31 The Promise of Death and Mayhem (2/2)

”I think that should be the last of our pursuers,” Akata said. ”Unless they've someone very skilled in tracking, by now, we should also be beyond the range of any of their sensors.”

Behind them in the far distance through the canopies of trees, the sand dome preventing him from teleporting inside was barely visible.

They'd made.

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Following their successful assault Kagero Village, exposing the citizens to the horrors of what a war against the Land of Fire would entail, the Land of Mountains was eventually persuaded to change their minds following peace talks held between the Hokage, Kazekage, and a couple of the surviving high standing members of Kagero Village.

There's something about the promise of more death and mayhem that always makes people reconsider their choices.

To illustrate their change of heart, and demonstrate they no longer had any interest in allying with the Land of Wind and engage in direct warfare with Konohagakure, an entourage of Kagero shinobi armed with weapons escorted the deployed shinobi from Sunagakure out of the village. They were no longer welcomed.

Sunagakure's willingness to retreat without further confrontation was motivated by the promised safe return of Pakura, the Third Kazekage's student.

When they'd retreated far enough away from Kagero Village, Hiruzen tasked Fuzen with delivering Pakura to them.

Linking Pakura's shadow together with his own, Fuzen enveloped them in dark cloaks, and with a small squeak from her, they melted into the ground and disappeared.

Locating the Sunagakure party led by the Kazekage was simple enough. Especially now that the Kazekage wasn't hiding his chakra profile. From within his realm of darkness, Fuzen floated through the mysterious space following their chakra trail, and soon enough, he found himself hovering beneath their shadows.

While he could exit right within their midst, it didn't seem like the best of ideas. Instead, he chose a place further down the route the seemed to be traveling and rematerialized there.

As they exited, Pakura wobbled a bit before she regained her sense of balance. ”Woah, what he hell did you just do? Where are we?”

With hands tied behind her back, she looked around with wary eyes trying to decipher where he'd taken her.

”I moved us from there, to here. Obviously... Though, where here is, I'm not too sure on.”

A sensor-nin amongst the Sunagakure party had probably already noticed them, so instead of hiding, he went out into the open with Pakura in front of him.

”Wait, hold on. You're saying you can use space-time ninjutsu?”

”Your words, not mine,” he shrugged. ”Now, shush! Your Kazekage and his retinue of goonies have arrived. GO!” He gave her ass a light slap to send her along.

After only a couple of steps forward, she stopped and turned to face him. Her intense glare made it seem like she was trying to see past the Anbu mask he was wearing. ”Next time, I'll get you for all this. I promise. I will not less this indignity stand unpunished.”

”Sheesh, you'll have to get in line for that. And the ass slap was for good luck only. No need to get offended.”

She did not look convinced.

Seemingly unconcerned with an ambush, the Kazekage glided closer and closer on his wave of iron sand.

He was a tall man of fair complexion. With his almost eerily indifferent expression, short messy dark-blue hair, and narrow yellow eyes, he did stand out a bit. And unlike last time where he'd been disguised as a typical jonin from Sungakure, this time he wore the full official Kazekage attire with a white haori, and a pale blue full-length kimono tied using a sash.

However, as he got close enough to recognize who'd brought him Pakura, his once indifferent look changed to one promising an unhealthy amount of violence.

Recognizing a man out for blood, Fuzen decided it was time to leave. ”Aight, that's it for me. I'm outta here. Tell your Kazekage I've had fun. I'm sure we'll continue this another time.”

With that, Fuzen teleported back to Hiruzen and the others waiting for him before the Kazekage ever got close enough to attempt anything.