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Pakura could only gather the scattered fireballs around her once again and hurl them toward the Thunder Dragon.
But at this moment, she felt a bit of despair.
Her Scorch Release alone could not neutralize the Lightning Release jointly cast by multiple enemy shinobi. Now, with her body entangled by the sticky Lava Release, she couldn't move freely to dodge.
If she got hit by this attack head-on, death would be inevitable.
'So⊠am I going to die?'
Dying here like thisâshe was unwilling.
At this critical moment.
The Thunder Dragons unleashed by the Kumo Shinobi had already collided with Pakura's massive fireball, resulting in a violent explosion.
BOOM!
The surrounding Kumo Shinobi, afraid of getting caught in the blast, immediately backed away.
Thick smoke billowed through the forest.
Dodai watched the direction of the explosion.
"Dead? If we managed to take down a powerful enemy, at least this mission wasn't completely fruitless."
But he didn't feel happy.
Last night, they had lost so many people. Even among Kumo's top Taijutsu experts, Ishida, who had mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, had died.
Dodai still felt deep painâlosing so many elite warriors wasn't something that could be offset by killing a single Scorch Release user.
If possible, he would rather not kill Pakura at all and instead bring back the fifty lives they lost last night.
As the smoke gradually cleared, everyone saw Pakura's battered figureâcovered in wounds, panting heavily.
"No way, she's still alive?"
Many Kumo Shinobi were shocked.
Even Pakura herself was unsure of what had just happened. Moments ago, she had clearly felt the Thunder Dragon breaking through her Scorch Release, reaching right in front of her.
But at that very moment, she distinctly sensed the Thunder Dragon being redirected by some unknown force, shifting away from her original position where it was supposed to collide with her fireball.
Then the explosion occurred at that new location.
Since there was a slight distance between her and the blast site, she managed to survive, though severely injured.
What neither side knew was that, not far away, atop a hidden tree, Obito lowered his hands.
Minato, beside him, praised, "I didn't expect you to have mastered this technique as well, Obito."
Obito smiled, "Using the Flying Thunder God Barrier to redirect an attack is a form of space-time manipulation. Since it's my specialty, mastering it was⊠quite easy."
Minato nodded but then asked curiously, "Why did you step in just now to save that kunoichi?"
Obito smirked, "Minato-sensei, I've just found another talent for the Akatsuki. She is Pakura, the Scorch Release user. In the future, she alone will hold off the Mist's attack and become a hero of the Sand."
Rin suddenly realized, "So she's the one you mentioned before. The hero sacrificed by the Sand?"
Kakashi's expression darkened, "Then she might as well die here in battle. At least that would be an honorable death."
Obito looked at Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, thinking of White Fang again? Sorry, but Pakura has the potential to join Akatsuki, and I don't want to waste this opportunity."
Minato gazed toward the battlefield, "Obito, if you want to save her, do it quickly. Her situation is getting worse."
Obito turned his eyes back to the battlefieldâŠ
At this moment, due to the explosion melting the rubber-like substance binding her, Pakura had regained mobility.
But she was severely injured. Additionally, wary of Dodai's various auxiliary jutsu, she didn't dare to stay in one place too long.
She had to move cautiously, limiting her actions.
The Kumo Shinobi had noticed her weakened state. But fearing she might go berserk and trigger massive explosions, they kept their distance, using ninjutsu to wear down her stamina.
She was wounded, with no time to tend to her injuriesâeventually, she would bleed out.
Seeing this, Obito said, "Her situation is indeed bad. Minato-sensei, I'm going in. Wait here for a moment."
With that, he swiftly retrieved his tiger-patterned mask from Kamui's dimension, donned it, and transformed into the long-haired, masked man. Then, his body vanished from the spot.
Kakashi muttered, "He's playing that so-called 'Ghost of the Ninja World' role again, making his voice sound like some dying old shinobi and giving off that ominous chakra."
"No wonder Minato-sensei couldn't recognize him. It would be a miracle if he did."
Minato felt a bit embarrassed, "No matter what, not recognizing my own student is my fault. Rin, even if Obito changes like this, you'd still recognize him, right?"
Rin thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Hmm, maybe not at first, but after a few conversations, he'd expose himself. Obito is easy to recognize."
Minato and Kakashi were left speechless, 'Is he really that easy to recognize?'
âââ
On the battlefield, as Pakura grew exhausted, Kumo's Taijutsu specialists finally lost patience and charged at her.
After continuous exertion, she could no longer form large Scorch Release fireballs. Dragging her wounded body, she was forced into close combat with the Kumo Shinobi.
While her close combat skills weren't weak. At the level of a Jonin, compared to her Scorch Release, they weren't as formidable. Moreover, she was severely injured.
She was rapidly falling into danger.
Just as the Kumo Shinobi saw an opportunity to end her life, a strange figure suddenly appeared beside Pakura.
Sensing something was wrong, the Kumo Shinobi quickly backed away. Even Dodai frowned at this masked stranger.
He asked, "Who are you?"
The masked man's aged, raspy voice echoed, "You didn't come here⊠for me?"
"Heh⊠Kumo Village brats, looks like you still don't understand the situation."
Dodai felt a chill but was also furious, "So you're the one who killed our dozens of elite warriors? Are you from the Sand?"
The masked man replied indifferently, "I belong to no one. Yesterday, I just happened to pass through here. But some clueless ants insisted on provoking me. And the more I killed, the more came⊠so I had no choice but to slaughter them all."
Dodai's expression became more serious than ever.
They had already examined the battlefield remains.
The squad executing the Nine-Tails retrieval mission had vanished without a trace.
The remaining dozens of warriors had indeed appeared to be besieging a single individual. Before being wiped out by large-scale Fire Release and an enormous summoning beast.
'To slaughter so many elite shinobi at once, this masked man is incredibly strong.'
Although their numbers were greater now, the ninja world had always had monsters who couldn't be defeated by sheer numbersâlike their Third Raikage.
Cautiously, Dodai probed, "Then why are you appearing near this battlefield between us and the Sand?"
The masked man seemed to ponder this question for a moment, remaining silent.
After a while, he raised a single finger, "Honestly, I yearn for peace."
"You great ninja villages keep fighting, plunging the world into chaos. I can't stand by and watch anymore. I want to put an end to it."
"Especially you, Kumo. You're the aggressors this time. I advise you to stop, or one day, on a whim, I just might erase your village."
Dodai's veins bulged with anger, "You're saying you can wipe us out whenever you want?"
The masked man spread his hands, "Who knows? But as long as you behave and don't stir up wars, I won't bother with these matters."
Dodai was seething, "So you're determined to fight us here?"
"Just now, you saved that Sand kunoichi. What exactly is your connection to the Sand?"
The masked man sighed in mock helplessness, "I told youâwe have no connection. Why won't you believe me? As for saving her⊠yes, I did."
Behind him, Pakura, who had taken the chance to tend to her wounds, though still wary of this mysterious and eerie masked man, sincerely expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you. Without you, I'd be dead."
"But⊠why did you save me?"
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