[Puppet Name]: Little Boy
[General Parameters]:
Height: 1.35 meters
Weight: 29.18 kilograms
Materials: Reinforced wood, lightweight composite materials, high-strength alloy
Power Source: None
Operation Method: Chakra threads, with five chakra connection hubs
[Puppet Rating]: B-
[Overall Evaluation]: Auxiliary combat puppet, moderately damaged. When intact, it should possess the combat power of a newly promoted Chunin. Moderate operation difficulty.
[Detailed Data]:...
After reviewing this data, Qingshui became even more puzzled.
A Chunin-level puppet? Why would it be up to him, a Genin Puppet Master, to repair it?
Suddenly, Qingshui recalled some news he'd heard recently from his supervising Jonin.
This might be a good thing.
Due to years of continuous warfare, it seemed the Puppet Force might be expanding.
Qingshui picked up the mission scroll again and scrutinized it carefully.
The mission was commissioned by the Puppet Force itself.
Not a specific squad within the Puppet Force, nor an individual.
This was different from usual.
Did this mean he had caught their attention and was now part of the village's puppet maker training program?
Was this mission a test for him?
Every Puppet Master in the Sand Village dreamed of joining the Puppet Force.
It was a unit with strategic importance comparable to the Anbu. Within it, there were more inheritances of Puppetry and Ninjutsu, and also richer resources.
And...
Qingshui glanced at the motionless progress bar at the bottom of the panel.
Never mind that for now. I'll focus on getting the work done first.
He took out a pencil and started sketching and writing on the paper.
About ten minutes passed, and a brand-new repair and improvement plan was finalized.
"Left mechanical claw hinge broken, right gear blade bearing damaged, needs replacement. Model..."
"Mouth Senbon launcher rusted. Clean with acid agent #3."
"Suspected cause of rust is prolonged placement of poison-soaked Senbon by the user, leading to corrosion of some parts. Apply anti-poison coating to relevant areas..."
It was Qingshui's first time working on a Chunin-level puppet. Before, he had only watched others use them.
Its internal structure was much more complex than the Fatty Puppet, and it had some designs that were quite eye-opening for Qingshui.
"Besides the four limbs, there's another chakra hub in the core of the torso. The connected glass lens should be for use with some kind of sensory Ninjutsu. During combat, if other chakra hubs are damaged, this hub can be transferred via a sliding mechanism."
Qingshui took out his notebook and jotted down notes.
This was a new design he hadn't seen before. He'd note it down and study it more thoroughly after the repair.
If he had to rely solely on his current knowledge to slowly check everything, it would probably take a whole day.
But now, it took less than an hour.
Qingshui looked at the multiple times revised puppet structure diagram in his notebook, then at the panel. He put down his pencil and wooden triangle ruler, focusing his mind on the panel to modify the puppet's structure diagram there according to his own revised plan.
This was almost like a holographic projection, allowing him to modify it freely and perfectly simulate its operation, so he could identify any unreasonable or incompatible areas.
With this ability, Qingshui could refine a modification plan to near perfection within two hours.
This efficiency was dozens of times, or even higher, than other Puppet Masters of the same rank.
Because it was very difficult for them to improve a puppet to a near-perfect state.
Those who could achieve this were generally higher-ranked Puppet Masters.
This was also why he was able to transform the Fatty, a mere training puppet, into one with the combat capability of a qualified Genin.
...
...
"Oh? Repair unit #11, the Little Boy, is fixed? That fast? Is this the first one submitted?"
Ebizo looked up from his stacks of documents, a hint of weariness on his face.
With the Third Kazekage away and Elder Chiyo, the village's second-in-command, also absent, Ebizo was currently overseeing the Sand Village.
Ebizo's position in the Sand Village was similar to Danzō's in Konoha: elder and head of Anbu, primarily responsible for intelligence.
"The Little Boy's functions have been mostly restored. It took four days, and even if I had done it myself, I might not have been faster. Plus, he made some modifications to this puppet, and even..."
Ishido, captain of the Puppet Force's Sixth Squad, handed several papers to Ebizo.
"He even proposed further improvement plans, though they would require more resources."
Ebizo took the papers and examined them, stroking his chin.
He was also one of the Sand Village's top Puppet Masters.
In terms of Puppetry, Chiyo was currently the strongest in the Ninja World. Her mastery of both puppet manipulation and creation was exceptionally high, and she was Monzaemon's chosen successor to inherit the Chikamatsu Collection.
Next was Ebizo, followed by Chiyo's deceased son and daughter-in-law.
In terms of puppet manipulation, Ebizo was beneath Chiyo, but when it came to puppet creation, Ebizo surpassed Chiyo.
The modifications are excellent. While the techniques used are basic, they're enough to improve the Little Boy puppet's performance by over six percent. And this idea of modifying the puppet's joint structure and Chakra flow nodes, and switching the puppet into a shield form, is very interesting. It even has the embryonic form of the Mechanism Shield Seal Ninjutsu.
Ebizo stroked his gray beard, his spirits lifting a little, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Even from his perspective, it was a perfect design.
This had to be the work of a gifted Puppet Master!
Aside from his grand-nephew, could there really be another Puppetry genius like this in the village?
"This child only took the most basic Puppetry elective at the Ninja Academy. His previous Jonin instructor, Mamiya, wasn't a Puppet Master either. Aside from the basic Genin techniques, the only things he could have been taught were probably Taijutsu and Wind Release Ninjutsu. So, I believe this child has significant potential and fits the Puppet Force's reserve training program."
Jonin Ishido said, pointing to Qingshui's repair plan.
"Are you sure about his background?"
Ebizo asked Jonin Ishido.
"He's the orphan of Chunin Sashen. His mother was a civilian who died in childbirth, so the child was sent to an orphanage for war orphans at eighteen months old. His only initial resource was the inheritance from his parents when he entered the Ninja Academy."
Ishido's meaning was twofold.
First, Qingshui's identity was clear and unblemished.
Second, he had no possibility of accessing high-level puppet knowledge, which proved his potential as a Puppet Master.
As for the possibility of Qingshui being a spy recruited by another ninja village and acquiring high-level puppet knowledge from them, it was virtually zero.
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