Pakura watched in shock as Sasori ran like a dog. In her eyes, Sasori was a very elegant person; how could he be running like a dog now?
If a dog bites you, you can't exactly go and bite the dog back, can you?
Sasori's current image made it hard for Pakura to imagine what kind of hardships he had endured during his three years as a rogue ninja.
Perhaps he had been so destitute that he had to fight dogs for food.
This made Pakura feel a bit of sympathy for Sasori.
Meanwhile, Sasori, tucked inside Ryou's chest, wanted to commit suicide once again.
At this moment, Ryou was using his face and playing his role, yet he was actually engaging in a battle of wits and courage with a dog?
Sasori's reputation in the Village was completely ruined!
Sasori wanted to die.
But Ryou's spore were controlling him; as long as he had any suicidal thoughts, Ryou's spore would jump out to stop him.
He could only use his own tail stinger to give Ryou a vicious sting.
"Uchiha Ryou, you despicable beast, couldn't you use your own face to act like a dog?"
Ryou was very fast. After turning a street corner, he caught up to Kuromaru and grabbed him by the neck with one hand.
"Kuromaru, back in the Village when I asked you to give me a puppy to raise, you weren't willing, and you even peed at my front door! I've caught you today, haven't I!"
"Woof! You aren't Sasori of the Red Sand!"
Kuromaru reacted immediately: "You're that cat-made Uchiha Ryou! Uchiha Madara sent you to Sunagakure to capture the One Tail!"
Sasori poked his head out from Ryou's chest.
Kuromaru's nose twitched. Smelling the scent of this Red Tail Scorpion, he immediately realized: "You're the real Sasori!"
Candy and Snowy emerged from the ground, staying alert to their surroundings.
Taking advantage of the fact that Pakura hadn't arrived yet, Ryou transformed back into his original appearance.
His black hair was neat, his face cool, his black eyes sharp as blades, and his temperament was aloof and frigid.
He looked like Sasuke, but as for his personality, he was a refined gentleman, gentle as jade, like the Pillar of the Sea.
Ryou squeezed Kuromaru's dog head: "That's right, I am Uchiha Ryou. Kuromaru, now that you've seen my true face, you won't see tomorrow's sun."
Kuromaru wasn't intimidated at all: "Woof—come on then, Uchiha Ryou! Kill me or skin me as you please. If I, Kuromaru, so much as blink, I'm not a good dog."
"Oh boy, you think I can't handle you?"
"Kuromaru, I'll go and kill Tsume right now, along with the fetus in her womb."
Ryou let go of Kuromaru and made to leave, but Kuromaru immediately bit onto Ryou's trouser leg and cried for mercy.
"Brother, I was wrong, brother! Please, brother, don't hurt Tsume!"
The strength Ryou had displayed before the Konoha army far exceeded that of a Jonin; he wasn't someone a Special Jonin like Tsume could handle.
Let alone a pregnant Tsume.
Moreover, Konoha had updated Ryou's latest intel.
He had defeated Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, possessed the First Hokage's Wood Release, and had been classified as an S-rank rogue ninja.
Ryou laughed, pressing down on Kuromaru's dog head: "Little Kuro, you're not so tough now!"
Kuromaru knelt directly in front of Ryou and said, "Brother, I know you're not that bad. We're all just workers; we can just fool our bosses however we want."
Kuromaru didn't consider Konoha's interests. Why would a dog believe in some Will of Fire?
He believed in the Will of Dogs: always be loyal to your master.
Ryou nodded at Kuromaru's words: "That makes sense. We're all just workers."
Ryou was Madara's worker, and he wasn't actually willing to collect the Tailed Beasts for him.
Because he didn't want to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan at all.
Otherwise, as soon as he reached Sunagakure, he would have just summoned the Wood Golem to snatch the Tailed Beast. Who in Sunagakure could stop a Wood Golem that rivaled a Perfect Susanoo?
Seeing that Ryou had no intention of killing him, Kuromaru grew bolder: "Ryou, don't hurt Tsume. When my wife has puppies later, I'll give you one."
Ryou rapped Kuromaru's dog head: "I'm not interested anymore."
Kuromaru let out a bark and then said, "Ryou, when you're about to capture Shukaku, give me a heads-up so I can take Tsume and leave."
Ryou pinched his dog head: "On what grounds? I'm a Konoha rogue ninja now; I have an obligation to kill all Konoha Ninjas."
Kuromaru thought for a moment: "How about this, I'll eat your droppings, okay?"
Ryou slapped Kuromaru, sending him flying: "Get lost!"
Kuromaru ran back, his dog face looking bitter: "Brother, what do you want? As long as you don't hurt Tsume, I'll give you anything."
Ryou pressed down on Kuromaru's dog head: "Kuromaru, oh Kuromaru, tell me, what do you have that's worth my interest?"
"I think it's better if you just wash yourself clean and jump into a pot so I can have a good meal!"
Kuromaru's expression struggled for a moment before he finally nodded: "Fine, Uchiha Ryou, I'll let you eat me, but you must promise me you won't hurt Tsume."
"..."
Ryou looked at Kuromaru's dog face, which only had one eye left; that look of determination was no joke.
In a dog's world, the master is everything.
"Kuromaru, you dog! I didn't expect you to be so loyal!"
Ryou stroked Kuromaru's head: "I won't eat dogs anymore, and I won't hurt Tsume."
Kuromaru smiled: "Thanks, Ryou. If Uchiha Madara ever comes to take advantage of you, come find me."
"I might not be able to deal with him, but as long as I get a whiff of his scent, I can find his ancestral grave and help you dig it up."
Ryou gave Kuromaru a slap: "Old Demon Madara's ancestors are my ancestors too!"
"Sorry, sorry. I can help you poop at his front door instead."
Candy reminded Ryou: "Ryou, Pakura is coming."
Ryou nodded and then placed a Spore Clone inside Kuromaru's body.
"Kuromaru, I don't trust you. This Spore Clone of mine will specifically monitor you and the Konoha envoys."
Kuromaru nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"You really don't want anything from me?"
Ryou thought for a moment: "Right, the Inuzuka Clan's Double-Headed Wolf Transformation is pretty cool. Help me get my hands on that!"
"O... Okay!"
The Inuzuka Clan's Double-Headed Wolf Transformation was an advanced Transformation Technique where the master and the Ninja dog combined to transform into a giant two-headed wolf.
After transformation, their size would explode, and their strength, speed, and defense would increase significantly.
In the original work, it looked quite cool when Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru performed this move.
The Double-Headed Wolf Secret Technique was a high-level Secret Technique of the Inuzuka family. Kuromaru was reluctant to betray the Inuzuka family, but for his master's life, he could only agree.
He still firmly believed that if Ryou received a gift, he would let them go.
Although it was a high-level Secret Technique, it was not worth mentioning to someone like Ryou who possessed Wood Release.
Besides, he didn't have a dog, so how could he perform the Double-Headed Wolf Transformation?
He couldn't possibly be a real dog himself, could he?
Kuromaru patted Ryou's shoulder: "Wait until I get back, I'll find a way to steal it from Tsume for you."
Ryou nodded: "Hurry up and leave, Pakura is almost here."
Kuromaru nodded: "You're actually a pretty good guy. Someday, let's the two of us swear an oath to become sworn brothers of different species!"
"Screw you!"
Ryou sent Kuromaru flying with a single slap.
Pakura ran up to stop Ryou, saying: "Sasori, that's the dog of the Konoha envoy. If you kill it, the Village will be in a very difficult position."
Ryou stood with his hands on his hips: "How difficult? Will they hand me over as a bargaining chip to appease Konoha's anger?"
"It's possible!"
Pakura nodded.
"Bah!"
Kuromaru barked at Ryou, greeting him: "Sasori, I'm leaving. I'll come back another day to bark at you!"
Ryou also gave Kuromaru a greeting: "I still have some dog bones at home; come and get them later."
"Screw your mother."
Kuromaru cursed and then vanished into a black shadow.
Pakura was somewhat confused: "You two seem to get along quite well."
Ryou nodded: "As the saying goes, no discord, no concord. We've bitten each other so much that we've developed real feelings."
"If you hadn't come so early, I would have already become sworn brothers with it!"
"..."
Pakura shook her head helplessly.