"Swish..."
It was a sunny morning on the outskirts of the village.
Having just finished her early morning training, Tenten was about to head to the Ninja Academy.
But suddenly—
A shadow swooped down.
Her eyes narrowed sharply, startled by the unexpected presence.
However, her reaction was swift. She immediately jumped back, distancing herself.
Upon seeing the shadow that had approached, her eyes widened in surprise.
It was a humanoid white puppet.
Numerous chakra threads were connected to it.
And not far off stood a familiar figure.
"Kiyoshi…"
Before Tenten could call out his name, the white puppet was already rushing toward her.
As if it had come to life, the puppet swung its fist toward her.
"Bang!" Tenten dodged quickly.
Having trained alongside Kiyoshi, her taijutsu skills hadn't fallen behind.
Not one to back down, she immediately countered with a powerful kick.
"Bang!"
The white humanoid puppet raised its leg in response.
The two figures clashed.
"Bang… Bang…"
As time went on—
Tenten realized she couldn't defeat this puppet.
Breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, she raised her hands in surrender. "Stop, stop! I give up!"
"Tenten, you'll need to do better than this. It looks like we need to intensify your training a bit."
Kiyoshi laughed, controlling the white puppet with chakra threads extended from his fingers.
"I've been working really hard! Not everyone's a genius like you, Kiyoshi…" Tenten grumbled.
But she quickly set aside her frustration, jogging over with a gleam in her eyes.
Looking at the white puppet in amazement and excitement, she asked, "Kiyoshi, is this the puppet you made?"
"This is a newly finished puppet. I call it 'Kiyoshi No. 1.' You can use it for training from now on."
With practiced ease, Kiyoshi sealed the puppet into a storage scroll.
Then, he handed Tenten another small scroll.
One was the storage scroll she'd previously given him to hold the new puppet, as well as parts and materials.
The other scroll was an instruction manual, detailing how to operate the puppet.
With Tenten's eyes full of excitement, he smiled and explained, "This scroll contains diagrams of the puppet's structure, descriptions of its functions, control techniques, and notes on key mechanisms and maintenance."
"I've also included important replacement parts. If something breaks, you can easily swap it out."
"Take your time studying it. If you have questions, come ask me."
"Kiyoshi No. 1? This is amazing!"
Accepting the scroll, Tenten couldn't hide her excitement.
She gazed at Kiyoshi with admiration. "You're incredible, Kiyoshi."
She hadn't expected him to finish the puppet so quickly.
And from their recent sparring session, she understood the puppet's true power.
Kiyoshi had only been using it for a taijutsu match with her.
The real mechanisms hadn't even been activated.
Kiyoshi No. 1 was worlds apart from the doll-like puppets she'd seen before.
Even without seeing its full combat mode, it had far exceeded her expectations.
"But, Kiyoshi, are you really not going back to the Academy?" Tenten asked, curious.
Not only she, but the whole Academy knew by now.
The third-year prodigy—Ishikawa Kiyoshi—
Had been taken in as a disciple by Tsunade, the legendary Sannin and Konoha's princess, under the Third Hokage's guidance.
The news had inspired countless students.
The Academy even used it as an example, sparking a wave of renewed diligence among students.
"I won't be going back to the Academy. In a bit, I'll be heading to the Konoha Hospital with Tsunade-sensei to learn healing techniques," Kiyoshi shrugged.
"No matter how intricate or powerful a puppet is, it requires a skilled puppeteer to bring out its full combat potential."
As he spoke, he wiped the sweat from Tenten's brow.
Looking at the lively, bun-haired girl, he encouraged her with a smile. "You'd better give it your all."
"Yes! I'll work hard to become an outstanding puppeteer, Kiyoshi!"
Tenten clenched her fists, determination shining in her eyes.
"Off you go, now. It's getting late—you'll be late if you don't hurry!"
Kiyoshi smiled.
Tenten's family was indeed well-off.
The materials they'd provided him with had far exceeded his expectations, leaving him with plenty left even after crafting Kiyoshi No. 1.
He planned to spend more time designing a secondary puppet that differed from Kiyoshi No. 1's combat focus, something versatile for different battle scenarios.
He wanted to give it to Tenten before he left Konoha.
Noticing her natural talent in puppetry, he'd already decided to help her become a skilled puppeteer.
"See you later, Kiyoshi!"
Reluctant but with no other choice, Tenten said goodbye and hurried off to the Academy.
He watched her go.
"Chirp..."
A small sparrow suddenly landed boldly on Kiyoshi's shoulder, chirping and hopping around as if he were just another tree, unafraid.
Looking at the little bird, Kiyoshi's eyes lit up with a smile. "Maybe I should design a flying puppet."
To be honest—
He'd initially studied puppetry out of personal interest.
And to avoid prematurely revealing the abilities of his Wood-Wood Fruit, keeping them hidden to avoid unwanted trouble.
The puppetry technique served as a cover for his real powers until he grew stronger.
But now, as the disciple of Tsunade, he at least had some backing.
And he'd soon leave Konoha, so he no longer needed that layer of disguise.
He didn't need to be as cautious as before.
After all, with Tsunade as his mentor, he could afford to be more open, boldly showcasing his talent in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.
But since he had guided Tenten toward the path of a puppeteer, he wanted to give her the very best.
A puppet capable of carrying a person in flight and armed with formidable aerial combat abilities.
He was sure that would make her very happy.
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