"Scorpion, see if you like it. This is a gift Father made himself, for you!"
The man crouched down, rubbed Scorpion's red hair, and placed the two hand-in-hand puppets in front of him.
Scorpion, nestled in his mother's arms, looked at the puppets in surprise. He was about to reach out when he saw them clearly, then he grunted and turned his head aside.
"I don't like it!"
Takuma's expression froze. He had meticulously carved all night, putting all his skill in puppet-making into creating these two nearly perfect dolls.
He never expected to receive such a response when he presented them to his son.
Chiyo, holding Scorpion, glanced at her slightly embarrassed husband and gave him a gentle smile. She gently turned Scorpion's head back to face her, pinched his cheek, and asked with doting affection,
"Why doesn't Scorpion like it?"
"Mother thinks they're very beautiful!"
"Look at these two puppets, don't they look a lot like Mom and Dad?"
Scorpion, however, was not swayed by his mother's gentle persuasion. He continued to frown tightly.
"It's precisely because they look like Mom and Dad that I don't like them!"
Takuma and Chiyo froze for a moment, exchanged a glance, and were both somewhat confused about where the problem lay.
"Why?"
"Can you tell Mother why you don't like them because they look alike?"
Scorpion turned his head, his small fingers pointing to where the two puppets held hands, his lips pouting.
"Why are your hands here? Shouldn't it be my place?"
"Is it because after you leave the village this time, you're not planning to come back for me, so Father deliberately didn't put me in the middle?"
Chiyo's smile immediately stiffened. She looked at her husband for help.
Takuma took a deep breath and applied a slight pressure to his hands. With a soft click, the hands of the two puppets holding each other separated, becoming two completely independent figures.
Holding one puppet in each hand, Takuma gently took Scorpion's small hand and placed the puppets representing himself and his wife into Scorpion's hands.
"How could Father forget Scorpion?"
"See, you are always between Father and Mother!"
Scorpion looked down at his left hand, which was his father's right; he looked at his right hand, which was his mother's left.
A wave of immense surprise washed over him, and the minor unhappiness caused by his capriciousness was instantly forgotten.
"Thank you, Father. I like them very much!"
With a joyful shout, Scorpion jumped from his mother's lap and threw himself into Takuma's arms.
Takuma's eyes brimmed with happiness. He pulled his wife, who was sitting on the ground, up and embraced her and Scorpion together in his broad arms, as if he had embraced the whole world.
...
"Father, Mother, come back soon!"
Scorpion, held in Chiyo's arms, waved the two puppets he held in his hands ceaselessly towards the front. Only when his father's red hair and his mother's dark green robes had completely disappeared into the dim yellow wind and sand did Scorpion reluctantly lower his waving arm, feeling an emptiness in his heart.
Chiyo reached out and wiped the tears from Scorpion's eyes, looking at him with affection.
"My little grandson, there's too much sand blowing into your eyes outside!"
"Let's go! It's time to go back with Grandma!"
Scorpion smiled shyly, rubbed his face haphazardly with his sleeve, hugged the two puppets tightly, leaned against Chiyo's shoulder, and softly hummed.
"Grandma!"
"Yes?"
"When will Mother and Father come back?"
"Very soon!"
"They are both very skilled puppeteers, they'll be back to accompany their little grandson in no time after finishing their mission."
"How soon is 'very soon'?"
"Very soon... that is, when Scorpion can make puppets just like these, they will be back!"
"Really?"
Scorpion, with a look of surprise, wriggled out of Chiyo's embrace and stared intently at the two puppets in his hands for a while.
"It doesn't seem that difficult..."
"Grandma, teach me how to make puppets!"
Chiyo affectionately stroked his small head and agreed with a smile.
"Alright!"
"As long as my little grandson wants to learn, let alone puppets, even puppet jutsu won't be a problem for you!"
Scorpion shook his head firmly.
"I don't want puppet jutsu!"
"I just want to learn how to make Father and Mother!"
Chiyo was taken aback, a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease welling up within her. Before she could ponder it further, a Hidden Sand ANBU ninja wearing a white headscarf suddenly approached Chiyo.
"Elder, the Kazekage requests your presence!"
"Hanzo of the Salamander has personally led his men across the border of the Land of Wind. The ninjas stationed at the border cannot resist."
"The Kazekage wishes for you to come to his office as soon as possible to discuss ways to counter the ninjas of the Land of Rain."
Chiyo huffed in displeasure and pulled Scorpion into her arms.
"Hmph!"
"Becoming more and more disrespectful! Why are you discussing such intelligence in front of a child?"
"It seems the Kazekage's oversight of the ANBU has become increasingly lax lately!"
The ANBU ninja panicked and lowered his head in shame.
"It is this subordinate's fault. Because the situation was urgent..."
"My apologies! After reporting to the Kazekage, I will voluntarily apply to join the frontline forces to atone for my mistake!"
Only then did Chiyo nod with satisfaction.
"Mhm, that's more like it!"
"At least there's still some Sand ninja spirit left!"
"You may go. Tell the Kazekage I will take Scorpion home first and will be there shortly."
"Yes!"
Ignoring the departing ANBU, Chiyo hugged Scorpion, who was engrossed in studying the puppets in his hands and appeared indifferent to the outside world, and hurried towards home.
"Little grandson, these are some puppet dolls your father used for practice. Try to take them apart first. You can use any method you wish!"
Chiyo took out a pile of unfinished puppet dolls from a large box, selected one with the simplest structure, and gently handed it to Scorpion.
"The Kazekage has summoned me. You play here for a while. If you get tired, go to sleep obediently, understand?"
Scorpion nodded, carefully tucked his two puppets into his embrace, picked up the unfinished puppet, and began to study it.
...
"Kazekage-sama!"
Chiyo entered the Kazekage's office and nodded at the Third Kazekage, who was deep in thought, as a greeting.
The Third Kazekage's eyes lit up, and he quickly got up to invite Chiyo to sit.
"Elder Chiyo, please sit!"
"Regarding the ANBU incident earlier, it was my oversight. I didn't expect Elder Chiyo to point it out; I am truly ashamed!"
The Third Kazekage had his reasons for always acting as a junior when facing Chiyo.
The Third Kazekage had studied under the Second Kazekage, Sand, and his powerful Magnet Release ninjutsu, as well as its inspiration and usage, were largely derived from Sand's teachings. Chiyo's other identity was the wedded wife of the Second Kazekage, Sand.
Chiyo waved her hand dismissively.
"As long as the Kazekage-sama does not blame this old woman for being too talkative!"
"Earlier, I heard from the ANBU that Hanzo has already broken through? How does the Kazekage-sama plan to proceed?"
Seeing that Chiyo had directly gotten to the point, the Third Kazekage did not hesitate. He nodded slightly and looked at Chiyo with anticipation.
"Elder Chiyo, if it is possible, I would like to ask you to personally take action."
Chiyo rubbed the cuff of her sleeve, and a subtle thought of refusal began to form in her heart.
"Takuma and Chiyo have already gone to the battlefield in the Land of Fire. If this old woman also goes to the front lines."
"Scorpion is only three years old. If he is left alone at home..."
The Third Kazekage patted his chest and immediately took on the responsibility of caring for Scorpion.
"Elder Chiyo, please rest assured. I see that Scorpion is a talented child. I will personally take responsibility for his care!"
Chiyo pondered for a moment and finally nodded.
"Very well!"
"Then this old woman will go and meet that renowned 'demigod of shinobi'."
"I wonder if these old bones can still withstand such a ordeal."
"Alas! I am old!"