Chapter 64: Scorch Release Pakura
At the edge of the western cliff of Mount Kikyo, the sheer rock wall looked as if it had been carved straight down by a colossal axe. Not a single blade of grass grew upon it. Even moss struggled to cling to the narrow cracks between the stones.
The grayish-brown rock surface reflected a cold, muted glow in the darkness of night. Pebbles occasionally loosened by the mountain wind tumbled into the bottomless valley below, their faint echoes only returning after several seconds.
Kamizuki Izumo led three sensor-type shinobi as they moved slowly along the rock wall. Chakra flowing from the soles of their feet transformed into powerful adhesive force, keeping them firmly attached to the rough stone surface.
"Captain Izumo, there's a Chakra reaction fifty meters ahead. Weak but dense. It should be a hidden reconnaissance post." The most senior sensor shinobi in the team, Takuya Iwata, lowered his voice.
His fingers pressed lightly against his temple, where faint blue Chakra pulsed. His brows were tightly furrowed. "No fewer than six individuals. Their Chakra fluctuations are… a bit strange."
Izumo raised a hand, signaling the team to halt. Carefully, he leaned his upper body forward, using the faint light leaking from the fortress atop Mount Kikyo to observe the rock wall ahead.
Between the protruding rock formations, faint silhouettes of black puppet joints could be seen. Their materials almost perfectly blended with the gray-brown stone surface.
"I'll strike first. You focus on protection and cover my movement," Izumo whispered, his voice so low only the shinobi beside him could hear. "Iwata, use your sensor technique to lock onto the Chakra positions. The rest of you—smoke bombs."
The two remaining shinobi immediately moved, retrieving specially modified silent smoke bombs from their ninja pouches. With a gentle press of their fingertips on the triggers, they tossed them soundlessly toward the puppets.
The smoke bombs landed without a sound, releasing only a pale gray mist that quickly spread across the rock wall, forming a concealed visual barrier.
Chakra surged violently beneath Izumo's feet. Master-level Body Flicker Technique and Shave activated simultaneously. His figure turned into a pale green blur, instantly piercing through the smoke.
His eyes swept across the battlefield—three puppets in total. That meant one or two puppet users nearby.
His first target was the puppet user on the far left.
That puppet user had already sensed something unusual. The puppet arm he controlled suddenly extended outward, its hidden poisoned kunai about to fire.
"Finger Pistol: Armor Breaker!"
Chakra gathered at Izumo's fingertip, hardened to a level approaching refined steel. With a sharp whistle that tore through the air, it pierced directly into the puppet's connecting joint.
A crisp cracking sound followed. The puppet's mechanical arm shattered instantly, and the poisoned kunai it held dropped straight into the abyss below.
Without waiting for the puppet user to react, Izumo used Moonwalk to lightly twist his body midair. His form floated like drifting cotton, gliding directly toward the puppet user himself.
The adjacent puppet user also noticed Izumo's presence. In a panic, he controlled the chest compartment of the second puppet to snap open. Dozens of poison needles as thin as fine hair erupted like a storm, sealing off every possible escape route.
Izumo's gaze did not waver.
The kunai in his hand had already sliced across the throat of the first puppet user. At the same time, he suddenly activated Paper Art. His body twisted and folded at impossible angles that defied the laws of physics. The poison needles shot past the edges of his clothing, not a single one touching him.
Simultaneously, his right hand flung four kunai toward four hidden Sunagakure shinobi.
"Enemy attack!" The four Suna shinobi had just been about to launch a signal flare when they were intercepted by Iwata and the other two.
Izumo's feet touched down once more. The high-frequency burst from Shave allowed him to weave through the narrow rock walls like a phantom.
His left hand rapidly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"
A stream of sticky, pale-blue liquid burst from his fingertips, spreading and crawling along the rock surface. It instantly bound the joints of the third puppet's limbs, sealing all four of them in place and rendering it immobile.
Immediately after, his figure flashed in front of the second puppet. A side kick infused with the explosive force of Master-level Basic Taijutsu slammed into the puppet's chest. The entire puppet was blasted backward, smashing into the rock wall and scattering stone fragments before dropping into the smoke-filled darkness below.
A puppet user without their puppet was like a tiger that had lost its fangs.
A faint smile appeared on Izumo's lips as he efficiently and cleanly eliminated the second puppet user along with the four Sunagakure Chūnin.
"Captain… your abilities are incredible!" One of the younger sensor shinobi couldn't help but whisper in awe, his eyes filled with admiration.
Izumo waved a hand, signaling them to keep moving. "Don't relax. The defenses ahead will only get tighter."
The team continued climbing upward. The rock wall grew steeper, and occasionally they could spot patrolling Sunagakure shinobi in the valley below.
About half an hour later, they finally reached the top of the cliff. A dense forest stretched out before them, and along its outer edge lingered a pale purple mist with a faint, nauseating smell filling the air.
"This… poison mist!" Takuya Iwata's face changed drastically as he quickly covered his nose and mouth. "The toxicity is extremely strong. My sensor technique is heavily suppressed—I can't penetrate the mist to scout what's inside."
Izumo extended a hand and waved it lightly within the mist. A faint burning sensation immediately prickled at his fingertips. He quickly circulated Chakra to resist it. Frowning slightly, he already understood the situation.
This poison mist had definitely been carefully arranged by Chiyo. It served as both a toxic defensive barrier and a sensor-disrupting field. Forcing their way through it would likely come at a heavy cost.
Moreover, heavy forces were certainly stationed beyond the mist. Charging in with only four of them would be unwise.
"The mission is half complete. At the very least, we've mapped out the enemy's outer defenses," Izumo decided quickly. "We can't break through this poison mist. Staying here only increases the risk of being discovered. Withdraw immediately."
"Iwata, take a sample of this poison mist. Bring it back so Lord Tsunade can formulate an antidote."
Everyone agreed without objection. After collecting a sample of the poison mist, they turned back and began retracing their route.
Izumo walked at the rear of the formation, guarding the team and remaining alert to any movement behind them. However, just as they had climbed halfway down the cliff, a blazing wave of scorching Chakra suddenly surged from above, instantly enveloping the entire rock wall.
"Watch out!" Izumo's expression changed drastically. He shouted at the top of his lungs while forming hand seals with both hands. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick earthen wall instantly rose from the cliff surface, blocking the team's front.
BOOM—!
An intensely hot fireball slammed into the earthen wall. Under the extreme temperature, the wall melted into molten magma that flowed down the rock face.
"Who is it?!" Iwata shouted angrily, fully activating his sensor technique. "One Jōnin above us—Chakra fluctuations are extremely strong. This is Jōnin level!"
"Not an ordinary Jōnin," Izumo murmured. Feeling the sheer force of the attack against his earth wall and the unnatural heat of that fireball, a name surfaced in his mind.
The flames gradually faded, revealing a figure standing tall at the top of the cliff, looking down at them from above.
She was a tall woman wearing Sunagakure's black Jōnin combat attire, secured with a vivid red sash. The most striking feature was her hair—a blend of burnt orange and emerald green, like some exotic plant from a deep forest, standing out sharply in the darkness.
Her face was beautiful, with slightly raised brows and eyes as sharp as blades. In her hands, she held two special kunai whose blades flowed with dark red Chakra that resembled molten lava.
"Konoha shinobi… so you actually have the nerve to break through Mount Kikyo's defensive line." Her voice was cold, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible arrogance. The corners of her lips curved into a chilly smile. "I am Sunagakure Jōnin, Pakura. Accept your deaths, Konoha trash."
Scorch Release Pakura!
Izumo instantly confirmed her identity in his mind. One of Sunagakure's strongest ninja—the wielder of the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, perfectly combining Wind and Fire Chakra into a devastating power without equal.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —