Sasori did not leave after that.
Though Sasori wore an expressionless face and seemed to have very little emotional intelligence,
he appeared to be working hard to make a puppet that met Yanbai's requirements, and all his questions concerned puppets.
Yanbai did not send him away, so Shikaku Nara remained by his side without interrupting.
That left Chiyo in an awkward position. She wanted to take Sasori away but did not know how to broach the subject.
After all, Yanbai and Sasori were earnestly discussing the finer points of puppet construction.
As Yanbai listened to Sasori's theories about skeletal structure, he could not help asking, "Child, you seem to have quite a grasp of the practical side of human anatomy. Have you killed anyone before?"
"I've never studied that theory you mentioned." Sasori remained calm. "But as a shinobi and a puppeteer, I'm quite familiar with the internal structure of the human body. Besides, what makes you think I've never killed anyone?"
Yanbai watched Sasori silently for several seconds. Rather than dwell on the subject, he continued, "Is this skeleton the finished product, then?"
In truth, Yanbai had been reminded of Sasori's fascination with the forbidden technique of human puppets in his original fate, to the point of turning himself into one.
Sasori narrowed his eyes. "That was my original plan, but after coming to Konoha, I've seen all sorts of materials."
"Oh?" That piqued Yanbai's interest. "Have you found any more suitable materials?"
"At Konoha's Foreign Guest Hotel, the restaurant gives us utensils made from alloy." Sasori looked utterly serious. "I asked the staff about them, and they told me these utensils weren't made of iron, but a material called 'alloy.'"
Sasori kept his eyes on Yanbai, but his gaze grew distant, as though he were remembering something, or