After going around in circles for several days, Logan traveled from the secluded paths of the Land of Birds to the vast, endless desert.
Their journey, which is unmarked on any map, had gone unnoticed until now. After making a brief appearance, they turned back and headed once more toward that desolate corner of the Land of Earth.
Over the past few days, Logan had prepared himself to play the role of an observer.
But this perspective proved unsatisfying, even frustrating, like watching someone else play a game without getting a turn.
So, some things happened, and in some of them, Logan got involved.
Later, these events and scenes, pieced together, would be called the 'Kazekage Rescue Mission' in the style of the manga. However, Logan found it hard to define boundaries.
By the time they left the forest, the weather was still hot, and the Ninja World had moved past mid-August.
At this point, whether geographically or in terms of the unfolding events, he had already distanced himself far from it all.
Except for the distant echoes of explosions and Deidara's agonized screams that still reached them as the forest full of people disappeared from sight...
'Well, there probably wasn't anything else left to worry about.'
By the second day of their return journey, Sasori's body had recovered enough to move freely, so Logan no longer had to help him with every little thing.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been the point where Logan didn't need to stick with Sasori anymore, as his destination wasn't the Land of Earth.
But after some thought, he realized that if he were to look for Itachi, he still had over a month until the autumnal equinox, so there was no rush.
Besides, while Sasori could move without issue, his thin limbs and the strain on his barely-repaired core from excessive Chakra use meant that running into bandits or worse on the road could be troublesome.
Since he had nothing else to do, Logan decided to keep traveling with Sasori for the time being.
…
"Hey, Sasori, what do you think we should eat tonight?"
On the road, Logan called out to the figure walking ahead of him.
However, the other party didn't respond or look back. He just kept walking in silence, staying a few steps ahead as if deliberately ignoring Logan.
The Land of Birds was sparsely populated, full of natural scenery, and without conversation, the silence only grew more pronounced. Logan quickened his pace and said, "Why have you become mute? I'm talking to you."
Sasori glanced at him, then sped up as well, overtaking Logan just as they had been walking side by side.
Back in the forest, in front of Naruto, Sasori had carefully weighed his words before revealing what could be considered a significant piece of information.
But Logan's reaction had been less than enthusiastic, less than eager, leaving Sasori feeling somewhat humiliated in front of others.
He had been ready to accept accolades, only to have his efforts dismissed.
From that moment on, as revenge, Sasori had reverted to his usual expressionless state, radiating the cold, mechanical indifference of a true puppet. Logan could hardly get a word out of him.
"Come on, I just didn't take your intel that seriously. Orochimaru, Tenchi Bridge, I remember it all, okay?" Logan said. He was used to this kind of situation by now and found it somewhat amusing.
Sasori remained unmoved.
Still, regarding the upcoming Tenchi Bridge arc, Logan was aware of it. When he thought about it, it really didn't have much to do with him.
He had no interest in running around doing Akatsuki's dirty work or picking fights with the troublesome Orochimaru. How bored would he have to be to do so? Nor did he want to meet Sasuke at an inopportune time before having a proper conversation with Itachi.
Logan didn't care, but coincidentally, Naruto had overheard.
He shook his head, but Sasori still ignored him, so Logan pushed forward, waving his hand in front of the other's face.
"What to eat, what to eat, what to eat..."
This level of pestering was impossible to ignore, so Sasori replied stiffly: "I don't need to eat."
Oh, right, you don't eat."
Logan said it casually, he was just too bored, "So, what should we eat?"
"Eat..." Sasori started, then immediately shut his mouth. He couldn't let himself be dragged into this.
I Perhaps by divine mercy, or perhaps because Sasori's usual puppet-like state made him blend too well into the surroundings, a rabbit suddenly darted out from the bushes ahead.
This rabbit seemed to be doing well for itself. It's plump, with snow-white fur, looking adorably round.
The white rabbit twitched its long ears, glanced to the side, and immediately froze in terror. It ran quickly on its four short legs, putting all its strength into the effort… Then, thud.
'The ancients weren't lying… every year, there were always a few dumb rabbits.' Logan picked it up by its long ears and dangled it in front of Sasori. "Not bad, Sasori. You say you don't care, but you secretly used Chakra Threads to help me out."
"..."
'Was that even possible?' Sasori fell silent. He refused to comment on this rabbit that had run headfirst into a tree.
There was no fluctuation in Chakra use just now, so Logan was just teasing him.
After walking for a while, Sasori finally asked, "You did this?"
Logan grinned and said, "Of course not."
Sasori glanced at the rabbit, which is still dangling by its ears and no longer struggling. It had fainted from the impact, then woken up trembling, but now it was eerily quiet, as if pretending to be unconscious. Sasori's gaze towards it was full of disdain.
The sun sank westward, marking the end of another day. The quiet monotony of the remote road remained the dominant theme. Logan and Sasori found a spot to set up camp, lit a fire, and settled for simple rations for dinner.
"Why did you let the rabbit go?"
Staring at the empty fire pit, Sasori held a piece of dry, tasteless food in his hand and asked in a bleak tone.
"Ah, I thought it was quite cute, so I just couldn't bring myself to eat it." Logan replied casually, making up an excuse.
Sasori threw the still-rock-hard ration he'd been roasting across the fire at Logan and said, "Then why did I have to roast this thing?"
"You don't eat anyway, so it's not like you had anything better to do. Plus, those puppet arms of yours are as steady as a grill. Would it kill you to help out?" Logan caught it effortlessly, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Countless curses flashed through Sasori's mind, but he suppressed them.
The fire crackled, embers occasionally leaping into the air, the sound drifting through the starry night… a scene of utter tranquility.
"Actually, that rabbit reminds me of something, which is also very amusing." Logan said.
Sasori was genuinely surprised, "You've encountered rabbits that ran into trees before?"
"Haha, no." A smile appeared on Logan's lips, "It was when I was still an ANBU in Konoha, doing a mission outside the village."
That was quite a while ago, and it involved his own village, so it was a bit difficult for Sasori to respond.
"It must've been around Year 50-something of Konoha." What Logan thought of was naturally the time when he escorted the Land of Fire's envoy to visit.
At that time, there was a Samurai named Sanada Hanjiro who chopped the rabbit to pieces with his secret technique called Tsubame Gaesi.
It was also during that mission that Logan first met Sumika.
Memories like these, no matter how interesting, would eventually fade into the vast sea of ordinary moments once their time had passed.
But certain people could pull you out of life's lonely journey… and as long as they were still by your side, those vivid moments from that year would always feel connected to the present.
To put it simply, Logan misses Sumika a little bit.
He hadn't been back for long, yet he was already back to roughing it, back to being cold, back to fighting.
Twenty-some chapters surrounded by nothing but men, so how could Logan possibly enjoy this kind of atmosphere?