Dragging slightly heavy steps, Logan returned to the original spot.
"Did you take care of that brat?"
Sasori was sitting under the tree and asked upon seeing him approach.
Logan nodded. As he brushed off his dirt-stained clothes, he suddenly noticed that Sasori had actually come down from the tree.
He glanced up at the towering height of the giant tree, and couldn't help but asked, "How did you get down?"
"Of course, I came down on my own." Sasori paused slightly and said with the same tone. He pushed himself up from the ground and said, "If you're done here, there's still Deidara..."
Logan silently observed the massive tree trunk, then looked back at Sasori, 'Given how inconvenient his movements were, he must have gone through a lot of effort to climb down by himself, not wanting to trouble others… self-reliant and independent... How exhausting it must have been?'
'Was it really that hard to just let someone carry you for a bit?'
"You didn't kill him?" Sasori suddenly shifted the topic unexpectedly.
Logan froze for a moment but quickly regained his composure, responding with a calm expression.
He hadn't expected this line of questioning, but he was part of Akatsuki again now.
Sasori quietly studied Logan for a while. Hearing what might have been an anticipated answer, the air seemed to grow tense, but in the end, he said nothing more.
Questions like 'Did you bring the Jinchuriki?' or 'Why didn't you finish the job?' didn't need to be asked.
Amidst all the changes, Sasori had noticed something different about Logan's approach, something that set him apart not just from himself and Deidara, but from most people.
'Despite his outwardly cold and detached demeanor, what held him together inside was emotion.' Sasori wasn't used to it. Such behavior went against the organization's rules, against the ruthless ways of Ninja, against so many things... But judging by the outcome, he silently accepted.
Because even he, someone ruthless who understood the necessity of killing without hesitation, had been saved by this very method.
As for the meaning of emotions, Sasori would later find himself contemplating this newfound idea.
Seeing that Sasori didn't press further, Logan was relieved. He hadn't thought too deeply about it, after all… things weren't truly settled yet.
A faint tremor could be felt beneath their feet.
Deidara was still locked in battle with Kakashi. As time passed, the white figure flying in the sky occasionally faltered, and upon closer inspection, one could see the space around Deidara distorting unnaturally.
'If the events followed the original work, Kakashi's use of Kamui would put Deidara at a clear disadvantage.'
After observing for a moment, Logan spoke. "Alright, let's go."
"Mm... Huh?" Sasori, who had also been keeping an eye on his partner's situation, instinctively agreed before realizing something was off.
"Just leave like that?" Sasori looked at Logan strangely, "What about Deidara? He hasn't disengaged yet. You..."
"He was the one who insisted on dealing with the Kyubi himself."
Logan said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Noticing Sasori's expression, he understood the unspoken concern, "Time is tight right now. If I go help, it'll just complicate things. Another group of Konoha's Ninja is nearby, and given how much time has passed, they'll probably arrive soon."
"Just look at the weird changes in the sky, it's clearly not an easy fight. If we delay until the reinforcements show up... Given your current condition, there's no way you'll escape unscathed."
Sasori frowned, 'That did make some sense.'
"Besides, Deidara loves challenging strong opponents so much, so there's no need to interrupt him. A noble person helps others fulfill their wishes, not their failures."
Seeing Sasori still hesitating, Logan added, "Earlier, he acted all high and mighty at the start, treating everyone like weaklings. Now... even if he can't win, Deidara can easily escape if he wants to. No need for us to worry."
There was nothing wrong with that. Sasori was well aware of Deidara's determination and resolve to pursue the pinnacle of his art. Convinced, he relented. "Fine."
Logan snorted and glanced at the white figure darting around in the distance, 'Serves you right for picking a fight. Everything was fine, but you insisted on stirring up trouble.'
Sakura and the others were indeed about to arrive, and once Konoha's group showed up in full force, Logan had no intention of lifting a finger to help.
"However…"
Sasori crossed his arms, his expression darkening as he muttered: "The strength of the Konoha's Ninja who came this time are no pushovers. That guy Deidara... I should still report this to the organization."
"I let my guard down and ended up damaged because of it. As for the leader's arrangements for the clones to be scattered everywhere, Hattori, you should listen..."
"Give me your hand." Logansaid calmly.
"Huh?" Since they were about to move, the weakened Sasori extended his hand and placed it on Logan's shoulder.
Sasori's face was already mechanical, so he kept his expression as neutral as possible. Having done this once before, being assisted a second time made it slightly easier to accept.
This was a necessity.
"You said you lost because you let your guard down?" Logan ignored the part about reporting to the organization and picked out that detail instead.
"Hmph." Sasori recalled that moment and thought of Chiyo's old face and the two puppets.
"During your fight earlier, you deliberately avoided destroying those two puppets, didn't you?" Logan said, drawing from the flood of fan theories and analyses that had surfaced after that episode aired, where viewers passionately defended Sasori, claiming, 'I definitely didn't side with him just because of his looks… you just don't understand this character.'
"No."
Due to the height difference, Logan couldn't see Sasori's expression. And in the end, Sasori didn't elaborate.
The last remaining family member had crossed blades with him without so much as a greeting. If there was any bitterness in his heart, he would likely keep it buried forever.
They stepped over the overgrown ground under the dimming sky.
Sasori's core was damaged, and all the auxiliary tools he had used were wrecked. Since the repairs required a high degree of precision and extensiveness, the only option was to head to his long-established workshop base.
Logan and Sasori headed north, returning the same way they came. Before leaving the forest, they passed the area where Logan had fought Naruto, and a scorched black path spanning hundreds of meters suddenly appeared in front of them.
Staring at this 'scar' for a long moment, Sasori turned to Logan and said, "Impressive power. No wonder I felt the earth shaking from afar... I didn't expect that Konoha's brat to pull off something like this."
"Yeah."
Logan's gaze lingered on a certain spot. Sasori followed his line of sight and saw a figure slumped against a rock.
It was Naruto, still conscious, and he noticed them too, turning his head weakly.
He had been lost in thought, utterly exhausted, replaying scenes in his mind. Now, two more figures appeared before him.
The distance of more than twenty meters is not that far.
A brief silence settled between them. Logan rubbed his hand, as if it still ached.
Sasori stood between them, having pieced things together. He said, "This brat, the Kunoichi I fought, and a few others… they're all connected to you, aren't they? I heard you used to be their teacher."
"I have nothing to do with them..."
"Ten days from now, at Tenchi Bridge." Xia ignored the denial that followed and continued as if he hadn't heard it, "I have a spy planted under Orochimaru, and we arranged to meet there at noon that day."
"This…"
Sasori didn't turn his head. He wasn't the type to care about gratitude or handle emotional exchanges, "This was originally set up to deal with a traitor to the organization, but in my current state, I can't go. You have another student, Sasuke, right? Consider this information a free gift."
Logan: "Why are you telling me this?"
"..." Sasori hesitated and raised his head, feeling that this person was beyond reason.
"Let's go!"
"Wait, hold on. Hey..."
The core of his puppet body, the 'Core of Living Flesh', surged with energy, and Sasori practically dragged Logan away in a flash.
…
Naruto was left behind with a confused look on his face, as he had just overheard something very important.