High above, the mist was thin, and the Kirigakure Ninja ambushing on both sides below had no idea that three pairs of eyes were staring at them from directly overhead.
"This terrain and positioning…"
Ren stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Are they setting an ambush?"
"Something's wrong."
Ryufeng looked at the Kirigakure Ninja ambushing on both sides below, staring intently into the valley, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
This was the Land of Water; it made no sense for them to be ambushing here. Could it be that the Hidden Mist Village had a reactionary faction that intended to move against the higher-ups and usurp power?
But soon, their doubts were resolved.
Not long after, a figure emerged from the distant mist. Ren, who possessed sensory abilities, quickly noticed the person. He vaguely felt like he had seen that outfit somewhere before.
However, the distance was still a bit far, and the mist obscured the view, making it impossible to see the face clearly. He simply nudged Ryufeng beside him and pointed in the direction.
"Ryufeng, use your Sharingan to see who's coming."
"Mm."
Ryufeng nodded, then directed his gaze towards the direction Ren indicated. But when he clearly saw the person's face, his expression froze, his pupils contracted slightly, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Ryufeng?"
Not receiving a response for a long time, Ren turned his head in surprise and saw his dazed expression.
"Impossible, why would she be here?"
Ryufeng seemed not to have heard what Ren said, remaining in that dazed state, muttering to himself.
"Hmm?"
Feeling that something was amiss, Ren immediately exchanged glances with Number One beside him. The two simultaneously lowered their altitude slightly. This time, they also clearly saw the person's face.
"Holy cow!"
Upon seeing it clearly, Ren couldn't help but exclaim. After realizing what he had done, he quickly covered his mouth and looked down at the ambushing Kirigakure Ninja.
Fortunately, their position was high enough that their voices couldn't reach below.
"Scorch Release Pakura, why is she here?"
That's right, the figure emerging from the mist below was indeed Pakura, in her familiar attire.
Previously on the battlefield, Ren and Ryufeng together could barely contend with her. Her strength was such that she could rank among the top three in the entire Sunagakure.
"Why isn't she staying in Sunagakure? What's she doing in the Land of Water?"
Ryufeng frowned, looking at her as she slowly walked towards the valley, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Ren beside him narrowed their eyes, instantly connecting the dots.
Land of Water, valley… Pakura's death!
To negotiate peace with the Hidden Mist Village, the higher-ups of Sunagakure decided to betray Pakura, a hero of the Village, to the Hidden Mist Village, in order to appease their anger.
It seems this is where Pakura met her end in the original story.
"Is this woman crazy? Is she here to die?!"
Ryufeng clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he spoke, looking down.
"Uh…"
Ren was first stunned, then his expression became a bit strange. He looked at the tense Ryufeng beside him and said softly.
"Ryufeng, what's wrong with you? Pakura isn't our comrade. Why are you so nervous?"
From the beginning, Ren had felt something was off. Looking at the situation, there was definitely something fishy between the two of them.
"Who's nervous?!"
His thoughts exposed, Ryufeng immediately bristled, glaring at Ren with his Sharingan and growling.
"I'm not worried about that woman at all, I…"
"Alright, alright."
Ren directly interrupted him, then leaned his face close to his ear, chuckling.
"Ryufeng, how about we find you a partner?"
"Huh?"
Before Ryufeng could react, Number One beside him also leaned over, hooking Ryufeng's shoulder from the other side, smiling.
"What do you think of Pakura down there? Want your brothers to set you up?"
"I…"
Ryufeng's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Just as he was about to say something, both of them covered his mouth, leaving only his Sharingan darting around in the air.
"Don't be in a hurry to refuse. Listen to your brothers analyze it for you."
Ren pressed his hand firmly over Ryufeng's mouth, preventing him from speaking. Then, ignoring Ryufeng's glaring Sharingan, he continued without changing his expression.
"Looking at this situation, the Kirigakure Ninja's target this time is Pakura. With their numbers and the fact that we're in the Land of Water, if we don't intervene, she's probably doomed."
Upon hearing this, Ryufeng's pupils immediately contracted, and even his struggles lessened considerably. Seeing this, Ren continued to strike while the iron was hot.
"But if we save her, it will benefit us both publicly and privately."
"Publicly: We can use the life-saving grace to have her help us seize the ninja sword scroll. Won't our chances be greater?"
"Privately: Brother, I'll set you two up. She's one of the top Ninja in the Ninja World, possessing both strength and beauty. Taking her down would be absolutely perfect, wouldn't it?"
After he finished speaking, both of them lowered their hands. Ryufeng, freed from his restraints, glared fiercely at Ren, but still stubbornly said.
"I…"
"Alright, shut up."
Ren rolled his eyes, saying with a slight threat.
"If you don't want her, then forget it. We'll leave now, and we can pick up her corpse on the way back."
After Ren finished speaking, he gave Number One a look, and the two flew forward accordingly.
Seeing this, Ryufeng immediately panicked. Noticing Pakura, who had already reached the valley entrance below, he quickly spoke.
"Stop!"
The two, who were already prepared, immediately stopped and hovered in mid-air, looking at him expressionlessly.
"What? X2"
Ryufeng gritted his teeth, and under their gaze, he said with some lack of confidence.
"Save, save her. That woman is quite strong. With her help, the probability of obtaining the ninja sword scroll is very high."
After speaking, he seemed to be unconvinced and added another sentence.
"If it weren't for those ninja sword scroll, I wouldn't bother with her."
"Done!"
A knowing smile appeared on Ren's and Number One's faces simultaneously. Then Ren formed hand signs, and three more Shadow Clones appeared in the air.
"Ryufeng, send two Shadow Clones."
"Good."
Another puff of smoke erupted, and finally, the Shadow Clones grouped into pairs, forming five small teams in the air.
At this moment, Pakura had already met with a young Ninja sent by the Hidden Mist Village to rendezvous. After a few pleasantries, the other party invited Pakura to go first. Pakura, unsuspecting, directly exposed her back to the other party.
A cold smile immediately appeared on the young man's face as he saw this. He silently raised the Kunai in his hand and thrust it directly at Pakura's completely exposed back!
Feeling that the person behind her hadn't followed, Pakura felt a hint of confusion. She turned to look at the other party, and unexpectedly, as soon as she turned, she saw a Kunai pressed against her chest.
"Hmm?!"
Pakura's pupils immediately contracted upon seeing this. She then sharply pulled back, drew a Kunai from her person, and looked vigilantly at the other party, who stood frozen in place, holding the Kunai.