201-205

Chapter 201: Red Secret Technique

"It broke? Brother Sasori’s most prized human puppet was smashed just like that?"

Deidara was utterly shocked.

He knew Kimimaro was strong, perhaps even stronger than himself.

But he hadn’t expected that in such a short span of battle, Kimimaro would shatter the puppet that Sasori of the Red Sand took so much pride in.

On one hand, he was amazed by Kimimaro’s strength; on the other, his worry deepened.

Breaking the Third Kazekage, though repairable, had completely enraged Sasori.

The fight between the two was bound to escalate further.

“Heh, not bad.”

Sasori laughed out of extreme anger, his laugh cold and chilling.

Deidara, familiar with Sasori, knew this meant he was absolutely furious.

Clap!

Clap!

Clap!

Sasori unbuttoned his Akatsuki cloak one by one, revealing his body.

It wasn’t a normal human body anymore but a puppetized shell.

His abdomen opened up, not revealing organs, but instead coils of metal chains.

On his back were iron wings, formed from numerous blades, not only allowing him to fly but also capable of taking lives with ease.

In addition, there were four scrolls on his back.

Of course, what caught Kimimaro’s eye the most was the regeneration core embedded in Sasori’s left chest.

"Brother Sasori! You’re taking this too seriously!"

Deidara wanted to intervene, but a single look from Sasori silenced him.

“Shut up!”

Deidara was frustrated, feeling completely helpless.

What had he done to deserve this? It seemed like he was stuck in the middle, unable to please either side.

“Kimimaro, no one can save you today!”

Sasori’s killing intent grew more intense. Any ordinary ninja would have been paralyzed by fear at this point.

But for Kimimaro, it was nothing more than a mild appetizer.

His eyes were locked on Sasori’s regeneration core—that was the prize he sought.

“Kill me? I doubt you have what it takes,” Kimimaro said disdainfully.

It wasn’t that he looked down on Sasori.

It’s just that everything Sasori excelled at was hardly worth mentioning in Kimimaro’s eyes.

With his medical ninjutsu on par with Tsunade's, Sasori's poisons posed no threat to him.

And the puppet techniques? Kimimaro could block or dodge those easily.

He simply couldn’t see how he could lose.

“Hmph, a disciple of Orochimaru, arrogant just like him. But not even Orochimaru could speak with such confidence! Let me show you the true secret of a puppeteer!”

Sasori twitched his right index finger, pulling one of the scrolls from his back with a chakra string.

As he opened the scroll, clusters of red shadows flew out.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The red shadows hovered in midair.

It was a hundred puppets!

Chakra strings shot out from Sasori’s regeneration core, connecting to each of the red puppets.

The sight of countless puppets in the sky was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

“Oh no, Brother Sasori is really furious this time. He’s even using the Hundred Puppet Performance. The last time he used this technique was to wipe out a small country. Kimimaro’s in trouble now. It’s like a hundred Chūnin attacking at once.”

“And it only gets worse. As the number of puppets decreases, Brother Sasori’s control becomes more precise, and the remaining puppets grow stronger. When only fifty remain, it’s like fighting fifty Special Jōnin. At ten, it’s like ten Jōnin attacking together. And if only two are left, they’ll be as strong as two Kage-level puppet masters working in unison.

And this is a war of attrition. By the time only two puppets remain, Kimimaro will likely be completely exhausted.

Not to mention, Brother Sasori still has three more scrolls to unleash. I’ve never even seen what the last one does.”

Deidara had witnessed Sasori’s terrifying strength before and was all too familiar with the Hundred Puppet Performance technique.

Seeing this now, he couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat for Kimimaro.

“Kimimaro, you’d better hold on. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to step in, even if it means angering Brother Sasori.”

Deidara didn’t want to see his newfound comrade die like this.

So, if Kimimaro couldn’t handle it, Deidara was prepared to intervene, even at the risk of displeasing Sasori.

“Impressive.”

Kimimaro gazed at the sea of red puppets in awe.

Sasori of the Red Sand truly was a formidable opponent.

“Kimimaro, you shattered my human puppet. I’ll use your body to make up for it. I’ve never made a puppet from someone with your Shikotsumyaku before—it should be quite powerful.”

Sasori, feeling confident in his victory, began to taunt.

Kimimaro, however, simply raised his bone sword and pointed it toward Sasori in the distance.

“Thinking about that now is a bit premature. As for your human puppet technique, I’m more interested in you becoming my experiment. That odd thing in your chest will look good in my lab.”

Seeing the look in Kimimaro’s eyes, as if he were sizing him up for dissection, Sasori’s anger flared even hotter.

“Hmph, just like Orochimaru. Enough talk—die!”

Hundreds of red puppets charged forward.

They moved in perfect sync—who would strike first, who would follow up, who would attack, who would defend, who would go for ranged strikes, and who would go in close—all decided in an instant.

At this moment, they were like a well-trained army of ninja experts in team combat.

The first puppet, wielding twin blades, rushed at Kimimaro, the blades glowing faintly.

No doubt they were coated with poison.

If struck, an ordinary person would lose their ability to move in an instant.

This was the terrifying thing about puppet masters.

Every one of their attacks could be fatal.

In this way, puppet masters could be even more dangerous than someone like Hidan.

At least with Hidan’s abilities, you had a chance to react. But with a puppet master’s poison, a single mistake could mean instant death.

Though, Hidan’s power was much more mysterious.

Before figuring out the secret to it, his technique always worked without fail.

With a puppet master, at least people knew to watch out for poisoned blades.

Next to the dual-blade puppet was a shield-bearing puppet.

One attacked, one defended—a perfect combination.

Meanwhile, long-range puppets were already firing senbon, blocking off Kimimaro’s escape routes.

Kimimaro was genuinely curious. How was Sasori able to split his focus among a hundred puppets?

And where did he get the kind of vision required to track every puppet’s movement?

Even the Hyuga clan, with their Byakugan, would struggle to cover such a wide field of view.

How was Sasori doing it?

“Interesting.”

Kimimaro’s lips curled into a faint smile, and then, with his left hand, he summoned another bone sword.

“Stardust Stream Slash!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 202: The Secret of the Regeneration Core

The black sword light flashed wildly as Kimimaro pushed his speed to the limit.

He moved like a killing machine, ruthlessly charging into the hundred puppets surrounding him.

With every swing of his sword, a red puppet fell apart.

Shards flew everywhere!

Kimimaro’s eyes remained emotionless.

*Starburst Stream!*

A series of sixteen rapid strikes left sixteen red puppets in ruins.

But this was just the beginning.

It was impossible to take down a hundred puppets with just one move.

“What incredible swordsmanship,” Deidara marveled.

He hadn’t seen Kimimaro perform such an astonishing sword technique before.

Sasori of the Red Sand only frowned slightly, remaining calm and collected.

His regeneration core, located in his chest, controlled the remaining puppets, boosting their attack power.

After a ruthless assault, Kimimaro broke into the core of the puppet army, surrounded on all sides.

“How foolish. Does he not even watch where he's going when attacking?” Sasori sneered, showing disdain for Kimimaro’s seemingly reckless approach.

Being trapped in the midst of Sasori's red-secret technique made it nearly impossible to escape.

At that moment, the remaining red puppets swarmed in.

A net shot toward Kimimaro, aiming to bind him like a helpless fish.

Spears, swords, staffs—no weapon was left unused.

Sasori had packed in every possible tool.

Faced with such an overwhelming onslaught, Kimimaro merely smiled calmly.

“All the puppets are already within my domain.”

The next moment, his eyes flashed pure white.

Suddenly, aside from the sword in his hands, sharp bone spikes emerged from various parts of his body.

This was the opening stance of the *Dance of the Camellia*, but Kimimaro had no intention of using that move.

*Dance of the Heavenly Spin!*

In an instant, Kimimaro started spinning!

The white bone spikes turned black.

*Sword of the Clow Card!*

His footwork followed the spinning pattern of the Heavenly Spin, while his body attacked like the Dance of the Camellia.

The two techniques merged into one!

The iconic defense-and-offense technique of the Hyuga Clan, *Heavenly Spin*, transformed in Kimimaro’s hands into a blade storm!

A whirlwind rose!

Blades cut through the puppets!

In no time, the Dance of the Heavenly Spin, with a five-meter radius, shredded all the red puppets around him like a hurricane through a forest.

Kimimaro had turned into a grinding machine—no, a puppet grinder.

The fragments of puppets scattered across the ground.

Deidara and Sasori stood in shock at the incredible sight.

“Wait… is Sasori the one being overpowered?” Deidara noticed something alarming.

He had assumed Kimimaro would lose.

But now it seemed Sasori was the one being suppressed.

Every move Sasori made was countered by Kimimaro.

When Kimimaro finished his *Dance of the Heavenly Spin*, he stopped spinning and glanced at the puppet fragments all over the ground.

“As expected, they’re just toys.”

That comment enraged Sasori.

“You dare insult eternal art?! You’ll pay the price for that! *Inferno Blast Formation!*”

Columns of searing flames shot from Sasori’s palms.

Kimimaro quickly dodged.

The flame columns struck the ground, leaving blackened, scorched pits.

The heat was so intense that even the earth couldn’t withstand it.

“This level of fire release… how much chakra did he have to compress for that?” Kimimaro praised.

The power of fire release was directly tied to chakra quality.

Sasori’s fire release at this level was truly rare.

But the aim was lacking.

Such a powerful, deadly fire release was being used like a regular attack—a waste.

If the aim had been better, it could’ve been a one-hit kill.

But unfortunately, Sasori seemed to lack skill in that regard.

After the Dance of the Heavenly Spin, Sasori’s *Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets* was completely destroyed. He now only had the techniques in his three remaining scrolls.

One of them was the fire release technique.

However, Kimimaro no longer planned to continue fighting Sasori.

He had gauged the strength of the puppets and saw no further purpose in dragging out the battle.

What he really wanted now was to remove Sasori’s regeneration core for study.

From the perspective of his *Byakugan*, Sasori’s ability to control hundreds of red puppets simultaneously came from that core.

Not only did it contain incredible vitality, but it also seemed to control the red puppets as though Sasori had a hundred extra hands.

There was so much to learn from it.

Simply observing with the Byakugan wasn’t enough.

He needed to put the core on the operating table and study it thoroughly.

The searing flames continued to shoot at him, turning Kimimaro into a constant target as he dodged.

With his *Shunpo* technique, the flames couldn’t even graze his clothes.

At that moment, Pikachu, who had been inactive, climbed onto his shoulder.

“I’m counting on you, little guy.”

“Pika!”

Understanding the command, Pikachu leaped from his shoulder.

*Quick Attack!*

At Kimimaro’s signal, Pikachu’s speed instantly increased.

Not only that, but golden lightning erupted from its body.

Thunder intensified!

Pikachu’s speed soared even higher.

Sasori blinked in surprise as Kimimaro and Pikachu attacked from opposite sides, their speeds perfectly in sync.

He had no choice but to split his focus, sending fire columns toward both of them.

But neither Kimimaro nor Pikachu could be caught.

In the blink of an eye, Pikachu was already in front of Sasori.

*Headbutt!*

Pikachu jumped high, aiming straight for Sasori’s regeneration core.

Sasori scrambled to block.

A metal chain shot from his abdomen like a snake, aiming to intercept Pikachu’s attack.

But Pikachu’s gaze remained steady, unwavering.

It seemed certain that the chain wouldn’t harm it.

Because Kimimaro was making his move!

With his left hand extended, white lightning had already formed at his fingertip.

*One-Finger White Lightning!*

The white bolt, carrying the power of Kimimaro’s finger bone, shot out at high speed.

Zing!

A spark flew as the lightning bolt struck the chain.

A sharp, crisp sound rang out as the chain was knocked off course.

Pikachu darted through the gap!

*Quick Attack!*

Its large head slammed directly into the regeneration core.

Sasori’s expression froze.

The regeneration core was knocked loose, and his puppet body lost its soul.

The light in his eyes faded instantly.

The regeneration core flew out, targeting a nearby red puppet to possess and revive itself.

But with a quick movement, Kimimaro caught it securely!

It trembled, trying to escape his grip, but couldn’t break free.

The battle was over!

Pikachu landed steadily on the ground, wearing a proud expression.

"Well done, little guy."

Satisfied with Kimimaro's praise, Pikachu happily wagged its tail.

"Sasori! Sasori!"

Deidara rushed forward, staring in shock at the lifeless shell of Sasori.

"You... you killed Sasori?"

After confirming that Sasori had no sign of life left, Deidara looked at Kimimaro, stunned.

"No, he's not dead yet. He turned himself into a human puppet. His life force is inside this regeneration core. As long as the core is intact, he won't die. Just find another puppet to put the core in, and he can be revived."

Kimimaro displayed the regeneration core in his hand and spoke slowly.

"It can work like that?"

Deidara was even more surprised.

Although he was close to Sasori, the latter never told him about this secret.

"Then let's quickly put the core back into him."

"Not just yet."

"You don’t really intend to kill him, do you? Sasori may have a bad temper, but he's not that bad. For my sake, just let him go."

Deidara tried to persuade Kimimaro diplomatically.

He hadn't expected Kimimaro to push Sasori to such a point.

This was completely different from what he'd anticipated.

But whether it was Kimimaro or Sasori, Deidara didn't want anything bad to happen.

After all, both were his friends in the art world.

"Of course, I'll honor your request, and I never planned to kill him. But I'm really interested in this regeneration core. Let me study it for seven or eight days, then I'll return it."

"This... fine. Seven or eight days it is, but you have to put that core back into Sasori afterward."

Hearing this, Deidara didn't stop Kimimaro.

After all, it was Sasori who made the first move, so Kimimaro teaching him a lesson seemed fair.

To put it simply, the regeneration core was Kimimaro's spoils of war, and he had the right to do as he pleased with it.

Deidara had no grounds to interfere unless he wanted to fall out with Kimimaro.

Seeing that both sides could come to an agreement, Deidara breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, poor Sasori was about to be subjected to Kimimaro's experiments.

"Of course. After all, we're in the same organization. I'm not going to go too far. You can relax."

Kimimaro flashed a cryptic smile.

Let Sasori go?

No problem.

But not before adding something to that regeneration core.

With the battle over, Kimimaro took over Sasori's cave.

And naturally, Deidara was left waiting outside.

Kimimaro had to study the core, so Deidara couldn’t be around.

Inside the cave, puppet parts were scattered all over, along with a variety of herbs.

Kimimaro’s eyes lit up at the sight.

"Sasori sure had quite the collection. These herbs are incredibly rare. Using them just for poison-making is such a waste."

Kimimaro shook his head slightly, disapproving of Sasori's wasteful habits.

Then he gathered all the herbs into his own scroll and stowed it away with satisfaction.

Kimimaro suddenly felt like he had just looted someone.

The ninja world really is brutal.

After taking care of these small tasks, Kimimaro cleared a table, placing the regeneration core on it, and then pulled out his equipment from his space scroll.

Preparations complete.

Byakugan, activate!

Kimimaro's eyes transformed into the most intricate of microscopes. Combining his advanced tools, he began disassembling the regeneration core piece by piece.

The research had begun.

And it went on for several days.

Outside the cave, Deidara passed the time molding clay.

Soon, under his deft hands and playful bites, a small clay Pikachu emerged in his palm.

"Hehe, does it look like you?"

Deidara placed the clay figure in front of Pikachu and asked softly.

"Pika!"

Pikachu chirped excitedly, fully appreciating Deidara's craftsmanship.

"It's yours."

"Pika!"

Overjoyed by the gift, Pikachu gladly accepted it.

"So, can I go in now? It's been seven days, and Kimimaro hasn't come out yet. He hasn't forgotten to release Sasori, has he?"

"Pika!"

Pikachu shook its head repeatedly, rejecting Deidara's request to enter the cave.

"Don't be so stingy. I just want to take a look. I promise I won't disturb Kimimaro's research."

"Pika!"

Pikachu firmly refused once again.

"You little rascal, you're being unreasonable. If you don’t let me in, I might just force my way through. I'm not afraid of your electric moves anymore. If it comes down to a fight, I've got a pretty good chance of winning."

Deidara wore a proud expression.

Overcoming electric-type attacks had been his greatest accomplishment recently.

The Pikachu he once feared had become less intimidating, leaving only its cuteness.

"Pika!"

Seeing Deidara gearing up to barge in, Pikachu’s expression turned fierce.

But paired with its adorable face, it only looked cutely menacing.

"Heh... you really don’t give me any face, huh? After all, I’ve fed you for several days."

Seeing Pikachu so determined, Deidara could only give up.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of beating Pikachu, but he didn't want to hurt it.

For one, Pikachu was Kimimaro's summoning beast, and injuring it would be hard to explain.

For another, the yellow creature was just too cute.

After spending time together, Deidara found he couldn’t bear to hurt it.

"When is Kimimaro coming out?"

Meanwhile, inside the cave, Kimimaro had completely unraveled the secrets of the regeneration core.

"I didn’t expect Sasori to reach this level. He's no ordinary puppet master, that's for sure."

After finishing his research on the core, Kimimaro couldn’t help but admire Sasori a little more.

The regeneration core was truly a genius concept.

It gathered all of one's spiritual power into a single point.

And not just spiritual power, but all physical strength as well.

However, unlike the perfect preservation of spiritual power, the method Sasori used to store his physical strength was a bit gruesome.

He condensed his spiritual power into the core’s center and then melted his body’s strength, his flesh, into the core's outer shell.

The regeneration core, which looked like a lump of flesh, was, in fact, exactly that—a condensed piece of flesh.

Compared to Orochimaru's body-swapping technique, Sasori’s regeneration core preserved his full strength even more completely.

But in doing so, he became even less human.

The bodies he could take over were limited to the human puppets he had prepared beforehand.

Nothing else would work.

And this technique, without a doubt, was deeply disturbing.

At least, Kimimaro felt uneasy while researching the core.

"Despite that, there’s still plenty to learn from it. I’ve already uncovered the secret to preserving spiritual energy for long periods."

If I combine this with certain aspects of the soul-separation technique, developing a method to make spiritual power—essentially the soul—immortal shouldn’t be too difficult.

At this point, Kimimaro's research had gradually unveiled the mysteries behind various powers: bones represented by Shikotsumyaku, immortality tied to Hashirama's cells, blood vessels and meridians from Kakuzu’s techniques, and now spiritual energy and the soul from Sasori’s regeneration core.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 203: The Plan to Undermine the Akatsuki*

Kimimaro had three main goals for joining the Akatsuki: the unique abilities of Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear, Hidan’s immortality, and Sasori’s regeneration core.

His hope was that by studying these three, he could further his progress on the path to immortality.

Now, with all his research completed, Kimimaro felt he had gained a lot.

"The wisdom of one person is limited, but when you combine the ideas of so many geniuses, it's like a sudden epiphany. No wonder Orochimaru loved the research reports of the Second Hokage so much—they’re a treasure trove."

A slight smile of relief appeared on Kimimaro's face.

At this moment, the path to immortality was becoming clearer in his mind.

As long as he fully digested these recent findings, his goal of eternal life was almost within reach.

Thinking of this, Kimimaro felt a small wave of excitement, but he quickly suppressed it.

It was far too early to relax completely.

Besides the physical aspect of immortality, great strength was even more important.

Without enough power, no matter how long you live, you won’t survive in this world.

Most ninjas don’t die of old age—they die during missions.

Dying of old age is a luxury for ninjas.

"Although I've achieved what I came to the Akatsuki for, and I could technically leave, staying here doesn't really hurt. This relaxed environment won't hinder my training or research.

Plus, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Deidara get along well with me, and once Sasori is revived, I’ll have control over him. None of them are truly loyal to the Akatsuki. As long as I’m stronger than them, I can make them work for me.

As for the rest..."

Kimimaro's mind raced with thoughts, and an interesting idea formed.

If he could pull it off, it would be quite beneficial.

But not now.

Before gaining absolute strength, he still needed to keep a low profile.

Thankfully, he had plenty of time to prepare.

Looking at the regeneration core before him, Kimimaro took out a Star Splitter Bug.

The bug had fully evolved by now, with its purple star patterns looking even more vibrant.

"Star Splitter Bug No. 1, I've found you a good new home. Stay here and make yourself comfortable."

Kimimaro placed the bug onto the fragmented regeneration core and began the final stitching process.

*Threaded Stitching Technique!*

Soon, the regeneration core, which had been cut up, was restored to its original form.

However, it looked noticeably weaker than before.

That was to be expected. After all the slicing and research, it was amazing it still had any vitality left.

It would just need some time to fully recover.

The Star Splitter Bug was now sewn into the center of the regeneration core.

With just a thought, Kimimaro could make the bug explode instantly.

With this control in place, if Sasori tried anything against Kimimaro, he’d have to think twice.

After finishing the procedure, Kimimaro placed the regeneration core back into Sasori’s human puppet’s chest.

*Thump, thump!*

The regeneration core gave off a heartbeat-like sound, and then the handsome puppet opened its eyes.

At that moment, confusion filled his gaze.

“Awake? The surgery was a success.”

Sasori quickly regained his senses and looked at Kimimaro.

“What did you do to me?”

Even though his regeneration core had been sliced up, the mental core that gathered his consciousness hadn’t shattered, so he knew everything that had happened over the past few days.

He couldn’t miss the Star Splitter Bug implanted into his regeneration core either.

His question was filled not only with anger but also with fear.

Kimimaro’s methods had frightened even him.

“Nothing much, just a small gift for you. There's a bug just like this one inside your regeneration core.”

Another Star Splitter Bug flew out from Kimimaro’s sleeve, circled Sasori, and then landed nearby. With a boom, it exploded!

The entire cave shook violently.

Sasori’s pupils shrank.

The explosion's power could easily destroy his regeneration core in an instant.

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

Sasori’s face darkened.

“No, it’s just a little punishment. But if you want to see it as a threat, that’s fine. But rest assured, as long as you don’t act up, you’ll be fine. The bug won’t explode easily.

I assume you wouldn’t want your eternal art to be destroyed in a single instant, would you?”

“Kimimaro!”

Sasori gritted his teeth in rage.

“Yes? Is there something you’d like to tell me, Sasori-senpai?”

Kimimaro’s expression remained indifferent.

Though Sasori was furious, he had no way of dealing with Kimimaro at the moment.

With his life in someone else’s hands, he couldn’t afford to act rashly.

For now, he could only suppress his anger.

“What do you want?”

Kimimaro’s clear intent to control him must have had some purpose.

So Sasori wanted to know the reason.

But Kimimaro wasn’t ready to reveal that yet.

“You’ll know when the time is right.”

“Fine! I won’t say anything about what happened today, and you’d better keep quiet too.”

Being manipulated like this was humiliating for Sasori, and he didn’t want anyone else to know.

Sasori was a prideful person, and he’d never ask for help. He’d prefer to find a solution on his own.

Of course, even if he did ask for help, Kimimaro wasn’t worried.

In this situation, no one in the ninja world could remove the Star Splitter Bug except for him.

“Of course. I’m not the type to gossip, Sasori-senpai. From now on, let’s get along. Oh, and here’s a kind reminder:

You should avoid trying to remove the bug yourself. It’s in a dormant state now, but if the regeneration core is disturbed, it will wake up. At that point, I won’t even need to control it—it will explode on its own.

And if that happens, not even I can stop it.”

Sasori’s expression grew even darker.

Kimimaro had crushed his last bit of hope.

“You!”

“Sasori-senpai, it’s bad for your health to get so worked up. Stay calm.”

Sasori gave up, realizing he had no choice for the time being.

“Kimimaro, don’t let me find a chance to strike back, or I’ll make you suffer a hundredfold!”

“Don’t worry, Sasori-senpai. I’ll make sure you don’t get that chance.”

Kimimaro’s calm response left Sasori feeling powerless, like he had punched a pillow.

Frustrated, Sasori didn’t want to argue any further.

"Alright, we should get going. Deidara is waiting outside."

*Outside the cave.*

Deidara, hearing the loud explosion, became even more worried.

“What’s Kimimaro doing in there? Why did it explode? Did he blow up Sasori out of anger? Little one, this time I’m going in no matter what.”

Deidara said to Pikachu and prepared to charge inside.

Pikachu instantly became alert. Its tail sparked with white light, and it launched a golden electrical ball at Deidara.

“Pika!”

*Move: Electroweb!*

Sensing the approaching lightning, Deidara tried to dodge, but the golden ball suddenly spread out.

Lightning scattered and formed an electric net that trapped Deidara like a fishing net.

“What the—!”

Deidara struggled in shock.

But the golden arcs of electricity danced across the net, making it impossible for him to free himself.

“You little thing! You’re serious, huh? Let me go!”

Caught off guard, Deidara was both surprised and frustrated.

"Pika!"

Pikachu wasn’t backing down.

“Don’t blame me for this! Check out my move!”

Deidara reached into his ninja tool pouch, biting into some explosive clay.

In no time, a clay creature appeared in his hand.

It jumped down lightly and burrowed underground.

Boom!

The clay beast exploded just seconds after entering the ground.

The explosion wasn’t huge, but it was enough to blow apart the electric net that was holding Deidara down!

Deidara was free again!

Pikachu looked serious.

“You little thing, I’m not letting you off this time! You need to learn a lesson!”

Deidara was pissed, and the mouths on his hands were chomping down on more explosive clay, as if he really wanted to settle things with Pikachu once and for all.

Pikachu was ready for battle.

But then, the cave door opened.

Kimimaro and Sasori both walked out.

“What’s going on here? What’s with all the noise?”

Kimimaro frowned slightly, seeing the smoke from the explosion still lingering in the air.

“Haha, Kimimaro! You’re finally out, I was so worried! Sasori! You’re okay?”

Deidara’s face lit up when he saw the two.

He quickly put away the explosive clay in his hands, acting like nothing had just happened.

“I’m fine,” Sasori said in his usual cold manner, and Deidara didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s good, that’s good, haha, we’re still good teammates, right?”

Deidara tried to play peacemaker, but his words were a little clumsy.

Pikachu leaped onto Kimimaro’s shoulder, rubbing his cheek happily.

“Good job, little guy.”

“Pika!”

Pikachu started "complaining" in Kimimaro’s ear, telling him everything.

Deidara started feeling guilty.

If he knew it’d end like this, he wouldn’t have started a fight in the first place.

After listening to Pikachu, Kimimaro turned to Deidara.

“I thought we were bros! How could you do this? Pikachu is so cute! How could you hit him?”

“Uh… Kimimaro, let me explain.”

“No need to explain, time to atone!”

Kimimaro was super protective and immediately started play-fighting with Deidara.

Of course, it was all in good fun, no serious fighting.

Just like how Deidara and Tobi would mess around all the time.

Watching the fake fight, three sweatdrops appeared on Sasori’s forehead.

“They’re this close already?”

For a moment, Sasori felt a bit… unnecessary.

Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, Konan found Nagato.

“Sasori’s out of seclusion, how do you want to arrange things?”

Konan asked coldly.

Ever since Nagato refused Kimimaro’s healing suggestion, there was some distance between them.

It was more like a cold war, really.

Konan was rarely mad at Nagato.

Nagato could feel it, too.

But he didn’t really know what to do about it.

“Konan, what do you think?”

Trying to smooth things over, Nagato tried making conversation.

“Let Deidara and Sasori stay teamed up. As for Kimimaro, I want to team up with him for a bit.”

Konan didn’t hold back, saying exactly what she was thinking.

“You want to team up with him? Why?”

Nagato frowned, clearly not thrilled.

“I want to know him better.”

“Know him better?”

Nagato was taken aback, but then immediately understood.

She still hadn’t given up on Kimimaro healing his legs.

Teaming up with him was her way of thoroughly investigating him, to clear any doubts.

Realizing this, Nagato felt a bit guilty.

“Konan, I already said—”

Before he could finish, Konan interrupted him.

“I know. But I still want to try. Just think of it as me wanting to go out for a bit.”

“…Fine. If you want to team up with Kimimaro, go ahead.”

Nagato knew he couldn’t stop her, so he agreed.

He felt a deep sense of apology toward Konan.

After all, the person she loved most, Yahiko, had died by his own hands.

So now, whatever Konan wanted, Nagato would try to give her.

“Nagato, if I find out Kimimaro can be trusted, would you be willing to give it a try? There are ways to keep the truth about Pain hidden.”

Now that Nagato had softened, Konan pushed a little further.

“Alright, if you’re sure he’s trustworthy, I’ll let him heal me.”

Hearing this, a rare smile appeared on Konan’s face.

Nagato froze.

He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her smile.

Before Yahiko died, Konan used to smile all the time.

“Okay, it’s settled then!”

Konan said before turning to leave.

Watching her walk away, Nagato sighed.

“That silly girl…”

Nagato looked at Pain beside him.

Yahiko’s face was still young, unchanged from the past, but the smile that should’ve been bright and warm was now cold and stern.

A puppet was still just a puppet. It could never show a truly heartwarming smile like a real person.

“Yahiko, you haven’t seen Konan smile in a long time, huh? And now, the next time I see her smile, it’s because I agreed to this…”

Their Rinnegan eyes met, but only one gaze had life behind it.

Nagato’s expression was complicated.

“If you were still here, everything would be different. Konan would be happy with you, maybe you’d even have kids by now, and I’d be their teacher. Sigh…”

Nagato sighed again.

“Yahiko, I’ll take on the task of changing this dark world. I believe peace is close. Once I gather all nine tailed beasts and make a weapon strong enough to keep the whole ninja world in check, true peace will come.

When that day comes, I’ll finally be able to face you in the Pure Land. My only worry now is Konan.

I know she doesn’t really care about any of this. All she ever wanted was to live peacefully with me, with you, and with Jiraiya-sensei. But that dream was never meant to be.

Soon, I’ll probably have to face Jiraiya-sensei in a battle of ideals. When that day comes, will I be able to do it?”

Nagato wasn’t confused, but he was uncertain.

In this empty room, his doubts and worries went unheard, except by his six lifeless puppets.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 204: The Gigantic Puppet*

“Sasori Senpai, I think your art still isn't quite there.”

“Not quite there? You fool! What nonsense are you spouting?”

Inside the cave, Kimimaro’s words once again provoked Sasori of the Red Sand.

Saying his puppets weren’t up to par was akin to denying his art, which naturally enraged him.

“Whoa, whoa, you can’t just blurt out the truth like that. Although, I kind of agree, but you know Sasori is going to get mad,” Deidara chimed in with a merciless jab.

“Deidara!”

Sasori grew even angrier.

“Brother Sasori, I’ve always said it—true art is a fleeting moment of brilliance. Your so-called eternal art? It’s totally devalued.”

“You bastard! Do you want me to turn you into one of my puppets?”

Sasori, already fuming, was now itching for someone to vent his frustrations on, and since Deidara had presented himself, Sasori didn’t mind playing along.

After all, he couldn't beat Kimimaro, but Deidara? He was still doable.

Though he overlooked one detail: both his Third Kazekage puppet and his Red Secret Technique weren’t fully repaired yet, so perhaps he wasn’t quite capable of dealing with Deidara, who specialized in mid-to-long-range attacks.

“Come on, Brother Sasori, don’t be mad. Art discussions should be friendly,” Deidara quickly tried to pacify him.

Sasori's gaze remained icy cold.

Seeing this, Deidara awkwardly smiled.

Kimimaro continued, “Elder Sasori, I didn’t mean to outright deny your art. Whether it’s Deidara’s or yours, I highly respect both.

Ephemeral and eternal art are philosophical topics, but I think both your arts have flaws and haven’t yet reached perfection.

Deidara’s explosive clay, with my help, is now immune to lightning-style attacks, meaning it’s very close to perfection.

As for your art, Elder Sasori, I believe the main issue lies in your lack of imagination. Puppets have limited your creativity.”

Sasori was taken aback by this.

“Deidara’s clay isn’t weak to lightning anymore?”

“That’s right! Brother Sasori, I’m not afraid of lightning at all now. Next time, I’ll find some lightning user and blow them to bits! Let them become a tribute to my art.”

Deidara was beaming with pride.

Sasori, deep in thought, looked toward Kimimaro.

“What do you mean by imagination?”

“Simply put, your idea of peak puppetry is Chiyo’s Chikamatsu Collection of Ten, so your perspective is limited to the number of puppets rather than their quality.

The Chikamatsu Collection, while impressive, is still the power of mere mortals. It’s far from the pinnacle of strength.

Have you ever heard of Uchiha Madara?”

“Uchiha Madara? Of course, I know of him. A legendary figure who, alongside the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, brought peace to the chaotic world. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was as famous as Hashirama's Wood Release.”

For someone like Sasori, Madara’s existence wasn’t a secret.

After all, Madara had disappeared from the ninja world just over fifty years ago.

“Then, have you heard of Madara’s signature technique, Susano’o?”

“Susano’o? There are records of it in Sunagakure. The First Kazekage referred to it as the power of a god. The record is brief, but I could sense the First Kazekage’s fear. What kind of technique is it?”

Sasori was intrigued.

“It’s hard to explain in just a few words. Allow me to show you in a dreamscape.”

As Kimimaro spoke, his right hand formed a sword-like gesture, and a golden card shimmered at his fingertips.

It was the Illusionary Clow Card!

In the next moment, Kimimaro and Sasori were transported into an illusionary space.

The cave now only housed Deidara and Pikachu.

Seeing this, Deidara glanced helplessly at Pikachu.

“Damn it! They didn’t invite us! So unfair, right, little guy?”

“Pika!” Pikachu agreed.

Inside the illusionary space, Sasori was greeted by an astonishing sight.

The massive, fully formed Susano’o stood like a mountain beside them.

“This...”

Sasori was utterly shocked.

“This is the legendary Susano’o of Uchiha Madara. I recreated this illusion based on descriptions from books.”

Kimimaro explained.

“What an incredible scale... No wonder it’s called the power of a god.”

Sasori was left speechless with awe.

“Your Hiruko hides your true body inside a puppet, which is somewhat similar to Susano’o. However, your method and scale are nowhere near its level. You need a much more fearsome puppet. Only then can your art reach new heights.

This will require better materials and, of course, stronger chakra support.”

Kimimaro’s words were like the whispers of a devil, slowly opening Sasori’s eyes to a new world.

“More powerful chakra... Superior puppet materials for constructing a body...”

Sasori muttered, his eyes growing brighter by the second.

It seemed he had found a new goal.

After turning himself into a human puppet, Sasori had lost direction, focusing only on developing stronger poisons to increase his puppets' lethality.

He had started to find it dull.

But now, with Kimimaro’s guidance, he had discovered a new path.

He would develop a gigantic puppet modeled after Susano’o!

Human puppets were outdated.

Gigantic puppets were the true power of gods!

Sasori was crazed with excitement.

This was the art he sought!

“How do you feel, Elder Sasori?”

“Amazing! I never imagined such art could exist in this world! I’ve decided! I will create a puppet comparable to Susano’o!”

Sasori was ecstatic.

Kimimaro smiled faintly. This was exactly the result he wanted.

But it wasn’t enough.

“If Elder Sasori has such aspirations, I look forward to seeing it. By the way, I came across a book that contained some notes on gigantic puppets, though they were incomplete. I can recreate those for you. They might be helpful.”

“Good!”

Hearing this, Sasori grew even more excited.

Soon, the Susano’o disappeared, and three enormous machines appeared before Sasori and Kimimaro.

The first was a purple machine with green accents, full of mechanical beauty.

The second was primarily red and white.

The last one was smaller, carrying a golden sword on its back.

“From left to right, they’re called Eva Unit-01, Super Granzort, and Ryujinmaru. These are said to be ancient, gigantic puppets with incredible power.”

As Kimimaro spoke, the three titans began fighting in the illusion, displaying their immense strength.

Of course, this was all part of Kimimaro’s illusion to inspire Sasori.

If Sasori could actually create something like this, it would make Kimimaro’s efforts worthwhile.

Watching the battle, Sasori’s mind was flooded with inspiration.

“This is magnificent! This is exactly what I need!”

He was thrilled.

He, Sasori of the Red Sand, would create such gigantic puppets!

When the illusion ended, Sasori looked at Kimimaro with burning excitement.

“Kimimaro! Thank you! I now know exactly how to develop my art! Whether it’s Eva Unit-01, Super Granzort, or Ryujinmaru, I will bring them to life!”

Sasori was full of confidence.

When it came to making puppets, no one in the ninja world could match him.

Now, he was eager to get started.

Upon exiting the illusion, he immediately threw himself into puppet-making. All his previous puppets were dismantled, their parts to be used for the new giant ones.

In Sasori’s eyes, a new era of puppetry was about to begin.

Seeing Sasori’s sudden change in attitude and even gratitude towards Kimimaro, Deidara was left puzzled.

“What did you show Brother Sasori? He’s so excited! Did you two make up?”

"He must've found something interesting, giving him a lot of inspiration."

"What kind of thing? I want to see it too."

"It wouldn't be useful to you. You should focus on perfecting your C4 and C5 first."

When Kimimaro said that, Deidara tilted his head, looking a bit helpless.

Both of their creations had hit a bottleneck, and it would take some time and exploration to find a solution.

"Can't we talk about something happier?"

"Seeing that expression on your face makes me pretty happy."

"Hey! Kimimaro! That's just too much, don't you think?"

Deidara retorted with frustration.

"Hahaha, just kidding."

Seeing Deidara so upset made Kimimaro quite amused.

And so, the days of the three traveling together began.

The Akatsuki hadn't assigned them any tasks recently, so they each focused on their own training.

Kimimaro's relationship with Sasori had also improved over time.

Just like how Deidara saw Kimimaro as a kindred spirit, Sasori was beginning to feel the same way now.

As for the matter of the Star-Cracking Worm, Sasori had completely forgotten about it.

To him, life was insignificant compared to art.

In Sasori's eyes, Kimimaro was like a treasure trove.

With Kimimaro's guidance, Sasori was confident the giant puppet he was developing would be a success.

Sasori eagerly awaited that day.

But good times never last long.

A few days later, while the three were training separately, Konan arrived.

The fluttering white paper in the sky was Konan's signature entrance.

"Konan-senpai? What brings you here? Is there a new mission?"

Kimimaro was a bit surprised to see Konan.

Wasn't she supposed to be busy acting as God's messenger?

Why wasn't she by Nagato's side? Why did she keep coming to find them?

"Pain has new orders. The Akatsuki has always operated in pairs. Now that Sasori has completed his training, you can leave this team."

Konan said with no expression.

"Huh? So who am I supposed to team up with?"

Kimimaro had already guessed that Pain wouldn't let the three of them stay in a team for long, but hearing the order still caught him off guard.

After all, there didn't seem to be anyone left in the Akatsuki who could be assigned as his partner.

"With me."

Kimimaro's eyes widened in surprise at Konan's words.

"Me? Team up with you, Konan-senpai?"

"What? Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not. It's just a bit strange. Didn't you always team up with the leader? Why this sudden change?"

"Just follow Pain's orders. Don't ask too many questions."

Konan still had no expression.

Such a beautiful woman, but sadly, so cold and emotionless.

Seeing her like this, Kimimaro began to wonder if she and Nagato had argued.

But... could those two even argue? No, that wasn't likely.

Maybe she was sent to keep an eye on him? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to Kimimaro.

In the Akatsuki, Kisame was the most loyal to Tobi, and he was sent to watch Itachi.

As for Nagato, his most loyal follower was undoubtedly Konan.

Could it be that his recent actions had made Nagato suspicious? Was Konan sent to spy on him? No, if Nagato really had suspicions, he wouldn’t have sent Konan to risk herself.

She was the most important person to him.

Or perhaps Nagato had that much faith in Konan?

Kimimaro's mind swirled with different ideas.

After all, people were complex, and it was impossible to fully understand someone’s thoughts.

Kimimaro’s knowledge of them came mostly from vague memories of the anime in his past life.

"Alright, I understand, Konan-senpai. I'll let Deidara-senpai and Sasori-senpai know."

"Alright. You have one hour. After that, meet me in Shin Town."

After saying this, Konan dissolved into white paper and vanished.

"Such a convenient jutsu," Kimimaro remarked, then went to find Deidara and Sasori.

The three had just started to get along, but now they were being split up so soon.

Fortunately, Kimimaro had already completed what he needed to do, so leaving now wouldn't affect much.

In the cave, Sasori, who was working on something, paused when he heard that Kimimaro was leaving.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"Konan-senpai personally delivered the order, so there's no delaying it."

"Why is the leader so eager to move you? There's nothing urgent going on in the organization."

Kimimaro shrugged, wearing a look that said he didn’t know either.

"I just started making progress on the giant puppet you mentioned. I was hoping to discuss it with you a bit more..."

"Sasori-senpai, you're the expert in this area, so it’s really up to you. I’ve told you everything I know. The only thing I can help you with now is the energy source for the giant puppet.

Such a large puppet would require a tremendous amount of chakra that an ordinary person couldn't sustain. But fortunately, the ninja world has plenty of creatures and objects with massive chakra reserves.

I’ll try to gather some intel for you. I should be able to find some leads."

Sasori’s eyes lit up at Kimimaro’s words.

"That would be great. I've been thinking about the energy source for the puppet as well. If we can solve that problem, we're halfway to completing it."

In truth, both of them knew of a potential energy source.

But neither of them brought it up.

In the ninja world, the most famous chakra entities were the Nine-Tailed Beasts.

But since the Akatsuki's goal was to capture these beasts, Sasori didn’t dare to make any plans for them.

Not to mention, he couldn't even beat Konan, who was immune to physical attacks.

Sasori had joined the Akatsuki after being defeated by Konan.

"I’m really looking forward to seeing your new art, Sasori-senpai. I’m sure it will be an earth-shattering creation."

Hearing Kimimaro’s praise, Sasori showed a satisfied smile.

He normally didn’t care about compliments from others, but praise from Kimimaro, someone who had once defeated him, was something he valued.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 205: The Story of Kimimaro and Konan (Part 1)

In Shinshin Town, a small village with a legendary reputation in the ninja world, the forest surrounding it is home to the largest number of summoning beasts in the entire ninja world. This forest is known as the Forest of Summoning.

Many ninjas come to this forest in search of a summoning beast, but most leave empty-handed. After all, summoning beasts aren’t easy to tame, or else they wouldn’t be considered a rare resource. Few ninjas in the ninja world have summoning beasts, and even fewer have powerful ones. Most of the summoning creatures are supportive, like Kakashi’s Eight Ninja Dogs.

The summoning beasts from the Three Great Sacred Lands are considered to be at the pinnacle. Previously, when Kimimaro pretended to be an employer visiting the Hidden Cloud Village, he mentioned that he was from Shinshin Town. Now, arriving here feels like fate.

After parting ways with Sasori and Deidara, Kimimaro made his way to Shinshin Town. Deidara was a bit reluctant to see him go, but all he could do was grumble, unable to do anything else.

"Kimimaro, next time we meet, I will have completed my C5! Then, I’ll show you something special."

After accepting Deidara’s "kindness," Kimimaro arrived at Shinshin Town.

"Senior Konan."

At the entrance of Shinshin Town, Kimimaro greeted Konan, who was waiting for him.

Konan nodded slightly and said, "You arrived quickly."

"Since Senior Konan was waiting for me, I had to speed up. Are you here to capture a summoning beast?"

Kimimaro asked curiously.

"Yes. I heard that a decent summoning beast has appeared here."

Konan confirmed that her goal was indeed a summoning beast. The Animal Path of Pain's Six Paths has the ability to control summoning creatures. Capturing one would increase the Animal Path's strength.

Originally, Nagato and Konan were supposed to operate together, with Nagato hiding nearby and then sending in Pain's Six Paths. However, since she was teaming up with Kimimaro, Konan decided to use this mission as an opportunity to test his strength.

"Shall we head out now?"

"Yes, let's go. I’ve already located the summoning beast."

After Konan spoke, she turned and walked off, with Kimimaro following behind her.

"She’s really cool and aloof," Kimimaro thought to himself, memories of Konan flooding his mind.

In the original work, Konan didn’t have much character development aside from her final battle. She seemed more like a follower of Yahiko and Nagato, always acting based on their wills. Such people seem to lack a bit of soul, as they haven't found their own direction.

In this world, there are many people like Konan, who are always being pushed forward by others. Kimimaro shook his head, not dwelling on this too much.

Soon, the two of them entered the Forest of Summoning. This forest was vast, much larger than the Forest of Death.

As soon as they entered, Kimimaro saw many creatures he had never encountered before.

"So this is the Forest of Summoning? It’s definitely different from other places—so many strange creatures."

Kimimaro couldn't help but be amazed.

"There are many beasts here, and they’re quite hostile toward humans. If we get surrounded, it could be troublesome. Our target this time is a bull. Once we capture it, we can leave."

Konan explained their mission.

A bull.

Kimimaro recalled that one of the Animal Path’s summoning creatures was indeed a bull-like creature. It seemed this was the one they were after.

"Understood, Senior Konan."

The two continued walking in silence. Kimimaro wasn’t much of a talker, and Konan had little desire to converse with anyone other than Yahiko, Nagato, or Jiraiya. As a result, their journey was quiet.

However, Konan eventually broke the silence.

"Kimimaro, I heard you were trained under Orochimaru. How did you come to master such advanced medical ninjutsu?"

Konan opened up, which was rare for her.

"My Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) isn't an easy Kekkei Genkai to deal with. The stronger it becomes, the more likely it is to cause Kekkai Genkai disease. When I joined Orochimaru, I realized that my illness had already started to manifest."

"So, in order to survive, I threw myself into studying medical ninjutsu. Fortunately, I managed to suppress the disease in the end."

"To survive... Is living in this world really something worth working so hard for?" Konan suddenly reflected.

Like Nagato, after Yahiko's death, she lost interest in the world.

"Of course. As long as you're alive, there’s hope. If you die, there’s nothing."

"Hope?" Konan scoffed.

To her, hope had ceased to exist in this world a long time ago.

Kimimaro didn’t try to persuade her. Forcing one’s worldview onto someone else is never effective, as everyone’s experiences are different.

Kimimaro’s life experiences made him pursue longevity, while some people have no interest in it. That’s just the difference between individuals.

Konan's despair wasn’t something Kimimaro could resolve with a few words. After all, the ability to change minds with words is a power reserved for main characters, and Kimimaro clearly wasn’t skilled in that regard. More importantly, he had no interest in playing the role of a savior.

Before they could continue their conversation, a paper crane landed in Konan’s hand.

"I’ve found it. It’s just ahead."

Konan quickened her pace, and Kimimaro followed. Not long after, a massive bull came into view.

"That’s the one. It’s even bigger than I expected."

Konan glanced at Kimimaro. "I'll leave it to you."

Sensing that Konan wanted to test his strength, Kimimaro raised an eyebrow and responded, "Understood, Senior Konan."

With a swift step, Kimimaro appeared on the bull’s back, moving so quickly that the bull didn’t even notice.

"Speed type, huh?" Konan thought, surprised by how fast he was.

Standing on the bull's back, Kimimaro quickly drew its attention.

"Moo!" The bull’s angry bellow echoed through the forest.

"Quite a temper," Kimimaro muttered, then stomped down with immense force.

Thud! His foot landed with a crushing blow, as if carrying the weight of a thousand tons, forcing the massive bull to its knees.

"Moo!" The bull roared even more furiously.

(End of chapter)