"Tsunade-sama's whereabouts have been confirmed. The Hokage-sama has already dispatched the Anbu to find her."
"Did sensei suffer because of the enemy's poison?"
Orochimaru nodded.
If Tsunade came here, then the enemy's poison wouldn't be a threat.
"Chiyo is one thing, but that brat called Sasori… the poison he concocts is terrifying. Even my snakes can't withstand it."
"Right now, almost half of our casualties are because of his poison."
Gekko Chizan nodded.
He knew all too well about Sasori's poison—it's the pinnacle of toxins.
Without Tsunade, dealing with it would be extremely difficult.
"As for now, since the main force is on its way..."
"All we have to do is hold out for two days. Once reinforcements arrive, we'll launch a counterattack."
Orochimaru patted his disciple on the shoulder.
Gekko Chizan, however, turned his gaze toward the distance. Through his insect-enhanced vision, he could faintly see Sunagakure's encampment.
The corners of his mouth slowly curled upward as a cunning smile spread across his face.
"Sensei, if I remember correctly, Sasori's parents were killed by Hatake Sakumo. His hatred for Konoha is understandable."
"But… is that hatred really only for Konoha? Or just for Hatake Sakumo?"
Orochimaru looked a little puzzled...
And Chizan wasn't finished speaking.
"In my opinion, Sasori has two enemies."
"One is Hatake Sakumo. The other... is the Third Kazekage!"
Those words truly shocked Orochimaru.
In the next moment, a sharp glint appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
"You're saying… we could manipulate this?"
"Exactly! It might be tricky, but if it works, it could drastically change the course of this war."
Gekko Chizan wore a sly expression. He'd been mulling it over all along the way.
According to the original story, the Third Kazekage was killed by Sasori. Yet now, Sasori had appeared on the front lines.
No matter what the Third Kazekage told Sasori—
That hatred was real.
It just hadn't erupted yet, since Hatake Sakumo was still alive.
"What do you intend to do?"
Faced with Orochimaru's question, a playful glint flashed in Chizan's eyes.
"Sow discord. I don't believe Sasori holds no grudge against the Third Kazekage."
"And I also don't believe that Sunagakure's internal politics are completely solid."
"From what I know, the elders—Chiyo and Ebizō—are on one side, while the Kazekage is on the other."
"Just like the divisions among our own village's higher-ups."
"If we can stir up Sasori's hatred for the Kazekage and cause internal conflict, it'll work in our favor."
Orochimaru fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
He carefully considered Chizan's words. Over the past few days of observing Sasori—
Sasori was a deeply vengeful person. After suffering at Orochimaru's hands, he'd repeatedly hindered him on the battlefield.
He'd even tried to kill him.
Gekko Chizan: Uh… Sensei, guess you'll have to take the blame for that one! Hahaha!
Someone with that kind of personality could definitely be manipulated. Especially since he was still young—and Chiyo's grandson—the plan had a decent chance of success.
With that in mind, Orochimaru asked:
"What do you plan to do?"
Chizan smiled faintly.
"Test the waters. I'll deliver a few letters under cover of night."
"We'll first see how Sasori reacts. If he takes the bait, I'll gradually lure him into unleashing his hatred toward the Kazekage."
Sasori wasn't exactly known for his patience. Besides his pursuit of art, he was hot-tempered.
He didn't like being kept waiting—nor did he like waiting for others.
The most important part: he was still young. That made him easier to manipulate.
"Alright, give it a try. But if anything seems off, retreat immediately."
"With your abilities, I believe you can escape unscathed."
With Orochimaru's approval, Chizan began preparing.
First up—letters.
Relying on his knowledge from his previous life and understanding of Sasori, Chizan personally wrote a letter exposing the misdeeds of the Third Kazekage.
Once the moon climbed high in the sky, he silently slipped out of camp.
Activating Transparent Release, he moved like a phantom toward the Sunagakure encampment.
The camp was heavily guarded at night.
After all, it was wartime. Over a hundred shinobi were patrolling.
But none of that was enough to stop Gekko Chizan.
First, he left behind a technique outside the enemy camp as an escape route.
Then, using Transparent Release's concealment, he infiltrated the enemy's main camp.
After a thorough search, he finally found Sasori's tent near the perimeter.
At that moment, Sasori was already asleep, surrounded by scattered puppet parts.
Chizan quietly placed the letter beside him, then turned toward the puppets.
Whoa—he hadn't realized it before, but this place was full of treasures.
All kinds of weapons… unfortunately, he could only look, not take.
A pity. But soon his eyes were drawn to a small bottle nearby.
Inside was a pale violet liquid. Just from the color alone, it was obviously poison.
Chizan's lips curled upward as he swiftly tucked the poison bottle into his cloak.
Unexpectedly, the moment he took it—
"Who's there!"
Chizan: Damn! I was being so quiet! How did I still wake him?!
Startled, Chizan didn't hesitate for a second—he activated Flying Thunder God and vanished.
Leaving behind a just-awakened Sasori.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Still half-asleep, Sasori began checking what had triggered his alarm. Then, he noticed the letter beside him.
It was addressed:
"To Sasori, son of my benefactors."
Son of my benefactors?
Sasori was puzzled, but cautious. He didn't open the letter directly.
Instead, he used his Puppet Technique to control a puppet and open it safely. After confirming there were no traps, he began reading.
But once he started, his anger surged uncontrollably.
The letter read:
I was indebted to your parents, and I can't bear to see you manipulated by Haneda Zaimon.
Back then, your parents were sent to the front lines solely because Haneda Zaimon wanted to weaken the faction of Elder Chiyo and Elder Ebizō.
That mission was composed entirely of shinobi from the elder faction—mostly Elder Chiyo's disciples, the puppet users.
As a result, nearly all puppet users were slaughtered by Hatake Sakumo.
Elder Chiyo, to ensure your safety, had no choice but to feign compliance.
At the same time, under Haneda Zaimon's manipulation, she sent you to the front lines to seek revenge on Hatake Sakumo!
If he's the strongest Kage, why hasn't he personally come to the battlefield? Why does he delegate dangerous tasks to others?
Don't be fooled by Haneda Zaimon. Even now, most of the front-line shinobi are still from the elder faction.
While the elite shinobi under his own command have not been deployed—his goal is to suppress the elder faction once more.
As for the full truth, you'll have to uncover it yourself. But be careful—extremely careful.
—Signed, A man whose name was taken.
The red-haired boy clenched the letter tightly, his face twisted with rage.
Suppressing his fury, he slowly spat out a name:
"Haneda Zaimon…"
Much of the letter was hard to believe—but one point stabbed straight into Sasori's heart.
If the Kazekage was truly the village's strongest…
Why wasn't he on the battlefield?
That question matched exactly what Sasori had always suspected.
If the Kazekage had personally gone to battle back then… how could his parents have died?
Haneda Zaimon…
You deserve to die!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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