I, a cultivator, ended up in the Naruto world.

Chapter 114 The Evil Old Demon of Konoha

The rain kept falling, and the atmosphere wasn't very harmonious.

Under the same roof, you gradually feel your heart changing.

Chiyo knelt amidst the broken puppets, her robes soaked through with rainwater and mud.

Her fingers were still in the posture of controlling the puppet, but unfortunately, no matter how she manipulated them, she could no longer feel the physical object through the chakra threads on her fingers.

The Ten Men of Chikamatsu.

Monzaemon's greatest masterpiece.

She spent twenty years perfecting this killing formation.

It just shattered like that.

Before accepting this mission, she actually scoffed at Yang Xiang's intelligence.

He's just a recent graduate from Konoha.

Even if the Senju clan had awakened Wood Release, they shouldn't be making such exaggerated boasts.

This brat needs to be shown the cruelty of the ninja world.

Just kidding, we puppeteers are super brave, okay!

"Chiyo-sama!"

Shouts came from afar.

Those were the retreating Sand Ninja. After running some distance, they realized that Yang Xiang was not chasing them, so they turned back to look for their general.

After all, if the rearguard general is left unattended after discovering that the enemy has not caught up, people will criticize him for the rest of his life.

This kind of thing has happened before in the ninja world.

"Lady Chiyo! Are you alright?!"

Several young Sand Ninja rushed over, and were all stunned by the scene before them.

Puppet fragments littered the ground.

A human-shaped indentation on the rock face.

A corpse embedded in rubble.

And there was that woman kneeling in the rain, trembling all over.

This was the first time they had ever seen Chiyo-senpai in such a disheveled state.

Some of those from families with a strong academic background had already discerned something from the fragments on the ground, exclaiming in disbelief, "This—this is—!"

"Don't touch them." Chiyo's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "Don't touch those fragments."

The young Sand Ninja looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Chiyo slowly stood up. Her knees were a little weak, but she gritted her teeth and stood up straight.

"Let's wrap up," she said.

"But Lady Chiyo, those supplies—"

"No, that's enough." Chiyo interrupted him. "Let's call it a day and head back to camp."

There was an indescribable weariness in her voice, which made the young Sand Ninja dare not ask any more questions.

This mission to counter Yang Xiang's ambush has failed; these supplies were nothing more than useless bait.

It's worthless compared to the intelligence she needs to bring back immediately.

The team began to retreat.

Chiyo walked at the back, clutching a fragment of a puppet tightly in her hand.

That was the core rune personally carved by "Monzaemon," and now only half of it remains, the charred cut looking as if it had been burned by something.

That sword energy.

And then there's that puppet that moves on its own.

The things that boy said.

"True puppetry should be like this."

"9

Chiyo closed her eyes, letting the rain hit her face.

She suddenly remembered what the Second Kazekage, Shamon, had said to her many years ago when he taught her puppetry.

"Chiyo, you must remember, puppets are not tools. They are your limbs, extensions of your body. Only when you truly understand this can you reach the pinnacle of puppetry."

She didn't understand at the time.

Later she thought she understood.

She perfected the Chikamatsu Ten, making them the strongest weapons in Sunagakure.

She thought this was the pinnacle of puppetry.

until today.

The boy used a broken puppet to demonstrate to her what true "extension" really meant.

There are no chakra threads.

There is no control.

That puppet moved on its own.

Just like————

It's like coming back to life.

Chiyo shivered.

She suddenly realized that what the boy said might be true.

He let her go, not out of kindness, but because—

It's more useful for her to go back alive than to die.

Sunagakure Frontline Camp.

The Third Kazekage sat in the main tent, with a map of the Land of Rain spread out in front of him.

The red arrows mark the attack routes, and the black crosses mark the captured strongholds.

Half a month.

Seven out of eleven supply lines were cut.

Five of the eight frontline outposts were lost.

The casualty ratio was 17 to 30.

Although the battle remains intense, the Sand Ninja have suffered heavy losses.

More than half of these losses are related to one person.

Thousand-Handed Yang Xiang.

"Lord Kazekage." A voice announced from outside the tent, "Lady Chiyo has returned."

The Third Kazekage raised his head.

The curtain was lifted, and Chiyo walked in.

Her appearance made the Third Kazekage frown.

His robe was covered in mud, his hair was wet and clung to his face, and his complexion was so pale it was almost bloodless.

Most importantly, her ten fingers were trembling slightly.

"Chiyo?" The Third Kazekage stood up. "Your mission—"

"Of the Chikamatsu Ten, seven are broken." Chiyo's voice was eerily calm. "The remaining three are also damaged."

The tent was deathly silent.

What are the Chikamatsu Ten Masters?

That is the village's most prized possession.

It is the greatest masterpiece left by the first puppeteer, Monzaemon.

It was the ultimate weapon that Chiyo spent more than 20 years to fully master.

Broken?

Are you kidding me?

"How did it break?" The Third Kazekage's voice was deep.

"Senju Yosho," Chiyo said, "The mission failed. He defeated me."

The advisors inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment.

Thousand-Handed Yang Xiang.

It's that name again.

"You fought him?"

"Um."

"And the result?" the Third Kazekage asked repeatedly in disbelief.

Chiyo remained silent for a few seconds.

"I lost."

These three simple words stunned everyone in the tent.

Chiyo lost?

The strongest puppeteer in Sunagakure lost?

Is this the same young man I met during the Joint Chunin Exams?

Even though he was very talented back then, I didn't realize he would become this difficult to deal with!

"What ninjutsu did he use to break your Three Treasures Absorption Technique?" the Third Kazekage asked.

Chiyo shook her head.

"It wasn't ninjutsu," she said. "It was sword energy. The sword energy he shot from his fingertips pierced directly through the puppet's core runes."

Sword energy?

What is that?

"And," Chiyo paused, "he did something else."

She took out the puppet fragment and placed it on the table.

The Third Kazekage looked down. It was a piece of wood engraved with core runes, its cut surfaces charred black, as if it had been burned by something.

"He used this broken puppet to demonstrate another puppet technique in front of me." Chiyo's voice was a little hoarse. "Without chakra threads, the puppet started moving on its own."

"It moves on its own?" one of the advisors couldn't help but ask. "How is that possible? Puppets must be controlled by chakra threads; that's an ironclad rule!"

"I know," Chiyo said, "but I saw it with my own eyes."

The tent fell silent once more.

The Third Kazekage stared at the fragment for a long time in silence.

He suddenly thought of something.

Not to mention that Senju Yosho relentlessly attacked them on the battlefield of the Land of Rain.

Take the previous joint Chunin Exams, for example.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, you're telling me he's a genin?

The evil old devil of Konoha!