"Huff... I'm exhausted..."
"Chizan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. After all, that was a semi-Tailed Beast Transformation with five tails, and I even used a Tailed Beast Bomb. I just need to rest a bit."
Chōmei's concerned voice echoed in Gekko Chizan's mind.
Receiving Gekko Chizan's response, Chōmei clicked his tongue in annoyance:
"You really acted recklessly. You dared to use a Tailed Beast Bomb without ever practicing it before."
"And the key thing is... you actually succeeded. Chizan, you brat, you're seriously a born Jinchūriki."
"No! It was destiny—for you and me to become one."
Chōmei really wasn't exaggerating. All these years—
Although he'd never had a Jinchūriki before, from his perspective, someone wanting to become his host and use his power?
What a joke.
But after Gekko Chizan actually became his Jinchūriki, he realized how joyful it was to have someone who understood him, someone who took him along on their journey, who played with him.
Even if he couldn't move freely, having Gekko Chizan by his side felt pretty great.
And besides, those other Jinchūriki he met before—Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Eight-Tails—none of their partnerships could compare to his and Chizan's.
Hmph. Let them come. We'll crush them!
"Chizan, now that you've killed the Third Kazekage, what's your next move?"
"What else? Obviously, I'll make it look like Sasori tried to assassinate him."
"Step one: head back and stage the scene."
He did as he said. The night was short—if he didn't act quickly, Sunagakure's Anbu would catch on.
Using Flying Thunder God to return to the Kazekage's office, Gekko Chizan began tidying up the aftermath.
He packed up the puppet fragments and all the hidden weapons he'd used earlier, leaving only a few shards behind.
Once done, he disappeared instantly.
Then he found Sasori... sigh... poor kid.
Gekko Chizan looked at the unconscious Sasori and couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
During the earlier battle, to get Sasori away from the battlefield, he had kicked him while in semi-Tailed Beast form.
Though the kick landed in sand, the chakra of a Tailed Beast was wild and violent.
Half of Sasori's body was drenched in blood...
"Chizan, how hard did you kick him? Is the kid dead?"
Chōmei teased Gekko Chizan with a playful tone, only to receive a proud spit in return.
"Come on, the situation was critical, I didn't have time to hold back."
"Let me check..."
"Looks like he's not dead..."
"As for the wound... hold on a second..."
Gekko Chizan set Sasori down and ran toward the Third Kazekage's body.
He grabbed the corpse and scooped up a good amount of iron sand that had turned to powder.
Then he rushed back to Sasori, tossed the Kazekage's body to the side, and dumped all the puppet fragments he'd brought from the office onto Sasori.
He even picked up some senbon and kunai to throw in, setting the scene like it was a twisted masquerade ball.
"If demons really exist in this world..."
"Chizan... you're definitely the worst of them all."
Chōmei was so disturbed, his whole insect body curled up. This bastard seriously didn't act human at all.
The Third Kazekage was already dead, and yet he was still desecrating the corpse—stabbing senbon and kunai all over the body...
"You don't get it. This makes it feel real. Think about it—when Sasori wakes up and sees the Kazekage buried in his own puppet fragments and weapons, what will he think?"
Chōmei blurted out without thinking,
"He'll think he killed the Third Kazekage?"
"Exactly! That's the goal."
"Why else do you think I used Sasori's poison to kill the Kazekage in the end? It was all so Sasori would obediently take the blame."
Chōmei was stunned and muttered, "Take the blame? What the heck is that?"
Ignoring Chōmei's mumbles, Gekko Chizan dumped the powdered iron sand over Sasori's lower half.
"All done!"
Looking at Sasori, now buried in iron sand, Gekko Chizan clapped his hands with satisfaction.
The scene was so messed up, even Chōmei couldn't bear to watch anymore.
"You did all this so Sasori would think the Third Kazekage crippled him?"
"Wow, Chōmei, you're catching on!"
Chōmei silently shut his eyes. This guy was way too damn wicked...
Killing, framing, and even doing it so thoroughly.
This brat Gekko Chizan—how did he turn out so evil?
Little did Chōmei know, just as Gekko Chizan finished all of this, that familiar system notification sounded again.
[Ding! Detected host desecrating the corpse of the Third Kazekage. Speechless... Special Reward: Kekkei Genkai Fusion Progress +10% (Current Progress: 55%)]
[Ding! Detected host blaming Sasori for the Third Kazekage's death... Sigh... Special Reward: Kekkei Genkai Fusion Progress +10% (Current Progress: 65%)]
[Ding! Detected host crippling Sasori, then blaming the dead Third Kazekage... Seriously excessive... Special Reward: Kekkei Genkai Fusion Progress +10% (Current Progress: 75%)]
Gekko Chizan grinned. All the aches in his body suddenly felt worth it.
He'd spent half the night and half his strength—for exactly this reward!
Why was he clinging to Sasori? Wasn't it because that brat could bring him a flood of rewards?
Now with 30% Kekkei Genkai fusion progress added, the whole night's work had been worthwhile!
Still... what was with the system? Why did it sound like it was sighing?
System: I honestly didn't realize you'd grown to a level where even I have to look up to you. You're seriously not human anymore.
"Chōmei! Time to go! Lend me some chakra."
"The road is long—we need to speed up!"
Chōmei nodded, then began transferring chakra to Gekko Chizan.
As the chakra surged into him, wings unfurled from his back.
With a whoosh, Gekko Chizan shot into the sky, flying toward the Land of Rivers.
...
At the same time, both Sunagakure and Konoha camps in the Land of Rivers were lit up.
On Sunagakure's side, Chiyo discovered her grandson was missing—and he had taken a batch of puppets with him. Clearly, he was going to fight.
Panicked, Chiyo immediately sent people out to search, but of course, they found nothing.
Meanwhile, on Konoha's side, Orochimaru stood at the edge of their defense line.
His disciple was missing. And thinking back to what Gekko Chizan had told him earlier—
Orochimaru's heart had been uneasy ever since, his gaze fixed intensely toward Sunagakure.
He had also dispatched some shinobi to Sunagakure to investigate his disciple's whereabouts.
As time dragged on, he grew more and more anxious.
Most people couldn't catch his interest.
But it didn't mean he had no emotions.
Ever since Gekko Chizan became his student, Orochimaru had gained something he hadn't had before—concern.
Just like with Nawaki back in the day, he didn't want anything to happen to his disciple.
If it did, he feared he might go mad.
...
A/N: Don't say I'm bullying Sasori... He's going to turn himself into a puppet anyway...
I really do like Sasori—it's not on purpose! It's just how the plot had to go!!!
Please don't whip me!