Sasori of the Red Sands' Self-Humiliation

"Tap, tap, tap..." Footsteps sounded.

A red-haired, strikingly beautiful youth of fourteen or fifteen walked up from behind and stopped beside Uchiha Mai.

Sasori of the Red Sands.

Uchiha Mai narrowed his eyes slightly. Since coming to the world of Naruto, Sasori was one of the few people whose identity he had recognized at first glance.

The last had been Tsunade, and before her, Minato.

In the original story, Sasori of the Red Sands had turned himself into a Human Puppet at fifteen or sixteen, preserving his youth so that his appearance had remained unchanged for more than a decade.

Judging from Sasori's current appearance, he was around fourteen or fifteen, no different from how he looked in Shippuden.

Sasori of the Red Sands stopped abruptly beside Uchiha Mai without saying a word.

"I wonder what the renowned Sasori of the Red Sands wants with a Genin like me?" Uchiha Mai asked with a smile, completely unruffled.

My rank might be Genin, but my strength certainly wasn't.

At this age, Sasori of the Red Sands had neither Hiruko nor the Performance of a Hundred Puppets, nor had he made the Kazekage into a Human Puppet.

A puppeteer's strength was heavily influenced by the quality of his puppets. No matter how gifted Sasori was, at this stage, he could at most possess the strength of an elite Jonin.

Mai could trade a few moves with him, at least. He would not be instantly defeated.

"Renowned?"

Sasori of the Red Sands said calmly, "Have you heard of my name?"

"Of course. Sunagakure's most talented puppeteer, Elder Chiyo's grandson—who wouldn't know you?"

That was right. Uchiha Mai really had heard Sasori of the Red Sands' name in Konoha.

Konoha had only around two hundred Jonin in total. That sounded like a lot, but