Core Takes Shape

In Konoha Year 45, the past year seemed to have sped by for him. He had not grown much taller and remained thin, but the calm focus in those black eyes had deepened further, far surpassing that of his peers.

Over the past year, he had devoted nearly all his spare time to the small project codenamed "Core." The money earned from selling the "Spider" puppets, along with the support his father Shaliu had squeezed from his already meager salary, had all been turned into the growing collection of rare materials on his workbench: specks of chakra-conductive metal, several small crystals that could slightly amplify energy perception, and various special alloys for experimentation.

The process had been far more difficult than he had imagined.

The blueprint for the "Puppet Core" was theoretically perfect, but putting it into practice proved fraught with difficulties. Smelting and shaping the materials, engraving microscopic internal runes—every step demanded almost absurd precision. Given Shaye's current conditions and abilities, many procedures could only be painstakingly worked out by hand with small tools.

He encountered countless failures.

If the energy circuit etching depth was off by even a millimeter, the Core's resonance frequency would deviate entirely, rendering it incapable of harmonizing energy.

When materials with mismatched thermal expansion coefficients were tested with a trace amount of chakra input, they cracked outright from uneven heating.

The miniature cyclic structure based on the theory of the "Regeneration Core" was even harder to master. Repeated experiments failed to produce a stable energy flow; it either became clogged or collapsed instantly.

Every failure meant expensive materials turned to scrap, and days or even weeks of effort going to waste.

Yet he never considered giving up. He recorded every failure in detail, analyzed its cause, revised the blueprint, and tried again. His vast spiritual energy and extraordinary memory became his greatest weapons at such times, ensuring that he would never fall into the same pit twice.

Throughout the process, he sought guidance from the side with extreme caution.

He would bring Chiyo some seemingly unimportant question about energy circuit stability. From the perspectives of Medical Ninjutsu and traditional Puppet Technique, Chiyo would offer insights into energy balance and control. Though not directly related, they often gave him unexpected inspiration.

Whenever he encountered issues with material stress or structural design, he would bring Sasori revised drawings that appeared to be for ordinary puppet components. Sasori's criticism remained as cutting as ever; a single remark such as, "Trash structure. Stress concentration. It'll break after three uses," could expose a flaw in his design. Occasionally, when Sasori was in an inexplicably good mood, he would even sketch out a more optimized structural diagram. Though still filled with mockery, its ingenuity always benefited Shaye immensely.

This scattered knowledge, which he had to digest, absorb, and transform himself, was like loose pearls slowly strung together through his wisdom and perseverance.

His father Shaliu was his most steadfast support. He could not understand his son's scribble-like blueprints or those profound energy theories, but he could see his son's focus and hard work. He could see the growing number of failed products on the workbench and the dwindling materials. Silently, he increased his financial support. Sometimes, he even used his status as a frontline puppeteer to obtain a small piece of rare material Shaye urgently needed through special channels, never once asking what it was for.

In the small house at night, the oil lamp often remained lit until late. Faint grinding sounds, careful tapping, and the occasional soft, suppressed sigh of failure continued to come from within.

Finally, on a night beneath cold moonlight, Shaye completed the final step—using a special coating mixed with chakra metal powder to seal and channel energy through the incomparably complex miniature energy circulation structure inside the Core.

He took a deep breath. A faint yet incomparably pure thread of chakra gathered at his fingertips, and he carefully injected it into the walnut-sized metal sphere covered in delicate patterns.

This time, there was no explosion, no cracking, and no shriek of leaking energy.

The patterns on the metal sphere lit up one after another with a faint, gentle blue glow. The internal energy circulation structure activated successfully, forming a stable and restrained miniature energy field. It did not release any massive energy fluctuations. Instead, like a sleeping heart, it pulsed slowly, powerfully, and steadily, radiating a peculiar aura of balance and peace.

It successfully drew in Shaye's faint dual wind-and-earth chakra, bearing his personal attributes. After complex internal circulation and harmonization, it transformed it into an extremely thin but incomparably pure strand of attribute-less life energy. It was weak, but it was real!

It worked!

Shaye held his breath, almost unable to believe his eyes! More than a year of sleepless work and countless failures and restarts had finally borne fruit at this moment!

Though it was only the most rudimentary prototype, with pitifully low conversion efficiency and output energy so weak it was almost negligible, it was still worlds away from powering something as enormous as the Body Refining Furnace.

But it proved the theory was viable! It proved that the path of "energy conversion and harmonization" could be traveled!

He gently stroked the small Puppet Core, still warm to the touch. His fingertips could feel the stable, strange pulse of energy within. An immense, indescribable sense of achievement mixed with exhaustion and swept through his entire body.

This was only the first step of a journey of ten thousand miles, but he knew he had already crossed the most difficult hurdle.

The road ahead remained long, but the light of hope had already been lit by his own hands within this dim little house.

(End of Chapter)