Moreover, Qingshui noticed that Sasori lacked practical combat experience.
If any attack came close to him, the young boy seemed to panic.
So, Qingshui changed the focus of the battle.
"Black Secret Technique: Serpent Fang."
Two sharpened, conical fangs shot out from Tom's mouth, whistling through the air as they flew towards Sasori's head.
Qingshui wasn't worried about hurting Elder Chiyo's precious grandson; after all, there were two Jonin watching nearby.
But Sasori, with his limited combat experience, seemed somewhat constrained at this moment. He quickly dodged the viper's fangs by twisting his body, and his control over his puppet involuntarily paused.
A good opportunity!
Qingshui seized the chance, maneuvering Tom to shake off Termite's entanglement and charge towards Sasori.
Tom's performance was superior to Termite's, and its prototype was the nimble lynx, a feline. The finished product was also positioned as an agile puppet, its speed far exceeding Termite's.
Previously, Sasori could still hold his own with his excellent Puppet Manipulation, but now that an opportunity had arisen, Tom broke free from Termite almost instantly, darting towards Sasori like an arrow released from a bowstring and leaping at him.
"Ugh!"
In a moment of desperation, without a puppet to protect him, Sasori chose to pull out a kunai and block in front of him.
Ishido and Sasayama of the Sand were already prepared to provide support.
Sasori's body was already pinned to the ground by Tom. One hand held the kunai horizontally in front of him, wedged in Tom's mouth, while the other extended a Chakra thread, attempting to control Termite with one hand and pull it back to his side for protection.
"You've lost, Sasori."
Qingshui slightly raised his hand, controlling Tom to reveal its final mechanism.
Tom's mouth remained open, a clicking sound coming from inside, and finally, a mechanism extended out.
A wooden cylinder.
"Inside this is a viper's venom sac. Through my design, once opened, it can spray all its venom at an enemy when they are close. The venom is not only corrosive to skin but also has the effect of numbing nerves and disrupting Chakra."
Sasori lowered his gaze.
"I lost. The puppet you made… is very good."
Sasori paused for two seconds, then added, "Better than mine."
Sasayama of the Sand and Ishido exchanged a glance, then tacitly stepped forward. One separated Sasori and Tom, while the other pulled Qingshui away.
"Though I knew you had strong puppet-making abilities, I didn't expect them to be this excellent."
Ishido put an arm around Qingshui's shoulder, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Is the little boy puppet yours, Senior Ishido?"
"No, this puppet's original owner and I were in the same division of the Puppet Force, but he died in battle two months ago. This puppet, however, remained. The village bought it from the original owner's family, and it was ultimately assigned to you for repair."
Ishido explained simply.
"I see."
Qingshui nodded in understanding.
"Ahem, given your and Sasori's performance, joining the Puppet Force will definitely not be a problem. So… do you want to join the Sixth Division? If you do, this little boy puppet will be yours."
Ishido winked at Qingshui, tempting him.
"The Sixth Division? Is it different from the other divisions?"
Qingshui asked curiously.
"Strictly speaking, the six divisions of the Puppet Force are no different from each other; they are all at the same level. However, in practice, each division has a slightly different focus."
Ishido pulled Qingshui to sit on a rock and began to explain in detail.
"When fully staffed, the Puppet Force has 150 members, with 25 members per division. These 25 members are further divided into five squads. The First Division and Second Division have members with stronger average combat capabilities, and they also have the most Jonin and Special Jonin. There are even squads entirely composed of ninjas above Special Jonin, who usually accompany Elder Chiyo on the most dangerous missions."
"The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Divisions also have excellent average combat capabilities. While they may not match the First and Second Divisions in high-end combat power, they often undertake important offensive tasks on the battlefield. Ninjas can be killed by explosive tag traps, but puppets cannot."
It sounds quite dangerous.
"What about the Sixth Division…"
"The Sixth Division also undertakes these missions at times, but that's generally when there aren't enough personnel. Most of the time, the Sixth Division is responsible for the maintenance, manufacturing, and R&D of all puppets within the Puppet Force. It's the most suitable place for you."
Qingshui felt somewhat tempted by what was said.
"Can I get some more information before deciding?"
"Of course! You'll choose the Sixth Division. You'll gain more there."
Ishido winked at Qingshui and retracted the sealing scroll.
"I'll hold onto this for you for a while."
...
...
DC Universe.
Arkham Asylum.
A cold blue light illuminated the glass, casting a sense of oppressive silence and confinement over the scene.
"Oh, let me see, not bad! Tonight's dinner actually has half a German sausage. Oh, and there's even bacon hidden under this mushy stew. How generous!"
In the next room, Black Mask spoke sarcastically before ravenously devouring the food in his bowl.
He called it generous, but in reality, there was very little food, and the portions were small.
They kept the portions small to prevent the prisoners from having the energy to escape.
His ravenous eating wasn't entirely due to hunger, nor was it because the food tasted good. It was because the food was so unappetizing that he just wanted to get it over with quickly, swallowing it before his tongue could fully register the taste.
In stark contrast to Black Mask, Qingshui endured the terrible flavor, chewing and swallowing his food slowly and deliberately.
This was for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
He needed to refine Chakra, so he had to absorb every possible nutrient and convert it into energy.
"Pah!"
Black Mask spat into his empty bowl, then placed it in the wall cabinet next to the glass door.
An hour later, a dedicated person would retrieve the utensils from the other side of the cabinet for cleaning.
Not long after, Qingshui finished eating and made the same gesture.
"Damn it, when will this day end! That tight-suited bat freak should really get a taste of this too, wouldn't you agree, Puppeteer?"
Black Mask swore, letting off steam, and shouted to the next room.
"Whatever. Just make sure you don't eat bat sashimi when you get out, so you don't get poisoned."
Qingshui replied to Black Mask half-heartedly, hiding one hand behind his back where the camera couldn't see, fiddling with a small object.
It was an ultra-small puppet, just over two centimeters long. Qingshui had used one of his own teeth as the main body, along with other body parts like fingernails and strands of hair, to assemble it.
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