"Oh, isn't this Kochi?"
Chiyo had just concluded a meeting and was walking through the street when she noticed a young boy carrying three puppets on his back.
Hearing her voice, Kochi lifted the crow-shaped puppet that was blocking his view, revealing a bright smile. "Grandma Chiyo."
Chiyo's gaze shifted to the items he was carrying. "What are those?"
"They are puppets Sasori made for a customer."
Chiyo paused, visibly surprised. "Already finished?"
"Yes," Kochi replied without hesitation. "Sasori is a genius."
A faint smile appeared on Chiyo's face. She reached out to help steady the puppets on his back, then asked casually, "Has Sasori been acting strangely lately?"
"Strangely…" Kochi thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Aside from keeping to himself like always, he has been crafting some very intricate puppet arms recently. They look exactly like real human arms."
"I see." Chiyo nodded, not dwelling on it. "You may go now. Be careful on the way."
"Yes, Grandma Chiyo."
She watched Kochi disappear around the corner, then slowly turned and headed toward the puppet workshop.
Kochi was Sasori's only friend, and more importantly, the bridge between Chiyo and her grandson. Most of what she knew about Sasori's recent life came through the boy. Yet today felt different. After meeting Kochi, she found herself drawn to see Sasori in person, someone she had not truly faced in a long time.
A very long time.
In recent years, the relationship between Chiyo and Sasori had grown strained, even tense. Aside from occasional discussions about puppetry, there was almost no communication between them. Compared to Ebizo, Kochi interacted with Sasori far more than she did.
Thinking back on it, Chiyo knew the reason. After she was ransomed back, she did not know how to explain the deaths of Toya and Gin, nor how to face Sasori. In the end, she chose avoidance.
"I must have hurt him deeply back then," she thought.
She understood this all too well, yet she had been powerless at the time. She was only a grieving woman who had lost both her son and daughter-in-law.
Chiyo pushed open the door to the puppet workshop.
Under the dim glow of an oil lamp, a red-haired boy sat quietly at his workbench, fully absorbed in his task.
"Why are you back again?" Sasori asked flatly, without looking up.
Then he noticed something was off. The footsteps were not Kochi's. He turned his head and saw Chiyo standing there.
Sasori said nothing. He pressed his lips together, lowered his head, and continued working on the puppet in his hands.
The air grew awkward. Chiyo did not speak either. She simply stood behind him, watching.
A puppeteer's strength lies entirely in their puppets, and mastery depends on their ten fingers. As a result, a puppeteer's hands must be far more flexible and precise than those of ordinary ninja.
Sasori was no exception. Despite his young age, the speed of his hand movements already surpassed many jonin. His fingers danced across the control threads with dazzling precision.
Chiyo nodded silently. Sasori's talent in puppetry was truly rare. Compared to him, even Toya paled, and she herself, at her current age, was far inferior.
"Are you going to the battlefield?"
Sasori's sudden question broke the silence.
Chiyo was startled. "How did you know?"
"You rarely come to see me, and you never come to the workshop," Sasori replied calmly. "Today is unusual. And I heard from Kochi that the front lines suffered a defeat."
Chiyo nodded, surprised by his sharp perception.
"Yes. I will be heading to the battlefield soon. The White Fang of Konoha is there, and I intend to avenge Toya and Gin."
"You failed to kill him four years ago," Sasori said evenly. "Do you really think you can do it now?"
Chiyo was left speechless.
Four years ago, Sakumo was already terrifyingly strong, not even at his peak. Now, with more experience behind him, how could she hope to defeat him?
"When you are on the battlefield," Sasori continued, "do not seek out the White Fang again. I will settle that debt myself in the future."
His tone was calm, as though killing the White Fang was nothing more than an ordinary task.
Chiyo frowned but remained silent.
Sasori was indeed a once-in-a-generation prodigy. Graduating from the Ninja Academy at seven and becoming a chunin at eight was almost unheard of in the Hidden Sand Village.
But the White Fang had been a prodigy as well.
At his current age, Sakumo still had many years ahead of him at his strongest. Sasori, no matter how gifted, was still young. How could he speak of revenge so lightly?
Arrogance was a common flaw among geniuses. Fearing Sasori might act rashly, Chiyo warned him, "I believe you can achieve revenge one day. But you are still young. If the front lines become desperate and you are deployed, you must not go after the White Fang."
"What?" Sasori's eyes sharpened. "Are you afraid I will die by his hand? I remember that Konoha's Lightning Flash defeated Shukaku in the Land of Rain at the age of ten."
Chiyo met his amber gaze, unsure how to respond.
She knew Sasori's strength well. She also knew how strong Hayashi had been at the age of ten. The difference between them had been undeniable.
Those thoughts, however, could never be spoken aloud. Saying them would only crush Sasori's confidence or ignite his competitive spirit.
What if he truly went after a tailed beast just to prove himself?
After careful thought, Chiyo forced herself to speak. "I do not want you to take unnecessary risks. You are destined to become the Fourth Kazekage."
"The Fourth Kazekage?" Sasori echoed.
"Yes. This time, I am returning because I have reached an agreement with the Sandaime. He will support you in becoming the Fourth Kazekage, and in return, I will support him during the war."
Sasori scoffed. "You trust him?"
Chiyo nodded. "Rasa suffered a devastating defeat on the front lines. That stain will never fade. Even if the Sandaime wishes to promote him, the village will oppose it. Aside from you, he has no better option."
"And if he refuses to step down?"
"The Sandaime Kazekage clings to power," Chiyo admitted, "but he has already announced his decision before the Elder Council. If he goes back on his word, the major families will destroy him."
Sasori fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I may not become the person you want me to be."
Chiyo froze. "You do not want to be the Fourth Kazekage?"
"No."
"But when you were little…"
"I am no longer that person," Sasori interrupted coldly.
He was right.
If Sasori had learned anything over the years, it was that gentle and kind people rarely survived for long.
This ninja world was neither gentle nor kind.
The wind drifted in through the window. It was not cold, yet Chiyo felt a chill spread through her limbs. For the first time, she realized just how unfamiliar her grandson had become.
Those emotionless amber eyes made her want to turn and flee.
In the end, she sighed softly. She brushed some dust from Sasori's clothes, reached out to correct a minor flaw on the puppet beside him, then turned and left.
Not a single word was spoken.
Sasori remained seated, unmoving. Only after a long while did his stiff posture finally relax.
"Grandma," he murmured, "please do not die."
The faint warmth vanished almost immediately, replaced once more by cold resolve.
"The White Fang of Konoha. The Sandaime Kazekage. Konoha's Lightning Flash."
He quietly recited the names, each one tied to his parents' deaths or to grievances he had yet to settle.
After killing them all…
Sasori lifted his arm, slender fingers pressing lightly against his chest.
"I will dedicate myself to eternity."