"We leave at ten tonight, sharp. Go back and prepare. Dismissed!"
At Shaji's command, everyone dispersed.
Hoshino returned to his residence and carefully checked the puppets and ninja tools he might need for the mission.
According to the captain, high-level combat missions involving village secrets were A-rank.
But if Kumogakure ninja appeared during the mission, it would immediately rise to S-rank.
That was because it would involve another great ninja village.
Was this the kind of difficulty an eight-year-old child was supposed to face?
Honestly!
I should bring more small flies and small spiders, and change the Ninjutsu stored in the puppet from Wind Release: Great Breakthrough to Wind Release: Wind Blade!
I should also bring more Explosive Tags, Shuriken, poison needles, and poison sand.
Grandma Chiyo watched Hoshino bustling about, smiled, and stepped forward to help him pack.
Along the way, she handed Hoshino a large sealing scroll.
"Xiaoye, this is a graduation gift from your grandma. There are ten puppets inside, enough to handle most battles."
"Thank you, Grandma! Then I won't hold back!"
Hoshino gave her an affectionate smile, set the scroll aside, and continued working.
He was mainly holding a puppet, extending fine Chakra threads into its body, seemingly adjusting something.
Grandma Chiyo sat to one side and watched silently.
Hoshino's movements were exceptionally practiced, without a single hitch along the way, and he wasn't concerned in the least about her learning his technique.
"Xiaoye, I've actually wanted to ask you for a long time: how exactly does this puppet of yours store Ninjutsu?"
"If you can't tell me, forget I asked!"
"I can tell you. Why couldn't I?"
After adjusting the Ninjutsu stored in the puppet, Hoshino set it aside and looked up.
"Grandma, let me ask you: where do you think the connection between jutsu and seals lies?"
Grandma Chiyo thought for a moment. "Seals are the keys to jutsu. By forming Hand Seals, a ninja transforms the Chakra in their body into a specific form or nature."
Hoshino nodded. "That's right. To put it plainly, seals exist to help ninja control the flow of Chakra more precisely."
He fetched paper and a pen and drew a simple diagram of the human body, using numerous lines to represent the positions of the meridians.
"Look, Grandma. The human meridian system is extremely complex. When Chakra flows through the body, it has to pass along specific meridian pathways to form Ninjutsu."
"The purpose of Hand Seals is to guide Chakra along those pathways and ultimately release the Ninjutsu."
Hoshino picked up the puppet at his waist, tapped it lightly on the chest, and continued:
"This puppet's structure is very similar to the human body's, except I simplified its meridian system, keeping only the pathways needed to release a specific Ninjutsu."
"For example, I've completely reproduced the meridian pathways needed for Wind Release: Wind Blade inside the puppet using Chakra Metal."
A flicker of surprise crossed Grandma Chiyo's eyes. "You used Chakra Metal to replace human meridians?"
Hoshino nodded. "That's right. Chakra Metal is highly conductive and very stable."
"I made the puppet's meridian system out of that metal. As long as it has an energy core, it can operate automatically along the preset meridian pathways and release Ninjutsu."
"That way, the puppet doesn't need to form Hand Seals. Its meridian system is fixed, so the pathways along which Chakra flows are fixed too."
Grandma Chiyo nodded thoughtfully. "I see... No wonder your puppet can cast jutsu without seals. This design practically 'mechanizes' the process of releasing Ninjutsu."
Hoshino smiled. "Exactly. That's what I mean."
The idea was actually quite simple. Once you thought around the bend, you could come up with it.
The only troublesome part was the energy core.
It had to be stable and provide enough Chakra, and the manufacturing process was extremely complicated.
Yet Grandma Chiyo was still unstinting in her praise for Hoshino.
"Xiaoye, your talent is truly astounding. I'm afraid even I might not have come up with a design like this."
Hoshino smiled. "You flatter me, Grandma. Actually, I learned a great deal from your Puppet Technique before I came up with these ideas."
"Don't make fun of me. Don't I know what I'm capable of?" Grandma Chiyo continued, "Then what is this energy core you mentioned?"
"It's this!"
Hoshino turned the puppet over and gently pressed a concealed mechanism on its back.
A hidden compartment popped open with a click, revealing a blue crystal the size of a fingernail.
"Grandma, this is the most crucial part. It's very troublesome to make, and it can't even store much Chakra."
Hoshino carefully took out the crystal and placed it in his palm to show Grandma Chiyo.
"I gave it a name: Chakra Crystal."
Grandma Chiyo leaned closer and examined it carefully. "A Chakra Crystal?"
Hoshino nodded. "That's right! Compress Chakra, then use Sealing Jutsu to seal it inside a container, and you get this little Chakra Crystal."
"Unfortunately, Sunagakure's Sealing Jutsu are just too... too lousy!"
"If I could get my hands on Konoha's Sealing Jutsu, then with my research, the Chakra Crystal could definitely store more Chakra and cast more Ninjutsu."
Konoha's Sealing Jutsu? If they really would help Xiaoye's research, Rasa would surely support it, wouldn't he?
Grandma Chiyo said nothing, pondering it to herself.
Hoshino put the Chakra Crystal back into the puppet's hidden compartment and gently closed the cover.
Then he suddenly thought of something and looked up. "Oh, right, Grandma! You said there were ten puppets in the sealing scroll you gave me. Can I see them?"
Grandma Chiyo smiled. "Of course! These aren't ordinary puppets. I made them all recently, and each one has a unique function."
As she spoke, she took a scroll from her sleeve and gently unrolled it.
With a puff of white smoke, an exquisitely crafted puppet appeared before them.
Hoshino's eyes lit up. "Is this... Black Ant?"
Grandma Chiyo nodded. "That's right. Black Ant specializes in close combat and defense. Its shell is made from a special alloy and can withstand attacks from most ninja tools."
With that, she formed Hand Seals again and summoned several more puppets: White Ant, Red Scorpion, and Blue Bee.
Each puppet had its own unique functions and fighting style.
"Grandma, these puppets are practically works of art! I have to study their construction carefully." Hoshino couldn't take his eyes off them and couldn't help exclaiming.
Grandma Chiyo smiled. "With them at your side, you'll be a little safer on the mission. It's getting late, so hurry up and get ready."
"All right, Grandma!"
Hoshino nodded, returned the puppets to the scroll one by one, and strapped it to his back.