"So, Sasori..."
Elder Chiyo's expression shifted slightly as she looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Is he dead?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"He was stealing the bodies of Konoha Ninja on the Cloud Ninja battlefield when I caught him."
"Then he died in a battle between me and another enemy."
Elder Chiyo fell silent for a while. The outcome had been within her expectations.
Chiyo was saddened. After all, she had failed Sasori by not caring for her grandson in time.
But she was also relieved. From Sunagakure's perspective, it was best if the truth about the Third Kazekage remained buried forever. The Fourth Kazekage was in power now, and Sunagakure couldn't afford any more turmoil.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm. Sasori had been an enemy of Konoha. It wouldn't have been surprising if Hiruzen had killed him on the spot, and he certainly wasn't going to feel anything extra because of Sasori.
"What about the Third Kazekage?"
Chiyo got down to business.
"I need to see the Third Kazekage's body to confirm that Konoha isn't lying."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled. Inspecting the goods was a normal part of any transaction.
He took out the Sealing Scroll that had originally belonged to Sasori and brought out the Third Kazekage's body, letting Chiyo examine it thoroughly.
"Your grandson was an absolute genius at Puppetry..."
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help praising Sasori's talent.
"If he'd finished making this Human Puppet, I might not have been able to capture him."
Chiyo was an expert in Puppetry herself. The moment she saw the Third Kazekage's body, she knew Sasori must have made extremely ingenious modifications to it.
It wasn't finished yet, but with a few changes following Sasori's approach, she could complete the Third Kazekage Human Puppet.
Just as Chiyo stepped forward to handle it, the Third