When Jiraiya and Shisui fully took over Turtle Island, Sougen, still in the Land of Hot Water, received the compensation materials sent by the Cloud Ninja. The money and supplies were just a small bonus—Konoha was never short on funds. After defeating the Cloud Ninja, the Fire Daimyo even granted Konoha an additional subsidy.

While some individual ninjas may have been struggling financially, Konoha as a village had never faced a financial crisis since its founding.

What was truly valuable among the compensation, however, were the scrolls brought by the Cloud Ninja.

These scrolls contained decades of research on Lightning Release techniques, including outdated versions of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, training methods for the Hell Stab from four to two fingers, the mysteries of Black Lightning, and the techniques for the Sonic Thunder Blade.

Although the information was fragmented, the Cloud Ninja responsible for the handover wore a bitter expression, as if reluctantly parting with a treasure. These weren't outdated or mutilated techniques—they were invaluable secrets, impossible to buy with money.

For example, the outdated Lightning Release Chakra Mode may have been replaced by newer versions, but it was still the product of years of Cloud Ninja research and wisdom.

The Hell Stab, a signature move of the Third Raikage, was only provided in training methods for two to four fingers, with the ultimate one-finger version withheld. Yet, even the Cloud Ninja themselves could no longer master the "strongest spear."

Even though the training methods for two to four fingers differed, they followed the same underlying principles. With enough dedication, one could grasp the broader concepts, though mastering them was another matter. Sometimes, the problem wasn't the technique but the lack of someone capable of wielding it.

Konoha's Scroll of Seals contained countless powerful techniques, yet only a few could master them. For instance, only the Second and Fourth Hokage truly excelled at the Flying Thunder God Technique, while the likes of Genma Shiranui and his team struggled to execute it together, setting a low bar of mastery.

The same logic applied here.

The more powerful the technique, the harder it was to master, limiting its widespread use.

Of course, that didn't stop Sougen from milking the Cloud Ninja for all they were worth. Even if no one could master these difficult techniques, studying their flaws could still prove valuable. Not every Konoha ninja was an Uchiha with Mangekyo Sharingan who could bulldoze their enemies.

Had it not been for the Iwa-nin's attack on the Hidden Cloud Village, the Cloud Ninja wouldn't have so easily agreed to give up these treasures as compensation.

"This is the Amber Purifying Bottle? Doesn't seem all that special," the red-haired boy standing next to the couch commented, looking up and down at the large urn-like object on the table. The amber-colored vessel bore symbols resembling the kanji for "dust" and was wrapped with a white ceremonial rope at the mouth.

"It's the real deal," Sougen replied, brushing his hand over the bottle.

With a subtle activation of his power, The Knight Does Not Die by Bare Hands, Sougen silently expelled the foreign chakra left inside the Amber Purifying Bottle. The tools left by the Sage of Six Paths had no particular loyalty—they could be used by anyone with enough chakra.

However, after Sougen's touch, the bottle now bore the Uchiha name. Unless he willingly released his claim, no one else could use it.

"The Amber Purifying Bottle, a tool of the Sage of Six Paths. What exactly does it do?" the red-haired boy, Sasori, asked, knocking on the bottle. The dull sound echoed in the office.

"Want to try it out?" Sougen asked.

Sasori, despite his youthful appearance, was actually over ten years older than Sougen. He raised an eyebrow at the proposal. "Sure! I'll—"

Before he could finish, Sougen swiftly removed the lid. As soon as Sasori agreed, an invisible force emerged from the bottle, pulling him inside and compressing his small frame like an insect. He was sucked into the bottle in an instant.

Pop!

The lid snapped shut.

After about three minutes, Sougen opened the lid again and shook the bottle, releasing Sasori back into the room.

Sasori collapsed onto the couch, silent for a minute, then raised an eyebrow, squinting at Sougen. "So this is how the Amber Purifying Bottle works? Triggered by sound? Interesting! This thing... is much more fascinating than I thought."

Geniuses like Sasori could discern mechanisms with just one experience.

"Interesting? What's interesting about it?"

"A lot. The sound-triggered mechanism alone is fascinating. I don't understand how it works... Also, once I was inside, my consciousness and physical abilities were severely suppressed. It's an incredibly advanced sealing technique. By the way, how much chakra did you feed this bottle?"

Sasori, a puppet master by trade, primarily researched human puppets but was also intrigued by complex mechanisms like the Amber Purifying Bottle. The mystery of its workings intrigued him, and he wondered how he could incorporate such a mechanism into his puppets.

"Chakra? None at all," Sougen said, stroking the bottle.

Unlike the Banana Palm Fan, which consumed vast amounts of chakra, the Amber Purifying Bottle functioned without any chakra input from Sougen. Its energy source came from somewhere else.

"This is a true treasure," Sougen thought, a pleased smile curling on his lips.

The Amber Purifying Bottle had exceeded his expectations. He initially thought it would be another chakra-draining tool like the Banana Palm Fan, but instead, it offered a delightful surprise.

"No chakra input?" Sasori blinked, moving closer to examine the bottle. He almost pressed his face against it, eager to uncover its secrets. A sealing technique this powerful without any chakra input was baffling. Could there be some other power source at play?

"This thing... The Cloud Ninja used it to seal tailed beasts, right? It could suppress a tailed beast, and even a highly advanced sealing technique would need a tremendous amount of chakra to function..." Sasori muttered, frowning deeply as he sank into thought.

Knock knock!

Sougen tapped the table.

"Sasori, it's fine to take a look, but why do you have a knife out?"

"I want to take a closer look at this amber purification jar. It doesn't seem like metal, but it's not wood either, and it doesn't completely feel like pottery... wait, what am I doing? There's not a single scratch on it!" Under Sougen's gaze, Sasori nonchalantly retracted the curved blade that had sprung from his arm.

He had tried scraping the amber jar with his blade, but nothing came off.

The amber purification jar looked more like a regular container; it wasn't as beautiful as its name suggested, but its durability was top-notch—it was built to last.

"If I scratch it, I'll work off the debt for the rest of my life!"

"Hah! Like you'd ever actually let me go," Sasori sneered.

He could never have predicted how things would turn out. After being defeated and captured by Uchiha Sougen, Sasori thought his life was over. But to his surprise, Sougen gave him a choice to keep living!

Of course, if it were just a miserable existence as a slave, Sasori would've preferred death.

However, Sougen had offered him a deal that left him no room to refuse—he'd get to study a unique body, cultivated with the Wood Release cells of the First Hokage. When Sasori saw the pale, lifeless body, which was still brimming with immense vitality, he found himself unable to resist.

He agreed to Sougen's terms and followed him to the Leaf Army camp in the Land of Hot Water.

There, Sasori began his new research.

At first, he considered stealing the special body and fleeing. But after three failed escape attempts, each time caught and tortured by Sougen's genjutsu, Sasori realized he wasn't a match for him.

After much painful reflection, Sasori came to a conclusion. If he couldn't escape now, he might as well focus on researching the body, which was teeming with life force. He thought that by studying it, he could improve his "regeneration core." Maybe when his strength grew, he'd have a chance to leave.

In the meantime, Sougen wasn't treating him harshly.

He wasn't being worked to death like a slave. Instead, Sougen gave him personal space and a limited area to move about. Any materials Sasori needed for his research were provided quickly. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that he was technically a prisoner, working for Sougen wouldn't be so bad. He didn't have to scour the world for resources; everything he needed was brought right to him—it was a researcher's paradise.

"Who knows? The future is unpredictable! I never thought we'd be sitting in the same room like this." Sougen laughed. He had once thought that any meeting with a member of the Akatsuki would end in a fight to the death.

Though, strictly speaking, Sasori hadn't officially joined the Akatsuki yet.

Sasori shrugged, not disagreeing.

The future was full of possibilities, but that didn't stop him from wanting to grow stronger. Instead of waiting for some uncertain chance, it was better to create the future he desired with his own hands.

That was the mindset of a true researcher. Orochimaru was the same—they didn't submit to "fate" but instead tried to control it. Defying death itself was their way of rebelling against fate!

"Can I borrow this jar for research for a while?" Sasori pointed at the amber jar.

"Not for now. Don't forget your primary task. I want to see progress on that research first. After you've made some headway, we'll talk about the jar," Sougen declined firmly.

It wasn't that he minded Sasori studying the jar.

It's just that Sougen himself was quite interested in it. If he let Sasori study it, it would only be after he had satisfied his own curiosity. And if Sasori somehow damaged it, that'd be a huge loss. Of course, that was unlikely, but Sougen simply wasn't ready to let it go.

"Stingy. Fine, just don't forget what you said later." Sasori patted the jar, feeling a bit disappointed. If he could figure out its power source, he might be able to create a puppet rivaling Susano'o! But at least Sougen hadn't completely shut him down—there was still a chance to study this tool, which was said to be a relic of the Sage of Six Paths.

Come to think of it, there were a few tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths! If Sasori had known how incredible they were back when he went to the Land of Lightning, he would've tried harder to get his hands on one. The stories of the Sage were widely told across the ninja world, and even though each region had its own version, it was no secret that Kumogakure possessed some of the Sage's tools.

In the past, Sasori had dismissed these tools, focusing instead on human puppetry, spending all his time gathering valuable corpses.

"Like I said, once you meet my requirements with that research, borrowing the amber jar won't be a problem. And it's not just the jar—I've got plenty of other good stuff too! Like the Samehada from the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, the Bashōsen, another one of the Sage's tools, and even our Uchiha clan's flame fan!"

To motivate Sasori to work harder, Sougen dangled the best bait in front of him, just waiting for Sasori to wear himself out pulling the millstone!