Chapter 88: Chapter 88
At this time, in the Land of Water,
Toki followed Pakura into Kirigakure, his expression filled with disdain.
"What kind of run-down place is this? Why is it always so foggy everywhere?"
Pakura chuckled, covering her mouth.
"Why do you think it's called Kirigakure? The mist serves as a natural defense against invasions from other villages."
"I thought it was because they were too poor. Too bad I didn't bring my motorcycle."
Pakura subconsciously touched her chest, rolling her eyes.
"I'm not sitting on that piece of junk of yours."
The two followed a map to a valley, where visibility was less than two meters due to the thick fog.
"Lady Pakura of the Scorch Style, I'm here to welcome you."
A voice suddenly came from the dense mist ahead. A Kirigakure ninja emerged, smiling warmly, as if genuinely pleased to greet Pakura.
Pakura frowned slightly before smiling.
"Thank you for the trouble, but it's just a valley. We're not likely to get lost."
The Kirigakure ninja scratched his head in embarrassment, laughing.
"Well, if you insist. Please, follow me."
Pakura gestured toward Toki.
"This is a traveling merchant who hired us from Sunagakure—Monkey D. Luffy. His destination is also Kirigakure. Could you guide both of us?"
The Kirigakure ninja froze for a moment, glancing at Toki, who seemed harmless. He nodded.
"Alright then, let's go together."
You're just unlucky.
The Kirigakure ninja muttered internally. Toki grinned slightly, his Sharingan's superior observational abilities allowing him to discern the ninja's inner thoughts through microexpressions.
Patting the ninja's back, Toki discreetly attached an explosive tag.
"Well, thank you for the guidance. It's appreciated."
Pakura nodded, continuing deeper into the valley.
Suddenly, the Kirigakure ninja's expression turned ferocious. He swiftly drew a kunai and aimed to stab Pakura's spine, intending to paralyze her lower body.
"Look out!"
Feigning panic, Toki lunged forward, embracing Pakura from behind.
With a splatter of blood, Pakura turned to see Toki coughing up blood. The Kirigakure ninja had a vicious expression on his face.
Pakura roared angrily, "What are you doing?!"
The Kirigakure ninja spat.
"Damn you! You've ruined our plan!"
"Feel the same pain our comrades endured because of Sunagakure!"
Pakura looked at the ninja, stunned.
"Our Sunagakure came here to sign a peace treaty with Kirigakure!"
The ninja sneered.
"Don't misunderstand. The resentment of our village won't be erased that easily. Your death is merely a consolation for us. Even your village sees you as nothing but a pawn in their negotiations."
Pakura froze, disbelief washing over her.
She was a hero of Sunagakure!
Yet her village had sent her to her death?!
She was nothing more than a bargaining chip in the deal between the two villages?!
As rage and sorrow welled up inside her, Toki reached out and touched Pakura's face, speaking weakly.
"Run... quickly!"
Kunai and shuriken rained down from above. Toki shielded Pakura, pushing her to the ground.
"Toki!!"
Pakura screamed in agony.
At this moment, at the brink of betrayal and abandonment, the man who risked his life to save her had completely captured pakura's heart.
Toki weakly formed a hand seal. The explosive tag on the back of the Kirigakure ninja detonated, creating a fiery explosion.
"Go now!"
Toki pushed Pakura forcefully.
"Leave me behind!"
Without hesitation, Pakura turned and carried Toki on her back, running as fast as she could out of the valley.
"We'll escape together!"
Meanwhile, back in the valley, a massive steel-armored snake burst out, blocking the Kirigakure ninja.
"What is that?!"
"A monster?!"
The steel-armored snake unleashed its Rock Collapse ability, sealing the valley with rubble and trapping the Kirigakure forces inside.
Far away, Pakura sobbed as she carried Toki.
"Luffy, hold on! We're getting out of here!"
Toki weakly handed her a scroll.
"I probably won't make it... This scroll contains a yacht I prepared in advance. Use it to escape. Leave me behind... You'll have a better chance."
Pakura cried out emotionally.
"No! We'll escape together!"
From a distance, Black Zetsu and Obito watched silently.
Black Zetsu muttered, dumbfounded.
"He really came to the Land of Water... just to pick up girls?"
Obito's face darkened.
"Is this the serious threat you were worried about?"
"No, listen! There's more to it—"
"I'm not listening! Investigate properly! Don't waste my time on this idiot!"
Black Zetsu sulked, sinking into the ground.
Meanwhile, aboard the yacht, Pakura wiped her tears, looking at Toku lovingly.
"Luffy, do you have any last wishes? Don't worry, I'll avenge you."
Toki sighed weakly.
"My biggest regret... is never having been in love."
Pakura blushed, looking away shyly.
Some time later, she glanced at Toki, who seemed pale yet oddly energetic.
"Your injuries...?"
Toki coughed awkwardly.
"Well... My family has a secret yin-yang healing technique that lets us recover through harmony. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel obligated to me. I'm fine now."
Pakura stared at him in disbelief, tears of relief streaming down her face.
"Really?! Why didn't you say so earlier?! You scared me to death!"
She blushed and whispered to Toki again:
"Are you satisfied now?"
Toki looked at Pakura's snow-white figure and felt his desire rekindle.
"Not even close!" he declared.
Toki twisted her slender, well-trained waist and stepped forward.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
---
(Approximately 120,000 words of omitted content later)[A/N: Joking, but seriously author didn't writes R18 chapters]
By the time they returned from the sea to the mainland, Toki had truly made an impression. He casually wrapped an arm around Pakura's slender waist and smiled as he asked:
"So, what do you plan to do now? Want to take revenge on the Land of Wind?"
Pakura shook her head, a look of sorrow in her eyes.
"Forget it. There's no point. As long as we're safe now, that's all that matters."
She was aware of the harsh reality: the Sand Village was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Even as a hero of Sunagakure, a wielder of the Scorch Release, she couldn't face an entire village. If she went back to confront them, it would only mean certain death.
In her mind, nothing was more important than staying alive with Toki. So, she suggested, "Let's find a small country where no one knows us and live in seclusion."
Toki rolled his eyes internally. Why do people always choose some small country to live in seclusion? Do they think life there is any better?
Even if he were to live in seclusion, it would be in a larger, more resourceful village like Konoha. Feigning hesitation, he looked at Toki.
"What's wrong?" Pakura asked with concern.
Toki looked serious. "There's something I haven't told you yet."
Pakura froze for a moment, then chuckled.
"It's fine. You saved my life. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter."
Toki nodded. "Actually, aside from the name Monkey D. Luffy, I have another identity."
Toki laughed again.
"You're so nervous about this? I understand that you might use a fake name while traveling. I didn't even ask about your ninjutsu techniques, did I?"
Relieved, Toki said, "That's good, then. Actually, besides being Monkey D. Luffy, I'm also..."
Toki smiled patiently. "Go ahead. What other identity could you have that would scare me? Are you some sort of wanted criminal?"
Toki scratched his head. "Well, technically, yes. I think my bounty is worth at least three Asuma heads in the black market."
Pakura: "???"
---
Suddenly, a notification from Toki's system popped up:
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for establishing a new trading partner—Konoha Village. All future transactions with Konoha Village will now contribute to family reputation.]
[Ding! New system building unlocked—Ninja School.]
---
In Konoha, Uchiha Setsuna stood in front of a crowd of school-age children, lecturing passionately.
"Wherever there are Konoha leaves, the fire burns bright! We must learn to sacrifice ourselves to illuminate others. Unity and friendship are the fine virtues of Konoha!"
The children, ranging from 6 to 12 years old, listened attentively—partly out of fear and partly due to the presence of a giant Blastoise standing beside Tiehuo.
Even the elite young ninja like Moonlight Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, who were already close to chunin level, had been sent back to school for further training.
Among the crowd, Uchiha Itachi stood quietly, his expression complicated. Around him, other students flaunted their Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yashiro was meeting with the heads of various ninja clans in the principal's office. Holding a list of tuition fees, one of the leaders hesitated.
"Principal, isn't the tuition a bit... steep?"
Yashiro shook his head, unconcerned. "Expensive? Who said it's expensive? Have you considered how much scroll supplies cost in the Land of Grass? A C-rank ninjutsu scroll is 100,000 ryo, a B-rank one 200,000 ryo, and so on. Compared to that, we're practically losing money."
The clan heads begrudgingly agreed, though some secretly cursed Yashiro's profiteering ways.
---
Elsewhere, Toki looked at Pakura innocently as they continued their conversation.
Pakura's face was filled with disbelief. "Who did you just say you were?"
Toki coughed. "Uchiha Toki, also known as Monkey D. Luffy, nicknamed Kurosaki Ichigo, and the interim leader of the Uchiha clan."
"The leader of the Uchiha clan?! The one who led them to repel Kumogakure?!"
Toki sighed. "Who would've thought my legend had spread so far, even without me going to the battlefield."
Pakura's eyelid twitched. She suddenly had a new understanding of how shameless this man could be.
"Then why did you go to Sunagakure?"
Toki smiled. "To fall in love with you at first sight."
"Tell me something believable."
"Fine. I was testing my motorcycle and accidentally ended up in Sunagakure."
Pakura looked at Toki suspiciously but ultimately softened.
Toki continued, "So, if you truly want revenge, I can help you."
Pakura sighed. "There's no need. Sunagakure and Kirigakure have already allied. If Konoha steps in, it could become another war."
Toki looked at her sincerely. "This wasn't my intention from the start."
(Though, truthfully, his initial goal had been to obtain her kekkei genkai.)
Pakura hesitated. "So, what now? Do we really start another conflict over this?"
Before Toki could respond, countless origami paper floated in the air. A figure made entirely of paper descended, resembling an angel.
A cold, serene voice echoed:
"Abandoned by your village? Do you wish to join the Akatsuki?"
-----
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