Vehicle Puppet Concept

The days Shaye spent studying systematically under Elder Chiyo were like opening a new door to knowledge every day. This was not merely a hall of theory, but also an excellent place to observe a top puppet master at work up close. What captivated him most, however, was the occasional glimpse he caught of Sasori's work.

That day, having just finished Chiyo's instruction on the fine control of Chakra Threads, he was about to leave when his gaze was drawn to a large-scale project underway in one corner of the courtyard.

Sasori's signature red hair flickered in and out of view amid the rising dust. He stood before a colossal creation—a giant puppet whose frame was only mostly complete, yet already radiated a savage, oppressive presence. Modeled after the highly venomous desert Salamander, it possessed a broad, flattened body, a sturdy skull structure, and a powerful tail ram. Sasori was adjusting the complex transmission mechanisms within its chest cavity. The dull grinding of meshing metal gears mingled with the hum of activated chakra circuits, filling the air with a sense of raw power.

Shaye stopped without realizing it, deeply drawn to the precise yet powerful construct. He watched Sasori use Chakra Threads to manipulate dozens of tools at once, making minute adjustments to the giant puppet. He saw the solid structures at its limb joints, capable of withstanding tremendous impacts. More than that, he noticed the special sliding track structure beneath it, designed to suit desert terrain.

A thought burst from his mind like a spring shoot breaking through the earth.

A large puppet... could it be used for more than combat? Could it... carry someone?

Once the idea appeared, it swiftly took root. He immediately thought of his own shortcomings: his small stature, his physical strength that remained somewhat weaker than that of others his age, and his lack of speed and endurance over long distances. Any of these could become a fatal weakness in future missions.

What if... what if I had a puppet designed not to attack, but specifically to carry and transport me—one that could make up for all my shortcomings?

It could possess terrain-crossing ability like Sasori's Salamander, while being more compact. It would not need a complicated attack system; every component could serve movement, stability, and protection. The operator could sit inside or on top of it, protected while focusing on scouting or combat...

A vague outline of a spider-shaped vehicle rapidly took shape in his mind. Eight legs would provide exceptional stability and obstacle-crossing ability. A low chassis would reduce wind resistance and improve concealment. An enclosed or semi-enclosed cockpit would offer basic protection...

He was so absorbed that he did not immediately notice Sasori had finished his work.

"Have you seen enough?" A cold voice interrupted his thoughts.

Shaye came back to himself and found Sasori looking at him indifferently with violet eyes. His face showed little expression, but he did not seem as impatient as usual.

Shaye took a deep breath. Rather than simply excusing himself as he normally would, he pointed at the massive Salamander puppet and asked directly, "Senior Sasori, how does such a huge puppet solve the problems of stability and energy loss during prolonged operation? And how are its leg joints structured to ensure both strength and adaptability across different terrain?"

These questions struck directly at the core difficulties of large puppet design. They were not the sort of questions an ordinary apprentice could ask.

Sasori raised a brow, seemingly a little surprised that Shaye could ask something like that. Instead of answering, he asked, "You're interested in this? Want to make a big toy?"

Shaye shook his head, his gaze candid. "No. I want to make a puppet that can carry me as I move. My speed and endurance are weaknesses. I need a means of transportation, something as reliable as it." He pointed at the Salamander.

"A means of transportation?" Sasori repeated the unfamiliar phrase. The corner of his mouth seemed to lift into an extremely faint, almost mocking curve. "Interesting idea. Turning a killing weapon into a pack beast?"

Yet he did not immediately reject it. Instead, he looked Shaye over once more, as if weighing his abilities against the value of the idea. After a moment of silence, he suddenly turned around, pulled an old scroll that looked like an early design draft from a scattered pile nearby, and casually tossed it to Shaye.

"Take it. These are draft designs for some discarded early power transmission and leg suspension structures from the Salamander. There are also notes on failed attempts at stabilizing large cores." Sasori's tone remained flat. "They might be of some use for your pack beast idea. Don't come bother me again."

With that, he ignored Shaye and returned his attention to the giant puppet.

Shaye caught the heavy scroll, his heart pounding with excitement. He bowed solemnly once more. "Thank you very much, Senior Sasori!"

After leaving the Chiyo Clan estate, Shaye practically sprinted back to his small home. He eagerly spread out Sasori's "gift."

The designs within the scroll were rough and complex, full of revisions and radical ideas. Many sections were marked with words such as "failure," "excessive energy dissipation," and "structurally weak." Yet in Shaye's eyes, they were priceless treasures. These failed experiments perfectly revealed the pitfalls and possible technical paths involved in designing a large vehicle puppet.

Combining the Salamander's overall concept with the valuable details Sasori had provided, Shaye immediately threw himself into his own design.

He did not need such an enormous body or offensive power. Everything would revolve around movement, carrying capacity, and stability.

The power system would borrow from its stable energy supply concept, but be scaled down drastically.

The leg structure would reference its multi-terrain suspension, but be changed into a spider-leg design better suited for rapid movement and stability, with the ratio between joint strength and weight greatly optimized.

The control system would completely abandon the complicated multi-thread attack mode, simplifying it into centralized control over movement and balance.

Countless sketches were drawn and discarded as the structure was continuously refined. With the key materials Sasori had provided, he avoided countless detours.

In the end, a preliminary design for a manned mobile puppet codenamed Big Spider gradually took clear shape beneath Shaye's pen.

It might still be crude, and its realization remained far away, but it represented an entirely new direction—the beginning of using intelligence and creations to compensate for his own shortcomings and expand the boundaries of his abilities.

Shaye looked at the final blueprint, his eyes filled with anticipation. He knew that the goal of his next stage had become clear.

(End of Chapter)