'The Fourth Kazekage issued an order to Yashamaru to assassinate the Jinchuriki, Gaara.'
Hearing this, Elder Chiyo and the gathered Sand shinobi froze momentarily before they displayed expressions of disbelief.
Who was Gaara? Beyond being the One-Tail Jinchuriki, he was the Fourth Kazekage's son. How could the Kazekage give such an order, especially against his own child, a Jinchuriki vital to the village?
And as for the assassin? The choice seemed even more absurd. Everyone in Sunagakure knew Yashamaru was Karura's brother, Gaara's uncle. How could he possibly undertake a mission to kill the Jinchuriki?
Rejecting Sasori's statement outright, the Sand shinobi quickly concocted their own theory.
The assassin targeting Gaara tonight couldn't be anyone else—it must have been Sasori himself. Perhaps an unexpected event during the attempt caused Shukaku to momentarily break free, leading to the earlier battle.
Sasori's earlier words were likely fabricated lies, made on the spot to evade capture.
Elder Chiyo shared similar suspicions. However, after Sasori handed over Gaara, she started to doubt her assumptions. Could it be that Sasori wasn't here for the Jinchuriki at all and had simply returned to the village out of curiosity? After all, if Sasori truly intended to target Shukaku, he wouldn't need to confront it head-on. Nor would he expose the Kazekage puppet, risking unnecessary danger.
Still, Elder Chiyo was not sure about letting Sasori leave the village.
Sasori's presence was riddled with too many mysteries. Where had he been all these years? Why had he turned the Kazekage into a puppet? Why had he infiltrated the village? These questions demanded answers.
Elder Chiyo looked at Sasori and said, "I'll send it to Yashamaru to determine whether your story holds any truth."
Sasori scoffed, replying, "What does it matter if it's true or false? Do you really intend to let me leave Sunagakure?"
Chiyo faltered.
No matter the truth, she had no intention of allowing Sasori, who had been absent from the village for years, to walk away freely.
As Chiyo hesitated to respond, several Sand shinobi arrived with Yashamaru in tow.
Clearing her throat, Chiyo turned to Yashamaru and asked, "I ask you—did you come here tonight to assassinate the Jinchuriki, Gaara?"
Yashamaru froze, unsure how to respond.
Telling the truth would tarnish the Fourth Kazekage's image and possibly invite his wrath on both himself and Gaara.
Lying, however, would weigh on his conscience and might still lead to Sasori targeting Gaara in the future. Sasori clearly had the capability to kill the Jinchuriki if he so desired.
As Yashamaru wrestled with his decision, his eyes caught sight of White Night, disguised among the crowd. Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Elder Chiyo, I was indeed carrying out a mission to deal with Gaara."
Chiyo narrowed her eyes and extended her chakra strings, binding Yashamaru. "Who sent you to deal with Gaara?"
Noticing White Night disappear into the crowd, Yashamaru felt emboldened and revealed, "It was Lord Fourth. He ordered me to use assassination as a means to awaken Gaara's potential. If Gaara couldn't wield Shukaku's power, he was to be killed."
Chiyo frowned. Her chakra strings told her Yashamaru wasn't lying. But why would Rasa send someone to assassinate Gaara? And why hadn't Yashamaru refused such a mission?
She looked at Yashamaru again, and he remained silent, as if sensing her thoughts.
With a heavy sigh, Chiyo thought back to her understanding of Rasa's character. If this was the truth, it was entirely plausible.
Rasa was the type of ninja who would sacrifice anything for the sake of the village.
To Rasa, whether it was an ordinary shinobi or his own child, they were all part of Sunagakure. They could be abandoned or sacrificed whenever necessary.
But to deliberately send someone to assassinate Gaara as a way of forcing him to adapt to Shukaku's power?
Such actions were outrageous. If something had gone wrong with Gaara, leading to Shukaku breaking free, the resulting chaos would rival the Nine-Tails' rampage in the Hidden Leaf.
After a long silence, Sasori spoke calmly, "Old woman, does this prove my innocence? I had no intention of targeting the Jinchuriki. It was Gaara who lost control and sought me out."
Without waiting for a reply, Sasori turned and walked toward the chamber where Gaara was confined, locking himself inside.
Chiyo opened her mouth, wanting to apologize to Sasori, but the words wouldn't come. She'd never been skilled at communicating with her grandson and couldn't understand his thoughts.
Even if Sasori hadn't attacked Gaara this time, there were still the unresolved matters of his disappearance and the Kazekage puppet. Sasori was, after all, still a Sand shinobi.
Fortunately, Sasori hadn't left the village, merely isolating himself in his usual manner.
As Sasori shut himself in the chamber, the Sand shinobi exchanged complicated looks, beginning to doubt their earlier accusations. Was Sasori truly the one who killed the Third Kazekage? Could there be another explanation for his actions?
Sensing the shift in mood, White Night, disguised as a Sand ninja, spoke up. "Everyone, could it be that we've misunderstood Sasori? Just because the Kazekage puppet is in his possession doesn't necessarily mean he killed the Third Kazekage. What if there were other circumstances at play?"
"Other circumstances?"
White Night's question spurred the shinobi to ponder alternative scenarios.
"I wonder," White Night continued, "if perhaps Sasori and the Third Kazekage faced a powerful enemy together. After a grueling battle, they managed to repel the threat, but the Third Kazekage succumbed to his injuries.
"In his final moments, the Third Kazekage might have requested Sasori to turn him into a puppet. That way, even in death, he could continue to protect Sunagakure."
White Night's suggestion struck a chord.
Although the creation of human puppets was taboo, the Third Kazekage was known as a selfless leader. It wasn't inconceivable that he would make such a request for the sake of the village.
One by one, the Sand shinobi began nodding, considering this unexpected but strangely plausible possibility.