Chapter 270: Sasori – "My Lord, Times Have Changed!"
It wasn't until Kakuzu had left that the oppressive atmosphere in the underground bounty exchange of the Land of Frost finally eased. The bounty ninjas, who had been holding their breath, collectively exhaled in relief.
"Damn, that scared the hell out of me! That guy walks without making a sound!"
"I didn't even notice when he arrived… Good thing I didn't say anything that might have offended him. Otherwise, we'd all be dead right now."
One bounty ninja patted his chest, still shaken.
Among bounty hunters, Kakuzu's name was infamous.
Teammates, passersby, even the stewards responsible for transactions at these exchanges—if he took a disliking to someone, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them all.
"No kidding." His companion across the table still bore a look of lingering fear.
"But… what's the deal with the Uchiha clan's young patriarch?"
"I heard he fell off a cliff in Hell Valley."
"And not just any cliff—Hell Valley's lowest cliffs are at least a thousand meters high! Even a chakra-rich Jonin would struggle to survive such a fall, let alone in his condition. He supposedly fought a Jinchuriki in melee combat, exhausted his chakra, had his eyes gouged out by Kakuzu, and suffered fatal wounds."
"With all that, he should be dead beyond a doubt. Why is he merely classified as 'missing'?"
Another bounty ninja shook his head.
"The intel came from the Hidden Cloud. Who knows what really happened in that battle? Heh, maybe even the Third Raikage ended up in Hell Valley."
"Otherwise, how do you explain the destruction of Hidden Cloud Village?"
"There's too much conflicting information right now, but I hear a lot of people are heading to Kaminari City, the capital of the Land of Lightning."
"I think everyone just wants to know whether the only surviving Uchiha Ci in the world is the real deal."
In a dimly lit corner of the exchange, a figure sat clad in a high-collared black robe, a hood obscuring their entire face, save for a few strands of red hair.
At this moment, his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Kakuzu leave, listening to the hushed whispers around him.
Then, he smirked.
"Kaminari City, huh?"
The flickering candlelight illuminated half of his face, revealing his identity—none other than the man who killed the Third Kazekage and single-handedly ignited the Third Great Ninja War:
The genius puppeteer of Sunagakure—Sasori of the Red Sand!
After traveling from the Land of Wind to the Land of Hot Water, his original plan had been to take part in the battle at Hell Valley.
However, along the way, he had stumbled upon a group of Konoha ninjas moving suspiciously. Curious, he decided to follow them.
That trail had led him all the way to Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning.
And there, two nights ago, he had witnessed something truly spectacular.
Something that embodied the essence of art.
A chakra cannon with three barrels—yet just one was enough to blast off two heads of the Eight-Branched Serpent!
A terrifying weapon that could only be operated by sacrificing human lives!
"Relying on conventional kunai and ninja tools that wear down over time is simply too dull. It doesn't align with my pursuit of eternal beauty."
Recalling what he had seen, Sasori shook his head.
Then, from beneath his cloak, he retrieved something utterly groundbreaking—
A weapon that resembled a flintlock pistol, but instead of a flint, it had a crystal-clear, blue chakra core forged from human transmutation.
At the firing port, there was a striker mechanism. When the trigger was pulled, the spring-loaded striker would hit the chakra core, unleashing a beam of chakra far more devastating than traditional explosive tags.
Just like now!
Sasori silently stood up, aimed his pistol at the bald bartender wiping glasses behind the counter—who looked utterly clueless—
And pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot cut through the silence!
In the next instant, a bloody hole appeared in the bartender's forehead, and he collapsed with a vacant expression.
"As expected, compared to kunai and other ninja tools, this thing is far more efficient."
"Beyond seven steps, the light beam is swift. Within seven steps, the light beam is even swifter!"
He then turned the pistol toward the bounty ninjas, who were still frozen in shock, and pulled the trigger again!
Bang!
Purple smoke erupted, swiftly engulfing the entire underground chamber!
"The chakra core can also be infused with wind-natured chakra and toxins, creating an area-of-effect attack!"
One by one, the terrified bounty ninjas who inhaled the toxic mist coughed up blood and collapsed.
Standing amidst the corpses, Sasori glanced at the now-dim and slightly cracked chakra core at the pistol's rear. He shook his head.
"The power can still be improved. Aside from being a bit costly, there are almost no flaws."
"But… if I can find a chakra core that regenerates infinitely through human transmutation, then it would truly qualify as a masterpiece."
Lifting a corpse, Sasori holstered his pistol and drew out a bone saw from within his cloak.
With a single slice, he split open the bounty ninja's abdomen.
Then, he reached inside, extracting and refining the residual chakra in the deceased's body using his Human Puppet Technique: Chakra Core Refinement.
Finally, he retrieved a fresh, crystal-clear chakra core—still stained with blood.
At that moment, the entirety of this ninja's life was reflected in the eerie beauty of the crystal.
Unbothered by the blood splattered on his face, Sasori gazed at the core with fascination before carefully storing it away and resuming his work.
Next, he would perform human transmutation on the remaining corpses, replenish his reserves, and loot the underground bounty exchange.
After all, pursuing art was an expensive endeavor.
As for finding an infinitely regenerating chakra core—
Although his original target, Uchiha Ci, had gone missing, wasn't there still a Uchiha Ci in Kaminari City?
After slaughtering everyone in the exchange and emptying the vault, Sasori stretched his stiff neck and stepped out, walking over pools of blood.
The coastal sunlight of the Land of Frost was blindingly warm, making him squint slightly.
A turbaned ninja, who had been waiting outside, quickly approached and handed him a report.
"Sasori-sama," the ninja said, "we've gathered intel on the 'Uchiha Ci' in Kaminari City."
"Oh?"
Sasori casually took the report and read through it carefully.
"So, this 'Uchiha Ci' is actually a follower that Uchiha Ci took under his wing in the Land of Hot Water, which is why he's been acting in his name?"
"A prodigious young ninja who survived the ultimate test of Jashin, gaining an immortal body—"
"Named… Hidan, huh?"
Sasori pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Not quite as valuable as Uchiha Ci, but he'll suffice as an artistic specimen."
"And if the real Uchiha is alive, he won't ignore this news."
A smile crept onto Sasori's face as his amber eyes glinted with certainty.
"He will appear in Kaminari City."
The turbaned ninja blinked in surprise. "So, Sasori-sama, your plan is…?"
"Spread the word," Sasori said coldly.
"Gather everyone interested in Uchiha Ci in one place."
"I will turn it into my hunting ground!"
Although he had missed the battle at Hell Valley due to observing Hidden Cloud's downfall, Sasori felt no regret.
No matter—he would gather them all again and hunt them down one by one!
Turning them into perfect art pieces!
"Go now. I have a journey to make."
Tossing a wad of cash to the turbaned ninja, Sasori set off toward Kaminari City.
Meanwhile—
On a desolate road leading there, in a rundown town of the Land of Frost,
A young man stopped at the gates.
One arm cradled an infant.
The other dragged along a motionless boy, his eyes covered with black cloth—like a lifeless corpse.
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