Iwagakure was getting busier by the day.
First came Sasori and Kakuzu. Then Chiyo arrived, followed by Akio, and soon after, Akio was joined by Nagato's camp representatives: Yahiko's faction, Konan's counterpart, and finally Ringo Ameyuri. Not long after that, Sunagakure dispatched an elite delegation representing the Fourth Kazekage to formally observe the proposed alliance.
The negotiations themselves were… rough.
Akio could tell that Yahiko lacked the political weight needed to stand confidently in front of major hidden villages. The talks dragged, full of cautious probing and veiled pressure. True to his word, Akio did not intervene.
After all, if he genuinely wanted peace across the shinobi world, he wouldn't need an organization like Akatsuki at all. He could simply step onto any battlefield, cross his arms, and tell everyone to go home.
That alone would end the war.
The reason he didn't do that came down to two things.
First, Hashirama had once said that peace enforced through overwhelming power was nothing more than an illusion that true peace could only come through mutual understanding. Akio didn't entirely agree, but since that belief belonged to Hashirama, he was willing to wait and see how it played out.
Second, Akio himself didn't carry deep emotional scars from war. The losses that defined the Warring States Era were long past. Whether the world was at peace or not didn't affect him much personally, certainly not as much as raising the three children currently under his care.
Karin, for example, had made remarkable progress.
Her use of Explosion Release had become increasingly refined. Despite her complaints, Akio had forced her to mold her explosive clay into compact, grenade-like shapes. After throwing a few dozen of them, she begrudgingly admitted the design was efficient.
This trip to Iwagakure had benefited her more than anyone else. She had gone from being the weak link of the group to a legitimate offensive contributor.
Alright, Akio thought, next stop needs to help Haku and Kimimaro grow too. No favoritism.
Yes, he was preparing to leave Iwagakure.
Time had flown by. He and the children had already spent over two months there. It was now September of Konoha Year 54. Five full months had passed since they'd left the Leaf Village.
In just over three months, the New Year would arrive. Akio had already decided he'd take Kimimaro and the others back to Uzushiogakure for the holidays. That meant there was only enough time left to visit one more place.
After the New Year, he planned to swing by Konoha to see how the Senju and Uchiha tensions were developing and hopefully earn a few more "observation points." He'd been stuck at 365 for a while now, and several skills were waiting for upgrades.
"Haku's Ice Release works best in cold climates… so we'll need to head north," Akio murmured. "As for Kimimaro…"
Night was already falling, so he decided not to tell the children just yet.
"I'll say my goodbyes to Kurotsuchi and the others tomorrow…"
He had briefly considered taking Deidara with him, but after spending time together, Akio found the boy's obsession with explosions exhausting rather than charming. Definitely not the lovable troublemaker type.
Kurotsuchi, on the other hand, was far more likable but taking her along would be far more trouble than it was worth.
She might cry tomorrow, he thought with a smirk. Probably because she won't get to eat my cooking anymore.
He flopped onto the bed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Akio frowned and got up. "This late?"
He opened the door to find Chiyo standing there.
"Sorry to disturb you," she said, forcing a strained smile.
"It's fine," Akio replied casually. "But what brings you here so late? Didn't you and Sasori have a family heart-to-heart planned? Or did you want me to narrate his emotions again to make you feel better?"
Chiyo shook her head with a bitter smile. "I came to ask if you know a way to restore Sasori's flesh-and-blood body."
"Oh," Akio said, thinking for a moment. "What about your Reanimation Transfer Technique?"
Her eyes widened. "You know about that?"
She quickly reasoned it out herself. "Right… you were in Sunagakure back when we were developing it."
Akio nodded.
"That technique was originally designed to give life to puppets," Chiyo continued. "But the cost was too great. It was sealed as a forbidden technique."
"You can skip the technical explanation," Akio interrupted gently. "Just tell me what you're worried about."
Chiyo took a breath. "Even if it works, it might only give the puppet life, not true flesh. I'm not afraid to die. I'm afraid of dying for nothing."
Akio glanced past her shoulder. "Before asking whether I have a solution… are you sure Sasori even wants his body back?"
"I'll make him agree," Chiyo said firmly.
Akio smiled faintly. "Will you?"
Chiyo turned sharply.
Sasori was standing silently behind her.
"…Boring," he said flatly.
Akio chuckled. "That 'boring' means something different this time"
Clack-clack-clack—thwip, thwip, thwip!
Now that Sasori had received Yahiko's payment, he was far more liberal with his senbon.
Akio flicked his sleeve, casually deflecting them, then stepped back and closed the door with a grin.
"I'll leave you two to talk. I'm going to sleep."
Outside, there was a brief silence.
Then Chiyo acted.
Without saying a word, she unsealed a scroll. After a few hand signs, a massive puppet appeared beside her.
"This design," she said calmly, "came from Akio. A gift to all puppet masters."
With practiced precision, she shifted its structure. The puppet transformed once, then twice.
"One puppet. Three distinct forms. Hundreds of possible attack patterns. Sasori, you understand what that means."
She looked straight at him. "And this is my limit. If it were you…"
Inside the room, Akio pressed an ear to the door, shaking his head. Give her an idea, and she builds a whole world with it.
"Sasori," Chiyo said, her voice rising, "we control puppets. We were never meant to become them!"
"Grandmother," Sasori replied evenly, "your puppet is well made."
Her heart sank.
"But true art," he continued, "is eternal. Allow me to show you my ultimate creation."
Akio frowned. Ultimate art? The Hundred-Puppet Performance? He's already gathered that many?
Suddenly, everything went quiet.
Then
BOOM!!!
The ground shook violently.
Akio burst through the door.
What he saw made him rub his eyes in disbelief.
Standing before him, Sasori's puppet body now towered over ten meters tall.
---
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