"Yoru… you actually took down a jonin-level puppeteer all by yourself? When did you get so strong?"
Ebisu's eyes nearly popped out of his skull in shock. He knew his best friend well, but how had Yoru grown so powerful in such a short time? The progress was insane!
Before, he'd thought Yoru's promotion to tokubetsu jonin was just a small lead—something he could catch up to if he trained harder and cut back on reading those adult novels. But now? It wasn't just a lead. His friend had already reached the peak, standing at the finish line, waiting for him.
Hell, maybe jonin was his finish line—not Yoru's.
Who knew how much further Yoru could go? At this rate, Ebisu would only be able to watch from behind.
Strangely, though, Ebisu didn't feel as frustrated this time. When the gap was small, he still had the drive to chase after Yoru. But when it was this huge? All he could do was admire him. And honestly? He was damn proud of his friend.
"Yoru, you've gotta look out for me from now on!"
The thought of having a jonin-level buddy instantly pumped Ebisu up.
The rest of the team—the Andō squad, the Tatami squad, and Shukutō—were just as thrilled. With a captain this strong, their patrol missions just got a whole lot safer.
If the Water Bat No. 6 gifts had only won half their loyalty before, Yoru's overwhelming display of power had now completely secured their trust.
Back when the Umino squad was on the same level as them, the Andō, Tatami, and Ebisu squads might've had some quiet reservations. Small favors weren't enough to earn real respect from seasoned shinobi.
But now? After witnessing Yoru's strength and fighting alongside him to take down a jonin-level puppeteer squad? They genuinely accepted his leadership.
Yoru didn't bother correcting their assumptions. The truth was, he'd only won because his abilities hard-countered Suna's puppeteers—especially those who relied on ambush tactics like Black Secret Techniques.
Against White or Red Secret Techniques, his Sticky Syrup Jutsu would've been his only advantage. But with his Ultrasonic Radar Technique, every sneak attack from the Black Secret Techniques was laid bare.
After multiple failed ambushes—and seeing his teammates fall—the enemy puppeteer lost his nerve. He tried to flee, leaving an opening for Yoru's Willow Style to finish him. Otherwise, the fight would've dragged on until Yoru's Gluttony Technique outlasted him.
"Intel confirms this was just a scouting squad. Stronger Suna elites are coming."
To avoid panic, Yoru didn't mention his personal grudge with Chiyo. Instead, he framed it as official intel, regrouping all ten patrol squads to set up layered traps for the coming retaliation.
He also prepared an escape plan. With his Soundwave Radar, these 300 miles of Shinchuu Forest were perfect for guerrilla warfare.
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Rustle—!
The trees behind them shook violently.
The team tensed, but Yoru raised a hand to calm them.
It was just the Fūjin and Raijin brothers—drawn by the earlier explosion.
Even their captain, Yamikumo, had been dragged along.
"Big Boss! We're here to smash some Suna-nin!"
The twins skidded to a stop, giant iron staffs in hand, grinning like excited puppies.
Behind them, Yamikumo and Anma Lightvoice finally caught up, panting.
Seeing the battle was already over, Yamikumo sighed in relief—glad he hadn't needed to fight.
Lightvoice, though confident in Yoru's skills, had been worried. Only now did she relax.
With the full squad assembled, Yoru began tactical adjustments—traps, formations, retreat plans.
But training took time.
A week passed with no sign of Suna's retaliation.
That only made Yoru more uneasy. He'd expected a full elite squad within days. The delay meant Chiyo was planning something big.
If not for knowing Chiyo was busy commanding the Land of Rivers frontlines, he'd have feared she'd come personally.
"Strength is the only real answer. The rest? We'll handle it when it comes."
Pushing aside his worries, Yoru threw himself back into training—especially puppetry.
Of the eight puppets he'd seized, six were high-grade, fully intact. The Mechanical Shield Puppet stood out—its defense far surpassing his Syrup Armor.
"Suna's puppet techniques really are something."
After absorbing his shadow clone's stolen knowledge, his puppetry skills skyrocketed—now on par with a tokubetsu jonin puppeteer.
"The Mechanical Shield Puppet and shadow clones are a perfect match."
Shadow clones were fragile, but the shield puppet's defense fixed that. Equip a clone with one, and it's basically a mini-mech. Add Red Secret Technique: Twin Puppet Control, and that clone could fight like a tokubetsu jonin.
Meaning his combat power had doubled.
If he could get more shield puppets, he could mass-produce armored clones—creating a bootleg version of the White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Ten.
"But seizing more is unrealistic. I'll have to build them myself."
High-grade shield puppets were expensive. Research was the only way.
And he was researching. His underground lab's shadow clones had increased from one to six—proof of how seriously he took this.
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