The tree hollow was pitch-black. Apart from the stale smell of mold, it was so quiet there wasn't a soul in sight.
Sen Senju stood atop a tree, casually hooking the sunglasses he had just wiped clean onto his collar.
He stared at the withered vine pierced through by wooden spikes, impatience flickering in his eyes.
"Seriously? You're playing hide-and-seek with me?"
"Which piece of wood in this forest haven't I tended myself?"
"How is hiding in there any different from strolling around right under my nose, Sasori?"
The instant he finished speaking, the dead tree's bark suddenly seemed to come alive, trembling violently.
With a teeth-grating clatter of interlocking mechanisms, a large black shape shot out of the hollow.
The dark shape carried a chilling metallic aura as it hurtled straight at Sen Senju's face.
Sen Senju snorted, leaned back slightly, and spun in midair.
He swung his fist, covered in a hardened layer of Wood Release, straight into the dark shape.
Bang!
With a dull impact, the dark shape was sent flying backward, revealing its true form.
It was a monster encased in the Hiruko puppet shell, with several barbed metal arms extending from its back.
"You Konoha brats talk too much."
Sasori's hoarse voice came from inside the puppet's belly, sounding like two sheets of sandpaper scraping against each other.
"I was going to let you live a little longer while I put the finishing touches on my artwork."
"But since you're so eager to die, I'll skin you first and make you my newest collectible."
Standing on a branch, Sen Senju looked down at the cumbersome metal shell and curled his lip.
"Skin me? With that pile of scrap metal?"
"Sasori, did playing with wooden dolls for a few years make you think you're a god?"