Chapter 220: I Grant You Eternal Life
This time it was Sasori's turn to stand aside and watch Masahiko's dazzling flurry of operations.
Masahiko casually picked up two pieces of scrap wood, took out the carving knife he carried with him, and within a few minutes, carved the two pieces of wood into an "Optimus Prime" and a "Big Truck" respectively.
"Look at this appearance, how handsome and mighty. Now look at the one you just made; what is that thing?" Masahiko muttered under his breath.
Sasori didn't speak, but his eyes stared straight at Masahiko.
"Ninja?"
Masahiko paused, then shook his head repeatedly. "No, no." Although his hand speed was fast just now, he really hadn't used chakra.
Sasori hesitated slightly but didn't pursue it further. Even if he were a ninja, it had nothing to do with him.
Taking the two wood carvings, Sasori nodded.
"The carving is good."
Masahiko smiled. "Of course. I am the legendary God of Craftsmanship. You don't understand what a God of Craftsmanship is, do you? Carving levels go from Apprentice, Carver, Master Carver, Grandmaster Carver, then Great Grandmaster, and finally the highest level is the God of Craftsmanship."
Sasori: I haven't read many books, don't lie to me.
Although Sasori didn't say these words, his expression conveyed exactly that meaning.
"This appearance, is it? I understand." Sasori decisively changed the subject.
"Can't take a joke, how boring," Masahiko muttered, watching Sasori get busy again.
This time he didn't wait in place but walked around in circles to admire Sasori's puppet designs.
"No Father and Mother puppets?" After a lap, Masahiko didn't find those two puppets.
"Don't touch anything," Sasori's voice came over. Masahiko pursed his lips.
"Just like Chiyo."
Masahiko stopped looking around. The truly exquisite puppets definitely wouldn't be casually displayed here, and Sasori's human puppets wouldn't be kept here either.
For the second attempt, Sasori spent even less time. In just two hours, a decent-looking Optimus Prime appeared before Masahiko's eyes.
Observing Optimus Prime's transformation, a look of slight nostalgia appeared in Masahiko's eyes.
"Have you seen this kind of thing before?" Sasori keenly noticed Masahiko's gaze.
Masahiko glanced at him, smiled, and shook his head. "That's more like it. A young genius should have the arrogance of a young genius. Don't be so gloomy all day. What, do you think no one but you could make something like this?"
Sasori: "..."
He stopped talking and started making the smaller puppet toy instead. This time it was even easier, completed in less than an hour.
"Commission complete."
Masahiko nodded and walked a circle around the two toys. He frowned slightly, feeling unsatisfied with some parts.
"Is an all-wooden Optimus Prime a bit lacking in texture?" Masahiko muttered.
Walking to the side, Masahiko touched the iron shell of a discarded puppet. "Change the hands and legs of the toy to this material."
Sasori took a small bottle from his chest pocket and handed it over. "That has poison on it. This is the antidote."
Masahiko paused, looking bitter. He definitely wouldn't be poisoned, but to avoid exposure—at least for now, he didn't want to be exposed—he had to take the medicine...
"Eh? It's quite sweet... Gulp, gulp."
Masahiko drank the entire bottle of antidote directly. "Quite thirst-quenching."
Sasori's eyelid twitched as he took back the empty bottle. "The antidote costs one million ryo."
Masahiko was stunned. "Why are you scamming me?" (lit. pengci - feigning injury for compensation)
Sasori didn't know the term pengci, but he knew that before even getting the commission fee, he had lost a large bottle of antidote.
Masahiko looked wistful. "A dignified genius puppeteer of the Sand Village, who knows how much research funding the village gives you, yet you still blackmail the client for one million ryo."
Looking at Sasori's expressionless face, Masahiko smiled and shook his head, handing over a one-million-ryo banknote. "You've contributed so many new puppets to the village; didn't the village reward you?"
"That shouldn't be right. The Third Kazekage must have withheld it. Do you want to kill him?"
"Enemy village ninja?" Sasori squeezed out these few words.
Masahiko shook his head repeatedly. He was just habitually "sowing discord."
Changing the material for the toy's arms and legs was very easy and was completed in ten minutes. This time, Masahiko was finally satisfied.
"That will do. I'm very satisfied."
Masahiko took another one million ryo from his chest pocket. "This is a tip for you. Don't always scam people; it ruins your character (RP/Karma). Only by tipping do you accumulate character to pull an SSR."
Ignoring the pile of incomprehensible terms, Sasori took the one million ryo directly.
"You seem very rich?"
"That's right." Masahiko put on the look of a nouveau riche. "I am the God of Craftsmanship; I make money with my skills. Actually, you could have done the same, but pity..." Masahiko continued to stir the pot.
"Submitting the mission." Sasori took the two puppets and walked out directly, leaving Masahiko standing there stunned.
"So deep at such a young age, so boring. Sakumo, what a sin..."
Following Sasori back into the Kazekage Building, Masahiko saw the Third Kazekage again.
"Merchant Hamura, are you satisfied with Sasori's design?" The Third Kazekage had already learned that the person completing the commission had been switched to Sasori. At this moment, he looked expectant, thinking about Masahiko's mention of "adding money."
"I am very satisfied. I gave him a one-million tip, although I was blackmailed for one million..."
"Blackmailed?" The Third Kazekage paused.
"That was the cost of the antidote," Sasori said briefly.
The Third Kazekage didn't ask further. The successful completion of the commission proved that Masahiko's ten million ryo now belonged to the Sand Village. As for Sasori's share...
Afterwards, Masahiko watched dumbfounded as the Third Kazekage appealed to Sasori with emotion and reason, reducing the seven million ryo that should have gone to Sasori down to five million.
Sasori didn't argue too much. He took the five million ryo, turned around, and left.
"You must be laughing at us, Merchant Hamura." The Third Kazekage smiled. "As you can see, the Sand Village is indeed in financial straits right now. I hope you will come to issue more missions like this in the future..."
Masahiko didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Making money from toys was becoming addictive; he was even thinking about future opportunities.
"It doesn't matter to me, but is it really okay for Lord Kazekage to do this? Sasori is the most outstanding young genius of the Sand Village. By deducting his mission funds like this, he might not say anything, but he might hold a grudge in his heart..."
"It doesn't matter. Merchant, you don't need to worry about this. Do you have any other needs?" The Third Kazekage began to see the guest out.
Masahiko looked at the two puppets. If he carried this weight and walked out, his cover would probably be blown immediately.
"Get me a horse carriage. I'll transport these two things back."
...
Less than an hour later, Masahiko drove a carriage loaded with two Transformers and left the Sand Village.
"That money-grubber, charging me five hundred thousand for a broken carriage. Being so greedy for money, sooner or later he'll be turned into a puppet by Sasori," Masahiko muttered.
Two kilometers away from the Sand Village, Masahiko's expression froze. "Why is Sasori coming to see me off?"
In his perception, Sasori appeared not far ahead.
Sure enough, after another hundred meters, Sasori appeared in his line of sight.
Sasori spoke indifferently: "Follow me, and I will grant you eternal life."
"Hehe, stop joking."
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