Nara Shikashin closed the scroll with a headache and said:
"Orochimaru, could you please give me a detailed report of the events? I need to submit this to Lord Hokage."
Orochimaru began recounting the elite team's experience.
There was nothing wrong with Sakumo Hatake's command, and Nara Shikashin's battle plan was solid. No one had expected that Iwagakure would have such a powerful move in store.
They caught everyone completely off guard.
"Sigh!"
Nara Shikashin sighed, "I really didn't see that coming."
"Iwagakure was clearly targeting you guys specifically."
The so-called elite team didn't matter to Iwagakure; what they really cared about was Konoha's geniuses.
If an elite team gets wiped out, it would hurt Konoha, but they could always assemble another one quickly. However, losing even one of the village's prodigies was an enormous loss.
Iwagakure was ambitious—they wanted to take down all three of them in one strike.
But it's done now, and regretting won't help.
Shaking his head, Nara Shikashin pushed the troublesome thoughts aside and asked:
"Takashi said you contacted him through his puppet. Can you tell me how you managed to do that?"
It seemed that many people were still in the dark.
Orochimaru couldn't help but feel amused.
"Because I had dismantled one of Takashi's puppets for research. The fact that he could grant life to a puppet is already remarkable. During my research, I wondered—if Takashi could give the puppet life, could he also remotely control it?"
"…"
Do you even know what you're saying?
Nara Shikashin was stunned.
Giving life to a puppet?
And remote control too? What kind of technique is that?
Orochimaru continued, "Takashi's puppets are very unique—not only can they be controlled remotely, but they can also be used for communication or surveillance. And the puppets themselves are powerful."
As he spoke, Orochimaru described how Takashi had rescued them.
Nara Shikashin, whose heart had been weighed down with concern, now felt his spirit lift.
He swallowed nervously.
"So you're saying Takashi has at least a thousand puppets?"
"And some of those puppets have the strength of an ordinary Jonin?"
What kind of god is this—holding a trump card like that, and yet sitting in the camp as a medical ninja?
Recalling Takashi's exact words, Orochimaru smiled faintly:
"Takashi said he's just a medical ninja, lacking the ability to protect himself, so he made many puppets to ensure his own safety."
"Protection, huh?!"
Others might not know, but Nara Shikashin was very clear—Takashi's strength was anything but ordinary.
He simply hadn't had the chance to show it.
Treating him as the second coming of Tsunade was not an exaggeration.
And yet, he claimed to be a weak medical ninja who needed more strength to protect himself.
Nara Shikashin felt like he'd swallowed a sour lemon—feeling incredibly bitter inside.
"Do you think we could send Takashi's puppets to the battlefield?"
Nara Shikashin suddenly had a unique thought.
What if they sent Takashi's puppets to the battlefield? Compared to the puppets, the lives of the village's ninjas were much more valuable. If problems could be solved using puppets, why let the village's ninjas risk their lives?
Orochimaru smiled, "If each squad were to carry a few puppets..."
Damn!
Nara Shikashin slapped the table in excitement.
He was moved by the idea.
"Takashi is right; he indeed needs protection. The village should prioritize his safety. A genius like him must not be put at risk!!!"
Most people would think about sending Takashi to the battlefield, but Nara Shikashin thought differently. He believed that Takashi was too special and should be protected—his only task should be to make puppets, which the village ninjas could then carry into battle.
Puppets that could fight to the death and even self-destruct would surely devastate the enemy.
Not to mention that Takashi's puppets could also serve as communication relays.
"Orochimaru, you should go rest now. I need to contact the village immediately—this matter must be taken seriously."
Nara Shikashin thought much further ahead than the average person.
Orochimaru smiled as he got up to leave.
He sincerely hoped that the village would take this seriously, as that would mean he could become Takashi's personal puppet-making assistant.
Nara Shikashin wasted no time in sending the news back to the village, notifying both the Third Hokage and Tsunade.
Takashi was still asleep, but the scroll had already been delivered to the village.
The Third Hokage read the scroll's content, and the scroll slipped from his hand, falling onto the table with a thud, as he was too stunned to react.
After a moment of daze, he hurriedly picked up the scroll and read it carefully.
If it weren't for the fact that he trusted Nara Shikashin not to joke about serious matters, the Third Hokage might have thought he was just trying to mess with him.
Compared to the Third Hokage's shock, Tsunade was much calmer.
Takashi had given her a few hints long ago—though not the full story, Tsunade was at least in the know.
She even had some of the puppets Takashi had left behind.
"Commander, Lord Hokage is requesting your presence."
The members of the Anbu had arrived; the Third Hokage needed to see Tsunade urgently.
Upon learning the power and capabilities of the puppets, the Third Hokage could no longer sit still.
Like Nara Shikashin, the Third Hokage believed that if used properly, Takashi's puppets could make significant contributions.
In the past, the Anbu didn't have a Commander position, as the highest rank was Captain. But once the Anbu was brought under Tsunade's control, the Commander position was created.
Tsunade became the first Commander of the Anbu.
"Old man, you wanted to see me?"
Tsunade pushed open the door, walked into the Hokage's office, casually asked the question, and directly sat on the couch.
The Third Hokage gave her a complex look. He was convinced that Tsunade knew everything about Takashi's situation, but she had never mentioned it.
"Tsunade, you know about Takashi's special puppets, right?"
Back when Takashi had issued a mission to collect the bodies of powerful creatures for puppet materials, Tsunade had even used the opportunity to squeeze some money from Orochimaru.
Many of the materials for making the puppets had been purchased with Tsunade's help, so it was impossible for her to be unaware.
"Of course. Takashi started making puppets quite a while ago," Tsunade answered calmly. "After all, he's just a medical ninja lacking self-defense capability. It's only natural that he makes puppets to protect himself. I even helped him buy a lot of materials."
"…"
Watching his disciple lie with a straight face, the Third Hokage's face darkened.
"Tsunade, you know what I mean."
And now you're suddenly concerned?
Where were you before?
Tsunade couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Old man, just tell me directly—what do you want?"
"I hope Takashi can contribute his puppets to the village. After all, it's all for the village's sake, and the village needs those puppets."
The Third Hokage directly expressed his wish to get them for free.