"You trash, useless, disgusting brat." A black-haired boy led a group of children, pointing at a red-haired boy and shouting viciously, "If it weren't for your father and grandmother, our families wouldn't have died."
"It's all your fault."
"That's right, give me back my father!" Another boy behind him cried, his face twisted in anger. "You jerk, I'll never be friends with you again."
"I hate you, it's all because of you..."
"I hate you too..."
"Hate..."
"..."
Faced with a group of children throwing stones, spitting, and kicking him, the red-haired boy's eyes welled up with tears, but he held them back, tightly covering his head as he curled up on the ground.
He...
Was used to it.
Telling the teacher was useless because the teacher looked at him the same way the other students did.
With disgust and loathing.
The red-haired boy didn't understand why things had turned out this way. Before, everyone used to play together, and the teacher had been kind to him.
Why had everything changed?
He...
Had not only lost his father but his mother as well.
Feeling his classmates finish beating him and leave, the red-haired boy slowly sat up.
He held back the tears in his eyes, refusing to let them fall.
He didn't want his father to see him crying.
Then...
He stood up slowly, head lowered, and walked toward home.
He...
Missed his father and mother.
The red-haired boy arrived before rows of gravestones.
Looking at the two tombstones placed side by side, the boy could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.
"Dad, Mom, Sasori misses you."
...
"Ah, finally bit the bait." A purple-haired woman flicked her fishing rod, then...
Her expression froze, and she sighed helplessly. "As expected, there are no fish in Sunagakure."
Seeing his sister like this, Ebizō beside her shook his head and said, "Well, this is Sunagakure, after all."
This was why Sunagakure kept breaking its alliances with Konoha and starting wars.
It was all for Konoha's fertile land.
Though...
In the end, Sunagakure always lost for one reason or another.
But they would never give up.
Fertile land was just too tempting.
"You..." Chiyo placed her fishing rod back into the pond and shook her head at Ebizō, sighing. "Why did you have to come with me to do something so boring?"
She was the one who had agreed to retire with the Kazekage, but Ebizō had ended up retiring with her.
"Heh." Ebizō chuckled. "This is fine too. Being a shinobi was tiring."
"Fishing isn't bad."
Except...
They hadn't caught a single fish yet.
"How is Sasori?" Chiyo stared quietly at the fishing float in the pond and asked calmly, "At school..."
"How is he doing?"
"..."
Hearing his sister's question, Ebizō fell silent for a moment before sighing helplessly. "Why do you still insist on keeping Sasori in the academy?"
After he and his sister resigned, they no longer had any say in the village's affairs.
Maybe when they were still Sunagakure's advisors, people wouldn't have dared to act so openly, but now...
They were just ordinary retired shinobi fishing in the mountains.
Especially with the baseless rumors spreading through Sunagakure...
Now, not only did the children who had lost family members hate Sasori, even his teachers despised him.
So...
He thought it would be better to take Sasori under their wing and teach him themselves.
At least that way, Sasori wouldn't be bullied.
"Sasori..." Chiyo's hand holding the fishing rod trembled slightly as she stared blankly at the float on the pond. "Was this the right thing to do?"
Of course, she knew about Sasori being bullied at school. Every time she saw the bruises on her beloved grandson's body, her heart burned with rage.
But the deaths of his parents were partly her fault.
And...
"Ever since Chiro and Hiroshi left, Sasori has become withdrawn." Chiyo shook her head. "I thought if he could make friends at school, he might recover."
And become like before...
Full of smiles.
"But have you considered how Sasori feels?" Ebizō couldn't bear it and said, "He's just a child!"
"Once you step onto the path of a shinobi, there's no distinction between child and adult." Chiyo sighed. "Besides..."
"For Sasori, isn't this also a form of training?"
"..."
Ebizō shook his head helplessly, staring at his fishing rod and muttering, "Sasori will be home soon."
"Sister, you..."
"Should go see him."
After all...
Now, he only has the two of us left.
...
After visiting his parents, Sasori's eyes were no longer red.
Still silent, he walked home quietly.
Ever since his grandmother and granduncle retired, their family had moved to this remote area in the mountains.
At first, Sasori had been unwilling because he wanted to stay at home, waiting for his father and mother. He believed...
That his father and mother would definitely return. They had to.
Because...
His father had promised to teach him puppet techniques.
But now, he had grown to like this place...
Here, there were no classmates who bullied him, no teachers who hated him.
To this day, Sasori still didn't understand...
Why had things turned out this way when they had all been good friends before?
"Creak."
Opening the door of their old wooden house, Sasori said softly, "I'm home."
He knew...
His grandmother and granduncle weren't back yet, so no one would answer him.
But deep down, he still longed to hear his father and mother say, "Welcome home, Sasori."
So...
Every day when he returned, he would say it.
But today...
"Welcome home, Sasori."
A voice suddenly came from inside the old house.
Hearing this, Sasori's face lit up with excitement, and he quickly lifted his head.
Father? Mother?
But...
Inside the small wooden house, a red-haired young man was sitting, leisurely sipping tea. Then, he raised his head, smiled, and said, "Good afternoon..."
"Sasori."
...
Chiyo looked at the scenery around her and sighed inwardly.
This was her choice. This was the condition the Kazekage had set for approving her revenge against Konoha.
To...
Stay away from Sunagakure's center of power.
Now, it seemed like this might not be so bad...
At least Sasori wouldn't be bullied here.
A bitter smile crossed Chiyo's face as she shook her head and murmured, "I wonder how Sasori is doing at school today?"
She knew exactly who was spreading those rumors in the village. Of course, Ebizō knew too...
But neither of them said anything.
Because...
Someone had to take the blame for the war's failure.
And she and Ebizō, Sunagakure's elders...
Were the perfect scapegoats.
Looking at the old wooden house ahead, Chiyo forced a smile. She knew Sasori was probably inside, silently tinkering with puppets while waiting for her. So, she had to keep smiling...
If even she was sad, Sasori would grow up sad too.
"Creak."
Chiyo opened the door, smiling as she said, "Sasori, Grandma's home..."
But...
Before she could finish...
"..."
"Who are you?"