In the Naruto World, in the Land of Wind, there lies the Hidden Sand Village.
On a sunny summer day, Kankurō, the son of the Fourth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village, ventured alone to the War Preparation Warehouse of the long-disbanded Sunagakure Puppet Brigade to enhance his puppet, Karasu 'Crow'.
The Puppet Brigade was a symbol of Sunagakure's glory, but also a reminder of its pain. Since the destruction of the Puppet Brigade, it was the first time someone had opened the doors of the warehouse.
Stacks of old wooden boxes re-emerged, their contents taken out and reclassified. Inside were materials and blueprints for puppet-making used by the brigade, as well as personal belongings of its former members. However, the owners of these items, the warehouse's manager, and the commander of the brigade were all gone, leaving only this old warehouse as a testament to the rise and fall of the ninja of the Land of Wind.
As Kankurō sorted through the old items, he did not appear weary. Dressed in black, he raised his forearm, and with nimble fingers, he continuously created intricate hand signs. The Chakra Strings that shot from his fingertips moved Karasu, this legacy weapon of his predecessors, allowing it to temporarily serve as a laborer, working tirelessly in the dim and dusty warehouse.
While shifting through the personal belongings, Kankurō discovered a peculiar scroll.
This scroll was exceedingly old. Although well-preserved, the wooden shafts of the scroll were polished smooth from handling, and the scroll's material was not paper, but rather an expensive silk seemingly from the Eastern Continent. However, the silk's original color was indiscernible from its mottled marks.
Unrolling the scroll, several large characters dominated the opening: Desire Puppetry Jutsu.
Kankurō stowed away his puppet and sat on a box to ponder the scroll quietly, finding it increasingly profound. Before he knew it, night had fallen.
As it turned out, the so-called Desire Puppetry Jutsu was derived from an ancient tradition of the Eastern Continent. Judging from the annotations on the scroll, the Land of Ancestors was still active in the ninja world at that time. In simple terms, the Desire Puppetry Jutsu was similar to the puppetry techniques Kankurō already knew, but its cultivation methods and actual power were on a completely different level.
When the Desire Puppetry Jutsu was mastered, its threads could be hidden in the high heavens, and the puppet would respond instantly to its master's movements, even from thousands of miles away. Its puppets were not limited to traditional materials like metal, iron, or wood; they could be made of water, fire, wind, or lightning. Birds, cats, and dogs could be used, and even the living or the dead. Moreover, the techniques involved were endless – charms, mechanisms, and jutsu. Compared to the basic puppetry techniques, the Desire Puppetry Jutsu was worlds apart.
After the brief introduction, the scroll began to describe the cultivation methods of the Desire Puppetry Jutsu.
While the Desire Puppetry Jutsu had countless advantages, mastering it was incredibly difficult.
First, one had to condense the "threads" of the Desire Puppetry Jutsu, which were divided into three grades. The lowest grade was called "Emotion Threads," impervious to blades and fire, and when connected to a person, it would inspire affection. The middle grade was called "Desire Threads," hidden in the dust and extremely difficult to detect, but incomparably sharp when needed, and when connected to a person, it would incite lust. The highest grade was called "Fate Threads," which arose with a single thought and extended to where the threads reached and the eyes could see, granting the ability to multitask, making it incredibly mysterious.
There were three methods to condense the "threads."
The first was Severing Delusions. This involved practicing until one was without desires or needs, sealing the heart and locking away thoughts. Kankurō didn't dwell on this at all.
The second was Inner Demons. This involved completely indulging in desires and could be practiced in conjunction with Severing Delusions, but it was easy to become demonically possessed if not controlled properly. Kankurō also quickly skipped over this.
The third was Dual Cultivation. This was a method of cultivation between men and women that could harmonize yin and yang and quickly enhance the strength of both parties. Seeing this, Kankurō's face lit up. After all, the ninja world was constantly at war, and the public and ninjas generally held an open and affirmative attitude towards matters of love between men and women. He had also gained some understanding of this from the yellow books at the bookstore, so cultivating with the Harmony Method would definitely be smooth sailing.
At that moment, the bright moonlight quietly illuminated the young Sand ninja, with only the chirping of insects surrounding him.