In the early morning, the mist still shrouded the mountains, creating a hazy and fantastical scene, resembling a delicate painting.
The envoys from Sand Ninja arrived at the gates of Konoha Village just as the sun was rising.
"So this is the current Konoha Village... The living conditions here are indeed much better than in our Sand Ninja Village," Chiyo remarked with a sigh as she observed part of the village through the gate. Ever since Rasa became Kazekage, she and her younger brother, Ebizo, had completely withdrawn from the front lines. It had been nearly twenty years since she last left Sand Ninja Village.
If she hadn't heard that her grandson, Sasori, had been captured by Konoha's ninjas, she likely would have never left Sand Ninja Village again.
As she looked at the towering buildings and bustling streets of Konoha, she couldn't help but feel the stark contrast between the two villages. Sand Ninja was struggling in comparison, and Chiyo could clearly see the growing disparity between them. Just from this glimpse of Konoha, she could imagine the strength of the village and how the gap between Sand Ninja and Konoha continued to widen.
"A delegation from Sand Ninja? Are they messengers?" At the entrance of Konoha Village, a guard noticed Chiyo and the others. After a brief exchange with a fellow ninja, he quickly stepped forward and asked.
Once their identities were confirmed, the four Sand Ninja were granted entry. However, as they stepped into the village, two Anbu operatives swiftly approached and blocked their path.
"What is the meaning of this, Konoha? Why are Anbu shadowing us?"
"Does Konoha not trust us, the ninjas of an allied village?"
Seeing the masked Anbu, Chiyo frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable with the arrangement. She directly voiced her displeasure.
"Elder Chiyo, please don't misunderstand. We must ensure the safety of all visitors from Sand Ninja," one of the Anbu said in a calm, youthful voice. "We are here under the orders of Hokage-sama to guide you."
Hearing this, Chiyo's expression softened slightly, though she still furrowed her brows.
"Does Konoha not have designated personnel to receive foreign guests? Why send Anbu for this task?"
Chiyo was quite familiar with Konoha's customs. Sand Ninja had informed Konoha in advance of their arrival, and under normal circumstances, Konoha should have assigned an official to receive them. Instead, they were met by masked Anbu, which was highly unusual.
Moreover, as an elder of Sand Ninja Village, Chiyo expected that even if Hokage himself did not receive them, at the very least, a high-ranking official would have been assigned. Sending Anbu for the reception was far from proper etiquette.
"Apologies, Elder Chiyo," the Anbu operative replied. "Some matters have arisen in the village recently. We ask for your understanding."
Unlike Chiyo, the Anbu remained composed and did not show any dissatisfaction despite her harsh tone. After hearing the explanation, Chiyo nodded and said lightly, "In that case, I will trouble you."
With that, the four of them followed the Anbu deeper into Konoha. However, they were not taken to the Hokage Building, where Namikaze Minato resided. Instead, they were led toward Konoha Prison, located in a remote corner in the southwest of the village.
Chiyo and her group quickly realized they weren't heading toward the Hokage Building. Gaara opened his mouth, about to question their destination, but the Anbu leading the way spoke first.
"Hokage-sama is currently at the village prison. The individual you intend to extradite is also being held there at this time," the Anbu explained. "Hokage-sama wishes for you to confirm the individual's identity before discussing the extradition of war criminals."
With this clarification, the Sand Ninja delegation followed the Anbu in silence. As they walked, Chiyo observed her surroundings, mentally mapping the route in case of unexpected incidents.
Unlike Chiyo's cautious approach, Gaara appeared far more relaxed. He had spent a significant amount of time in Konoha and, with the help of Uzumaki Raiden, had solidified his control over the One-Tail. The seal had been reinforced, allowing him to manage Shukaku's power effectively.
The chronic sleep deprivation that had plagued him for years was now a thing of the past, and Gaara had received unprecedented care from Uzumaki Raiden. As a result, he held no wariness toward Konoha.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the prison on the village's outskirts. Under the guidance of the Anbu, they were led directly to the cell where Sasori was being held.
The room was large and brightly lit, with no windows. The walls were inscribed with complex sealing formulas, indicating that powerful sealing techniques were in place.
Inside the cell, Sasori sat near a small barred window, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression, lost in thought.
Once Chiyo and her group arrived, the Anbu stationed outside did not linger and quickly departed.
Chiyo peered through the bars and saw the young man inside. Her expression changed drastically. Gripping the railing with both hands, she choked out, "Sasori… Is it really you?"
Sasori's eyes gradually regained focus as he turned slightly, locking eyes with the woman outside.
Chiyo's presence was entirely unexpected. He had assumed that Konoha would execute him after extracting whatever information they needed. Over the past days, he had been silently reflecting on his life, waiting for the inevitable end.
But instead of facing the executioner's blade, he was greeted by the sight of his grandmother, whom he hadn't seen in years.
"…"
"Long time no see, Grandma Chiyo."
Even the puppet-like Sasori was momentarily stunned. After a long silence, he casually greeted her.
But that simple greeting was enough to shatter Chiyo's composure. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her old body trembled slightly.
Sasori looked at the tearful Chiyo, and for the first time in years, he felt an inexplicable pang in his chest. Subconsciously, he covered his heart.
"Sasori, you troublesome child… You never fail to cause worry!"
Chiyo quickly composed herself, wiping away her tears. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him seriously and asked in a cold tone, "Tell me—was it you who was responsible for the disappearance of the Third Kazekage?"
"What's the point of asking that now?"
"The Third Kazekage… He is, after all, my most treasured collection."
"Grandma, did you really come all this way just to ask me such a trivial question?"
Sasori lightly tapped the bedboard, then casually leaned against the wall, looking directly at Chiyo.
"You…" Chiyo clenched her fists. The assassination of the Third Kazekage was an enormous crime, yet Sasori spoke of it as if he had merely killed a stray animal.
"Konoha claims you joined Akatsuki. Is that true?"
Although she already knew the answer, Chiyo still hoped Sasori would deny it.
"Yes." Sasori nodded without hesitation.
Hearing this, Chiyo's breath caught. She took a step back, nearly stumbling, but was steadied by Kankuro.
At that moment, she felt like a grieving parent—one who had just confirmed their child's crimes. She was torn between disappointment, sorrow, and guilt, feeling the weight of her failure to guide him down the right path.
"Let's go. We need to see Hokage."
Chiyo steadied herself, turned, and walked out of the cell.
Inside, Sasori watched her retreating figure, his expression unreadable. As the door shut behind her, he murmured, "Uzumaki Raiden… Konoha… What are you planning?"
The negotiations between Sand Ninja and Konoha had taken place in secret. No one knew what understanding had been reached between Chiyo and Minato. Only four individuals participated in the discussion: Minato and Nara Shikaku for Konoha, and Chiyo and Gaara for Sand Ninja.
That night, the Sand Ninja delegation departed Konoha under the cover of darkness. They had arrived as a group of four, yet they left as five. Without drawing attention, they vanished into the night.
"So, in order to retrieve her grandson, Chiyo agreed to hand over her knowledge of puppetry and all the theories on poison production she had developed?"
"That generous?"
In Uzumaki Raiden's study, he and Minato were discussing Sand Ninja's extradition of Sasori.
"Yes. If you hadn't said that Sasori was valuable, I would have had him executed after the interrogation," Minato admitted.
"Raiden, how did you know that Sand Ninja would be willing to pay so much for Sasori?"
Minato was still somewhat surprised. Initially, he had assumed Uzumaki Raiden captured Sasori and Deidara to extract information about Akatsuki. Only a few days ago did he realize that Raiden had little interest in Akatsuki's secrets. Instead, his true intention was to use these captives as leverage to pressure Sand Ninja and Iwa Ninja.
Minato couldn't quite understand it at first. After all, they were just two rogue ninjas. Why would Sand Ninja and Iwa Ninja go to such lengths to reclaim them? But after negotiating with Sand Ninja, he realized he had underestimated the significance of these two individuals within their respective villages.
"There are things you may not fully grasp."
"Both of these rogue ninjas have significant backgrounds. Sasori is the most talented puppet master since Sand Ninja Village was founded."
"But most importantly, he is Chiyo's grandson. His parents were killed by Hatake Sakumo. He grew up without family, and at the time, the war between Sand Ninja and Konoha was unstable. Chiyo had no time to care for him."
"She has always felt indebted to Sasori."
"Regardless of Sasori's crimes or the human puppet technique he has mastered, Sand Ninja was always going to extradite him."
"For us, killing him would have been nothing more than disposing of a corpse. But letting him go gave us significant benefits."
Raiden didn't answer Minato's question directly. Instead, he briefly explained Sasori's background. Many of these details were unknown even within Sand Ninja, so it was unsurprising that Minato, despite being Hokage, was unaware of them.
"When you put it that way, it feels like I got the short end of the deal," Minato admitted.
"What about Deidara? He doesn't know much about Iwa Ninja, and Inoichi Yamanaka has already probed his mind as much as possible."
"That kid's father was apparently a disciple of Tsuchikage Ōnoki. What would be a reasonable exchange for him?"
Minato rubbed his chin, now fully invested in Raiden's strategy.
"Deidara is different from Sasori. Sasori was already covered in blood while he was still part of Sand Ninja. He killed the Third Kazekage himself in pursuit of the perfect human puppet."
"If nothing unexpected happens, even if Chiyo takes Sasori back, the best outcome for him will be life imprisonment."
"But Deidara is different. He hasn't committed any major crimes against Iwa Ninja, and Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, has always treated him well—so well that he even built a palace for him to live in."
"To put it simply, Ōnoki cherishes Deidara like his own grandson. If Iwa Ninja gets him back, he'll reintegrate into their ranks without issue."
"If we want to extradite Deidara, we need to demand a higher price."
Raiden tapped the table with a grin.
"What conditions should we propose?" Minato asked.
"Iwa Ninja's explosive corps is formidable. They caused significant damage to our village during the war. Should we try to obtain the secrets behind Explosion Release?"
"That particular Earth Release technique seems learnable by others," Minato suggested.
Raiden chuckled. "Explosion Release? It's not of much use to us, but it would be useful for regular ninjas."
"But if we ask for it, they won't give it up easily."
"Instead, let's make an offer that they'll almost certainly refuse—Dust Release."
Minato's eyes widened. "Dust Release?! You can't be serious, Raiden. That's wishful thinking."
"Dust Release was developed by the Second Tsuchikage. Mastering it requires not only exceptional ninjutsu skill but also a specific genetic affinity."
"It's like Flying Thunder God—having talent alone isn't enough."
"Even after all these years, only Ōnoki has ever successfully used Dust Release. He's already old, yet he still has no successor for it."
"Even if Konoha somehow obtained it, we couldn't use it. Neither of us could learn it, no matter how talented we are!"
Minato shook his head, unconvinced by Raiden's proposal. Such high-level techniques were the foundation of each village's power—there was no way Iwa Ninja would give it away.
Raiden smirked. "I never said we had to get Dust Release. You start by asking for the sky, then negotiate down."
"If they agree, great. If not, we ask for the secret technique of Explosion Release instead. And if that doesn't work, they can offer us some forbidden techniques instead."
Raiden wasn't fixated on acquiring Dust Release. If he could get it, that was ideal. If not, it didn't matter—it was just about expanding Konoha's collection of jutsu.
The stronger Raiden became, the more he understood the importance of secret and forbidden techniques, bloodline limits, and unique jutsu. Without the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques and Lightning Release Armor, even possessing Kurama's chakra wouldn't have made him much stronger than a standard Jinchūriki. At best, he would have been on par with Killer B.
But by mastering multiple secret techniques and undergoing successful body modifications with the help of Orochimaru, he had reached a level where he could easily overwhelm Deidara and Sasori—like an adult toying with children.
"Ah, so that's your plan. I see now," Minato said with a nod.
"The Iwa Ninja emissaries will arrive in a few days. I'll call you when the time comes."
"I heard that Tsuchikage Ōnoki is coming in person this time, so I need to make proper arrangements for his reception."
Minato stood, preparing to leave. He had come here just to check in with Raiden, and now that he understood Raiden's plan, there was no reason to stay.
"Ōnoki is coming himself? That's good. Akatsuki isn't just Konoha's problem—it's a threat to the entire ninja world."
"We can use this meeting to discuss a joint effort against Akatsuki as well."
Raiden's eyes gleamed with interest. Tsuchikage Ōnoki and Chiyo were different—one was a reigning leader, the other a retired elder. Their influence was worlds apart. Moreover, Sand Ninja and Iwa Ninja had different standings. Sand Ninja was now Konoha's subordinate, bound to them, but Iwa Ninja remained independent.
"By the way, the search teams have been sent out again. Are all of Akatsuki's members to be captured alive?" Minato suddenly asked.
"Forget it. Kill them if you can. The ones left don't have ties to major villages or influential families. If we capture them, we can just ransom them off," Raiden replied casually.
Minato nodded in agreement. "Alright, I understand."
"As for the Third Hokage, I can only say this—Chūnin are part of Konoha's forces. If they don't face strong enemies, their growth will be stunted."
"But I'll reconsider the team compositions. Thanks for the advice."
With that, Minato flickered out of the room.
Raiden watched him leave and murmured, "So… even Hokage changes after enough time."
"It seems he's growing weary of the old man's interference."
(End of Chapter)