Chapter 36: Pakura
Three days after parting ways with the six Genin, Yusuke and Hayama Shirakumo stood outside the eastern gate of Sunagakure, waiting for their squad to arrive.
Over the past few days, Yusuke's Phantom Crow clones had been patrolling the skies, observing the progress of the six Konoha Genin. He had also seen quite a few Genin from other villages along the way.
The capabilities of Genin across the different villages varied widely. Yusuke saw many stranded in the desert, unable to find their way, or collapsed from exhaustion. These Genin were eventually rescued by their respective Jōnin instructors, but their chance to continue in the Chūnin Exams was lost.
In comparison, Konoha's team of six was doing significantly better. Aside from Kurama Kyōko and Gekkō Hayate—who were somewhat lacking in stamina and slowed the group's pace—the team still managed to reach Sunagakure within the three-day timeframe.
Kurama Kyōko struggled with taijutsu, while Hayate's chronic illness limited his endurance. Although it didn't affect his speed or explosive strength, his sustained performance was weaker compared to others of his level.
Among the six, the standout performers were Anko and Mizuki.
The Book of Rin had a line about Anko: "Her endurance rivals that of any male shinobi." Watching her agile movement in the desert through his Phantom Crow's perspective, Yusuke couldn't help but admit the praise was well-earned.
Mizuki, on the other hand, surprised Yusuke. The desert's heat and the fatigue of long-distance travel seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.
"In the original, Mizuki was one of Orochimaru's discarded pawns. But based on how well he's doing, it's likely Orochimaru actually enhanced him and left him in Konoha as a sleeper agent."
Yusuke also noticed Mizuki intentionally trying to get closer to Itachi, though he didn't worry too much.
First, Itachi was already wary of Mizuki. And second—Orochimaru himself had suffered serious losses at Itachi's hands in the original story. What could Mizuki possibly hope to achieve?
Not long after, the six Genin from Konoha arrived at the eastern gate and reunited with Yusuke and Shirakumo.
Aside from the perpetually sickly-looking Gekkō Hayate, the other five were all in good shape—alert and full of energy. Both Yusuke and Shirakumo nodded in satisfaction.
It meant their planning—stamina and time management—had been well thought out. They arrived on time without burning themselves out.
Once all the candidates had gathered, Sunagakure officials led the Genin who passed the first round to a plaza for assembly.
Jōnin instructors and invited observers took their places on the stands surrounding the square.
As the leader of the host village, Fourth Kazekage Rasa made a rousing speech, urging the Genin to give it their all, to strive forward, and to display their true strength in the exams.
Rasa was the most financially savvy of the five Kage. With his Magnet Release, he could extract gold dust from the desert sands and sell it across the nations.
The Land of Wind's daimyo offered minimal support to Sunagakure. It was Rasa's unique ability that kept the village financially stable and capable of maintaining its scale.
Yusuke believed that many ninja techniques had applications beyond combat. For example, Yamato's Wood Release could construct sturdy wooden homes in an instant. The First Hokage could complete the foundation of an entire resort with a single hand sign.
To Yusuke, these abilities could have revolutionized infrastructure and economy—if only their wielders had focused on development instead of war.
Among the crowd, Yusuke also spotted several notable Sunagakure shinobi—Pakura, Baki, Yura, and Yashamaru.
Yura, by this point, was likely already under Sasori's "Memory-Concealing Manipulative Sand Technique," a semi-genjutsu that manipulated chakra in the brain via implanted sand particles.
Even though Yusuke was proficient in genjutsu, this technique was beyond his ability to dispel. In the original story, Orochimaru had to perform a craniotomy on Kabuto to extract the sand and free him.
Among these people, the one who drew Yusuke's attention the most was Pakura of the Scorch Release—not just for her power, but because she might become a valuable ally in the future.
This heroic Sunagakure kunoichi would soon fall victim to a high-level conspiracy within the village—her death used as a political sacrifice to secure peace with Kirigakure.
Yusuke suspected this decision stemmed from an internal power struggle in the Sand village.
In a world where personal strength could determine the outcome of war, someone like Pakura—a bloodline limit user with overwhelming power—would never be discarded unless politics were at play.
"This visit to Sunagakure might be a rare chance to meet her," Yusuke thought.
Pakura was a strong-willed kunoichi. In the original story, when she was revived via Edo Tensei, she realized she had been betrayed by her village—and instantly vowed revenge. Her methods were swift and brutal.
Clearly, she was no blind loyalist. That made her an ideal candidate for future cooperation.
While Yusuke was lost in thought, he noticed that he and Shirakumo had become the center of attention themselves. As elite Jōnin from the largest shinobi village, and both being well-known in the ninja world, they naturally attracted interest.
"Isn't that Konoha's elite Jōnin, Shirakumo Hayama? The one beside him looks so young—could he be a Jōnin too?"
"That's Uchiha Yusuke, the 'Blazing Blade of Konoha.' The genius who killed Kurosuki Raiga during the Third Great Ninja War. He's probably only fifteen or sixteen now."
"As expected of the Uchiha Clan—one of the great clans of the ninja world. I hear there's another prodigy called 'Shisui of the Body Flicker' making waves too."
Discussions like these buzzed all around. Genius ninja from the Uchiha clan made for irresistible conversation.
"You've become one of Konoha's iconic ninja now," Shirakumo said with a sigh. "Back when I was your age, I'd only just become a Chūnin."
Yusuke shrugged. "Fame isn't always a good thing."
Shirakumo gave a rare smile. "Fame is power. It's deterrence. The Third Hokage sent you here precisely so the world would know—even in its current slump, Konoha still has talent like you."
"I believe in you. One day, you'll be the backbone of our village."
As the two casually chatted, the proctor for the Chūnin Exams began announcing the second round.
The next test was a familiar one—Heaven and Earth Scrolls. Each squad would carry either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll and enter the "Demonic Desert" from different gates. They had 72 hours to survive and obtain both scroll types.
Only those squads that reached the goal point within the time limit, without losing any members and with both scrolls in hand, would proceed to the third round. The rest would be eliminated.
The Demonic Desert was an unforgiving environment—scorching during the day with no wind, freezing at night with vicious sandstorms.
On top of that, giant sand scorpions roamed the terrain, attacking from the shadows.
But the real danger lay in the competition—each team had to fight others for the scroll they lacked. Statistically, at least half of the teams would be eliminated. Historically, the pass rate hovered around 30%.
"Your crow clones really come in handy," Shirakumo said with a hint of envy, watching Yusuke dispatch two of them to scout the Demonic Desert. "I'd love to see how the kids are doing, but I can't enter."
Yusuke's Phantom Crows were excellent recon tools. They could fly high for bird's-eye surveillance and, being non-corporeal, were immune to physical attacks—unlike ordinary clones.
Yusuke smiled. "Don't worry, Hayama-senpai. With their abilities, this challenge won't be too hard."
It wasn't arrogance. Konoha, as the first village to implement the ninja academy system, produced top-tier Genin. The ones selected for the exam were already the elite—and with someone like Itachi on their team, this round wasn't a major concern.
As the second test began, Jōnin from the various villages were given free time. Some strolled around Sunagakure's open districts; others returned to their lodgings to rest.
Despite appearances, the village still maintained tight surveillance. ANBU and covert shinobi were stationed everywhere, watching for any threats to their security.
Yusuke didn't wander. He returned to his lodging and waited for nightfall.
Under the cover of darkness, he summoned a large number of Phantom Crow clones. Their black feathers made them nearly invisible at night—at most, someone might mistake them for birds passing through.
Most were sent far into the Nara Desert, searching for Shukaku's trail. The rest remained above the village, searching for Pakura.
Before long, one of his clones spotted her at a bustling night market in Sunagakure.
Tonight, she wasn't wearing her usual shinobi gear, but a light kimono. Walking beside her was a cheerful girl with face paint—her close disciple, Maki.
There was no doubt—Pakura was a striking beauty. Her features were delicate, her long black hair pinned up elegantly, with crimson streaks framing her face. Beauty, with a hint of heroic sharpness.
Tonight, she had set aside training and, at her disciple's insistence, came out to enjoy the night.
The two were chatting and laughing, when suddenly Pakura felt… something off.
Nothing seemed out of place around her, yet an inexplicable sense of unease crept up her spine. Something was wrong, though she couldn't say what.
"...Was it just my imagination?"
Pakura narrowed her eyes, her instincts still tingling.