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Beneath his porcelain-white mask, Neji allowed a small smile to form. Talent like Sasori's was too rare to discard. Killing him here would serve no purpose so why not repurpose him?
Turning toward Sasori, Neji said, "We'll talk more later. For now, just stay still."
Sasori nodded without hesitation. Now that Neji had control of his body and puppets and, more importantly, had revealed a path toward creating sentient puppets, he had no intention of resisting.
"Understood."
Neji's gaze shifted past him to the old woman nearby.
Chiyo.
His tone became colder, almost transactional. "Now, Chiyo… how about a trade? Your knowledge life."
Sakura tensed, instantly stepping in front of her mentor.
Chiyo, however, didn't move. She had already come to terms with her fate.
"What do you want?" she asked, voice hoarse but steady.
Neji didn't hesitate. "The forbidden technique: Reanimation by Sacrifice."
Chiyo's pupils contracted.
How… How did he know that technique even existed? She had never written it down. Never taught it. Never even used it.
Not once.
Even Sasori looked over in confusion.
"What technique? I've never heard of that one."
Neji smiled beneath the mask. "You don't need to concern yourself with how I know, only that I do. And I know you were planning to use it."
Sakura turned to Chiyo, her face full of disbelief. "Is it… real?"
Chiyo didn't answer immediately. She simply sighed.
"…Yes."
Neji leaned in. "Since you were prepared to die anyway, wouldn't it be a waste not to pass it on? Let your final creation live on through me."
Chiyo looked at him long and hard.
"…You do realize the cost, don't you?"
"I do," Neji said. "A life… for a life."
There was a long silence.
Chiyo's eyes lingered on Sasori.
"Originally, I created that jutsu for him. I thought… if I could bring someone back, it might mend what I destroyed."
Sasori blinked, stunned.
He didn't speak.
Not when she turned to face him with sad eyes.
Not when she confessed that he was the reason the forbidden technique was born.
"That dream's long gone now," Chiyo said softly, "Just like everything else I once believed in."
Sasori's expression hardened, forcing the emotion down.
"Hmph. That's just pathetic, old woman. Since when did you become so weak?"
Neji raised a hand and with a flick of his fingers, suppressed Sasori's original consciousness again, allowing his newly implanted one to assume control.
Chiyo watched him silently.
"…Fine. I'll give you the jutsu," she finally said. "But you'll keep your word."
She reached into her pouch and pulled out a sealed scroll.
A puppet of her own, now belonging to Neji, stepped forward, gently collecting it and offering it up like a servant presenting a treasure.
Chiyo smiled bitterly at the irony.
Neji unrolled the scroll, eyes scanning the markings.
"Good," he said. "It's complete."
With a simple gesture, he stored it away and turned.
Dozens of puppets closed ranks around him as he faded back into the shadows atop the rocky cliffs, leaving nothing but a hush in his wake.
Sakura finally exhaled, her body unclenching.
"…Was it real?" she asked quietly, staring at the spot where he had vanished.
Chiyo gave no answer.
She simply turned her gaze in the direction of Gaara.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Come. I still have one last thing to do."
Sakura nodded silently and followed.
---
Meanwhile…
Atop the cliff, Neji stood with Sasori, all of the puppets now sealed into scrolls within his inventory.
Looking out across the landscape, Neji whispered, "Are you calm now?"
Sasori didn't respond immediately. His eyes were fixed on the fading horizon.
"…Was it true? That jutsu?"
Neji grinned.
"She's going to show us soon enough."
He waved his hand, and a projection unfolded in front of them a live feed from his floating [Phantom Eye].
In the image, Kakashi and Naruto were in pursuit of Deidara. Kakashi's [Mangekyō Sharingan] spun violently, creating a rift in the air.
Deidara's expression changed. His body began to distort.
Kamui.
One arm was caught in the vortex, vanishing with a sickening twist.
"AHHH—!"
Deidara screamed, clutching his now-absent limb.
Kakashi clutched his eye in pain, breathing raggedly. He wasn't done yet.
Blood leaking from his eye, he activated Kamui again this time aiming at Deidara's head.
But Deidara narrowly avoided the second strike, his golden hair trailing in the distortion.
He was fast.
But not fast enough to notice the real threat coming from below.
"[Rasengan]!"
Naruto and a shadow clone erupted from the treeline.
Deidara twisted just barely evading the sphere of chakra but the Rasengan wasn't aimed at him.
It struck the clay bird beneath his feet the one holding Gaara.
BOOM!
The head of the clay bird was destroyed, sending Gaara's body plummeting toward the ground.
Kakashi's eyes widened.
Perfect.
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