The room fell into complete silence.
After a long pause, Sasori spoke flatly.
"Pointless."
Akio turned to Chiyo, who was clearly waiting for his "interpretation," and gave her a reassuring look.
"This is the third time he's said that," Akio explained with a smile. "And just like before, it means something different. What you said brought back memories of his childhood in the Sand Village. It stirred something in him, but he also believes returning to a human body is impossible. So, he dismisses that hope as pointless, just to hide the disappointment."
Chiyo's eyes lit up, and she raised her voice.
"Sasori, come home with me. I will find a way!"
"Tch. Still pointless," Sasori replied, louder this time.
Akio winced. Does he seriously only know one word?
Chiyo looked to Akio again.
He rubbed his temples. "Alright… this is the fourth time he's said it, and this one's different too…"
He glared at Sasori, clearly fed up.
"This time it doesn't mean anything profound. He's just making it impossible for me to explain!"
The instant the words left his mouth, Sasori's puppet body jolted violently, his emotional shutdown cracked.
"…Huh? I actually guessed right?" Akio brightened. Guess I really am good at reading people.
Chiyo hesitated, grief written all over her face, about to speak when Akio cut in again.
"Now this is where you start talking about everything you've lost," he said smoothly.
"Losing your husband young. Losing your children and your brother. And now, in old age, just wanting your grandson by your side."
"Then Sasori gets even more shaken, so he says 'pointless' again to keep his emotions at bay."
"After that, you keep appealing to his heart. You remind him of his childhood. Maybe you even bring out the puppets of his parents."
"And then, he says 'pointless' again. This time, he's talking to his younger self. What he really means is: I wish I could go back to those simpler days… but I can't."
"And then, after that"
Half an Hour Later
"And that," Akio concluded emotionally, "is where Sasori finally breaks down, tears streaming, and cries out: Grandma! I'll come home with you!"
Having narrated nonstop, Akio felt parched. He licked his lips, about to ask for water, only to realize both Chiyo and Sasori were staring at him completely deadpan.
He scratched his head.
"Uh… aren't you two supposed to be hugging right now? Crying? Heading back to the Sand Village together? Or maybe thanking me? Water would be fine."
Chiyo gave him a tired, helpless look and turned back to Sasori.
"Sasori… come home with me."
"…Didn't we already do this?" Akio frowned.
"Pointless," Sasori replied calmly.
"…Wait, what?"
Akio's mental script completely derailed.
When the Narrator Is Ignored
A narrator who isn't acknowledged becomes irrelevant.
At this point, Akio had gone from narrator to spectator.
Right in front of him, a full-blown emotional drama unfolded:
Veteran actress Chiyo versus emotionally repressed Sasori.
Final result....Chiyo lost.
Not because she lacked sincerity, but because Akio had already said everything for her.
Still unwilling to give up, Chiyo sought help from the audience, dragging Akio back in for a cameo.
Trying to break the awkward tension, Akio blurted out:
"Sasori, before I try persuading you again… could you maybe do that clack-clack transformation thing for me?"
Sasori: "..."
Hold it together. I'm almost out of needles.
Kunai and senbon weren't expensive individually, but over the past few days, Sasori had fired enough poisoned needles at Akio to burn through nearly a million ryō. Add in rare toxins and puppet maintenance, and his finances were hanging by a thread.
That was exactly why he'd accepted this dangerous Rain Village mission in the first place, even with Hanzo's corpse as bait.
Remembering the promised reward, Sasori cut Akio off mid-lecture.
"Grandmother. There's no point wasting time here. You should go speak with the Tsuchikage about the alliance."
"Alliance?" Chiyo froze.
She'd rushed here the moment she learned Sasori was in the Stone Village. She had no idea why.
Akio smiled, jumping back in.
"See how much she cares; she came all this way without even knowing your mission"
"What alliance?" Chiyo interrupted.
Akio paused.
"Right… the Rain Village's leader, Yahiko, wants"
"The Rain Village wants an alliance with the Sand?" Chiyo frowned.
Akio: ???
Wasn't I supposed to be the one persuading him? Why won't anyone let me talk?
So he fell silent, watching as grandmother and grandson calmly worked through the alliance's purpose and structure together, until the room went quiet again.
At last, Chiyo spoke.
"Sasori… if you're willing to negotiate peace for the Rain Village… why won't you come home?"
"This was just a high-paying side job," Sasori replied evenly.
Chiyo sighed deeply.
"The Rain Village's new leader has noble ideas, if a bit naive. But this decision isn't mine alone. I can only give my opinion."
"No rush," Sasori said.
Akio tugged at his red hair, looked at the now-silent pair, and raised an eyebrow.
"So… are we done? Because if so, clack-clack-clack transforming time!"
Sasori stood.
"Grandmother. You should speak with the Tsuchikage."
Chiyo nodded, then glanced at Akio.
"Senior… we'll go find Ōnoki."
As they left, Akio called after them cheerfully:
"Sasori, your grandma cares so much she won't even let you transform for me! You should really go back with her!"
Sasori's puppet body jerked slightly.
Probably needed oil.
---
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