Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 401 The Doll

The mission to reclaim the Kazekage ended with one enemy soldier dying and another escaping, making it a relatively successful mission.

Let's go back a few days.

When asked if she would give chase, Chiyo hesitated for a moment, but then nodded firmly. If her grandson had merely left Sunagakure and hadn't caused any damage, she might have been able to save face. But... Sasori not only participated in the attack on the Fifth Kazekage, but also secretly plotted to kill the Third Kazekage.

After the Third Hokage's sudden disappearance, Sunagakure was in turmoil for a period of time, caught in a predicament of being attacked from both sides. People lived in constant fear, and it took a huge price to finally stabilize the situation.

As a grandmother, Chiyo painstakingly researched the Reincarnation Technique, hoping to fulfill her grandson's long-cherished dream of having both parents alive in her declining years. However, as a Sand Village ninja, she had no right to forgive Sasori's reckless actions. Regardless of Sasori's reasons, the tragedy he had created could not be forgotten, and the thousands of souls who sacrificed themselves to protect Sand Village would not allow her to do so.

Chiyo volunteered to engage in a puppeteer's battle against Sasori, who had lost his main body and whose strength had been greatly reduced. In the end, she destroyed Sasori's chakra core with her "father" and "mother" and ended her grandson's life with her own hands.

With everything settled, Chiyo slumped into the dirt, letting Sakura heal her, looking unusually dejected. Naruto, however, stepped forward and confronted the dying woman who was still making sarcastic remarks.

Will you still feel heartache?

"This body cannot feel pain." Scorpion looked expressionless, his tone barely changing, like a puppet nailed to a shelf.

"Nonsense, you clearly felt heartache, especially when 'Dad' and 'Mom' stabbed you." Few people can lie successfully in front of Naruto. "The essential difference between a human and a puppet is not flesh and blood, but the soul that belongs to a human. Even if you want to deny it, you are still a person with a soul."

Sasori remained silent for a moment, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked like he wouldn't last much longer, yet he still managed a mocking laugh. "Heh, is that what a ninja should say?"

"Why not? Do you really think of yourself as a puppet?" Naruto's gaze did not meet the hatred of the vicious man; it could even be described as pity.

"...I'm just a human who hasn't completely become a puppet... I guess. Although I possess an immortal puppet body, I'm an incomplete puppet with a physical core. I'm neither human nor puppet."

Sasori's self-description is strikingly similar to that of most ninjas caught in the grip of fate. They may possess independent souls and selves, yet they are constantly controlled by unseen threads, ultimately becoming something that is both a puppet and not a puppet. Why did Sasori attack the Third Kazekage? The answer to this question will forever be buried in the bloody history of ninjas, and his demise will only become a passage in a mission report, eventually forgotten by history.

Leaving in such a daze was not what Naruto wanted. Now that it was all over, he suddenly wanted to be impulsive.

"Although I don't know if we're even thinking about the same thing, I want to assure you... I will sever the threads connecting the puppet." Naruto actually laughed and sincerely wished, "May you be born into a new era."

The dying man's eyes widened, and even Chiyo, who had already resigned herself to death, raised her head. Anyone who could understand those highly suggestive words would be shaken by the young man's impetuous promise. Naruto's back might not have seemed imposing enough, but Sasori, facing the "light," saw the flame in those eyes—a fire that had never been kindled within him, yet which, in its belated final moments, consumed him.

Naruto was serious. He earnestly longed to use that flame to burn away the bloody chapters of ninja history and bring a new era to future generations.

Scorpion closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. His life was nearing its end, but the urge to do something lingered. Unfortunately, the light came too late; his last bit of firewood burned out in an instant.

"I'll be unable to move soon, so before that, I'll do something insignificant as a reward for defeating me," Sasori said stubbornly. "The Tenchi Bridge in Kusagakure, twelve days from now at noon. I have a spy planted among Orochimaru's subordinates. I arranged to meet him there..."

The red-haired puppet lowered its head and fell completely silent.

Although he was well aware of Orochimaru's situation, this encounter was, in a sense, a trap set long ago, only it was aimed at Akatsuki rather than Konoha, but...

Naruto lowered his head and whispered, "Thank you. Rest in peace."

Thanks to the timely rescue, Gaara's injuries improved quickly under Tsunade's full treatment, and he soon regained consciousness. It's unclear what nerve this battle triggered in Shukaku, but the guy actually shared his chakra, allowing the Jinchuriki's healing abilities to reach their peak. Gaara was able to get out of bed after only half a day and almost immediately wanted to leave and return, but the Hokage stopped him.

"Are you planning to be ambushed and killed by 'Akatsuki' again on the way?"

Tsunade's reason for stopping Gaara was simple, unlike the advisory group which was full of wicked ideas, even going so far as to suggest that Sunagakure redeem people. Enraged, Tsunade, who was already in poor spirits after rescuing people, punched the table and smashed it. It's unknown whether the shards of the broken glass hurt those old men.

"Sunagakure needs me." The young Kazekage stood firm, his reason simple: the safety of Sunagakure. As for his own safety? That could wait.

Tsunade seemed to see a second Naruto; that kid was just as stubborn about what he believed in. However, even now, Tsunade hadn't fully grasped Naruto's thoughts, while Gaara was much easier to understand. Nevertheless, the similarity meant it was enough to give her a headache. Fortunately, just as she was about to persuade him to switch to physical methods, Naruto's shadow clone arrived.

"Oh? He can get out of bed now?" Naruto remarked with some surprise, then gave a businesslike report on the situation in Sunagakure.

The entire rescue team survived, with barely any injuries, while the enemy suffered one death and one escaped, and incidentally obtained some information about Orochimaru.

"In short, the situation in Sunagakure is very stable, so there's nothing to worry about."