Chapter 25: Inside the Village hidden by Sands
As the moon cast its silver glow over the sandy village, a group of Shinobi emerged from the shadows, their black garb blending seamlessly with the darkness.
Their footsteps were silent on the cold sand as they moved swiftly and stealthily, their eyes scanning the surroundings
Mizuna and the others are following Pakira towards her house on the outskirts of the village
They were shocked when Pakira stopped at a rundown house. The wooden planks that made up the house's walls were weathered and broken, with sand pouring through the holes, giving it a strange, sandy appearance.
The roof was a chaotic mess of wood and tarpaulin, with a few wispy strands of ivy hanging off the edges.
Hiyori looked at Pakira and asked, "Is this your house Pakira?" She nodded
"We were originally from a small village in the Land of Wind, but following the peace treaty between the villages, the first Kazekage brought together all the skilled shinobi in the region"
"My husband and I initially opposed him, but once they started using force, we had no choice but to obey them and live in this village,"
"But as you can see, even a Jonin like me isn't accepted by the villagers, they only think of us as an additional weapon they can use against other villages."
"They frequently send us on tough missions while leaving the simpler ones to the shinobis who were raised in the village hidden by sands"
"This is also why my husband died not long after we started living here, and why your group was able to capture me"
Hiyori held Pakira's hand and said, "Don't worry, we will take care of you and your family once we return to Konohagakure"
She then looked to Mizuna, appearing to express something by her keen gaze at her son.
Mizuna nodded with cold sweat dripping down from his neck
While the group of shinobi were standing outside, the door opened and an old lady in her 50 carrying a girl approximately two years old stared at them "My daughter, who are they?" she said.
The woman's eyes narrowed as she gazed suspiciously at the Shinobi behind her daughter
"Let's talk more inside Mother"
The shinobi, dressed in their black attire, crept into the house, trying to move quietly on the wooden floorboards.
But with their numbers, it was like a parade was happening inside the tiny abode. The creaks and groans of the floorboards echoed through the halls as they tried to move stealthily.
As they entered the living room, they found themselves squished together like sardines in a can.
Making it hard to move without bumping into each other. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and stale air, as the shinobi struggled to find a comfortable position.
Some of them were perched on windowsills, while others had to stand in the doorway, their backs against the frame.
"Sorry about this, I didn't expect that there would be an additional 5 more Anbus when I volunteered to use my house as our base of operation"
"It's fine, I'll enslave some of your neighbours later and let the Anbus stay there"
"Wow little twerp, you say that like it's a normal thing to do"
The others smiled at Mizuna awkwardly as most of them were also enslaved by him
"Come on Aunt Kimi, you say that like I'm an evil person"
"Hahaha! Because you are one"
"Alright stop teasing him, Kimi"
Miuna then looked at Pakira, she nodded and went to her room. She returned not long after carrying a map of the village hidden by Sands
"This is where we are right now" She pointed at a red dot at the edge of the village
she then pointed towards a blue dot a few meters away from their location "This is the temple where the one tails and his Jinjurikiares"
"About 4km from us" Mizuna said then added, "How many guards are stationed in that location?"
"About 6, but all of them are Jonin"
"Do you know where they live?"
Pakira nodded "Yes, I was stationed there before, I'm familiar with all the shinobis stationed there"
"That's good to hear, let's start visiting them tomorrow"
"Alright, you all can rest for now and recover your chakra"
Mizuna stood up and said "Sorry about this Pakira but I need to enslave your family but don't worry as I won't mistreat them," He said with a smile, Pakira smiled back and said "I know"
Mizuna looked at Pakira's mother, his white eyes changed to blood red with pinwheels, she looked at her daughter with apparent shock she shook her head.
There were too many of them, someone like her at best can fight a chunin, but with this many Jonins, not to mention her daughter seemed to trust this guy, she resigned to her fate and didn't struggle.
After witnessing the Shinobis Pakira brought back with her and hearing their conversation, she already had a dreadful sense that something terrible would happen to them.
All she can do now is hope the young man looking at her keeps his word and doesn't treat them badly.
The darkness seemed to swallow them whole as Mizuna crept from one house to the next together with Pakira and Miss Jonin.
After hours of covertly going from one house to the other using Pakira to knock on the wooden doors, then using his Sharingan to freeze them temporarily and lastly, Miss Jonin to seal their chakra points, Mizuna managed to enslave most of the villagers around Pakira's house
They would never have imagined that Pakira would be joined by a Uchiha who could stop them in their tracks with a single glance and enslave them in a matter of minutes.
Upon Mizuna's return, Kimi and the other Hyugas are waiting for him "Don't abuse Mengekyou Sharingan too much Mizuna, it can cause you blindness" Kimi said worriedly
"Don't worry about it Aut Kimi, I already thought of a way to prevent it from happening to me"
"Really? How?"
Mizuna placed his index finger on his lips and said with a teasing smile
"It's a secret, I'll tell you once I get it"
"Get what?"
Mizuna sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and smiled "You will know it soon enough Aunt Kimi"
As he entered this dark expanse inside his consciousness, the room around him began to fade away, leaving only the soft glow of his thoughts.
The darkness is not oppressive, but rather a gentle shroud that wraps around him like a comforting blanket. It's as if the shadows have become a physical entity, embracing him with an otherworldly tenderness.
"Chomei it's been a while"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ElvenHero
ElvenHero Thank you for reading this chapter! ^_^
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