"That's right."
Sasori patted his chest, a hint of pride in his voice. "Many years ago, I transformed my body into a puppet. That way, I could remain young forever, never die, and never feel pain again.
Your attack just now was nothing more than a scratch to me."
Kawaki Aoba staggered back several steps. The chakra within him had been utterly depleted, and the wound in his side hurt so badly he nearly fainted. His fingertips were numb from the impact as well. Looking at Sasori, a flicker of despair crossed his eyes. "You... you actually went this far."
"For the pursuit of eternity, what do such things matter?"
Sasori's tone was calm, as though he were discussing something trivial. "You ninja are always bound by emotions and responsibilities, and in the end, you can only march toward death.
Only by casting all that aside can one attain true eternity."
"Eternity?"
Kawaki Aoba let out a cold laugh. Even cornered as he was, the fire in his eyes had not gone out. "Turning yourself into a puppet with no emotions and no warmth—what kind of eternity is that, even if you live for ten thousand years? Such eternity is meaningless!"
"Meaning?"
Sasori frowned, seemingly puzzled by the word. "What is meaning? To me, being able to live forever is the greatest meaning.
Emotions, warmth—those are all superfluous things. They will only become burdens."
"You don't understand!"
Kawaki Aoba shouted, his voice carrying both anger and regret. "You've never experienced true feelings. You've never been protected by anyone, nor have you protected anyone else. That's why you think such things are burdens.
You think you've gained eternity, but in truth, you've only trapped yourself in a prison of your own making, one you'll never escape!"
Sasori's gaze wavered slightly, as