Chapter 136: Probing and Confirming
Chiyo noticed Pakura hesitating to speak and then she said that the ninjas outside were talking about her, Ebizo, and Rasa. She immediately realized that it couldn't be anything good.
Chiyo said to Pakura, "Pakura, it's okay. Just spit it out!"
Pakura looked embarrassed and said, "Lady Chiyo, I'm kinda embarrassed to say it..."
Chiyo said seriously, "They must be speaking ill of us, right? If I go to ask them, they'll definitely hide something. Only from you can I know everything. Go ahead, Pakura!"
Pakura's expression changed several times, and she sighed as if making a difficult decision. She said to Chiyo, "Lady Chiyo, I just heard it. Please don't be angry. Then I'll tell you.
They say that the Fourth Hokage, Rasa, is your illegitimate child with Ōnoki. During the Second Ninja World War, Lord Ebizo entrusted you to Ōnoki, and then the Fourth Hokage was born. That's why the Fourth Hokage was elected as the Kazekage after the disappearance of the Third Hokage..."
The first sentence from Pakura made Chiyo's face change.
She had an affair with Ōnoki? And an illegitimate child named Rasa? How come she didn't know about this?
Moreover, neither she nor Ōnoki had Magnet Release. How could they give birth to Rasa who had Magnet Release?
As she spoke, Pakura kept observing Chiyo's face and continued, "They also say that our village declared war on Iwagakure. Later, Iwagakure forgave us and cooperated with our village to attack Konoha. The reason is that Ōnoki found out that the Fourth Hokage was his and your illegitimate child, so they decided to cooperate.
And... your grandson Sasori didn't go missing. Instead, he defected because Sasori developed the technique of making human Puppets using living people. And the disappearance of the Third Kazekage might be related to Sasori because Sasori also seemed to go missing around that time."
After hearing about Sasori, Chiyo suddenly stood up from her seat. Her pupils almost shrank to a dot, and the arms propping on the table trembled slightly.
Seeing Chiyo like this, Pakura already had an answer in her heart.
Although the absurd rumors about Chiyo having an affair with Ōnoki, Ebizo entrusting her to Ōnoki, and the Fourth Hokage being an illegitimate child made Chiyo incredulous, she wasn't that agitated.
After all, they were obviously false at first hearing.
However, after the matter about Sasori was mentioned, Chiyo's reaction was too intense, which said a lot.
A deep sense of disappointment welled up in Pakura's heart.
She loved Sunagakure Village and was proud to be a ninja from Sunagakure Village.
However, Kamishiro, whom she regarded as a younger brother and who was afraid of The Battle, went as an undercover agent to Konoha for Sunagakure Village. In the end, he was abandoned by Chiyo and the others and took the blame for Sasori.
After Pakura let out a soft sigh, she remembered what Kamishiro had told her and didn't do anything extra. She said to Lady Chiyo, "Lady Chiyo, it's obvious that these are slurs and rumors. They've had a great impact on your reputation, Lord Ebizo's, and the Fourth Hokage's. So, I think we gotta take action to stop these rumors!"
Lady Chiyo slumped back into the chair, looking grim and lost in thought.
Rumors like the one that she and Rasa were mother and son, or that she had an affair with ōnoki were just too absurd. It would be too humiliating for her to come out and clarify these rumors herself.
As for the matter about Sasori, Lady Chiyo felt that this might be the only true thing among these rumors.
Although it also seemed quite absurd to others. Sasori was her grandson, with a legitimate background. People hadn't even heard of human Puppets, let alone thought that Sasori was involved. In their view, this was the doing of that undercover agent who turned traitor in Konoha, and it had nothing to do with Sasori.
But Lady Chiyo couldn't think so.
There was that room filled with the smell of blood, and Sasori's disappearance happened on the same day as the Third Kazekage's.
Even Lady Chiyo felt that there might be a connection between the Third Kazekage's disappearance and Sasori.
At that time, Lady Chiyo was struggling with whether to say this out.
But Rasa planned to make full use of the useless undercover agent by making the village ninjas hate and be angry with him as a traitor who helped Konoha lure and kill the Third Kazekage, thus boosting the village's morale. So, the Third Kazekage's disappearance had nothing to do with Sasori.
So, Lady Chiyo hid this matter. It was also out of her own selfishness. She thought it might be a misunderstanding of Sasori and hoped that Sasori would come back one day. That's why she hid the smell of blood in Sasori's room and the fact that Sasori disappeared on the same day as the Third Kazekage. She only mentioned the approximate time when Sasori disappeared when she sent ninjas to look for him later.
If among these rumors, the matter about Sasori was true, then the other person must have seen Sasori, and it was very likely that this person witnessed what happened on the day the Third Kazekage disappeared.
Who could it be?
The possibility of that undercover agent suddenly came to Lady Chiyo's mind.
But she immediately ruled out this possibility.
After all, that undercover agent shouldn't have been in Sunagakure Village at that time.
So, it should be someone who was in Sunagakure Village at that time.
Also, who was spreading these rumors in the camp?
Those who could spread rumors in the camp were either other ninjas who had infiltrated the camp or their own people.
If it was their own people spreading the rumors, then it might be the same person.
Lady Chiyo felt extremely troubled now. After thinking for a while, she said to Pakura, "We have to suppress these rumors. Otherwise, it might have an impact on the morale. Pakura, I'll leave this matter to you. It's not appropriate for me to step in."
One more thing, Pakura. You've got to find a way to expose the one spreading these outrageous rumors in the camp! We can't let these outlandish rumors keep spreading!"
Pakura nodded in agreement. "I understand, Lady Chiyo. I'll gather the ninjas in the camp right away. First, I'll suppress these rumors, and then I'll figure out who's spreading them!"
Chiyo nodded. "I'm counting on you, Pakura!"
After Pakura left the tent, she immediately assembled all the ninjas in the camp. She told everyone not to spread the rumors anymore. Anyone caught would face super harsh punishment.
And that was that.
She couldn't expose herself, could she?
Back in her own tent, Pakura was in a very heavy mood.
At first, Pakura was very conflicted. She wanted to believe Kamishiro, but she also hoped it wasn't true, that Kamishiro had made a mistake.
But now... after confirming it, Pakura was heart - broken.
Because Chiyo was Pakura's idol, and it was just unacceptable for Pakura that her idol did such a thing.
Then there were Rasa, Ebizo... These people were either Kage or high - ups in the village, yet they treated Kamishiro, who had gone undercover as an agent for the village, so badly.
They turned Kamishiro into a traitor, forcing him to leave his hometown and become a Konoha ninja.
Pakura remembered what Kamishiro had told her, 'You're just a ninja. No matter how well - known you are now, you're still just a ninja without any real power.'
Pakura's eyes flickered.
If she fought more fiercely in The Battle, killed more Mist ninjas, and raised her status and power, could she clear Kamishiro's name and let him return to Sunagakure Village one day...