章 92: Mocking an Old Lady
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Koushin decided to use reverse psychology on the old woman. He walked up to Chiyo, looking down at her with a mocking expression. "As usual, old people, when everything turns into a spiral, they just blame themselves and take the easy way out."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and he reached out to stop Koushin. "Hey, what are you—"
Koushin swatted Naruto's hand away without even looking at him. He continued to stare down at Chiyo, his voice dripping with disdain. "You want to die after all the mess you've caused? Of course, you're too weak to even stand up and fix your mistakes. You've lost your will to live? How about you admit that you're too lazy to even own your mistakes."
Chiyo's eyes flashed with anger as she struggled to her feet, grabbing Koushin's collar with surprising strength. "Brat! I have survived three Ninja Wars. Do you know who you're talking to?"
"A failure, who else?" Koushin smirked, his eyes locked on hers, unflinching.
Chiyo's face reddened with fury, her grip tightening on Koushin's collar. "How dare you, you insolent child! I've given my life to Suna and its people, and you have the audacity to call me a failure?"
Koushin held her gaze, his voice calm and steady. "Yes, because that's what you are right now. You're giving up on Sasori and Gaara, on everyone who still needs you. You're choosing to wallow in self-pity instead of fighting for them, for your village."
Tears welled up in Chiyo's eyes, her voice wavering as she tried to maintain her anger. "What... what do you expect me to do? I'm old, I'm weak, and I've failed everyone I love."
Koushin smirked, putting the final nail in the coffin. "How about starting with owning your mistakes, standing by your village to work harder, and saving Gaara and Sasori. Only after that, if you still want to, you can go and die. But before that, you are not allowed to, not if you're as awesome as you claim yourself to be."
Chiyo stared at Koushin, her eyes wide with shock. For a moment, she seemed to be at a loss for words. Then, something flickered in her eyes, a spark of determination that hadn't been there before. She released her grip on Koushin's collar and took a step back, her voice shaking but resolute. "You… you're right. I can't just give up, not now. I owe it to my village, to Gaara, and to Sasori, to keep fighting."
Naruto, who had been watching the exchange with a mix of fear and awe, let out a sigh of relief. "I knew you could do it, Chiyo-baa-sama. We'll all work together to save Gaara and Sasori."
Kakashi nodded in agreement, his newly restored eye still tender but functional. "We'll need to come up with a plan, though. The Akatsuki won't be easy to track down, and they'll be expecting us to try."
Hinata, her face determined, added, "But we have a better understanding of their abilities now, and we know what they're after. That gives us an advantage."
Koushin glanced around at his teammates, his expression serious. "We should return to Suna for now and notify them that Gaara won't be returning just yet. Then we can communicate with the other villages and come up with a plan. But for now, there's not much we can do other than share the information we've gathered."
The others nodded in agreement, and they began making their way out of the cavern. As they walked, Naruto's mind raced, trying to think of a way to save Gaara and bring him back to the village.
They didn't have to wait long for Team Asuma to arrive. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji appeared, their faces etched with worry and concern.
"What happened?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes scanning the group for any signs of injury. "Is everyone okay?"
Naruto hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Gaara... he's been taken by the Akatsuki. They're using him and Sasori somehow. We need to find a way to save them both."
Ino's eyes widened in shock, and she exchanged worried glances with her teammates. Choji's fists clenched, and he spoke up, his voice filled with determination. "We won't let them get away with this. We'll bring Gaara back."
Shikamaru nodded, his mind already working on a strategy. "We need to inform the other villages and work together. The Akatsuki won't be easy to track down, but we can't give up."
As the group made their way back to Suna, Chiyo walked alongside Koushin, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Koushin. Your words... They were harsh, but they were what I needed to hear. I won't give up on Gaara and Sasori. I'll do everything I can to save them."
Koushin couldn't help but smirk at Chiyo's words, feeling a twinge of pride at having helped her find her resolve. However, he wasn't one for emotional displays, especially with anyone other than Ino, his Pumpkin.
"I was just making fun of an old woman," Koushin said nonchalantly, shrugging off Chiyo's gratitude. "I don't know what you mean." With that, he strode over to Ino, who had been watching the entire exchange with a mix of amusement and concern.
Ino raised an eyebrow as Koushin approached, but she couldn't suppress a smile as he took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "So, Pumpkin," Koushin teased, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Were you worried about me while I was giving Chiyo-baa-sama a piece of my mind?"
Ino rolled her eyes at his playful tone, but her smile remained. "Worried? Please, I know you can handle yourself, even against a fierce old lady."
After they arrived at the Sand Village, Chiyo notified Rasa and the others about Gaara's desertion. Naruto and his friends were from Konoha, after all, and their words would always be taken with suspicion. It was better to let Chiyo handle it.
Koushin, at this time, was with Kakashi, who was sitting on the rooftop of a building, watching the moon. He wasn't in his usual mood but looked depressed and lost. Koushin went to sit next to him, saying nothing. He knew Kakashi needed a friend and when he wanted to, he would speak.
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