Only now did Yuji and Mizuki realize that Sasori's assassination of the Third Kazekage had not become public knowledge.
No matter how extraordinary Sasori's talent as a puppeteer was, he could never stand against the entirety of Sunagakure.
If that secret were exposed, he would face endless pursuit from the Hidden Sand.
And in the end, death would likely be his only fate.
Seeing the two fall silent, Sasori took the initiative to speak.
"Father, Mother… what do you want me to do?"
Yuji and Mizuki exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads with a faint smile.
Yuji reached out and rested a hand on Sasori's head.
"When we were alive, we always placed the village above everything else," he said gently. "But now… we want to live for ourselves just once."
"Sasori, do what you want to do. We will always support you."
Mizuki pulled him into her arms, rubbing her cheek lightly against his cold, rigid head.
"Sasori, we were unqualified parents. As long as you can live well, that's enough for us."
For the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared on Sasori's face.
His usually calm voice carried a trace of grievance.
"So… you did care about me."
Such a simple sentence made both Yuji and Mizuki burst into tears.
"Of course we cared about you."
"We're sorry it took so long for you to understand that."
Sasori took a deep breath and revealed a relieved smile.
"Just hearing that is enough. I'll walk the rest of the road myself."
Only then did Yuji and Mizuki remember that two Konoha shinobi were still watching from nearby.
Yuji's expression hardened.
"Sasori, what is going on? Why are those two fighting you?"
Sasori shook his head.
"I'm not sure why they targeted me. It seems to have something to do with turning myself into a Human Puppet."
At those words, Mizuki stepped in front of him and faced Yuzuru and Orochimaru.
"What exactly do you want? If you only intended to kill Sasori, there would've been no need to summon the two of us here."
Yuzuru clapped his hands and nodded.
"Very perceptive. Sasori has extraordinary talent in machinery and even developed something like the Regeneration Core. I want him to become my subordinate and work for me."
Yuji's voice turned cold.
"Even if Sasori is a missing-nin, he won't work for Konoha."
Orochimaru extended his tongue and licked his lips.
"So even if we kill him here and now, that's fine with you?"
Yuji and Mizuki fell silent.
Seeing their hesitation, Yuzuru smiled.
"You don't want your child to be hunted down by the Hidden Sand for killing the Third Kazekage, do you?"
"As long as he works for me, I can guarantee him peace for the rest of his life."
Yuji turned to Sasori.
"Sasori, if you were able to kill the Third Kazekage, your strength must be considerable, right?"
"Tell me—are you confident you can escape from them?"
Sasori shook his head lightly.
"If it were only Orochimaru, it wouldn't be much of a problem. But Yuzuru is far too strong. I'm not his opponent."
"You may not know this, but Yuzuru is currently the strongest ninja in the shinobi world."
"The strongest?" Yuji frowned. "How does he compare to Sakumo Hatake?"
Sasori let out a cold laugh.
"In front of this man, Sakumo Hatake is no different from a child."
Yuji and Mizuki's mouths fell open in shock.
Both of them had died at Sakumo's hands. They knew his strength better than anyone.
Even elite jōnin rarely escaped unscathed after encountering him.
And yet such a powerful shinobi was so insignificant before this Uchiha?
After a moment of silence, Mizuki spoke softly.
"Sasori… then join them."
"For me, the most important thing now is that you live well."
Yuji said nothing, clearly acquiescing.
With his parents both saying so, Sasori did not continue to resist.
To him, the village had never mattered.
There was only one thing he cared about.
"If I join you, can I continue researching my puppets?"
Yuzuru smiled and nodded.
"Of course. And I will fully support you."
After receiving that answer, Sasori finally inclined his head.
"Very well. From today on, I am your subordinate."
A satisfied smile appeared on Yuzuru's face.
In order to transform himself into a Human Puppet, Sasori had created something called the Regeneration Core.
Based on his so-called "eternal art," Yuzuru speculated that the Regeneration Core had already broken free from the natural cycle of cellular birth, aging, sickness, and death.
That was why he had rushed here as soon as he heard the news.
If the Regeneration Core's technology could be combined with Orochimaru's research, true individual immortality might be achieved.
On the other hand, Sasori's talent in machinery was beyond what ordinary people could reach.
If utilized properly, the productivity of the shinobi world would undergo a qualitative leap.
After all, technology was the primary productive force.
Even in this extraordinary world, individual strength was difficult to replicate. But mechanical technology could be scaled with ease.
Acquiring a talent like Sasori was worth celebrating.
After a brief moment of thought, Yuzuru spoke again.
"Sasori, from now on you will work alongside Orochimaru."
"Your primary task will be to integrate your respective technologies and strive to develop the perfect technique of immortality."
Sasori and Orochimaru exchanged a glance and nodded silently.
Though neither liked the other, they had no choice but to obey Yuzuru's command.
Yuji and Mizuki then made a request.
"Lord Yuzuru, could you allow us to spend a little more time with Sasori?"
Now that they had the chance to be with their child again, they didn't want it to end so abruptly.
Seeing the hope in their eyes, Yuzuru waved his hand casually.
"The Impure World Reincarnation has no time limit. If you wish, you may continue living with Sasori in this state."
"As long as you don't cause trouble for the present world, I won't interfere."
With that, Yuzuru activated Kamui and vanished from the spot.
Sasori glanced at Orochimaru, reassembled the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, and flew toward Konoha with Yuji and Mizuki.
Orochimaru licked his lips again, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes.
Things were becoming more and more interesting.
No matter how highly this Sasori was valued, he would prove to Yuzuru that he alone was the most capable subordinate!