"Lord Kazekage, recent reports suggest that the remaining three swords of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen have fallen into our hands. Additionally, there have been sightings of scattered Mist ninja near our borders. I fear they may be preparing to provoke us once again..."
On the top floor of the hospital, the leftmost room served as a spacious suite. However, judging by its layout, the room felt more like an office than a patient's room.
The Third Kazekage, his abdomen wrapped in bandages, sat behind the desk on the right side of the room. A stack of documents was already neatly arranged on the table.
Pakura, who had just entered, placed another file before the Kazekage after delivering her brief report.
Though the Kazekage's face remained pale, his spirit had clearly improved. With sharp focus, he began reviewing the file Pakura had handed him.
"Pakura, station yourself at the border. If you find any Mist ninja causing trouble, drive them out. Those who refuse to comply—kill them on the spot!"
The Kazekage issued his orders firmly. Losing to Konohagakure was no disgrace. After all, even the combined might of several great ninja villages had failed to subdue Konoha. However, that did not mean Sunagakure would allow itself to be treated as a pushover!
"Understood!"
Pakura responded promptly, turning to leave. Her graceful silhouette lingered briefly in the room, but the Kazekage had no time to dwell on such distractions. Unlike a certain idle individual downstairs, who still had the leisure to admire the scenery outside the window, the Kazekage was inundated with work. During his brief coma, an overwhelming amount of tasks had piled up.
"Lord Kazekage!"
A masked ANBU ninja knelt on one knee before the Kazekage, presenting a set of documents with a deferential posture.
"This is the list of casualties from the war, and this is the compensation and promotion list drafted by Elder Takahashi and Clan Head Genpei."
The Kazekage quickly scanned the documents, his jaw tightening as he read. A shadow of anger clouded his once-proud demeanor.
"These people..." he muttered through gritted teeth.
After a moment of silence, he waved his hand to dismiss the ANBU ninja.
The Kazekage placed the list of the fallen on the right side of his desk, while the promotion list was moved to a prominent position at the top of his desk.
With a light sigh, he resumed reviewing the other documents.
"Lord Kazekage!"
After some time, his attention was drawn to another visitor who knocked and entered. This time, it was a monk dressed in traditional robes.
Monks rarely sought out the Kazekage unless the matter was of grave importance.
The Kazekage's eyes flickered with suspicion as he deduced the reason for the visit. His expression grew solemn as the monk clasped his hands together and spoke.
"Lord Kazekage, Master Bunpuku has reached the end of his life. He is nearing the stage of oil exhaustion and lamp extinction. I fear he will soon pass into nirvana. I urge you to make preparations."
"We intended to inform you of this as soon as you returned. However, you were unconscious for the past few days..." The monk's calm tone carried a faint trace of sorrow and concern.
...
"Scorpion? You're here!"
Meanwhile, downstairs, Sōmi was oblivious to the events unfolding above.
Bored out of his mind, he leaped up from the white hospital bed the moment he saw Sasori enter the room. In an instant, he shifted from a lying position to sitting upright.
"Your injuries healed?" Sasori, empty-handed, glanced at Sōmi with his usual indifferent tone.
"Of course!"
Sōmi lightly touched his chest, his expression betraying a lingering sense of fear. Recalling the battle, he shuddered at the memory of being inside the puppet.
At that critical moment, he had sensed an incredibly sharp, high-speed spinning blade slicing through his flesh and piercing his chest.
Fortunately, he had managed to twist his body just in time, preventing the kunai from damaging his spine or heart.
It was thanks to Sasori's quick reaction, pulling him underground, that he had narrowly avoided death. Had Minato been given the chance to rotate the Chakra-infused kunai within his chest cavity, Sōmi's torso would have been torn open in an instant.
If that had happened, the next time Sōmi opened his eyes, he might have found himself under the control of some "dream-fulfilling master."
"I heard the Kazekage transferred you to the ANBU?" Sōmi asked as he stretched, preparing to change back into his usual attire.
"Yes," Sasori replied with a slight nod.
"Well, that works... It'll make it easier to handle certain 'less-than-honorable' tasks."
"Oh, by the way, how's your research on the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation technique coming along?" Sōmi asked as he slipped his arm into the sleeve of his black-and-red combat outfit.
"Improving it will be difficult. According to the scroll, the technique requires specific personal data (DNA) from the deceased, as well as a living person to serve as a medium. Together, these components can summon the soul of the deceased back to the living world..."
Mentioning the Impure World Reincarnation technique caused a spark of excitement to flash in Sasori's eyes. His usually calm tone grew increasingly animated. After all, this technique touched upon his deepest emotional wounds.
Now that there was finally a chance to heal those wounds, how could he not be excited?
Sōmi, now fully dressed, walked over and gently patted Sasori on the shoulder. "Calm down, Sasori!"
"I know you're eager to see your parents, but remember, this isn't true resurrection."
"You should know by now that the Reanimation Jutsu mastered by your grandmother, Chiyo, requires a life to be sacrificed in order to bring someone else back to life. Even if she sacrifices herself, she can only revive one of your parents..."
As an adult, Sasori had long since read the forbidden technique records about the Reanimation Jutsu. He had also come to terms with the comforting lies Chiyo had told him as a child.
Now that he had found another way to bring his parents back, he naturally wouldn't want his grandmother to pay the ultimate price.
"There's a way. Don't worry," Sōmi said.
"The legendary eyes have already appeared in the Land of Rain. However, their wielder is incredibly powerful. Just the two of us wouldn't stand a chance against them..."
"As a backup plan, we could train and control a few talented expendables. When the time comes, they can use the Reanimation Jutsu for us!" Sōmi analyzed the situation casually.
Neither Sōmi nor Sasori felt any moral qualms about using enemy ninja to achieve their goals.
After hearing Sōmi's plan, the excitement on Sasori's face gradually gave way to calm. However, a faint smile lingered—an exceedingly rare sight for Sasori.
"Don't tell your grandmother about this. We don't want her interfering and disrupting our plans. Once we've revived your parents, we'll take them to see her directly," Sōmi added, cautioning Sasori.
As Sōmi turned to retrieve the Starfall Rod, Sasori suddenly asked, "And what about your parents?"
Sōmi froze for a moment. When it came to his parents, all he could recall was the kind old monk at the temple, his senior disciples, and... memories from a distant past.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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