The few of them silently watched Maki's busy figure. Children of this age should be free and laughing heartily.
But she was so sensible, so understanding.
Maturing early is a disease of lost childhood. A child's maturity should not be seen as a compliment, but as the sorrow of having to grow up and face reality.
Pakura broke the silence, snorting, "Since then, I've taught Maki Ninjutsu, telling her that only by becoming strong can she avenge herself against Kirigakure."
Sasori looked at Maki, as if seeing his own childhood.
It despised its lonely self, snorting, "This is the fragility of the flesh. As long as one has warm flesh and blood, one is as fragile as paper. There are too many accidents in this world that can lead to death."
Flesh is weak, machines ascend.
Becoming a puppet and extinguishing emotions was Sasori's answer to this cursed world.
Pakura snorted, "That's evasion. Since he killed your family, find a way to kill him back, to completely erase his existence."
Blood for blood, tooth for tooth—this was Pakura's code of conduct.
The world hurts me, so I'll screw it over.
In the original work, Pakura was reanimated with hatred. Without Maki's participation, she would have certainly sought revenge against Sunagakure with all her might.
"That's enough!"
Ryou quietly advised the radical Sasori and Pakura, seeing Pakura's fiery temper.
"I'm also an orphan. My parents died in a war a few months after I was born. I don't want to carry hatred for a lifetime."
"Oh, right, which Village killed my parents again?"
Ryou was a bit clueless, like Louis XVI.
(´⊙ω⊙`).
Sasori and Pakura looked at Ryou with some surprise.
He doesn't even know who killed his parents? Such an animal shouldn't have been born.
Ryou analyzed it. He was born in the same year as Tsunade and Orochimaru, around Konoha Year 13.
That was considered a time of peace, and Hashirama was still guarding Konoha. Which country would dare to launch a war without authorization?
The First Shinobi World War was in Konoha Year 18. Hashirama died in the morning, and in the afternoon, Kumogakure organized a large number of Shinobi to invade the Land of Fire.
Ryou's parents didn't die in war; they died on high-risk missions.
At that time, the Shinobi Villages were newly established, but the competition between them was fierce. Shinobi were frantically snatching mission orders from nobles.
If they couldn't snatch them, they would go and sabotage other Villages' mission requests.
High-level missions were very likely to encounter Elite Shinobi from other Villages.
Ryou's parents probably encountered Elite Shinobi from other Villages or powerful rogue ninja while on a mission...
But the Shinobi World is only so big, and those who can make a name for themselves are the Five Great Nations.
Ryou pointed at Sasori and Pakura: "Was it you? Was it you Sunagakure who did it? Was it your Land of Wind that made me a war orphan?"
"Damn it, your Land of Wind is too wicked. I must get proper revenge on you."
"Pakura, pry it open for me!"
Ryou's mouth was dry and he wanted to drink tea, but there was clearly something better to drink than tea.
Pakura, blushing, could not stop Ryou and whispered, "Uchiha Ryou, you beast, Maki is still in the kitchen."
"I beg you, let me maintain a teacher's dignity in front of Maki!"
Ryou let go of Pakura and snorted, "Your Sunagakure killed my parents, so my revenge on you is justified."
Pfft!
Pakura spat inwardly. That was how many years ago? Who knew who killed Ryou's parents?
This guy always comes up with a high-sounding reason for doing bad things; he's truly shameless!
"Sasori, what do you have to say?"
Ryou generated electricity in his hand, preparing to get revenge on Sasori.
Sasori quickly replied, "Uchiha Ryou, can your Konoha claim to be pure? Don't forget, my parents were killed by your Konoha Shinobi."
Ryou stopped: "Sorry, sorry, as a Konoha Shinobi, I am very sorry about that."
"I know where White Fang is buried. I'll take you to dig up his grave someday."
"Hmph!"
Sasori snorted.
Not long after, Maki finished making dinner.
Roasted sea buckthorn meat skewers, dried millet cakes, clear-boiled cactus hearts...
Although it wasn't very lavish, it was clear that Maki had tried her best.
Ryou had reverted to his original appearance at some point.
Maki looked at him strangely, but seeing that Pakura wasn't surprised, she, a mere Chunin, couldn't casually question important figures in the Village.
Ryou ate the slightly charred sea buckthorn meat, paired with crispy millet cakes, taking a bite.
"Ah~ it's Mom's taste, Mom!"
Maki's face flushed a deep crimson; while Ryou shamelessly called out "Mom," Maki just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Pakura was speechless: "You, how can you just randomly call someone Mom?"
No wonder he didn't care about the death of his parents? So, mothers can be recognized so casually.
Sasori ate the cactus flower heart, thinking this about Ryou.
Sasori ate the cactus flower heart somewhat greedily, getting a bit addicted.
Ever since Sasori transformed himself into a Human Puppet, he basically didn't need to eat. Now, being able to enjoy the taste of food again, he felt quite nostalgic.
Sasori suddenly paused. When did he start longing for the joys of being human again?
Did Ryou turn him into a scorpion?
No, it was the moment Chiyo shed tears. Sasori knew that he still had feelings for Sunagakure, for the passionate world.
Maki finally couldn't help but ask, "Lord Sasori, why have you become like this?"
Ryou's original appearance and Sasori's appearance still had significant differences.
For example, the hair: Sasori's hair was short and red, while Ryou's hair was the standard Uchiha spiky style.
And the most peculiar thing was his eyes—a pair of red eyes with three black tomoe connected in a circle at the center.
They were both alluring and eerie.
Maki wouldn't have been surprised if it were a different person.
Maki wasn't suspicious now because of Pakura.
Since Pakura, an Elite Jonin of the Village, didn't find it strange, how could she suspect that Lord Sasori was impersonated by someone?
Ryou casually replied, "Oh, this? It's a side effect from sucking too much poison from your teacher just now. Your teacher's wound was too dark."
"I sucked too much, so my red hair turned black."
"Oh, I see!"
Maki was half-skeptical, but seeing that Pakura wasn't surprised, she followed suit. "Lord Sasori, your eyes—they seem very similar to the description of the Sharingan!"
Maki had never seen a Sharingan. If she had, she wouldn't have returned. The Sharingan is still very lethal to ordinary Shinobi.
But as a regular Shinobi of Sunagakure, Maki had heard descriptions of the Sharingan at the Shinobi Academy.
Ryou casually replied, "No, Maki, I got these red eyes from being exposed to the sun in the Demon Desert before."
"Oh, is that so!"
Maki felt a bit suspicious, but seeing that Pakura wasn't surprised, she stopped being surprised herself.
After all, Pakura was her teacher, her superior.
Subordinates are required to obey orders without question; they don't need to think, just leave the thinking to their superiors.
Pakura was somewhat angry. This hateful Ryou, seeing that Maki was just a Chunin, wasn't even bothering to act anymore.
But the powerless Pakura could only support him under Ryou's genjutsu.
Pakura nodded at Maki, telling her that Ryou wasn't lying and that he had indeed
Soon after eating, Maki finished cleaning the dishes and was about to prepare a room for Ryou.
But Ryou called out to her.
"No need, Maki, I'm sleeping with your teacher tonight!"
"Ah?!"
Maki looked at Ryou and Pakura in shock. Pakura nestled beside Ryou like a demure woman.
Because Ryou had returned to his original form and was taller than Pakura, they looked quite well-matched.
But Maki felt it was too fast.
"This, this, isn't it too fast?"
Lord Sasori just came back yesterday, and he's going to sleep with her teacher today?
Could it be that before Lord Sasori defected, they had a past that she didn't know about?