There was no other reason than the vast difference in Puppetry skills between Qingshui and Chiyo.
Even with Chiyo not taking it seriously, the disparity in their control was immense, like a Diamond-tier player easily crushing a Silver-tier one.
If Sasori hadn't sent Black Ant to help, the Little Boy Puppet would probably have been torn apart.
But even so, Qingshui and Sasori were still at a disadvantage.
Even with the upgraded pneumatic device, capable of continuous Pneumatic Fist attacks, the Fatty Puppet was still suppressed by the Ox-faced Human Puppet.
Under Chiyo's control, this robust Puppet displayed incredible agility. Although the four additional auxiliary limbs were weaker than its original two arms, their inherent power was not to be underestimated.
Chiyo continued to control her Puppet, maintaining a situation that suppressed Qingshui and Sasori, but without achieving a quick victory.
She was there to assess and guide Qingshui and Sasori, so naturally, she wanted to see their specific capabilities.
As things stood, Qingshui's performance was quite satisfactory to Chiyo. The power the Fatty Puppet could unleash was top-tier among all Chunin-level Puppet Masters. While it had some shortcomings in flexibility, the Little Boy Puppet could compensate for that weakness.
Among ninjas at the Chunin level, with these two Puppets, Qingshui might not be invincible among his peers, but he could at least overwhelm most ninjas of the same rank.
The only thing Chiyo found slightly unsatisfactory was that Qingshui's Puppetry skill wasn't top-tier among Chunin Puppet Masters; it was even a bit less than Sasori's.
However, considering Qingshui's age, it was still quite good.
Becoming a Chunin at eleven wasn't unheard of, but for a commoner ninja without a background or backing to become a Chunin at eleven through Puppetry, and with such a performance, was already the mark of a genius among geniuses. If one were to be stricter, even Monzaemon couldn't have achieved that in his youth.
Given Qingshui's age, Chiyo believed that with her guidance and the legacy and experience left by several top Puppet Masters, Qingshui still had a chance to elevate his Puppetry skills to a top level in the future.
As for Sasori's performance, Chiyo was looking forward to it.
Black Ant had already demonstrated combat power no less than that of a normal Chunin Puppet Master's main combat Puppet. To reach this level indicated that Sasori's strength was no longer comparable to an average Genin.
But Salamander hadn't shown much yet.
Sasori pointed his left hand at Salamander, separating his index and middle fingers.
The shield on Salamander's back creaked, flipping outwards, revealing a black seat in the center. The surrounding shields perfectly protected the seat.
In the original timeline, Salamander couldn't carry people like this. This modification was made by Sasori after being inspired by Qingshui and similarly developing the idea of arming himself with a Puppet.
The sound of metal clanged as the black Xuan Tie shield transformed again, becoming a pair of heavy wings with feathery edges.
Sasori rode Salamander, its massive form hurtling towards Chiyo.
"The speed is decent, but its turning is clumsy. Besides, this old woman isn't so easy to deal with."
Chiyo lightly tapped her foot, her figure retreating at a ghostly speed.
Twenty-odd years later, the seventy-plus-year-old Chiyo still possessed a speed that surprised Taijutsu ninjas like Sakura. Her speed listed in official books was even higher than the sixty-nine-year-old Third Hokage's. Currently, Chiyo, in her prime, had speed that was absolutely among the top in the Ninja World.
Seeing that Salamander's speed couldn't catch Chiyo, and not daring to easily leave Salamander's protection, Sasori decisively turned back to help Qingshui.
The Fatty Puppet's material was inferior to the Ox-faced Puppet's, and it already showed multiple points of damage.
If Sasori didn't step in to help, Qingshui would soon be unable to hold on.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Tail Sting!"
Salamander's tail shot out, connected by an iron chain, striking the back of the Ox-faced Puppet with the powerful force of a hammer.
The Ox-faced Puppet's arms suddenly spun 180 degrees, crossing behind its back. A pale blue Chakra glow illuminated them, forming a shield.
*Puppetry: Mechanism Shield Seal!*
Sasori's attack had significant power. Without this defensive Ninjutsu, the Ox-faced Puppet might have been damaged.
"Opportunity!"
Qingshui controlled the Fatty Puppet, striking with both hands. Its elbows parried the Ox-faced Puppet's auxiliary limbs, while its fists, propelled by pneumatic cylinders, automatically shot out, striking the Ox-faced Puppet's head.
"Clang~"
The Ox-faced Puppet's arms folded back, and its two large hands grabbed the Fatty Puppet's fists, beginning a test of strength.
The Fatty Puppet's Pneumatic Fist had burst-type power. While the presence of air valves improved its sustained output, it wasn't modified from a human body like a Human Puppet, possessing complete muscle tissue. For prolonged tests of strength, it relied more on the Puppet's inherent performance and the operator's skill.
Predictably, the Fatty Puppet was once again suppressed, even pushed back a few steps by the Ox-faced Puppet.
Meanwhile, the four auxiliary limbs under the Ox-faced Puppet's ribs, like Black Ant, were connected by sections of wooden tubes. They flew menacingly towards Sasori.
"Troublesome."
Sasori frowned, controlling Salamander to close its shield-wings, forming an oval that enveloped him. This prevented the Ox-faced Puppet's auxiliary limbs from immediately harming Sasori's main body, forcing them to attack Salamander instead.
However, Salamander was a defensive Puppet meticulously crafted by Sasori. It would be difficult for Chiyo to break Salamander's defense without using her true abilities.
And Chiyo wouldn't genuinely go hard on Sasori.
She doted on this grandson of hers.
Inside the spherical shield, Sasori looked outside through small gaps between the feathers. With a pull of his finger, he controlled Salamander to charge at the Ox-faced Puppet like a bulldozer.
At the same time, Salamander's sides opened, ejecting two spinning saw blades that folded forward.
"They really are trying to damage this old woman's Puppet, these two kids."
A smile appeared on Chiyo's face.
She was quite pleased with Sasori's performance now.
"However, Qingshui will be following me to the battlefield in a few days, so it's best not to damage his Puppet."
Chiyo felt she had considered enough, so she used a third Chakra Thread.
The Red-faced Cat-faced Puppet's speed instantly increased another level, and the Ox-faced Puppet's strength also climbed again.
*Boom!*
The Fatty Puppet's arms were seized by the Ox-faced Puppet, which then lifted it entirely and threw it away.
Immediately after, the Ox-faced Puppet quickly turned, and with agility unbefitting its size, swiftly dodged the Salamander's dual saw-toothed blades. It then leapt directly to the top, using both hands to dismantle the Puppet.
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