From an outsider's perspective, Sasori's behavior had become increasingly difficult to understand.
He had always disliked anyone touching his hair, yet he allowed Rasa to pat his head without resistance, even going as far as calling him Nii-san in a tone that carried a strange sense of attachment. More than that, Sasori, who once showed interest only in puppetry, had recently begun paying close attention to Magnet Release techniques.
The shift was unsettling. It felt as out of place as Jiraiya suddenly abandoning his usual habits to devote himself entirely to something completely different. The contrast was too sharp to ignore.
As Sasori's great-uncle and the one who had watched him grow up, Ebizo noticed these changes immediately.
In fact, across the entire Sunagakure camp, he might have been the only one who did.
Because of past incidents involving Sasori's parents, the relationship between Chiyo and her grandson had long been strained. Though she had tried to reach out, every attempt ended in failure, leaving only deeper wounds between them. Over time, the distance between the two had grown wider.
The only person who had once bridged that gap, Kochi, had died during a mission.
Kochi had been Sasori's sole companion growing up, his only true friend. Yet even after Kochi's death, Sasori displayed almost no visible grief. Instead, he turned Kochi's body into a Human Puppet.
Such an act was forbidden within Sunagakure.
Though Chiyo was shocked by the level of skill Sasori displayed, she destroyed the puppet without hesitation and punished him severely. Fearing that he might stray further down a dangerous path, she later sent him to the battlefield, hoping war would force him to understand the value of life.
It was there that Sasori met Rasa.
The two quickly became close, at least on the surface. Sasori appeared to admire Rasa greatly, and their interactions seemed natural enough.
But intentions were not always visible.
Ebizo had been quietly observing Sasori for a long time. His vigilance had begun after the mysterious death of Sasori's Chunin sensei. Though there was no proof, his instincts told him Sasori might have been involved.
He did not want to believe it.
Still, he continued watching.
And the signs only grew more troubling.
Sasori's treatment of Kochi's corpse, the way he looked at the Third Kazekage as if examining an object rather than a person, his sudden closeness with Rasa, and his secret accumulation of rare materials, many of which were used for creating poisons, all of it painted a disturbing picture.
Ebizo had considered telling Chiyo many times.
But each time, he hesitated.
Sasori was still a child.
Clinging to that thought, Ebizo approached the two boys.
Above them, golden sand filled the sky, forming a massive inverted pyramid under Rasa's control. As Rasa brought his hands together, the structure spun rapidly before crashing into the ground, leaving behind a deep crater.
"Sasori, look. This is the Gold Dust Great Triangle. The power is impressive, right?" Rasa said, unable to hide his satisfaction.
At Sasori's request, he had already demonstrated several Magnet Release techniques in succession, and the strain was beginning to show in his breathing.
Sasori gave a small nod, his gray eyes fixed on the aftermath of the technique. His gaze was sharp, calculating, already dissecting its strengths and weaknesses.
He was not admiring it. He was studying it.
It seemed that sparring with Rasa would be necessary at some point.
After finishing his demonstration, Rasa turned toward Ebizo, a polite smile forming on his face.
"Ebizo-senior, what brings you here? Are you looking for Sasori?"
Compared to the Third Kazekage's arrogance, Rasa's approachable manner was far more pleasant.
Ebizo shook his head. "No. Something has come up at the base. It requires your attention."
He kept his explanation brief. With Sasori present, sensitive matters could not be discussed openly.
Rasa understood at once. He glanced at Sasori.
"Stay here for a while. We need to talk."
"Mm," Sasori replied with a small smile.
The moment Rasa and Ebizo turned away, that smile vanished completely. His expression became cold and detached, as if the warmth from moments ago had never existed.
Inside the command tent, the two men sat down.
"What happened?" Rasa asked.
Although both held command positions, Ebizo's experience and seniority meant that most reports reached him first.
"Two reconnaissance teams were sent out yesterday," Ebizo said. "They haven't returned."
Rasa frowned. "That shouldn't happen under normal circumstances."
"Have you searched for them?"
"We did." Ebizo's tone grew heavier. "We found them. All dead."
Rasa's eyes narrowed. "Who was responsible?"
"Unknown. However, nearby civilians reported sightings of Amegakure ninja."
Rasa paused for a moment.
"Amegakure… Hanzō?"
Anyone paying attention could see that Hanzō had aligned himself with Konoha. If Amegakure was involved, it raised an important question.
Was this an independent action, or did it represent Konoha's intent?
Before they could discuss further, a ninja appeared at the entrance of the tent.
"Ebizo-sama, a group of Amegakure ninja has arrived outside the base. They claim to be from an organization called Akatsuki and request to meet with you."
The lower-ranked ninja were unaware of the slain reconnaissance teams, and under Ebizo and Rasa's restraint, no immediate conflict had broken out.
The group consisted of around fifty individuals, all wearing Amegakure headbands. Their clothing, however, differed from standard uniforms.
At the front stood three figures.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, whose long hair obscured his eyes.
This time, Yahiko had come prepared. He understood that arriving with only a handful of people would lead to dismissal. With numbers behind him, he ensured his presence would be taken seriously.
After receiving the report, Rasa and Ebizo stepped out, moving through the gathered crowd until they faced the group.
The two sides stopped about a hundred meters apart, maintaining a cautious distance.
Yahiko rested both hands on the hilt of a sword planted in the ground before him. His voice carried across the space, steady and firm.
"Sunagakure ninja, why have you entered the Land of Rain?"
Rasa's eyes narrowed slightly.
If reconnaissance within that region was considered intrusion, then technically, they had crossed that line.
But that was not the real issue.
Since when did Amegakure have the authority to question Sunagakure like this?
"You seem mistaken," Rasa replied coldly. "We are still within the Land of Wind. We have not entered the Land of Rain. On what grounds do you call this an invasion?"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"More importantly, Hanzō has already aligned himself with Konoha. Now you appear here in his name. What exactly is your intention? Is this meant to provoke Sunagakure?"
The air grew tense.
Fifty against fifty, both sides stood their ground.