Chapter 83: The Matter is Settled

Sasori swiftly treated their wounds with simple first aid while also mending the fragile trust between them.

Together, they efficiently erased all traces of the battle, including their own and the Third Kazekage's.

This was a ninja's specialty.

Especially for someone as cunning as Sasori.

(Sasori: A brat who wouldn't even pass the first year of the Academy thinks he can call me cunning?! Ridiculous!)

Halfway through the cleanup, Sasori kicked Yagura aside to stand watch instead—he was only getting in the way!

(Yagura: Hey, I skipped grades and graduated early! It makes perfect sense that I wouldn't know how to do this!)

Once everything was handled, they quickly left the scene.

"I'm heading back to Konoha to continue the exam."

With the life-threatening ordeal behind him, Yagura felt relieved and casually chatted with Sasori.

"I don't want to still be a genin by the time I become Mizukage."

Sasori, the academic genius, scoffed, "With your level, you're barely even a genin."

"Hey! I'm a ninja who relies on raw strength!"

"The Third had strength."

And yet, he still died.

That little jab instantly shut Yagura up. He changed the subject.

"Where are you headed next?"

Sasori was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm going back to Sunagakure."

"Oh~"

"The Third still had two guards."

"You sure you can handle them alone?"

Sasori simply stared at him, speechless. Who did this kid think he was doubting?

Alright, Yagura dropped that question. "And after you leave Sunagakure?"

Sasori frowned. "You sure are asking a lot."

"Fine, fine. I just want to ask one last thing."

Yagura took a deep breath. He had already built up to this moment with all his previous chatter.

Since he'd asked once, asking again was no trouble at all. He spoke smoothly and naturally: "Have you ever considered coming to Kirigakure?"

"Inviting a rogue ninja who just assassinated a Kage?"

Sasori stuffed his hands into his pockets and let out an amused chuckle.

"Do you need my help to become Mizukage?"

Yagura immediately caught the implication in his words. "No, no, no, that won't be necessary."

Your way of 'helping' is a little too extreme.

The Third Mizukage had always treated him well.

...

Leaving the battlefield, they stepped onto the main road.

West led to Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, east to Konoha in the Land of Fire.

One last attempt. Yagura, a master of persistence and persuasion, made a final plea. "Are you sure you won't reconsider?!"

Sasori, tired of his nagging, impatiently revealed a bit of his reasoning: "You're still too young."

Yagura quickly reacted with a "?"

That was too easy to read. Sasori sighed in exhaustion.

"…I don't understand what nonsense you're imagining."

"Eh heh."

A beat later, Yagura finally processed what Sasori meant.

Expanding on that thought, he realized—Sasori had thought about turning him into a human puppet. But he found him too young.

Give it a few more years, and he'd be better material.

If he ran this through the tsundere translation filter…

He cares about me!!

Wuhu!!!

With that subtle promise in mind, Yagura happily bid farewell to his temporary teammate, Sasori.

Then, wasting no time, he rushed back to Konoha under the night sky.

Successfully poaching a future member of the Akatsuki from Sunagakure, he practically floated all the way back.

...

Using the same method to enter Konoha undetected, Yagura regrouped with his team.

The first thing he was greeted with was the furious, flaring nostrils of Jinin Akebino.

…Ah. Yagura froze.

Yare yare. This was going to be a problem.

"YAGURA KARATACHI!!"

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

Jinin raised his massive cleaver, ready to cleave Yagura in two!

His enraged glare bored into Yagura, fiery sparks practically flying from his eyes!

Yagura had given him a report before leaving. At the time, Jinin had a vague feeling the kid was about to cause trouble.

The Third Mizukage had given Yagura full discretion to act, with his team only responsible for keeping him safe.

That was the only reason Jinin let him go.

But as soon as the deadline passed, Jinin and the ANBU immediately set out to search for him.

Yagura had only told them where to find him at the initial meeting point with Sasori. He hadn't revealed a single detail about what he was planning.

They found nothing.

Because, according to the plan, Sasori's tail strike had been delivered with just the right force, allowing Yagura to go along with the act and get 'captured.'

What happened next was a gamble.

If he had opened the Black Ant's prison only to find the Third Kazekage and Sasori standing there all buddy-buddy, he'd have been doomed.

Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Jinin and the ANBU had no results to show for their search.

To make things worse, their movements in Konoha had to be restrained—they couldn't cause a huge commotion while searching for Yagura.

They spent an entire day looking and found no trace of him.

Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki.

Yagura, the likely future Fourth Mizukage.

These three factors stacked together had nearly made Jinin's legs give out in sheer terror.

Was this reality?! Was he trapped in a nightmare?!

"Calm down! Sensei, please calm down!!"

Mukumo and Ringo Ameyuri used all their strength to hold Jinin back.

Yagura, hiding behind a Kirigakure ANBU, peeked out with an innocent grin. "Sensei, see? I'm back safe and sound! I'm perfectly fine, and so is the Three-Tails!"

A moment of silence.

Jinin clenched his teeth. "You brat…!"

Yagura merely chuckled, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I promise, during the rest of the Chunin Exams, this won't happen again."

That much, at least, was true.

For now, all he wanted was a good night's sleep.

...

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure.

Sasori carefully lowered the only family photo he owned, placing his forehead protector beside it.

Click.

Chiyo entered, surprised to find her grandson home. "Sasori? Weren't you in Konoha? Why are you back?"

"…I obtained a quality specimen, but I lack the proper tools."

Chiyo was used to his cryptic responses. "I see."

Her presence momentarily disrupted his plans, but Sasori quickly adjusted.

"I'll be in seclusion for a while. Don't disturb me."

Fine by him.

In his underground workshop, he had everything he needed.

To craft the most exquisite puppet from the most revered figure in Sunagakure.

The Third Kazekage.

Not a bad feeling at all.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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