The boy was jumping around and celebrating as if his first child was born.

This provided Sasori with an opportunity to examine himself. he was wearing his Akatsuki cloak, and he was also in his puppet form, still having his weapons that were in his puppet body. However, the scroll containing his puppets was empty.

"Oi, kid," Sasori called out to the boy. He stopped celebrating and looked at Sasori with confidence on his face.

"Where are we?" Sasori asked the boy, who looked confused at that question. A sudden realization crossed his face. "It's the last day of the final selection," the boy said, thinking Sasori was questioning him about the day.

"And where is this final selection?" Sasori asked. The boy looked at Sasori like he was an idiot. "In Mount Fujikasane," the boy said. "In fact, I have questions myself. Who are you, and how did you control my body? Is it some sort of breathing style?" The boy said as he covered himself with his hands, as if Sasori was some sort of pervert.

"I'll only answer if you also give me your name," Sasori said. "My name is Zenitsu Agatsuma," the boy, now known as Zenitsu, replied.

Sasori, unfamiliar with the concept of a breathing style, decided to play along to build trust. "My name is Sasori, and yes, that technique was a Breathing style," he replied.

"Okay, Sasori, we should head back to the entrance we came from so we can leave." Zenitsu Said, setting off in a particular direction. Sasori followed Zenitsu.

Recognizing that bombarding the boy with more questions would only raise suspicion, Sasori chose to observe and follow for the time being. Zenitsu seemed to have a sense of direction, and Sasori decided to trust his lead.

-After a couple of minutes-

As they walked for just a short time, a ray of sunlight began to filter through the surroundings, signaling a potential exit or entrance to their current location.

Zenitsu and Sasori were embraced by the light of the sun. "Congratulations, you have survived the Final Selection," two voices, mirroring each other, echoed. Zenitsu dropped to the floor and started to cry, "I'M ALIVE!" he screamed, continuing to cry.

Sasori surveyed the scene, discovering only three other figures present, all of them female. Among them were twins, presumably the voices that had offered congratulations. One had black hair, while the other had white hair. The third person seemed entirely engrossed in their own thoughts, showing no reaction to Zenitsu's emotional outburst. Sasori observed the twins, noticing their complete indifference to Zenitsu's cries, as if they had encountered such reactions countless times before.

Looking back, Sasori could understand why Zenitsu was crying. What lurked in that forest was unnatural. The air carried the heavy scent of lingering fear, and the sunlight, once comforting, now seemed to cast shadows on the truth of the Final Selection.

As the voices echoed in Sasori's mind, congratulating them on surviving, he couldn't shake the feeling that their ordeal had only just begun. The forest had unveiled its unnatural mysteries, and Sasori couldn't help but wonder what role these individuals, brought together by survival, would play in the unfolding narrative of this unfamiliar place.

As time passedtwo others came out of the forest: one with Hanafuda earrings and a boy with a buzz cut who looked like his face is permanently stuck in an angry expression.

"Welcome back. Congratulations, we're pleased to see that you're safe," the twins said in unison.

"So? What am I supposed to do now?.. Where's my sword?" The boy with the buzz cut demanded.

"First, we shall issue you all uniforms. We will take your measurements, after which your rank will be engraved. There are ten ranks in all... Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto. Currently, you are at the lowest rank, Mizunoto," the twins explained.

Sasori realized he was now a member of some kind of organization. 'Well, at least I'll have access to information in this organization,' Sasori thought to himself.

"And our swords?" the boy with the buzz cut questioned.

"Today, we will let you choose the ore for your swords. However, the swords will take ten to fifteen days to complete," one of the twins answered.

"Are you kidding me?" the buzz-cut boy said annoyed.

"But first..." The twins clapped their hands, and several crows descended from the sky, landing on each participant. A crow perched on Sasori's head, and he remained unfazed.

"We will now assign you your own Kasugai crow," the twins announced, met with various reactions from the participants.

"These Kasugai crows can be used primarily for communication," the twins explained.

"Did you say 'Crow'? Isn't this a sparrow, though?" Zenitsu said, looking confused.

The buzz-cut boy screamed as he shooed his crow away. "Don't give me that crap! Who the hell cares about some stupid crow?" He walked up to the closest twin, and grabbed her hair, leaving the boy with Hanafuda earrings and Zenitsu shocked by the buzz cut's actions.

"I want a sword, you hear? Give me one right now! The Demon Slayer's Sword! The Color Changing Sword!" The buzz-cut boy demanded.

"I've never heard of a color-changing sword," Sasori said more to himself than anyone in particular.

The boy with Hanafuda earrings grabbed the buzz-cut boy's hand. "Take your hand off her! Or else, I'll break your arm!" he threatened.

"Who the hell are you?" the buzz-cut boy demanded.

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What should I do?" Zenitsu asked, panicking. "Nothing. If it's not your problem, don't get involved," Sasori advised. Zenitsu looked unsure.

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"Let's see you try it!" the buzz-cut boy challenged the other boy.

The boy with Hanafuda earrings tightened his grip on the other boy's arm, causing the buzz-cut boy to scream as he walked back, holding his arm.

"Are you finished chatting?" the other twin asked with an angry expression as she removed a cloth covering the table.

There were ores of different sizes, and Sasori had never seen this type of ore before. He narrowed his eyes as he continued looking at the ores.

"Now then, please select an ore. The steel of the sword... that will annihilate demons and protect you... will be of your own choosing," the twins said.

All the participants seemed clueless about what to choose. Sasori looked at the twins. "What are these ores called?" Sasori asked. "Scarlet Ore," the twins answered. "And what makes them so special?" Sasori continued. "They constantly absorb sunlight; decapitating demons with Nichirin Swords can permanently kill them. Once their neck bone is slashed by the weapon, their heads and bodies disintegrate into ash in a similar fashion to when exposed to sunlight," the twins explained.

Zenitsu and the buzz-cut boy were the only ones listening to the twins. The girl seemed like she didn't care, and the other boy with Hanafuda earrings seemed deep in thought.

Sasori looked at the ore, easily discerning which ore suited what. He released his chakra in a small, unnoticeable amount as he sent his chakra around the ores.

Sasori carefully observed the ores, his chakra senses attuned to the subtle energies emanating from each piece. The Scarlet Crimson Ores glowed with a faint, otherworldly radiance, and as his chakra explored their essence, he could sense their affinity for the sun's energy.

The twins watched the participants, their eyes sharp and discerning. The buzz-cut boy continued to fume, the boy with Hanafuda earrings maintained his resolve, and Zenitsu appeared increasingly agitated, struggling to make sense of the situation.

As Sasori continued his silent examination, he began to notice the subtle nuances of each ore. Some pulsed with a warmer glow, indicating a potential for enhanced cutting ability. Others exuded an ethereal brilliance, suggesting an innate connection to spiritual energy. The choice of ore seemed to be a crucial decision, not just for the functionality of the sword but also for the unique characteristics it might imbue upon the wielder.

Feeling confident in his understanding, Sasori stepped forward. "I choose this one," he said, pointing to an ore that emanated a balanced mixture of warmth and radiance.

The twins nodded approvingly. "A discerning choice," one of them remarked. "Now, each of you, make your selection."

Zenitsu hesitated, his eyes darting nervously between the ores as he picked one that had a sense of protection to it. The buzz-cut boy, still agitated, impatiently grabbed one that caught his eye. The girl, seemingly uninterested until now, casually picked an ore with an air of nonchalance. The boy with Hanafuda earrings approached the table with a thoughtful expression, carefully evaluating each piece as he selected one with the most warmth.

As the participants made their choices, Sasori couldn't help but wonder about the significance of the ores. The twins had mentioned their unique ability to decapitate demons permanently, but there seemed to be more to these mystical materials than met the eye.

Once everyone had selected an ore, the twins gathered the chosen pieces and wrapped the ores with a piece of cloth. "Now then, we require your living addresses as we need a destination to deliver the swords to each one of the participants. Give a location," the twins instructed, and each participant provided their address. Only Sasori was left.

"Where shall we send your sword to?" One of the twins asked. Sasori never had a home after he left Sunagakure. Even when he worked with the Akatsuki, he only had a Work shop, never a place he could call home. "I do not have a residence," Sasori said simply.

"I see. Well, then when you leave, there will be a man waiting to take you to a village where you will be staying until your sword is completed," the twins explained.

Sasori nodded his head. As he left, at the bottom of the mountain, he saw a woman with pink hair that seamlessly transitioned into a vibrant lime green halfway down. The woman seemingly noticed him and ran in front of him, grabbing his shoulders. "Is there a pink-haired girl still up there?" The woman asked Sasori with panic in her eyes and voice.

As Sasori looked through his memories, he remembered a pink-haired girl he had misunderstood to be Sakura and killed. "No, there were not any girls with pink hair that came back," Sasori said.

The woman pushed Sasori aside as she began to run up the mountain with impressive speed. Sasori proceeded to continue down the mountain, contemplating the events that unfolded and the mysteries that still surrounded him.

As he reached the bottom of the mountain, he saw a man covered in black clothes with a cloth that fully covered his face, leaving only his eyes open. "I have been told you will take me to a village?" Sasori said. The man nodded as he pulled out a piece of cloth, "Yes, I will take you there, but your eyes must be covered so the location of the village is kept secret," he said. "Why must this location be secret?" Sasori asked, intrigued. "The village we are heading towards is the Swordsmith Village where the blacksmiths make the Nichirin Sword, and the reason you need to be blindfolded is that if you're ever captured by a demon, you can't disclose the location," the man explained.

"Very well, but how will you take me there?" Sasori asked curiously. "You will be riding on my back. Now I'm going to put the blindfold on," the man said as he began to secure the blindfold on Sasori's face, then proceeded to lift Sasori onto his back. "Wow, you're heavier than you look," the man remarked as he steadied Sasori on his back. Sasori had many weapons and gadgets in his puppet body, which increased his weight.

He began to run. Sasori didn't have much to do on the man's back, so Sasori focused on processing the information gathered from Zenitsu, the twins, and the man.

Several hours later, the man stopped. "Have we arrived at the village?" Sasori questioned. "No, you will simply be switching riders," the man said as he dropped Sasori to the ground. "Hello," another voice exclaimed. "I'll be carrying you for now," the woman said. "Very well," Sasori said as he got on her back. "You're 'heavy'. " the woman commented. "Sorry, that was rude of me," she apologized, worried that she offended him. "It's fine," Sasori said as they began to run, switching riders several times.

"How close are we to the village?" Sasori asked the man who was carrying him earlier. "I'll be the last one," a woman's voice said. "I'll be taking you to the village," she said. "Be careful; he is heavier than he looks," the man who brought him warned.

As the woman stoleSasori, the sound of something cracking could be heard. "Are you okay?" Sasori and the man asked. "Yep, I'm fine," the woman said through gritted teeth. "That cracking sound was not fine," the man said, concern in his voice. "I'm fine; I got a job to do," she insisted as she continued to walk.

-One hour later-

The woman was panting, and Sasori had heard her groan several times by now. "You can take a break if you want," Sasori suggested. "I'm fine," the woman insisted. Sasori steadied himself and poked her back. "Oww, that hurts, don't do that!" the woman exclaimed. "Your spine is broken; let me down," Sasori said.

"My back is fine. Besides, if we stop now before we reach the village and the sun sets down, we'll be eaten by demons," the woman explained. "At the speed you're going, we will never reach the village alive," Sasori stated bluntly. "Still, I'm going to have to carry you to the village," the woman said.

"I'll carry you," Sasori offered. "You don't even know where the village is?" the woman questioned. "Just guide me to the village," Sasori said. "I'm not giving you the location of the village," the woman said firmly. "Then just tell me when to turn left or right," Sasori suggested. The woman stopped, contemplating Sasori's statement. She sighed as she let Sasori down. Sasori then put the woman on his back. "Tell me where to go; I'm still blindfolded," Sasori said as he began to run. "Ahh, slow down. Take a left," she said, shocked at Sasori's speed. Sasori did not slow down.

After a while, "We're here!" the woman said, shocked at the speed they had reached the village. It would normally take hours to get to the village at the spot where she and Sasori switched.

Sasori removed his blindfold, and there were large buildings everywhere. For once in a long time, Sasori was excited.