"Remember," he had whispered to Konan before they had separated, "timing is everything. When Pakura moves, strike hard and fast."

Konan's paper butterfly had landed silently on his shoulder. "And if she doesn't take the bait?"

"Trust me. The truth is the most irresistible lure."

Shin's scheme hadn't been particularly complicated—it was a simple strategy of drawing the shogun from his castle.

Sometimes the simplest plans were the most effective. Remove the queen from the board, and even the king becomes vulnerable. This is how chess should be played.

The strongest person in Suna squad was Pakura. By luring her away, the remaining two wouldn't stand a chance against Konan and her team. Shin watched as Pakura's figure moved through the trees, her distinctive brown hair visible even at this distance.

Using the internal friction within Suna squad and Pakura's thirst for the truth behind the Third Kazekage's death, Shin drew her out without any direct conflict. Through various information and secret techniques, he managed to restrain her for nearly a minute. By the time Pakura realized what was happening, it was already too late.

The moment her shadow clone was destroyed, memories flooded back to Pakura. She now knew her teammates had been defeated. The scene played vividly in her mind: Konan's paper techniques overwhelming them, their desperate final stand.

Then came the worst part—the moment they realized Pakura was just a shadow clone. The looks from the Suna captain and their teammate were chilling. Through their gazes, she had no doubt they would immediately report her betrayal to the village.

Though they lay dead, there were many ways for ninjas to transmit information, like summoning jutsu. As if to shatter her last shred of hope, Shin spoke up.

"One of the girls in our team is quite skilled with summoning jutsu. She's confirmed that your teammates sent out three summoned animals to deliver messages to the border before they died."

"Care to guess how likely it is that they've hidden the news of your 'betrayal'?"

Pakura pressed her lips tightly together, trembling with anger, her eyes burning red. She raised her head and declared, "I have never betrayed my village!"

Shin laughed gleefully. "Go tell that to the Kazekage. See if he believes you."

"Are you pushing me to my death?" Pakura asked angrily.

"Sorry, I'm from Ame," he replied nonchalantly, spreading his hands in an exaggerated shrug.

"You bastard!" Pakura couldn't take it anymore. She quickly performed hand seals and summoned her flames. With a kunai in hand, she charged at him recklessly.

But Shin remained calm. Preparation beats power every time. A lesson you need to learn.

Boom!

In the next moment, a massive explosion cratered the ground beneath her. "What?!" Pakura, caught off guard, was instantly engulfed in fire and smoke.

Shin smiled slightly, watching the flames reflect in his eyes. As a cautious tactician, there was no way he would meet such a dangerous enemy without preparations. He had chosen the location, and everything around them had been set up and modified in advance.

His alliance with Konan had its perks—plenty of explosive tags.

Barely managing to escape the thick smoke, Pakura leapt back several meters. Her movements were sluggish, the explosion having taken more out of her than she'd expected.

Her headband had come undone, letting brown hair fall loose while blood from her forehead threatened to blind one eye. As the smoke cleared, scorch marks and small craters scarred the battlefield.

She glared at Shin.

She wasn't sure how many traps and explosive tags this Ame ninja had hidden, but the blast had cleared her mind.

"Calmed down now? No need to be so serious. Why don't you recall what I said when I threw that paper shuriken?" Shin asked with feigned sincerity, casually dusting off his sleeve.

"You're still toying with me?!" Pakura shouted in anger, though she didn't move from her position.

Shin spread his hands in an innocent gesture. "No, this isn't toying. I haven't lied to you from the start. I can offer you a way out."

"If you return to Suna now, it's certain death. You know how the Kazekage feels about you. Even without my meddling, one day he will sacrifice you. And you know that deep inside."

"But now, why not hear my suggestion?"

Pakura didn't hesitate, despite the blood still dripping down her face. "I will never betray my village! And I will never join your organization!"

But Shin's next words caught her off guard, his tone shifting to something almost sympathetic.

"Alright, it's fine if you don't want to abandon your village just yet. But you can't return now. In Rasa's eyes, your 'betrayal' is already a fact."

"Why not let me offer you a way out—seek out Sasori. Only by capturing this traitor can you turn your current disadvantage into an opportunity and gain leverage with the village elders."

Pakura froze in shock. Capturing Sasori... using him as leverage against the elders... it could work, if what he's saying is true.

She had never considered this path, but now it seemed strangely logical.

Sasori was undeniably a traitor. Regardless of his motives, he had murdered the Third Kazekage and gravely wounded Suna. Bringing him to justice would overshadow any doubts about her loyalty.

And since Sasori was connected to the village elders, his capture would give her significant leverage in confronting them. She hadn't expected this Ame ninja to not only trick her but also provide a seemingly feasible escape.

"Why would you help me? Do you know where Sasori is?"

"I don't know, but I do know that a ninja from Konoha named Yakushi Kabuto is with him. That might be a key lead."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Shin wasn't sure if Kabuto was currently with Sasori, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the next part.

"According to our investigations, Kabuto is part of Konoha's secret organization called Root. You should be familiar with them."

"Sasori has Root members by his side. What does it mean for Suna's traitor to be allied with Root?"

"That's for you to find out. My request is simple: help us deal with Root, and we'll be lifelong friends."

The highest form of deception wasn't a web of lies but rather using the truth to mislead. Everything he had told Pakura was true. She could spend weeks, months, or years verifying the information—he wasn't concerned. These truths together told exactly the story he needed.

"Root... Konoha. So it's true, they were behind the Third Kazekage's death all along..."

"Haha... hahaha! This is hilarious, we didn't wrong them after all!"

At this point, Pakura's hatred had fully turned towards Konoha's Root. Her laughter held an edge of hysteria, and the heat emanating from her was intense enough to cause the leaves at her feet to curl and blacken.

Hatred burns hotter than any Scorch Release technique. And this flame will burn right through Root's heart.

Shin smiled.

His strategy was clear: stabilize Hanzō and strike hard at Danzō.

He prepared a gift for his faraway enemy in Konoha—a vengeful, desperate, and powerful kunoichi, fueled by Scorch Release. Sometimes the best weapons were the ones that chose their own path to destruction.

Root was in for a surprise.

Unconsciously, Pakura's gaze toward Shin was no longer filled with madness. The hatred still burned in her eyes, but it had shifted from blind rage to calculating intensity.

She wasn't foolish and could easily read his intentions. "You have a grudge against Root too, right? You're using me to deal with them."

But Shin didn't mind that she had seen through his plan, responding casually. When people think they've figured you out, they let their guard down.

"Don't use such an unpleasant word as 'using.' I prefer to call it mutual benefit—a win-win collaboration."

Win-win, meaning I win twice—no problem, he thought.

Pakura snorted coldly but didn't argue. Her shoulders eased slightly, though she remained wary of an opponent who had matched her prowess.

As Shin had pointed out, this was her only way out now.

"Do you have more information about Sasori and Root?"

She's already planning her revenge. Perfect.

"Not at the moment, but we can exchange contact information to facilitate future intelligence sharing." Shin maintained his businesslike tone.

"If you kill any key members of Root, you can seal their bodies and send them to Ame. Akatsuki is willing to purchase them. We can discuss the price."

This served two purposes: to further encourage Pakura to target Root and subtly support her, drawing her closer. Who knows? Maybe in the future, they could even recruit her into Akatsuki.

Shin looked forward to the day when this fierce woman would grit her teeth in hatred while still working for him. Your rage will serve us well. Every arrow needs a sharp point.

After a brief conversation, Pakura left.

She promised to leave Ame and stay away from Akatsuki. Her words seemed sincere, but experience had taught him survival required proof. Trust is good, but verification is better—wisdom his grandfather had passed down.

He waited within his safety perimeter for another twenty minutes. The system hadn't warned him of immediate danger, but why take chances?

Only after confirming several times that Pakura had indeed left and hadn't set an ambush did he finally move to regroup with Konan and the others.

When they met, Konan immediately came over, looking him up and down. The worry on her face was genuine, a far cry from her initial suspicion of him.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Her hands hovered near him, as if wanting to check for injuries but not quite daring to touch.

Compared to a few weeks ago, her attitude toward him had changed significantly. The transformation from wary observer to protective senior was exactly what Shin had been cultivating.

"I'm fine, Konan. The Suna kunoichi isn't reckless. The explosive tags you gave me were crucial and helped a lot."

Konan let out a sigh of relief, then smiled gently. "The explosive tags were just a precaution. It was mainly your own strategy that achieved all this, Shin."

Her admiration for him had deepened.

Encountering the famous Pakura from Suna, Shin had devised a plan within just one day. The speed and effectiveness of his strategy had left a deep impression on everyone.

Although Konan didn't know the exact details, the result was clear: they had successfully dealt with the remaining two members of the Suna team without any casualties. In their eyes, it was practically a miracle.

Ajisai pouted, annoyed that her idol was fussing over Shin. Her fingers twisted nervously in her sleeve as she watched them interact. But remembering how this guy had just single-handedly dealt with Pakura, she lost her nerve and didn't dare to interrupt.

How exactly had he managed to resolve the situation with Pakura? The more Ajisai thought about it, the more curious and fearful she became.

When he looked her way, she blurted out her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Shin-niisan! I was too loud with you before! Please don't use that hypnosis technique on me!"

Shin was speechless.

Where did she get that idea about hypnosis? If I could actually control people that way, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble with Pakura. Still... this misunderstanding might work in my favor.

Konan came over and lightly knocked on her head, stopping her from rambling further. The gesture was both affectionate and exasperated, like a sister with a dramatic younger sibling.

"Don't say that. Shin doesn't use hypnosis."

Ajisai muttered, "Konan-neesan, why do you trust him so much now?" She silently added, "You didn't used to be like this."

Konan hesitated for a moment before smiling softly. "Because he's never let us down. And also because he's one of us."

Unconsciously, trust and bonds had already been established. Shin's recent efforts hadn't been in vain. Each mission, each success, each calculated display of loyalty had built this foundation stone by stone.

After tidying up, they headed back

Upon returning, he took the initiative to write another letter to Hanzō, reporting the mission and its outcomes. Of course, he omitted the details of his alliance with Pakura against Root. That particular card would be better played at a later date.

He even generously sent the bodies of the two Suna ninja that Konan and the others had brought back as gifts to Hanzō. Although valuable intelligence could be extracted from the brains of these ninja, Shin didn't need it—he knew more than anyone else.

Better to give the bodies as a gesture of goodwill and loyalty. The gift would speak louder than any words of devotion. After all, actions meant more than promises.

This time, Hanzō's reply came much faster than before, and it was clear from the tone that he was very pleased with the recent developments in Akatsuki.

For a leader who had lost his drive, the loyalty and subservience of his subordinates were far more satisfying than lofty ideals or grand visions.

Shin wasn't surprised by this outcome. Every move had been calculated to appeal to Hanzō's need for control and recognition.

What did surprise him was Yahiko's reaction, as he excitedly celebrated the letter.

"Great! Hanzō finally understands and accepts us! I'll write him another letter, explaining our ideals. Mutual understanding between people can be achieved in Ame."

You think Hanzō understands any of that? Shin shook his head in silence. Such beautiful naivety. Use it while it lasts.

He didn't stop Yahiko. It was good to give him something to do, as it would make it easier to sideline him later. Let him write his heartfelt letters while real power shifted hands quietly.

At that moment, Shin had a thought: Does this mean I'm ruling Akatsuki in Yahiko's name? The puppet master behind the idealist. Hm... There's a certain poetry to it.

He was quietly waiting. Waiting for the system to update his fate's outcome. The last mission in Kusa had likely been a side quest, but this time, after stabilizing Hanzō and sending gifts to Danzō, it had to be part of the main storyline, right?

He waited for the system to update the ending, hoping to verify whether his path was correct. Perhaps because Hanzō's trust signals needed time to build, the system took two days to update his fate.

When it did, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Based on the updated outcome, his efforts had paid off. His chance of dying peacefully had increased to 1.7%, and the overall probability of death had shifted further back. A small improvement, but in this game of survival, every percentage point mattered.

The odds of him not surviving another year and a half had dropped to about 60%, while the chance of living at least five or six more years had risen to 40%.

His fated death had been significantly delayed.

His efforts were slowly altering the course of his destiny. And with this change, the system also siphoned off some fate energy, granting him new rewards.

[Reward: Fire Release Ninjutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Reward: Wind Release Ninjutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Reward: Summoning Jutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Reward: Lost Summoning Scroll (to be delivered as part of a future event)]