Prologue Souya

"Hey... Souya...!"

Under the dim, amber twilight, two boys walked side by side through the Gobi Desert. They wore white headscarves over their faces; the frequent, violent windstorms here made them necessary to keep sand from blinding them and obscuring the path ahead.

"Sasori! What's wrong?" The handsome boy walking in front turned back to address Sasori. His messy black hair hung loosely over his forehead, and it was clear he had recently exerted himself heavily.

"White Fang of Konoha is dead. How are we supposed to take our revenge now?" Sasori, with his shock of red hair, had lost the focus in his eyes, as if the very conviction that kept him alive had suddenly collapsed.

"Isn't the Third Kazekage supposed to be the strongest Kazekage? Why couldn't he protect our parents?" Sasori stopped in his tracks, head bowed, and muttered in a low voice.

While out on a mission, the two of them had suddenly heard the news: the White Fang, a man whose reputation rivaled the Sannin, had committed suicide within his own village.

After confirming the truth of the news multiple times, Sasori found it difficult to accept. After all, ever since he began performing missions, he had been investigating the cause of his parents' deaths, eventually pinning the blame on the White Fang.

Taking revenge on the White Fang had become an obsession for Sasori...

The other boy, Souya, was a soul from a blue star who had died as an unfortunate young man and been reborn into the body of this war orphan in Sunagakure. Because of this, he cherished this healthy new life immensely.

Raised by monks, Souya had displayed exceptional talent and perseverance upon entering the Ninja Academy. He was only slightly younger than Sasori, and after meeting the fellow genius at the academy, their similar circumstances—combined with Souya's intentional efforts to get close—led them to become friends.

Later, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, the Third Kazekage put Souya through a series of trials before taking him on as a direct disciple.

Chiyo, having noticed the friendship between Souya and Sasori, suggested they be placed in the same squad. Thus, the two were paired up and frequently went out on missions together.

Hearing Sasori's words, Souya knew exactly what was happening. He understood that because Sasori had lost his direct target for revenge, he would eventually shift his hatred toward the Third Kazekage, leading to the assassination and defection that would follow.

Acting as Sasori's "therapist" and "life mentor," Souya struck a contemplative pose before speaking: "Sasori! I understand how you feel... The White Fang is dead, and we can no longer take revenge on our parents' killer with our own hands. That's true!"

"But you have to think: what is the reason so many ninjas in our village have died? Is it because the Kazekage started the war?"

Souya's black eyes locked onto Sasori's, his hands pressing firmly onto Sasori's shoulders.

"The reason? Because life is fragile and destined to fade. Perhaps only puppets are eternal..." Sasori looked up at Souya, but his eyes remained like a stagnant pool, devoid of any ripples.

"No! Sasori! Life is indeed fragile, but the souls of your parents and mine are eternal. Haven't you kept your parents' puppets? An outstanding puppeteer can imbue a puppet with a soul. As long as these puppets and the exquisite techniques are passed down through your hands, they will never fade!" Souya shook Sasori's shoulders.

"The Kazekage is strong, but he is not the strongest in the Ninja World, which is why he cannot end the war. Our parents died because of the war. As long as the war continues, such casualties will never cease! Only by becoming the strongest... can one end the war!"

"Is... that so?" A glimmer of light began to gather in Sasori's eyes. His previous inner thoughts had been focused on pursuing an "eternal" art that would never decay, but after hearing Souya's words, he felt that this kind of "eternity" seemed far more profound than his own vision of "puppet eternity."

"And! Sasori! I saw it in the Secret Records in the Kazekage's Office: Konoha possesses a Forbidden Jutsu. As long as one has the physical information of the deceased, it is possible to summon them back from the Pure Land!"

"Then, if we find someone with the Eyes of Legend and have them perform the Forbidden Jutsu once more, the deceased can be resurrected!" Souya said excitedly. When a person loses their goal and falls into confusion, establishing a higher-level goal is the best way to reignite their conviction.

"Is it true?! Souya!" Sasori grabbed Souya's hands, his eyes filled with shock and anticipation, yet tinged with a hint of worry. He was terrified that Souya's information might be false.

"Absolutely true!" Souya said with ironclad certainty.