Porcelain [Sasori]

Puppet #10

Porcelain

Puppet #10

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"A friend of Eirin-sama's?" The maid questioned, blinking her brown eyes with confusion. Sasori nodded once.

"What are you dressing her up for? Who is this audience?" Sasori questioned, turning to face her. Sasori knew that she was the one that had cried over Eirin when he passed the door before.

The maid's expression morphed into one of fright. She gulped thickly and her fists trembled as she tried to answer the child's question. She had a strange feeling, and immediately knew that the boy was not part of F.L's squad of ninja.

"Why are you shaking?" Sasori asked, pointing at her.

The maid laughed nervously at his bluntness, "My name is Ai. I'm a maid..."

"I can see that. Now answer my question."

Ai whimpered gently at the kid's straightforwardness. "I've been instructed to dress Eirin-sama appropriately, so that she may have an audience with F.L."

"Who is F.L?"

"He is a noble related to the feudal lord."

"Related to the feudal lord?" Sasori questioned aloud, "Why would they need to kidnap her for that? Couldn't they just request her audience?"

"That can't be done." Ai spoke softly, staring at her mistress. She took a few steps closer so that she stood at the foot of the bed. She stared at Eirin for a long moment, aware that Sasori was watching her every move. She then moved her gaze to the red head's. "The reason it can't be done, is because of the feudal lord himself. He doesn't need to summon someone he has personal connections to."

Ai stopped herself there, gasping. She placed a hand over her mouth. She glanced at Sasori, letting her hand drop to her side. "Before I tell you any more...can I trust you?"

Sasori raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know, decide yourself."

Ai had a hopeless look on her face as she struggled to find the right words to say, "Uh...what's your name?"

"Sasori."

"Sasori-sama...why are you here? I want to know your intentions."

The Suna nin's eyes narrowed at the woman, but he sighed. If Hana had led him there, then that would mean that she trusted him with something. But what – he didn't know.

"I followed their tracks from Suna after Yoshi and Yuki took them." Sasori summarised. "I had a bad feeling."

Ai held a gasp and then nodded her head, bowing it slightly, "Thank you very much for caring for Eirin-sama!"

"I didn't do anything like that." Sasori muttered. "Hana told me to come in here."

"Hana?" Ai's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar name. Her lips curled into a smile and she nodded happily. "I deem you trustworthy! I'll tell you what I know! Please save Eirin-sama!" Her voice changed dramatically from happy to pleading.

Sasori stood there, listening. He heard Eirin stir in her unconscious state.

"Before I tell you what the situation is now, I will need to inform you about her background. It is important that you do not tell anybody, as it may blow up into an international matter." Ai warned, staring at him sternly.

The child merely nodded once.

"The current feudal lord of the Land of Earth is old and doesn't have any children to succeed in his position as feudal lord. He has two siblings – an older sister and a younger brother. Eirin-sama is the feudal lord's younger brother's daughter, whilst the man known as F.L is the feudal lord's older sister's son. F.L is older than Eirin-sama by a decade or so, and was supposed to succeed.