Puppet Masters typically start their battles by creating distance, and this time was no exception. Termite and Little Boy simultaneously opened their mouths, unleashing a torrent of Senbon at the two Konoha ninja.
"Konoha Style Swordplay: Whirlwind!"
The Konoha ninja wielding the blade spun his Ninja Blade so rapidly it became an impenetrable barrier, accurately deflecting most of the Senbon aimed at them.
Even if some hit, they struck non-vital areas that wouldn't affect his combat ability.
Without a Sharingan or exceptionally powerful dynamic vision, this was the best he could do.
"This is troublesome. These Puppet Masters like to coat their weapons in poison," the middle-aged ninja warned, throwing a few Kunai to try and disrupt them.
"It's fine. I still have a few Antidote Pills here, made according to Lady Tsunade's formula. They're enough to suppress most poisons." The blade-wielding ninja calmly swallowed the Antidote Pill he'd had in his mouth since the beginning of the fight.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Body Manipulation Battle."
Sasori pulled his Chakra Threads, activating the mechanisms he'd installed in the Termite Puppet.
Six puppet arms creaked and extended section by section like an octopus, their tips ending in conical spikes. They lunged aggressively, engaging the blade-wielding ninja in combat.
It was clear that after the puppet was taken back from the assessment, Sasori had extensively modified it, significantly enhancing its performance and power.
Qingshui's Little Boy, on the other hand, didn't have as many flashy features. It had a mechanical claw on one hand and a spiral gear blade on the other, moving with incredible speed.
This B-Class puppet's performance was entirely focused on agility. When the Puppet Master could unleash its full power, its speed combined with a certain degree of offensive capability was enough to threaten a considerable number of Chunin-level ninja.
The two puppets working together were enough to suppress the blade-wielding Konoha ninja.
But the blade-wielding Konoha ninja had a helper.
He took out a summoning scroll from his back, instantly releasing hundreds of Shuriken that scattered like falling blossoms in all directions.
Termite's six arms froze mid-motion for a moment.
Upon closer inspection, each Shuriken was connected to a nearly imperceptible steel wire, firmly restraining Termite's movements.
Little Boy, being faster and smaller, managed to escape largely unharmed as almost all the steel wires it encountered were severed by its two spinning weapons.
"It's not over yet!" The middle-aged ninja bit down on the steel wires, continuing to form hand signs.
Snake - Dragon - Hare - Tiger!
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A thick stream of fire erupted from the middle-aged ninja's mouth, spreading along the lamp oil he had previously smeared on the steel wires.
Qingshui pulled his Chakra Threads, manipulating Little Boy to cut the steel wires, attempting to save Termite, but he didn't expect the opponent to be prepared.
"Now!"
The blade-wielding ninja plunged his Ninja Blade into the ground, also performing a Ninjutsu.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A fierce wind swept through the flames, making the fire even more intense.
Sasori and Qingshui quickly pulled their respective puppets back.
Termite was likely ruined, but Little Boy, being fast, only sustained damage to a few parts.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Full Shield." Sasori quickly manipulated Salamander to set up a defense, while looking anxiously at Qingshui.
"Watch yourself," Qingshui said calmly to Sasori, preparing to engage in close combat.
The Fatty Puppet's hands, however, had already begun to push the cylinder pistons under the control of Chakra Threads, compressing air.
"Konoha Style Swordplay: Crescent Moon Dance!"
Wind-natured Chakra was infused into the Ninja Blade, emitting a sword aura nearly a meter long. It bypassed Salamander's defense from the side, attempting to decapitate Sasori and Qingshui with a single strike.
Not far away, Jianye and Kana had already raised their hands, ready to assist.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Pneumatic Fist!"
The tall and robust Fatty Puppet quickly turned and punched.
With Chakra and an air pump providing dual propulsion, the force of that punch was enough to pierce gold and shatter stone.
The sword aura dissipated, the Ninja Blade shattered, and the blade-wielding ninja's body flew out like a broken ragdoll.
"One down."
The diamond-like, muscular figure turned and walked step by step towards the middle-aged ninja.
"One more to go!"
The improved Fatty was a B-Class puppet in its normal state, but when Qingshui himself was piloting it from within, it could achieve B+-class combat power, two tiers stronger than Little Boy.
This represented a combat capability that could defeat most Chunin.
The middle-aged ninja's face was filled with despair.
His strength was already quite good among Chunin; although his talent was mediocre, he had steadily climbed the ranks step by step after graduating as a Genin. He had survived until now thanks to his cautious approach and had even exchanged over two decades of combat achievements for some Ninjutsu.
Even though his aptitude was truly limited and he couldn't learn any B-Class Ninjutsu or higher, he had still mastered multiple Fire Release Ninjutsu through hard work and diligence. His foundations were incredibly solid, making him a true elite ninja, otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen for such a mission.
But precisely because of his rich experience, he knew that in this situation, death was inevitable.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Body Manipulation Battle."
Sasori excitedly manipulated Termite, which was already close to being scrapped, to break down its body, attempting to block any possible escape routes for the middle-aged ninja.
Even if he couldn't escape at all.
The middle-aged ninja was still putting up a desperate fight, struggling to find a way out.
For a moment, even with Qingshui wearing the Fatty Puppet, he couldn't finish him off—there was no help for it. Although its flexibility was much higher than Black Gold's, that was only relatively speaking.
Ninjas are inherently a profession specializing in agility and offense; none are slow. Thus, speed became the Fatty Puppet's disadvantage.
After all, the Fatty Puppet's original purpose was for Qingshui himself to wear it as protective armor.
What's more, Qingshui wasn't limited to controlling just one Puppet.
The Little Boy Puppet's agility perfectly complemented the Fatty Puppet's.
Coupled with Sasori's assistance, the death of this Konoha ninja was only a matter of time.
"Truly… amazing. As expected of a member of the Puppet Force."
Kana looked at Qingshui and Sasori with admiration.
The older one definitely had the combat power to defeat most Chunin, and the younger one was absolutely top-tier among Genin; even ordinary Chunin would likely not be able to take him down.
These two kids looked to be only about ten years old, didn't they?
Jianye was even more surprised.
Sasori's progress didn't exceed Jianye's expectations, but Qingshui's current combat power truly surprised him.
"There's no point in continuing to train. Kana, let's work together and finish off the remaining guys."
After observing for a few seconds, Jianye turned to Kana and said.
"Alright."
Kana nodded slightly, forming hand seals, ready to act.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
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