Overnight, Naruto acquired the secret technique scrolls from both Sunagakure and Konoha.
He had been deeply reluctant to resort to force against either village, so he had saved them for last.
Now that everyone was happy, he could finally set his worries to rest.
Looking back over the past three months or so, he realized that he had achieved his goals with the Five Great Shinobi Villages in five entirely different ways!
His visit to Kumogakure had been a contest of strength; his visit to Iwagakure, an exchange of interests; his visit to Kirigakure, repayment of a favor; his visit to Sunagakure, a gift of friendship; and his visit to Konoha, the generous affection of his elders.
Each was a reflection of the bonds that tied the shinobi world together!
They also determined how he would deal with the Five Great Shinobi Villages for some time to come!
After returning to Amegakure, Naruto immediately shut himself in his study to take stock of the scrolls he had acquired.
With so many scrolls, he would have to prioritize his training. Since he already had a basic understanding of mechanical assembly, he decided to strike while the iron was hot and delve into Sunagakure's Puppet Technique!
Sunagakure's Puppet Technique had been created by the village's Second Kazekage, Shamon, and popularized by the first puppet performer, Monzaemon. Later, Chiyo and Ebizo had inherited and refined it, steadily developing the craft until it finally reached its peak with Sasori of the Red Sands!
Puppet Technique encompassed two major fields: Puppet Engineering and Puppet Performance!
In plain terms, Puppet Engineering was the ability to develop puppets, while Puppet Performance was the ability to control them in combat!
Only someone who reached the pinnacle of both fields could be called a master puppeteer!
But the Six