He was a true genius, the pinnacle of Puppet Master talent in the Naruto World, and destined to become the strongest Puppet Master in that world.
Of the eighty participants in the training selection, the two youngest were currently performing the best.
Looking at the lifelike Tom carved from White Ironwood in front of him, Qingshui smiled.
[Puppet Name]: Tom
[Overall Parameters]:
Height: 61 cm
Weight: 14.31 kg
Material: White Ironwood, reinforced bone material…
Energy: None
Operation Method: Chakra Threads
[Puppet Rating]: C
[Overall Evaluation]: Small, lifelike puppet, excellent agility, well-designed, possesses standard Genin-level combat ability. Can be partially modified with superior materials to further enhance combat ability.
Qingshui extended both hands, his fingers releasing Chakra Threads that connected to the white cat, manipulating it to perform several actions.
Feeling the smooth control, Qingshui couldn't help but be even more satisfied.
Tom's combat power was probably not much worse than Fatty's.
It was a shame he didn't have blue dye. If he could take Tom back, Qingshui would definitely paint this puppet cat blue.
To be able to create a puppet like this in less than an hour, I truly am a genius!
"Are you Qingshui?"
Sasayama of the Sand walked up to Qingshui, scrutinizing him as he asked.
"Yes, Sasayama-Jonin."
Qingshui stopped his movements and stood at attention before his superior.
"Hmm, good name. You made your puppet very quickly. Don't you have a puppet design blueprint?"
Sasayama of the Sand tried his best to show his gentle side.
Meanwhile, Qingshui felt a little apprehensive looking at this Jonin, who had a fierce expression, spoke in a booming voice, and seemed like a yakuza boss.
This person looked like someone who was ruthless and didn't talk much, and if he opened his mouth, he was definitely going to beat you up.
"Hmm…"
His guess was confirmed; Sasayama of the Sand grinned, revealing a terrifying smile.
"Um… if you think not having a design blueprint is bad, I can quickly provide one now."
Qingshui stammered, looking at the Jonin with the cruel smile.
"No! Not having a design blueprint is great, absolutely great!"
Sasayama of the Sand clapped Qingshui's shoulder, laughing heartily.
Qingshui just felt his shoulder ache.
Is this big guy really a Puppet Master? With arms that look like they could run a horse race, people would believe him if he said he was a Jonin specializing in Taijutsu!
"Originally, I planned for you all to fight each other after finishing your puppets, but everyone else isn't ready yet. How about I spar with you instead and see how well your puppet performs?"
Sasayama of the Sand clapped Qingshui's shoulder twice more, laughing heartily.
"Forget it, Sasayama, let me do it. If you bring out your puppet, will Qingshui even have any room to show off? Let me do it."
Ishido walked over with a smile, pushed Sasayama of the Sand aside, took down the sealed scroll from his back, performed hand signs, and released a puppet that Qingshui was very familiar with.
[Puppet Name]: Little Boy
[Overall Parameters]:
Height: 1.35 meters
Weight: 29.18 kg
Material: Reinforced wood, lightweight composite materials, high-strength alloy
Energy: None
Operation Method: Chakra Threads, possesses five Chakra connection hubs
[Puppet Rating]: B-
[Overall Evaluation]: Auxiliary combat puppet, excellent design, complete structure, possesses combat ability of a newly promoted Chunin.
[Detailed Data]: …
This was the puppet he had repaired a week ago!
"Why are you carrying a puppet like that?"
Sasayama of the Sand's eyes widened.
He knew this wasn't Ishido's usual puppet.
As a Jonin, Ishido's puppets were far stronger than this one.
"You'll see in a bit," Ishido said, winking at Qingshui. He looked around and then added, "Let's go somewhere further away to fight, so we don't disturb anyone here."
With that, he was about to pull Qingshui to another spot.
"No need."
A clear, childish voice rang out.
The small, red-haired boy was manipulating a puppet with six arms, also made of White Ironwood.
"My puppet is finished. Its name is Termite, and it can be your opponent."
Sasori manipulated Termite, making it jump in front of Tom. He then turned to look at Qingshui, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
This person finished their puppet faster than me. I wonder about its quality.
After his parents' deaths, his heart, which had been as still as stagnant water, subtly stirred with a flicker of anticipation.
He was precocious for his age, which meant he had no true friends among his peers. In his eyes, other children his age were too foolish and immature. Furthermore, as the grandson of Elder Chiyo, his noble status meant even fewer peers could approach him.
So, he could only dedicate his energy to his hobbies.
Namely, Puppetry.
The ninja games of his peers were too childish; he disdained engaging in such boring activities. And there was no one his age who could keep up with his progress in Puppetry.
A genius is always lonely, unless you meet another genius.
And Qingshui sparked Sasori's interest.
He seemed to have found a kindred spirit.
"It's already finished so quickly? As expected of Elder Chiyo's grandson."
Ishido stopped, and Sasayama of the Sand also looked at Sasori's puppet with surprise.
This puppet seems pretty good too!
Qingshui also looked at Sasori.
It really is Sasori, isn't it?
He had long suspected the identity of this red-haired boy. After all, the age and hair color matched, and to be able to participate in such an elite Puppetry selection at such a young age meant his puppet talent must be exceptionally high.
Besides Sasori, it would be hard to find another in the vast Sand Village.
"Then you two will have a match!" Sasayama of the Sand declared.
Thus, Qingshui's opponent changed from Ishido to Sasori.
The Sand Village wasn't Konoha; there were no troublesome things like confrontation seals or reconciliation seals for their battle. Ishido, acting as the referee, simply waved his hand in the middle, and both of them began manipulating their puppets to fight simultaneously.
I wonder if this Termite has anything in common with Black Ant, which Sasori also created in the original work. But for now, Termite's hard stats are a bit weaker than Tom's, but it should still have Genin-level combat power. According to the panel's classification, it should be C-strength.
After a brief exchange, Qingshui couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
As expected of Sasori, to be able to create such a puppet in such a short time! And although he's young, his puppet manipulation skills are quite refined. Despite a certain gap in the puppets' performance, he's actually fighting me to a standstill.
Yes, Qingshui discovered that his own decent puppet manipulation skills were actually surpassed by Sasori, who was two years his junior. He could only rely on the puppet's performance advantage to bully the younger boy.
I'm just a genius disguised by a cheat, but Sasori is a true genius!
Fortunately, a cheat is a cheat because it's truly more powerful than talent.
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