Chiya followed Pakura to the area near an ordinary house. The two stood in the shadows beside the road.
Ahead of them, a thirteen year old girl was crouching on the ground.
Maki.
She covered her face as she cried. Camouflage paint was drawn on both sides of her pretty cheeks.
Her thin shoulders trembled slightly. She was clearly heartbroken.
Pakura's eyes stayed fixed on her, and a trace of struggle and hesitation flashed through them.
"It's Maki..."
Pakura murmured softly as her fingers unconsciously clenched into fists.
Chiya noticed the change in her emotions. He gently held her hand and gave her a firm look.
Pakura took a deep breath and nodded before walking toward the girl.
At the same time, Chiya flashed into a nearby shadow.
His Sharingan glowed faintly as he instantly took control of a Suna nin who had been hiding nearby to keep watch.
"Maki."
Pakura called softly, her voice filled with long lost warmth.
The girl suddenly looked up. When her tear filled eyes saw who it was, they instantly widened.
"T... Teacher Pakura?!"
Her voice trembled with joy as she threw herself into Pakura's arms.
"You've finally come back! There hasn't been any news from you lately. I thought something had happened to you..."
Pakura gently patted her back, and a complicated look flashed across her eyes.
"Maki, I'm fine."
Maki looked up and was about to speak again when she caught sight of Chiya walking out of the shadows.
His black hair, black eyes, and appearance matched the portrait of Konoha ninja that Sunagakure had distributed.
It completely overlapped with Uchiha Chiya.
Her body instantly froze, and her pupils shrank.
"Uchiha... Chiya?!"
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and a trace of fear.
Pakura nodded without explaining further.
Maki immediately became emotional. She broke free from Pakura's embrace, stepped back twice, and her voice trembled.
"Teacher, why are you with him? He's from Konoha. He's our enemy!"
Pakura sighed. Her gaze was gentle, yet firm.
"Maki, some things are not as simple as they seem."
"The higher ups of Sunagakure... are no longer worthy of our trust."
"No! I don't believe it!"
Maki shook her head, her eyes full of resistance.
"Teacher, you must have been deceived by him! That's right, the Uchiha have the Sharingan. It must be his genjutsu!"
"Teacher, come with me to the Kazekage Building. We can ask Lord Kazekage to help remove it for you!"
Pakura looked at her, pain flashing through her eyes.
"Maki, come with me. This is no longer the place where we belong."
Fresh tears streamed down Maki's face, but her eyes became stubborn.
"No! I won't betray the village! Teacher, you can't do this either!"
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Pakura's eyes dimmed.
She knew that Maki's loyalty and faith could not be shaken with just a few words.
At that moment, Chiya slowly stepped forward, his tone calm but unquestionable.
"We're out of time."
Before his words had even finished, he raised his hand and struck the back of Maki's neck with a precise chop.
The girl let out a muffled groan and collapsed limply.
Pakura instinctively caught her, and a trace of reluctance flashed across her face.
"Chiya..."
Chiya replied calmly.
"If she stays here, she'll only become a target for the higher ups to vent their anger on."
"Taking her with us will at least guarantee her safety."
Back in Konoha, after Orochimaru defected from the village.
His disciple, Anko, had suffered endless criticism.
Those days had not been easy.
Although Pakura had not truly defected, to those higher ups in Sunagakure.
There was little difference.
Naturally, they would not easily spare her student.
Pakura remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.
Chiya bent down, carried the unconscious girl onto his shoulder, and said quietly.
"Let's go. The longer we stay, the more trouble we'll have."
Pakura gave Sunagakure one final look.
The attachment in her eyes completely disappeared.
She turned around and followed Chiya.
Their figures quickly vanished into the night.
...
The night was deep as Chiya carried the unconscious Maki while he and Pakura raced along the edge of the desert toward the southwestern battlefield.
Pakura's brows remained tightly furrowed, and her gaze kept falling on Maki, who was resting on Chiya's shoulder.
Suddenly, Maki's body twitched slightly before she let out a soft groan.
She slowly opened her eyes.
As her vision became clear, she saw the star filled sky above and the sand dunes rushing past.
She froze for a moment before struggling violently.
"L... Let me go!"
Chiya frowned and tightened his grip slightly to stop her from falling.
"Don't move."
Maki turned her head and clearly saw who was carrying her.
Her pupils suddenly shrank.
"Uchiha... Chiya?!"
Her voice was filled with fear and anger. She immediately turned toward Pakura, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
"Teacher! Why are you with him?!"
Pakura opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but Maki had already shouted emotionally.
"You're the hero of Sunagakure!"
"How can you betray the village?!"
"Do you know that you're the village's greatest hero? You're the hope of the entire village!"
Her voice choked, and she could no longer continue.
Chiya gave her a cold glance.
"Brat, you're too noisy."
Maki shrank back in fear from his gaze, but she quickly glared back stubbornly.
"Y... You demon from Konoha! You must have tricked my teacher!"
"I..."
Chiya could not be bothered to waste more words.
His Sharingan flashed slightly as he instantly cast a genjutsu.
Maki's eyes became blank.
Her head drooped weakly as she fell asleep once again.
Seeing this, Pakura could not help letting out a soft sigh.
"She's still just a child..."
Chiya replied calmly.
"Being young isn't an excuse for making noise. We don't have time to let her vent her emotions."
Pakura remained silent for a while.
Looking at Maki's peaceful sleeping face, pain filled her eyes.
This child was her most trusted and beloved disciple.
She was also one of the few sources of warmth Pakura had left in Sunagakure.
Yet now, she had become the witness to her betrayal.
"Maybe... I really should explain everything to her."
Pakura said softly.
Chiya glanced at her.
"Are you sure? She might not listen."
Pakura smiled bitterly.
"But at least, I don't want her to live while misunderstanding me."
Chiya looked at her for several seconds.
Seeing the determination on her face, he finally nodded.
"Fine. As you wish."
He placed Maki on the ground.
He formed a hand seal and released the genjutsu.
Maki's body trembled slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.
This time, she did not make a scene immediately.
She looked at Chiya cautiously before turning toward Pakura, her eyes full of confusion.
Pakura walked over, crouched in front of her, and looked at her gently.
"Maki, calm down and listen to me, alright?"
Maki bit her lip and looked at Uchiha Chiya with caution.
In the end, she nodded lightly.
Pakura adjusted her emotions before speaking slowly.
"The higher ups of Sunagakure... abandoned me."
Maki's pupils shrank.
"What?"
"They reached a deal with Kirigakure."
"They traded my life for temporary peace."
Pakura's voice was calm, but filled with deep exhaustion.
"If Chiya hadn't saved me, I would already be dead."
Maki's face instantly turned pale.
"N... No way! How could Lord Kazekage..."
"Maki, you're still young. There are things where you've only seen the surface."
Tears flowed down Maki's face once again as she shook her head, her voice trembling.
"But... But you're our hero! How could they..."
Pakura gently wiped away her tears and spoke softly.
"A hero?"
"Heh... Before power and profit, so called heroes are nothing more than chess pieces that can be discarded at any time."
After saying that, Pakura handed her the scroll she had brought out from Sunagakure.
She then explained everything that had happened.
Maki's fingers trembled as she opened the scroll.
Looking at the intelligence inside, tears streamed down her face without stopping.
She suddenly threw herself into Pakura's arms and cried loudly.
"Teacher, please don't say any more. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you..."
Pakura gently patted her back, and her own eyes became slightly moist.
"Silly child, you didn't do anything wrong."
Chiya stood nearby, quietly watching the scene with deep eyes.
After a while, he spoke.
"We should leave. If we delay any longer, the Suna nin pursuers may find us."
Pakura nodded and helped Maki to her feet.
Maki wiped away her tears.
Although confusion still remained in her eyes, she had calmed down considerably.
"Maki, do you want to leave with me?"
Maki remained silent for a moment before lowering her head.
"Teacher... Can I?"
"Of course you can!"
Hearing Maki agree to leave with her, Pakura smiled brightly.
She had always treated this student like her own younger sister.
She was still young, and Pakura could not bear to leave her alone in this Sunagakure that no longer had any heroes.
Maki looked back at Chiya and spoke softly.
"I'm sorry... I was too impulsive just now. Thank you for saving my teacher."
Chiya raised an eyebrow.
He was a little surprised that the brat actually apologized.
He simply answered with a calm, "Mm," and said nothing more.
Pakura smiled with relief and spoke softly.
"Let's go. We need to leave this place as quickly as possible."
Maki nodded seriously.
In her world now, she only had one family left.
That was Pakura.
Teacher Pakura had already done everything she could for the village.
This time, Maki no longer resisted.
The three of them set off once again.
In the night, their figures gradually disappeared beyond the end of the desert.
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