Chapter 250: The Fifth Kazekage

It was a moonless night, the sky speckled with stars. Inside the Kazekage's office, Kakuzu sat comfortably in his chair, his posture imposing. Pakura, looking weak and exhausted, rested against his shoulder. He gently patted her bare back before lifting her chin, gazing into her hazy eyes.

"One more time."

"You're insatiable!" Pakura's face flushed red as she playfully hit Kakuzu, but before long, they were engaged in another fierce battle.

When it was finally over, Pakura was completely drained. She clung to Kakuzu like a small, exhausted rabbit, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Kakuzu… thank you."

"No need to thank me. This is your own achievement."

Despite his words, Pakura smiled warmly. Their battle a few days ago against Rasa had not been easy.

Rasa controlled gold dust, while Pakura wielded Scorch Release. Their battle was evenly matched, and she even found herself at a slight disadvantage. In the end, Rasa's defeat wasn't just due to her strength—it was largely psychological. He knew that even if he managed to beat Pakura, he'd still have to face Kakuzu. And against Kakuzu, he had no chance.

After all, the Second Kazekage, Shamon, and the Third Kazekage had both fallen at Kakuzu's hands. If he somehow survived this battle, he would only add to Kakuzu's kill count.

Faced with such a terrifying reality, Rasa hesitated. That moment of doubt was all Pakura needed to land a decisive blow.

When they saw Rasa's lifeless body, both Ebizō and Chiyo fell silent. Many elite jōnin of Sunagakure, including Baki, didn't dare utter a word.

To prevent Chiyo from using the Forbidden Jutsu, One's Own Life Reincarnation, to bring Rasa back, Kakuzu ensured that his body was utterly destroyed. There would be no resurrection for the former Kazekage.

...

With Rasa's death, an uneasy atmosphere settled over Sunagakure. Leaderless, the village naturally turned to the elder council—Ebizō and Chiyo—for direction. Yet, the two elders remained silent, offering no stance on the matter.

"If… If Chiyo and Ebizō refuse to acknowledge me, what then? In the end, I'll still have to leave the village, won't I?"

Hearing the uncertainty in Pakura's voice, Kakuzu gently stroked her hair.

"Don't worry. They already cleared your name."

Pakura closed her eyes and nodded. It was true—after gaining control of the village, Chiyo and Ebizō had overturned Rasa's accusations against her, exposing his schemes. Yet, despite this, their attitude toward her remained ambiguous. What were they planning? No one could say for sure.

...

As they spoke, a deafening explosion shook a distant part of the village. A massive cloud of sand was sent skyward.

"What's going on?!"

Pakura, acting on instinct, immediately sat up and began dressing. Kakuzu, however, remained composed as he gazed out the window.

The swirling sand obscured visibility, but Kakuzu saw through it all. He patted Pakura's shoulder.

"You're exhausted. Rest. I'll handle this."

Pakura had already drained her stamina fighting Kakuzu multiple times that night. There was no need for her to push herself further. Forming a single hand seal, Kakuzu vanished in an instant.

...

By the time he arrived at the scene, a large crowd of Sunagakure shinobi had already gathered, staring in disbelief at the destruction before them.

Despite Sunagakure's financial struggles, they still had security measures in place—guards, barriers, detection seals. So how had the village been attacked without any warning?

All eyes turned toward two figures at the center of the destruction—a pair of siblings.

The elder sister, Temari, stood defiantly, while her younger brother, Kankurō, looked shaken.

They were the children of the late Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

With Rasa's wrongdoings exposed, public opinion in Sunagakure had shifted dramatically. People now condemned him for betraying Pakura, a hero of the Third Great Ninja War. But since Rasa was already dead, there was no one left to bear the brunt of the villagers' anger—except his children.

To avoid conflict, Temari had kept her younger brothers hidden indoors for weeks. Even Kankurō had used his puppets to gather supplies, ensuring they could stay inside for months if needed.

Now, however, they had no choice but to face the situation head-on.

"We… We never expected this. We've been hiding at home all this time, and yet someone just appeared out of nowhere and attacked us!"

Kankurō, still shaken, recounted the event. His skin crawled just thinking about it.

Temari clenched her fists, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Gaara… they took Gaara!"

The revelation sent a shockwave through the gathered shinobi. The Fourth Kazekage was already dead, and now their ultimate weapon, their jinchūriki, had been kidnapped.

This was a disaster.

...

Two days later, Chiyo and Ebizō entered the Kazekage's office and placed an official document on the desk.

"Pakura, given the village's current state, we need you to return and take the position of Fifth Kazekage."

Pakura hesitated. Though her name had been cleared, the villagers' harsh words had left scars that could never fully heal.

Now they expected her to lead the same people who once condemned her? It was difficult to accept.

She turned to Kakuzu, searching for an answer.

He remained seated, flipping through a document, not even glancing at her. When he finally spoke, his tone was indifferent.

"Accept it. You love this village too much to abandon it now. Ask yourself—do you truly want to walk away?"

His words struck deep.

Life was never perfect. Countless shinobi had been wronged by their own villages. Even Hatake Sakumo, who had once been on the brink of suicide, had been saved by Kakuzu—and now he was living well.

With Kakuzu's words echoing in her heart, Pakura finally relented.

...

As she approached Kakuzu's desk, curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you reading that's got you so absorbed?"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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