"Who are you?" Chiyo stared warily at the red-haired boy sitting on the chair, patting Sasori's head. "What are you doing here?"
At the same time, her hands moved swiftly, summoning her signature technique—
The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets. She shouted sharply, "Let go of Sasori."
Then...
Uzumaki Jun raised his hands, signaling that he meant no harm.
After obtaining Chiro and his wife's consent, he had quietly arrived in Sunagakure, sneaked into their small wooden house, and waited for Sasori.
After all...
He was a future high-tech talent!
It wasn't too much to ask for the leader of Uzushiogakure to wait for him.
"Please calm down," Uzumaki Jun said with a smile. "I mean no ill will."
However, Chiyo ignored the red-haired boy, looking anxiously at Sasori. "Sasori, come here now."
Sasori was Chiro's child!
If something happened to him too...
What meaning would there be left in her life?
Chiyo didn't know who had sent this red-haired boy—whether it was the Kazekage or other high-ranking officials in Sunagakure—and she didn't care.
As Sasori's grandmother, she only wanted...
Sasori to be safe.
But...
Sasori ignored Chiyo, still standing silently in front of Uzumaki Jun.
Because this red-haired brother had said he could take Sasori to see his father and mother.
So...
Whether it was true or not,
Sasori wanted to see his father and mother...
No matter who came, he wouldn't leave.
"Sasori!" Seeing that Sasori wasn't responding, Chiyo's expression darkened as she said in a low voice, "Come here."
Her tone carried a hint of pleading.
"Come here right now."
What was going on?
Hadn't Sasori always been obedient before?
Why wasn't he listening to his grandmother today?
"What did you do to Sasori?" Chiyo raised her head, her face twisted with fury as she glared at Uzumaki Jun. "I won't allow anyone to hurt Sasori."
"Hurt him?"
Uzumaki Jun looked at Chiyo in confusion, then at the silent Sasori.
He...
Hadn't done anything at all!
"Don't worry," Uzumaki Jun quickly reassured with a smile. "I'm just here to take Sasori to his parents."
He was here to recruit talent, not to make enemies, so he had to explain things clearly.
However...
"You..." Hearing Uzumaki Jun's words, Chiyo's eyes widened in rage. "You deserve to die!"
Take Sasori to see Chiro and Hiroshi?
Sasori was just a child!
Tears streamed from her eyes.
"Puppet Technique: Manipulating Attack Blades."
Her hands swiftly manipulated the chakra strings.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Uzumaki Jun, seeing Chiyo activate her puppet technique, quickly picked up Sasori. "Have you gone mad?"
Though he knew Chiyo wouldn't harm Sasori, what if something went wrong?
After all, technical talents were hard to come by!
And...
He had only meant well. Why was this old woman so unreasonable...
Wait.
What he had just said might have been...
Misunderstood.
After all, very few knew that Chiro and his wife were still alive.
Sending Sasori to his parents...
Would sound like sending Sasori to his death.
No wonder the old woman had snapped.
At that moment...
"Grandmother," Sasori, still held by Uzumaki Jun, looked up at Chiyo. "I want to see Father and Mother."
Hearing Sasori's words, Chiyo's puppet paused for a moment before...
Tears began falling uncontrollably as she pleaded, "Your father and mother are already..."
"Sasori, come with Grandmother."
"..."
Sasori fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I want to see Father and Mother... because they..."
"Promised to teach me how to make puppets."
"Grandmother can teach you too," Chiyo said quickly. "Grandmother can teach you everything."
"Your father learned his puppet techniques from Grandmother. Grandmother's are even better."
But...
"No." Sasori shook his head again and fell silent.
Seeing this, Chiyo knew her words weren't getting through.
She sighed inwardly, then glared at Uzumaki Jun. It was all his fault. If he hadn't come...
Sasori wouldn't be like this.
So...
"Puppet Technique: Human Puppet Mastery."
As long as Sasori was safe, she just needed to rescue him first. As for what came after...
She would deal with it later.
Just as Chiyo was about to attack...
"Don't attack!" Uzumaki Jun quickly shouted. "Sasori's parents aren't dead."
He had better...
Explain things properly.
Otherwise, he might end up fighting Chiro's mother.
------
"Uchiha Fugaku," Jiraiya said with a complicated expression as he was led to a remote hill in Uzushiogakure. "What are you doing here?"
He hadn't expected the police officer brought by that kid to be the young clan leader of the Uchiha.
But...
Hadn't the Uchiha clan been wiped out?
Why were they in Uzushiogakure?
Suddenly...
Jiraiya felt a shadow of conspiracy looming over Konoha.
"Jiraiya-sama..." Uchiha Fugaku's eyes flickered slightly. "It's been a long time."
Finally...
He glanced at the police badge pinned to his chest and sighed inwardly.
He...
Couldn't betray the uniform he wore.
And...
He was now the leader of the Uchiha. He couldn't act recklessly, especially since he had promised his father...
Not to seek revenge.
Though the hatred in his heart wasn't so easily erased...
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes burned with resentment as he muttered, "Konoha."
One day, he would settle the debt of the Uchiha clan's lives with the Hokage!
"The Uchiha clan..." Jiraiya, seeing Uchiha Fugaku's expression, hesitated before asking, "Are you the only one left?"
As the Hokage's student, he knew some things.
The Uchiha clan...
Had essentially sacrificed themselves for Konoha.
"Hmph." Uchiha Fugaku smirked coldly. "Though I feel guilty for the title of hero Konoha bestowed upon my father..."
"There are still over a dozen Uchiha left."
"I see." Jiraiya sighed inwardly before asking cautiously, "Then you..."
"Will you return to Konoha?"
"..."
Uchiha Fugaku narrowed his eyes before replying with a mocking smile, "Sorry, but I am now..."
His gaze was indifferent as he looked at Jiraiya.
"An outstanding officer of Uzushiogakure!"
"An officer, huh?" Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, Jiraiya understood his decision. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "I won't..."
"Tell the old man about the Uchiha."
Since the Uchiha clan...
Had joined Uzushiogakure, he would pretend he hadn't seen anything.
Otherwise, knowing the village's higher-ups, they wouldn't care about sacrifices and would demand Uzushiogakure return Konoha's bloodline. If refused...
War would break out.
The war had just ended. He didn't want to see another one.
"You..." Uchiha Fugaku was momentarily stunned before replying coldly, "Do as you wish. The Uchiha fear no assassins."
Uzushiogakure...
Also feared no war.
The moment Uzushiogakure allowed them to use the Uchiha name, he knew...
War was inevitable.
"Also..." Uchiha Fugaku said flatly, "Uzushiogakure is a nation ruled by law. I hope you will abide by its laws during your stay. If I find you violating any..."
"I will arrest you without hesitation."
With that, he turned to leave.
As for deceiving a child...
It wasn't a crime, so he had no right to detain Jiraiya.
However...
"Wait." Seeing Uchiha Fugaku about to leave, Jiraiya rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "Um..."
"What is it?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned. "I'm on duty."
"Well..." Jiraiya ignored Uchiha Fugaku's stoic expression—after all, he was used to it in Konoha.
He leaned in with an embarrassed smile. "Since we're from the same village, could you..."
"Sorry, I'm from Uzushiogakure now." Uchiha Fugaku remained expressionless. "Not Konoha."
"The past is the past." Jiraiya laughed awkwardly. "So, could you..."
"Lend me some money?"
-----
"Don't worry." Chiro hugged Hiroshi, who was trembling with anxiety. "Sasori will be fine."
Though he said this, Chiro was deeply worried. Why hadn't they returned after so long?
Uzumaki Jun knew space-time ninjutsu!
Had something gone wrong?
Otherwise, why the delay?
Please, let nothing happen to Sasori...
Sasori, your father...
Before Chiro could finish his thoughts, the space in front of him twisted.
Two figures and a small figure appeared.
"Sasori!"
Seeing the small figure, Chiro and Hiroshi could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down as they rushed forward and tightly embraced Sasori.
"Father and Mother are sorry..."
We...
Are so sorry.
Yet...
"Father, Mother." Sasori's gloomy expression instantly vanished as he hugged them back, smiling.
He...
Loved this feeling.
He loved it very much.
So...
"Father, Mother." Sasori whispered with closed eyes. "Don't leave Sasori, okay?"
"You promised..."
"To teach me how to make puppets."
If this was a dream, he wanted to stay in it a little longer...