"The basics of Puppet Jutsu aren't actually that difficult…"
With a slight movement of his fingers, Kiyoshi guided chakra threads, making the puppet dolls appear almost as if they had their own consciousness.
In a quick jump, each one returned to Ino and Tenten's hands, even playfully waving at their respective owners.
Retracting the chakra threads, Kiyoshi smiled at the astonished expressions on both girls' faces.
"Besides, I think practicing Puppet Jutsus is a great way to improve chakra control. That's why I want you two to give it a try!"
He paused, noticing that Ino looked hesitant, as if she had something on her mind.
Gently patting her head, he chuckled, "Of course, I'm not suggesting you become a puppet master, Ino. There's no need for you to spend too much time or energy on it."
"Just practice whenever you can, bit by bit. Over time, your chakra control should improve, and that will be helpful for mastering your clan's secret Jutsu!"
Although they could only meet up during breaks, under his guidance, both Ino and Tenten had made notable progress.
Even Tenten, through two years of persistent effort, had managed to complete the basic chakra control exercises of tree climbing and water walking.
Their control had improved enough to place them among the top at the Ninja Academy.
"Oh, so that's it!" Ino sighed in relief, realizing she'd misunderstood Kiyoshi's intentions. She'd thought he wanted her to pursue puppet mastery seriously.
Even if she were willing, her father would never agree; as the heir to the Yamanaka clan, she couldn't abandon her family's unique jutsu to train in puppetry.
"When you're more comfortable, I'll also teach you some basic medical ninjutsu. That'll take your chakra control to the next level," Kiyoshi added with a grin.
"At that point, the Yamanaka clan's Jutsus should be much easier for you, and you'll also gain some useful medical skills."
Considering the prestige of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" formation, not just in Konoha but across the entire ninja world, it was nearly certain that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji would form the next generation of the legendary trio after graduating.
And since their missions would likely involve some danger, a bit of medical knowledge could prove invaluable.
"Got it, Kiyoshi! I'll work hard!" Ino nodded with newfound determination.
Kiyoshi smiled, pleased, then turned to Tenten. Although her family was well-off, she was technically a civilian ninja without any notable lineage or clan jutsu.
"Tenten, you're different from Ino. If you're genuinely interested in Puppet Jutsu, I think you could even consider becoming a real puppet master!"
He thought for a moment and then added, "Don't worry about puppets—I can develop more powerful ones suited for combat if that's what you want. But, of course, only if you're interested!"
Unlike Ino, Tenten lacked significant talent in ninjutsu, and while she was decent with weapons, it was a field with many limitations.
Even mastering the use of shuriken and kunai wouldn't allow her to match the natural advantage of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
Puppet Jutsu, however, offered an array of weaponry, with an endless variety of hidden mechanisms that could easily catch opponents off guard.
Given her family's resources, she wouldn't have to worry about funding, either.
"Huh? You mean you want me to study Puppet Jutsu?" Tenten was momentarily taken aback.
She hadn't expected Kiyoshi to suggest she become a puppet master. Tilting her head, she pressed her small fist to her chin, deep in thought.
Recalling Kiyoshi's perfect display just now—how fluidly he controlled the puppets as if they were part of him—her eyes lit up.
"A puppet master… That actually sounds pretty cool!"
"I want to learn!"
With no hesitation left, she raised her hand and nodded enthusiastically.
She'd never been interested in puppetry before, but that was mainly because Konoha didn't have any puppet schools or renowned puppet masters to teach her.
If left to study on her own, she'd have no chance of learning it, or at best, only its basics.
But with Kiyoshi, a genius who mastered Puppet Jutsus in such a short time and could manipulate them so skillfully, teaching her, things would be different.
She wouldn't even have to worry about finding suitable puppets in the future.
More importantly, she'd have more opportunities to spend time with Kiyoshi.
Thinking of this, Tenten couldn't help but get a little carried away, slipping into her own dreamlike world as a glint of happiness shone in her eyes.
"Tenten… Tenten…"
Kiyoshi had to call her name several times before snapping her out of her daze.
"Huh?" She returned to reality, her cheeks turning pink as she realized how close Kiyoshi's face was.
Hastily looking down, she stammered, "Sorry, I got distracted!"
"Hmm?" Ino, noticing something amiss, eyed her suspiciously. "Tenten, were you just daydreaming about something inappropriate?"
"Of course not!" Tenten blushed, denying it immediately.
She quickly changed the subject, looking up at Kiyoshi. "So, I'm counting on you, Kiyoshi! I'll do my best to become an excellent puppet master!"
Clenching her fists, her delicate face lit up with seriousness and resolve.
Tenten knew that her family had some money, but in this world dominated by ninjas, she couldn't rely on just that.
Without any clan Jutsus, all she could do was work even harder. Otherwise, the gap between her and Ino would only grow.
"I'm sure you'll manage," Kiyoshi encouraged her with a smile. "After all, you're determined to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!"
Whether she would reach such heights was another matter, but her ambition and effort were praiseworthy.
"Let's work hard together, Tenten!" Ino added with a warm smile.
Due to spending time with Kiyoshi, the two of them had long since become close friends over the past two years.
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[A.N: Kiyoshi doesn't actually intend to become a puppet master, so don't worry. He just wants an excuse to teach Tenten puppetry out of personal interest.
After all, he has the power of the Wood-Wood Fruit, which will be his main combat style.]
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