chapter 106 part 3
At this time, in the Land of Wind desert, Tsukasa Kaede's figure appeared. He looked up at the sky, confirmed his location, and then took out a map to check.
"The Zombies I arranged here can only move this far. It's still too difficult for Zombies to traverse this endless desert by themselves."
Tsukasa Kaede didn't mind. He locked onto a direction and walked directly deeper into the desert. Next, he needed to start executing his Resurrection plan here.
"Speaking of which, I have an old friend in the Hidden Sand Village. It's been a long time since I contacted him..."
His figure was quickly swallowed by the vast sandstorm. In a super-large desert of this scale, a single person seemed so insignificant.
Hundreds of kilometers away from Tsukasa Kaede, the Hidden Sand Village was a Village located inside rock walls. The surrounding rock walls were enough to help them defend against the endless sandstorms.
"Sasori, what kind of Puppet are you planning to research today? I've already mastered new Puppet Technique, I'm sure it can help you!"
A young boy excitedly came to find Sasori of the Red Sand. Everyone who saw this scene wasn't surprised, because everyone knew Mushi and Sasori were good friends. In the entire Hidden Sand Village, only Mushi was willing to be Sasori's friend.
Even Chiyo tacitly allowed this to happen, hoping that friendship could create more Bonds between Sasori and the Village.
"...It's Mushi. Come with me. I do have new Techniques, a bit faster than I anticipated. I have a feeling that with just one more Experiment, I'll succeed."
Sasori led Mushi further into the basement, passing several Puppets that would be priceless outside, and arrived at a prepared location.
Mushi was completely unaware. His cheerful personality made him especially insensitive to danger. At this moment, he was still enthusiastically looking around: "These Puppets seem no different from the ones I saw last time. Did you hide the new Puppet you researched?"
"There will be a new Puppet soon, Mushi."
Sasori began to take out two sharp blades, carefully sharpening them, stroke after stroke. His already indifferent face now held more cruelty and viciousness. "I will definitely like it, but whether you like it or not is another matter."
"Hahahaha, whatever you like, I'll like. We're friends, aren't we?"
"...Friends?"
Sasori stopped his movements and walked step by step towards the other person with the knives. "I don't need such things as friends. Fleeting things are meaningless to me. You're not worthy to be my companion; you'll only become an obstacle on my path to immortality. Chiyo was too naive. She's actually more childish than me in this regard."
Mushi felt uneasy, retreating step by step. "Sasori, what are you saying? Aren't we friends, the best of friends? The villagers all say so. Why are you suddenly..."
"I've decided to completely sever the tiresome connection between you and me. Die. After killing you, I'm going to seek my true companion."
After a series of shrill screams, only the sounds of dismembering a body remained.
After a while, Sasori of the Red Sand was covered in blood, admiring the work before him.
On his usually rigid face, a rare trace of solace now appeared, partly because he had severed a tiresome Bond, and partly because that guy had finally bothered to contact him.
"Is doing this really okay? Killing a Comrade, and one well-known in the Hidden Sand Village. You have no other choice but Village Defection."
The previously dead Mushi suddenly spoke, turning his head stiffly.
Sasori of the Red Sand snorted. "What does that matter? I've already gained enough knowledge from this Village. From now on, except for you, no one else can help me."
Only when he looked at the Zombie before him did a trace of fervor appear in his numb gaze.
Corpse Release. In recent years, the name of this Secret Technique had resounded throughout the Shinobi World. Countless people wanted a glimpse into the mysteries of Corpse Release. Unfortunately, to this day, only Tsukasa Kaede and Hidan had mastered Corpse Release.
If others wanted to learn it? They could only become Zombies.
"The paths between you and me are fundamentally different. You take the Human Puppet Creation Technique route, I take the Corpse route. Your method involves the extra step of transforming a Corpse into a Puppet, and then making that Puppet perform with its power from when it was alive, which, in my opinion, is redundant."
"That's because you are a user of Corpse Release. If you were me, and wanted to make fleeting power last eternally, you would have no choice but to walk my path."
Sasori of the Red Sand snorted. He had his own pride. Even if the power of Corpse Release was alluring, it could, at most, only offer reference value. He would never fully embrace the Corpse Release Secret Technique.
"It's rare for you to contact me. What, are you tired of being a Konoha hero? Are you planning to pursue Immortality with me now?" A trace of anticipation was hidden in Sasori of the Red Sand's tone.
As long as Tsukasa Kaede spoke, he would undoubtedly defect without hesitation. He had nothing to say to these people in the Hidden Sand Village, a bunch of fleeting transitional objects, truly wasting his time.
"There have been some unexpected developments. I need you to get the latest Self-Sacrifice Reanimation Jutsu from Chiyo. This is her crucial bargaining chip. It must have been perfected over the past few years."
Tsukasa Kaede said, "Although I've also improved this Forbidden Jutsu based on my own circumstances, considering that Chiyo is, after all, the originator of this Secret Technique, her insights are very valuable to me."
"Don't you have countless Corpses you can use? The Shinobi World is never short of dead Ninja. Why are you still fixated on the latest version in Chiyo's hands?" Sasori of the Red Sand was very puzzled. His intuition told him that something special had happened.
"It's fine to tell you. I am executing a crucial plan. If nothing unexpected happens, once this current step is completed, I will truly embark on a more perfect path to Immortality. My path can also provide significant reference for you. You'll definitely find it useful... I won't lie to you about this."
Tsukasa Kaede's words came from Mushi's mouth: "Of course, even if you don't help, I am confident I will succeed. But to increase the chances is still beneficial."
"Understood. I'll get it. Then you'll have to share your results with me."
Sasori of the Red Sand agreed immediately. The value his companion provided him, even if it was emotional value, was simply incomparable to what others could offer.
(end of chapter)