Sunagakure had far fewer canon characters than Konoha, and the number Yubi could currently interact with was very limited.
Some of Sunagakure's future key figures hadn't even been born yet. Yubi hadn't expected that treating canon characters would grant bonus experience.
If healing canon characters gives bonus positive EXP… does killing one grant massive negative EXP?
The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't dwell on it. There were still other wounded waiting for treatment.
Sasori's injuries had already helped him better understand the system.
Time passed slowly.
Soon, the unconscious Sasori woke up.
He glanced at his bandaged wounds, then looked at Yubi approaching.
"Human bodies really are fragile…"
Yubi's heart skipped a beat.
It wasn't strange for Sasori to say this. They were in the middle of the Second Shinobi World War. Shinobi from every village were being consumed at terrifying speed. On the battlefield, they witnessed comrades dying constantly.
In the future, Sasori will turn his body into a puppet… this might be part of the reason. But more than anything, it's probably because of his parents.
Yubi smiled.
"You just exhausted your chakra. The injuries aren't serious. Rest well… you're Sunagakure's genius. If something happened to you, I wouldn't know how to explain it to Lady Chiyo."
"Are we going to lose this position?" Sasori changed the subject.
It was already the latter half of the second night.
In the underground chamber, aside from the severely wounded who couldn't move, few shinobi remained.
"At most, we can hold out another hour. If reinforcements don't arrive, we'll have to retreat," Yubi replied seriously.
Nearly everyone still fighting in the canyon was already injured. They couldn't hold much longer.
And if retreat orders came…
There was no way they could evacuate every patient in the chamber.
Some comrades would have to be left behind.
The cruelty of war sent chills down the spine.
"What are you planning to do?"
Sasori slowly stood and put on his forehead protector.
Yubi immediately stepped in front of him.
He knew Sasori intended to return to battle.
"Move."
Sasori stared at him coldly.
"You're my patient. As a doctor, I'm responsible for your condition. Sorry—you need to rest," Yubi replied.
Sasori's arm moved. A puppet scroll appeared in his hand.
"You don't have many puppets left, do you?" Yubi glanced at it with a smile.
"Even if you join the battlefield now, it won't change anything. You'd just be throwing your life away."
"My puppet technique controls more than puppets," Sasori said quietly.
"If I wanted, you could become one of my playthings."
"You want control that much?"
Yubi grinned, completely unfazed by the hostility.
He knew Sasori wasn't joking. Among Sunagakure's puppet masters, only Sasori could truly create Human Puppets—puppets made from corpses that retained the ability to use the victim's former techniques.
Though Sasori wasn't yet fully proficient, the signs were already there. Over the past two days, Yubi had noticed him quietly collecting "materials."
Yubi's shameless reply made Sasori frown.
"Move."
"No."
With a puff of smoke, a snake puppet appeared.
Sasori's fingers moved.
He attacked.
The puppet shot forward like lightning.
Yubi ducked and dashed toward Sasori, attempting close combat—a puppet master's typical weakness.
Sasori was not typical.
The snake puppet split midair. Its lower half transformed into a collar that snapped around Yubi's neck, tightening instantly and dragging him several meters away.
Sasori hadn't intended to kill him—just teach him a lesson.
But as he turned to leave—
His pupils shrank.
The chakra strings on his fingers had been cut.
His puppet collapsed.
Yubi tore the collar from his neck and tossed it aside.
"A feint… your real goal was cutting my chakra strings."
Sasori narrowed his eyes.
"Chakra Scalpel…"
Yubi smiled.
"Puppet masters are Sunagakure's pride. I've studied them well. Just like you've been watching me."
He rolled his neck.
"In peak condition, I couldn't beat you. But now? Things are different."
"Your wound is on your left abdomen. It affected the intercostal nerves. Every arm movement distorts under the pain. You've been hiding it—but not from me."
"I haven't rested either. My condition is terrible too. But even now, you can't beat me… and you still want to go die?"
"If that's your choice, do as you please."
"I'll just apologize to Lady Chiyo."
"And I'll be… very disappointed in you."
The smile disappeared from Yubi's face.
Silence filled the chamber.
No one interfered.
Both boys had already earned status—Yubi as medical leader, Sasori as Sunagakure's prodigy and Chiyo's grandson.
After a tense moment—
Sasori turned and sat back down.