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Three days later. Sasori of the Red Sand, looking like he had just recovered from severe injuries, returned to Sunagakure after receivin
Three days later.
Sasori of the Red Sand, looking like he had just recovered from severe injuries, returned to Sunagakure after receiving notification from Kenshi's Wind Release clone, bringing news of the Third Kazekage's death.
From that point on, Kenshi's Wind Release clone's ascension as the Fourth Kazekage passed without further disturbance.
That very day, Kenshi's clone assumed the position of acting Kazekage, awaiting Chiyo and Ebizō's departure the next day to the Daimyō's mansion for official recognition. After that, Kenshi's clone would formally take office as the Fourth Kazekage.
Night.
In the Kazekage's office, Kenshi's clone sat in the Kazekage's seat. On the desk before him, a miniature black gourd stood out prominently, sealed inside was the One-Tail Shukaku.
Kenshi's clone took out several scrolls and placed them on the desk.
"These are research scrolls on the Third Kazekage's human puppets. There should be things inside that interest you."
"Thank you, Fourth Kazekage!"
Sasori's eyes gleamed slightly as he picked up the scrolls. When he had infiltrated the Third Kazekage's secret chamber, he hadn't dared stay long, only briefly studying the knowledge on puppet seals without deeper examination.
Now, these scrolls Kenshi's clone gave him were exactly what he needed to advance his human puppet techniques and aid his research on human puppetry.
"Sasori, I've had a question for you," Kenshi's clone suddenly said.
"What question?" Sasori asked, puzzled.
Kenshi's clone smiled, "What is your dream?"
"Dream?" Sasori was taken aback, surprised that Kenshi's clone would suddenly ask such a question. After thinking carefully, he answered, "Eternity. I want to transform myself into a puppet, to live forever and explore the ultimate secrets of puppetry."
Creating human puppets that possess their master's power was never Sasori's true goal. What he valued was the ability to puppet-ize humans themselves.
Since his parents died, Sasori realized life was fleeting. Even if his parents hadn't been killed by Konoha's White Fang, time would have claimed them.
So, he desired eternal life.
He chased eternal art, only eternity and nothing but eternity.
This was his dream and pursuit.
Kenshi's clone smiled, pleased with Sasori's answer. To him, only two ordinary shinobi had touched immortality: Orochimaru and Sasori.
Both had achieved certain success on their paths to eternity.
However, compared to Orochimaru's reincarnation techniques, Sasori's puppetry had a fatal flaw: it never escaped the limits of physical lifespan to achieve true mechanical immortality.
"Here, this is for you."
Kenshi's clone pushed the black gourd toward Sasori.
Sasori paused, shaking his head. "I don't want to become a jinchūriki."
For Sasori, being a jinchūriki meant constantly being nagged by something inside him, interfering with his research into eternal puppetry.
"I'm not asking you to be Shukaku's jinchūriki."
Kenshi's clone said, "Don't you want to study eternity? The Tailed Beasts are eternal beings. Even if killed, they reincarnate somewhere in the world, living for thousands of years, and likely continue living eternally."
At these words, Sasori's eyes flickered and then lit up as he stared at the black gourd, his mind itching with anticipation.
Seeing this, Kenshi's clone smiled and continued, "Tailed Beasts are chakra lifeforms that have truly shed flesh and blood, able to transform between energy and flesh."
"If one day you can thoroughly understand the essence of a Tailed Beast's life and puppet-ize their power, creating Tailed Beast-level puppet puppets, you should be able to realize your dream."
Flesh?
Energy?
Transformation?
Sasori mulled over these words and the effects of his and the Third Kazekage's puppet seals. The more he thought, the more excited he became. Brilliant ideas flashed wildly in his mind, quickly connecting.
Suddenly, a crazy thought struck him.
"I understand!!!"
"I know!!!"
Sasori shouted excitedly. Kenshi's clone looked a bit puzzled, unsure what Sasori had realized. Had a casual remark really led him to discover the technique for fully puppet-izing the human body and mechanical ascension?
If so, that would be perfect.
Kenshi's clone welcomed it.
As long as it remained within chakra's influence, whatever godlike puppetry Sasori developed, Kenshi could replicate.
He made Kenshi's clone Kazekage precisely to better cultivate talents like Sasori to develop new ninjutsu for him to enjoy.
The same applied to Orochimaru in Konoha.
When Kenshi's Fire Release clone Fugaku became Hokage, Orochimaru would be his key ninjutsu development target.
"Lord Kazekage, I'll take my leave now."
Sasori grabbed the black gourd sealing Shukaku and hurried off, eager to begin research on Shukaku's body.
"Yayuki, come in."
After Sasori left, Kenshi's clone called in Yayuki, who was now the Kazekage's secretary. If there was work, the secretary handled it; if not, the secretary was still useful.
Kenshi's clone had worked hard to become Kazekage and deserved to enjoy it.
"Lord Kazekage."
Yayuki entered, circling behind Kenshi's clone, using her generous presence to help him relax.
Kenshi's clone closed his eyes, enjoying it.
Meanwhile.
Three days ago, Kenshi and little Yayuki had passed over a desert. Suddenly, Kenshi stopped and remained hovering there, still present over the desert.
"Uncle, is there something here?"
Little Yayuki couldn't contain her curiosity. Three days ago, they left Sunagakure heading toward the Land of Earth, planning to go to Iwagakure.
Passing over this desert, Kenshi seemed to sense something and immediately entered a focused sensory state.
Yayuki didn't want to disturb him, so she said nothing.
Now, three days later, she was curious but also worried, unsure what was here and whether it affected Kenshi's mental state.
Kenshi closed his eyes, blocking out other senses, focusing on the desert below.
But he still heard Yayuki's voice.
Without opening his eyes, Kenshi asked, "Haven't you seen anything appear below these days?"
"Where?" Yayuki's eyes widened.
Below was a deserted wasteland, nothing there. The sand dunes had shifted in places due to strong winds over three days, but she hadn't seen anything appear.
"Did you sense any energy fluctuations?" Kenshi asked again.
"No!" Yayuki shook her head, confused.
Kenshi shook his head. "Looks like only I can sense it."
Yayuki's sensory ability was a bit lacking. Unable to detect that special energy fluctuation, she naturally couldn't see the phantom ruins of the city.
Kenshi could sense it thanks to his soul's mutation after crossing over, which fused with chakra, granting special chakra perception, combined with soul sensing and the Yin Release chakra intensity elevated to Rinnegan level. Together, these let him detect that extremely faint energy fluctuation.
Yayuki's failure to sense it was normal.
She was clearly dissatisfied, pouting, then carefully glanced at Kenshi and suddenly smiled.
"Uncle, maybe you're sensing wrong."
Kenshi smiled. "No, I'm sure."
Yayuki shrugged, saying no more.
But then she seemed to realize something, her expression changing. Worried, she asked, "Uncle, did you sense natural energy? If so, don't absorb it! It will cause big problems."
The Uzumaki clan had long been famous for sealing monsters in the shinobi world and were skilled in basic sealing jutsu. They were familiar with natural energy.
Yayuki knew that if humans recklessly absorbed natural energy, it was like a water pipe suddenly leaking. Natural energy would flood in, quickly assimilating the person, turning them into part of nature.
"Don't worry, that's not natural energy. I'm certain."
Kenshi smiled slightly, signaling Yayuki not to worry. He knew the dangers of natural energy and had a good idea what the energy fluctuation probably was.
"Do you know about dragon veins?" Kenshi asked.
"Dragon veins…" Yayuki thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Could it be that what you sensed is the energy of these so-called dragon veins?"
"Mm." Kenshi nodded lightly.
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