CH - 155 Sasori's puppet show?

As time advanced, the weather gradually grew colder.

Within an underground cave, Zetsu inquired, "Madara-sama, how's the temperature?"

"Idiot, didn't I tell you not to purchase these random things," Madara snorted, casting a glance at Zetsu beside him. "It's just a little cold. Do you think it could affect me?"

While speaking, his eyes once again clouded, as if recollecting something. "Back in the Warring States period, I never gave up training even in the icy snow to become stronger. And that idiot, Hashirama..."

Observing Madara once again immersed in memories, Zetsu paid no mind. He continued to smile quietly. After all, when people grow old, they tend to reminisce. As Madara-sama's personal caretaker, he knew this firsthand.

Ever since Madara-sama stopped falling into deep sleep, he would occasionally lose himself in memories. Especially recently, it seemed like he was working on something, and the frequency of becoming lost in memories increased.

Speaking of which, what exactly is Madara-sama writing? He is always very serious about it and never allows anyone to catch a glimpse.

"I know~!" replied Zetsu, happily patting the Grass-branded Heater. This item had appeared a few years ago. Seeing that Madara-sama was consistently writing late into the night, and the weather had been getting colder, Zetsu decided to dip into the money he had saved for a long time to purchase it.

As it turned out, it worked well, requiring only a bit of chakra. Feeling the gradual warmth spreading through the cave, Zetsu nodded in satisfaction.

At this moment, it seemed that Madara had returned to the present from his memories. He looked at the pile of papers on the table and said casually, "I heard it's almost the holidays?"

"Yes! It's almost the holidays," Zetsu nodded and said with a smile, "Obito will have exams during the break." Recalling Madara-sama's advice, he added, "I told Obito to study hard as per your suggestion. I wonder how he'll fare in the exams?"

Thinking it had been a while since he last checked on Obito, Zetsu raised his fist determinedly. "If he fails, I'll scold him on your behalf, Madara-sama."

"Hmph, fool, you can't represent me!" Madara snorted in response.

"True, as an idiot, I can't represent Madara-sama," Zetsu said nonchalantly, checking the time. "It's almost time; I need to go to work."

"Idiot! Fool! I told you not to bother with these tedious tasks. Tools should just do their job!" Madara responded again, clearly agitated.

"Alright, I got it," Zetsu replied perfunctorily, not minding one bit, "See you later, Madara-sama!"

After cheerfully bidding farewell to Madara, Zetsu vanished from the spot. He was accustomed to this routine; Madara would express his discontent every time Zetsu left for work, so there was no problem even if he left like this.

Once Zetsu departed, Madara shook his head, snorted, and returned to his writing without uttering another word. However, for a moment, he surreptitiously glanced at the heater on the ground before refocusing on his work.

On the other side, Zetsu prepared for his work, observing the somewhat quiet street in front of him. Due to the cold weather, people rarely ventured out during this time if there was nothing pressing.

"Alright, let's work hard to save money today. Let's have a good New Year!" After expressing his determination, Zetsu prepared to start working. Suddenly, he noticed something and looked at the side in confusion.

[Grand New Year's Eve, Grass and Rain join hands, stay tuned!]

With just a quick glance, Zetsu muttered to himself, "Huh? Is this New Year going to be livelier than the previous ones?"

As he envisioned the festivities, a smile of anticipation appeared on his face, and he resumed working diligently.

…

Meanwhile, within a factory located in the Land of Rain, a young man with red hair, clad in green attire, concluded his work. Nonchalantly setting aside his tools, hands in his pockets, he strolled towards the exit.

A complex expression played across Sasori's face as he contemplated his current life. Renowned as Sasori of the Red Sand, he had discreetly left the Sand Village after assassinating the Third Kazekage. Too many things had transpired for him, and now, he found himself tightening screws in a factory.

Of course, no one had discovered his true identity yet. Initially, upon realizing that the changes in the Land of Rain were somewhat different from what he had expected, he had planned to leave this place. However, shortly after he entered, the Land of Rain sealed its borders.

Surrounded by numerous ninjas and under the vigilant gaze of a demi-god of the ninja world, leaving became a daunting task. Although facing these ninjas posed no threat to him, and he had no fear of any demi-god, Sasori was not eager to engage in conflicts with them or the Grass Village's leader at the moment.

His Red Secret Technique was still incomplete, and a confrontation could lead to significant losses. Therefore, after careful consideration, he opted to stay temporarily, awaiting an opportune moment to leave.

Regrettably, the Land of Rain was no longer the chaotic place he had envisioned. Despite this, and even though he was reluctant, he had to admit that the Land of Rain wasn't such a terrible place to reside.

Here, at least, he had managed to seamlessly blend in with ordinary people without being discovered. Moreover, the work here was simple—tightening screws. The perks included provided meals and accommodation, along with a steady income.

Sasori sighed stoically and muttered to himself, "So be it. Let's view it as accepting a mission."

However, just as he uttered those words, a voice rang out, "Sasori, the factory manager wants you to go to his office!"

Pausing upon hearing the call, Sasori turned to look at the ordinary person who had informed him. A question popped into his mind—why would they want him in the office now? After all, the work hours were already over, and he was eager to head for a meal, not engage in more labor.

Contemplating the situation, Sasori decided to comply. After all, acting too independently and boldly could risk exposure. At least, he preferred to wait until he received his salary before revealing his true identity. That, after all, was his mission reward.

Of course, if the request involved working overtime, he would promptly refuse. Prolonged periods of mundane tasks weren't something he desired. The notion of him, the Sasori of the Red Sand, working overtime was simply a ludicrous dream.

Soon, he reached the office of the so-called factory manager. After knocking on the door, he entered. The factory manager greeted him enthusiastically, "You're here, Sasori!"

"What's the matter?" Sasori asked expressionlessly. "If there's nothing urgent, I'd like to go eat."

"Apologies, I didn't mean to disrupt your meal," the factory manager replied with a mix of feelings, disregarding Sasori's words. Despite the young man's irritable temperament, his work efficiency was commendable.

Furthermore, Sasori consistently completed his tasks on time, often surpassing the standard. He was particularly impressed by his ambidextrous skills, working fluently with both hands without even looking. Witnessing his skill, he recognized the talent before him and even contemplated sending him to a literacy class in the future, envisioning Sasori becoming a valuable asset.

"Don't worry, I brought you here for good news. Quite a significant development!" the factory manager exclaimed with a smile.

Frowning a little, Sasori looked at the factory manager and inquired with annoyance, "Good news? Are you planning to raise my salary or something?"

"Haha, it's not about a salary increase. I didn't expect you, kid, to be concerned about that." The factory manager chuckled awkwardly before continuing, "Actually, we've received a task from higher-ups. It's almost New Year's, right? This time, the Grass and Rain countries will celebrate the New Year together. It will be very lively for sure."

Sasori raised an eyebrow and asked in an irritated tone, "So, what?" After all, it has nothing to do with him.

"Well, the higher-ups hope that we can contribute to the festivities. They want Factory Three to come up with a program and perform on stage. You're a young person with remarkable abilities and creative ideas. Your roommate mentioned that you can do puppet shows—he claimed to have seen you crafting puppets in secret at night."

The factory manager looked at Sasori expectantly. "So, the factory is counting on you to help devise a program for Factory three..."

Before the manager could finish, Sasori, frozen in response to the unexpected request, stared back silently, as if conveying, 'Are you serious?'