Under assault from both sides, Uchiha Shin had unknowingly become the catalyst for Yuki's transformation—forcing her to mature in the heat of battle.
"I'll teach you everything, little by little," Shin murmured, his voice laced with amusement.
"Hmm~"
Listening to his words, Yuki's cheeks flushed a deep red. She could only nod shyly, avoiding his gaze.
Shin, noticing Terumi Mei's embarrassed and weakened state, patted Yuki's bare shoulder and instructed her calmly:
"Go help your Mizukage. I'll leave the cleanup to you."
"I understand, Master Uchiha Shin."
With a soft whimper, Yuki escorted Shin out of the office, her eyes flickering with an expression of disbelief. Turning back, she saw Mei struggling to stay upright, half-conscious, her body still trembling from exhaustion.
"Lord Mizukage, let me help you up."
Yuki knelt beside her, offering support as Mei reluctantly took her hand.
With swift hand seals, Yuki activated her Kekkei Genkai.
"Ice Release: Frigid Gale!"
A chilling gust swept through the room, instantly purging the intoxicating scent that had lingered in the air.
The sudden coldness jolted Mei fully awake, though she still looked somewhat mortified.
"Snow... You saw everything?" Mei groaned, rubbing her temples.
"Um… Lord Mizukage, how exactly do you train?"
"I—I just practiced with a banana before! I never thought I'd need actual training. Otherwise, do you think I'd be in this state?!"
Mei rolled her eyes, exasperation evident. Despite Yuki being a few years older than her, Mei quickly regained her composure.
After steadying herself, the Fifth Mizukage immediately inquired about Shin's whereabouts.
"Where did Uchiha Shin-sama go?"
"He left to monitor how our forces are handling Pakura."
"Pakura? The Sand kunoichi with the Scorch Release?"
Mei, still a bit dazed, furrowed her brows.
"Why would he bother with her?"
Originally, Pakura was meant to be a political hostage, but now that Shin had completely seized control over the Hidden Mist, she was unnecessary. If the village's shinobi encountered her, they'd immediately consider her an enemy combatant and eliminate her on sight.
"Oh, whatever. Just a Sand kunoichi," Mei muttered, waving a dismissive hand. "We have other things to focus on."
She barely had time to recover before being bombarded with more work. Yuki handed her a stack of documents, their weight alone making Mei sigh in frustration.
After all, as the officially recognized Fifth Mizukage, her signature was required for nearly every major decision in the village.
Meanwhile, beyond the village's mist-covered borders, Pakura was approaching her designated target under orders from Rasa.
Of course, Rasa had neglected to tell her the full truth.
Instead of informing her that she was merely a sacrificial pawn, he had disguised the mission as a classified operation to gather intelligence on whether the Hidden Mist was forging alliances with the Fire Nation.
Draped in a sleeveless battle dress with a high slit, Pakura stood on the outskirts of the Hidden Mist, her sharp eyes scanning the distant skyline.
"Karura… No matter what, I'll rescue you."
She whispered her vow with steely determination.
Pakura still believed Uchiha Shin had abducted Karura. She had no idea she was walking straight into a trap.
Crouched on a tree branch, she unfurled a map of the Hidden Mist Village—personally provided by Rasa.
It marked the supposed rendezvous point where she would make contact with the Sand's undercover agents.
Yet, something felt off.
"This place is way too close to the Sand's borders…"
A faint sense of unease crept into her mind.
"…No. Maybe it's safer this way. Fewer patrols should mean less risk."
She tried to rationalize the situation, convincing herself that Rasa wouldn't deceive her.
Pakura dismissed her worries and pressed forward.
Silently navigating through the dense mist, she did her best to conceal her presence. But despite her caution, she had unknowingly triggered a hidden barrier seal—alerting the Mist's sentry unit to her arrival.
The Mist shinobi wasted no time, seamlessly melting into the surrounding fog.
This was their domain. In this environment, they were at their deadliest.
Pakura, nearing what she believed to be the meeting point, suddenly noticed something was wrong.
There were no markings. No signals. No signs of her supposed allies.
"…Where is my contact?"
Her pulse quickened.
Without hesitation, she began retreating—only to feel a deadly presence closing in.
Too late.
Kunai and shuriken sliced through the mist, forming a lethal storm around her.
Pakura dodged swiftly, but even she wasn't untouchable. Several kunai grazed her skin, drawing thin lines of crimson.
At least they're not poisoned… she thought, clenching her muscles to slow the bleeding.
But that was the least of her concerns.
"How the hell did they find me so fast!?"
From within the thick fog, unseen voices mocked her predicament.
"This is our outpost. You walked into our trap."
"Oh? I recognize her now. Pakura of the Scorch Release."
"So she's the hostage Sunagakure was planning to hand over?"
"Too bad for her. The Hidden Mist doesn't need hostages anymore. Kill her."
Pakura's blood ran cold.
It took only seconds for her to grasp the situation—
She had been betrayed.
Sand Village had sent her here not for a mission, but as a sacrificial pawn.
Yet, there was no time for anger or regret.
The Mist shinobi had already begun their attack.
"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Pakura cursed under her breath as she leapt backward, her body twisting midair to dodge a spiraling column of water aimed at her.
"Scorch Release: Sun Halo Strike!"
Superheated orbs of fire erupted around her, evaporating the incoming water attacks.
But in doing so, she made things worse.
The moisture in the air thickened, deepening the fog until visibility was nearly zero.
Pakura clenched her fists.
Damn it. I've played right into their hands.
Shuriken and jutsu rained upon her from all angles. She did her best to counter, but chakra exhaustion was setting in fast.
Within minutes, she found herself half-crouched on the battlefield, her breath ragged, body battered.
The flames surrounding her flickered weakly.
She knew it.
This is the end.
But she refused to go quietly.
Her heart seethed with fury, betrayal, and a final, bitter realization.
Sunagakure… Rasa…
You threw me away like trash.
Her vision blurred, but her rage remained.
And as the Mist shinobi closed in for the kill, her final thoughts were not of fear—but of vengeance.
In the distance, beyond the mist and bloodshed, Uchiha Shin stood watching.
His crimson Sharingan gleamed.
"…Interesting."
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