The Land of Rain... Sasori knew he couldn't stay there any longer. When he heard that the Sand Village had joined the Land of Grass and was rebuilding in the nearby mountains, he realized he had to leave.
He had originally left the Sand Village to escape the Sand Ninjas and pursue his art. Now, they were practically becoming one big family after all this time...? He couldn't stand it.
So, he had to leave. Otherwise, he feared that sooner or later, that old hag would show up right in front of him.
Unfortunately, as the 'chief engineer' of this vital factory, people kept a close watch on him. They truly valued talent, making it incredibly difficult for him to sneak away unnoticed. He had attempted to escape several times over the past few years, but each effort had ended in failure.
Honestly, he couldn't comprehend why the so-called legendary shinobi of the Ninja World insisted on adopting a simple worker like him as a grandson.
What infuriated him the most was that he hadn't even agreed to it. Hanzō had simply forced the notion upon him.
Didn't this 'legendary shinobi' realize that he and the old hag were sworn enemies? Was he not concerned that she might seek revenge if she learned that Hanzō had taken her 'grandson' as his own?
As Sasori contemplated how to pack his belongings and sneak away with the money he had earned over the years, a cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Sasori, there you are~"
His eyelid twitched as he saw the factory manager approaching with a bright grin. Whenever he saw that expression, anxiety washed over him. Was something else about to unfold today?
Before he could utter a word, the manager enthusiastically patted his shoulder. "Get ready and tidy up a bit. Leader Hanzō is coming over soon and has specifically asked to see you. Don't embarrass our factory."
"Is it just Leader Hanzō coming?" Sasori asked, feeling a bit relieved.
"Why do you say it like that? You should be calling him 'Grandpa Hanzō', right?" the manager chided him.
'Grandpa'? Oh Please. Sasori cursed inwardly as he rolled his eyes, responding flatly, "I understand."
Fine, he would find a way to leave after Hanzō was gone.
"If there's nothing else, please don't disturb my work," he said, turning his back to refocus on his tasks, at least for the time being.
"You…" The manager shook his head in disbelief at Sasori's nonchalant demeanor before recalling something. "Oh, right~ Some important figures from the Sand Village will be coming as well. Be sure to be polite."
Sasori, who had just relaxed moments ago, felt his anxiety spike again upon hearing this.
"What's wrong?" The manager noticed Sasori's body tense and asked curiously.
"People from Sand are coming?" Sasori, however, ignored the question and posed one of his own.
"Of course. What's so strange about that?" the manager replied, unfazed, as he observed Sasori's sudden daze. "The Sand Village is our ally now. What's unusual about their visit?"
He then added in a more serious tone, "You've been cooped up for too long. You need to get out more or at least read the newspaper. How could you not know something this important?"
"… Who?" Sasori disregarded the manager's comments, focusing instead on a more pressing question.
"Who what?" The manager responded, confused.
"Who's coming?" Sasori pressed, feeling a sense of unease creeping in.
"It seems like an elderly woman—a big shot from the Sand Village," the manager answered casually. However, he noticed Sasori stumble slightly and added, "Hey, Sasori! Are you okay? You look unwell."
Snapping out of his stupor, Sasori fixed the factory manager with a blank expression, gritting his teeth. "I'm fine… just a bit of a stomach ache."
The old hag is coming? Holy S...
…
"This is the famous Factory No. 3 in the Land of Rain, where all the important manufacturing takes place. What do you think? Oh, right, you've seen it before, haven't you? But, hahaha... Sand Village still doesn't have anything like this!" Hanzo exclaimed as he proudly led the Sand Village representatives on a 'tour' of the Land of Rain.
Chiyo's eyelid twitched as she observed the smug old man in the gas mask. He had invited her for this visit a while ago, and at first, she had planned to decline. However, Ebizō had urged her to accept, reminding her that they were now partners and needed to maintain a good relationship. After some consideration, she decided to give the old man the benefit of the doubt and come to see the place.
But who would have thought... this old man had ulterior motives. While he smiled and appeared warm, enthusiastically showcasing the Land of Rain, he couldn't help but take jabs at her village. Whenever they encountered something noteworthy, he would proudly say, "You don't have this in Sand Village, do you?"
This gas-masked old man was simply too much. What she initially thought was genuine hospitality turned out to be nothing more than a thinly veiled opportunity for him to show off.
If I had known, I wouldn't have come. Chiyo thought to herself, forcing a smile while her hands clenched tightly, struggling to resist the urge to punch the smug old man in the face.
However, recalling the purpose of her visit, she managed to hold back her frustration. Still, she couldn't deny that the development of the Land of Rain had exceeded her expectations.
She had made a brief visit during the Pakura incident, and even then, she had been impressed by the Land of Rain's progress. Now, witnessing it up close and in detail, she was truly astonished. How had they achieved so much in such a short time? Had she not known the true situation of the Land of Rain, she might have thought it was a prosperous nation from the very beginning. After all, how else could anyone have made such strides in just a few years.
Looking at Hanzō's smug expression, Chiyo took a deep breath and said flatly, "I must admit, I'm surprised. But…" She paused for a moment, her tone turning sarcastic. "With your abilities, I seriously doubt you could have raised enough funds to build all of this."
It was as if she was saying, Old man, get real. Admit it; this isn't your doing.
However, she didn't know that if this had been a few years ago, Hanzō might have felt anger or shame at her words. But now…
Hanzō, immune to Chiyo's puppet master tricks, burst into laughter and retorted with mock righteousness, "How could this not be my doing? Without my close relationship with Akihiko, do you really think I could secure this much funding?"
He continued, unfazed, "I don't even have to wait. Just a simple request, no additional procedures needed, and the funding will arrive. Whatever amount I need, it's sent over. Even the finance minister doesn't dare to question it!"
After Hanzō finished speaking, Chiyo remained expressionless, but inside, she was seething. Yet, she couldn't entirely deny that there might be some truth to the old man's claims.
After all, they had joined the Grass Village long ago, while the Sand Village had only recently allied with them. Their relationships couldn't compare.
Of course, she was genuinely grateful to Akihiko. The reconstruction of Sand Village owed much to his support. The new Sand Village was more beautiful than it had ever been, and the funding for the project was consistently reliable—unlike the sporadic support from the Daimyō's office in the Land of Wind, which had even halted funding altogether at times.
So, while she was pleased with the results, the sight of this insufferable old man was enough to make her blood boil.
Chiyo ignored the smug Hanzō and glanced around the area before calmly asking, "So, what did you bring me here for?"
"To give you another look at Factory No. 3 in the Land of Rain and to introduce you to my adopted grandson," Hanzō replied, seemingly finished with his attempts to provoke the puppet mistress. He turned to the factory manager and added, "By the way, where's little Sasori?"
"Oh, Sasori…" The factory manager replied apologetically, "He had some bad food this morning and got a stomachache, so… hehe~ I'm really sorry, Lord Hanzō!"
Hanzō's expression shifted to concern as he said, "Why is that kid having a stomachache again? Is it serious?"
Chiyo rolled her eyes at Hanzō, who was feigning concern like a doting grandfather, and chose not to respond. She knew he was merely trying to show off in front of her.
She had heard about this 'Sasori' before—a boy who shared the same name as her grandson—but he was just an ordinary child from the Land of Rain, not her Sasori. With a deep sigh, she couldn't help but wonder where her Sasori is now.
Turning her attention to the production machines in the factory, she noted the impressive scientific ninja tools. Grass Village's scientific ninja tools were renowned across the ninja world, with some claiming that the village's rapid development was largely attributed to these innovations.
Yet, she couldn't deny that Leader Akihiko was truly remarkable. He had the foresight to pursue a different path of development.
As Chiyo touched the machine, her expression suddenly froze. She stared at it, disbelief etched on her face. "This machine..." But before she could finish her thought, the factory manager stepped forward, noticing her intense gaze.
"Are you referring to this machine, Advisor Chiyo?" he asked proudly. "It was recently modified by our top engineer, Sasori. This innovation has tripled our production efficiency. It's the only one of its kind in the Land of Rain, and we've reported it to Leader Akihiko. I heard the research institute plans to award little Sasori with an honorary title and an outstanding worker award!"
"...Sasori?" Chiyo murmured, beginning to harbor doubts about this boy as she examined the machine, which bore a striking resemblance to her grandson's designs.
"Yes, it was developed by Engineer Sasori," the director replied, his tone brimming with pride.
As Chiyo touched the machine, her expression suddenly froze. She stared intently at the device in front of her, disbelief etched on her face. "This machine..." Before she could finish her thought, the factory manager stepped forward, noticing her gaze.
"Are you referring to this machine, Advisor Chiyo?" he asked, his voice filled with pride. "This was recently modified by our top engineer, Sasori. It has tripled our production efficiency and is the only one of its kind in the Land of Rain. We've already reported it to Leader Akihiko, and I heard the research institute plans to award Sasori an honorary title along with an outstanding worker award!"
"Sasori?" Chiyo repeated, her mind racing with doubts about this boy who shared the same name as her grandson as she examined the machine, which bore a striking resemblance to the mechanics she had once seen.
"Yes, it was developed by Engineer Sasori," the director confirmed, his tone brimming with pride.
"What's wrong with you, old woman? That's my little Sasori's achievement!" Hanzō exclaimed, noticing the odd expression on Chiyo's face. He puffed out his chest, brimming with pride. "How about it? Isn't my adopted grandson amazing?"
However, contrary to her usual response—defensively boasting that her own grandson was even more impressive—Chiyo simply regarded him with an enigmatic expression. A gentle smile creased her wrinkled face as she nodded and replied, "Indeed, indeed. Very impressive."
Yet, as he heard her words, Hanzō felt a shiver run down his spine at her words, his breath hitching in surprise. What was going on? Why was this old woman acting so strangely? Could it be that his relentless boasting had finally driven her to madness?