Chapter 164 : Gunbai!

[Chiyo: Sasori, my good grandson, is on the list.]

[Sasori's Father: Sasori is still so young?]

[Sasori's Mother: Sasori, my dear son, it's wonderful to see you grow up.]

[Chiyo: No, Sasori should be thirty-two now, why does he still look like a boy!?]

[Sasori: Grandma, Dad, Mom, I transformed myself into a puppet!]

[Third Kazekage: You're truly a marvel, not content with poisoning me, you've actually turned yourself into a puppet.]

[Chiyo: I apologize, Lord Third Kazekage.]

[Third Kazekage: It's a common occurrence in the ninja world, everyone knows what's happening. It'll be good if Sasori has a chance to revive me in the future.]

[Sasori: After I've tried my best to resurrect my parents, I'll resurrect you!]

[Sasori's Father: Sasori, have you truly turned yourself into a puppet?]

[Sasori: Indeed, I used to think that life was too fragile, and I found the control of puppets by hand too weak, so I transformed my body into a puppet. That way, I wouldn't worry about losing my life.]

[Orochimaru: Sasori, you and I are truly kindred spirits.]

[Sasori: I don't deny the pursuit of eternal life, but not in the same way.]

[Sasori's Mother: My poor child has actually turned himself into a puppet.]

[Uchiha Ran: Fate works in mysterious ways; it seems to be a blessing now.]

[Sasori's Father: A blessing? Aside from eternal life, there doesn't seem to be much blessing here, Fifth Hokage.]

[Uchiha Ran: Also Double the happiness not only one.]

[Senju Hashirama: Double the happiness, hiss~]

As they chatted among themselves, they noticed that the stereoscopic images in the sky didn't include any weapons.

This puzzled many.

A list of weapons, but no weapons?

But soon, everyone understood.

"So that's what Fifth Hokage meant by double happiness."

20th: Sasori of the Red Sand

Owner: Sasori

[Orochimaru: Fascinating, I am my own weapon; can I be on the list too?]

[Senju Hashirama: Then it wouldn't be your own weapon, would it?]

[Uchiha Madara: Don't try to sound cultured here. Isn't a Summoning beast also a weapon? This is idealism.]

[Kankuro: A puppet is a puppet, and a person is a person.]

[Terumi Mei: I didn't expect the gold list reward to be doubled.]

[Uchiha Ran: Interesting, it makes me want to try to sign a Summoning beast.]

[Uzumaki Nagato: I'm familiar with this strategy, even if they're all corpses.]

[Konan: Animals can, beasts can, ninjas can, tailed beasts can, maybe even people can?]

[Ōtsutsuki Kaguya: If I sign Ran as a Summoning beast, can it count?]

[Uchiha Ran: You're mistaken!]

[Ōtsutsuki Kaguya: Or, shall we sign each other as Summoning beasts?]

[Uchiha Ran: I believe the gold list might be annoyed now.]

Gold List: ...

Golden List said he had no idea.

Amidst the solitude, perhaps one contemplates the solitude of creatures.

At this moment, the announcement of rewards was updated.

[Weapon Reward: Heart of the Spirit Item (grants intelligence to the puppet, allowing it to mature akin to a human child; for human puppets, it facilitates the restoration of consciousness, akin to reincarnation.)

Owner Reward: Human Form (Enabling seamless transition between puppet and human body.)

Witnessing these rewards, Sasori, situated somewhere in the Land of Fire, was elated.

*Crack!*

Amidst everyone's gaze, Sasori's concealed puppet, Hiruko, draped in a crimson cloak with an ebony hue, bore the emblem of "Akatsuki" akin to Sasori's signature tail.

Hiruko unfurled automatically, revealing a red-haired, comely young puppet.

Embedded within this puppet's core was an inscription that read "Sasori."

"What?"

From the sky, a beam of light descended, enshrouding Sasori's puppet form.

As the radiance waned, the Sasori puppet formed seals with both hands, conjuring three puppets.

The first puppet was the Third Kazekage, rendered into puppetry form, renowned as the mightiest Kazekage of his time, yet killed by Sasori through poison and clandestine assaults.

The other two puppets were "Father" and "Mother," humanoid constructs fashioned by Sasori, resembling his parents during his adolescence. After departing from the Sand Shinobi, they remained dormant until summoned for combat, akin to relics left at home, transformed under a stern mother's craft.

During one of Sasori's visits to his Grandmother, Chiyo, he covertly retrieved the pair of puppets from Sand Shinobi.

"Awaken, remember!"

The Sasori puppet resealed itself.

In the ensuing moment, a cerulean luminescence enveloped the Third Kazekage puppet, along with the "Father" and "Mother" puppets.

As the radiance ebbed, the gaze of the three puppets brimmed with sentience.

"My soul traversed from Pure Land to dwell in this realm!" proclaimed the Third Kazekage.

Attempting to maneuver his form, he discovered mobility, albeit devoid of corporeal sensation, akin to piloting a mechanical chassis.

"Sasori!" exclaimed a puppet, hurtling towards Sasori and embracing him.

"Son, forgive your parents." uttered Sasori's Father, approaching Sasori and placing a consoling hand upon his shoulder.

Indeed, the love of a father and that of a mother always bore nuances of distinction.

Sasori's countenance remained inscrutable, whether it was the fixed expression of his puppet or a reflection of his true emotions. Nonetheless, his gesture of reaching out to embrace his mother's puppet betrayed an underlying excitement.

"I don't hold you responsible. It's all due to Konoha's White Fang," Sasori of the Red Sand stated gravely.

Hatake Sakumo: ...….

Hatake Kakashi: ...

What does it signify when a family reunites and resorts to desecrating a corpse?

Uchiha Ran observed the scene through the Golden List with keen interest. "So, when the puppet is linked to Sasori's main puppet body, it essentially becomes an extension of himself, a part of his arsenal."

"It's no wonder his ranking is so high. With the Third Kazekage's and Sasori's own formidable abilities, he still holds some hidden cards."

"I wonder if the newly controlled puppets can also reap the rewards of the Golden List once they obtain them," pondered Uchiha Ran, stroking his chin.

Terumi Mei and the others listened intently, their mouths suddenly dry.

So this is the renowned Fifth Hokage, where even the gold list seems attainable. Truly remarkable.

"Yes!"

Glancing over the gold list, Uchiha Ran found renewed interest.

[Uchiha Ran: @Red Sand Sasori, you should swiftly claim your rewards. Perhaps you won't even need my assistance. You could also enlist the help of your parents and the Third Kazekage.]

[Orochimaru: Ran-kun, are you suggesting that all the puppets controlled by Sasori's main body are considered part of his own body?]

[Uchiha Ran: I speculate it could be interpreted that way before the rewards are received. It all hinges on how the gold list evaluates it.]

[Sasori of Red Sand: Understood!]

In the Land of Fire, Sasori of the Red Sand claimed his reward as a gold list ranker.

In the ensuing moment, a beam of light descended and enveloped him.

A peculiar energy targeted the specialized core embedded in his left chest, causing it to shrink to the size of a coin before melding into his body at a visible pace.

Simultaneously, his puppet body began to metamorphose—its skin becoming remarkably lifelike, and the facial expression gaining a newfound vitality.

A transformation mirrored by the Third Kazekage puppet.

Sasori's Father.

Sasori's Mother.

And thus concludes the live broadcast from the Golden List room.

[Sasori of the Red Sand: Mr. Ran, it's true that all my puppets and I can mimic human behavior. Golden List's intel reveals they're all considered part of my Red Sand Sasori, linked to the core. However, if new puppets are added later, they won't possess this capability.]

[Uchiha Ran: So, adding new puppets won't grant them sentience, and creating new ones won't replicate the same effect as reincarnation. Sasori's Reward One is akin to reincarnation in effect. The distinction lies in remote control and direct control.]

[Sasori of Red Sand: Precisely!]

[Uchiha Ran: Next, I'll grant you leave to spend time with your parents.]

[Sasori of Red Sand: Thank you, Ran-sama.]

[The weapon registration experience and owner's registration reward confer upon Sasori and all his puppets, including the Third Kazekage, Sasori's Father, and Sasori's Mother, the ability to act with autonomy and flesh-and-blood consciousness, albeit under Sasori's control. However, any puppets added later won't enjoy the same rewards. It's regrettable.]

[Uchiha Ran couldn't suppress a sigh. The onlookers fell silent. This guy is truly avaricious!]

[Just then, the golden bell chimed, projecting a holographic image of the next listed person: Uchiha Madara.]

[Uchiha Madara, arms folded, scrutinized the display. "Seems like it's the Gunbai," he muttered, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "But it's ranked nineteenth?"]

[The listing unveiled:

No. 19: Uchiha Gunbai (an heirloom of the Uchiha clan, crafted from the sacred tree's branches, capable of deflecting all ninjutsu)

Owner: Uchiha Madara]

Upon seeing this, the crowd's expressions turned bland.

[Onoki: The Uchiha's Gunbai sounded legendary, but crafted from the God tree's branches? Isn't that part of the Ten Tails? And it's only nineteenth?]

[Terumi Mei: What sort of monstrous weapons occupy the top eighteen spots?!]

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