Sunagakure

The rest of the journey was pure torment for Sabaku. He didn't dare sleep, didn't dare rest. Every second, he was on edge, his entire focus locked onto Sasori—every movement, every tiny shift in his chakra.

He kept his sensory ability active the whole time, even though it was draining his strength. But what other choice did he have?

What if Sasori decided that a Sabaku puppet was still missing from his collection?

After two endless days of traveling through the desert, Sunagakure finally appeared on the horizon. But instead of feeling awe or relief, Sabaku was too tense to appreciate the majestic sight.

As they reached the city gates, the guards let them through immediately. The moment they saw Sasori, they subtly stepped aside—no one seemed eager to attract his attention.

"Follow me."

Sasori's cold voice sent a shiver down Sabaku's spine. The puppeteer looked directly at him, deep into his eyes, as if trying to see right through him.

Sabaku swallowed hard. Hopefully, I'll be safer here… even Sasori wouldn't attack anyone in the middle of Suna, right?

His anxiety eased slightly when he realized where they were headed—the Kage's building.

The massive sandstone structure loomed over the city, tall enough to overlook all of Sunagakure.

Without hesitation, Sasori strode straight inside. He ignored the waiting line and the guards, who eyed him cautiously but said nothing.

He only stopped in front of a massive door—the office of the Third Kazekage.

"Wait here."

No hesitation, no uncertainty. It wasn't a command—it was a simple statement, as if the idea of Sabaku doing anything else was unthinkable.

Then, without another word, Sasori opened the door, stepped inside—and left Sabaku with the genin-puppets alone.

---

As Sasori stepped into the office of the Third Kazekage, the man barely reacted. He simply looked up from the towering stacks of documents on his desk, his face unreadable, and waited for Sasori to speak.

His ANBU had already briefed him—Sasori had returned, and with him, the Genin who had caught his attention.

What bothered the Kazekage most was the fact that no academy report about the boy ever reached his deck.

Or perhaps one had… and he had simply overlooked it.

Ever since the war began last year, his desk had been buried under an endless flood of reports. Strategies, casualty lists, supply shortages. There was too much to handle, even for him. He sighed.

Had it not been for Chiyo exceptional good senses the boy might have remained completely unknown.

A mistake.

The Kazekage had immediately dispatched his strongest available Jonin to escort the boy safely to Sunagakure.

The problem was that the Jonin in question… was Sasori.

And the Kazekage knew exactly what that meant.

He knew about the boy's disturbing research, his inhumane experiments—

Damn it… I was the one who approved it after all. I even allocated funding for it…

The silence in the room stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Then, finally, Sasori spoke.

"He's a sensor. He knows."

The Kazekage stiffened.

'Shit. I knew letting Sasori turn the dead bodies of his Genin team into puppets was a mistake.'

"How did he react?" he asked, already formulating plans to secure Sabaku's loyalty—to ensure the boy's loyalty belonged to Sunagakure alone.

Sasori's fingers tensed slightly at his sides.

His voice was quiet, musing—but in his normally lifeless eyes, there was a flicker of something else.

A hint of madness.

"Disgusted," he murmured. "He doesn't understand. He can't see the greatness of it."

The Kazekage exhaled slowly.

'I need to keep a closer eye on him…'

Ever since his parents died six months ago, Sasori had changed.

First, prisoners… then, eventually, his own Genin team…

He was losing whatever was left of his humanity.

Then, Sasori stopped pretending.

His gaze sharpened.

"I want him."

The Kazekage didn't hesitate.

"You know that's not an option. You were in the same meating with Chiyo... we need that boy!"

"I want him," Sasori insisted, then added, "I can keep him alive… I just had an idea when I saw his missing arm. A prosthetic puppet arm..."

The Kazekage's interest was immediately piqued.

Several puppet makers had experimented with the idea of replacing missing limbs with puppet prosthetics before, but they all failed misserably.

But none had ever come close to Sasori's level in puppet engineering.

Up until a few months ago, the Kazekage wouldn't have even believed it possible to turn humans into puppets.

But now…

A perfect reward for the genin to be loyal to the village.

A plan clicked into place in his mind.

"I'll give you as many test subjects as you need, shinobi with missing limbs. I want this technology combat-ready as soon as possible.

And if it works without complications… you can use it on the boy," he said with a smirk.

"Just let him life"

There was no hesitation in Sasori's response.

"Agreed."

---

'Three days of freedom… well, it was nice while it lasted. Maybe i am just destined to be confined in a bed...'

Yes, Sabaku had already given up.

He was surrounded by three of Sasori's puppets. Each of these damned things probably had more hidden weapons and poison canisters than… than…

Damn it, he couldn't even think of a proper comparison.

Suddenly, the puppet in front of him snapped its head 180 degrees in an unnatural jerk.

Lifeless eyes locked onto him.

Then, in a cold, mechanical voice, it spoke.

"The Kazekage wants to see you. Come in."

---

Sabaku waited anxiously in front of the Kazekage's office. He knew he had completely screwed up.

Why hadn't he suppressed his curiosity? Why hadn't he thought longer about his actions and their consequences?

Of course, a high-ranking Jonin would immediately notice if someone expanded their chakra field.

The fact that Sasori had gone straight to the Kazekage could only mean one thing – the Kazekage already knew about Sasori's puppets.

Fuck. I've definitely screwed up.

And just when he had finally started to come to terms with his situation here.

His gaze wandered to the three "Genin puppets" circling him.

Escape? Impossible.

Even if he somehow managed to get away from the puppets – where would he go? He was in the heart of Sunagakure, surrounded by shinobi who could track him down effortlessly. And each of these puppets probably had more hidden weapons and poison mechanisms than an entire squad of Suna Genin.

Oh man… is it my fate to end up strapped to a metal table?

Because that's exactly where he would probably end up if Sasori had his way.

Or the Kazekage would simply make him "disappear" – and his cold body would be found somewhere in the desert the next morning.

Just as his thoughts were spiraling into even darker, more gruesome places, the female Genin puppet suddenly twisted its head a full 180 degrees.

Sabaku shuddered.

"The Kazekage wants to see you," it said, its lips moving mechanically into an unnatural grin.

A cold shiver ran down his spine as he realized that Sasori was controlling the puppet at that very moment. He was playing with him.

But now, there was no turning back.

Sabaku took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and stepped through the door.

The room was large, dimly lit, and smelled of old parchment and ink. The towering sandstone walls made it feel both vast and suffocating at the same time.

Behind a massive desk sat the Third Kazekage, his expression unreadable, dark eyes scanning Sabaku like a hawk sizing up prey.

'He his really intimitating. This is the Kazegake who will be remembered as the strongest...'

Sasori stood to the side, his face completely blank, arms crossed as if this entire meeting was nothing but a waste of his time.

Sabaku didn't dare to look at him.

He straightened his posture, forcing himself to stay calm as he approached the desk.

Sabaku stood helpless in front of the Kazekage. He knew he had completely screwed up.

'He knows...He knoww that I had discovered Sasoris secret.'

And now, he was standing here, alone with the man who would decide whether he was allowed to live or not and the man who probably liked to build a new 'Sabaku-puppet' later today.

"So you are the genin Chiyo told me about...Sabaku," the Kazekage finally said, his voice calm, almost friendly. "The boy with the interesting ability."

Sabaku held his breath. He had expected direct confrontation. Questions. Threats.

But this?

He forced himself to answer carefully. "Yes, Lord Kazekage."

The Kazekage leaned forward slightly, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. "Do you know what Chiyo exactly told me about you?"

Sabaku's fingers twitched barely noticeably.

"No, Lord Kazekage," he said, though inwardly, he was simply confused. This conversation was going in a completely different direction than he had expected.

A slight smile, no sign of anger or suspicion. "She said your chakra is… unusual. That it can only be sensed when you actively use jutsu or your sensory abilities. Otherwise… it's as if you don't exist."

Sabaku felt his stomach twist.

This had nothing to do with Sasori, nothing to do with the war or the village's secrets.

It was about himself.

And the worst part about apparently being special? He hadn't even noticed it himself. Neither the new Sabaku nor the old one.

"I assume you weren't aware of that?" The Kazekage looked at him curiously. He had read Sabaku's body language perfectly, yet he didn't seem threatening, more… interested.

Sabaku forced himself to stay calm.

'Think...'

Why would his chakra not be detectable? Everyone had a chakra signature, even people with poor control. Even shinobi who actively suppressed their chakra could be tracked with enough effort. Simply because the chakra network in the body existed and chakra constantly flowed through it.

But Chiyo, one of Sunagakure's most experienced sensor-nin, had noticed that something was wrong with him.

What does that mean?

'Probably some bullshit Kekkei Genkai or a mutation of my chakra network. And even the shittiest Kekkei Genkai were incredibly valuable to the ninja villages…'

The Kazekage tapped his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "I have a theory."

Sabaku tensed. The Kazekage's next words could change a lot for him.

'Fuck, they will change everything, who am I kidding?'

"I believe it's in your bloodline."

Sabaku kept his face expressionless, but inside, he cursed.

'Please don't think it's a Kekkei Genkai. I'd rather keep my free time. Please! I don't want constant surveillance.'

"Maybe a mutation," the Kazekage continued in a thoughtful tone. "Or a Kekkei Genkai that hasn't been documented yet. Your origins are… unclear, aren't they?"

Sabaku remained silent.

"No known parents. No clan. No traceable family." The Kazekage paused, as if giving Sabaku the opportunity to correct him—but he couldn't.

"You simply appeared. A child of Sunagakure, but without a significant past, an orphan of a deceased street whore. An undiscovered Kekkei Genkai is therefore not out of the question…"

'Fuck.'

Then something happened that Sabaku hadn't expected.

The Kazekage smiled.

Not devious. Not manipulative.

Genuine.

"You have potential, Sabaku," he said calmly. "And you will live up to it. I'm sure of it. Not just for yourself, but for Sunagakure."

Sabaku blinked confused.

"Our village is not like Konoha or the other great ninja villages. We don't have their fertile lands, their large cities, or their seemingly endless resources. All we have is our own strength. We have learned to rely on each other because we have to. We survive because we stand together."

The Kazekage paused, his gaze serious but not cold.

"That is what defines us. And that is why we must always train the best. To survive!"

Sabaku didn't know what he had expected. But it wasn't this.

No distrust. No threats.

The Kazekage didn't want to destroy him, apparently not even control him.

He wanted to shape him.

The realization made Sabaku feel something strange in his chest. It wasn't relief. Not fear.

It was… uncertainty.

He knew how old men in positions of power worked in Naruto. If there was one thing to learn from the anime, it was to distrust people with authority. That uncontrolled power was dangerous.

The best example was Danzo, who had clung to the position of Hokage like a leech and would go over any number of corpses just to see his face carved into the Hokage Rock.

But the man in front of him didn't seem like someone who would deceive him.

He believed in Sunagakure and its people.

The Kazekage leaned back in his chair. "I assume you understand why it's important that we test your abilities and why I want to invest in you?"

Sabaku exhaled slowly. "Yes, Lord Kazekage."

The Kazekage nodded, satisfied. "From today, you are part of my personal ANBU team, but don't celebrate too soon. You will receive the best training this desert has to offer, but of course, this comes at a price."

The Kazekage's eyes pierced through Sabaku. The kind man from before was gone. In front of him sat a cold-blooded killer who had made a name for himself on the battlefield.

"You will remain silent about everything that happens in this room! If you fail to do so and you talk—even if it's just about when I take a shit… believe me, you don't even want to know what I'll do to you.

But I'll tell you anyway. I'll take my iron sand, heat it until it glows, and then introduce it into every single opening of your body… and I mean every single one!"

Sabaku swallowed hard. His mind immediately painted pictures he wanted to forget as soon as possible.

"You will follow every one of my orders without question. I expect you to act, not think. When I give you a mission, your only response will be: yes, Lord Kazekage, how fast, Lord Kazekage? Do we understand each other?"

Sabaku nodded. That was it, then. His freedom, his dream of traveling the world… all gone.

'At least for now.'

After seeing Sabaku's agreement, the Kazekage smiled again. The heavy atmosphere from before was suddenly gone.

"I also have a little gift planned for you. Tomorrow, you will undergo a full medical examination, and after that, we will take precise measurements of your missing arm and the chakra network in your remaining limb. Because Sasori has expressed interest in building you a prosthetic—of course, at the village's expense. So do your best tomorrow. And i hope we bring some light in your ability..."

Sabaku clenched his teeth.

That was no gift.

That was a chain.

"Sasori does not create such things without reason," the Kazekage continued. "His work is unique. I believe you have already felt it yourself. He turned the bodies of his Genin team—after they tragically perished in an ambush—into something greater. The prosthetic will not just replace your arm—it will make you better."

Sabaku didn't respond.

Who was the Kazekage trying to fool? Sabaku knew, probably just as well as the Kazekage did, that the murderer of those Genin was standing right here in the room with them.

But he had no choice.

"I understand. And thank you for this opportunity."

The Kazekage smiled slightly. "Good."

He studied Sabaku one last time before returning to his documents.

"You are dismissed. Report to the ANBU waiting outside. He will take you to the ANBU quarters."

Sabaku gave a small bow, then turned and left the office with controlled steps.

He wanted nothing more than to run. Especially from Sasori's cold stare, which had watched the entire conversation in complete silence.

As he finally closed the door behind him, he felt the tension in his chest slowly ease—but not completely disappear.

He had thought this would be his end. That the Kazekage would force him into submission or perhaps even eliminate him outright.

Instead, he had offered him a future. Had brought him under his command and given him a path in this dangerous world.

But Sabaku knew better.

A future that did not belong to him, but to Sunagakure. One that would not be any less dangerous than if he had been left on his own. But a future in which he would hopefully be better prepared for whatever was to come.

"Come!"

Sabaku flinched.

In his relief, he had completely forgotten where he was.

There was no trace of Sasori's puppets anymore. Instead, an ANBU stood before him, his face hidden behind a stone-like mask.

His new life.

---

Next 5 chapters r already finished... just hv to translate them and then proofread... i hate Chatgpt sometimes...