Why?
Why would the people of Konoha save her?
And not just anyone—such a terrifying lineup had come.
There was no need to say much about Namikaze Minato, currently Konoha's brightest rising star.
His reputation had even surpassed that of his master, one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya.
Uchiha Shisui was also a rising star of the Uchiha clan.
Although not as dazzling as Minato, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at a young age and was Danzo's first and most valued disciple—his future was limitless.
As for Danzo?
There was even less need to explain.
Even though he sat in a wheelchair now—or even if he were bedridden and unable to move—as long as he was still breathing, no one would dare underestimate this elder who once fought against two Kage alone.
Suddenly, Pakura seemed to remember something.
She abruptly sat up.
Her injuries worsened under the strain, causing fresh blood to gush out.
"I advise you not to move recklessly right now, or you'll die," Danzo warned in his hoarse voice.
But Pakura didn't listen.
Perhaps it was because she had just brushed past death, or maybe there was something more important on her mind.
For a brief moment, she cast aside her fear of this "Darkness of the Shinobi."
She locked eyes with Danzo and asked,
"My subordinates are still waiting for me. Tell me, where are they?"
Danzo wasn't angered by her rudeness. Instead, he admired the determination in her eyes.
But admiration was one thing—he still had to tell the truth.
"I'm sorry, but your subordinates are already dead."
Upon hearing Danzo's words, Pakura's eyes lost focus, and the world around her became a blur.
Her vision drifted far away, as if she could see her fallen comrades lying in the desert.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her bloodstained face.
"I'm sorry. This is the Land of Wind's territory. Even I could not act recklessly to save them," Danzo explained, a rare moment of justification from him as he sat in his wheelchair.
Pakura remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Can I see them one last time?"
Minato looked at Danzo.
Danzo nodded.
"Go ahead."
After performing emergency first aid on Pakura, Minato took her to the outskirts of Emerald Lake Town.
This was where she had left her subordinates.
According to the plan, they were supposed to wait here for her return, ready to welcome peace for Sunagakure.
Unfortunately, she did return—but heavily wounded.
And her subordinates were still here—only as corpses.
Both sides had kept their promises.
Yet, in some twisted way, both had also broken them.
Seeing the corpses scattered across the desert, Pakura trembled slightly, but her tears had already run dry.
After a long silence, she rasped,
"Who did this?"
Minato hesitated for a moment but chose to answer truthfully.
"According to Lord Danzo's observations, the ones responsible don't seem to be Kirigakure. They were your own people—Sunagakure."
Pakura had expected this answer, but hearing it confirmed still made her shudder slightly.
"So it was to eliminate any loose ends... How ruthless, Rasa."
She carefully examined the bodies of her fallen subordinates, partially buried by the desert sands.
They all bore distinct blade wounds.
If the attackers had been from Kirigakure, they likely wouldn't have used bladed weapons, as they specialized in Water Release techniques.
Moreover, in their eyes, Pakura was already dead. There was no reason for them to disguise their methods.
Only if Sunagakure itself had done this would they deliberately alter their killing techniques to cover up the truth.
As for the motive, it was even more obvious.
It was nothing more than silencing witnesses and eliminating loose ends.
At the same time, they could pin the blame on Kirigakure, using hatred to unite the village and build momentum for themselves...
After everything that had happened, Pakura suddenly realized that she had changed in some way.
The things she once dared not think about or even suspect had now become painfully clear and self-evident.
Watching Pakura, who had seemingly matured in an instant, Minato felt a deep sense of empathy.
Although he had long become a competent shinobi, fully aware of the world's cruelty, Pakura's experience was still too brutal.
Not only was she ambushed by enemies, but she was also betrayed by her own village, and all her subordinates were killed.
What kind of catastrophic start was this?
Even Minato couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her.
He also wondered how Danzo planned to handle this situation next.
"It's time to leave. The main Suna forces are on their way," Minato suddenly reminded.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Kazekage himself is leading them."
After all, they were still within the Land of Wind's borders.
Facing both the Kazekage and the Mizukage at the same time wouldn't be ideal—especially for Danzo, who was still gravely injured.
Pakura also sensed the approaching Suna forces.
But the allies she once knew had already become strangers.
The village she had once wanted to protect now looked like a hellscape in her eyes.
She no longer had the desire to protect it—only the thirst for vengeance remained.
"Rasa, I swear, I will take everything back."
"Wait for me."
Her eyes burned with unyielding flames of revenge.
As soon as she spoke these words, Minato teleported her back to Danzo using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
When Danzo saw Pakura again, he immediately noticed the transformation in her aura.
His gaze, deep as an abyss, seemed to pierce through her, seeing the darkness growing within.
Under Danzo's scrutiny, Pakura felt immense pressure—but she wasn't afraid.
She had nothing left to lose.
"What happens next?" she asked directly.
She didn't believe that the infamous "Darkness of the Shinobi" had gone through all this trouble just to save her life.
Danzo, unfazed, answered calmly:
"Simple. Get stronger—then take your revenge."
Hearing the word "revenge" and recalling the terrifying reputation of the old man before her, Pakura narrowed her eyes.
"You can make me stronger?"
Danzo nodded, as if it were a matter of course.
"Of course."
"Hate is a powerful source of strength."
Pakura took a deep breath, making a decision in her heart.
She locked eyes with Danzo and spoke each word with unwavering determination:
"I owe you my life. Help me become stronger—once I kill Rasa, my life is yours!"
Danzo smiled, like a devil sealing a contract.
"Deal."
He slowly raised his rough hand and looked at Pakura.
"If you truly seek revenge—then follow me."
His hoarse voice echoed in her ears like a demon's temptation.
Pakura understood this well.
This path could very well be one of no return.
But she still accepted it without hesitation.
Enduring the pain of her injuries, she knelt on one knee and bowed her head beneath Danzo's hand.
"Pakura is willing to serve you, my lord!"
_
Patreon.com/rashta
1. 320 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto
2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother
3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin
4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)
5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird