Chiyo looked at Sasori with a solemn expression. He stared back at the only remaining relative in his life, silent for a long time before replying in a calm, emotionless voice.
"Old woman... what you guessed is true."
Chiyo froze.
Though she had suspected as much, hearing it confirmed still shook her to the core. She didn’t want to believe it. She couldn’t believe it.
"So it really was you... Why would you do something like that? You’ve lost your mind."
As a senior advisor of Sunagakure, Chiyo knew that her duty was clear. For the sake of the village, she had to kill Sasori—no matter what their bond once was.
Riku, standing to the side, looked at Sasori and smirked slightly. "You actually killed the Third Kazekage... I have to admit, you’re impressive."
Sakura, meanwhile, was completely lost.
"Riku... who’s the Third Kazekage?"
Riku glanced at her, then said with a light smile, "That’s Sunagakure’s business."
"But remember this—he was the strongest Kazekage Sunagakure ever produced. He once represented their hope of rising above the other villages. And yet... such a man was assassinated by Sasori. A former Sunagakure shinobi—and Chiyo’s grandson."
Sakura processed that with a frown, finally understanding why Chiyo had insisted on coming here personally.
"No wonder she wanted to confront him herself..."
She now grasped the severity of Sasori’s crime.
The man known as Sasori of the Red Sand looked at Chiyo with unreadable eyes. "Old woman... you’ve already decided to kill me today, haven’t you?"
"I wonder whose puppets are stronger—yours or mine."
With that, he pulled a scroll from within his cloak.
Sasori knew Riku was here—and so from the start, he unleashed his full power.
In a flash, multiple scrolls appeared in the air.
Chiyo’s eyes widened in disbelief. "It really is you..."
Her gaze fell on the scroll bearing a prominent "Three" written on its surface.
The meaning was obvious.
As she looked at the other scrolls, a chill ran down her spine. The sheer number revealed just how far Sasori had progressed over the years.
"They’re almost all human puppets... Just how many people have you killed...?"
Sasori opened one of the scrolls and spoke coldly, "Old woman, if we’re talking about killing people, you’ve got no right to judge me."
Suddenly, the air behind him filled with white smoke.
When it cleared, hundreds of puppets floated in midair.
They were all human puppets—corpses transformed through forbidden puppet techniques. Sasori’s specialty.
Few puppet masters in Sunagakure had ever mastered the forbidden art of human puppetry. And among them, Sasori was the most feared.
Chiyo’s eyes were drawn to one specific puppet—its appearance unmistakable.
It was the Third Kazekage.
Her body trembled.
"You... You monster... You turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet..."
She had once mentored the Third Kazekage, guiding him during his formative years. She had pinned the hopes of the entire village on him.
And now—he had been murdered by her own grandson and defiled into a puppet.
She couldn’t forgive that. No one could.
Sasori chuckled, his expression arrogant.
"This is my masterpiece—my Hundred Puppet Army."
"Old woman... I’ve already surpassed you."
Had Sasori remained loyal to Sunagakure, his name might have gone down in history as the greatest puppet master ever born. Perhaps even as a legend.
But he had chosen another path.
Chiyo was silent.
In puppet technique, mastery was often measured by how many puppets a shinobi could control at once. And in that regard, Sasori had already surpassed her.
She couldn’t deny it—Sasori’s talent was extraordinary.
But she finally spoke, her voice filled with regret. "This... This is all my fault. I failed you. And now, I will repay that debt with my life—by ending yours."
Sasori laughed. "You think you still have the strength, old woman?"
Unfazed by his mockery, Chiyo quietly removed a scroll from her ninja pouch.
The moment Sasori saw the scroll, his eyes narrowed.
"You actually brought that out?"
"So you’re serious about killing me."
Chiyo wordlessly unsealed the scroll and formed a series of hand signs. Her gaze turned cold.
"Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets."
Ten puppets cloaked in white robes instantly surrounded her, each with a distinct and ominous design.
Riku’s expression turned serious.
"So that’s the legendary Chikamatsu Ten Puppets..."
"Interesting."
"They’re made from special materials... and some even contain chakra conductors. No wonder they’re considered legendary. With a top-tier puppeteer like Chiyo controlling them, their power rivals that of elite Jōnin—or even Kage-level shinobi."
"But these puppets... they’re Forbidden Technique."
The Chikamatsu Ten Puppets were classified as Forbidden due to their devastating power. Even Riku, who had expected this, was surprised she brought them out all at once.
These weren’t ordinary puppets. They were instruments of war—rumored to be capable of slaughtering an entire city.
True weapons of death.
Sakura didn’t fully understand, but she trusted Riku’s judgment.
"Riku... are those puppets really that powerful?"
Riku nodded calmly.
"They were created by Monzaemon, the legendary puppeteer of Sunagakure. Crafted with rare materials and chakra channels. In Chiyo’s hands, they can easily destroy a city."
Sakura’s eyes widened. "Destroy a... city?"
Even with her training under Tsunade and mastery of medical ninjutsu and monstrous strength, the thought seemed too extreme.
So brutal. So overwhelming.
Riku laughed softly. "That’s why it’s a Forbidden Technique. The Chikamatsu Ten haven’t been seen in decades. I never imagined Chiyo would use them—today, of all days, to kill her own grandson."
"She’s made up her mind."
He glanced toward Sasori’s army.
"Still... controlling over a hundred puppets simultaneously... Sasori’s skill has clearly surpassed Chiyo’s. Even if the materials of his puppets aren’t as refined, the sheer quantity and control speak volumes."
"In the end... this is Sunagakure’s burden to bear."
"Chiyo, do you want us to step in?"
Chiyo didn’t respond to Riku. She simply raised her hands, guiding the ten legendary puppets into position.
Her voice was low and calm.
"No need."
"I failed this child long ago. This is my responsibility."
"Sasori... even if it costs me my life... I will kill you."
Sakura remained silent.
After Riku’s explanation, she finally understood the weight behind Chiyo’s determination.
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