"Chōmei, do you think the kid will fall for the trap?"
Kazuyama, hiding in a tree and observing the situation, still felt uneasy.
In his previous life, he had analyzed the psychology of the "Sasori of the Red Sand" based on various great figures' interpretations. But even with that knowledge, he couldn't be sure whether he would successfully provoke Sasori's emotions.
"How would I know? You humans are trouble."
"If you ask me, we should just head to Sunagakure together. I'll scatter some Scale Powder—doesn't matter if it's the Kazekage, they'll be out cold. Then you can take your shot and finish him off."
"That would be so much easier."
Chōmei had completely gone off track, always thinking about poison.
Kazuyama's eyebrow twitched at the suggestion.
Come on, that's the Kazekage—the strongest person in the village. And not just any Kazekage, but the Third Kazekage.
Back then, just a little bit of Iron Sand nearly wiped out their group in the desert.
Scale Powder was effective, sure, but if the opponent was highly vigilant, the unique properties of Iron Sand would definitely neutralize it.
By then, he wouldn't just be at a disadvantage—no, that wasn't the right word.
He'd be sent straight to his grave by Iron Sand.
Of course, Kazuyama wasn't afraid. He still had Chōmei as a trump card. Even if the Third Kazekage was stronger, worst case scenario, he could unleash his Tailed Beast form and escape.
But the aftermath would be too much to deal with. If that happened, Kazuyama might have to leave the village for good.
Just as his thoughts were running wild, the tent suddenly opened.
A young man with red hair, carrying a backpack, dashed toward the desert.
"Good! Looks like my letter worked."
"Chōmei, let's go! Time to watch a show in Sunagakure!"
Kazuyama immediately perked up, maintaining his Transparent Escape Technique as he sped toward Sunagakure.
"Kazuyama, you mean that kid is going back to the village to attack the Third Kazekage?"
"I think so. But we need to get there before him! Chōmei, wings!"
Chōmei quickly sent chakra into Kazuyama's body.
In an instant, wings sprouted from Kazuyama's back.
With their help, he shot into the air and flew at full speed toward Sunagakure.
On a dark and windy night, two figures were racing toward the same destination.
One was running.
The other was flying.
And the one flying was moving much faster.
Far ahead, Sunagakure remained buried in endless yellow sand.
Inside his office, the Third Kazekage, Hatazaemon, was reading the battle reports from his subordinates.
Sunagakure's repeated defeats in battle were giving him a headache.
"Just Orochimaru and less than a thousand Konoha ninja have stopped my thousands of ninja..."
"Damn it... what on earth are Chiyo and Sasori doing?"
As Hatazaemon's mind boiled with frustration, the surrounding black Iron Sand surged violently.
At this moment, Kazuyama had already flown over Sunagakure, using Hive Mind to lock onto Hatazaemon's movements.
"This old guy sure is calm. The front line has suffered a series of defeats."
"If it were me, I would've exploded long ago."
"Tsk, tsk, I have to say, this Third Kazekage is really something."
His words prompted Chōmei to ask aloud, "Kazuyama, can Sasori defeat the Third Kazekage?"
"No. Iron Sand has absolute control over puppets. If Sasori fights him head-on, he definitely doesn't stand a chance."
In the original story, Sasori relied on the puppet of the Third Kazekage, his mastery of Iron Sand second to none, completely overwhelming Chiyo, another Puppeteer.
As long as Iron Sand touched a puppet, it restricted the joints, rendering it nothing more than decoration.
"So you still want him to fight the Third Kazekage to the death?"
"Or are you going to do it yourself?"
Kazuyama nodded. Now that the situation had deviated from the original story, he would set things right. With Sasori acting as the surface distraction, he would provide support from the shadows. As long as the Third Kazekage died, everything would fall into place.
Without the Kazekage, the village would be like a headless fly. Even if they declared war, it would be meaningless.
Kazuyama looked down and saw that Sasori had already entered the village.
"I left a mark on the back of the letter. I can sense that Sasori is carrying it."
"With that letter, sneaking up on the Third Kazekage will be much easier."
"I've also placed marked kunai around Sunagakure. If Sasori doesn't do what I want—"
"Then I'll knock him out myself."
"Chōmei, I'll need your help then."
Chōmei nodded. At this point, Kazuyama could enter a Half-Tailed Beast Transformation without losing control.
Since Kazuyama had already made up his mind, Chōmei would naturally support him. After all, they were a team.
"Chōmei, let me ask you something."
"Huh? What?"
"If I were poisoned, could you help me detoxify?"
"Poisoned? Don't be ridiculous. If any toxin enters your body, I'll immediately put you into the Half-Tailed Beast state. With my chakra, the toxin will be vaporized on the spot—just like last time, right?"
With Chōmei's reassurance, Kazuyama took out the poison he had just obtained from Sasori and applied it to his ninja gear.
The purple poison looked beautiful, but often, the more beautiful something was, the deadlier it became.
With everything prepared, Kazuyama settled in to watch the show.
Because Sasori had already entered the Kazekage Building.
Hatazaemon, struggling with his growing headache, was just about to take a break when a knock on his office door interrupted him.
"Enter."
The door opened, and a red-haired teenager walked straight in.
"Huh? Sasori? You're not fighting on the frontlines—why have you come back?"
Hatazaemon looked at the boy before him, puzzled.
Sasori, however, stared at his Kazekage without blinking and slowly asked,
"Lord Kazekage, our frontal assault is not going well."
"Why haven't I seen the Sunagakure Special Operations Force?"
"If they had joined the battle, we would have broken through Konoha's defenses long ago."
The Special Operations Unit, also known as the ANBU, was first formed by the Second Hokage. After witnessing its effectiveness, other villages had established their own versions.
"The ANBU cannot be moved; they are the village's last line of defense."
"The frontlines are struggling, and I'm working on a solution."
"You don't need to worry about it. Just return to the battlefield."
"Or… is Chiyo trying to tell me something?"
Hatazaemon paid no attention to Sasori's tone or expression, assuming Chiyo had sent her grandson to request reinforcements.
He had no idea his words had just sent Sasori into a silent rage.
Just as the letter had said, the Kazekage's strongest force had not been deployed.
And worse—he was wary of his own grandmother…
Damn it! He has the strength, yet he refuses to fight!
Such a man… Such a village…
Destroy them.
With his head lowered, Sasori's eyes were already burning red.
"Lord Kazekage, this is a letter from my grandmother for you…"
Sasori reached into his breast pocket, pulling out the letter he had just written—one filled with damning evidence against Hatazaemon.
Hatazaemon glanced at it, his thoughts confirming what he suspected. So it really was sent by Chiyo…
But before he could take the letter—
Sasori moved!
With a flick of his wrist, he casually tossed the letter toward Hatazaemon. But wrapped in chakra, it instantly became a deadly projectile.
At the same time, three puppets appeared in an instant.
These were no ordinary puppets. They were Sasori's finest creations—his human puppets.
The first was massive, with masked black hair.
The other two were smaller but radiated an equally terrifying aura.
"I'm going to kill you!"
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake