Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

He had no idea how that brat did it. Not to mention him, even his mother didn't know how that brat could control thousands of puppets to fight against tens of thousands of Mist Ninjas at the same time. When he, Yusaori, and his mother heard the news, they were all dumbfounded for days.

They knew that Scorpion was very talented and his achievements far surpassed theirs, but they never imagined that Scorpion's strength was actually this great.

They are puppeteers themselves, and they are also very skilled in the White Secret Technique. It is precisely because of this that they understand how difficult it is to advance further. Otherwise, the founder of the White Secret Technique would not have been remembered for so many years.

But now Scorpion has actually managed to raise the upper limit of puppetry to not just one or two steps, but a thousand steps!

Having such an extraordinary son, Sasori's father felt gratified, but the pressure from back then returned once again. These days, as soon as he got off work, he would discuss with his mother how his son could control so many puppets at the same time and fight against tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninja. But no matter how they thought about it, they couldn't figure it out. This news couldn't be false. Onoki's son, Kyoto, was also present at the time. If the news were false, Kirigakure would have come out to refute it long ago.

In the end, he and his mother could only come to one conclusion: Scorpion's talent in puppetry was too exaggerated, and their talent was insufficient, so they could hardly imagine how Scorpion did it.

"Karin, how did Sasori manage to control so many puppets and take on tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninja single-handedly?... That's amazing!"

In a private room of a barbecue restaurant in Sunagakure, Rasa's eldest son, Kankuro the Painted Face, took out his puppets and arranged them one by one. Then, while looking at the puppets he had carefully crafted, he counted them on his fingers, seemingly studying something. After studying for half an hour, he gave up and asked Karin, who was sitting opposite him, propping her cheeks up and seemingly lost in thought, not even drooling over the beautiful white-haired girl next door.

He had recently been promoted to Jonin, but before he could even celebrate, he was shocked by his friend's father, the legendary puppeteer Uncle Sasori. Heaven knows how hard he had worked to become an excellent Jonin puppeteer at the age of sixteen, and Uncle Sasori actually controlled thousands of puppets to fight against tens of thousands of Mist Ninja. That's too mystical!

Being able to defeat ten thousand men isn't something only legendary ninjas like the Third Raikage and Shinto could achieve. Even his father, the Kazekage, couldn't do it. Back in Konoha, his father was beaten to near death by that ugly bastard from Konoha. If Shinto hadn't arrived in time, his father would probably be dead. It was then that he realized even the Double Flower Red Staff has different levels...

"How should I know? I haven't seen my dad in years, and I don't know any puppetry..."

Karin, resting her chin on her hand and reminiscing about her handsome father, said somewhat dejectedly.

To be honest, she hadn't seen her father for many years, except for one time when she was very young. Her impression of him was still from those handsome photos of her father when he was a child, taken by her great-uncle.

She had only heard her great-grandmother and Grandpa Seven-Tail mention that her father had a very strong talent for puppetry, but she didn't know the specifics.

Only now did she realize how powerful her father truly was...

"Uncle Scorpion is said to be a super genius who can surpass the grandmaster of puppetry. Only someone with his level of talent would know how he did it. Don't be too ambitious. We'll be happy if you just work hard to improve your strength. I heard that Lord Shindou has already gone to find him. Perhaps you'll be able to meet Uncle Scorpion in a few days..."

Seeing that her best friend was feeling down, Temari gave her brother a mild but comforting remark.

She lost her mother at a young age, so she could understand her best friend's feelings. At least she knew that their mother was gone, but her best friend didn't even know that her father was still alive but had gone to become a terrorist and where he was.

Uncle Scorpion is truly a scoundrel...

1104. Nagato: Sasori gets stronger the more he stays at home!

"...We've received news that Sasori has been captured by Shiki and taken back to Sunagakure, and Deidara has been captured and taken back to Iwagakure. Kakuzu and Hidan will continue to investigate the whereabouts of the Eight-Tails. After resting for a while, Itachi and Kisame will come with me to Sunagakure to capture the One-Tails and the Seven-Tails, and bring Sasori back with us."

In the Land of Rain, after sealing the Three-Tails, Pain, controlled by Nagato, spoke to the four remaining core members.

The loss of two key members, especially the handsome Scorpion who could fight against ten thousand men single-handedly, was heartbreaking for Nagato. Although he had always known that Scorpion was very strong, otherwise he wouldn't have recruited him for his good looks, Scorpion had been like a super tech geek in the Land of Rain all these years. Nagato didn't really know how strong Scorpion's practical skills were. He thought that as long as Scorpion maintained the state he was in when he first joined the group, that would be enough.

You can't expect too much from this kind of carefree, homebody. Like Orochimaru, what he valued in Orochimaru wasn't his fighting ability, but his intellect. And it turns out he was right. Orochimaru had a distinguished record in Konoha, and his fighting skills might have been decent, but since joining the Akatsuki, he's never been seen fighting. He's either in the lab doing research or kidnapping children all day. Now look what's happened!

His practical skills have seriously declined. This old hand who has been in the ninja world for decades was actually defeated by a Uchiha brat who hasn't even grown his hair yet. Does he really think that brat is Uchiha Itachi?

So he saw Orochimaru because he had been neglecting his duties as a ninja for many years, instead of fighting, he had been doing research, which led to a serious decline in his combat abilities and that was why he was killed by Itachi's younger brother.

Sasori's homebody tendencies are even more pronounced than Orochimaru's. While Orochimaru was a homebody back in his Akatsuki days, he at least went out for walks and some fresh air. But Sasori is a complete shut-in. If Konan hadn't taken him out for walks, Sasori would probably have stayed home forever. He has no idea how much practical ability this shut-in has.

But this time he was truly amazed by Handsome Scorpion's combat prowess. He never expected that after being a recluse for so many years, Handsome Scorpion's fighting ability had not only not decreased but had actually improved, to the point that he could take on an entire village by himself.

The more this happened, the more Nagato, who was on the verge of death, felt that this loss was enormous.

Deidara is fine. They recruited him because they thought he had a good image and just wanted to make up the numbers. Now that there are only a few tough tailed beasts left, Deidara's abilities aren't very useful. It's okay to let him go back to Iwagakure and reform him. Once their plan succeeds, they can go to Iwagakure with a super world-destroying weapon and "rescue" Deidara.

However, top-tier combat power like Sasori is indispensable. So, he originally only planned to go to Sunagakure to take down the One-Tailed and Seven-Tailed himself, but now he also has to "rescue" Sasori. With Shiki in the party, he felt it would be safer to bring Itachi Uchiha and Kisame along as well.

A person's reputation precedes them, and he had heard of Shiki's fame since childhood, and had even met him several times. Even with the eyes of a god, Shiki's record was simply too illustrious; he could instantly suppress Itachi and three others. He wasn't entirely confident that he could take down both the One-Tailed and Seven-Tailed beasts while simultaneously "rescuing" Sasori from his clutches...

...

"I didn't expect Sasori to be so strong. I thought he was just an old otaku... Hey, Kisame, did Sasori really control thousands of puppets back then? You're not kidding, are you?"

Stepping outside, the carefree and seemingly immortal Hidan, after listening to Kisame's tales of Kirigakure, widened his eyes and couldn't help but ask Kisame a question. After all, in his mind, handsome Sasori had always been a shut-in. In all the years he'd been a member of the Akatsuki, he'd hardly ever seen Sasori leave the house. He dared say he'd been with Kakuzu for far longer than Sasori had ever walked the streets. He found it hard to reconcile a shut-in with a powerful warrior capable of taking on thousands single-handedly. Even though Kakuzu constantly boasted about how awesome Sasori was, he dismissed it all as mere hype. After all, Sasori was undeniably more handsome than him, almost as good-looking as the readers—that much he admitted…

"...I, Kisame, have never boasted since my debut. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe that one person could control so many puppets, especially since the puppets could use ninjutsu..."

Kisame shrugged and said that even now that the news has spread throughout the ninja world, some people still think that he is just showing off his awesomeness. After all, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that handsome Sasori was so awesome, let alone people who had never seen him before.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's go. We'll head to Cloud Village and see if there's any big business opportunity along the way..."

As Kakuzu, who treated Sasori like a nephew, grabbed the seemingly immortal Hidan and left the Land of Rain, he didn't doubt Sasori's strength. After all, he was his good brother's nephew, and if his good brother was so formidable, it wouldn't be surprising if Sasori was equally fierce. Moreover, having taken care of Sasori for so many years, he naturally knew just how strong Sasori's talent was. Furthermore, Sasori's puppetry wasn't the traditional puppetry of Sunagakure; it was a forbidden technique of Sunagakure—human puppetry. It was something that ordinary people couldn't comprehend, and no village could classify it as a forbidden technique. For example, the Earth Grudge Fear on his body granted him five lives and allowed him to live to be a hundred years old.

Handsome Sasori has been researching human puppets for so many years, so it's not surprising that the puppets can use ninjutsu.

He even knew that Handsome Scorpion possessed a near-perfect puppet, created using the corpse of the Third Kazekage as material, with the goal of killing his best friend...

“Boss Kakuzu, you and Sasori usually have such a good relationship, but now that he’s been captured, you don’t seem worried at all.”

After leaving the Land of Rain, the two looked at Kakuzu, who seemed completely unconcerned as he flipped through the bounty money he had received from the black market for the heads he had taken, and asked him in bewilderment.

Anyway, he was quite worried about Sasori and Deidara. He joined the organization right after his debut and had a strong bond with its members. Sasori, who was always quiet and pampered by his boss Kakuzu, and Deidara, who constantly bickered with him—now that they were both arrested, he wondered if they would be subjected to public criticism...

"...Idiot, Sasori is the heir of Sunagakure. His grandfather was the First Kazekage, his grandmother was the super advisor Chiyo, and his uncle was Shiki. What's there to worry about if he's captured and brought back to Sunagakure? Those old guys in Sunagakure can't possibly do anything to Sasori, can they?"

Kakuzu stared speechlessly at his naive young brother. He was still too young; he didn't understand the complexities of society.

1105. He's back, still the Crown Prince.

"(⊙_⊙)?...What does this have to do with anything?"

Hidan, who is immortal, is still too naive to understand the meaning behind Kakuzu's words.

What does whether or not Brother Scorpion is subjected to criticism and denunciation have to do with his family background?

"Sigh... Let's hurry and make some business on this trip..."

Kakuzu looked at this child, who was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, and couldn't bear to discourage him. In this world, having the biggest fist is important, but being born good is even more important.

This kid has been following him for so many years, and only recently, after the organization was exposed, has he gained some fame. He's no longer some unknown underling. Look at those who are good-looking; even Deidara, that blond brat, was more famous than this kid when he first debuted.

why?

It's all because of the Tsuchikage-sensei.

As for Sasori, ever since we learned that he was captured by Shiki, there's nothing to worry about. At most, he'll just have to go back and become a top-tier Third Hokage. Given the influence of Sasori's family in Sunagakure, the mere identity of a terrorist won't affect him, even if he knows that he killed the Third Kazekage.

There's no way around it, Sasori's family is just that powerful and arrogant in Sunagakure...

However, he couldn't possibly explain these principles, which he had only come to understand after decades in the ninja world, to this little brother. Wouldn't it be discouraging to tell him?

He recently gained some popularity after shedding his identity as some unknown underling, and seeing how happy and excited he is, Kakuzu really can't bear it!

He seemed to see his younger self in this young man. They both started out in a small ninja village, were betrayed, and were lucky enough to gain powerful abilities after surviving a near-death experience. In the process, if they had been a little unlucky, they would have been doomed.

However, the younger brother was luckier than him. He spent decades in the ninja world before becoming famous, while the younger brother only endured a few years before achieving fame...

......

Sasori's return to the village was treated much as Kakuzu had expected. Although he had been a terrorist for many years, his return to Sunagakure did not cause too much of a stir. Although there was no grand welcoming ceremony, there were no criticisms or denunciations either. He was still the crown prince of Sunagakure.

Even some stubborn old guys who weren't dead yet didn't stand up and call for criticism of Handsome Scorpion. Firstly, because the main force among these old guys was the head of the largest family in the village, Yusako and Umekawa Naito. If Handsome Scorpion were to be criticized, they should be the main force. But seriously, Handsome Scorpion is Yusako's precious grandson. Even if Yusako is out of her mind, she can't make things difficult for her precious grandson!

Since stepping down and handing over his position to his eldest son, Naito Umekawa has been worried that the family hasn't produced a single decent talent yet, and he's concerned about whether the family will be overtaken by other families in the future. He doesn't have the time or inclination to offend Lady Chiyo, which would be thankless. He's not worried about his son's generation. His youngest son has the title of disciple of the Golden Lion. Although he spends all his time at home developing ninjutsu and is somewhat neglecting his duties, he is still a high-ranking member and has a seat in high-level meetings.

With his youngest son and high-ranking allies like Yusaku Kudo and Yoshikura, he doesn't worry about the family's status declining in his son's generation, but what about the next generation?

His grandson's generation really doesn't have any decent talent. Back then, the Meichuan clan was able to rise to become the most powerful family in the village after the Gonglie clan and Lady Chiyo's maternal family, mainly because of their large numbers. In the first, second, and third wars, the Meichuan clan always sent the most people to fight. They even had to fight alongside Shinto in the second war...

However, the drawbacks of relying on numbers to rise to power have gradually become apparent in recent years. Even if the clan can reproduce, it is difficult to make up for the overall losses of the clan in each major battle. Over time, the overall strength of the clan has been declining. If the grandson generation does not have a single talented person, relying on numbers alone will not be enough; they will all be cannon fodder and will no longer be able to become the main force of the village.

He used to disapprove of his arch-rival Yusaka's opportunistic ways, sending her daughter away to compete with the Umekawa clan for first place. But now, after much thought... it might not be such a bad idea after all...

Of his dozen or so grandsons, five or six are about the same age as Karin, and Karin is the legitimate heir of the Miyazaki clan. If he were to marry one of his grandsons into that family...

At this crucial moment, he didn't want to provoke Lady Chiyo.

Some of the more stubborn older guys, after learning of Sasori's feat of single-handedly defeating tens of thousands of Mist Ninja, immediately shut themselves in at home to contemplate the true meaning of life...

Just kidding. Only someone with a screw loose would criticize someone who's a top-tier fighter after Shinto. Shinto's already getting old, and the village's future top star is handsome Sasori.

Geniuses, well...their thoughts are all somewhat unconventional. Didn't Masato also like the younger Tsunade...?

"Alright, alright, I've brought her back to you, beautiful lady, you won't be pretty if you keep crying."

Sasori is back, still with that cool, aloof demeanor. Aside from occasionally talking to Karin at night and obediently going to bed, he spends the rest of his time tinkering in his toy room. Nothing's changed; that's just Sasori's persona. Even if he cares about his daughter and wife, he won't show it too much. If he were to actually say anything mushy to Karin and Shuri that day, Masato would wonder if this kid's soul had been possessed...

Even so, Chiyo is the happiest. Every morning, the first thing she does is look at her beloved grandson's toy house, and then, as she looks at it, her eyes well up with tears.

Although her beloved grandson was still so handsome, Chiyo felt a pang of sadness and wanted to cry when she thought about how he had been wandering abroad for so many years.

Every day, Zhen Dou would comfort the old woman whose eyes were red. He would say, "Back when handsome Scorpion's father was stabbed, I didn't see you this sad. This kid is having a great time out there, he's not being sold to some old black slave."

Thinking about it makes me feel sorry for Handsome Scorpion's father; the treatment his son receives is completely incomparable to that of his grandson...

"...I'm happy, aren't I? I'm already a very long-lived person in the ninja world. I was really afraid that I wouldn't be able to see Sasori one last time before I died..."

Chiyo sighed as she listened to the knocking sounds coming from the toy house.

Her parents, siblings, and husband, Liedou, all except her younger brother, Ebizo, died young. Although she has been cultivating her character and practicing Buddhism in recent years, she herself is not sure how long she can live. Moreover, her beloved grandson is involved in a terrorist organization that is at odds with the world, so it would be strange if she were not worried.

1106. Kakuzu is such a loyal and righteous man.

"Pah! Don't say such discouraging things. Onoki has done so many wicked things and he's still alive. Stop talking about dying. You have a long life ahead of you!"

Masato rolled his eyes and said.

Why does he work so hard? Just so you can live to be a hundred years old! And this is only the beginning...

"The Three-Tails has already been captured by the Akatsuki. Now we only have the One-Tails, the Seven-Tails, the Nine-Tails from Konoha, and the Eight-Tails from Kumogakure. I estimate they'll be making their move against Sunagakure soon. Are you confident against the Rinnegan?"

Chiyo stopped thinking about those sad things and changed the subject, asking a question.

Although she had confidence in her beloved nephew, he was not young anymore. Although he was still quite capable, no one knew if he was still at his peak. The Rinnegan was an eye that only the Sage of Six Paths possessed, and no one knew what abilities it had or how strong it was. Even her beloved grandson, who had been in the Akatsuki organization for decades, did not know what abilities the Rinnegan had. This made her somewhat worried.

Even though it's just acting, I wonder if my precious nephew could withstand it if that Rinnegan really unleashed its full power.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's just the eyes of the Six Paths Elder. The real power isn't the eyes themselves, but the person who possesses them. If those eyes were on my idol or the Six Paths Elder, I might be a little hesitant, but as for others... I'm confident that no one in the current ninja world can break my defenses."

When this was mentioned, Shinto became very enthusiastic. Nagato was just a minor boss, even less powerful than Obito, a mid-to-minor boss in the later stages. If he wasn't worried that Rasa and Sasori's father wouldn't be able to handle the six puppets and cause too much trouble for the village, he wouldn't want to participate. After all, Nagato's obsession was in Konoha, not Sunagakure, and he wouldn't waste his last bit of life force here.

The vitality maintained by soaking in the medicinal bath for so many years is not easy to come by. Konoha's Nine-Tails is the main character in Nagato's heart, while Sunagakure is just a minor supporting character. However, to be fair, his bringing back Sasori this time is somewhat of a slap in the face to Nagato. With Nagato's arrogant personality, who calls himself a god after activating his circle eyes, who knows if Nagato might unleash a True Shinra Tensei on Sunagakure? After all, someone who can become neurotic even carrying a few bags of rice cannot be judged by normal human thinking.

"Oh right! I almost forgot! Summoning jutsu..."

"boom!"

"Miss Slug, is your clone still with Kakuzu? Please inform him for me. I observed the stars last night and calculated that he has a calamity in the Land of Fire. Tell him to avoid the Land of Fire as much as possible recently, and not to risk his life for a little money. There will be plenty of other opportunities to make money..."