Revolution in the Ninja World

For Sunagakure in its current state, Chiyo was an absolutely irreplaceable figure. With the Kazekage gone and no qualified successor capable of inheriting the title within the village, Chiyo served as Suna's pillar and core.

It wasn't just a lack of a Kazekage successor with sufficient prestige and ability to command respect; Suna fundamentally lacked personnel capable of handling large-scale strategic situations. This made veteran ninja like Chiyo, tempered through numerous wars and only growing stronger with age, critically important. Comparatively, Suna losing Chiyo would be far more devastating than Konoha losing its Hokage. Even if Konoha were to suddenly lose the Third Hokage, several potential candidates for the position could still be found within the village. Although the Hokage's chosen successors might have turned out a bit crooked, their flaws didn't negate their underlying talent or potential.

But Sunagakure? They had no one waiting in the wings.

Under these circumstances, for Chiyo to appear before two rather threatening Konoha ninja with only a single escort spoke volumes about her level of trust in the alliance.

Naturally, Habara and Kakashi had no intention of attacking Chiyo, nor did she show any hostility towards them. Thus, as the two sides stood facing each other, the atmosphere was simultaneously tense and strangely harmonious.

"We shouldn't be late, and your intelligence should be accurate, correct?" Habara cut straight to the chase, wasting no words.

"Of course. Otherwise, we wouldn't have sent word to Konoha," Chiyo replied evenly.

"What happens next? Are you accompanying us on the mission?"

"No. The one accompanying you will be her." Chiyo gestured towards the kunoichi standing behind her.

Habara nodded; this didn't surprise him. Chiyo's role was likely limited to meeting them and conveying essential information. Given her current status, she couldn't afford to be away from Sunagakure for an extended period.

"Time waits for no one. The sooner we act, the greater the chance of success. Let's get moving," Habara stated, adopting a professional, business-like demeanor.

However, just as Habara was about to turn and leave, Chiyo spoke again. "There is one thing I need you both to understand. The objective is to bring him back alive. That is the priority, and it is something your specific abilities should make possible."

It could be said that Chiyo had come here precisely to deliver this message, to convey this specific sentiment. Otherwise, there would have been little need for her to leave Suna at all. Some words carry more weight when spoken personally, at least enough to convince oneself, serving as a potent "placebo."

Often, there's an unpleasant-sounding truth that simply holds: Do your best, and leave the rest to fate.

Habara was the one executing the mission. Chiyo could only express her hopes regarding how he would carry it out; she couldn't force his hand entirely.

"A lion without fangs or claws is merely a fluffy house cat. A scorpion without its stinger is, taxonomically speaking, considered a delicacy... Relax," Habara said. "When it comes to dealing with certain types of enemies, I'm a specialist."

And he truly was. Particularly when dealing with users of Magnet Release, or, for instance, Puppet Masters.

Habara's words seemed to align with Chiyo's wishes, yet he offered no concrete guarantee. After all, no one could predict exactly what might happen during a mission.

With the conversation having reached this point, the content of Sunagakure's mission request to Konoha became self-evident: Bring Sasori of the Red Sand, who had left Suna long ago, back to the village—alive. "Alive" described a state of being, making it critically important. If possible, Suna hoped Habara could bring Sasori back "completely unharmed."

Sasori, the genius Puppet Master, possessed strength placing him among the shinobi world's elite. Few could guarantee victory against him as an enemy, let alone achieve the far more difficult task of capturing him alive, or even capturing him unharmed. However, such a feat was potentially achievable for Habara. His unique Kekkei Tōta truly possessed that kind of capability—or rather, it seemed almost tailor-made to counter Sunagakure's specialties.

Habara understood why Suna wanted Sasori back at this particular juncture. The foundation of Suna's mid-to-lower-ranking shinobi was undoubtedly solid; otherwise, it wouldn't remain one of the Five Great Villages. Since they currently faced a shortage of high-end combat power and prominent leadership figures, what better solution than to bring back a powerhouse?

Habara knew Sasori had defected after assassinating the Third Kazekage, but Sunagakure was unaware of this. From their perspective, Sasori likely left for one of two reasons: either out of loneliness and alienation or in pursuit of his art.

Based on Habara's understanding, achieving mutual reconciliation between the current Sasori and Sunagakure, allowing him to reintegrate, was virtually impossible given Sasori's personality.

But Habara wasn't here to play therapist or offer a shoulder to cry on. His role was far less gentle. His mission was simply to bring Sasori back to Sunagakure, irrespective of Sasori's personal wishes.

Still, Sasori becoming a part of Suna once more wasn't entirely out of the question. Setting aside the secrecy surrounding the Third Kazekage's death, Sasori was a person of extreme temperament. Such individuals were known for their unconventional thinking; a sudden, 180-degree turn in his thoughts and actions wouldn't be entirely illogical. After all, this was the man who went from pursuing eternal, undying art one moment to choosing death at Chiyo's hands the next.

If he could be impulsive when it came to life and death, other drastic changes weren't unimaginable.

"Follow me."

The kunoichi accompanying Chiyo spoke, then turned towards the north, leading the way.

Currently, Suna had roughly determined Sasori's area of activity. He was theoretically operating in a small country north of the Land of Wind. Considering Suna's intelligence network, one could imagine the immense effort poured into locating even this much.

Even so, what Suna had obtained was merely Sasori's general whereabouts, not his specific address—which was only logical, given how adept ninja were at hiding and covering their tracks. Habara and Kakashi needed to move quickly, both to reach the area before Sasori decided to take an impromptu trip elsewhere, and then, upon arrival, to pinpoint his exact location.

Habara and Kakashi swiftly fell in behind the Suna kunoichi. Chiyo remained where she stood, watching them depart with a look of reluctance and lingering worry. Judging by her expression, she was likely trying hard to convince herself of the adage "Trust those you employ, and employ only those you trust," yet the anxiety was impossible to completely suppress.

Only when the trio's figures had completely vanished into the night did Chiyo silently turn and leave.

As they moved at high speed, Habara was about to ask which specific country Sasori was in when he suddenly realized he didn't know their guide's name.

"How should we address you?" he asked.

The Suna ninja glanced back at him. "Suna Jonin, Zaemon Matsuyo."

Hearing the introduction, Habara immediately countered: "Puppet Master?"

"Puppet Master."

"Hm," Habara mused. "Your name certainly has the ring of one."