Creating a puppet is an art that few people can truly appreciate. Originally, it was a way for travelers in the desert to entertain the scattered villages they encountered—entertainment in exchange for food and water, no more, no less. After the establishment of the great ninja village in the desert, many desert tribes joined, bringing with them their unique cultures and customs.
The eastern tribes excelled at finding water, using extremely thin chakra threads to probe deep into the sand and discover subterranean waterways.
Then, a young and aspiring puppeteer, born into a long line of theatrical performers, had to abandon his family's heritage to become a ninja. Fortunately for him, he discovered that he could perform his puppet shows with chakra strings, which made the movements more realistic and detailed. One of his superiors noticed this, and together they invented a human-sized puppet for training purposes.
At first, it was used to teach proper katas to young students, but the puppeteer realized it could evolve into something more. This gave birth to the puppeteer ninja class, a way for the ninja in the desert to defend themselves against other ninja villages and carry out highly dangerous tasks without endangering themselves directly.
Now, the youngest prodigy in the puppet arts was developing his masterpiece. The red-haired ninja reviewed his sketches and checked if his materials were sufficient. Today, he had a rare specimen to work with.
When a person dies, blood stops pumping through their veins, causing the liquid in the body to obey gravity once again, gathering on the back.
'Too many cuts, but it's salvageable,' thought the red-haired ninja as he continued his work. He opened the body's ribcage, giving him full access to the heart. He inserted a tube into the vein and drained the blood using a self-made pump, gathering the red, viscous liquid in a bucket and adding some EDTA to prevent early coagulation. Afterward, he used the same pump system to introduce various colored liquids into the body.
'It needs to start soon,' the redhead thought, glancing at his freshly acquired masterpiece. He looked at the clock and counted.
'Three hours, 38 minutes, and 25 seconds left,' the redhead estimated, calculating the time until the body would relax and leave the rigor mortis stage. Even then, the human body was unpredictable; some people relaxed earlier, while others took longer.
He had to wait patiently; no mistakes could be made at this stage, or his new masterpiece would suffer. Too soon, and the muscles would tear apart easily, causing durability issues; too late, and the puppet would lack structural integrity during movement. It would feel like manipulating a rag doll—useful for absorbing blows, but terrible for delivering them.
'It's done,' he murmured, beginning to craft the joints of the puppet. Flesh joints were useless, so he used a rare iron he had stolen from a mine in the Land of Iron. Once that was done, the next step was imprinting the face. He had to boil the water out of the blood until it reached a creamier texture. Once completed, he added seals to the puppet's brain, allowing it to retain its abilities from life and making it easier for him to control.
He added the finishing touches, and the puppet was ready to be deployed.
The puppet made a slight clicking sound, reminiscent of static, and then silence filled the room.
_ _ _ _ - _ - - _- - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
The Third Kazekage, the third shadow of the sand and the strongest Kazekage, had imitated Shukaku's sand technique using his magnetic Kekkei Genkai, which allowed him to control iron sand in both offensive and defensive ways. Capable of decimating entire ninja squads if left unchecked, thanks to its flexibility, he now faced his most formidable enemy.
"Is this all, Akari?" asked the ever-expressionless Kazekage.
"No, there is still more paperwork that needs your approval, sir," replied the beautiful assistant.
"..." he sighed softly and continued working.
"Any news?" he asked.
"Sir, I really don't recommend it. At least let the council…" she began, but was interrupted.
"News," ordered the Kazekage, making the temperature in the room drop.
"Southeast, sir," the assistant reported.
"How accurate?" he inquired.
"Not very, which is why we should…" she tried to advise him again, but he interrupted her once more.
"Gather the ANBU, and tell them to come. This is an S-level mission. And as for you…" he said in an expressionless tone, though his eyes briefly flickered to her belly.
"You're coming with me."
"Yes, sir," the assistant responded.
_ _ _ - - - __ - _ _ _ _ _ - - _
A fifteen-man squad ran through the desert on a bright day, unbothered by the high temperatures typical of the region. They finally arrived at a place near the sea, a strange mix between the desert and a forest struggling to grow in harsh conditions. They reached a mountain.
"We rest here," said the man in charge, taking advantage of a small, hidden oasis nearby.
'I need to be quick, or the old coyotes will tear me apart when I return,' thought the blue-haired man.
"Kazekage-sama, we found it," said a man wearing an ox mask.
"Take me there. You two, guard the entrance," the Kazekage ordered, signaling two ninjas.
He prepared his iron sand just in case, and they entered the cave in the mountain.
"Akari, stay nearby," said the Kazekage as his team explored the cave.
"Yes," responded the Kazekage's assistant, who had her ninja gear ready for any situation.
They finally arrived at a magnificent and ancient sanctuary, filled with drawings of an old civilization that worshiped the sun. It was a massive complex, perfect for what was about to happen.
"What are you waiting for?" asked the Kazekage. His team remained clueless at his question.
"Kaz..."
"Shhh… I'm not talking to you. You brought me to this distant land, to these empty ruins, so, what are you waiting for? Sasori?" the Kazekage asked as he used a wind-style ninjutsu, destroying the roof of the sanctuary and revealing a clear blue sky.
His guards surrounded him, waiting for the enemy.
"Unexpected" said a deep voice. Suddenly, a burly, short man emerged from behind a pillar.
"Not for me. It seems you're already aware," said the Kazekage, noticing how a flock of birds that had been flying in the sky now lay dead after he released his wind ninjutsu.
Akari and the guards finally understood why their Kazekage had attacked the ceiling.
The wind jutsu wasn't that letal, but…
'An odorless poison' everyone thought.
"Yes," said the gruff voice.
"Good. Team Omega, formation six. Kill the renegade ninja, Sasori," ordered the Kazekage, and the ninjas around him began battling the poisoned puppet.
The Kazekage remained at the back with Akari by his side, squinting his eyes.
'He's not that foolish; he must have a trump card,' the Kazekage thought, observing the fight.
The twelve ANBU operatives moved in perfect synchronization, their masks glinting in the dim light. They had one mission: to eliminate the threat posed by the notorious Sasori of the Red Sand. The silence was shattered by the creaking of wood and the rustling of leaves as Sasori's 10 puppets emerged from the darkness, their sinister forms surrounding the ANBU.
"Stay sharp," the ANBU captain whispered, signaling the formation. The team spread out, ready to counter any attack.
Without warning, the first wave of puppets lunged forward, their bladed arms slashing through the air with deadly precision. The ANBU responded in kind, their movements swift and lethal, kunai flashing as they deflected strikes and counterattacked. The forest became a blur of motion, steel clashing against wood, the ANBU using their agility to outmaneuver the puppets.
Sasori watched from the shadows, concealed within his Hiruko puppet, its scorpion like tail poised to strike. His eyes narrowed as he observed the ANBU's tactics.
"They're skilled," he muttered to himself
"but not skilled enough."
The battle raged on, the ANBU systematically dismantling the puppets with well coordinated strikes. But for every puppet they destroyed, another seemed to take its place, the sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm them.
One ANBU, his mask adorned with the markings of a falcon, broke away from the group, his eyes locked on Hiruko. He moved with purpose, dodging and weaving through the chaos until he reached Sasori's puppet. With a swift motion, he unleashed a barrage of explosive tags, attaching them to Hiruko's armored shell.
There was a moment of silence before the explosion rocked the battlefield. Smoke and debris filled the air, and when it cleared, part of Hiruko's armor lay in ruins, revealing a glimpse of the man inside.
Sasori's eyes flared with anger as he stepped out of the remains of Hiruko, his true form now partially exposed.
"Impressive," he hissed, his voice filled with malice.
"Now, die."
As the falcon-masked ANBU retreated, Hiruko's tail shot at him, injuring his arms. Wounded, he rejoined his comrades, who were still locked in combat with the remaining puppets. The captain noticed his return and the destruction of Hiruko, nodding in approval.
"Mission accomplished," the falcon-masked ANBU reported, his voice steady despite the intensity of the battle.
The ANBU captain signaled for a tactical withdrawal, the team expertly disengaging from the fight and retreating toward the Kazekage's position. The surviving puppets did not pursue, as Sasori seemed to have other plans.
Upon rejoining the Kazekage, the falcon-masked ANBU was met with a chilling silence. The Kazekage's gaze was cold, his expression unreadable.
"Impressive," the Kazekage finally spoke, echoing Sasori's earlier words.
"But not enough."
Before the ANBU could react, the Kazekage's iron sand shot forward, piercing through the falcon-masked ninja's chest. The ANBU gasped, blood staining his uniform as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
The remaining ANBU were frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened
"Kazekage-sama?!" the ANBU captain shouted, disbelief evident in his voice.The Kazekage's expression was cold and unforgiving.
"He was a spy," he declared, his voice icy.
"His movements, his timing,it was too perfect. Sasori would never have let one of his own creations be destroyed so easily."
The falcon-masked ANBU gasped for breath, his vision blurring as life drained from his body.
"How… did you…?"
The Kazekage knelt beside him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You betrayed us the moment you chose to strike Sasori where he wanted you to. You were leading us into a trap."
With that, the Kazekage stood, leaving the dying ANBU to the fate he had earned. The remaining ANBU exchanged uneasy glances but knew better than to question the Kazekage's judgment.
The wind carried away the last breath of the fallen ANBU as the Kazekage turned his gaze back to the battlefield, where Sasori still lingered in the shadows.
"Kazekage-sama, you should see my masterpiece," said Sasori while releasing a giant scroll, summoning a vast number of puppets.
"One hundred puppets…" an ANBU muttered, taking a deep, cold breath.
The wind howled in the sanctuary as the Third Kazekage stood atop a rock, his cold eyes fixed on the approaching figure of Sasori. The puppet master moved with a mechanical grace, his crimson cloak billowing in the wind. Behind him, an army of puppets marched in unison, their wooden limbs creaking with every step.
The Kazekage's expression remained impassive as he raised one hand, summoning the Iron Sand for which he was famed. The black grains rose from the earth, swirling around him like a living storm. With a mere thought, the sand shot forward, seeking to ensnare Sasori's puppets.
But Sasori was prepared. With a swift motion, he commanded his puppets to scatter, avoiding the Iron Sand's lethal grasp while killing some of the ANBU team. The Kazekage narrowed his eyes, increasing the pressure, and the sand twisted and turned, pursuing the puppets relentlessly. One by one, they were caught, their limbs bound by the iron tendrils, rendered useless.
"Is this all you have, Sasori?" the Kazekage's voice was a low growl, his patience wearing thin.
Sasori's lips curled into a smirk.
"You underestimate me, Kazekage. I present to you my latest masterpiece," Sasori said with a hint of pride.
With a flick of his wrist, a new puppet emerged from the ranks,a figure clad in dark armor, exuding an unmistakable aura of blue lightning chakra. The Kazekage's eyes widened slightly as he recognized the features,the unmistakable lineage of the Raikage.
"The Raikage's bloodline…" he muttered, realizing the danger too late.
The puppet's hands crackled with lightning, and with a swift motion, it unleashed a torrent of electricity. The Iron Sand, normally invincible, conducted the lightning directly back to the Kazekage. He grunted in pain as the shock coursed through his body, forcing him to release his hold on the puppets.
Seizing the opportunity, Sasori's remaining puppets surged forward, their weapons poised to strike. But the Kazekage was not so easily defeated. With a roar, he summoned a massive wave of Iron Sand, obliterating the puppets in its path. The battlefield was a maelstrom of metal and energy, the ground torn apart by the sheer force of the battle.
Yet even as he fought off the horde, the Kazekage felt a nagging sense of unease. Something was wrong. He glanced at his assistant, who stood silently behind him, her eyes glazed over, unfocused.
In that moment of distraction, Sasori struck. The Kazekage turned just in time to see the puppet's lightning infused blade descending upon him. He raised his hand to block, but the blade sliced through the Iron Sand, its energy too powerful to be stopped.
Pain seared through the Kazekage's body as the blade found its mark, but even as he faltered, he refused to go down without a fight. With a final surge of power, he sent the Iron Sand crashing down on Sasori's position, crushing the remaining puppets, including the illegitimate son of the Raikage, and Sasori in the process.
But the blow that ended the fight did not come from Sasori. It came from his assistant. Moving with unnatural speed, she drew a kunai from her sleeve and plunged it into the Kazekage's side. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the weapon, then up at her blank expression.
"Sasori… you…" he gasped, realizing the truth.
The Kazekage fell to his knees.
"It's over, Kazekage-sama. Now you will finally become my masterpiece."
The Kazekage's vision blurred as the life drained from his body, his last thoughts a mixture of anger at Sasori, resentment to Akari and regret for his unborn child. The Iron Sand fell to the ground, lifeless, as the Third Kazekage took his final breath.
Sasori stepped forward, with 40% of his body now resembling ground meat. His expression was unreadable as he looked down at the fallen leader.
"Obaa-san…" he said quietly, using chakra strings to control a kunai and make a deep cut in the Kazekage's sand protector.
He finished collecting the bodies and left, leaving the battlefield in silence.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In the desert, two ninjas ran toward the village to inform them of the Kazekage's death. They had managed to escape thanks to the Kazekage's instructions, where they were told to 'guard the entrance.' When they were 10 kilometers away, they felt a slight itch in their throats. Then, the world around them started spinning until they lost consciousness.
"Always a feisty boy, leaving me to clean his messes," said an old voice, approaching the now dead ninjas to finally clean the battlefield.
One of the great elders, Ebisu the Wind's Darkness, returned to the village to prepare for the political backlash that would soon come.
"I love the village… but… I love my family even more," he said, now in the comfort of his office.
'Why did you have to… be so greedy,' thought Ebisu, reflecting on the secret plot to kill his sister and blame Konoha, so that Sasori and he could deal with Konoha while the Kazekage trained a new generation. His family would be ruined, that was certain, but Sunagakure would thrive thanks to the innovations brought by Sasori. They sacrificed so much for the village. At the end, it wasn't worthy.
Bad luck for the Kazekage that Ebisu's spy had been the Kazekage's assistant all along, groomed by him to keep his leader in check.
Everything was great, but her pregnancy was unexpected. She didn't show it, but the old fox knew how strong a mother's love could be. Thankfully, his grandson covered those faults using his own mind controlling jutsu.
'Needles, perhaps?… Well… Doesn't matter anymore,' thought Ebisu while preparing for the incoming backlash.
"These bones are tired…" he said to no one in particular, lamenting the ninja's fate and how, thanks to it, his family was now doomed.
'At least, they are alive' thought Ebisu while completing the paperwork.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _ _ -
In a private puppet workshop, Chiyo continued developing her new jutsu.
'Almost there,' she thought. Suddenly, the nearby cup of tea broke.
Chiyo could feel it, something had gone wrong.
_ _ _ _ _ _- _ _ _ _ _ - - -_ - _ - - - - _ - _ _
A/N: Help me cripple this author, break his kneecaps and make him write the whole novel in one go. Seriuosly, damn author.
Oh well, have a nice tuesday cuties! You are gorgeous and beautiful little creatures! uwu