The Scorching Bullet shot out at an absurd speed.
Maku froze mid-attack, forgetting to strike Shukaku as he turned to look at his father, Advisor Mache.
Both father and son specialized in Wind Release. Yet Pakura's Scorch Release bullets were even faster than their wind jutsu.
Advisor Mache said, "That speed... even among Wind Release techniques known for speed, only Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere should reach that level. That was Shimura Danzo's signature Wind Release technique from Konoha."
Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere was a secret technique neither Mache nor Maku dared dream of mastering.
As Maku attacked Shukaku with Wind Release, he observed Pakura's Scorch Release.
The Scorching Bullets struck Shukaku's left shoulder in an unbroken stream.
Shukaku's claws were enormous, making his upper arms and shoulders look comparatively frail.
After thirty straight seconds of Scorching Bullets, Shukaku's left arm was actually cut off.
The sand struck by the Scorching Bullets splashed backward, turning into multicolored glass under the high heat.
Vast chakra. Terrifying destructive power.
Pakura displayed her strength before everyone.
After Shukaku's left arm was severed, he roared in pain.
He tried to repair the arm with sand, but the sand at the break had melted into glass, rendering it useless.
With no choice, Shukaku scattered his entire left shoulder and part of his chest into sand, then reformed his body. The process left him looking even more wretched.
At that moment, Pakura had already reached Shukaku's side.
Wind Release, explosive tags, and jutsu attacks flew over Pakura's head in waves, striking Shukaku.
Pakura slapped the ground and summoned the Bunpuku Teapot, which had been scattered somewhere earlier.
A surge of sealing chakra erupted from the Bunpuku Teapot and rushed toward the half-formed Shukaku. Sealing marks crawled across Shukaku's body like snakes.
The patterns were faintly recognizable as the Buddhist Jewel Casket Dharani Sutra.
Fox's abilities partly came from Hashirama Senju, and Hashirama's power had ties to the Fire Temple's Buddhist tradition. Because of that, Pakura had also studied a fair number of Buddhist scriptures.
Pakura had now fully mastered the Bunpuku Teapot left behind by the monk Bunpuku.
Shukaku wanted to resist, but after remembering that he had just killed the Fourth Kazekage, he decided it was better to hide for now. Even he found the Sand ninja troublesome when they went mad.
Shukaku ignored the nearby Sand ninja and swept his gaze around.
Who exactly was that ninja who had spoken directly to him in his soul world?
That person was strong. Especially on the level of the soul. Even Shukaku was shocked by it.
Shukaku thought, 'Better hide for now...'
Advisor Mache led his men to the breach in the city wall and saw Pakura, who had finished sealing Shukaku.
Mache saw Pakura strap the Bunpuku Teapot to her side. After thinking for a moment, he turned to the others and said, "All of you, follow your squad commanders. Count the losses and rescue the civilians buried under the sand."
Soon, only Advisor Mache and Pakura remained nearby.
The two of them looked at the devastated Windbird City together.
Three three-hundred-meter-tall maple trees stood in the center of Windbird City like a divine miracle.
Outside the city, there was also one fallen giant maple tree.
Mache asked, "Jōnin Pakura, what are your thoughts on the coming war?"
"My thoughts?"
"Yes. Your thoughts are very important."
Pakura looked at him in confusion. Then she understood.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was dead. Her strength had gained Advisor Mache's recognition.
She was now one of the strongest people in Sunagakure.
Pakura stared at the three towering maple trees and said, "That scale of Wood Release was used by Konoha's ANBU Commander, Fox.
Without Shukaku, no one could have broken that Wood Release.
Advisor Mache, I believe we should withdraw from the war. We should not declare war on Konoha.
Sunagakure is too weak. What we should do is cultivate talented young ninja and build our strength, not get dragged too early into the vortex of a Shinobi World War.
If we throw ourselves at Konoha with everything we have, we'll only be helping schemers like Ōnoki tie down part of Konoha's strength.
The Fourth Kazekage has died. While the Third Kage of the other villages are still in their prime, we already have to consider who should become the Fifth Kazekage.
Doesn't that prove how weak we are?"
"You."
"There is a lot of evidence that we're weak..." Pakura was about to continue, then suddenly froze and looked at Advisor Mache.
Advisor Mache said, "Jōnin Pakura, you're right. Sunagakure is too weak.
Sunagakure must consider the issue of the Fifth Kazekage, and you are the most suitable candidate.
My faction, along with Rasa-sama's subordinates, will jointly nominate you as the Fifth Kazekage."
"But I'm too young. I have no foundation at all."
Pakura thought to herself that aside from her student, Maki, she had no loyal subordinates. Unlike Kazekage Rasa and Advisor Mache, who both had followers.
Mache said, "A foundation can be built slowly. Sunagakure needs a strong person to become Kazekage.
The Third Kazekage disappeared. The Fourth Kazekage died at Shukaku's hands.
Sunagakure is too fragile. It cannot endure another storm.
Your strength, and your decision to withdraw from the war, are the best fit for Sunagakure right now.
So, Jōnin Pakura, please shoulder this burden."
Advisor Mache's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"The ninja world is cruel. A ninja without enough strength can die at any moment. The Kazekage is the leader of Sunagakure, yet whether before Konoha's Fox or before Shukaku, he had no dignity at all.
Pakura, I hope you can find the right path and lead Sunagakure out of this mire."
Pakura thought that, at the very least, Sunagakure would not sink deep into the mire of war.
Fox had long planned to make Sunagakure withdraw from the war. In the end, the breakthrough still came through killing Rasa.
"All right, Advisor Mache. I will shoulder the burden of becoming the Fifth Kazekage."
Mache nodded, then waved toward the distance.
Two young people came before Mache and Pakura.
Mache said, "I will nominate Pakura as Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage. From today onward, the two of you will fully support Pakura-sama's work."
Maku looked at the young Pakura in surprise, then turned to Mache in disbelief.
Mache introduced them to Pakura.
"This is my son, Maku. He has decent Wind Release talent.
This is Karura, Rasa-sama's subordinate. She is also the granddaughter of the Second Kazekage, Shamon-sama, and has inherited Sand Release secret techniques. She can manipulate sand."
Pakura looked at Karura and saw that her expression was full of grief. She had not yet recovered from the tragedy of Rasa's death.
Pakura had heard of Karura before. She and the young Rasa had been lovers. She had inherited the Sand Release developed by the Second Kazekage and was one of the representatives of Sunagakure's secret-technique faction.
As for the puppet faction, Advisor Chiyo had a fairly good relationship with Pakura.
Maku quickly said, "Pakura-sama, please give me any orders you need from now on!"
Karura swallowed with difficulty and said, "Pakura-sama, please give me your orders."
Pakura nodded. "I understand. Let's clean up the mess in Windbird City first."
When no one else was around, Pakura used the Blood Phantom Shadow Technique to inform Fox that Mache intended to nominate her as Kazekage.
The secret-technique faction's Karura, Advisor Mache's important son Maku, were now her subordinates.
Fox sent back a strange reply:
If Karura gives birth to a daughter, name her Temari. If she gives birth to a son and he happened to have red hair, name him Gaara.
Pakura was full of confusion. Under the excuse of discussing Shukaku's sand-manipulation technique with Karura, she examined Karura's body.
Karura was not pregnant.
So why was Fox paying attention to Karura's child?
As Konoha's ANBU Commander, had Fox already set his sights on Karura long ago?