Konoha's Three Ninja

Shaye spent his second year in this world in a corner of the Puppet Repair Unit. He was still frail, but compared to infancy, he had become much more energetic. Whenever he was awake, he quietly observed, absorbing every scrap of knowledge about this ninja world with his overly mature black eyes, especially anything concerning "puppets."

The atmosphere in the Maintenance Unit was always affected by the distant war. Tension, exhaustion, the gloom that followed occasional reports of bad news, and brief bursts of excitement whenever important puppets were repaired and sent to support the front lines formed the main rhythm of life here.

That day, the atmosphere in the workshop was especially oppressive.

New battle-damaged puppets were sent back in an endless stream, their damage far worse than before. Many had not simply been cut by blades or struck by blunt weapons. Some bore strange traces of poison corrosion, some had been torn apart by immense force, and others looked as though they had been half-melted by some powerful acid. The ninjas in the Maintenance Unit worked with their heads lowered, their silence carrying an unspoken heaviness.

Shaliu's face was smeared with grease and sweat, his brow tightly furrowed as he carefully used tweezers to extract several poisoned senbon from the chest cavity of a charred puppet. His movements were slower and more cautious than usual.

"The battle reports from the Land of Rain..." A young ninja who had just returned from transporting supplies panted, his voice trembling slightly with lingering fear as he whispered to the companion beside him. "They were horrible... They say they ran into that 'demigod'..."

"A demigod?" The file in his companion's hand stopped moving.

"Salamander Hanzo... the leader of Amegakure." The young ninja lowered his voice even further, as if afraid the owner of that name might hear him. "It seems both our forces and Konoha's forces suffered badly at his hands..."

Shaye's ears twitched slightly. Though he spent most of his time pretending to be a quiet toddler, his attention had never slackened. Salamander Hanzo? The name vaguely rang a bell. He seemed to be an incredibly powerful ninja from the world of Naruto.

Shaliu had heard the whispers as well. He raised his head and shot the two young ninjas a stern look. They immediately fell silent and returned to work. Yet the atmosphere of worry and fear had already spread through the workshop like dust, impossible to dispel.

A few days later, a more detailed and even more shocking battle report finally reached Sunagakure's upper ranks through special channels. Like a drop of water hitting boiling oil, its contents quickly caused an uproar among the village's higher-ups and certain special departments, such as the Puppet Corps logistics division.

Elder Chiyo came to the Maintenance Unit. Her expression was as calm as ever, but deep in her eyes was an extremely complicated emotion—solemnity, wariness, and even a nearly imperceptible trace of... appreciation?

She called over Shaliu and several other squad leaders, making no effort to avoid Shaye, who was quietly playing in the corner with harmless little puppet parts Shaliu had polished for him. Perhaps, in her eyes, a two-year-old child could not possibly understand any of this.

"The situation on the Land of Rain battlefield has basically become clear." Chiyo's voice was steady, yet carried unquestionable authority. "Salamander Hanzo truly lives up to his reputation."

Everyone in the workshop unconsciously stopped working and held their breath to listen.

"With his strength alone, he suppressed Konoha's elite forces sent to the Land of Rain." Chiyo continued, "In particular, he defeated Konoha's proud three-man team head-on—Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade."

The mention of those names drew several quiet gasps. Even in the distant Land of Wind, Sunagakure's ninjas had heard more or less of these three rising Konoha talents who had made names for themselves during the Second Shinobi World War. They represented the formidable new generation of Konoha's combat power.

"Apparently, the battle was exceptionally fierce. The deadly poison released by Salamander Ibuse, Hanzo's summoned beast, covered the entire battlefield. Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu and antidote skills played a crucial role, but even they could not completely hold it back. Though Jiraiya and Orochimaru attacked fiercely, they were never able to truly break through Hanzo's defenses or his Water Body Flicker Technique." Chiyo spoke as though she had witnessed it herself.

Shaye pricked up his ears. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade... He knew those three names well. So this was the war where they became famous.

"And the final result?" Shaliu could not help asking.

Chiyo glanced at him and said blandly, "The result was that Hanzo acknowledged their strength. Though he could clearly have continued expanding his advantage and might even have been able to kill them, he chose to stop the battle."

The workshop fell completely silent. One could have heard a needle drop. Everyone found it unbelievable. Showing mercy to enemies on the battlefield? It was simply absurd.

"Why?" another squad leader muttered.

"Because Hanzo was an excellent leader, not merely a powerful ninja." There was a trace of emotion in Chiyo's tone. "He saw the situation clearly. Although he had gained the upper hand on that local battlefield and even suppressed three of Konoha's elites, Konoha's overall war potential was far beyond what Amegakure could match. If they continued fighting, the Land of Rain would only bleed dry. He chose the path most beneficial to Amegakure—showing his strength, then seeking a dignified end."

She paused, then spoke the words that would soon spread across the Ninja World and become part of legend. "He bestowed the highest 'praise' upon those three Konoha ninjas who survived his hands—he gave them the title of the 'Three Ninja.'"

"Three Ninja..." Shaliu repeated the title, feeling its immense weight. This was recognition from the "demigod," a name earned through strength beneath Death's scythe.

"From this day onward, the name Konoha's Three Ninja will resound throughout the Ninja World." Chiyo's final words carried an inexplicable tone. "This is by no means good news for us. Konoha's prestige will only grow greater because of them."

Once the news had been delivered, Chiyo turned and left. The workshop sank into a long silence. Everyone digested the astonishing news, filled both with awe at the battle of the strong and worry over the village's future.

In the corner, Shaye silently set down the little puppet part in his hand.

Konoha's Three Ninja... So that was how they came to be. A brutal battle's survivors, bearing a title granted by an opponent—a title carrying both compromise and acknowledgment. The logic of war truly was completely different from that of peacetime.

He could not help thinking of the kunai his father often wiped clean, the damaged puppets in the Maintenance Unit, and the tension that never seemed to leave the air.

In this world, strength was everything. Without strength, even survival could not be guaranteed, let alone his dream of building a Gundam.

Salamander Hanzo, "Konoha's Three Ninja"... Those names were like distant thunder, reminding him of this world's danger and vastness. And he was still only a toddler trapped in a weak body, unable even to refine chakra.

A powerful desire began to grow in his heart.

He wanted to understand chakra, to learn Puppet Technique, to possess strength. Not merely to survive, but so that one day, he could personally reach out and touch that seemingly unattainable dream.

He looked at the cold puppet parts scattered throughout the workshop, and his gaze became even more focused.

Perhaps the key to the future was hidden there.

End of Chapter