Transformers

It had to be said that making puppets was genuinely difficult without some talent. For instance, the puppets Kankuro played with in his teens were all battered old things Sasori had left over from his childhood.

Anyo had seen modern industry, and his imagination could rank first in the world of Naruto. Though Sasori was young, his hands-on skills were exceptional. Through discussion and cooperation, the two became friends who could talk about anything in just a few days. At least, that was what Sasori thought. Grandpa Hai had taken in a really good student this time.

Two figures had been watching everything from the shadows. The man said, "I really never expected Sasori to find a good friend. This is the first time he's spent so long playing with someone, isn't it?"

The woman said, "That boy is very good. He treats Sasori as a peer. Sasori does think more maturely than most children, though he's a little too attached to us."

The man continued, "Should we step in and help them? Honestly, I'm rather looking forward to making a puppet that can fly."

"Let's not. We can help when Sasori asks us himself. Exploring things like this is part of the fun, isn't it?"

"You're right. Let's go, then, and let them do what they want."

Just after the two left, Anyo's expression shifted. He had sensed it. He had known all along that someone was quietly watching from the shadows, so he had been extremely careful these past few days, afraid of giving anything away. The child before him probably wasn't ordinary, was he? The two people in the shadows had put considerable pressure on Anyo; their strength certainly couldn't be weak.

Sasori suddenly said, "My parents have left, haven't they?"

"Hmm?" Anyo was a little puzzled. How had the little fellow known?

Sasori gave a mysterious smile and said, "I'm very sensitive to my parents' presence. Whenever they're nearby, I can just feel it."

This must have been that so-called bond between family members. In any case, Anyo couldn't experience it. He pointed at the sketches he had drawn and said, "Which of these designs do you think has the best chance of flying?"

Sasori picked up one of the drawings and said, "I think this one would have the hardest time flying, but I want to make it. Does it have a name?"

Seeing the design on that sheet, Anyo blurted out, "A Transformer."

"Nice name. Let's make it." Sasori looked very interested, examining it over and over, utterly delighted.

Sure enough, children all loved Transformers. But Anyo had only included this one to fill out the numbers; he hadn't held out any hope for it at all. He couldn't help interrupting, "This is just a fantasy of mine. It can't work. Let's start with a simple eagle."

Sasori pouted. "No. I'm not making an eagle. I want to make this."

Well, there came the childish temper.

Anyo had plenty of ways to handle children. Changing his tune, he said, "How about this? We'll make the eagle together, and while we work, I'll tell you the story of the Transformers. What do you think?"

"Huh? There's a story too? Okay, I want to hear it! I want to hear it!" Sasori's pout immediately gave way to excitement.

"Let's work on the eagle. I'll tell you as we go."

"Okay."

Puppet materials lay scattered all around the two of them. Chakra Threads filled the entire room, and as their fingers moved in succession, all the materials began joining together, rearranging, and taking shape in an orderly fashion.

As Anyo worked, he told Sasori, "The one I drew for you is called Megatron. He came to our world to protect us, and he has a sworn enemy called Optimus Prime..."

And so, after adapting some of the Transformers plotlines, Anyo gave Sasori a rough account, which he listened to with rapt interest.

Soon, through their joint efforts, a puppet eagle was completed.

Anyo attached his Chakra Threads and guided the eagle out of the room. With a whoosh, the eagle slowly rose, but its speed made Anyo frown deeply. High in the air, the strong wind also made the eagle extremely unstable, leaving it liable to flip over at any moment.

Anyo could only use his Chakra to guide the eagle slowly back inside.

Sasori asked happily, "How was it?"

Anyo shook his head and said with some disappointment, "It worked much worse than I imagined. It's fine as a toy, but using it for anything else would be asking for death."

Sasori immediately understood that Anyo wasn't satisfied with the eagle. Looking at the other drawings with great interest, he said, "Then I'll make the others."

"It's not the eagle that's the problem. It's us." After pondering for a while, Anyo said, "I feel like there's still something missing inside it."

What was missing? Anyo sank into deep thought.

Seeing his newly acquainted big brother so troubled, Sasori had a flash of inspiration. "Stop thinking about it. How about I take you to play with something else that's fun?"

"All right. Relaxing a little would be good too." Anyo agreed. There was no need to rush. The eagle could still come in handy at a critical moment, which meant they were heading in the right direction.

Sasori made a mouse-like puppet to scout ahead while he and Anyo crept along carefully behind it, afraid of being discovered.

A little puzzled, Anyo asked quietly, "Where are you taking me?"

"Shh, shh." Sasori gestured for silence, then leaned close to Anyo's ear and whispered, "This is Granny Chiyo's secret room. She never lets outsiders in. I only stumbled across it by accident once."

Chiyo's room? What could be in there? Anyo's curiosity flared at once.

The little mouse returned after scouting the way. Sasori led Anyo to a door deep along the corridor, then switched to a sharp-beaked bird puppet. After a little fiddling, he opened the door.

The two entered the room, and Sasori lit the lights inside. The room was full of bottles and jars, looking rather like a chemistry lab from Anyo's previous life.

"This is...?"

"This is where Granny Chiyo makes poison."

Sasori casually picked up a bottle and said, "Look, there are labels on them. This one is mildly poisonous, and that bottle is highly poisonous."

Anyo saw a bottle filled with red liquid. It was the one Sasori had said was highly poisonous.

As though showing off a treasure, Sasori said, "Look, these poison combinations are all amazing. Some are made from two things that aren't poisonous, but when you combine them, they become highly poisonous. I often sneak in here to experiment."

Poison. Right, Sunagakure used poison too. Poison was incredibly practical. Sasori really had brought him somewhere good.

Anyo smiled and said, "Looks like you can teach me how to identify poisons and neutralize them."

"You're interested too? Our interests really are the same." Delighted, Sasori quickly began explaining the toxins in the various bottles and jars and their effects.