"We have located Lady Tsunade. Lord Hokage has already dispatched ANBU to find her."
"Sensei, did you get poisoned by the enemy?"
Orochimaru nodded.
If Tsunade arrived, their opponent's poison would no longer be a major threat.
"Chiyo can be ignored, but the poison created by that brat Sasori is terrifyingly lethal—even my snakes can't resist it."
"At least half of our casualties so far are due to his poison."
Kazuyama nodded.
He was well aware of Sasori's poison—it was truly at the pinnacle of toxicity. Without Tsunade, dealing with it would be no easy task.
"For now, since the main force is on its way…"
"We just need to hold out for two days. Once reinforcements arrive, we'll counterattack."
Orochimaru patted his apprentice on the shoulder.
Kazuyama gazed into the distance. With his insect vision, he could faintly make out Suna's base.
A devious smile slowly crept onto his lips.
"Sensei, if I remember correctly, Sasori's parents were killed by Sakumo Hatake, so it's only natural for him to hate Konoha."
"But is his hatred really just directed at Konoha… or only at Sakumo?"
Orochimaru looked slightly puzzled.
Kazuyama wasn't finished.
"In my opinion, Sasori has two enemies."
"One is Sakumo. The other… is the Third Kazekage."
Orochimaru was momentarily stunned.
Then, a gleam of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"You mean, we can manipulate this?"
"Exactly! It won't be easy, but if we pull it off, it could have a massive impact on the battle."
Kazuyama's smirk deepened. He had been mulling over this for a while now.
According to the original story, the Third Kazekage had died at Sasori's hands—yet here Sasori was, fighting on the front lines.
No matter what the Third Kazekage had told him, Sasori's resentment toward him was real.
It had simply not surfaced yet because Sakumo was still alive.
"What do you have in mind?"
Orochimaru's question was met with a sharp glint in Kazuyama's eyes.
"Just a little sowing of discord. I refuse to believe Sasori holds no grudge against the Kazekage."
"And I certainly don't believe Sunagakure is as united as they pretend to be."
"From what I know, the elders of Sunagakure—Chiyo and Ebizō—are at odds with the Kazekage."
"They're just like the higher-ups in our village."
"If we can provoke Sasori's resentment toward the Kazekage and push him to act, it would only benefit us."
Orochimaru fell into deep thought.
Based on his observations of Sasori over the past few days, Kazuyama's words held merit.
Sasori was someone who never let go of a grudge. After suffering at Orochimaru's hands, he had repeatedly tried to obstruct him in battle.
He even wanted him dead.
Kazuyama chuckled internally.
Uh… Sensei, looks like you'll have to take the blame for this one. Hahaha!
A person with such a vengeful nature could indeed be manipulated.
And since he was still young and Chiyo's grandson, the odds of success were high.
Thinking this over, Orochimaru asked,
"What exactly do you plan to do?"
Kazuyama smiled slightly.
"Let's test the waters first. I'll sneak in tonight and drop off a few letters."
"We'll observe Sasori's reaction. If he takes the bait, we'll slowly lead him on—pushing him step by step until his resentment for the Kazekage erupts."
Sasori was not known for his patience. Besides his obsession with art, he was also hot-tempered.
He disliked waiting for others, and he disliked others waiting for him.
Most importantly, he was still young, making him easier to manipulate.
"Alright, give it a try," Orochimaru said. "But if anything feels off, retreat immediately."
"With your skills, I trust you can escape unscathed."
With Orochimaru's approval, Kazuyama began his preparations.
The first step: the letter.
Drawing from his knowledge of the original timeline and what he knew of Sasori, Kazuyama carefully crafted a handwritten letter exposing the Third Kazekage's misdeeds.
Then, as the moon rose high in the night sky, he slipped away from camp.
Utilizing the Transparent Escape Technique, he moved like a phantom toward the Sunagakure camp.
The enemy camp was heavily guarded—over a hundred shinobi patrolled the area, maintaining high alert.
But none of that mattered to Kazuyama.
He first placed a technique outside the camp as a quick escape route.
Then, shrouded by the Transparent Escape Technique, he infiltrated the enemy camp undetected.
After a brief search, he located Sasori's tent near the perimeter.
Inside, Sasori was fast asleep, surrounded by scattered puppet parts.
Kazuyama carefully placed the letter beside him.
Then, his gaze drifted to the puppets.
Damn… these are all treasures.
A variety of deadly weapons lay before him, but unfortunately, all he could do was admire them.
It was a shame he couldn't take anything.
But just as he was about to leave, something else caught his eye—a small bottle sitting nearby.
The liquid inside was a faint purple.
Judging by the color alone, there was no doubt—this was poison.
Kazuyama's lips curled into a smirk as he casually kicked the poison bottle into his bosom.
Unexpectedly, that small action triggered a reaction.
"Who?!"
Sasori's voice rang out as he stirred from his sleep.
Damn it! I was being so careful! How did he still wake up?!
Without hesitation, Kazuyama immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing from the spot.
Left behind was Sasori, now fully awake.
"Huh? What is this?"
As he sat up, his gaze fell on a letter lying next to him.
The envelope was marked:
"To the son of a benefactor, Sasori."
"Son of a benefactor?"
Sasori frowned in confusion.
But he was cautious—rather than opening the letter himself, he manipulated a puppet to do it first. After confirming there were no traps, he began reading.
The moment his eyes scanned the words, his expression darkened.
His anger surged uncontrollably.
The letter read:
"I am indebted to your parents and cannot stand by while you are manipulated by Hatazaemon.
The reason your parents were sent to the frontlines was because Hatazaemon sought to weaken Elders Chiyo and Ebizō's influence.
That mission was assigned specifically to those from the Elders' faction—most of them Chiyo's disciples, the Puppeteer lineage.
As a result, the Puppeteer lineage was nearly wiped out by Sakumo Hatake.
Chiyo-sama had to feign weakness to protect you.
And now, Hatazaemon has lured you to the frontlines under the guise of avenging your parents against Sakumo Hatake.
But think—why, as the strongest shinobi in the village, did he not take the battlefield himself?
Why does he continue to send others to die while keeping his elite forces untouched?
Even now, the majority of those fighting on the frontlines are from the Elders' faction, while Hatazaemon's most trusted elites remain in reserve.
He is using this war to suppress the Elders once again.
If you seek the truth, investigate for yourself—but be careful. Be very careful.
Signed,
One who has been stripped of their name."
Sasori's crimson hair fell over his face as his grip on the letter tightened, crumpling the parchment.
His entire expression twisted with fury.
Suppressing the burning rage in his chest, he let out a slow, venomous whisper—
"Hatazaemon…"
He didn't fully believe everything written in the letter.
But there was one detail that gnawed at him.
The question that had haunted him for years.
If the Kazekage was truly the strongest shinobi in the village—
Then why had he not personally fought that day?
Had he gone to battle himself, Sasori's parents would still be alive.
Hatazaemon… You deserve to die!
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake