Chiyo

Chiyo's residence wasn't large. It had once been an oasis within Sunagakure, but after years of gradual encroachment, the oasis had shrunk considerably. It was now just small enough to be enclosed by a wall and made into the Chiyo Clan's private grounds.

After Sasori's parents died, Chiyo had taken the young boy and moved out of this sorrowful place. The grandmother and grandson had lived on their own, but now, with Sasori missing, they had moved back here.

It was as if fate had come full circle.

As Hoshino Maki followed Moyuzi, he took in the residence along the way. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was lush and green, like a completely different world from the outside. Flowers and trees from the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, and even more distant lands could be seen. Only two or three attendants were present, but Hoshino Maki's perception of Chakra was exceptionally sharp. The rich Chakra here would have been impressive even among the Jonin, and several shinobi on guard in secret were watching him.

The courtyard was surrounded by a dense network of pale-blue Chakra Threads for security. He hadn't seen the security measures at the Kazekage Building, but he imagined they couldn't be any better.

"If you have any ninja tools, leave them here."

The final step before meeting Chiyo was surrendering their weapons. Moyuzi had already reminded Hoshino Maki about it, so he knew what to do and hadn't brought any ninja tools. After being searched, he entered through the doors two attendants pushed open.

"Come with me. Chiyo-sama is waiting."

Moyuzi had already delivered an invitation, so someone had been waiting here for them.

Led by a maid, the two followed the steps downward and arrived at an underground pond.

The pond wasn't large, but in the Land of Wind, within Sunagakure, having a pool of water like this said a great deal.

What truly made Hoshino Maki feel the power of the person before him, though, was the greenery surrounding the pond.

For plants to remain so lush without sunlight, there were only two possibilities: either Chiyo had mastered a Ninjutsu that could stimulate or restore plant life, or the greenery was replaced regularly.

Either way, it showed that the master of this place had exceptional resources and influence.

Under the shade of a tree by the pond, two elderly men in coarse clothes sat with their eyes closed, fishing.

The three didn't speak. They stood quietly at a distance, accompanied only by the sound of droplets falling from the cavern ceiling.

"Ugh—"

Chiyo suddenly clutched her chest. The fishing rod slipped limply from her hand, and she curled up beside it, her face contorted in pain.

"Chiyo-sama!" x2

The attendants, Moyuzi, and Ebizo were all horrified and rushed forward.

"Fooled you! Hahaha!"

As soon as they reached her, Chiyo suddenly jumped up and laughed with a peculiar lilt.

"Big sister, if you keep doing that, I'll be arranging your funeral before long."

Ebizo rubbed his chest and said helplessly.

Moyuzi and the attendants had only made it halfway over. They stood there awkwardly, at a loss for what to do.

"Little Squid~ It's been ages."

Chiyo greeted Moyuzi casually, as if nothing had happened. Her gaze, however, passed between the two of them and settled on Hoshino Maki, who had remained where he was, his expression calm.

"Boy, don't you care about your granny's safety?"

"Your Chakra is strong and vigorous, and your vitality is even greater than Moyuzi-sama's. So I don't think there's anything wrong with you."

Hoshino Maki spoke in an even tone.

Moyuzi glanced back at the boy. Right now, he felt very different from the one she'd met at the hospital.

Cool, confident, a little like... Sasori?

For some reason, the image of that red-haired super-genius with his cold, indifferent face appeared in Moyuzi's mind.

And sure, he could say Chiyo-sama had a lot of vitality, but why compare her to me?!

How dare he offend a single woman in her thirties!

Leaving aside Moyuzi's inner monologue, which could've filled an entire chapter, Chiyo eyed the boy and gave a strange laugh. "Little Squid says the village has a Medical Ninja prodigy who can rival that stupid woman Tsunade. That's you, right?"

"Big sister, you're insulting Tsunade again."

"Am I wrong? She wastes her Chakra on her appearance. She's nothing but a shallow fool!"

Listening to the two of them, Hoshino Maki felt even more confident about what he was about to say.

"Boy, Moyuzi says you have great potential and asked me to teach you Medical Ninjutsu. First, bring this fish back to life and show me what you can do."

Their argument over, Chiyo picked up a lively fish from a nearby bucket and casually tossed it to him.

Hoshino Maki caught the fish, but the moment it landed in his hands, it stopped moving. Its lips twitched, and it looked half dead.

Poison!

Hoshino Maki frowned. His palm, the one holding the fish, was already tingling.

Seeing this, Chiyo smiled. "When you accept something from a stranger, wrap your hand in Chakra. That's your first lesson. Also, when listening to a shinobi, protect your ears with Chakra. Otherwise, you might be put under a genjutsu. That's the—huh? You're fine?!"

Chiyo stared in surprise at the boy's clear, alert eyes.

"What's the third lesson?"

As he spoke, Hoshino Maki tossed the fish back into the pond. The fish, which had been on the verge of death, hit the water and slapped its tail, sending up a few splashes. It swam around twice, then dove deep into the pond.

"Interesting."

Chiyo paused, then clapped her withered hands.

"You're certainly excellent at controlling Chakra, but a Medical Ninja can't just treat and save people. You can't become a liability on missions, either. Chihua, spar with this boy."

"Yes."

The female attendant who had guided them earlier nodded respectfully, then stepped in front of Hoshino Maki. Her aura changed as she took up a fighting stance.

You want a sixteen-year-old to fight a Jonin one-on-one? Is that really something a decent person would do?

Hoshino Maki understood that she was trying to put him in his place.

Sunagakure was a village that valued tradition, and its most important tradition was respect for elders.

In the eyes of a traditional Sunagakure shinobi, Hoshino Maki had already offended Chiyo-sama. As her attendant, Chihua wanted to seize the chance to teach the arrogant boy a lesson.

Hoshino Maki nodded. The two stood facing one another and exchanged bows.

But the moment Chihua bowed, a gust of wind swept toward her. By the time she reacted, Hoshino Maki was already in close. His right hand was brimming with Chakra, his chest fully expanded, and the veins in his right arm bulged like coiled azure dragons ready to strike. An immense amount of Chakra gathered in his fist, which looked as if it were wrapped in pale-blue flames.

So fast!

Chihua had no time to complain about his lack of sportsmanship. She hurriedly crossed her arms, trying to block the heavy punch.

Boom—!

Chihua's figure flashed away like a cannonball blasted from its barrel and slammed into the rock wall. The entire cavern shook, and rubble came cascading down, striking the pond and sending ripples spreading across its surface.

Moyuzi instinctively took two steps back, her mouth hanging wide open. She had thought he only had Medical Ninjutsu talent on par with Tsunade's, but she hadn't expected his strength to rival hers as well.

Ebizo felt the same way, though the figure that crossed his mind was someone else—someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

A man who could make even someone who'd weathered countless storms tremble with fear.

At some point, the fishing rod in his hand had fallen onto the water, but no one noticed. Every eye was fixed on the boy as he slowly lowered his fist.

"Cough, cough."

Chihua fell from the rock wall and landed on one knee, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

A large, person-shaped dent remained in the wall behind her.

Her arm was broken.

"You're too kind."

"You're a sneak!"

Chihua said furiously, rising to fight again.

"That's enough, Chihua. You lost. You've been cooped up at the estate so long that you've lost a shinobi's most basic vigilance. Go get some experience at the front lines."

Chiyo shook her head to stop Chihua, then looked at Hoshino Maki with a strange expression. "Monster Strength? You really are a lot like Tsunade."

As she spoke, Chiyo's expression grew peculiar. If she trained a "Tsunade" who was even stronger than Tsunade, wouldn't that shallow fool's face be entertaining to see?

At the thought, she threw her head back and laughed.

"Do you think I'm the next Tsunade?"

Hoshino Maki didn't have Mind Reading, but based on his performance just now and Chiyo's sudden laughter, he could guess some of what was on her mind.

Before Chiyo could answer, Hoshino Maki said, "But I want to become the next statue in the Elder Council chamber."

Behind the chief Elder's seat in the Elder Council Meeting room stood three statues. Like Konoha's Rock Face, they represented Sunagakure's three Kazekage.

The moment he said it, the whole group fell silent.

It was good for a young person to have ambition, but they needed the strength to match it.

Forget that he had the potential to become Tsunade. Even if he were Tsunade herself, he still couldn't become Kazekage.

There was no other reason. He was too young.

Rasa was already being questioned over whether he was old enough to shoulder the burden of becoming Kazekage. How could someone this age even dream of it?

And from the sound of it, he wanted to compete for the position of Fourth Kazekage. That was even more absurd.

It was hard to imagine even in the relatively open-minded Konoha, let alone in traditional, conservative Sunagakure.

At his age, it would be impossible unless Hashirama Senju had been reincarnated.

Hoshino Maki's words spoiled Chiyo's good mood. Her opinion of him dropped a little, and she slowly wiped the smile from her face. "It's good for young people to have ambition, but you still need a great deal of training."

This time, Hoshino Maki didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped forward and stopped opposite Chiyo. Chihua started to intervene, but Chiyo stopped her with a look. She wanted to hear what he could say that might persuade her.

Chiyo understood that the boy wanted her support in becoming Kazekage, but why should she support him?

He wasn't qualified yet. And even if he were, Chiyo had no intention of getting caught up in these disputes again.

She had lived long enough and seen more than her share of turmoil. Nothing could move her anymore.

Hoshino Maki sat cross-legged. As he spoke, Chiyo's expression shifted from shock to excitement. Then she started to rise, only to stumble and knock over the fish bucket. The fish she had spent half the day catching escaped, but she didn't care. She stood up, then paused, wanting to say something but holding it back. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Come with me. Everyone else, stay where you are. Ebizo, you too."

Hoshino Maki had just spoken using a message carried by Chakra. The others knew better than to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Even so, Hoshino Maki was careful to turn his back to Chihua and Miho, because an experienced shinobi could read lips to follow a conversation. He didn't know whether either of them had learned the skill.

Hoshino Maki trusted that Moyuzi and Chihua were both Chiyo's confidantes, but he suspected Chiyo might not want too many people to know about this.

What Hoshino Maki hadn't expected was that Chiyo stopped him halfway through. She wouldn't even let Ebizo listen, which showed just how cautious and serious she was about Sasori.

That's right. Hoshino Maki was playing the Sasori card.

Hoshino Maki followed Chiyo to an unremarkable room. They sat facing each other, and Chiyo's earlier crazed expression was gone. Her face solemn, she said, "There's a special barrier here. You can speak now."

Chiyo's words had two meanings: first, the barrier could block eavesdropping; second, if he didn't explain himself, he might not leave this room alive.

Hoshino Maki didn't mind. He calmly brewed himself a cup of tea, gently blowing away the steam before taking a sip. "Excellent tea."

Chiyo stared at him coldly without saying a word.

"I know where the Kazekage-sama is."

The words exploded beside Chiyo's ears like a thunderclap.

"How could you know?!"

Chiyo leaned forward, visibly agitated.

She had mobilized the entire village and still hadn't found him, yet this boy claimed to know where the Third Kazekage was.

"Who are you?!"

Chiyo now suspected that the boy before her might be more than just a genius. Could he be backed by some ambitious faction in the Land of Wind, or a foreign power, secretly seeking to usurp power—or even overthrow Sunagakure?

Could they also be behind the Kazekage's disappearance?

Chiyo sensed that Sunagakure was facing an unprecedented crisis. A trace of killing intent crept into her gaze as she looked at Hoshino Maki.

Seeing the sudden change in her, Hoshino Maki thought carefully about their earlier conversation and understood the misunderstanding.

He set down his teacup, looked Chiyo straight in the eyes, and said solemnly, "I'm Hoshino Maki of Sunagakure. I am now, and always will be. The village's interests are my interests, too. If I had anyone backing me, I wouldn't need to say something so absurd just to alarm you."

The two stared at each other for a long time. At last, Chiyo slowly spoke. "If I ever find out that you've done anything to harm the village, I'll kill you."

In Chiyo's heart, Sasori was precious to her, but Sunagakure was just as important.

She had helped build it from nothing, and it held all the effort of her life.

"I won't disappoint you."

Chiyo nodded, then suddenly felt something was off. Why did it sound as if she'd already agreed to support him becoming Kazekage?

"Ahem. Let's talk about Sasori first. Where is he?"

Chiyo quickly poured herself a cup of tea and changed the subject.

Hoshino Maki fell silent for a moment. "There's something I need to tell you first. The Kazekage-sama is with Sasori. He... has been turned into a puppet."

Clack—!

The teacup fell onto the table and rolled several times. Scalding tea spilled onto the back of Chiyo's hand, but she seemed not to feel it. She sat as still as a stone statue.

Puppet. Kazekage. Missing.

Chiyo wasn't stupid. From Hoshino Maki's one sentence, she had already guessed almost everything.

Just as Sasori had turned his best childhood friend into a puppet, this time he had set his sights on the Kazekage.

But because of that, she no longer knew what she should do.

Hoshino Maki said nothing more, giving her time to process the shocking news.

After finishing three cups of tea, Chiyo finally reacted.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her voice was as hoarse as if it had been seared by hot iron. "Tell me. Tell me where Sasori is."

The village or Sasori: the old woman had made her choice.

"What are you planning to do? Kill Sasori? Forgive me for saying so, but you're no match for him when he has the Kazekage puppet."

Before Chiyo could answer, Hoshino Maki seemed to read her thoughts and cut her off. "I know you still have your clan, and that you're prepared to die in the attempt. But even if you kill Sasori, what will that accomplish?

You know better than anyone how strong Sasori is. How many people would have to be sacrificed to kill him?

The Kazekage is already dead. If you and your clan are badly hurt as well, the opposition within the village won't let this opportunity slip by, and the other villages will be watching hungrily. Who do you think could turn the tide?

Rasa?

Or the One-Tails Jinchuriki, whose whereabouts are unknown?"

Chiyo was left speechless by his rapid-fire questions.

She wasn't unaware of all this, but her grandson had caused an enormous disaster. If she didn't clean up after him, who would?

She naturally understood Sasori's strength and had already resolved to die with him. It was a pity that she might not get the chance to use the Ninjutsu that embodied the work of her entire life.

Sasori's fleeting smile, as he was embraced by the puppets of his "parents," would always be Chiyo's greatest pain.

If only she had stopped them from going to Konoha back then.

"If what you've said is true, then killing Sasori is the best solution."

Chiyo lowered her gaze. Deciding to kill her own grandson had drained her completely. Now, she only wanted to learn Sasori's whereabouts as soon as possible and put an end to this wretched affair.

"I can bring Sasori back alive."

Chiyo looked up abruptly, staring at Hoshino Maki in surprise. Then she gave a scornful laugh. "You think too highly of your granny's abilities. Even if you brought Sasori back, I wouldn't be able to make you Kazekage."

It was true that Chiyo was the most influential person in the village, but Sunagakure was no one-woman show. The Fourth Kazekage wasn't someone she could appoint by herself.

To Chiyo's surprise, Hoshino Maki shook his head. "I'm not asking you to support me becoming Kazekage. But I hope to become the chief Medical Ninja commander of the Frontline Troops, and I want you not to send Rasa to the front lines."

These conditions took Chiyo by surprise.

Neither of them would be difficult for her. In fact, they were quite simple.

The Medical Department had always been Chiyo's domain, and Moyuzi was the spy she had placed in the Elder Council. Although she was no longer on the council, she could still keep track of the general movements among Sunagakure's leadership. As long as she went along with things and expressed her wish for Rasa to stay in the village and guard the cauldron sealing the One-Tail, Chōjūrō would certainly take action.

The weight of duty and power would be enough to keep Rasa from leaving the village.

But what did this kid want?

Although they had known each other only briefly, Chiyo had already realized that he had a purpose behind every move. She didn't believe that the position of chief Medical Ninja commander alone would be enough to make him Kazekage.

He had other plans.

Chiyo was sure of it, but she simply couldn't refuse this deal.

If the village wouldn't be harmed and Sasori could survive, that would be the best possible outcome.

Besides, if this kid failed to keep his promise, she could pull him down just as easily as she could raise him up.

"When will you bring Sasori here?"

After another long silence, she spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Two years. You know Sasori's temperament. Without the strength to match his, we won't even get the chance to talk to him."

Chiyo nodded. She picked up the teacup lying on the table. The tea had gone cold, but she poured herself a cup anyway.

Hoshino Maki tactfully rose to take his leave. Just as his hand was about to reach the doorknob, Chiyo spoke. "You can make yourself more visible at the hospital lately."

"Understood."

Hoshino Maki opened the door, a genial smile returning to his face.