Akatsuki: Sasori of The Red Sand

Sasori, also known as Sasori of the Red Sand, was a highly skilled ninja from Sunagakure. He belonged to the Puppet Brigade and was a member of Akatsuki, an organization of powerful ninjas. Initially, he teamed up with Orochimaru and later with Deidara.

Background

When Sasori was young, his parents were killed in battle, and he was raised by his grandmother, Chiyo. Chiyo taught him puppetry to cheer him up, and he showed great talent for it. He even created puppets resembling his parents but eventually lost interest in them. During the Third Shinobi World War, he gained the nickname "Sasori of the Red Sand" because of his deadly puppetry skills. Sasori had a desire to create everlasting works, so he started experimenting with turning people into puppets. His friend Komushi became his first human puppet after accidentally ingesting Sasori's poison. Sasori also converted his own body into a puppet, preserving his youthful appearance. He joined the Akatsuki after being recruited by Konan and was partnered with Orochimaru. Sasori created sleeper agents and spies for the Akatsuki, and he held a grudge against Orochimaru after his departure. He later confronted Orochimaru with the Third Kazekage puppet, but Orochimaru countered with the real Kazekage. Despite their efforts, they couldn't find Orochimaru's body, which left Sasori annoyed.

Personality

Sasori had a sad and lonely childhood, lacking parental love. Learning puppetry from his grandmother, Chiyo, brought him some happiness. He created puppets resembling his parents but became cold and distant when he realized they couldn't provide the love he desired. Sasori had no loyalty to his village and defected to pursue his own interests, causing harm to Sunagakure. He had a cruel and nihilistic nature but remained calm and rarely showed strong emotions. Sasori disagreed with his partner, Deidara, about art, with Sasori believing in everlasting works and Deidara valuing transient art. Sasori aimed to turn his own body into a puppet, seeking eternal art. However, he changed his perspective after Kankurō told him that creations made with heart and soul would last forever. Sasori was loyal to Akatsuki and vowed to kill his former partner, Orochimaru, for betraying the organization.

Abilities

Sasori was an extremely strong shinobi who had the ability to defeat and kill the Third Kazekage, the most powerful ninja in Suna's history, although it required a great effort. He was renowned for his skill in using puppets and was feared during the Third Shinobi World War because he caused a lot of bloodshed, earning him the nickname "Sasori of the Red Sand." Even though Kankurō was born after Sasori had left the village, he still knew about him and was afraid of him. Even Deidara, another powerful shinobi, admitted that Sasori was stronger than him.

Puppet Mastery

Sasori was trained by his grandmother, Chiyo, to be a skilled puppeteer. He created many impressive puppets, including the ones used by Kankurō. He had a vast collection of human puppets and was able to control them with chakra threads. His mastery of puppetry gave him a big advantage over other puppeteers, especially if they used his puppets. He was skilled in long-range combat and could control up to 100 puppets simultaneously. Sasori could even control living people as puppets if they were weakened. He turned his puppetry into an artistic performance, which he called his "Red Secret Technique."

Human Puppetry

Sasori created puppets using the bodies of living humans, which made them different from regular puppets. These human puppets had special abilities because they could use chakra and perform the techniques they knew when they were alive. They were also equipped with dangerous devices. Sasori was the only one who knew how to create these unique puppets because he developed this technique.

Hiruko

Hiruko, a human puppet created by Sasori, was his eleventh puppet and served as both a weapon and armor. Sasori could control Hiruko from within, using techniques like the Sand Clone and chakra threads. Hiruko had a scorpion-like tail with a demon mask on its back, which acted as extra defense and a weapon laced with Sasori's poisonous substance. The tail could spin rapidly for defense or be used as an offensive weapon. Hiruko's left arm had a launcher for firing poisoned shrapnel and needles, and its mouth could also shoot poisoned needles. Sasori favored Hiruko and dressed it in Akatsuki attire, concealing his true identity from most members. While inside Hiruko, Sasori could see and speak through it with a deeper voice.

Third Kazekage

Sasori's favorite human puppet was the Third Kazekage. This puppet had the ability of Magnet Release, which allowed Sasori to control Iron Sand and use powerful Iron Sand techniques. By combining the Iron Sand with Sasori's poison, it became even more deadly. The Iron Sand could also be used to immobilize other puppets by filling their joints. Because the Iron Sand was derived from the Third Kazekage's chakra manipulation, Sasori became immune to metallic weapons. The puppet's right arm had poisoned blades, while the left arm had summoning seals that could summon numerous arms to attack. These arms could crush opponents, release poisonous gas, and use wires to drag opponents into the gas cloud. If the arms were cut off, a small buzz-saw would take their place.

Puppet Body

Sasori, despite being 35 years old, appeared as a young boy due to his immortalized puppet body. He had multiple puppet bodies resembling himself, with his core being the only living part. He had various weapons hidden in his Akatsuki robes, including fire and water-spewing pipes, spinning blades, and a retractable stinger made from a cable. He could transfer his core to other puppets and control over a hundred puppets using chakra threads, giving him a significant advantage. His puppet body was nearly indestructible, except for his core, making him immune to fatigue, injuries, and pain. Sasori's core was his only weakness, and its destruction would result in his death. Despite lacking organs, his puppet body retained awareness and basic functions. After his demise, Kankurō used Sasori's body as his puppet.

Intelligence

Sasori is a clever and strategic individual who excels at analyzing situations and deceiving his opponents. He has a deep understanding of the human body, as seen in his brainwashing technique and his skill in creating various deadly poisons. His poisons are extremely potent, causing immediate effects and even leading to death after three days of suffering. According to Sakura, the poisons contain heavy metals that invade muscles and destroy healthy cells. Sasori believed that his poisons were unbeatable and incurable in Sunagakure, but Sakura surprised him by creating a successful antidote. Sasori acknowledged the precision required to develop the antidote, recognizing it as a challenging task even for himself.