Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Too Ruthless

The forest blurred past them as they raced forward.

Kitahara Kaede and Minato traveled at full speed for several hours, arriving at the Mount Kikyo frontline camp around noon.

The camp was a model of discipline. Tents were arranged in neat rows, patrol teams rotated shifts along fixed routes, and while the medical area for the wounded was bustling, it was far from chaotic.

As Minato led him toward the command tent in the center of the camp, he gave a brief summary of the war situation.

"Yesterday afternoon, I confirmed the advance route of the Sunagakure main force at the eastern foothills of Mount Kikyo. They made their move the night I returned to the village to report." Minato’s tone was calm, a slight smile playing on his lips. "However, our defenses were already in place. Sunagakure’s first probe yielded no results. Currently, both sides are in a stalemate."

Kitahara Kaede nodded. Without the element of surprise, a frontal assault always ended up this way. Either Sunagakure would commit more troops to force a breakthrough, or it would become a war of attrition. Either way, Konoha was in a much better position than they would have been if they had been caught off guard.

The two arrived at the command tent. Minato lifted the curtain, and Kaede followed half a step behind.

Six or seven people were seated around a long table inside. Kaede scanned the room, his eyes first landing on Kato Dan. Dan noticed the movement and looked over, a gentle smile appearing on his face as he nodded in greeting.

Beside him, a black-haired man with a stern expression also looked up. It was Yuhi Shinko, Kurenai’s father. Shinko’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before he gave a slight nod.

Further down the table sat a man with a pale face and expressionless, amber snake-like pupils. Orochimaru. When he looked over, his eyes swept over Kitahara Kaede with clinical interest.

Kaede didn’t react, simply following Minato to the table. Minato took his seat, and Kaede sat to his right.

Someone whispered softly, "Why did Lord Minato bring a Chunin along?"

Minato ignored the comment and nodded to the head of the Intelligence Division at the end of the table. "Let’s begin."

The Intelligence Jonin stood up and unfurled a map on the table. "Sunagakure’s operation is advancing in three columns. The center is the main force, while the flanks consist of puppet masters, poison squads, and standard combat units." He paused for a moment. "Additionally, there is one situation that requires high vigilance from all units."

Everyone looked at him.

"Among the Sunagakure vanguard, there is a female ninja using an unknown Bloodline Limit. Since yesterday, she has independently killed over a dozen of our shinobi, including several Chunin."

A brief silence fell over the tent.

"The victims all died in the same manner. The moisture in their bodies was instantly evaporated, leaving behind charred, desiccated corpses. Contact distance is unknown, the kill zone is unknown, and her weaknesses are unknown. We currently have zero intelligence on this ability."

Someone gasped.

Sitting in his chair, Kaede kept his gaze fixed on the map, his expression unchanging. ’So it is Pakura.’

The Intelligence Jonin flipped a page in his notes. "One more thing." He looked up, scanning the room. "According to reports from surviving frontline shinobi, this female ninja’s combat style is highly irregular. She doesn’t seem to be executing a standard combat mission; rather, it’s as if she is searching for a specific target on the battlefield. She strikes ruthlessly, yet intentionally leaves survivors to interrogate for information. The nature of her patterns is currently unknown."

Low murmurs broke out in the tent.

Kaede picked up his water glass and took a sip. His hand was steady, but his throat felt dry. He remembered that inn in the small town—hiding in the wardrobe and accidentally seeing Pakura change her clothes. He remembered those orange eyes when she walked toward the closet.

She had found out. Based on this ruthlessness, she was one hundred percent coming for him.

He set the glass back on the table. The meeting continued.

The command center began assigning defensive sectors to the various units. Kato Dan was put in charge of the center-front stalemate. Orochimaru would lead the left wing to defend against potential flanking maneuvers. The right wing would handle the side line, facing Sunagakure’s puppet masters and poison units.

Minato turned to Kitahara Kaede. "Kaede, which direction do you want?"

Kaede didn’t hesitate. "The right wing."

Minato nodded. "Puppet masters’ poisons can be quite troublesome. Be careful."

Kaede gave a brief acknowledgment. Poison wasn’t an issue for him. The primary reason he chose the right wing was simple: according to the intelligence report, Pakura was active in the center-left.

The right wing was the furthest point from her.

After the meeting adjourned, the group filtered out. Kaede followed Minato out of the tent. The sun was at its zenith. He exhaled and squinted.

’I hope I don’t run into her.’

***

Mount Kikyo, western ridge.

The residual heat of Scorch Release still hung in the air. Pakura withdrew her palm and glanced at the two charred corpses on the ground.

’Not him.’

She turned and continued forward. Two Sunagakure shinobi followed at a distance, neither daring to get too close. They didn’t need to be told that Pakura was in a foul mood. It hadn’t just been today; she had been like this for several days.

Pakura stepped onto a high branch and stood still, overlooking the valley below. The wind stirred her orange bangs. Her gaze swept toward the Konoha defensive lines, lingering for a few seconds.

Her mind drifted back to the day she discovered her scroll was missing.

She had rushed back to the inn and intercepted the owner at the front desk, demanding to know if he had heard anything unusual and who was staying in the room next to hers. The owner had looked bewildered, claiming there had been no noise and that the only other person there was the youth she had encountered upon arrival.

Pakura had gone upstairs and knocked on the neighbor’s door. There was no response. She forced the owner to open it.

The door pushed open. The bed was perfectly made, the towels were folded and untouched, and the tabletop was clean. There was absolutely no sign that anyone had ever stayed there.

Standing in the center of the empty room, Pakura’s gaze shifted to the balcony. She walked over and pushed open the door, looking to the side. The distance between her balcony and the neighbor’s was less than an arm’s length.

Pakura stared at that gap for two seconds, then turned and went back to her own room. Without hesitation, she walked straight to the wardrobe and pulled open the door. At the bottom of the cabinet, tucked toward the back, were a few faint footprints.

Pakura’s mind went blank for three seconds. Then, frame by frame, she recalled every action she had taken after stepping out of the bathroom. She had come out wrapped in a bathrobe, and after confirming there was no unusual noise, she had changed her clothes right there.

That backless shinobi outfit. She had changed facing the wardrobe.

She had covered nothing.

Pakura slowly squatted down, one hand bracing against the wardrobe frame.

Then there was this operation—Sunagakure’s strike against Konoha. The enemy’s reaction didn’t look like a rushed response at all. The defenses were airtight, and they hadn’t panicked during the engagement. It was obvious they had been prepared.

The scroll was stolen, and Konoha had set up their defenses in advance. The intelligence had been taken by someone from Konoha.

The youth the owner mentioned. The name he had given at the front desk during registration: Kitahara Kaede.

He was a Konoha shinobi.

Pakura’s face remained expressionless, but in those orange eyes, emotions she couldn’t even categorize began to churn.

"Kitahara Kaede."

She enunciated the name with sharp intensity. This name was identical to the person in her dreams—the one who had saved her, yet ultimately failed to keep his promise.

But now, this person had stolen her most vital intelligence. And he had hidden in her closet to watch her change.

Pakura gripped her kunai tightly. She would find him. If he’s in this battlefield, he would have nowhere to run.

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