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Sasori’s eyes narrowed as the masked figure in the black cloak stepped into view fedora casting shadows, a single kanji carved into the cheek of his mask.
So this was the one who had been interfering with Akatsuki’s jinchūriki hunts. The sa ghost-like presence that had disrupted several extractions before.
Chiyo squinted, as if recognizing the symbol. Rumors had reached Sunagakure about another secretive group. Not just Akatsuki, but D-Organization is even more elusive, more selective. No one truly knew how many mbers it had.
Sakura stood beside her, whispering, "Who is that...?"
Chiyo didn’t answer imdiately.
Sasori, however, did.
"So you’re the infamous ’Nian’ of the D-Organization. We’ve crossed paths indirectly more than once. This ti though, you’re too late. The jinchūriki’s gone."
But the masked man chuckled softly.
"No, Sasori. I didn’t co here for a tailed beast. I ca... for you."
Sasori’s expression shifted. For a mont, it almost looked like confusion.
Chiyo turned to Sakura and muttered, "Be careful. If he isn’t after Gaara, then this could be worse than we thought."
Sakura nodded, shifting slightly in front of Chiyo.
The masked figure, Neji, heard it all. But he didn’t care. He was here to make a statent.
With a snap of his fingers snap! Tiny glowing particles sparked from his hand like embers and rained down.
Sasori’s instincts flared. Chakra threads surged from his chest and sent a barrage of hidden weapons into the air.
Thousands of needles, shuriken, and razors tore through the sky toward Neji.
He didn’t flinch.
Neji raised one palm.
Boom!
In a sudden pulse of gravitational force, all the projectiles clustered into a tight ball of tal, floating in front of him. With a simple wave of his hand, the iron sphere crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Sasori’s eyes narrowed.
No hand seals. No threads. What kind of jutsu is this?
And then the glowing sparks settled into his puppets.
At first, nothing happened.
But seconds later, Sasori’s chakra threads snapped.
Snip. Snip.
He gasped.
Every puppet in his entire collection stood motionless.
He yanked on the chakra threads again nothing. No response.
Across from him, Chiyo’s expression changed.
"...Sothing’s wrong. I can’t control mine either."
Sakura blinked. "Wait... what do you an?"
Chiyo’s voice was hushed, but firm. "He’s hijacked our control. He’s stolen our connection to the puppets."
Sasori was stunned. "How...?"
And then it hit him.
The sparks... the glowing particles... they went into the puppets...
"...It was those."
He stared at Neji, realization dawning. "You’re after because you can take control of puppets."
Neji stepped forward walking effortlessly in the air as if on invisible stairs.
"I told you. You were the reason I ca."
The puppets all moved again. This ti, not under Sasori or Chiyo’s command.
They stepped forward... and kneeled.
A unified voice echoed from them all:
"Yes, Master."
Chiyo staggered backward in disbelief. Sasori, on the other hand, was wide-eyed and enthralled.
"Puppets... with consciousness? You gave them awareness?"
Neji smiled behind his mask. "Curious?"
Sasori was nearly trembling not in fear, but in reverence. This wasn’t fear of power. It was awe at craftsmanship. At the art.
"Tell ... how did you do it?" he breathed. "Is it a forbidden technique? A seal? How can they think?"
"Do you want to learn?" Neji asked softly.
"...Teach ."
Neji extended a finger. A single glowing spark hovered at his fingertip and shot into Sasori’s chest.
Sasori froze. For a mont, silence.
Then...
He dropped to one knee.
"...Master."
Chiyo gasped. Sakura stepped in front of her instinctively.
"You can control people now?!" she shouted.
Neji shook his head calmly. "No. I didn’t control him. I gave him what he always desired awareness. I awakened his puppet body."
"I gave him my chakra... and in return, he obeys."
Sasori stared at his hands.
His puppet body... felt alive.
He could feel Neji’s chakra surging through it, granting it mobility, power even intention.
He tested it by raising a hand.
BOOM!
A focused burst of chakra shot from his palm, destroying a boulder nearby.
Powerful. Direct. Controlled.
Not fueled by his human core but by this new energy.
"...Impossible."
And yet, it was real.
Neji smiled as his newest recruit stood at his side reborn.
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