A Scorpion in the master's house.
It was far later in the day than Sasori had hoped. He preferred to get things over with as quickly as possible. Even though the tea and breakfast that had been prepared for him were renowned, Sasori showed no visible enjoyment as he ate.
Presently, he observed the head of the demon slayer’s. Ubuyashiki Kagaya. He seemed to Sasori, an unimpressive man. Much younger than he had expected, but his illness made him appear much older.
At eighteen years of age, his curse had spread from his forehead to his nose. Sasori observed that it would take away his eyesight in a matter of years, if not sooner.
Kagaya spoke in a voice that was calm and genuinely grateful. “Kanae’s condition is stable. She is expected to survive”
“I didn't ask.”
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving her”
“I understand that your organization deals in ‘demons’” Sasori said, cutting to the chase, “and that you also have generous funding.”
“It is mainly the Ubuyashiki family who funds this mission,” Kagaya admitted. “Our goal is to protect the people of this nation from the curse of the demons, and to find and kill their progenitor, Kibutsuji Muzan.
“What about my requests?” Sasori asked.
“Yes, I have looked over your list” Kagaya said. “And I do believe we will be able to provide you with demons to research, as well as basic resources. I will also send you some books, maps, and printed guides to help you adjust into this new world”
Sasori raised an eyebrow. “I never told this man, or the girl who introduced me to him that I was from another world. He's a lot slipperier than he looks.”
“I ask that you continue to help us by sharing the results of your research with us.” Kagaya continued. “Are you alright with that Sasori?”
“I have no problems with it.”
“Excellent,” Kagaya smiled. “I've currently set up an office for you nearby. This estate, the butterfly mansion and clinic, and your new research center will all be within walking distance from one another. I would like for it to be this way so that we can communicate more easily, also so that the sisters who run that clinic will be able to help you get settled.”
Sasori cringed internally “he doesn't mean?...”
“My only remaining condition is that you will also consider tutoring young Shinobu. As I'm sure you've observed, she's very bright and promising, and will surely benefit from your experience in the field of poison.”
“My experience? Despite my actual age, my current form is that of someone no older than he is… it doesn't matter. There's no need for worry. I might even be able to trust this man to be useful to me later on.” “If that is all,” said Sasori as he stood up. “I'd like to be taken to where I can stay until my research center is ready.”
“But of course,” Kagaya said. “Your quarters will be in the same building, along with a laboratory and workshop. The supplies you requested will be delivered to you in time. I will have a Kakushi guide you there right away.”
Sasori thanked him and bowed with the minimal courtesy dictated by formal custom, and left.
Outside the gate of the mansion, a Kakushi waited for him and bowed.
“Good morning Sasori-dono, My name is Goto. I'll be driving you to your new residence. It's a pleasure” Goto bowed again.
“Driving?” Sasori asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well,” Goto began with a hint of pride. “The master of the mansion tells me that Sasori-dono is unlikely to be accustomed to travel by automobile. However if you would rather a customer yourself with the grounds by foot, I'm happy to walk with-”
“Whichever is quicker,” Sasori said, narrowing his eyes.
Goto, who had been somewhat excited to show off his skills as a driver, especially to someone whom he had assumed had never been driven before, was suddenly filled with fear.
He too, now shared in the desire to get this over with as quickly as possible. It wasn’t just Sasori’s impatient glare, it was the sheer aura he emanated.
Sasori did not seem impressed by the automobile either. It was less than five minutes into the drive that he observed the large estate on the right of the path. The smells of flower gardens wafted over its walls and to his keen nose. So did the smell of blood and antiseptics. There was a clinic there as well, but he felt he would have known on instinct, without those clues; that this was the butterfly mansion.
A few more minutes later, they reached another estate. It was much smaller, but still sufficiently large.
“Here we are Sasori-dono,” Goto said in a nervous tone. “If you need me to show you around…” Sasori simply entered, and shut the gate behind him, leaving the Kakushi out.
The yard was spacious, with a small garden, as well as a large depot. There were numerous buildings, which could each later be converted into labs, libraries and workshops, with a small house for his living quarters. An icebox and pantry had already been stacked, and a futon bed had already been made.
Back in Sunagakure, they slept in raised beds for fear of tarantulas, and scorpions, but Sasori had never feared his own name-sake.
Suddenly finding himself tired, he settled in, and fell quickly asleep.
***
He found himself in his childhood home… in Suna. He was a child again… he was in his bed. The first two puppets he had ever built, tucked in on either side of him.
He realized that his parents had died even though his grandmother had kept it a secret from him. He built his first two puppets, to look like they did… and yet, he found himself trapped between them. These materials… there was no warmth, no human warmth at all.
Sasori’s parents were gone. Nothing could bring them back.
He woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. His heart was pounding, and there was a pounding at his door.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, and marched irritatedly towards the door. The sun must have just gone down.
“Sasori-dono” a Kakushi said, bowing as Sasori opened the door. “Forgive us for the disturbance. As you can see, we had been setting up your laboratory while you slept earlier in the day, but we will require you to be awake to accept this next delivery. The master assured us that you would accept it immediately, but we still require-”
“What is it you’ve brought to deliver?” Sasori asked evenly.
“It’s a demon,” the Kakushi said with a tone of urgency.
At this, Sasori smiled. “Well done Ubuyashiki." "I’ll take it right now.”
“Right!”
The Kakushi led Sasori to a truck, from which they unloaded a thick wooden coffin, lined with wisteria seals.
“These are weaker demons” the Kakushi explained as it was taken into Sasori’s lab. “One’s who have consumed less than two or three humans. Sometimes, we capture them to be used for training purposes, but even still, I must urge you to be cautious.”
“So demons gain strength with the number of humans they eat?”
“That is typically how it goes,” the Kakushi explained. “This one ate his wife after being turned into a demon, and had attacked other members of his immediate family before they were rescued, but he would attack anyone within his vicinity.”
“Theoretically,” Sasori asked, “If I wanted to make this demon stronger, I could continue to feed it humans?”
The Kakushi responded with a stunned silence.
“Joking,” Sasori said with a barely noticeable chuckle. “You and your crew did well, now leave me.”
“Hai!” the Kakushi bowed, and left Sasori to his work. Flicking on the lights, he then proceeded to open the coffin as though he were unwrapping a present.
The demon had the appearance of a young man of average size, black hair cut medium length, though his eyes were crazed, and he was restrained with ropes that were no doubt laced with wisteria. A bamboo Muzzle caught between his fangs.
Sasori undid the ropes, and using his Chakra threads, transferred the body from the coffin to his table, and secured him with the straps.
“Do you remember who you were before becoming a demon?” Sasori asked, and removed the muzzle. No sooner had he done that, had the demon snapped at his hands!
Sasori drew back and smiled. The demon was snarling fiercely, drooling, feral, seemingly beyond speech or any human rationalization.
“I guess this means we can skip to the fun part.” Sasori said, withdrawing a scalpel.
***
Tsuyuri Kanao sat silently on the engawa outside of Kanae’s room. Many of the other girls sat around her, laughing and crying amongst themselves with relief. After a day and a night of fervent praying, which Kanao had tried and failed to do, Kanae was finally awake. Back in her room, she had been given quiet, with only Shinobu present.
“Shinobu, you really should get some rest,” Kanae said in a weak, but optimistic voice. “You look almost as bad as me at this point?”
“I will leave your side when I am good and ready Nee-san!”
Kanae closed her eyes, and brought a hand to her mouth as she giggled. “To think that I might have never seen that adorable pout of yours again”
Shnobu hastily attempted to cover her more childish nature with that of a stern caretaker. “If you were really worried about never seeing it again, then you should stop teasing me, Nee-san!” But that only made Kanae break out into a soft laugh, and soon, Shinobu’s stern façade shattered, and she was laughing along with her sister.
But, even the sheer joy of this moment could not keep the deeply buried troubles at bay, and Shinobu’s laughter ended abruptly as though she had felt an oncoming hiccup. It was subtle, but nothing escaped Kanae’s nose.
“Shinobu?” She asked, lifting her head off her pillow, and hoping that it was nothing more than fatigue that bothered her little sister. “Shinobu, I really must insist that you go and get some rest yourself. How many days has it been since you’ve slept or eaten?”
“It isn’t that Nee-san… It’s just… that man. The one who called himself ‘Sasori’ do you remember him?”
Kanae nodded. “I remember him, did he come again?”
Shinobu looked down, and her eyes began to fill with tears once again. “Nee-san I… I thought you were dying for sure! But he showed up again, and saved you with his magic, but…. I’m still scared.”
Shinobu now looked up at Kanae, guilt etched all over her face. “Nee-san, I told him everything I knew! I even brought him to see Oyakata-sama. I did this all so that he would save you but… He’s dangerous! What if I’ve let a snake into the master’s house?!!”
Kanae acted immediately, wrapping her arms protectively around Shinobu and pulling her close. But as Shinobu sobbed into her sister’s chest, Kanae frowned. She knew these sounds well. In Shinobu’s cries, she heard not only guilt, but fear. Whatever had transpired between her and that man, it had terrified her deeply, and Kanae was determined to get to the bottom of it.
***
In a dark room, under the ground, in one of Orochimaru’s many hideouts, the sick Sannin eased himself into his chair. Despite the pain in his arms, he smirked mirthfully.
His aid, Kabuto, stood before him, light glinting malevolent from his glasses. “After all is said and done, I still cannot believe that lord Sasori has been killed.” (he had had no idea of this, until a certain Kunoichi informed him of it earlier that day)
Orochimaru chuckled at this. “Kabuto” he said in response. “You may have been Sasori’s underling, but I was a lot closer to him than you were. As a matter of fact, I knew him before I had joined the Akatsuki. This fact is the reason why I brought us to this part of the hideout. Kabuto, turn around if you please. What do you see there? Opposite from my chair?”
Kabuto did as he was asked, and observed a large empty vat.
“I had almost forgotten that it existed,” Orochimaru chuckled.
“That what existed?” Kabuto asked, “All I see is an empty vat”
“Ufufufufu, that vat used to contain…” he paused for a moment, as his smile curled even further “...Sasori's real body.”
“R-real body??” Kabuto stood back in shock.
“Allow me to explain it to you Kabuto,” Orochimaru said leaning back. “Similar to me, Sasori was interested in eternal life, although our reasons, and our methods were different. As you know, my goal is to uncover all secrets of the universe.
Sasori’s mind however, was simpler. He wanted to preserve his ‘art’. Eternal beauty as he called it, so by the time I met him, he had already achieved a form of pseudo-imortality, can you guess what it was, Kabuto?”
Kabuto looked to the empty vat, and his brain began to put the pieces together, as his face dropped incredulously.
“Thats right,” Orochimaru continued malevolently. “Sasori transformed himself into a living puppet. He gave himself a body that would never age or decay, with only a single living part, that was his core. Even if his puppet body were destroyed, Sasori would have been able to easily repair it, or even transfer his consciousness at will, so long as that core remained in tact, he could not die. He truly was, not human.”
Kabuto gulped. He had known that Sasori was hardly sentimental, but Orochimaru never left anything discarded.
“So what was in that vat… was Lord Sasori’s human body?”
“That is correct.”
“But then… where is his body now?”
Orochimaru laughed. “I had always hoped that one day, I would be able to have Sasori’s powers for myself. I could have done this through the Edo Tensei, reanimation Jutsu, but it seems that Sasori has already been reanimated... his core was already destroyed.”
“How is that possible!?” cried Kabuto. “The reanimation Jutsu can be used only by you yourself, and neither of us knew about Lord Sasori’s death.”
“That is correct, Edo Tensei can only be used by myself, and a human sacrifice is also required. However, this was something automatic. Sasori’s core was already the sacrifice, and the Edo Tensei reanimates the dead at the origin of the living sacrifice.”
“Then, Lord Sasori is alive somewhere? Wherever the Jutsu needed for his living core came from, he is alive somewhere in our world?” A nervous smile crept across Kabuto’s face, “So our old enemy is still alive. This means he should be aware by now that I’ve broken free from his control, thanks to you. Does this worry you? Lord Orochimaru?”
“Nufufufu” Orochimaru’s laugh echoed throughout the dimly lit halls of the hideout. “I said that the Edo Tensei reanimates the dead at the origin point of the sacrifice. He is indeed alive somewhere in the world, but not this world.”
Sweat trickled down Kabuto’s brow. “I believe this is a great boon for us.” Orochimaru continued, his long lizard-like tongue licking his lips with excitement. “There may be something fascinating there for us to find.”