Chapter 147: The Downtrodden Chiyo
After traveling for a few days, Chiyo returned to Sunagakure Village and immediately made her way to the Kazekage Building.
Rasa and Ebizo were startled when they saw Chiyo, with her swollen cheeks and dirty appearance, looking like a complete refugee.
Ebizo asked worriedly, "Sister, are you okay? Were you attacked on your way back?"
Chiyo shook her head. "No, I just tripped and fell."
Being made so embarrassed by a little brat like Kamishiro, if it were just Ebizo, Chiyo might have talked about it. But with the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, here, she just couldn't bring herself to admit it.
Rasa and Ebizo looked at Chiyo with strange expressions.
Tripped and fell?
What kind of fall could result in such a large handprint on her face?
Moreover, her speech was slurred. She must have lost a few teeth.
Rasa, not convinced, asked again, "Are you sure you weren't attacked? Advisor Chiyo, that handprint on your face... doesn't look like it came from a fall."
Chiyo touched her cheek, which still ached faintly. That damned brat Kamishiro had really used all his strength. Even after several days, the swelling still hadn't completely subsided.
Chiyo still stubbornly stuck to her story, "Really, it was just a fall. I accidentally hit myself."
Seeing that Chiyo didn't want to talk, Rasa and Ebizo didn't press further.
Ebizo said to Chiyo, "Sister, I've discussed it with the Fourth Kazekage. We've decided to withdraw our village's ninjas from the border of the Land of Fire."
Chiyo was surprised. "Oh? With the Mist ninja there, the three - way scuffle between us, the Mist ninja, and the Konoha ninjas isn't going too badly for us on the border of the Land of Fire. Why the sudden retreat? Is there some other plan?"
Ebizo replied, "I think Iwagakure is about to make a major move against Konoha soon. So, there's no need to keep getting entangled with the Konoha and Mist ninja there. The Fourth Kazekage has received a reply from the Fourth Raikage, A, of Kumogakure. He's agreed to cooperate with us to attack Konoha when the time is right.
So what we need to do now is to rest and recuperate, wait for Iwagakure's move. After their action is over, we'll team up with Kumogakure and catch Konoha off - guard!"
Chiyo nodded. "I see. I understand."
Rasa asked, "Advisor Chiyo, I heard that those outrageous rumors first appeared in our camp. Do you know who spread them?"
Immediately, the annoying face of Kamishiro popped into Chiyo's mind.
Although she couldn't be sure it was Kamishiro who did it. By that time, the rumors were already well - known, so it was impossible to tell whether Kamishiro was the originator or just heard them from somewhere else.
But Chiyo somehow firmly believed that it was Kamishiro who spread the rumors.
Because Kamishiro's extremely disgusting behavior was very much in line with these outrageous rumors.
If these absurd rumors were spread by Kamishiro, it would be quite reasonable.
However, Chiyo didn't share her thoughts with Rasa. She just shook her head and said, "I don't know. I've sent Pakura to investigate in the camp. Maybe we'll have the results soon. By the way, have you dealt with the rumors?"
Rasa replied to Chiyo, "Yes, I've clarified things. Advisor Chiyo, you must be tired after rushing back to the village. Go and rest early."
Ebizo accompanied Chiyo out of the Kazekage Building.
On the way back, Ebizo asked, "Sister, what exactly happened? You don't need to hide anything from me."
Chiyo walked in silence for a while and then said, "Ebizo, come with me to a place."
Chiyo took Ebizo to Sasori's house and moved aside the dusty shelf.
Even though they hadn't been here for a long time, the putrid smell was still pungent. Both Chiyo and Ebizo smelled it at the same time.
Ebizo covered his nose and frowned, saying, "This smell... It seems to be the smell of corrupted blood, and it seems to have been here for a long time."
Chiyo led Ebizo into the basement.
Looking at the clean basement with the lingering putrid smell, Chiyo felt very heavy - hearted.
Chiyo said in a low voice, "Actually, I discovered this basement a long time ago. It was the day we learned that the Third Kazekage was missing. There was a basement in Sasori's house that I didn't even know about. The basement was filled with the smell of blood. The Third Kazekage suddenly disappeared, and Sasori was also gone..."
"Although I'm Sasori's grandmother, since his parents died in the war, Sasori has become very quiet. And I was very busy at that time, so I didn't have time to take care of him. Unconsciously, I've become completely unfamiliar with Sasori. I don't know what's on his mind."
"At that time, I inexplicably felt that Sasori was related to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. Ebizo, I was really scared at that time, scared that Sasori was involved in the Third Kazekage's disappearance. So I subconsciously concealed the existence of this basement."
Ebizo comforted her, "Sister, I can understand how you feel. This basement doesn't necessarily mean anything. Everything is still uncertain, right?"
Chiyo told Ebizo about Kamishiro.
Ebizo was extremely shocked after hearing that.
He never expected that the undercover agent sent by the Third Kazekage was actually a genius who could destroy Chiyo's [Father] and [Mother] Puppets and even damage five of the Puppets from Chikamatsu's Ten Puppeteers.
Although that kid named Kamishiro relied on the [Magnet Release], a Kekkei Genkai that countered puppets, and used psychological tactics to break through Chiyo's mental defenses, it was still quite astonishing.
Seeing Chiyo looking so dejected, it was obvious that she had been greatly affected.
It was understandable, though, since Chiyo was forced to watch the scene she regarded as a nightmare several times.
As for the human Puppets Sasori made from living people, it's very likely true.
This hidden basement looks quite clean, but the stench of decaying blood is so strong. This means a great deal of blood must have seeped into the crevices of this room, which is why the smell is still so overpowering even after all this time.
Then, it's highly possible that Sasori was behind the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
Chiyo said gloomily, "Ebizo, I want to retire. I failed to save my son and daughter, and I failed to educate Sasori properly. I'm tired."
Ebizo didn't expect Chiyo to be hit so hard this time that she wanted to retire.
Ebizo thought about how to comfort Chiyo, but there didn't seem to be much he could do to comfort her.
They were old and had dedicated their whole lives to the village.
Chiyo's children died in the war. Because of her dedication to the village, she neglected Sasori, and he most likely defected from Sunagakure Village.
It was understandable that Chiyo felt tired.
Ebizo sighed and said, "Actually, I'm also pretty tired. It's time for me to retire too. But sister, the war is about to reach a crucial point. Just wait a bit. Let's retire together after the war is over."
Chiyo nodded and said, "Okay."