In the current Sand Village, several top young experts like Pakura, Rasa, and Karura each possess extraordinary strength, even mastering Kekkei Genkai. Yet none of them can be considered true masters of puppetry.
In contrast, Sasori's mastery of puppets is undoubtedly unique. His arrival blazes like a new star, lighting up the art of puppetry in the Sand Village.
Following this, under Chiyo's leadership, everyone set off directly toward the location of Sakumo Hatake.
At this moment, Sakumo was forging deeper into unfamiliar territory within the Land of Earth, making tracking extremely difficult. The Sand-nin fully understood that recklessness could not be tolerated in this situation. To avoid alerting the Iwa-nin, only a small group of their most elite ninja followed Chiyo's experienced guidance, carefully stepping into the Land of Earth.
They kept a low profile, careful not to provoke any trouble. Naturally, this made the Sand-nin's already difficult tracking mission even more disadvantageous.
Fortunately, Sakumo seemed to have no intention of returning to the Land of Fire. Instead, he continued heading farther north. Observing this, Chiyo and the others didn't panic, maintaining steady patience as they closely followed behind step by step.
Time slowly passed. Eventually, when Sakumo arrived at the distant Land of Snow, Chiyo, now unafraid of interference from Iwa-nin, issued her orders. At that moment, the Sand-nin were revitalized—everyone threw themselves into the pursuit with renewed determination.
Meanwhile, along the way, relying on her years of combat experience and [Insight], Chiyo accurately predicted Sakumo's trajectory ahead of time. She decisively dispatched forces that hadn't entered the Land of Earth to move ahead rapidly, entering the Land of Snow first to prepare and wait in full readiness.
Despite their thorough preparations, Sakumo's speed proved simply too fast. Even though the Sand-nin rushed with every ounce of effort, the results still fell far short of expectations. Most of them felt somewhat overwhelmed, unable to reach their ambush positions within the required timeframe.
Yet just then, Sasori revealed his unique qualities. Rather than strictly following Chiyo's instructions, he relied on his innate [Insight], swiftly advancing with his own team. When Sakumo intentionally circled around to shake off Chiyo and others, Sasori locked onto an unavoidable path the swordsman would take, quickly setting up an ambush.
Though Sasori had prepared thoroughly, his relatively limited experience ultimately led him to underestimate Sakumo's power. As Sakumo approached the ambush zone, he detected Sasori's trap a moment ahead of time.
Upon seeing Sakumo, Sasori burned with fury. Once Sakumo halted upon discovering the ambush, he could no longer restrain himself. He immediately activated three puppets and charged forward, launching a deadly assault straight at Sakumo.
Sakumo Hatake was mildly taken aback seeing Sasori standing before him. He hadn't expected a young child to be lying in ambush. Although this child possessed considerable strength, even making Sakumo sense a slight threat, he sighed inwardly upon seeing the boy's expression filled with hatred. He had already guessed that this child likely lost a close relative at his hands.
Then, Sakumo Hatake and Sasori's squad engaged in close combat, resulting in a fierce battle. Despite the enemy before him, Sakumo remained a free agent not carrying out any mission, and deep within his heart, he always upheld a certain principle. Even when facing enemies, he refrained from easily taking lives.
Each time he struck, he only tried his best to knock down his opponent, always stopping just short of lethal force, as if following some inner principle. Especially when facing Sasori, whose strength significantly increased the challenge, Sakumo still held the upper hand through his own abilities and vast combat experience.
With a single powerful punch that shattered the last puppet, Sakumo watched the dust settle. Sasori's face, full of hatred, appeared before him, making Sakumo feel extremely complicated inside. He deeply understood that his actions at this moment might significantly affect this young life. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
Slowly, he spoke to Sasori, saying, "Young man, I can feel the hatred in your eyes. It must be that someone very dear to you has tragically perished by my blade, casting you into endless suffering.
But you should calm yourself and think clearly about them. You are their legacy. Their spirits would surely wish for you to grow up strong and healthy, rather than see you throw your life away seeking revenge.
If you truly desire vengeance, I suggest you first become strong enough to achieve it. During this long wait, you must take care of yourself. Don't let momentary impulse lead you to make irreversible mistakes.
And don't forget to look around — there might still be people who care deeply for you, silently supporting you. Don't let them suffer for your sake."
After speaking these words, Sakumo gave a slight sigh and turned to leave, leaving Sasori lying on the ground, deep in thought...
Strange as it seemed, the truth was undeniable. Even Chiyo's words had failed to enlighten Sasori, yet the words of someone with such deep hatred from him struck like arrows into his ears.
His words shone like a ray of light through the murky corners of Sasori's heart, letting him understand the most heartfelt wish any parent could hold in their heart — for their child to grow up safe, healthy, and strong.
These very words were like an invisible key slipping quietly into a long-sealed door deep within Sasori's soul. Slowly, they began to awaken him from his obsession, bringing a profound transformation to his heart.
Gradually, doubt began to creep into the path he'd been so obsessed with — turning human lives into puppets. It was as though an unseen force was guiding him toward another direction entirely.
At that moment, Chiyo hurried over anxiously. When she saw her grandson sitting on the ground, deep in thought, from a distance, concern immediately flooded her heart, as she feared he might have been seriously injured in the battle.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward and anxiously asked, "Sasori, are you alright? Were you hurt?" Her caring voice was like a gentle breeze, dispersing the fog of deep contemplation within Sasori's heart. In that moment, it struck him that although he had lost his parents at an early age, his grandmother Chiyo had always loved him deeply.
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