Let's Duel!

War isn't a game of words; only when you're truly on the battlefield do you know how strong your opponent is.

Even among the "many strong" under one superpower, there are still gaps.

Hoshino Maki surveyed the battlefield situation out of the corner of his eye. Even with the successful surprise attack, the Sand Ninja were only slightly ahead overall.

Ultimately, the difference lay in the number and quality of their Jonin compared to the enemy.

Most of Sunagakure's Jonin had been led to the front lines by Pakura. The support detachment had only about a third of the Cloud Ninja's Jonin. The rest had to rely on several Chunin ganging up on enemy Jonin, using numbers to compensate for the difference in strength.

But the gap between Chunin and Jonin was like a chasm. If Genin could win against Chunin through sheer numbers, because the difference between them was effort;

Then Chunin facing Jonin could at most play a restraining role, because the difference was talent.

Elite Jonin were even more out of the question; each one was a top talent of their village.

The situation was gradually being turned around by the Cloud Ninja. These cornered beasts unleashed astonishing combat power against the Sand Ninja, who outnumbered them several times over.

"Lord Hoshino, we'll cover your retreat."

A bead of sweat the size of a bean slid down the temple of the Jonin in front of him.

Although the Cloud Ninja before him wasn't looking at him, the powerful residual aura already made his heart palpitate.

"No need, you guys step aside."

Hoshino Maki withdrew his gaze and looked at Pashira, whose eyes were bloodshot. "A one-on-one?"

Pashira hadn't expected a Medical Ninja to dare challenge him to a duel.

A cruel smile spread across Pashira's face. He extended his thick palm and beckoned Hoshino Maki with his middle finger.

Hoshino Maki wasn't angered. He nodded and said, "Let me prepare first."

Pashira frowned, not understanding what the other party was preparing to do. Hoshino Maki let out a sharp whistle, and the Sand Ninja on the battlefield immediately threw smoke bombs at their feet and quickly retreated.

Then, Hoshino Maki clasped his hands together. From the ground around the battlefield, six humanoid puppets emerged. They were called humanoid, but they were more like washing machines with six arms.

Clack--

Six arms were arranged from top to bottom. The joints unfolded, and they began to spin at high speed around the battlefield.

The high-speed rotating puppets were like a small tornado, blowing away the smoke. At this moment, the Cloud Ninja on the field were tightly bound by countless chains, lying on the ground like cocoons, struggling powerlessly.

"This, this is..."

Kojima and the Elite Jonin opposite him exchanged blows with kunai before tacitly jumping apart, staring at the situation on the battlefield in stunned silence.

Except for a small number of ninjas, everyone else was restrained.

A Cloud Ninja tried to cut the chains but was pulled back by his companion. "Calm down! Look at them!"

He looked closely and saw that the chains were wrapped with a layer of paper inscribed with patterns.

Explosive Tags!

The Cloud Ninja who had tried to save them turned pale and collapsed to the ground, muttering, "My brother."

The battlefield, which had been filled with constant fighting and devastation, suddenly became as silent as a library.

The Cloud Ninja couldn't accept that they had been fighting for their lives one second and became prisoners the next. They couldn't even take their enemies down with them.

The Sand Ninja were also taken aback. The Cloud Ninja who had been locked in a fierce battle with them moments ago were so easily subdued by Hoshino Maki?!

They couldn't reconcile the approachable Medical Ninja who had told them jokes a few days ago with the powerful Puppet Technique user before them.

Such powerful Puppet Techniques instinctively reminded the Sand Ninja of a banner of their village—Chiyo.

Rasa, Pakura, and the Hoshino Maki before them. The strength of the younger generation stirred the hearts of some ninjas who had participated in the last Great Ninja War.

This was a sign of the Sand Ninja's rise!

And the Jonin saw much more than that.

"No, no Chakra threads?!"

Kojima's pupils dilated. The scene before him overturned his understanding of Puppet Technique after many years.

The history of Puppet Technique was not long. The Second Kazekage, Shamon, created Puppet Technique, which was then inherited and developed by Monzaemon. In modern times, Chiyo carried the banner of this ninjutsu.

While called ninjutsu, it was more accurately a ninja skill. The manipulator controlled the puppets' actions through Chakra threads.

Therefore, all ninjas knew that when facing a puppeteer, one should not get entangled with the puppets but attack the puppeteer's vulnerable body directly.

But Kojima swore with his Chakra that he saw no connection between Hoshino Maki and the puppets!

The Cloud Ninja Jonin also understood the operating principle of a puppeteer and wanted to cut the Chakra threads. But facing "invisible threads," they drew their swords and looked around in confusion.

One ninja refused to believe it. Lightning Release instantly covered his palm, and with lightning speed, he struck between Hoshino Maki and the puppets.

His palm passed through the air without obstruction and smashed into the ground, sending flying stones splashing onto his bewildered face.

At the same time, the closest Cloud Ninja to him had his limbs suddenly severed. He was lifted into the air, howling, as a puppet's mouth opened, aiming a dark gun barrel at him and firing a raging inferno.

"No--!"

The Cloud Ninja watched his comrade explode into pieces before his eyes, his gaze bloodshot, wailing in pain.

"Don't blame me. You attacked me without regard for your comrade's safety. I was merely defending myself."

Hoshino Maki shrugged, feeling like a villain at that moment.

But considering they were already at war, it didn't seem inappropriate.

"If you don't behave, the next one will be two fireworks."

Hoshino Maki said calmly.

His words were like a splash of cold water on some Cloud Ninjas who were considering a desperate gamble, instantly sobering them up.

Although their companion's actions were reckless, they weren't entirely in vain. At least they knew the opponent wasn't controlling puppets with chakra threads. Now, there were only two options: either destroy the puppets before the opponent detonated the explosive tags, or kill the puppeteer.

Kojima and several Jonin also understood the puppeteer's weakness. Fearing the opponent might take a risk and disengage from the battlefield, they immediately moved in front of Hoshino Maki.

Without being able to kill the puppeteer, instantly subduing six puppets seemed unrealistic.

Hoshino Maki glanced across the battlefield, taking in the angry and fearful gazes of the Cloud Ninjas and the adoring looks of the Sand Ninjas.

The power of Puppet Technique on the battlefield was even greater than he had imagined.

Of course, this wasn't ordinary Puppet Technique; it was Puppet Technique upgraded with upgrade points—Intelligent Puppet.

However, due to the short training time and lack of suitable materials, he could only make simple modifications to outdated puppets from the Chiyo family.

Therefore, the puppets Hoshino Maki was currently making couldn't truly be called intelligent; they were merely remotely controlled to perform simple actions through pre-implanted devices.

Hoshino Maki had used almost all the upgrade points he had accumulated recently to upgrade Puppet Technique.

This system, without a manual, relied entirely on his own exploration. He originally thought that adding anything would upgrade it, but this time, when upgrading Puppet Technique, he discovered that wasn't the case.

Upgrading "Puppet Technique Basics," rated as C-class by the system, required 5 upgrade points, which Hoshino Maki considered a great value.

Compared to the Eight Inner Gates, which he didn't know when he would obtain, improving his combat effectiveness right before going to the battlefield was the correct choice.

And Puppet Technique undoubtedly fit this standard perfectly; just a few outdated puppets combined with explosive tags could be of great use.

"Alright, no one will disturb us now. Let's have a one-on-one fight!"

Hoshino Maki pushed aside the ninja in front of him and walked up to Pashira, saying seriously.