Facing White Zetsu's curious expression and questioning filled with doubt.
Sasori hadn't intended to answer at first, but upon seeing White Zetsu looking eager and persistent.
Fearing that White Zetsu would endlessly pester him, Sasori could only speak coldly under White Zetsu's curious gaze:
"Did you really think I was planning to rely on this Amegakure Chunin to find Nagato and Konan's location?"
With that, Sasori raised his head again and looked toward the street ahead.
The continuous drizzle had already shrouded the distant streets in a hazy mist.
They must have been discovered by now!
The reason Sasori had found this Amegakure shinobi wasn't actually to have the spy search for Nagato and Konan's location.
After all, if even White Zetsu couldn't find the two of them for the time being, how could a mere ordinary Chunin do so?
Although Nagato had lost his Rinnegan and his strength might have decreased significantly, Sasori didn't believe for a moment that Nagato's control over Amegakure had weakened.
Sasori and White Zetsu walked along the rain-soaked streets, splashing rings of water beneath their feet that scattered outward.
Originally, there had still been occasional silhouettes passing by on the street, but at some point, the entire street had suddenly gone quiet, leaving only Sasori and White Zetsu walking along it.
Sasori, who had been walking forward, suddenly paused, then sharply raised his head to look at the sky.
The next moment.
Sasori swiftly dodged, his figure moving directly to one side.
White Zetsu's reaction was a bit slower than Sasori's, but the instant he saw Sasori move, he quickly leapt backward, retreating several steps.
A sound of something tearing through the air came from above, followed by a black figure plummeting straight down from the sky—and it was headed directly for where Sasori and White Zetsu had been standing.
The black figure slammed into the ground, letting out a scream and a heavy thud.
It was only then that White Zetsu, having just dodged aside, could see what the black shape that had fallen from the sky actually was.
It was the Chunin spy that Sasori had planted in Amegakure—the very one from the small tavern earlier.
"My, my, discovered in such a short time?"
White Zetsu shook his head and spoke with an odd tone.
From the fact that the falling figure could still scream, it was clear the Chunin spy wasn't dead yet.
"Lord, save me..."
The Chunin spy lay bloodied in the muddy water on the ground, his face showing fear and desperate hope as he weakly raised his hand, reaching toward Sasori.
Too bad!
With a sound of something tearing through the air, just as the Chunin spy uttered those few words, a paper spear shot from the sky, piercing through him and pinning him dead to the ground!
Looking at the slain Chunin spy, Sasori merely glanced once before withdrawing his gaze, his face showing not the slightest surprise.
Even if there had been surprise, with his body now entirely a puppet, no expression would have appeared on Sasori's face anyway.
Besides, this Chunin spy had merely been a pawn that Sasori had thrown out.
Now that this pawn's mission was complete, whether it lived or died was of no concern to Sasori.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of wings flapping came from the air.
Konan descended slowly from high above, paper wings formed from sheets of paper fluttering behind her, her gaze cold as she stared down at Sasori and White Zetsu.
"Being treated as a pawn and discarded from the very beginning—how pitiful."
Konan withdrew her gaze from the dead Chunin spy and looked at Sasori, her voice cold as she continued:
"As traitors to Akatsuki, you dare show your faces in Amegakure."
"So... are you prepared to die?"
Konan glared coldly at Sasori, an unmasked killing intent radiating from her body.
Rustle!
Sheet after sheet of paper scattered from Konan's body, combining behind her into paper spears that gleamed with sharp, lethal light!
In an instant, killing intent filled the air!
"Traitors?"
"I don't think so. Rather than calling us traitors to Akatsuki, it would be more accurate to say that you are Akatsuki's failures."
Sasori watched Konan's movements without any surprise, standing calmly in place as he spoke in a flat tone.
As Sasori's voice rang out, the entire atmosphere suddenly went still!
"What have you reduced Akatsuki to—a tool?! Or is it just a simple name to you!"
Konan clenched her fists tightly, anger appearing on her face.
The name Akatsuki carried the shared dream of her, Nagato, and Yahiko. To Nagato, it was everything!
Even the Rinnegan couldn't compare to what Akatsuki meant in Nagato's heart.
Dance of the Shikigami: Paper Spearmen!
Konan raised her hand and slashed downward fiercely. The massive number of paper spears gathered behind her rained down like a sudden storm!
They shot toward Sasori and White Zetsu's position below, blanketing the area in a downpour of paper.
"With an attack like this, one wrong move and you'll end up dead!"
White Zetsu let out a strange cry and quickly activated the Mayfly Technique, burrowing straight into the ground.
Sasori didn't move his body. Instead, he extended both hands toward the dead Chunin spy and moved his fingers slightly.
Several chakra threads shot from Sasori's fingers, burrowing into the Chunin spy's body.
The next moment.
The Chunin spy, who had been completely lifeless, sprang up from the ground, and in the blink of an eye was standing in front of Sasori as a shield.
Puppet Performance: Human Body Strike!
"Sorry, but I'll have to use your body to block for a moment."
Sasori spoke in a flat tone while manipulating the Chunin spy's body to shield against Konan's attack.
Unfortunately, the Chunin spy could no longer hear Sasori's words. Otherwise, he might have been so furious he'd come back to life.
Seeing Sasori playing around with the corpse, Konan's expression grew even colder.
Although the Chunin had been Sasori's spy planted in Amegakure, at the end of the day, this Chunin was still a person of Amegakure.
Even if he was now just a corpse!
Betraying one's own village—Konan didn't mind executing him for that. But what Sasori was doing now, in Konan's eyes, was equivalent to using an Amegakure civilian to shield himself from her attack.
Just as Konan was about to continue her assault, light footsteps came from behind.
Step, step!
Nagato's figure emerged from the street behind them, standing in the middle of the road.
"Looks like we're surrounded."
Sasori casually tossed aside the now-riddled corpse, glancing at Konan ahead, then at Nagato blocking their retreat behind. His voice remained as calm as ever.
"Get out from underground!"
Nagato stared coldly at the undisturbed ground and stomped his foot down hard.
Earth Release: Cracking Earthquake!
Crack! Crack!
Centered on where Nagato stood, the ground ahead split apart and crumbled at an alarming speed!
[
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