For several days, Zou Hyuga immersed himself in studying the Puppet Technique and successfully mastered it.
For an ordinary ninja, the precise chakra control required to learn the Puppet Technique was extremely difficult, but it was nothing to Zou Hyuga. After all, the palm techniques of Gentle Fist already demanded sufficient precision.
After taking the puppets apart and seeing their intricate construction, Zou Hyuga came up with a few more ideas for making money.
If he made the puppets prettier and more lifelike, they might sell quite well among ordinary people.
Of course, it was only a passing thought.
There was no shortage of ninja finding new lines of work in the ninja world. The wonders of the Transformation Technique were described in detail in Icha Icha Paradise.
Putting those stray thoughts aside, Zou Hyuga quietly slipped out of the village and headed to the outskirts of the Land of Fire Capital.
While staying at Taro Utada's home, Zou Hyuga learned about the Merchant Company's recent progress. Operations in Rōran were proceeding normally, while business along the route to the Land of Rain was steadily expanding.
When Zou Hyuga asked whether any ninja had obstructed the Merchant Company lately, Taro Utada shook his head.
Seeing that the Merchant Company was developing smoothly, Zou Hyuga did not ask much more. Utada would never deceive him, and he did not have much energy to spare for the Merchant Company anyway. It had originally been an experiment, yet it had unexpectedly grown into something substantial.
His focus remained on the "Chakra Network." Perhaps the Merchant Company would be able to help with it in the future.
After leaving the Merchant Company, Zou Hyuga appeared at the tailed beast base.
Compared with the previous base in the small mountain village, this one had been