Anya did not return to the Konoha forces after disappearing. Instead, she arrived near a valley where a group of escaping Konoha ninja had hidden. About a hundred people remained inside. Outside the valley, an army of puppets launched fierce attacks against those inside. Once their chakra was exhausted, the ninja would become helpless as lambs awaiting slaughter.
Looking closely, it became clear that all these puppets were controlled by a young red-haired man. There was no doubt this exceptionally gifted puppet master could only be Akasuna no Sasori—the Red Sand of the Desert.
While treating Tsunade with Medical Ninjutsu, Anya had recognized the poison in her body as Sasori's handiwork.
Still, Anya never imagined that the Tsuchikage would choose to hire the Zero Organization. She also didn't know how they had managed to connect. Beside Sasori stood Kakuzu, his expression full of killing intent. Both of them being here meant the Tsuchikage must have paid well; otherwise, Kakuzu wouldn't go so far to personally come to the battlefield.
Feeling slightly strange yet pleased, Anya realized that though the Tsuchikage seemed dominant, he was actually surrounded—by his own hired hands. The Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts were also vulnerable to the Mangekyo Sharingan.
If Anya truly wanted to kill him now, the Tsuchikage wouldn't necessarily survive. But there was no need for a direct confrontation.
After locating the two using the Division Technique, Anya wasn't in a hurry. She silently waited while Sasori completed his attack.
"Who's there?"
Kakuzu, who had been quietly standing beside Sasori, had actually been paying close attention to the surroundings the entire time. His Earth Grudge Fear's wind-based black creature continuously roamed stealthily in the shadows. With years of combat experience, he detected Anya observing from nearby.
Since she was discovered, Anya gave up hiding and instead removed her mask, stepping forward directly.
"A kid?"
"Big Brother Kurotsuchi."
Both were surprised. Sasori especially looked delighted—he clearly hadn't expected to meet her here.
Kakuzu quickly caught on, however: "So that's it. I almost forgot—you're a Konoha ninja. From your outfit, you're Anbu. So you've come to rescue these Konoha ninja?"
Upon hearing this, Sasori immediately paused his puppet assault.
"There's no need to stop," said Anya calmly. "Sasori, their chakra is nearly gone. Stop using puppets—just release poison to knock them out."
With a gleam in his eyes, Sasori answered joyfully: "Understood."
Soon, purple poisonous mist poured forth from the puppets. It spread rapidly across the entire valley. Many Konoha ninja within fell unconscious, completely unaware.
"You've got guts, kid. Well done," Kakuzu remarked approvingly, though it wasn't clear exactly whom he was complimenting.
"Let's move in," said Anya. Leading the way, she entered the valley alongside both men. Activating her Sharingan, Anya directed Sasori to use his puppets to sort through the fallen ninja, prioritizing those whose lives were in danger for immediate treatment.
Frowning, Kakuzu asked: "What's the point of saving them if we were just going to kill them anyway?"
But Sasori quickly grasped Anya's intention and spoke: "Big Brother Kurotsuchi wants to bring them into the organization, right?"
"That's exactly right."
Anya shot Sasori a look of approval. "War is the best time for the Organization to grow stronger. These ninja who have experienced war are all quite powerful as individuals; keeping them alive is better than killing them."
Kakuzu understood, but still had concerns. "That makes sense, but aren't you afraid they might recognize you? Or are you planning on leaving Konoha?"
Anya had already thought it through and quickly replied, "I haven't planned on leaving Konoha yet, so from now on, we'll use code names for each other."
"Great idea," Sasori said excitedly. "Then my codename will be Red Spider. And Big Brother Kurotsuchi, you can be Megatron. How about that?"
Anya rolled his eyes slightly, but seeing how delighted Sasori looked, he remembered how he hadn't allowed Sasori to choose the Organization's name back then, and agreed to these two codenames.
"Uncle, what about you?"
Kakuzu casually replied, "Whatever works."
"Hmm, let me think," Sasori said while pondering for a moment, recalling stories Anya had told years ago. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "How about Hercules?"
Kakuzu became interested and asked, "Is there any story behind this codename?"
"Of course there is," Sasori patiently explained. "This guy was the first Transmorpher capable of Gatai with others into a larger robot. He really suits you, doesn't he? Want me to tell you the entire story of the Transformers from beginning to end?"
Without saying anything further, Kakuzu silently walked away to find somewhere to sit down; nobody could tell whether he approved or not.
Anya patted Sasori on the shoulder and said, "You know how it is with older folks—sometimes you just can't bridge the gap. When the Organization grows bigger, I'll find you some people with similar interests."
Having been in charge of the Organization for some time, Sasori had clearly changed; he wasn't as resistant anymore, but still made one request: "He must possess artistic talent."
What could Anya do after hearing this? Just indulge him, nodding continuously as he said, "Sure, whatever you want. If you don't like them, I'll turn them into puppets for you to control."
At this point, Kakuzu added, "Before turning them into puppets, keep their hearts for me."
Upon hearing this, Anya suddenly got an idea: The moment of their death would be the perfect opportunity to practice his [Spirit Control Technique].
Truly nothing would be wasted—from their bodies, to their hearts, and finally their souls.
After ensuring all the ninja's lives were saved, Sasori began injecting new poisons into them. Once certain there were no omissions, he clapped his hands together and said, "Come out."
A transparent figure emerged from thin air and knelt before them. "Lord Sasori, please give your orders."
Anya recognized him immediately; this was the member from earlier who could use Hiding with Camouflage Technique—he was extremely sharp-witted.
With his young face set in a serious expression, Sasori commanded authority. "Dagan, spread the word. From today onward, all Zero Organization members must address one another by their code names only. This is our leader Megatron, my codename is Red Spider, and that one over there is Hercules."
"Understood."
Sasori continued issuing commands. "Contact the other members inside the Organization. Use puppet carriages to transport all these ninja back to our base. Keep them imprisoned but ensure none of their lives are harmed."
Once Dagan left to carry out the orders, Anya asked, "How many people came from the Organization this time."
Sasori said with enthusiasm, "Recently, the number of external members in the Organization has risen to three hundred. Aside from those who couldn't come due to missions, I've brought the rest here so they can gain some experience and see a bit of bloodshed."
"That works," Anya agreed. "By the way, how did the Tsuchikage get in touch with you? He must have paid quite a sum."
When money was mentioned, Kakuzu nearby perked up immediately and chimed in, "Yeah, a real Kage indeed — far more generous than you've ever been."
Sasori smiled and added, "The Tsuchikage got in touch with several mercenary groups through the underground market. However, Hercules feared they'd steal business, so he wiped them all out along the way here. A good number of our current members were recruited exactly that way."
Well now—that's gangster-level hijacking! Now *that's* what I call smooth operations!
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