Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Speaking of intelligence, what are your thoughts on the new mission?"

Seeing Might Guy getting impatient, Sakumo Hatake quickly spoke up to change the subject.

Otherwise, this stubborn guy would definitely give a passionate speech about youth all night long, like he'd been injected with adrenaline.

"Infiltrating Sunagakure isn't difficult; there are many ninjas from small villages coming to the Land of Wind to plunder."

Kato Dan, relieved, nodded upon hearing this.

Ever since Sunagakure introduced mission subsidies, countless ninjas from smaller villages have flocked there like flies drawn to a fish's breath.

Fortunately, Chiyo reacted quickly and established new rules overnight: only Sunagakure ninja and ninja from small countries on friendly terms with Sunagakure could accept subsidized missions at the Sunagakure mission hall.

This regulation effectively curbed the illegal activities of ninjas from other villages who fraudulently obtained subsidies, allowing the subsidy program to proceed normally.

"I plan to disguise myself as a ninja from the Land of Birds and do some missions to build up my reputation."

Before arriving, Kato Dan had already planned how to carry out the new mission.
The Land of Birds is currently a small country favoring the wind, and most of its native ninja are descendants of wandering ninja. They are usually employed by the noble class of the Land of Birds and there has been no organized census. It is difficult for the Sand Village to confirm their identities, so this is a perfect disguise.

"This is also a viable approach."

Sakumo Hatake looked at him with approval. If he were still that ordinary butcher, he probably would have chosen to infiltrate Sunagakure in this way as well.
As long as you maintain good relations with the Sand Village during the mission and gain their trust, infiltrating the enemy's ranks will be a natural and effortless process, given their methods.

"Dai, what are your plans?"

"The dojo instructor I work for used to be a Jonin from Sunagakure. He was seriously injured in his early years and was unable to refine his chakra, so he came to the dojo to make a living. I plan to start with him."

Although Matt Day had only been working there a few days, he already knew his workplace inside and out.
“It’s a good choice.”

Sakumo Hatake nodded, and the relaxed expression on his face quickly caught the attention of the other two.
"Sakumo, don't underestimate this new mission. The Sand Village is known for its caution, and it will take a lot of effort to infiltrate them."

As the eldest of the three, Kato Dan had a duty to correct Hatake Sakumo's dismissive attitude.
"How could I have underestimated this mission?"

"Then what's with that expression on your face?"

Pointing at Hatake Sakumo's wide grin that almost reached his ears, Kato Dan frowned and asked,
"I was just thinking about some happy things... hahaha~"

Sakumo Hatake shook his head, trying to suppress a laugh, but the thought of successfully infiltrating the enemy ranks, even their high-ranking positions, and achieving a mission progress several times faster than his teammates, made him burst out laughing.
"Could he have suffered some kind of shock?"

Might Guy looked at Sakumo Hatake, whose face was flushed red from trying not to laugh, with a hint of worry.
"It's possible. He's been under a lot of pressure over the past three years, and now he's taken on a new, more challenging task. It's understandable that he might be behaving abnormally."

Shaking his head with a sigh, Kato signaled Might Guy not to say anything more.

"Sakumo, we're leaving now. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you fail to complete the mission, don't blame yourself. We're a team. As long as one person infiltrates Sunagakure, it's a success."

After saying that, the two left with complicated expressions, as the new mission still required a lot of preparation.

……

"Phew... Sorry, Dai, Duan, this time, I won!"

Watching his teammates' departing figures, Sakumo Hatake let out a long breath, his eyes gradually sharpening.

The image of the red-haired youth's enthusiastic smile flashed through his mind, and his expression froze slightly.
And you... I'm sorry.

the next day,
The red-haired youth returned to the market west of the village with trepidation, only to find the place, where long queues had formed the day before, now deserted.

Seeing this, his heart skipped a beat, and a visible sense of disappointment surfaced.
The fact that there was no one in line meant that Sakumo Hatake wasn't setting up his stall, which meant he was avoiding him.
"Ugh……"

Undeterred, he dragged his heavy steps to the stall, only to be met with the words "Temporarily Closed" that plunged him into despair.

He left after all...

That's right. The red envelope I gave yesterday should be enough for Ah Qi to go back to his hometown and marry the pig-raising girl.

"Hey."

"Ok?"

Suddenly, a cold call pulled him back to reality. He turned his head to look at the sound.

"what!?"

A silver-haired young man, who had taken off his apron and changed into simple civilian clothes, was staring at him expressionlessly.

"You haven't left yet?"

His gaze fell on the lightly packed bundle behind the other person, and he paused, momentarily stunned.
"How can I leave if you don't come?"

Sakumo Hatake looked at the dejected red-haired youth with a puzzled expression. He had already closed the shop, couldn't the other party see his choice?
"Uh...aren't you going back to your hometown to get married?"

"I haven't earned enough money yet, how can I go back?"

Sakumo Hatake gently shook his head and replied.
"I hope the compensation you give me will really be more than what I earn selling my body."

"Ah! You agreed?"

"if not?"

"That's great, Ah Qi, you... I... well! Anyway, thank you so much!"

The red-haired youth was so excited he was almost incoherent, his bright eyes brimming with excitement. The master swordsman he had been searching for had finally arrived!
"Don't thank me yet. I know nothing about puppets. If I can help, great. If not, let's not waste each other's time."

You can do it!

As he spoke, the red-haired youth extended his hand to Sakumo Hatake, and their two large hands clasped together.

"It's a pleasure working with you." *2
……

The three of them were all incredibly efficient and decisive.
Kato Dan abandoned his previous life as a street thug and transformed into a ninja from the Land of Birds who came to Sunagakure to seek his fortune.
Using the name of the Land of Birds, he quickly received a mission and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with the Sand Ninja who was giving him the mission, seeking to team up with someone.

That's how Ga La taught me: first, you need to raise your favorability with the Sand Ninja, then step forward when the mission is dangerous, risk your life to save your Sand Ninja teammates, and then trigger the exclusive CG...

Might Guy, on the other hand, was much more pragmatic and focused. Unlike Dan Kato, who tried to woo one girl after another, Might Guy devoted himself entirely to the dojo instructors. He would spend his days seeking their advice on taijutsu and offering them emotional support, attempting to gain their trust in this way.
Meanwhile, Sakumo Hatake, while his teammates were still engrossed in his puppet-making, had already taken a commanding lead and successfully infiltrated the Sunagakure Puppet Research Institute.

In a private research room, Sakumo Hatake, dressed in simple work clothes, was frowning as he examined the design drawings in his hands.

"The design drawings for these parts you gave me are a bit difficult to manufacture."

Looking at the precise data on the blueprints, down to the millimeter, he couldn't help but feel immense pressure.

After all, he was just a pig butcher before, and now he's suddenly being asked to do scientific research, which is quite a leap.

"And these raw materials aren't cheap, what if I..."

The parts in the design were mostly made of precious metals, and many key parts were made of priceless chakra metal. His concerns were not unfounded.

"It's alright, I have enough research funding. Just do your research, and I'll cover any losses."

Now, the red-haired youth opposite him waved his hand dismissively, revealing his nouveau riche nature. With his aunt as his powerful backer, he was fearless.

"Then I won't be polite."

With those words, Hatake Sakumo felt relieved, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes as he glanced at the pile of raw materials beside him.
Are losses not considered?

Hehe ~
Then he will accept it without hesitation!

Having said that, he drew the short blade he always carried, preparing to line his own pockets.
"Wait! You're going to use this to make it?"

The red-haired youth looked as if he had seen a ghost, pointing at the short blade in Hatake Sakumo's hand, and asked in an incredulous tone, "Is that a butcher's knife?"

"Don't underestimate this butcher knife. It was a gift from an elder and it has great significance for me."

Looking at the short blade in his hand with a nostalgic expression, a languid face involuntarily surfaced in Hatake Sakumo's mind.

It's been a long time since I've been back, and I wonder how Grandpa Yin is doing now?

"But it..."

No matter how meaningful it may be, it cannot change its essential nature as a butcher's knife.

"Alright!"

To prove the sharpness of the short blade, Hatake Sakumo selected a piece of extremely hard metal from the pile of raw materials, raised the blade, and cleaved it down.

"Bang!~"

With a sharp, teeth-grinding sound, the seemingly ordinary short blade cleaved the metal in two, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cut.

"what!?"

This unbelievable scene stunned the red-haired youth. He had secretly checked Hatake Sakumo's belongings before, and the knife was just an ordinary butcher's knife.

How could it be possible to easily cut through high-density metal that even stainless steel cannot damage?

"I'll try!"

Unconvinced, he took the short blade from Sakumo Hatake and swung it down with all his might at the metal.

"Bah!"

With a loud bang, the short blade was jolted out of his hand, but Hatake Sakumo caught it mid-air.
"Nani?"

The red-haired youth, still holding the paralyzed hand, stared in astonishment at the undamaged metal.
"how do I……"

"You have no soul when you swing your sword."

Sakumo Hatake brandished his short blade a few times, his sharp aura overwhelming.
"A soul? Ah Qi, you truly are the one I chose."

Upon hearing the word "soul," the red-haired youth's eyes lit up. It was too much of a coincidence; the key word for the ultimate puppet he was seeking was also "soul."

"I'll leave these things to you!"

Pointing to the priceless raw materials in the corner, the red-haired youth's tone was devoid of any doubt.
I will give you a satisfactory answer.

Of course, this was after he had been greedy enough.

For a long time afterward, Sakumo Hatake spent his time in the research institute, meticulously crafting intricate parts with his superb swordsmanship.
The precious materials, piled up like small mountains, are being consumed at a visible rate.

"What exactly is this core you created?"

As time went on, even Sakumo Hatake, a complete novice in puppetry, couldn't help but become curious about the things he created.

Do you know Angel Heart?

At the other end of the study, a red-haired youth who was bent over writing or drawing looked up upon hearing this, took off his glasses, and asked in a strange tone,
"Have not heard."

This was the first time Sakumo Hatake had heard this name. After racking his brains, he couldn't find any clues.

"Just consider it a legend. In the legend, there is a kind of puppet that has self-awareness and can communicate normally with people. Apart from its physical structure, it is no different from a normal human."

As the red-haired youth spoke, a look of longing gradually appeared on his face.
"And the core of this puppet is the Angel Heart."

A puppet that looks just like a human?
Sakumo Hatake frowned slightly upon hearing this; the legend sounded rather chilling.
Isn't that just a ghost story?
Is it really just a legend?

Looking at the red-haired youth with a face full of longing, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"Some things that actually happened will become legends over time."

The red-haired youth snapped out of his daze and said with certainty,

"The Second Generation Lord told me about his true experiences when I was a child."

The second generation?
Sakumo Hatake's expression froze. The Second Kazekage, Shamon, was the progenitor of puppeteers in Sunagakure.
It can be said that without Shamen, there would be no profession of puppeteer.

"What happened?"

Sakumo Hatake, captivated by the story, urged for more updates.

The red-haired youth smiled slightly upon hearing this, and based on his childhood memories, began to slowly recount a little-known event from many years ago.
"That was during the chaotic era before Sunagakure was established. At that time, the Second Hokage was serving as the Protector General of Loulan. One day, he encountered a mysterious person who had mistakenly entered Loulan, and the humanoid puppet with self-awareness was created by him..."

……

"Ah!"

Inside the Shadow Realm, Uchiha Gin, who was changing the oil for his longtime companions, Zuo Ling and You Ling, suddenly sneezed.
"Wow~"

With a flick of her wrist, glossy black engine oil splattered all over Zuo Ling's cool and aloof face, soaking her from head to toe.

"Sorry~ Sorry~"

Looking at the kimono-clad puppet covered in black slime, Uchiha Gin casually apologized, but his expression showed no remorse whatsoever.
stare……

Feeling offended, Zuo Ling stared with her empty, beautiful eyes at the unrepentant Uchiha Gin.
"What do you mean by that look? I'm already being lenient by giving you two traitors treatments, okay?"

Feeling extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but complain.
"Don't look at me like that. You can just wipe it off yourselves later."

"Insufficient engine oil, unable to execute commands."

Zuo Ling, who had been staring at him for a while, suddenly spoke up. Her stiff reply made Uchiha Gin take the identities of the two puppets seriously.

Yes, they're just puppets. Why do I always mistake them for humans?

"There's really nothing I can do about you."

He shook his head, picked up a towel, and began to wipe Zuo Ling's head. Although his tone was impatient, his movements were exceptionally gentle.

Sensing Uchiha Gin's gentle movements, Zuo Ling's empty eyes flickered with an inexplicable light.

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin's movements faltered. Looking at the bulging reactor on Zuo Ling's chest, he blinked hesitantly.
"Uh... here?"

"Low oil... low oil..."

"alright."

Silently reminding himself that the other party was merely a puppet, Uchiha Gin placed his large hand on the other party's power reactor.

"So hot!"

Besides being soft, the tentacles also emitted a burning heat, which greatly surprised Uchiha Gin.

Just as he was wondering if Zuo Ling's power unit had burned out due to lack of oil, Wang Jie, dressed in a white kimono, appeared behind him without his noticing, looking at him with disdain as he inspected Zuo Ling's power unit.
Youling, who had been nowhere to be seen before, was standing beside her whispering something, seemingly acting as a informant and guide.

"Human, you're such a pervert." (End of Chapter)