Konoha's Tatsuya

Swish, swish, swish...

Whoosh...

A strong wind blew, and Tatsuya's figure appeared beside a river, where clear water flowed gently along a winding channel.

Standing by the riverbank, Tatsuya bent down to wash the wounds and dirt from his body.

After traveling at full speed, Tatsuya had crossed the border of the Land of Rivers and returned to the Land of Fire. The river before him flowed eastward from within the Land of Rivers.

"Huh!"

Finished washing, Tatsuya stood up and suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

A dozen or so meters away in the river, a body was floating downstream.

Seeing the body floating in the river, Tatsuya leaped across the water's surface and pulled it out.

The body was warm to the touch, and its owner was none other than Pakura, the Scorch Release user who had been pursued by the Suna ninja.

Unexpectedly, despite her severe injuries, she had also escaped during the earlier chaos! However, judging by Pakura's aura and wounds, she was also on her last legs. If Tatsuya hadn't rescued her, she likely wouldn't have survived the day.

Lifting Pakura, Tatsuya didn't stop, and quickly disappeared.

Half a day later, inside a cave on a mountainside.

Pakura's body was laid flat on the ground, her tight-fitting clothes unable to conceal her graceful figure. Her pale face showed a hint of tragic beauty.

Crackle, crackle...

In the cave, the firewood in the bonfire continuously emitted soft crackling sounds, adding a bit of warmth to the space.

Ugh...

With a soft moan, Pakura slowly regained consciousness.

"You're awake."

Before Pakura's consciousness had fully returned, she heard a voice from nearby.

Hearing the voice, Pakura immediately snapped awake. She struggled to sit up and looked towards the cave entrance, where the sound had come from. She saw Tatsuya, dressed in the uniform of a Konoha ninja, leaning against the wall.

Pakura recognized Tatsuya at once. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "You're that Konoha ninja. You saved me?"

Tatsuya nodded. "That's right."

"Thank you."

Pakura glanced at the bandages covering her wounds and spoke softly.

Tatsuya smiled slightly but didn't reply.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the cave fell silent.

"Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" After a while, Pakura looked up at Tatsuya's young face and spoke again.

"What's there to ask? You were once a hero of Sunagakure. Even lesser-known ninja like us have heard of the Scorch Release user Pakura. Now, you're being hunted down by your own village. There's obviously some big secret hidden there, and I don't want to become a target for Sunagakure's silencing simply because I know too much," Tatsuya said, shrugging.

"I didn't expect you to be so perceptive for a kid! And you're not some 'lesser-known' ninja. To escape from their hands, your strength at this age is already remarkable. Even Kakashi, Konoha's genius, might not be your match. I have to say, Konoha truly produces exceptional talents," Pakura said, a slight smile playing on her lips as she carefully observed Tatsuya.

These were Pakura's genuine thoughts. As one of Sunagakure's strongest, second only to the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, Pakura had held a very high position in the village and was naturally very familiar with its affairs.

Along the way, as the Suna ninja pursuing her made their moves, Pakura had recognized them. For Sunagakure, which believed in cultivating elite ninja, the number of elite ninja was limited, and only a select few could be sent to pursue Pakura.

During the earlier chaos, Pakura had clearly seen Maki going after Tatsuya. And now that Tatsuya was sitting here unharmed, it meant he had either escaped or repelled Maki.

Maki was one of Sunagakure's most skilled ninja. For Tatsuya to possess such strength at his age was truly worthy of the title of "genius."

Adding in Kakashi, Shisui Uchiha, and others who had already made names for themselves during the Third Shinobi World War, the number and strength of young, talented ninja in Konoha completely surpassed Sunagakure's.

"Genius? Heh, I'm no genius. The only reason I escaped their pursuit is because of my summon's abilities, not my own personal strength," Tatsuya chuckled and shook his head.

Hearing Tatsuya's words, Pakura smiled slightly, clearly not believing him.

Pakura hadn't personally witnessed Tatsuya's individual strength, so she couldn't judge, but the fact that he had managed to heal her injuries to such an extent in such a short time demonstrated his advanced medical ninjutsu skills.

However, Pakura had misunderstood. The reason her injuries had recovered so quickly was that Tatsuya had used the Fujinhoin to replenish her body with a large amount of physical energy.

"You're a ninja from Konoha's Akimichi clan?" Pakura asked softly, glancing at the breastplate in front of Tatsuya's chest.

"Yes, my name is Tatsuya Akimichi," Tatsuya nodded in confirmation.

There was nothing to hide about this, and Tatsuya didn't intend to. His identity had already been completely exposed during their earlier encounter.

"Alright, I'll remember your kindness. I will repay you in the future," Pakura said in a low voice after a brief silence.

"What are you going to do next? Do you still want to take revenge on Sunagakure's leadership?" Tatsuya asked, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but instead changing the subject.

Hearing Tatsuya's question, Pakura didn't answer, but the expression on her face said it all.

In the original storyline, after Pakura was revived by Kabuto's Impure World Reincarnation during the Fourth Shinobi World War, she harbored strong thoughts of revenge.

Although it was unclear why Pakura was still alive, judging from Sunagakure's pursuit and Pakura's gaze towards Maki and the others, a huge rift had formed between Pakura and Sunagakure. Even an observer like Tatsuya could clearly sense that hatred.

From being a hero who had rendered countless meritorious services to the village to becoming a political sacrifice abandoned by the village leadership, such a thing would be unacceptable to anyone.

"I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I can guess the general idea. I understand your hatred for the village. However, I suggest you don't rush into seeking revenge for now. Your Scorch Release bloodline limit is powerful, but it's impossible to fight against an entire Hidden Village alone. Moreover, the main culprits behind your current predicament are only Sunagakure's leadership. There are still many comrades and loved ones in the village who fought alongside you. Are you truly sure you can bring yourself to harm them when you face them again?" Tatsuya continued, looking at the silent Pakura.

Faced with Tatsuya's soul-searching question, Pakura paled and couldn't answer.

Pakura was not a cold-blooded, murderous person. This question had haunted her ever since she had narrowly escaped Kirigakure's ambush, but she still hadn't found an answer. This was also the direct reason why Pakura had been quickly discovered and subsequently pursued when she infiltrated Sunagakure after recovering from her injuries.

"If you're willing to wait, I can help you take revenge on Sunagakure's leadership in the future," Tatsuya told her.

"You can help?" Pakura's gaze shifted to Tatsuya's face, and she stared at him intently, murmuring.

"That's right," Tatsuya nodded affirmatively.

Pakura asked, "How?"

Tatsuya said, "Strength! As long as you're willing to trust me, I can make you a true Kage-level powerhouse in a few years!"

"Alright! I don't have anywhere to go for now anyway, so I'll trust you!" After a long silence, Pakura nodded, agreeing to Tatsuya's proposal.

Abandoned by her village, she didn't have many other options at the moment.

"Trust me, you won't regret this decision," Tatsuya said, a smile spreading across his face, his tone filled with intense confidence.