The Red Sting
Sasori's Redemption
Chapter 1
The scene was a ruin. A sty of puppets and weapons set the after effect of an incredible battle. The wind blew his plush red hair as the lifeless body lye there motionless facedown to the ground. In the arms of his mother and father the body of Sasori had been defeated. The battle was fierce, Sasori was put up against his grandmother and a child mockery of the slug princess named Sakura. Although the unlikely team had somehow defeated him, how could this have happened? Maybe the combination of brute strength and master puppetry led to their victory. Possibly a stroke of luck on their part or even Sasori's skills may have simply, rusted in a way. Many things could have taken the blame for his lose but all in all they had won and he had lost.
At least that is, for now. The puppet head of Sasori twisted around to its backside in an instant. The jaw dropped open and he took a heaving gasp as the life was breathed right back into him. His eyes wide and expression shocked Sasori glanced around his memorable surrounding, as he recalled this is where he died. It had not been long before he began questioning himself. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked himself. Looking around a bit more anxiously he attempted to move, nothing happened. "My body, why is it? Why isn't it moving?" By now he was beginning to realize that he had lost all control of his perfect body he had once had. Glancing downward he caught a glimpse of the wound he had taken before his demise. The thick red blood still dripping from the sword had brought all memory back of how he had ended. "That's right, that old hag used Mother and Father to weasel her way to me and stab my core." Looking at his impaled core Sasori took in the fresh memories and actually grew a warm smile on his face. "Well played Chiyo."
His smile reverted to a frown when sounds of footsteps began to be heard coming closer to the site of his demise. A Sunagakure ninja came to the scene astonished at first sight and gazing upon the hundreds of puppets. Sasori lay there motionless even to his eyes without a single blink he watched the fully dressed ninja. The man wandered the area until he had stumbled upon Sasori and the two puppets; Mother and Father. The ninja tripped somewhat slightly moving the puppets at an angle, this seemed to agitate Sasori. "You." He spat frightening the wandering ninja but indeed getting his full attention. "Oh my god your-your talking and your head is, you're just a head!" The ninja babbled on, of course Sasori rolled his eyes at the man it was all too familiar, the reactions of those who had not known of his true nature. "Wait I know you, you're Sasori, Sasori of the red sand!" Pointing at the puppet head the man finally realized who he was speaking to. "Clearly." Sasori replied already annoyed with this man. A silent pause came over them both as the man's bewilderment morphed into a smirk of confidence. "Ironic don't you think." He uttered piercing the silence between them. Sasori raised an eyebrow looking back at him questionably. "You don't remember me? I didn't figure you would, at the time I may have come off to you as an embarrassment. You left me to die with your 'incurable' poison. Now the shoe's on the other foot." His voice has taken a much more different tone lingering with collective pride.
Sasori narrowed his eyes at the male trying to get a better look at his face. Still the man was very well dressed in a full body black banraku and at the moment facing forward. "Who are you?" He finally asked the man. A smirk on his face the male tilted his view to the Sasori head and looked him in the eye. He reached for his hat and pulled it off showing him his face "I am Kankuro the one you tried to kill exactly three days ago." Sasori raised both eyebrows in understanding and returned to his calm collective expression. "Impossible three days ago I injected Kankuro with my customized poison, for him to have survived is preposterous. Don't toy with me child tell me your actual name since you clearly know so much about my latest doings." Kankuro squatted down to the Sasori head's level looking him in the eye "Maybe If I were wearing my face paint and trying to capture you and your partner Deidara you might remember."
At that moment Sasori's eyes widened "It is you, but how?" To think that someone had survived his incurable poison was beyond him and the fact that he was well enough to be looking him in the face was even more mind blowing. "I was cured by an expert, Sakura Haruno." Kankuro replied to him. Sasori's eyebrows lowered and his expression became a combination of annoyance and anger. He had well remembered that name and now grown a feeling of hatred towards that woman. "Her." He said in a grim tone glaring at the ground by his side. Kankuro snickered somewhat at him, "Considering the time frame and what I'm seeing now I'm guessing Sakura Haruno was the one to defeat you." Sasori gave him a cold glare. "I assure you she may have one the battle but she has not won the war as a matter of fact as soon as I get out of here I'll confirm her death along with that old bag." His head nearly detached from the body as he attempted to move yet nothing seemed to shift but his head now only connected by a wire.
"Well to me it looks like you're not going anywhere, especially with that body." Kankuro told him leaning to the left a little taking a glance at the punctured core under Sasori's body. "I will find my way, why are you still here in the first place don't you have some business to attend to?" Sasori put forth still trying to put his body in motion. "Yes but now considering the circumstances my business is with you, or should I say with your body." Kankuro said as he stood up and began moving the clutter that surrounded Sasori's body. "What? Wait what do you mean by that?" Alarmed Sasori was about to be informed the worst of his annoyances, the theft of his creations. "You see when I fought you I used all three of my puppets, or more like your puppets. The point is you destroyed them and now I need a new one, I think Sasori of the red sand is a great one to fill their places."
"No! You can't!" Sasori shouted "And why can't I? Besides, who's going to stop me you? Yea I didn't think so." Kankuro said back at the head before moving the last puppet in the way and picking up Sasori's body. "I'll make you a deal!" Sasori anxiously interrupted. "A deal you won't refuse no, can't refuse." He added as Kankuro paused for a moment his back to Sasori he looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "I'm listening." He told the motionless head. A long pause remained; Sasori had to think quickly on what would make Kankuro change his mind. The masterpiece that was Sasori's body was in his hands and so easily was about to be taken away. The man couldn't bare it he would be damned if he'd allow someone the likes of Kankuro to possess it. "If you restore my body and revive my core, then I will allow you to use me as you please. With my core restored and your control you will indirectly control hundreds of puppets thus accomplishing anything, becoming anything, conquering anything!"
"You would become the greatest puppet master of your time." After hearing this Kankuro grinned then turned around to the Sasori head. "Now that sounds like a deal." He went to the head and picked it up holding it for a moment then attaching it back onto the body. Clicks and snaps clacked inside the body as his head was being reattached. Once the head rejoined with the body Sasori winced in pain "Ah my core! It's extremely wounded I'm unsure how much longer it's going to last." Kankuro looked him up and down "Well I don't know what to do I've never had a puppet like this before it's all new to me." Sasori raised his head up to him getting out his last words; the core was bound to give out on him soon. "Go to my workplace, it's an underground route near Suna not far from here. Access my files and get the one labeled 'eternal' there it will inform you everything." He groaned wincing again "Hurry! My body is going to give out any second now, once you've revived my core I'll explain everything there."
Collapsing to the ground Sasori let out one last breath "Don't forget, greatest…of your time." With that the last of life slipped away from his body and the puppets eyes remained wide and empty. Kankuro stared at the puppet corpse of which just minutes ago he had thought to be dead. That grin made its way back onto his face as he ripped a portion of clothing from the other puppet closest to him and walked towards the body of Sasori. "This will be great." He whispered as he went to dissemble the body and wrap it up to bring him and once again revive the infamous Sasori of the red sand.