As expected, immediately after the meeting ended, a large group of Anbu appeared around the Kazekage under the pretense of protection. This was clearly following orders from certain high-ranking officials. Anya didn't interfere with them—after all, nobody probably felt worse than these Anbu about the Kazekage's disappearance.
The Kazekage stepped forward and patted one of the Anbu agents on the shoulder, nodding as he said, "You've worked hard. Just stay outside and guard."
The Anbu replied excitedly, "Yes."
Once inside the room, the Kazekage closed his eyes and instantly fell into a silent, motionless state.
Anya's soul that was using the Division Technique returned to his body, and he had already entered Sunagakure Village via a secret passage. Now, it was time to discuss strategies with Sasori—specifically, how to get the Kazekage out of the village reasonably. After all, his Division Technique had distance limitations. If the soul wandered too far, control might be lost completely, which could have serious consequences like creating a second consciousness.
Quietly approaching Sasori's residence, he easily noticed Chiyo never left Sasori's side, constantly talking nonstop. Judging by her behavior, she seemed ready to tie Sasori to her waistband just to keep him close.
Sasori, who normally remained indifferent, frowned in annoyance and impatiently snapped, "Grandma, I've already told you several times—it was a complete accident! What kind of ninja wouldn't go on missions? Stop following me."
"No way," Chiyo stubbornly refused, saying, "Dear grandson, please don't be a ninja anymore. This incident really scared me to death. Just stay by my side—I'll protect you for your entire life."
"That's impossible," Sasori snapped angrily. "I'm a person, not your puppet. If you keep following me, I'll go on a mission and leave the village immediately."
Chiyo was taken aback by his words. She just didn't get it—how could her normally obedient and well-behaved grandson change so much after just one trip with the Kazekage?
After falling silent in disappointment, Chiyo quietly pulled out two scrolls and handed them to Sasori, saying, "Fine, I'll leave. These are the puppets you previously made. I improved them for you—let them accompany you instead."
As Sasori looked at the scroll marked "Mother and Father," a deep ache rose in his chest. He sighed softly and said, "Grandma... I'm sorry. I just need some time alone."
"I understand. You've grown up—you're not a little child anymore." Chiyo quickly adjusted her mood and smiled warmly as she said, "Just let me know if you need anything at any time."
"Okay."
Only after Chiyo's figure had completely vanished did Anya step out from the shadows and say, "Sasori, actually… Grandma Chiyo is simply too afraid of losing you."
"I know—but she never truly understands me," Sasori murmured quietly before asking, "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, you obviously came here to control Sunagakure. Why did you give up the Kazekage position?"
"This is what they call 'stepping back to move forward' – a strategy from the East," Anya replied coldly, a glint of deadly intent flashing in her eyes. "Besides, a dead man cannot serve as Kazekage. Eventually, the position will still be mine."
"Are you going to kill Rasa? When?"
"It's not hard for Sasori to take out Rasa now, but the tricky part is doing it without anyone noticing."
"Not in a hurry. Let him do the work first. Vanishing at this point would be too suspicious." Anya seemed to recall something, smirking slightly, "Besides, if you turn him into a Puppet afterward, Kakuzu might really appreciate it."
Sasori's eyes lit up with interest. "Magnet Release, Gold Dust... Hehe, indeed. Truly good material for a Puppet."
In Sanshouo Hanzo's area, Nagato and Yahiko stood in an underground chamber watching Konan's figure vanish. They remained silent for a long time before Nagato finally spoke, "Konan must be going to meet a Konoha ninja."
Yahiko reacted angrily. "Nagato, you suspect Konan?"
Nagato replied in a low tone, "You can't deny it, can you?"
"That was intentional — she let us see her on purpose," Yahiko admitted with guilt. "Konan lived in Konoha for so long. Just returning to Sanshouo Hanzo's area was already difficult enough, so of course she carries a mission from Konoha. And given her cautious nature, how could she have been careless enough to let us notice so easily?"
"So you're still regretting not stopping Konan back then," Nagato said, understanding his best friend well.
"Yes," Yahiko's voice was full of remorse. "I shouldn't have let Konan go. We were meant to stay together — the three of us were a perfect match. Losing one of us broke the bond. You know what? Not a single day passed after she left that I truly felt happy. Until the day she reappeared in Sanshouo Hanzo's area, standing right in front of us, I thought I was dreaming. She means everything to me."
"Yeah, I'm glad too that Konan came back and didn't forget our promise," Nagato said softly, his eyes warming.
Yahiko declared firmly, "There's no way Konan could ever betray us. My original purpose in creating this organization was first to bring peace to the ninja world, and second, to protect Konan."
Nagato spoke with a tone of apology, "I guess I was too suspicious. I believe we can go back to how we were when we were young."
"Definitely," Yahiko said with a bright smile, though pain stirred inside. The Konan they had reunited with treated them both kindly, almost overly considerate. Yet this kindness wasn't the same pure affection they once shared — it carried a hint of guilt and a desire to make up for something.
This feeling was like an invisible, fragile wall between them, and no one knew how long it would take to break it down. Yahiko's eyes burned with determination. This time, I'm not that helpless orphan anymore. I've learned Ninjutsu, gained power, and built this organization. Never again will I let anyone take her away. I believe if we give it time, things will go back to how they used to be.
The departed Konan changed into Anbu gear and met someone wearing a mask through their mark. As soon as they met, Konan quickly realized that the person who came to meet her was not the same. She asked cautiously, "Who are you? Where is Nightingale?"
The Anbu member recognized her voice and hesitated slightly before asking, "Konan?"
"Big sis Haku?"
The two sisters pulled off their masks almost simultaneously and shared a warm embrace. Haku now understood why Dark Radiance had sent her here—he must have suspected that Konan was the Anbu contact.
Thinking back, they had spent the most time together in Konoha, sharing a house for three years and really getting to know each other.
Konan liked Haku very much. Holding her hand, she said excitedly, "Since you're here, Master must be nearby too."
Haku didn't hide anything and replied naturally, "He went to Sunagakure Village. He asked me to come here to find you and gather some intelligence about Sunagakure."
Konan said with admiration, "Master's still as sharp as ever. Yes, from what I've found out, Sunagakure is definitely up to something big. They've recalled almost all ninja who were out on missions—it's definitely the prelude to war."
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