The Son in Their Sights

"Uh... Lord Katsuki, I don't have much information, but Sasori of the Red Sands has indeed colluded with this creature, and their target is your son."

Despite his headache, Itachi relayed the information he had gathered to Katsuki.

"Huh? My son? You mean Scorpion has his eye on Shuyuan?"

Katsuki was stunned, momentarily unable to react. This was completely different from what he had guessed. Shouldn't they be planning to overthrow Konoha? Or perhaps seize the Five-Tails and Nine-Tails that he had subdued?

Why did they target Shuyuan?

Upon hearing Itachi's words, Rasa broke out in a cold sweat.

"What the hell? Itachi, why is Sasori targeting Shuyuan?"

"Um... judging from this creature's memories, it seems to be seeking revenge." Itachi glanced at Rasa and the other Sand Ninja. "It seems that Sasori of the Red Sands's parents were killed by you."

······

"Huh?"

Katsuki blinked.

This isn't right! Sasori's parents shouldn't have been killed by Teacher Sakumo during the Second Shinobi World War, which is why Chiyo of the Sand would get so worked up whenever she saw Kakashi... Damn it!

The Second Shinobi World War was completely different because of his intervention. Teacher Sakumo is living a comfortable life now, so it's only natural that Sasori's parents' deaths would fall on his disciple... What a load of rubbish!

"What the hell? When did I kill the Sand Ninja's Puppet Master, and Sasori's parents no less...?"

Katsuki thought for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed. During the Second Shinobi World War, the number of Sand Ninja Puppet Master he had killed far exceeded the Two Palms Technique. Moreover, based on his memory, he did recall a red-haired Puppet Master who was one of the Sand Ninja who died at his hands during the battle when he stormed into Sunagakure and forced the Sand Ninja to surrender.

"Thinking about it, this really is... a tragic fate!"

Katsuki stroked her chin, completely unfazed.

"Lord Katsuki, Sasori has already infiltrated the village. We should quickly mobilize people to find him!"

Itachi looked even more nervous than Katsuki.

Although Sasori's target is Shuyuan, letting such a dangerous guy roam freely in the village could be disastrous if Sasuke were to run into him.

The thought of that scene made him restless, and he wished he could rush out immediately to eliminate the danger posed by the scorpion. His worry for his younger brother even outweighed his headache.

Rasa stood to the side, his mouth tightly shut. He really didn't know how to interject into this topic. Should he ask Katsuki about his feelings during the massacre of the Sand Ninja? Or should he wish Sasori could kill the son of the Calamity?

Given his current mental state, he is not suited to speak.

Moreover, if Konoha were to investigate the matter, Sasori's actions would cause enormous trouble for the Sand Village.

Although Sasori's actions were tantamount to betraying the village, he was ultimately not officially recognized as missing-nin. He infiltrated Konoha under the cover of an envoy and then attempted to assassinate the son of Konoha's calamity. To be honest, the Sand Village cannot shirk responsibility for such an act.

"You bastard, you damned bastard, if you're asking for it, then just die!"

He cursed Scorpion, whom he had once regarded as his right-hand man, in his heart with a raging fire that threatened to burn away even his reason.

"Don't rush, Itachi, this isn't that simple. Sasori of the Red Sands made such a meticulous plan, which means it won't be easy to find his whereabouts. Or did you see the action plan in this thing's brain?" Katsuki kicked the White Zetsu's corpse.

"No, he only has some scattered memories of what happened before he entered the village. This guy was just a substitute for the Sand Village delegation."

Itachi shook his head, suppressing his anxiety.

Although somewhat reluctant, Katsuki was right. He had gleaned a lot from the White Zetsu's mind. While he hadn't touched on the crucial parts, he had learned that behind this white monster was not just one or two people, but an entire organization.

Furthermore, he noticed something unusual in Katsuki's expression; it seemed that Lord Katsuki knew something about this thing.

After weighing his options, he said no more, since the Sand Ninja delegation was still present.

"Niping, hurry to the Hokage Building. The Lord Hokage should still be at work. Tell him everything that happened here. Since it involves the Lord Hokage Village members, we don't have the authority to make decisions."

After hearing the instructions, the secretary quickly left.

Rasa's face was tense, his expression extremely grim, while the other Sand Ninja remained silent.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange.

Katsuki, however, calmly walked to the window, opened it, and gazed into the distance.

"Sasori of the Red Sands... a top-tier Puppet Master? He should be a formidable opponent. Shuyuan, do your best! Don't let me down..."

In the park.

All noise and distractions were blocked by the barrier.

Of course, the shielding has its limits. Once the force exceeds the barrier's tolerance, the barrier will naturally collapse.

Only--

Three students from the Ninja Academy, facing Sasori of the Red Sands, a top-tier ninja from a major village and a pillar of strength, should have been slaughtered on one side.

That's how it should be, logically speaking.

"Click-clack~ Tap-tap~"

Ten humanoid puppets draped in red robes floated in mid-air. Although they were all humanoid, each puppet clearly had a unique design, with multiple arms, multiple heads, strange tails, and holding katanas and spears. Their figures were either bloated or slender, exuding an unusual beauty.

However, at this moment, these cool-looking puppets were all tattered and torn. Their red robes were torn into strips and hung on their joints, the tips of their spears were blown off and gone, and the fine katana were broken. The puppets were missing arms and legs and were badly damaged, or rather, they were in a very sorry state.

Especially since these injuries came from a student at a Ninja Academy.

"No wonder you're the son of a calamity; just like your father, you're a monster among monsters!"

Scorpion's handsome face twisted into a ferocious expression, his murderous gaze fixed on Shuyuan.

"Cough cough!" Shuyuan coughed twice, spitting out a mouthful of black blood, her face beaming with a smile. "Senior, you flatter me. My skills are nothing compared to my father's. If my father were here, I'm sure your head would have been used as a football long ago."

"A sharp tongue won't save you!"

With a tug from Scorpion's hands, the puppets swooped down towards Shuyuan with a series of clattering sounds.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!!"

Poison Senbon, Shuriken, poisonous Kunai —a dense barrage of weapons coated in potent poison flew towards them. The puppets were covered in numerous incantations, strikingly similar to those on scrolls used for storing items. They must have been modified to be able to be inscribed on the puppets, thus storing a massive amount of weapons.

Unleashing it all at once during battle is a formidable attack, especially when the weapon is poisoned; even a mere glancing blow is a significant achievement. (To be continued)