Volume One, Chapter Eight: The Scarlet Sand Scorpion

“I can assure you, those trapped within the ‘Infinite Tsukuyomi’ will forever dwell in a false yet beautiful world, free from any pain or suffering…”

Upon hearing this, Shisui rested his hand against his chin, lost in thought.

A moment of silence fell, as still and dark as the predawn gloom, freezing all sounds around them.

Suddenly, Uchiha Shisui turned sharply. His deep, penetrating eyes seemed to pierce through the boundaries of time and space, locking onto Uchiha Itachi as he cast an illusion.

Uchiha Itachi, caught off guard by the sudden genjutsu, showed a rare look of surprise.

His body wavered slightly, as if seized by an invisible giant hand, losing balance and ultimately collapsing weakly onto the soft grass. His eyelids slowly closed as he slipped into a deep unconsciousness.

“Shisui, what do you mean by this?”

Futen instinctively activated his Mangekyo Sharingan upon witnessing the scene, his voice tinged with confusion as his gaze fixed on Shisui.

Seeing Itachi fall unconscious, Shisui’s eyes flickered with a hint of reluctance, but quickly, as if resolute, he spoke:

“I merely erased Itachi’s memories related to this place.”

“This matter is too serious, and Itachi is still too young. I cannot stand by and watch him fall into such danger.”

His words faltered momentarily as he shifted his gaze to Futen and continued:

“As for your plan, I am willing to join, but…”

“You’d better ensure your words are true. Otherwise, even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I will stop at nothing to erase you from this world!”

The moment his words fell, the gentle expression on Shisui’s face was instantly replaced by a chilling killing intent. His Mangekyo Sharingan gleamed with a coldness so piercing it seemed to gaze into one’s very soul, inspiring dread.

At that moment, he appeared like a fearsome warrior returned from the depths of hell, radiating a terrifying aura.

Futen met Shisui’s sudden murderous intent with remarkable calm. With a light smile, he casually spread his hands, his tone laced with mockery:

“As you wish. After all, you were my sole target from the start. As for Itachi, at present, he’s dispensable…”

Futen shrugged nonchalantly, indicating he cared little either way.

Hearing this, the killing intent in Shisui’s eyes gradually faded. His gaze then turned toward the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village. After a faint sigh, he forcibly suppressed the strong feeling of reluctance.

“What should I do now?”

Shisui’s sudden question implied his acceptance to join Futen’s “Eye of the Moon” plan.

“Go to the Hidden Sand Village, find allies, and capture the One-Tail while you’re at it.”

Shisui nodded slightly, a resolute gleam flashing in his eyes.

Without further words, he and Futen set off side by side toward the Hidden Sand Village.

Their figures stretched long in the sunset’s glow, gradually fading into the distance, leaving only an empty stretch of grassland behind.

Notably, upon passing through the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Uchiha clan guards warmly greeted Shisui, but their greetings were met with the same memory-erasing genjutsu as used on Itachi.

This left Futen speechless beside him:

“Do you really enjoy casting genjutsu on people so much…”

“...”

***

Deep within a cave somewhere in the Hidden Sand Village, a pale, crimson-haired youth meticulously sharpened the blades on a nearby puppet.

His movements were precise and delicate, as if crafting a masterpiece of fine art.

This youth was none other than the renegade from the Hidden Sand, Sasori.

By now, he had complete control over the puppet of the Third Kazekage, whom he had assassinated. Yet, this was not enough to satisfy him.

Driven by his pursuit of artistic perfection and reverence for puppet mastery, a wildly audacious thought crossed his mind:

“Human bodies are too fragile; if I could transform myself into a puppet, wouldn’t I become stronger?”

“There’s precedent for converting living humans into puppets. I wonder what effect it would have if I made myself into one?”

Sasori muttered to himself. Such a terrifying idea, once rooted, would begin to sprout, eventually influencing the course of his entire life.

In truth, this was not entirely Sasori’s fault. As a child, his parents had suddenly died, leaving him in a constant state of insecurity. This fueled his desire to transform living beings into puppets.

Upon learning that his parents were killed under the orders of the Third Kazekage, executed by the Hidden Leaf’s White Fang, Shikamaro Nara, Sasori fixed his hatred upon the Third Kazekage. He assassinated him, triggering the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War.

His gaze fell coldly on the puppet of the Third Kazekage beside him.

But the dead are gone, and hatred changes nothing. Even after personally assassinating the Kazekage, Sasori’s heart remained hollow.

“Perhaps I could try keeping only my heart intact, while turning the rest of my body into a puppet…”

Just as Sasori made this resolve and prepared to experiment, he suddenly sensed an unusual presence. Immediately, he commanded the Third Kazekage puppet to launch multiple Iron Sand attacks toward the cave entrance.

“Who’s there?!”

Sasori shouted, ready to retreat at a moment’s notice.

To his surprise, the Iron Sand vanished mysteriously just a few meters from the cave’s mouth, as if it had never existed.

Then, two figures slowly advanced deeper into the cave.

“Finally found you, Sasori of the Red Sand…”

Through Sasori’s eyes, the silhouettes of Futen and Uchiha Shisui gradually came into view.

“Ninjas from the Hidden Leaf…”

Sasori’s eyes narrowed coldly upon seeing the Hidden Leaf forehead protector on Shisui’s head, immediately discerning their identities.

His expression was filled with icy resolve. Chakra strands flowed continuously into the Third Kazekage puppet as he pulled out several scrolls, preparing to engage the two.

Feeling Sasori’s cold aura, Futen spoke first:

“Don’t be nervous, Sasori. We mean no harm…”

“Heh… Listen to that tone. You really underestimate me…”

Though Futen professed peaceful intent, Sasori remained on guard.

There was no other choice; to gain Sasori’s power, Futen had to continue persuading:

“I need your help, Sasori. As a rogue ninja, you seem to have no place to call home…”

“You could consider this a sanctuary for renegades…”

Sasori’s vigilance eased somewhat upon hearing this but his gaze remained fixed on the two as he replied:

“I see. That sounds promising…”

“But unfortunately, my principle has always been to protect myself without relying on others!”

“Looks like I’m lucky. Not long ago, I acquired the Third Kazekage, and now I have some quality materials just delivered to me…”

***