Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 235

She felt as if she had returned to that night when the flames soared into the sky.

Chapter 257 Enemy, Sasori of the Red Sand

Recalling the scene, Temari's voice trembled slightly: "Gaara's absolute defense, the 'Sand Shield,' was extremely sturdy, and those explosions couldn't shake it at first."

"But... that bastard! After he realized he couldn't break through Gaara's defenses, he actually... he actually changed direction."

"He threw his flying clay bombs wildly and indiscriminately into the village's residential areas!"

"what?!"

Naruto jumped to his feet, his anger instantly rising: "Hitting civilians?! That bastard!"

"Gaara cannot stand by and watch the village be destroyed!"

Temari's voice was filled with deep pain and helplessness: "He had to be distracted while maintaining the massive sand shield to block the bombs flying toward the village."

"On one hand, I also have to deal with that blond bastard's attacks on my main body! The larger the range of the Sand Shield, the more dispersed the defense becomes... and consequently, the weaker the defense becomes."

Temari closed her eyes, as if she couldn't bear to recall that final moment: "The instant Gaara fully deployed his sand shield to protect a neighborhood affected by the blast wave below..."

"That blond bastard seems to have anticipated this! He detonated a tiny clay bomb that had been hidden in Gaara's blind spot, or rather, that he had secretly planted while Gaara was distracted!"

"The explosion pierced through the thin layer of sand that Gaara was distracted from maintaining, severely injuring him!"

"Then……"

Temari's voice lowered, filled with sorrow and anger: "Another figure who hasn't made a move yet, wearing Akatsuki robes... rushed up at an extremely fast speed."

"They used some special ninja tool to subdue the injured Gaara, and then... they took Gaara and disappeared instantly."

"Kankuro..."

She took a breath: "He was the closest at the time, and he chased after him without hesitation... By the time I arrived in that desert with reinforcements..."

"All I saw was Kankuro lying on the ground, his body turning purple, and his three puppets... Black Ant, Salamander, and Crow... all turned into unrecognizable fragments..."

There was dead silence in the room.

The enemy is powerful, cunning, and cruel.

And Gaara's helplessness and tragedy in being forced to be distracted while protecting the village, ultimately leading to his capture.

It felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on everyone's heart.

The terror of the Akatsuki was presented to them in an extremely direct way.

Naruto suppressed his boiling anger, his azure eyes fixed on Temari.

She asked the most crucial question: "Temari, that blond bastard... besides his hair color, what other distinguishing features does he have? His face? Did you even get a good look at his face?"

Temari shook her head painfully: "No. It was late at night, the battle took place high in the air, and the explosions and dust were too intense."

"And... he flew very high and very fast... I only remember his blond hair, which was very conspicuous in the firelight."

"And... he always seems to have that... crazy, battle-enjoying smile? Sorry... that's too far off, too confusing..."

Blonde hair, a maniacal smile, uses clay bombs, can fly...

These fragmented pieces of information piece together an image of an extremely dangerous and formidable enemy.

Just then, the door to the lounge was suddenly pushed open.

Sakura stood at the door, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

She looked exhausted but with a hint of relief and exhilaration; her medical gown was still stained with some purple, poisonous blood.

"Kankuro's condition is stable for now!"

Sakura's voice was filled with excitement: "Poison... it's very troublesome, but not insurmountable!"

"Granny Chiyo's suppression gave me precious time. I used medical ninjutsu in conjunction with an antidote to temporarily control the spread and mutation of the toxin!"

"Although he is still not out of danger, his vital signs are stable!"

This news was like a light shining in the darkness, instantly dispelling some of the heavy gloom in the room.

Temari's eyes welled up with tears as she rushed forward and grabbed Sakura's hand tightly: "Really?! That's wonderful! Thank you, Sakura!"

Chiyo followed behind Sakura, her gaze towards Sakura complex.

There was surprise, scrutiny, and a hint of... barely perceptible approval?

She snorted, "This little girl from Konoha does have a bit of Tsunade's look from when she was young... But don't get too excited, that poison..."

Before Chiyo could finish speaking, Sakura's expression suddenly became extremely serious, even showing a hint of lingering fear.

She interrupted Chiyo, her voice unusually serious, and said, word by word:

"There's one more thing... It's extremely, extremely dangerous!"

"While cleaning the foreign objects and necrotic tissue deep inside Kankuro's wound..."

"Near his spinal plexus, a... an extremely tiny... explosive object made of special chakra clay was found!"

"what?!"

Everyone in the room, including the well-informed Chiyo and Kakashi, instantly changed their expressions!

Sakura took a deep breath, as if recalling that terrifying moment: "It was disguised as fragments of necrotic tissue, hidden very deep, and its structure was terrifyingly intricate!"

"If my chakra scalpel hadn't sensed an extremely faint, abnormal chakra fluctuation that didn't belong to the human body while repairing the nerves... I wouldn't have been able to detect it at all!"

"If it is accidentally triggered during the treatment, or if it is activated when Kankuro recovers a little chakra and it starts circulating on its own..."

Sakura's voice trembled: "The consequences...are unimaginable!"

She looked at the crowd, her eyes filled with lingering fear and chilling anger:

"That puppeteer who poisoned him... wasn't just trying to kill Kankuro!"

"He planted a deadly trap inside his body!"

"A death bomb waiting for us medical ninjas, or for Kankuro himself... to step on!"

The room was deathly silent.

The glimmer of hope that had just risen because Kankuro was rescued was instantly frozen by the chilling coldness brought by this extremely insidious contingency plan.

The enemy's meticulous planning and vicious methods far exceed our imagination!

Kakashi's single eye narrowed into a dangerous slit, his deep voice like an undercurrent beneath the ice:

"Puppet master...trap...within the Akatsuki organization, those skilled in puppetry and deadly poison..."

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the shocked and angry crowd before finally settling on Chiyo, whose face was ashen.

"It seems that this time we are facing not only that blond bomb maniac... but also an even more insidious and deadly 'colleague'."

Chiyo's knuckles turned white from gripping the cane so tightly.

A raging fury and a chilling killing intent, characteristic of a top-tier puppeteer, erupted from his cloudy old eyes.

She practically spat out the name through gritted teeth:

"Sasori of the Red Sand!"

Chapter 258 Belief needs no reason!

"Sasori of the Red Sand!"

Chiyo's low growl, filled with anger and humiliation, stirred ripples in the lounge like a pebble thrown into a calm pond.

However, for the Sand Village ninja present, this ripple was nothing short of a mental tsunami!

Except for Team 7 of Konoha, all the Sand Village ninja.

Everyone, including Temari, seemed frozen in place the moment they heard the name, their faces filled with disbelief, shock, and bewilderment.

Naruto looked at the drastic change in everyone's expressions, especially Temari's face, which turned deathly pale in an instant.

He scratched his head, puzzled. "Scorpion? Who's that? Is he powerful?"

He clearly knew very little about the history of Sunagakure and the rogue ninja.

Temari took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions.

His voice carried a hint of dryness and complexity: "Sasori of the Red Sand... He was, no, perhaps still is, the most talented puppeteer in our Sand Village."

Her gaze drifted toward the medical ward, as if she could see through the walls to her severely injured brother inside.

"The three puppets that Kankuro treasured and relied on for his fame—'Crow,' 'Black Ant,' and 'Salamander'—were all made by Sasori."

"He is... a true legend in the art of puppetry."

"Legend? Hmph!"

Chiyo's withered, old hand pounded against the wall, making a dull thud.

His wrinkled face was contorted with extreme anger, and his cloudy old eyes burned with raging flames.

The flames were a mixture of the pain of betrayal by loved ones and endless despair: "A traitor who betrayed the village, sold his soul to forbidden techniques, and ultimately became a rogue ninja! Does he even deserve to be called a legend?!"

"He joined Akatsuki?! He actually joined Akatsuki?!"

Chiyo's voice trembled with excitement: "What exactly does he want?! To use his evil puppet techniques and deadly poisons to serve that organization that intends to overthrow the ninja world?!"

"Granny Chiyo..."

Temari hesitated for a moment, seeing how excited the old man was, almost unable to stand.

He added with difficulty, his voice low but clear: "Scorpion... he is not just a genius puppeteer... he... he is your grandson."

This time, a deathly silence enveloped the entire room, as if even the air itself had frozen.

Kakashi's one eye widened slightly, Sasuke's brows furrowed deeply, and Sakura covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and sympathy.

Naruto was completely stunned, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time.

A highly respected elder of Sunagakure who dedicated his life to the village...

His grandson was not only a rogue ninja, but also joined the Akatsuki, an organization considered the public enemy of the ninja world.

He even used deadly poison and puppetry to harm his fellow villagers and the Kazekage...