First, the new poison Chiyo had painstakingly developed was neutralized by Tsunade, and then Tsunade personally led a team onto the battlefield, decimating the Sand Village's puppet forces.
The puppet troops, once a formidable ace of the Sand Village and feared on the battlefield, met their match when they encountered Tsunade.
Tsunade, a master of healing and detoxification, was also capable of wreaking havoc in battle. Despite her seemingly straightforward and aggressive combat style, this very approach was the puppeteers' worst nightmare.
With a single punch or kick, she would leave only shattered puppet fragments and scrapped parts in her wake.
Although Tsunade fought fiercely, she was never reckless to the point of endangering herself, denying Chiyo any chance to eliminate her through underhanded means. Frustrated, Chiyo could only curse in exasperation.
Meanwhile, the intense war on the frontlines did not impact Shinki. After reaching an agreement with the Third Hokage, Shinki's life had settled into a period of peace.
He refrained from causing trouble, and the Third Hokage avoided playing any tricks.
Orochimaru had visited the ANBU base to hand over all the puppets he had crafted to Shinki.
As a result, Shinki gained hundreds of puppets at the cost of part of his chakra.
Both sides were content with this arrangement.
Orochimaru even volunteered to help Shinki dispose of the demigod's body. Shinki handled the poisonous salamander himself.
With the recent integration of the Ino-Shika-Cho team into the ANBU, Shinki delegated much of the administrative work to Nara Shikashin, allowing him to delve into his peculiar research.
In the headquarters base, inside a temporary lab, various metal materials, rocks, and special soils were scattered around.
These were Shinki's experimental supplies.
"Are you sure these are the materials for your experiment?"
The ANBU, curious about Shinki's experiment, had gathered resources from various places and delivered them to the base. Nara Shikashin took a peek, only to be baffled.
He had expected Shinki's experiments to involve something more grim, given that puppets typically required human bodies. But here, there was no blood—just an assortment of metal, stones, and soil.
"Don't tell me you're going to make a puppet out of this?" he thought, incredulous. If the Sand Village puppet masters knew Shinki was experimenting with rocks and soil, they would probably cry.
"Absolutely," Shinki confirmed.
Who said puppets couldn't be made from stone and earth?
Look at the Otsutsuki clan on the moon—they had wooden, mud, and stone puppets, each with unique and complex designs.
But while they had Hamura's legacy, Shinki had only his determination and experiments.
Fortunately, Shinki had plenty of time on his hands.
His current stock of puppets was sufficient, so he could afford to experiment and build up his inventory at a gradual pace.
Nara Shikashin, unimpressed, stood at the door for a moment before walking off. To him, Shinki seemed to be wasting time tinkering in the lab instead of managing ANBU. The idea of making functional puppets out of stones and soil seemed absurd.
The idea of a water jutsu turning these puppets into a pile of mud crossed his mind. "Must be something he picked up from Orochimaru," Shikashin thought. Orochimaru had a reputation for peculiar research, and now even Shinki seemed to follow suit. "It's my misfortune to be his assistant," he muttered.
The challenge with using stone was its brittleness, and the idea of covering it with soil added complications. Chakra needed to soften the material...
Immersed in his research, Shinki didn't emerge from the lab for a long time.
Thankfully, with Nara Shikashin handling ANBU matters, Shinki could stay focused, especially since nothing major was happening in the village at that time.
"No way?"
Shinki muttered in disappointment as he observed a prototype puppet with an odd design and stiff movements.
Despite the progress he had made, the results were still far from satisfactory.
One day, as Shinki was deeply engaged in his work, he heard cheers echoing through the base. He controlled a puppet to check the commotion.
Hatake Sakumo had returned and was being welcomed warmly by the villagers.
With the village's deliberate effort, Hatake Sakumo's reputation had surpassed Shinki's, achieving the F4 group's goal of elevating Sakumo to overshadow Shinki.
Nowadays, when villagers mentioned war heroes, Hatake Sakumo's name came up first.
In public relations, the F4 group excelled.
A puppet perched on a rooftop watched as Hatake Sakumo was carried off by the cheering crowd. Shinki couldn't help but wonder how the Third Hokage and his supporters would react once the daimyo's reward arrived.
"What's on your mind?" a familiar voice asked.
Orochimaru, standing nearby, had also been watching the scene unfold. Shinki chuckled at the question.
"Jealous?"
"Envy?" Orochimaru repeated, surprised. "Perhaps. Who doesn't want the admiration of the villagers? Even I'm no exception. But Sakumo's fame seems exaggerated. Don't you have any thoughts about it?"
If military merits were considered fairly, Hatake Sakumo wouldn't outrank Shinki. Even without counting his numerous battlefield kills, the defeat of Hanzo the Salamander alone was enough to distinguish Shinki, not to mention his tireless treatment of injured soldiers.
Yet, despite his significant contributions, Shinki had not received equivalent recognition or rewards.
Instead, others basked in the glory.
Most people would be bitter with jealousy.
"Not really," Shinki said cryptically. "I'm more interested in the aftermath. The daimyo has been informed of Senior Sakumo's contribution. What do you think the daimyo will reward him with?"
Orochimaru's eyes widened as he connected the dots. Soon, a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Heh... I can only imagine how furious the old man will be," Orochimaru said, a trace of excitement in his tone.
"Haha..."
After a hearty laugh, Shinki composed himself. "When do you leave for the battlefield?"
"Probably... tomorrow?" Orochimaru replied with a smile.
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>>>>>
Up to Chapter 330 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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