A Real Genius!

He was a true genius, the ceiling of puppet talent in the Naruto World, and in the future, he would become the strongest Puppeteer in this world.

Of the eighty people participating in the training selection, the two youngest had performed the best so far.

Looking at the lifelike Tom carved from White Ironwood before him, Shimizu smiled.

Puppet Name: Tom

Overall Parameters:

Height: 61 cm

Weight: 14.31 kg

Material: White Ironwood, reinforced bone material...

Power Source: None

Control Method: Chakra Thread

Puppet Rating: C

Overall Evaluation: Small biomimetic puppet with excellent agility and a refined design. Possesses standard Genin-level combat power. Can undergo partial modifications by replacing its materials with superior ones, further enhancing its combat power.

Shimizu extended both hands, shooting Chakra Threads from his ten fingers and connecting them to the white cat as he controlled it through several movements.

Feeling how smoothly it responded, Shimizu grew even more satisfied.

Tom's combat power was probably not much worse than the fat guy's.

Unfortunately, he had no blue dye. If he could take Tom back with him, Shimizu would definitely paint this puppet cat blue.

To make a puppet like this in less than an hour, I really am a genius!

"Your name is Shimizu?"

Sunakami Sayama walked over to Shimizu's side and examined him as he spoke.

"Yes, Jonin Sayama."

Shimizu stopped moving and stood at attention before his superior.

"Mm, a good name. You made your puppet very quickly. Don't you have a puppet design blueprint?"

Sunakami Sayama did his best to show his gentler side.

Yet Shimizu looked somewhat intimidated by this Jonin, whose face was fierce, whose voice was deep and muffled, and who looked like some underworld boss.

He had the kind of face that said he was ruthless and didn't talk much—and that if he opened his mouth, he was definitely about to beat you up.

"Mm..."

His guess confirmed, Sunakami Sayama split his mouth in a grin, revealing a terrifying smile.

"Um... if you think not having a blueprint is bad, I can immediately make one to add to it."

Shimizu stammered as he looked at the Jonin's cruel smile.

"No! No blueprint is good, very good!"

Sunakami Sayama laughed loudly as he patted Shimizu on the shoulder.

Shimizu only felt his shoulder ache.

Was this uncle really a Puppeteer? With arms thick enough to race horses on, anyone would believe he was a Jonin specializing in Taijutsu!

"Originally, I planned to have you fight each other and demonstrate your puppets once you were done. But no one else has finished yet, so how about I spar with you and see how your puppet performs?"

Sunakami Sayama patted Shimizu's shoulder twice more and laughed heartily.

"Forget it, Sunakami. Let me do it. If you bring out one of your puppets, would Shimizu even have room to demonstrate anything? I'll do it."

Ishido approached with a smile, pushed Sunakami Sayama aside, took off the Sealing Scroll on his back, and formed Hand Seals to release a puppet Shimizu found extremely familiar.

Puppet Name: Little Boy

Overall Parameters:

Height: 1.35 m

Weight: 29.18 kg

Material: Reinforced wood, lightweight composite materials, high-strength alloy

Power Source: None

Control Method: Chakra Thread, equipped with five Chakra connection nodes

Puppet Rating: B-

Overall Evaluation: Support combat puppet with an excellent design and complete structure. Possesses the combat power of a newly promoted Chunin.

Detailed Data:...

This was the puppet he had repaired himself a week ago!

"Why did you bring a puppet like that?"

Sunakami Sayama's eyes widened.

He knew this was not one of Ishido's usual puppets.

As a Jonin, the puppets Ishido used were far stronger than this one.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Ishido winked at Shimizu, glanced around, and then said:

"Let's fight somewhere farther away so we don't disturb the people here."

After saying that, he intended to pull Shimizu elsewhere.

"No need."

A crisp child's voice rang out.

The short red-haired boy controlled a puppet with both hands. It too had a shell made of White Ironwood, along with six arms.

"My puppet is finished. Its name is Termite, and it can be your opponent."

Sasori controlled Termite as it leaped before Tom, then turned toward Shimizu with a trace of curiosity in his eyes.

This person's puppet had been finished faster than his own. He just did not know how good its quality was.

After his parents died, a faint trace of anticipation rose within the heart that had always been as still as stagnant water.

He was intelligent beyond his years, and as a result, none of his peers could truly become his friend. In his eyes, the other children his age were all too stupid and childish. On top of that, as Elder Chiyo's grandson, his status was noble, leaving him with even fewer peers he could interact with.

So he could only devote his energy to his own interests.

Namely, Puppet Technique.

The ninja games played by children his age were too childish, and he disdained discussing such boring things with them. Nor was there anyone among his peers who could keep up with his progress in Puppet Technique.

Geniuses were always lonely, unless they encountered other geniuses.

And Shimizu had piqued Sasori's interest.

He seemed to have found someone of his own kind.

"He finished one so quickly too? As expected of Elder Chiyo's grandson."

Ishido stopped walking, while Sunakami Sayama also examined Sasori's puppet with a surprised expression.

This puppet seemed pretty good too!

Shimizu also looked toward Sasori.

So it really was Sasori?

He had long suspected the red-haired boy's identity. After all, his age and hair color matched, and to participate in such an elite Puppet Technique selection at such a young age, his talent for puppets had to be extraordinary.

Other than Sasori, it would be difficult to find a second person like him in all of Sunagakure.

"Then you two can have a match!"

Sunakami Sayama made the decision.

Thus, Shimizu's opponent changed from Ishido to Sasori.

Sunagakure was not Konoha. There was no need for troublesome things like the Opposition Seal or Reconciliation Seal before their duel. Ishido, serving as the referee, simply waved his hand between them, and the two immediately controlled their puppets in battle.

"I wonder whether this Termite has anything in common with Black Ant, also made by Sasori in the original work. But for now, Termite's basic performance is somewhat inferior to Tom's. Still, it should possess Genin-level combat power. By the System Panel's standards, it should be around C-."

After only a brief clash, Shimizu could not help admiring him inwardly.

As expected of Sasori. He had made such a puppet in such a short time, and though he was young, his puppet control skills were already quite refined. Despite the gap in their puppets' performance, he had forcibly fought Shimizu to a standstill.

Yes, Shimizu realized that his fairly decent puppet control ability had actually been surpassed by Sasori, who was two years younger than him. He could only bully a child through his puppet's superior performance.

He was merely a genius disguised by cheating, while Sasori was a real genius!

Fortunately, the reason cheating was cheating was because it really was more powerful than talent.