Sunagakure.
At dusk, the setting sun dyes the entire desert golden red.
Kazekage The spire of the building casts a long shadow in the setting sun, covering half of the village below.
The sound of camel bells could be heard in the distance, and the laughter of children chasing each other in the street could be heard.
Scorpio sat in his room without lighting the lamp.
The room was very dark, the curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out all the sunlight.
Only a few faint rays of light could be seen through the gaps in the fabric, drawing a few vague shadows on the wall.
On the table in front of him was an unfinished Human Puppet.
The wooden skeleton has begun to take shape, and the outline of the human figure is vaguely visible.
The joints are connected with fine metal wires, and each part can rotate flexibly.
There was a cavity inside the chest where something should have been placed, but he hadn't found a suitable heart yet.
Xie lowered his head and held a carving knife in his hand.
He is carving the face of the doll.
It was a young face. The eyebrows were lowered, the corners of the mouth were slightly raised, and there was a faint smile.
If you look carefully, that face looks somewhat similar to his own, with the same eyebrow and eye contours, the same jaw line, and the same nose bridge.
But the face was smiling.
And he won't.
The carving knife scratched the surface of the wood, making a subtle rustling sound.
The sawdust fell bit by bit and piled up on the table, like a layer of light-colored snow.
There were footsteps outside the door.
Scorpion's hand paused.
He did not raise his head, but the carving knife stopped in mid-air. He listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer, becoming clearer and clearer.
He was very familiar with the footsteps. He had heard them countless times since he was a child. Grandma's footsteps.
As he got older, the footsteps were heavier and more dragging than before, but it was still the sound he was most familiar with.
The footsteps stopped outside his door.
Then there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Scorpion, it's time to eat."
Chiyo's voice came from outside the door, with a little cautious ingratiation.
Scorpion didn't move or speak.
The silence outside the door lasted for a while. He could imagine grandma standing there, holding the bowl of rice, wondering whether he should knock again.
Then Chiyo knocked on the door again, this time the sound was slightly louder.
"Scorpion? I made you your favorite food when you were a kid - do you remember? It's made with wild vegetables that grow in the desert. Your father used to eat a big bowl every time he came back from a mission. He said that after a day in the desert, this is the most delicious thing to eat when you come back..."
Scorpion still didn't speak.
His carving knife continued to scratch the surface of the wood, and the rustling sound was particularly clear in the dim room. The facial features of the doll's face became more distinct.
A very soft sigh came from outside the door.
"Xiao, please open the door, grandma, take a look at you..."
Silence.
"Just take a look. Grandma hasn't seen you for a long time. When was the last time I saw you? Last month? Last month? Grandma's memory is bad. Come out and let grandma see if you have lost weight..."
Silence.
"You weren't like this when you were a kid."
Chiyo's voice lowered, as if he was talking to himself.
"You were very attached to grandma when you were a child. Every time grandma came back from a mission, you would run out to pick me up and run faster than anyone else. When grandma hugged you, you would giggle and smile until your eyes narrowed..."
Scorpion's hand stopped for a moment.
But it was only for a short time. Then the carving knife continued to move, rustling, rustling.
Chiyo stood outside the door, holding the bowl of rice that was almost cold.
She was wearing a gray-brown elder's robe, her hair was mostly white, and the wrinkles on her face were much deeper than a few years ago.
The setting sun shone on her, stretching her shadow very long, extending into the darkness at the end of the corridor.
She is already very old.
At this age, other people's old ladies would have been holding their great-grandson in their arms to bask in the sun.
Her old sisters have all become great-grandmothers, and they always show off to everyone how cute their little great-grandchildren are and whether they can talk or walk.
But what about her?
She has nothing.
My son and daughter-in-law died in that war.
She carried their corpses back from the battlefield with her own hands, crying all the way, her tears being dried by the desert wind again and again.
She buried her son in the family cemetery, leaving a piece of land for her daughter-in-law next to it, and then stood in front of the two new graves for a whole day and night.
How old was Scorpio at that time?
Five years old.
A five-year-old child still doesn't understand what death is.
He pulled the corner of grandma's clothes and asked her where her parents had gone and when they would be back.
She knelt down, hugged him, and said that they had gone to a far, far away place and would never come back.
Xie looked at her, her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to cry.
Since then, the child has never smiled again.
Chiyo Sometimes I think if I had not worked so hard on the task, if I had spent more time with my son, if I had prevented my son and daughter-in-law from carrying out that task.
Will everything be different?
Will they be killed by Hatake Sakumo?
But there are no ifs in the world.
All she has left is Scorpion.
This child has the same handsome face as his father, but he never smiles, talks, or interacts with anyone.
Sometimes she would secretly look at his profile and feel like she was seeing her son in his youth.
But her son would smile and call her "Mom", but Scorpio would not.
She didn't know what Xia was thinking.
She didn't know what she could do.
"Scorpion," her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
"Grandma is getting old. I don't know how many more years she can take care of you. Can you... come out occasionally and let grandma take a look at you? Just take a look..."
There was no response from the door.
The sound of the carving knife cutting through the wood is rustling.
Chiyo After waiting for a while, he finally bent down and gently placed the bowl of rice on the ground at the door.
"The food is here. You... eat when you are hungry."
She straightened up and took one last look at the closed door.
Then she turned around and walked slowly back along the way she came.
The footsteps became farther and farther, became lighter and lighter, and finally disappeared completely at the end of the corridor.
In the room, Xie stopped the carving knife.
He didn't move. He sat in the darkness, listening to the footsteps slowly receding.
He listened very carefully and heard every step clearly. The footsteps paused at the corner of the corridor.
That's where grandma would stop every time, as if she was always expecting something.
Then it continues to go away, farther and farther away, and lighter and lighter.
The carving knife started moving again.
Swish, swish, swish.
Chiyo was walking back to his room, his pace much slower than when he came here.
The setting sun stretched her shadow very long, casting it in the empty corridor.
She walked slowly, as if every step required effort. As she passed the courtyard, she saw several young female ninjas chatting under the trees, their laughter as clear as bells.
She remembered when she was young.