In the desert, Naruto, Kakuzu, and their target, Sasori, stood facing each other.
Sasori, unaware of Akatsuki, couldn't see their faces, as both Kakuzu and Naruto wore masks. Naruto's face was entirely obscured by the mask.
Sasori, not one to join organizations, declined their offer. Naruto, growing increasingly cold, made it clear: "You either obey or die. The choice is yours."
Sasori, however, remained composed. As he reached for a scroll, Naruto acted swiftly, using his Rinnegan to snatch the scroll with Universal Pull. Sasori, caught off guard, couldn't resist Naruto's power.
Naruto examined the scroll, finding it to be a seal containing the Third Kazekage, Sasori's prized puppet. This was Sasori's greatest weapon, and its loss was a significant blow.
"What else do you have?" Naruto taunted, displaying the scroll for Sasori to see.
Sasori of the Red Sands seethed with anger, gritting his teeth at the audacity of his visitor who dared to pilfer his prized possession.
"It seems you're volunteering to be my next masterpiece. The last village provided no worthy materials, but you've graciously offered yourself," Sasori seethed through clenched teeth, barely containing his rage.
Naruto, seemingly confirming something, made an unexpected move. With a sudden gesture, he tossed the scroll back towards Sasori.
Taken aback, Sasori stared at the scroll that landed at his feet.
Did this insolent fool not know what was sealed within? Did he not grasp the significance of the stolen trump card? How dare he…
"You impudent brat," Sasori seethed, his fury escalating. He realized the disdain in Naruto's actions, the blatant disrespect in returning what he had taken.
Unperturbed by Sasori's ire, Naruto turned to Kakuzu. "Shall we proceed?"
Kakuzu, having acquired fresh material, nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Besides, I'm not interested in a puppet master's heart, even if it's young."
"Fine then, another addition to my collection," Naruto shrugged casually, as if all the members they recruited were his personal acquisitions.
This demeanor only fueled Sasori's wounded pride. Unrolling the scroll, he performed a seal and slammed his hand onto the ground.
"You deal with it," he muttered, deflecting any blame.
With a resounding boom, white smoke billowed, revealing a puppet shrouded in a black cloak in Sasori's hands.
If someone from Sunagakure were to witness this, they would surely exclaim, "Isn't that Third Kazekage-sama?"
To control the puppet, Sasori of the Red Sand released thin Chakra threads from the tips of his ten fingers, connecting them to various organs of the puppet. This allowed him to manipulate the puppet like a marionette.
"Let me showcase my art," Sasori exclaimed, eagerly manipulating the powerful puppet made from Third Kazekage toward Naruto.
His target wasn't solely Naruto; even though Kakuzu stood aside, he was still considered a threat.
Third Kazekage could fly, extending his arms with sharp blades ejected from them.
This was the nature of puppet masters' battles—they equipped their puppets with deadly organs. After all, puppets were not human, even if they were fashioned to be weapons.
In this aspect, perhaps Nagato's Six Paths of Pain would have the most expertise.
Observing Sasori's approaching puppet, Naruto showed no urgency, standing still and yawning while raising his head.
He deliberately made noise and waved his hand in front of his mouth, emphasizing the significance of his action.
Sasori of Akasago was infuriated, but his discomfort stemmed from the fact that he was still quite young, right?
Presently, Sasori of the Red Sand hadn't transformed his body into an adult puppet. According to the setting, he would gradually transform into an adult puppet after the age of fifteen.
Maybe he was only sixteen or seventeen now?
Is he even a teenager?
Of course, Naruto wasn't in any position to say that; after all, he was only eight years old.
The puppet of Sasori in the Red Sand raised its double knives, ready to attack Naruto and Kakuzu not far away.
On the other hand, Kakuzu thought that Naruto was about to use the Shinra Tensei that had tormented him.
However, Naruto surprised everyone with an unexpected action.
"Hey."
Suddenly, Naruto vanished into thin air before the attack, causing the puppet to halt.
Kakuzu looked ahead and saw Naruto standing beside Sasori.
"Do you know the biggest weakness of a puppet master? You concentrate all your strength on the puppet, but you, yourself, are too weak. It's a genuine vulnerability."
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