In his previous life, even a simple gift would've been enough—after all, "a gift solves everything." But now, what should he give to cheer her up?
Sasori and Kakuzu sat blankly, not responding to Mabui at all.
Well then, counting on them was pointless. Mū decided to take matters into his own hands and suggested, "How about after the Third Great War ends, I accompany you back to Kumogakure?"
"Really?" A flash of delight appeared in Mabui's eyes, only to vanish just as quickly. She sighed gloomily, "Forget it. You're always scheming something. No good would come of it if you went to Kumogakure."
Do you really think so poorly of me? Mū's expression turned pitifully innocent.
Mabui clearly understood his look. Firmly, she replied, "You know exactly what I mean."
No choice—he knew precisely how Mabui had joined the Organization, and he could only endure her resentment with an awkward smile, shifting topics as he spoke, "Right, Sasori, weren't you saying there was something to show me? Let's go take a look together."
"Sure," Sasori responded, unusually showing a hint of excitement. It must be something incredible this time.
Following Sasori, they crossed through the entire Sunagakure until reaching a vast desert behind the village. As Sasori formed hand seals with both hands, the previously empty land suddenly split open with a huge crack, revealing rows of descending steps—an underground secret base lay beneath.
Walking down the staircase, they found themselves in an incredibly spacious hall. Materials for puppets were scattered across the floor, while a massive object stood covered by a cloth in the center.
Taking a deep breath, Sasori stepped before the cloth. With a face full of excitement, he dramatically pulled off the cover, gazing adoringly at his creation as he announced proudly, "This is my brand-new puppet I've researched recently—the Red Spider, capable of using Ryumyaku Chakra Control!"
To their astonishment, the Red Spider stood nearly ten meters tall, clad entirely in armor. Its outer shell displayed a gradient red hue, constantly shifting under the dim lights of the base. A rocket backpack equipped its back, extending wings outward when unfolded, suggesting flight capability.
Furthermore, numerous weapons adorned various parts of its body, each engraved with different cursed seal runes. From a quick glance, Mū identified Fire Release, Water Release, and Lightning Release among them.
This wasn't just any puppet—it was practically a Gundam [a giant humanoid war machine]! Sasori had actually constructed the prototype of the Red Spider based on the story Mū told him. Though different from the original design, it had clearly stepped far beyond the realm of ordinary puppets.
Enjoying the shock visible in everyone's eyes, Sasori smirked proudly, "This is its first form. Now let me show you its next transformation."
He pressed a button embedded in one of the Red Spider's joints. Immediately, the chest armor opened, revealing an empty but perfectly human-shaped space inside.
Sasori leapt into the cockpit, sealed the hatch, and manipulated the transformation using chakra threads.
Red Spider's massive form began creaking ominously. Its pair of iron palms retracted into its arms, which lengthened and transformed into clawed limbs braced against the ground. Its back flattened into a wide platform bristling with an array of deadly weapons. Through its constant reshaping, Anya's Sharingan caught every detail of the complex inner workings pulsing inside. As Sasori manipulated his chakra threads methodically, the newly-formed colossus took on a monstrous, feral shape, radiating such overwhelming power that the very air seemed to tremble — a force so immense it demanded awe.
"That's only the beginning," Sasori's voice rang out from within Red Spider. "Now witness its final evolution."
A powerful surge of chakra radiated outward from Red Spider's interior. The beast withdrew its limbs, retracting the vast platform of offensive weapons that had been deployed on its back. The backpack visible in its humanoid state now surfaced, expanding into two enormous wings as sharp as blades. A single casual flap generated a violent gust that whipped their clothes violently.
As the wind from the wings intensified, the third-phase Red Spider lifted off the ground, defying gravity with miraculous flight.
"Watch out!" Anya's Sharingan detected something wrong, prompting her warning shout.
Almost immediately after speaking, a deafening cracking sound erupted from the airborne Red Spider. The mecha shattered apart and exploded violently.
"Earth Release: Earthen Rampart!" Kakuzu, sensing danger simultaneously with Anya's shout, erected an earthen barrier protecting all three individuals.
With a thunderous roar, the wing-blades slashed through the air like radiant swords, slamming into the earthen wall. Shrapnel and mechanical components scattered like lightning bolts, filling the underground base with thunderous explosion sounds that made their ears ring painfully.
When the noise finally died down, Sasori emerged from the dust cloud, letting out a heavy sigh. "Another failure… Its ultimate form still needs work."
Mayu patted her chest nervously, exclaiming, "Sasori, what kind of puppet did you build? It almost got us killed!"
Kakuzu added dryly, "Looks impressive. Shame it can't fight."
Anya, the one who first suggested using Ryumyaku energy, understood Sasori's frustration better than anyone. She stepped forward and said gently, "You've come incredibly far, Sasori. There's no need to rush things."
Sasori looked troubled — he was a perfectionist by nature. Originally wanting to showcase his recent achievements to Big Brother Kurotsuchi, he had unfortunately crashed completely.
Suddenly, a powerful chakra surged from Sasori's body, startling Kakuzu with its immense strength. This amount of chakra even exceeded what Kakuzu's five hearts combined could normally hold. Was this the Ryumyaku energy Anya mentioned? Truly amazing.
Under the influence of Ryumyaku energy, the shattered components mended themselves in an instant, as if time had reversed just for them. Soon, the scattered mechanical parts reassembled under Sasori's control into a ten-meter-tall colossus standing majestically.
"Where exactly went wrong?" Sasori pondered while repairing Red Spider.
Afraid he might get stuck obsessing over perfection, Anya interjected with a new idea. "Sasori, have you considered building a compact Alcide that can run across deserts? If large-scale versions have flaws, start small to troubleshoot. That way, Mayu won't be bored either."
"Mayu, what's Alcide like? Is it any good?" she asked with curiosity.
"Not bad," Sasori replied with a gleam in his eye. "It's a small motorcycle puppet. I've modified it to cross the desert over long distances, just like riding the dunes like ocean waves. Even in a sandstorm, it's perfectly safe."
Mayu nodded eagerly. "Great, I'll be waiting for you to finish it."
Kakuzu gave Sasori's new puppet an indifferent glance. In truth, Kakuzu's real interest lay with Rasa.
After taking a short stroll around, he reached the deepest part of the base and stopped before a stone wall where he noticed another piece of cloth draped over something.
"What is this?" Kakuzu casually pulled it aside.
"Wait—" Sasori's warning came too late as the cloth slipped off, revealing a humanoid robot even taller than Red Spider.
"Huh?" Anya narrowed her eyes at it and realized the robot wasn't finished yet. But from some small details, she guessed, "Could that possibly be Megatron?"
Sasori said with longing, "Yes, Big Brother Kurotsuchi. This Megatron is specially made for you—since you can use the Spirit Transformation Technique, right? Once I perfect him, whenever you die in the future, your soul can directly enter. By then, the Ninja World will have become a whole new world, and you'll be able to rule eternally."
When he heard Sasori's idea, he had dark lines on his face. He couldn't help but hum a familiar tune under his breath... "Let me say thank you… because of you… warmed my life..."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>