Chapter 274: Puppet Research Facility
"So it was you behind this!"
In Sunagakure, when Li Yao's Wind Clone learned that both Kumogakure and Kirigakure had launched simultaneous attacks on the Land of Fire, he immediately understood what was happening.
He knew that White Zetsu's transformation technique could even deceive the Byakugan—let alone ordinary chakra sensory abilities.
Their transformation wasn't just visually perfect—it could even replicate someone else's chakra nature, though not hide their chakra altogether.
In the original timeline, only Naruto's negative emotion sensing could detect which "comrades" were actually White Zetsu in disguise.
"So Madara's finally getting impatient,"
Li Yao's Wind Clone smirked. Clearly, Madara wanted to apply pressure on Konoha to push freshly graduated genin like Obito onto the battlefield.
That was the only way his plan could proceed.
With that, Li Yao knew he didn't need to intervene anymore. Just let events unfold as they were.
"Milord, is Xiao Cang with you?"
Standing behind him, Ye Yi gently massaged his shoulders as she asked.
"Mhm." Li Yao nodded without denying it.
"That's wonderful."
Ye Yi leaned forward, her ample chest enveloping the back of his head. "That'll make your position even more secure."
This woman was truly loyal to the original host.
But now, all of that belonged to him.
"Any word from Sasori?" Li Yao asked.
Before leaving, Sasori had said his tailed beast puppet was nearly finished. He was curious to see how far along it was.
At the mention of business, Ye Yi straightened up. Even so, the softness behind Li Yao's head remained—her proportions were extraordinary.
"No, not yet," she replied after a moment's thought.
Li Yao smiled. He would go check on Sasori personally.
Just then, a small bird flew toward the window.
Li Yao instantly sensed something odd and turned to look, though all he could see was the sandstorm outside. The bird was still far away, but his chakra sense didn't lie—
A bird infused with chakra was approaching.
Was it a transformed Suna shinobi?
Before he could think further, the chakra-bearing bird came into view.
It was pigeon-sized and looked like a real bird—
But it was entirely mechanical, made from metal and wood.
"A puppet bird?!"
Li Yao was genuinely surprised.
Not because someone had made a flying puppet—
But because this puppet wasn't connected to chakra threads.
"Hahaha!"
He laughed loudly. The bird's lifelike gaze confirmed it: Sasori had succeeded.
"Milord, what is that?" Ye Yi finally noticed the puppet at the window and instinctively stepped in front of him.
"Don't worry—it's Sasori's,"
Li Yao chuckled, slapping her curvy rear. "Open the window and let the little guy in."
"Sasori…"
Ye Yi frowned. As she walked over, she grumbled, "If he's here, why not show himself before the Kazekage?"
In her mind, sending a puppet to greet the Kazekage was disrespectful.
But Li Yao said nothing, so she didn't press it.
She opened the window. The puppet bird flew in.
"Apologies, Lady Ye Yi. I'm still in the lab,"
The puppet spoke with Sasori's voice. Clearly, he knew Ye Yi's temperament. He made sure to greet her politely, acknowledging her as both secretary and wife of the Kazekage.
"What?"
"You're not here?"
Ye Yi was stunned. She leaned out the window and saw no sign of Sasori, then glared at the floating puppet.
"How is that even possible?" she asked curiously.
The Puppet Research Facility was located in the northern corner of the village, at least four kilometers away from the Kazekage Building.
How could Sasori be controlling it so precisely from that far?
"Let's hear it. I'm curious too," Li Yao said with a smile.
"Lord Kazekage," the puppet bird hovered before him and respectfully replied, "It's hard to explain briefly. You'd better come to the lab and see the new puppets in person."
"Alright then,"
Li Yao brought his voluptuous secretary-wife and followed the puppet bird to the research lab.
"Lord Kazekage."
"Lord Kazekage."
Staff members and researchers respectfully greeted him as they passed.
After the great purge of the Ten Great Clans, most of the village now supported Li Yao.
And he deserved it—his strength alone commanded loyalty.
Ye Yi had no reason to worry about his position as Kazekage.
It was rock solid. No one could challenge him.
He had the entire village under his control.
But the researchers' respect wasn't just for his power or status.
The real reason?
Li Yao had broken the monopoly on puppet knowledge.
Previously, all advanced puppet techniques were locked within the Ten Great Clans. Ordinary shinobi had no access to them.
That's why in the original story, Sasori's puppets were passed to Kankurō—and no one else in Suna knew how to use them.
Clan elitism was rampant in this world.
Sasori and Kankurō were from one of the Three Great Puppet Clans. Others? They had no chance of learning high-level puppet-making techniques.
Now, Li Yao had made puppet knowledge public.
Anyone could learn—so long as they had the skill and the money.
Because puppet research was expensive.
Free things aren't valued. But with money involved, innovation flourished.
When he became Kazekage, Li Yao immediately founded the Puppet Research Facility.
Anyone could join and contribute to puppet development.
The goal was to create stronger puppets—and develop the techniques he needed.
And it was working.
In the past year, Suna's puppet users had seen massive progress.
As head of the facility, Sasori had the village's full support—and he had lived up to Li Yao's expectations.
He had created something that genuinely excited him.
CLANK...
The large metal doors opened, revealing a wide hall inside.
This was Sasori's personal lab.
Each long workbench was cluttered with puppet parts. Mechanical arms hung from the ceiling like those in a car factory.
If not for the occasional wood component, Li Yao would've thought he was inside an automotive assembly line.
Each mechanical arm was attached to Sasori via chakra threads, all extending from his back.
"Lord Kazekage."
Sasori gave a slight bow. His face was stiff—he had completed his transformation into a human puppet. Only his heart remained flesh.
"Mhm."
Li Yao nodded casually and strode over, stopping beside Sasori to examine the massive sphere floating in the center of the room.
"What is this?" he asked.
Ye Yi stepped up beside him and tensed as she stared at the orb, her body instinctively rigid.
Thump!
Thump!
A sound like a heartbeat echoed from within the orb, which was constructed from hundreds of small, interlocking square tiles.
The tiles weren't flush. Their surface was uneven, forming a textured grid.
As the heartbeat pulsed, the tiles expanded and contracted—like pistons in an engine.
Pale blue light shone through the gaps.
Even someone like Ye Yi, with limited sensory ability, could feel the powerful chakra fluctuations radiating from it.
"If that thing explodes... it could wipe out half the village."
The thought flashed through her mind.
She turned to Sasori, stunned that he would store something so dangerous here.
If not for Li Yao's presence, she might've yelled at him already.
(END CHAPTER)
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