After realizing that the seven figures were puppets, Uchiha Yuan's eyes flickered with a faint golden glow.
He gathered chakra into his vision—
And immediately saw that each puppet's limbs and torso were connected by thread-like chakra strings, all extending deep into the forest.
Such fine chakra threads… the controller must be a powerful puppeteer.
Yuan pondered inwardly. From his perception, those threads were formed from high-density chakra, far stronger than ordinary control lines.
He recalled what he had learned from the Military Police records:
Puppeteers were almost exclusively from Sunagakure, and their status there was extremely high.
A truly powerful puppeteer could control dozens of puppets at once, becoming an army by themselves.
He also remembered—
During the Second Shinobi War, a puppeteer from Suna had once single-handedly destroyed a hidden village in the Land of Rivers.
That same puppeteer was later slain by Sakumo Hatake.
To become a puppeteer, the first hurdle was the ability to condense chakra into threads—a skill requiring exceptional control.
And that alone eliminated most shinobi.
Hmm… I can't sense the puppeteer at all.
Yuan's gaze shifted slightly.
He had already traced the chakra threads with his perception, yet no presence could be found.
This opponent is strong.
At that moment—
The puppets surrounding the Mist shinobi moved.
Click! Click!
With mechanical sounds, seven puppets rapidly circled three remaining Mist ninjas.
The Mist shinobi raised their blades, staring nervously.
Suddenly—
One of them couldn't hold back any longer and roared as he charged forward.
His blade slashed toward a puppet.
The puppet instantly accelerated, dodging the strike—
But its cloak was cut, revealing its lifeless body beneath.
At the same time—
Another puppet appeared in front of him.
Its chest split open—
And a barrage of needles shot out.
The Mist ninja hastily retreated—
But above him, two puppets had already appeared.
Their cloaks shattered.
Each puppet extended six arms, every arm equipped with blades.
In an instant—
A chaotic storm of cold steel descended like a deadly net.
Seeing this, the Mist leader quickly formed hand seals.
But suddenly—
A gust of wind came from behind.
He was forced to interrupt his technique and dodge.
A puppet appeared at his previous position—
Its arms shaped like crescent blades, twisting into a deadly scissor attack.
The Mist leader leapt into the air—
But two puppets immediately attacked him from both sides.
He blocked one—
And bent low to evade the other.
Then—
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
As soon as he landed, he unleashed the technique.
A massive torrent burst from his mouth, forming a rapidly rotating current that swept outward.
Three incoming puppets were instantly engulfed.
When the water subsided—
The three puppets fell to the ground.
Their limbs were torn apart, reduced to broken scraps.
"So… a puppeteer from Sunagakure."
The Mist leader scanned the surroundings sharply.
"Has Suna gone back on the agreement with us?"
"Or is this your personal action?"
In response—
The remaining four puppets suddenly stopped.
Then they drifted backward, aligning side by side in silence.
Two Mist shinobi quickly retreated and regrouped beside their leader.
"Captain… these puppets are troublesome."
One said grimly.
The leader stared into the forest.
"With such skill, you're no nobody in Sunagakure."
Meanwhile—
Yuan, holding Pakura, also looked toward the forest.
Then—
A faint sound reached his ears.
A figure slowly stepped out from the shadows.
A young boy.
Handsome features.
Bright red hair.
The moment the Mist leader saw him, his expression changed.
"You… are Sasori of the Red Sand!"
"Has Sunagakure truly broken the agreement?!"
It was a reasonable assumption—
After all, Sasori was known as a high-ranking figure in Suna.
Sasori glanced at the three Mist shinobi—
Then at Pakura in Yuan's arms.
His voice was cold.
"The agreement between Suna and Mist…"
"Hmph. What filthy methods, Rasa."
After staring at Pakura for a moment, he shifted his gaze back.
"I don't care about any agreement."
"I only want to kill you."
The Mist leader's face changed drastically.
He immediately leapt back while forming seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A roaring water dragon surged toward Sasori.
Sasori's fingers moved slightly—
Four puppets instantly appeared in front of him.
One puppet opened its chest—
A metal tube extended—
And a stream of blazing flames erupted.
The water dragon was instantly vaporized into steam.
At that moment—
Two Mist shinobi appeared behind Sasori, slashing toward him.
But just before impact—
Two puppets flickered into place.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A storm of steel erupted.
The puppets launched relentless attacks—
Six arms per puppet, forming an airtight killing net.
The Mist shinobi were forced into retreat.
Their attacks barely affected the puppets—
But the puppets' blades were lethal.
That was the terrifying nature of puppeteers.
Puppets do not fear damage… or death.
Note: Sorry for being inconsistent recently. I was going through few things...exams, projects, job and not to mention my heartbreak(Rejection) in middle of these🤧. From now I'll try be consistent, I think I'm fine now. Thanks for support...take care of your health. Happy reading everyone☺️.
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