You Really Want to Be a Puppet Master? / Wood Clone, Natural Energy

If that happened, wouldn't the ever-proud Neji immediately bristle?

"Hmph..."

That was his answer every time.

Neji Hyuga was used to it by now. Unwilling to say anything more, he headed straight for the classroom.

He had to admit that the other boy's Chakra control was far more precise than his own, even though he was a member of the Hyuga Clan with the Byakugan.

He really was well suited to learning Medical Ninjutsu.

Chiya Rikuto had even decided early on to become a medical-nin, like his father, who was said to have been a Jonin in the medical corps before he had died protecting him several years ago.

Neji Hyuga could do nothing about it.

"I look forward to that day, Rikuto!"

[PS: This is a new book, so I need everyone's support. Please send flowers, votes, and positive reviews!!!!]

Chapter 4: You Really Want to Be a Puppet Master? [Please support]

"Chiya~!"

"Wow, he's so handsome..."

"Chiya, do you have time after school? Let's train together!"

"Rikuto, I prepared this gift especially for you!"

"I made this bento myself. Please, you have to try it!"

"Rikuto, mine too..."

"Hey, watermelon head, get out of the way!"

"Yeah, you're an eyesore..."

At the gates of the Ninja Academy.

In less than half a minute.

The girls around them had noticed Chiya Rikuto's handsome figure.

And it wasn't just the girls in Rikuto's class.

Girls from the neighboring classes, the lower grades, and even the upper grades were no exception.

Their eyes lit up, every one of them like a fish that had caught the scent of blood.

They crowded around him in small groups.

Their flushed faces were full of excitement, hearts shining in their eyes.

In moments, Rock Lee was shoved aside and beaten black and blue.

Neji Hyuga, who hadn't gone far, looked back.

Watching the frenzied girls, his mouth twitched. "That guy really is popular!"

Although Neji wasn't interested in those girls.

He had to admit that their popularity made even him a little jealous.

"As expected of my lifelong rival, Rikuto!"

Rock Lee scrambled to his feet.

He looked at Chiya Rikuto, who was surrounded by girls.

His face was full of envy, but he wasn't particularly discouraged. He was used to it by now.

Clenching his fists, he brimmed with fighting spirit. "But youth never gives up so easily... I've decided! After school, I'll run ten more laps around the village!"

"Neji, want to join me?"

"Idiot..."

Neji Hyuga moved away from him.

He headed toward the classroom, expressionless. "Not interested!"

"Thank you, everyone. I appreciate the thought... but there's no need for bentos or gifts!"

Chiya Rikuto finally managed to escape the siege of those female wolves.

He turned down their blatant confessions and fled back to the classroom.

"Rikuto, over here, over here!"

He wiped away his cold sweat.

He had only just entered the classroom.

Even Rock Lee, who was already sitting there, hadn't had time to greet him.

On the right side of the third row, a little girl with her hair in two buns eagerly waved to Rikuto and called out to him.

She completely ignored Rock Lee beside her.

"Morning, Tenten..."

Rikuto smiled faintly at his deskmate, Tenten.

He patted Rock Lee on the shoulder, then carried his books over and sat down in the middle of the right side of the third row.

"Rikuto, I prepared this bento for you today. You have to try it!"

With a sweet smile, Tenten took out an exquisite bento she had prepared earlier and placed it in front of Chiya Rikuto.

Her big eyes were full of anticipation as she looked at him.

A faint blush inevitably colored her delicate face.

But she had helped out at her family's weapon shop since she was little, and her outgoing nature kept her from being too shy. She was perfectly at ease.

"Thank you!"

Chiya Rikuto accepted the bento and smiled.

Seeing the envious, jealous, resentful expressions on some of the boys' faces, he felt a little helpless, but didn't pay them much mind.

Unlike the other girls.

He had always had a special fondness for this girl with her Chinese style.

So he generally didn't go out of his way to refuse her kindness.

"Hehe..."

Tenten cupped her cheeks and sat there quietly.

Ignoring the murderous looks from the other girls in the classroom, she smiled happily.

She looked at Chiya Rikuto's heroic features, finding him more handsome and pleasing to the eye the longer she looked.

Deeply drawn to his gentle, ethereal bearing, she couldn't bear to look away.

A sweet smile involuntarily spread across her delicate face.

"These puppet books..."

But then she caught sight of the books Chiya Rikuto had placed on his desk earlier.

For a moment, she was speechless.

It wasn't the first time she had seen them.

Chiya Rikuto had been reading books about puppets for some time now.

She looked at him in confusion and asked, "Rikuto, didn't you say you wanted to become a medical-nin? Do you really want to become a puppet master too?"

"Why do you say that?"

Looking at Tenten's puzzled little face.

Chiya Rikuto looked entirely serious as he asked in some confusion, "As a qualified medical-nin, isn't it necessary and perfectly reasonable for me to learn a little Puppet Technique to protect myself?"

With his precise Chakra control and his own status as a medical-nin.

Getting started with the basics of the Puppet Technique was clearly no difficulty for him.

He had the imagination of someone from the twenty-first century who had lived through the internet age's explosion of information, as well as the relevant knowledge he had gradually accumulated by borrowing all kinds of books from the library over the years.

On top of that, he believed his talent was second to none.

Even though he wasn't actually planning to devote all his energy to the Puppet Technique.

He might not be able to surpass Sasori of the Red Sands in a short time—the genius puppet master and S-rank missing-nin of Sunagakure who had once assassinated the Third Kazekage, providing the spark that ignited the Third Shinobi World War.

But he was confident he wouldn't be too far behind.

Tenten: "..."

Faced with such an overwhelmingly powerful argument, she couldn't refute him.

She said crossly, "What kind of medical-nin does that?"

"There is one. Your idol, Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, isn't just skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. Apparently, she's also quite formidable in combat herself..."

"Fine, as long as you like it!"

Sorry.

She had 湵×恕.

She didn't understand the world of geniuses!

"Ding-dong..."

At noon.

The day had passed quickly.

After class, the teacher announced that there would be no lessons that afternoon and that they would have the next two days off.

The rowdy children were all excited. They fled the classroom in small groups, heading home or putting their arms around one another's shoulders and making plans to play.

After saying goodbye to a reluctant Tenten and ignoring the girls trying to strike up conversations with him.

Chiya Rikuto didn't go train with Rock Lee as usual.

Instead, he turned down Rock Lee's invitation and headed straight home.

Compared with great clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho, Chiya Rikuto's home wasn't very large.

But compared with orphans like Naruto Uzumaki, it wasn't too small either.

It was the home the village had assigned to him and his grandmother after the reconstruction: a second-floor apartment with three bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom.

Now that he and his grandmother lived there together, it was adequate.

To his surprise, the neighbor across the hall was an elite Chunin named Kurenai Yuhi.

She was a very gentle older-sister figure who took special care of Chiya Rikuto.

Having also lost loved ones during the Night of the Nine-Tails several years ago, she was full of affection for Chiya Rikuto, whose circumstances were similar to her own.

Whenever she was home, she looked after Rikuto and his grandmother, often coming over to the Chiya home as a guest and eating their food.

But rather than saying she came for free meals, it would be more accurate to say she volunteered to buy groceries and cook.

Over time, Chiya Rikuto gradually became familiar with Kurenai Yuhi.

The two were as close as an older sister and younger brother.

"I'm home!"

[PS: The original story clearly mentioned that Kurenai Yuhi had only recently been promoted to Jonin at the time of the Chunin Ninja Exams. Since this is five years before the story and the Uchiha haven't been wiped out yet, Kurenai Yuhi most likely isn't a Jonin yet.]

Chapter 5: Wood Clone, Natural Energy [Fifth update, please support]

"Cough, cough, Rikuto, you're home..."

In the living room.