At the tombstone, Kankuro looked at the white chrysanthemums with a flicker of emotion. Rain dripped from the overcast sky, scattering with the wind.
"Scorpion, I'm sorry..."
"On behalf of the former Sand Village, I sincerely apologize."
Gaara walked over from the side and bowed slowly before Chiyo's tombstone.
Scorpion shook his head bitterly. "What does it have to do with you?"
Gaara sighed deeply. "I admit, the Sand Village was terrible under the Third Kazekage."
"The educational issues were never properly addressed."
"Your parents were ninjas. In an era of war and conflict, no one could escape death."
"Grandma Chiyo often told me she felt indebted to you."
"When you were so young, afraid of you being alone, she taught you puppetry."
"But have you ever thought, there were times she was alone? Her children died, could she not be heartbroken?"
"But what worried her most was always you. After all these years, she could still give her life for you without hesitation. Don't you understand?"
Scorpion froze, Gaara's words echoing in his mind.
At this moment, he wished he were dreaming. Everything around him was so bleak. He had defected for so long, what had his collected art brought him? His only relative was now dead because of him. He finally felt that loneliness, a pain from the depths of his heart.
"I always thought she was lying to me, that my parents were long dead..." Scorpion's voice trembled. "I believed her, she was my dearest grandmother..."
"When I learned the truth later, I was completely disillusioned with the Sand Village."
"After all these years, I thought she was gone."
"But why, in the end, am I still alone!"
The long-suppressed emotions finally found release. Scorpion seemed to have returned to the Sand Village of that year, everything still so familiar.
Gaara did not retort or get angry, merely watched Scorpion quietly, letting him vent.
"Aren't you angry?" Scorpion looked at Gaara in surprise.
Gaara shook his head slightly. "I'm not much different from you, but I persevered."
Scorpion smiled faintly. "As Kazekage, your demeanor is somewhat unexpected."
"Now, have you decided how to deal with me?" Knowing he was an S-class wanted criminal, Scorpion was resigned.
Gaara slowly walked towards him and suddenly thrust out his fist.
"A friend once told me that making a mistake isn't scary, but a lack of understanding will lead to grave errors."
"Come back and help me, Scorpion."
"Under my leadership, the Sand Village will forge a new path."
"Everyone needs you!"
At this moment, everyone from the Sand Village slowly emerged from behind Gaara. Temari, Maki, Pakura, Kankuro, and others were among them. Their eyes were filled with earnest pleading.
Scorpion was stunned. For the first time, he felt the attention of his friends. This strange feeling suddenly ignited a desire to protect.
"You... you all..."
"Are you truly willing to accept me?" Scorpion asked incredulously.
"Senior Scorpion, with you, the Sand Village can be complete!" Kankuro was on the verge of tears, excited. For someone who loved puppetry, this was his first encounter with his idol.
Scorpion waved his hand sheepishly. "Let me make this clear, my salary is very high."
"And I'm quite lazy, so it's best not to expect me to help out too often."
Gaara suddenly broke into a long-lost smile, as did Temari and the others. With Scorpion's addition, the Sand Village now possessed two Kage-level powerhouses.
Gaara intended to offer Scorpion a position. Scorpion immediately refused. "I'll be your bodyguard. You are the hope of the Sand Village now."
The others were stunned. A Kage-level bodyguard? That was a grand gesture. The Sand Village's prestige had instantly soared.
As dusk fell, at the Eight Treasures Glazed Tower on Duanshan Street, Pain and his companions slowly rose to leave. They had played their cards and had their conversations. It was time to go.
The Five Great Nations were now protecting their Jinchuriki very strictly, making their capture of tailed beasts much harder than before. They had decided to come out and relax, and it would be a waste not to visit such a fine establishment.
"You're leaving?" Sumi specifically came out to see them off.
"Yes, Mr. Sumi. I'd love to share a drink with you, but now isn't the time," Pain said calmly. Nagato, controlling Pain's body, felt an instant rapport with Sumi. In Sumi, he seemed to see a glimpse of Yahiko's past – that confident, bright young man.
"No rush, there will be plenty of time later. Taking care of yourself is most important."
They exchanged pleasantries for a while, and Sumi turned and entered the restaurant. Nagato looked at Sumi's retreating back through Pain, and for the first time in a long while, he smiled. Konan, standing beside him, looked at Pain curiously. "Should we take Hidan with us?"
"I think he's fine here," Kakuzu interjected before Pain could speak, voicing his inner thoughts.
Deidara sighed helplessly. "Honestly, you can't afford to offend Kakuzu. The stingy man's feathers only get sharper."
Back in the restaurant, Sumi yawned slightly. He felt unusually tired today.
Suddenly, Jiraiya descended from upstairs. "Is it really okay for you to run this restaurant?"
"It's quite remarkable that you've earned the Akatsuki's approval."
"Speaking of which, that girl with the light blue-purple hair and the丸子 (maruko) hairstyle looked familiar. I just can't recall where I've seen her before."
"She's also part of the Akatsuki?" Jiraiya's barrage of questions only made Sumi more exhausted. He decided not to reply and turned to head to the private room to rest. Chang'e and Kushina, seeing this, quickly put down what they were holding and followed him.
Not long after, strange noises emanated from inside. Jiraiya, listening from outside, was overcome with a nosebleed. Two peerless beauties emerged, breathless, with what looked like very rich ice cream at the corners of their mouths.
"This kid is really something else..."
"Can't compare... can't compare... I think I'll go check out the nearby bathhouse..." Jiraiya, bored, pushed open the door and walked out.
A few minutes later, a group of elderly women, aged sixty or seventy, were chasing Jiraiya through the streets with frying pans. He was inadvertently surrounded by the old ladies and subjected to a cruel punishment. For the next month, Jiraiya couldn't sleep at night. He had to patrol every house.