this myself!"

Even for the battle-hardened Pakura, facing so many formidable enemies in her exhausted state caused beads of sweat to form on her delicate face.

Still, her expression showed no fear—only resolute determination.

The burly Mist shinobi leader gazed at Pakura with a hint of admiration.

"Sunagakure is fortunate to have such a heroic kunoichi," he remarked.

"But soon, you'll become a scar etched into Sunagakure's history..."

His thick brows furrowed, his face brimming with savagery.

As he prepared to strike, and Pakura raised her kunai defensively, a sudden, powerful gust of wind swept through the battlefield.

Pakura's hair, along with everyone else's, was lifted by the roaring wind.

"What is this?!"

The shinobi turned toward the source of the wind, their expressions filled with confusion and unease.

The howling wind grew stronger, as if heralding the arrival of a ruler.

"This wind?!"

The Mist shinobi squinted, the gale whipping their collars violently.

In the next instant, the leader wiped his face, only to find a thin, fresh cut left by the wind.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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