Sasori finally looked up at Logan, seemingly intrigued… but then something else crossed his mind.
Logan blinked expectantly, staring back. Their gazes met… and Sasori expressionlessly turned away, 'Best not to ask.'
In that brief moment of consideration, Sasori suppressed his curiosity. As a puppet master who used a lot of Ninja Tools, he naturally had a thirst for knowledge regarding new weapons.
However, he had no desire to be entangled in his former colleague's affairs. The more he knew, the less control he might have over his own situation.
Seeing that Sasori was at least a little interested, Logan felt a spark of anticipation. But after waiting a long moment, he realized Sasori remained as unmoved as ever, and a wave of disappointment washed over him.
The so-called 'special kunai' was actually the key to utilizing the Flying Thunder God Technique. Logan had mastered the technique, though his original intentions had been different.
Now that he had returned to the perilous Ninja World, he had to consider its tactical advantages. As a legendary Space-Time Ninjutsu, once perfected, its power was indisputable. Instantaneous movement, unpredictable attacks, the ability to kill in a single moment… Minato had even earned the title of the 'Yellow Flash' because of this.
If Logan could use it proficiently, he would have both an offensive and an escape route, regardless of how strong the enemies in this evolving story became.
The Flying Thunder God Technique required specially crafted kunai, and Logan had, of course, memorized the necessary details while studying the sealing scroll.
"…So, will you help me out?" Logan asked tentatively.
"I refuse." Sasori's response was swift and firm, almost identical to yesterday's. He stood up, raising a hand to stop Logan from trying to persuade him, "Go find someone else."
Without another word, Sasori didn't even bother drinking the water on the table… perhaps as a display of his irritation. His expression remained cold the entire time.
He exited the room and opened a door leading elsewhere, revealing a deep, quiet passage, which is likely the entrance to his underground workshop.
Sasori had come out from there earlier. Now, after a short and fruitless conversation, he was ready to return to his work.
Logan, shameless as ever, continued trying to convince him, going on about how forging difficult weapons could improve Sasori's craft, how he was willing to pay double, and so on.
But Sasori ignored him completely, stepping into the passage without hesitation.
Just before his figure disappeared, he paused slightly and said in a low voice, "Raiden Hattori, I assume you have enough self-awareness to know I don't want trouble. I trust you don't either."
After saying the final parting remark, which is almost like a warning, Sasori didn't turn back. He simply left with composed (and mildly dramatic) indifference.
Click…
The passage door closed. Logan's playful smirk gradually faded. He tapped his temple, then casually drank the water he had poured earlier, sighing in resignation.
'This wasn't over yet.'
…
That night, under a cold moon high above the clouds, silver light spread across the wilderness. Exhausted from a day's work, Sasori emerged from his underground workshop.
Occasionally, his steps creaked against old, rotting floorboards. The living room was empty now. He stepped out of the passage and noticed the empty teacup still on the wooden table, falling silent for a moment.
"… Finally gone."
The house once again felt empty, bringing back a familiar stillness. Sasori tidied up the teapot and cups.
As he stepped on another loose board, the sharp creak cut through the silence, making him pause in thought, 'That guy wasn't wrong. This place really does need some repairs. How had I never noticed before?'
Pushing open the door, Sasori stepped onto the damp earth outside. The air was cool and still. Sparse patches of flowers and a few stubborn, crooked trees stood in the distance. He lifted his gaze to the moon.
Time had passed unknowingly, from day to night. His expression remained composed, as steady as a well-oiled machine. Ever since modifying his body, he had rarely felt exhaustion.
His heart, too, barely registered any sensations anymore.
The night was chilly, yet as emotionless as ever. Just another cold and unchanging scene. But today, as Sasori looked across the vast, moonlit landscape, something stirred… an odd, fleeting sense of self-awareness, rushing in from all directions.
He was familiar with that feeling, and of course he had long since dismissed it, which is the loneliness most people feared and avoided.
Beneath Hiruko's shell, Sasori touched his mechanical heart. It beat steadily, with an eternal rhythm.
'This is art.'
As Sasosri stood there, appreciating this ultimate solitude that no one else could understand, he suddenly turned his head.
His pupils shrank, as he saw a lean figure sat atop his rooftop, bathed in moonlight… seemingly lost in thought, just like him.
Killing intent instantly surged, as the careless loss of vigilance made Sasori a little angry.
After seeing clearly who the figure on the roof was, Sasori couldn't help but frown, "…Raiden Hattori?"
Loosening his hand from the mechanism, the cold that could render an ordinary person immobile weakened. Though most of his wariness subsided, Sasori was still annoyed, "What the hell are you doing? Why are you still here?"
Instead of leaving Sasori's base, Logan remained where he was, casually waving a hand, "I'm not bothering you."
Sasori paused, nearly blurting out, 'This is my house, don't just step all over it!' but managed to hold back. He then noticed that the other's presence was unusually calm.
The oppressive atmosphere Sasori had released naturally broke apart at this moment. Feeling disgruntled, he took a few steps. His tone was sharp, "What are you doing here?"
At this time, the world was completely silent. Logan stood slightly turned away from Sasori, revealing only half his face. He didn't answer for a while.
Facing the dark, desolate expanse, his silhouette was outlined against the eaves in midair. Under the moonlight, his tranquil expression was cast in shifting shades of light and shadow. Sasori clenched his teeth and leaped onto the roof, ready to deal with him.
"Watching the scenery." Logan said.
Sasori froze. He hadn't expected such a vague response. Based on the past few days, he had assumed Logan would say something shameless instead.
Logan rested his head on his hand, gazing into the distance with an indifferent posture, not even acknowledging the person who had just jumped up beside him, "Your crappy place only has a somewhat decent view at night. But if you watch it too long, it's boring as hell."
Sasori glanced around. The winding dirt road stretched into the pitch-black night like a faint, near-invisible yellow line. One end vanished into the darkness, while the other led to a small town with sparse, flickering lights.
Seeing that Sasori remained silent, Logan figured he was annoyed with him. Thinking for a moment, he spoke with a certain stubbornness, "What? I can't?"
"Why does boredom have anything to do with you? A wanted man with nowhere to go, and you're watching the scenery..."
"Yeah, watching the scenery."
Sasori studied Logan seriously before sitting down beside him as well, "You're insane."
"Weren't you watching just now too?"
"...I was thinking about a sixth way to launch hidden weapons."
"Oh~ impressive, impressive…"
For a while, only the clean night breeze rustled the trees, bending their branches. It passed over the roof tiles like a whisper through an empty corridor, unimpeded. The fact that Sasori hadn't noticed Logan earlier could have been due to his own inattention.
But more importantly, it was because Logan had, for some reason, seamlessly blended into his surroundings.
This kind of serene state of mind was unexpected.
Sasori glanced to the side, feeling something was off. He shifted, putting some distance between them.
"You seem really idle." Sasori couldn't help but muttered.
"Yeah, I'm pretty idle right now."
Sasori was slightly surprised. This was something he had been wondering about.
After all, given Logan's situation, shouldn't he be overwhelmed with troubles?
Looking over, he saw Logan smiling, surprisingly optimistic.
For Logan, his reason for being here was simple. Without being bound by any system or organization, he was completely free.
In some ways, he really was idle, as he only had one thing to focus on. And having walked such a long road, he had to remain optimistic.
But Sasori couldn't understand any of this, nor could he comprehend the reason behind Logan's optimism. Having lived in the gray areas of society, which is cold and indifferent, with his hands stained with countless lives, Sasori felt an inexplicable sense of discord… and even a subtle rejection of it.
People might find small similarities between themselves, but they were, more often than not, completely different.
The two of them gazed at the horizon. Neither spoke, and the silence made the atmosphere heavier.
In this quiet world, fleeting and tangled thoughts drifted through the air before slowly dissolving into nothingness.
Sasori exhaled. Sensing the presence beside him again, a strange feeling arose. Compared to the daytime, Logan seemed different at night, looking more genuine.
In this moment, it felt like he was finally having a real conversation with the person he had imagined Raiden Hattori to be.
…
The silence was eventually broken.
Logan said, "Sasori, how about you let me stay here for the night?"
"Why the hell should I?!" Sasori immediately rejected the idea.
"..." Logan looked a little embarrassed. He cleared his throat and admitted, "I actually went back to town earlier today, but... turns out I don't have enough money."
When it came to numbers, especially money, people were always sharp. Sasori paused and turned to him seriously, "I remember you just commissioned me to craft some kunai. Double the pay. Money isn't an issue..."
"Haha, I will pay you." Logan waved it off, completely unfazed by getting caught making an empty promise.
Scorpio scoffed in disdain and looked away.
This chaotic world didn't always have such peaceful nights, or rather, they were just a tiny fraction of the reality.
In a remote village within the Land of Earth, moments like these were rare.
Logan successfully secured a temporary stay and continued trying to pester Sasori into forging the special kunai for him.
However, before he could succeed, Sasori received a new mission from the Akatsuki through his 'Jade' ring.