Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

412. Handsome Scorpion's soul has been elevated this time.....

The appearance of the steel golem truly shocked him, but it undeniably violated the fundamental principles of puppetry. Super geniuses sometimes forget the most basic tenet of puppetry—flexibility—in their pursuit of perfection in a particular area. If the puppet's flexibility is reduced, many skillful maneuvers become impossible, and it becomes easy for enemies to close in…

These are all written in the Complete Guide to Puppetry, but such a super genius probably wouldn't even bother to look at them. After all, the teachings of his great-grandmother are more detailed than any basic guide. However, Scorpion's ten puppets have already reached the pinnacle of defense. If it were just about defense, it would be difficult for anyone to break through the defense of these ten steel behemoths. But now it's 3 vs 1, and Scorpion is still too young. His body can't handle the strain of controlling ten steel behemoths. If it goes on for too long, he will definitely get tired. Once a puppeteer gets tired, he will make mistakes or experience a decline in control. At that time, this guy with the big mouth will have a chance to strike from behind!

It must be said that Mei Chuan Neiyi's theoretical knowledge was very comprehensive. His two friends nodded and did as he said. None of the three underestimated the handsome six-year-old Sasori, after all, he was a renowned super genius, and with Lord Shindou watching from next door, they wouldn't allow anything to happen to their nephew. To show their best, all three went all out. Although Mei Chuan Neiyi was in a wheelchair, controlling the puppet relied on his five fingers and had nothing to do with his legs. In addition, with the advancement of ninja technology, Mei Chuan Neiyi's wheelchair was definitely the latest and fastest of the year, and it could even move automatically. The puppet controlled by the upper hand charged towards the handsome scorpion at a speed that was not slow at all. Ye Cang, on the other hand, was much more direct and did not have as many operations. He made full use of the full power of the Grand Mage, spraying various scorching releases at the handsome scorpion's steel behemoth from a distance of ten or eight meters. However, perhaps because he had recently worked overtime to change from fire release to scorching release, he was still not used to it in a short time. When the fireballs created by these scorching releases of various sizes collided, apart from a slight change in color, he really could not feel any difference between scorching release and fire release. Compared with Madara's fire release, it was really like a big elephant stepping on an ant, not worth mentioning.

However, in terms of both temperature and range, it's only a drop in the ocean compared to Madara's; it's just an ordinary Fire Release technique...

Puff puff!

Dangdang! !

The battle began, and Handsome Sasori wasn't in a hurry. He didn't make any moves, simply controlling ten steel behemoths to stand in front of him, disdainfully watching the fireballs and puppets rushing towards him. Compared to the Seven-Tails, these attacks were nothing but a drizzle, not even enough to scratch the surface. These ten steel behemoths were his latest upgraded products, with astonishing defense. He was confident that they could withstand ten or so punches from the Seven-Tails without any problem. The Seven-Tails' punches had destructive power comparable to S-rank ninjutsu, so these attacks were nothing to his steel behemoths.

Just as Handsome Scorpion had predicted, when Mei Chuan Neiyi's puppet slashed at the giant steel body, the various small fireballs sprayed onto the giant steel body without leaving a single mark. On the contrary, the knife in Mei Chuan Neiyi's puppet's hand was chipped in several places. The materials purchased at a high price were indeed different.

At this moment, seeing the shocked expressions on the faces of the two people before him, Handsome Scorpion finally experienced the exhilarating feeling of being outclassed. Before, whether it was his bastard uncle or that disgusting giant beetle with seven tails, they had all been using this method to his advantage. Now, he finally understood the feeling, as if his soul had been elevated, and he could see things more clearly than before. Many questions that were previously unsolvable suddenly became clear, and even the air felt fresher than before...

.....

"Damn it, this kid has ruined all my money..."

While the handsome Scorpion had ascended to a higher level, the real fighter watching from the sidelines was heartbroken. Those swords and fireballs of all sizes that hit the steel behemoth felt like they were slashing at his heart. He was terrified with every blow, fearing that the steel behemoth would be deformed and that the brat would shake his head again. Although it didn't need to be rebuilt, repairs would still cost money!

"Sasori, fight back! Beat them up! Lord Shinto, isn't it too dangerous for Sasori to fight three of them by himself..."

Karin's mother, whose heart was completely devoted to her boyfriend, didn't feel much. After all, it wasn't her money that was being hurt, and she didn't have any anyway. Instead, she was focused on the battle ahead. Her boyfriend was at a huge disadvantage in a 1v3 situation. What if he got tricked?

Don't be fooled by Karin's mother's usual ladylike demeanor when she's around Sasori, speaking in perfect decibels. The volatile genes of the Uzumaki clan are deeply ingrained in her. Once away from Sasori, her true colors immediately come out. She rolls up her sleeves, waves her fists, and cheers for Shinto. Especially seeing that her boyfriend hasn't made a move yet and is only passively defending, if Shinto hadn't been holding her back, this little girl would have rushed up and unleashed the Seven-Tails.

"...Don't worry, your boyfriend has already fought the Seven-Tails more than ten times. Although the three little guys are pretty good, they are still far inferior to the Seven-Tails! Your boyfriend is enjoying the process of being outmatched..."

"I've unknowingly eaten another bag of dog food," Shinto said helplessly. "The Uzumaki clan's genes are truly top-notch. He seems to see the shadow of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from Konoha in this little girl. When White Fang got married, that girl had the same personality. This girl wasn't like this when she first came. After a while, she felt that there was no threat in the surrounding environment, so she immediately released her true nature. The audience is even more excited than the players on the field. Didn't you see that handsome Sasori is embracing the world with his eyes closed, looking like the king of the world? He's in the process of enlightenment. What are you getting so excited about!"

"Ta-da..."

"Spray spray spray...!"

"Um... Senior Meichuan, these puppets are too tough, we can't break through at all."

The trio relentlessly attacked the steel behemoths, spraying and slashing. At this moment, Kudo Yusaku, looking pained and limping, approached and said to Umekawa Naie, "I've been following the plan, constantly roaming and looking for opportunities to cut behind, but those steel behemoths are made of some kind of metal that's incredibly hard. And Sasori's positioning is perfectly positioned so that ten steel behemoths could protect him; he simply can't get close. Several times he's kicked the steel behemoths, but his kicks, powerful enough to break steel, have absolutely no effect on them. Instead, his legs are almost broken by the recoil..."

413. Karin's mother is quite the cunning woman.

"...Just a little longer. He probably can't hold on much longer controlling such a heavy puppet..."

Looking at the limping Kudo Yusaku, Mei Chuan Neiyi felt incredibly uneasy. They had been bombing for so long, and he himself was already out of breath controlling five traditional wooden figures. Logically speaking, Sasori, who was controlling ten giant iron lumps, was only six years old and should have been unable to hold on by now. But now, the handsome Sasori inside the steel behemoth was completely unharmed. Even passive defense wouldn't be this easy.

Moreover, the hardness of these steel behemoths far exceeded his expectations. His companion's scorching jutsu, which was hotter than fire jutsu, couldn't even break through their defenses. The power of these ten steel behemoths, which defied the laws of puppetry, truly refreshed his worldview. However, Handsome Scorpion had been on the defensive the whole time without making any substantial attacks. So, he thought that controlling these heavy metal steel behemoths must be very difficult. Even if Handsome Scorpion created these unconventional heavy metal behemoths, even if he was a super genius, his age was still a limitation, and it would be even more difficult for him to control the puppets to attack. As long as they continued to delay and wore Handsome Scorpion down, they would be in control.

"Hmph! The Scorching Release technique isn't all that great. It's my turn now."

"boom!!!"

"careful!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

As if knowing what Mei Chuannei was thinking, Handsome Scorpion opened his eyes. After his soul sublimation was over, he glanced disdainfully at Ye Cang, who was panting a little, as if he had some deep hatred for her. The three people opposite him were gathered together again, arguing about how to deal with him. This time, Handsome Scorpion did not intend to give them a chance. His hands turned into a series of afterimages, controlling the ten steel behemoths to launch an attack.

Surprisingly, despite the ten massive steel behemoths, crafted from some heavy metal and exuding a sense of weight, they showed no signs of sluggishness when controlled by Scorpion. Their movements were remarkably smooth and swift, covering five or six meters in a single stride before unleashing a barrage of attacks. These steel behemoths, painstakingly crafted by Scorpion and costing his uncle countless sums of money, were specifically designed to counter the Seven-Tails. Therefore, they lacked the elaborate techniques of ordinary puppets, such as poison gas, poison needles, water-style attacks, or fire-style traps. These were ineffective against tailed beasts, so Scorpion didn't bother with such methods, opting instead for a simple and brutal brute force approach. The sheer weight and hardness of these steel behemoths, even with their brute force, resulted in each punch carrying immense power, leaving large craters with every blow. Even the distant Shinto's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

"Xiuli, does Handsome Scorpion usually hit you like this?"

Seeing that even the handsome Sasori had such a rough and violent side, Masato couldn't help but ask Karin's mother, who was standing to the side. He had originally planned to ask about the Seven-Tails, but it didn't seem right to ask about the giant beetle in her belly in front of her. He felt a sense of guilt for peeking into her mind.

Moreover, Karin's mother didn't react at all to Sasori's violent side; instead, she cheered him on even more enthusiastically, making him think that Shuri must have been hit hard by Sasori at the beginning of the game.

Generally speaking, if a Tailed Beast goes berserk, the Jinchuriki will not remember what happened. However, Karin's mother and the Seven-Tails' situation is not a Tailed Beast going berserk. When the Seven-Tails takes control of her body, Karin's mother is still conscious. However, since she has never been a Jinchuriki, she is not sure whether the little girl can see or feel the pleasure of beating up Sasori when the Seven-Tails controls her body to beat him up.

Especially since it was her young lover...

"At first...it seems like that's how it was, but I don't remember anything after that..."

Karin's mother's eyes darted around, and after recalling for a long time, she bit her finger and said.

Actually, every time she saw the Seven-Tails controlling her body to beat up Sasori, she actually felt quite satisfied. The Seven-Tails did for her things that she wanted to do but couldn't...

But I can't say that out loud. Everyone knows Shinto-sama has a big mouth; what if it gets to Sasori's ears? ヾ(^Д^*)/

"...Really? This child has absolutely no sense of chivalry or consideration for women. It's really a headache!"

Seeing Karin's mother's darting eyes, Shinto looked up at the sky speechlessly. He hadn't expected this girl to be such a cunning schemer. Even without using Observation Haki, he knew she must have seen the Seven-Tails beating up Sasori. The Seven-Tails wasn't as fierce as the other tailed beasts, and it seemed to be doing quite well inside the girl's belly, occasionally getting out for some fresh air. So, they got along quite well. If she saw the Seven-Tails beating up her little lover and wanted to stop it, the Seven-Tails would likely listen to her. But for so long, every time the Seven-Tails beat up Sasori, this girl would pretend to be completely oblivious, as if she had just woken up...

Has Handsome Scorpion really reached the point of being universally hated? Even the girls who like him aren't helping him... -_-||

"Boom boom boom!"

"careful...!"

"Huff huff huff... Senior Neiyi, what do we do now? These big guys are too fast, they don't seem slow at all... slow... huff huff huff..."

Of the three who had once again dodged the relentless bombardment of the steel behemoths, Kudo Yusaku was already panting heavily. Forgetting about titles, he asked the equally sweat-drenched Umekawa Nei, who was sitting in a wheelchair. The steel behemoths were enormous, their attack range too wide, and their force too heavy. Dodging ten behemoths simultaneously was no easy feat. Even though he had helped his parents farm since childhood, he was exhausted. What was worse, they were truly helpless against these steel behemoths. Nei… ugh! Umekawa-senpai's five puppets had already been smashed to pieces. Furthermore, Yekura was being chased so much that he didn't even have time to form hand seals or breathe fire. His prized Three Body Techniques—physical combat, kunai, shuriken, and senbon—were utterly useless against these iron lumps. If it weren't for his skillful Three Body Techniques, he would have been hit several times…

"Huff, huff, huff... I didn't expect this iron golem to move so quickly. It defies common sense. Now I can only take it one step at a time..."

Sitting in his wheelchair, using his own chakra as propulsion to dodge the attacks of the steel behemoth, Mei Chuan Naiyi also shook his head and said, panting heavily. Today's battle completely defied his understanding of puppets. The outcome is not the point now. He was thinking of asking Sasori or Lord Shindou what materials the puppet was made of after the battle. Its hardness was so amazing that it opened his eyes to a new world.

414. Handsome Scorpion: Turns out you don't have to rely on skills.

"Senior Meichuan, are you alright?"

Of the three, Yekura was in the best condition. Although she was also sweating, the amount of chakra in her body had increased dramatically after awakening the Scorching Release. Although it couldn't match the Uzumaki clan, it was still one or two times that of an ordinary person. And since she was originally good at ninjutsu, she didn't even have the chance to form hand seals, which saved her from wasting chakra. She didn't have to expend chakra to propel her wheelchair like Umekawa Nai-i did, nor did she have to fight against several metal lumps like Kudo Yusaku did. So her condition was not affected.

Seeing that Mei Chuan Neiyi, who was several years older than her, was already exhausted, she frowned and said worriedly, "After all, he is a senior and has more experience than us. He has been able to hold on until now entirely because of his command. If he collapses from exhaustion, things will be difficult."

It was already embarrassing enough that three people were beating a little kid. Even though he was a super genius, he was still a kid. They were originally thinking of giving the young master some face by playing three against one and not winning too easily. They just wanted to show their skills. But now, the three of them were being dominated by a little brat from start to finish, without any chance to fight back. Forget about showing their skills. If their coach on the field were to be eliminated, it would be even worse.

"Huff huff huff... I'm fine, be careful..."

"boom!!!!"

Before Mei Chuan could finish speaking, a huge black shadow suddenly pressed down. After loudly reminding his two friends, he immediately activated his chakra to control the wheelchair to retreat more than ten body lengths. Then, another giant iron fist slammed into the ground, creating a huge crater.

In recent years, he had devoted himself to studying puppetry, practically memorizing all the books on the subject. In terms of theoretical knowledge alone, he was on par with even Chiyo-sama. However, facing these unconventional, incredibly tough and powerful puppets, he found himself helpless. All his previous knowledge was useless. While ordinary puppets were made of wood, which was sturdy enough, they paled in comparison to these iron behemoths. The key was that these puppets, though made of metal, were incredibly agile. This was what he couldn't understand. Chiyo-sama's White Secret Technique was already overpowered, but with ten of these steel behemoths, it was simply unbeatable. Aside from severing the connection between the puppeteer and the puppet at close range, he couldn't think of any way to break through their defenses. But even getting close wouldn't be easy. The ten steel behemoths had an enormous attack range, overwhelming power, and could cover for each other. This was what troubled him.

........

Faced with such a massive size, no attack is as effective as brute force. Meanwhile, the handsome scorpion, who was waving his arms in the distance, seemed to enjoy the feeling of violently smashing people. He was getting more and more excited in controlling the steel behemoth. As for what Mei Chuan Neiyi said about the load, it was all for nothing. After being "taught" by Shindou for half a year and constantly fighting against the Seven-Tails, how could he not have some endurance?

These loads were nothing to Handsome Scorpion; the thrill of this crazy, violent smashing was driving him a little mad. He, who usually relied on superior technique, suddenly realized that he didn't have to use skill at all. This simple and brutal method seemed pretty fun...ヾ(^?^)?

He created these massive iron behemoths primarily to target the Seven-Tails, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be a lucky coincidence...

"My nephew still lacks fighting experience..."

Watching this real battle of weaklings from afar, seeing my nephew controlling a steel giant and showing off his skills, the scene was indeed spectacular and imposing. However, from beginning to end, none of the ten steel giants managed to hit anyone. Every time Handsome Scorpion controlled a steel giant to attack, it was a half-beat too late, allowing the three brats to dodge. On the other hand, although the three brats were constantly falling below and being chased and beaten, seemingly in a sorry state, they didn't suffer any damage at all. If it were someone who had been on the battlefield, and Handsome Scorpion's puppetry skills were as impressive, the three brats wouldn't last three rounds at all. Although Handsome Scorpion often fought with the Seven-Tails, the Seven-Tails was a high-level creature, and the difference in strength between the two was too great. The Seven-Tails always used a dimensional reduction attack against Handsome Scorpion without any skill, just swinging its fists and beating him up. Handsome Scorpion seemed to have never fought a human creature before, so he didn't understand human tactics and couldn't predict his opponent's next move. This was all due to his accumulated combat experience.

In terms of strength, Handsome Scorpion is much stronger than the three kids, but because he has no experience, he can't predict where the three kids will hide next. So even if he controls ten people, he can't do anything to the three kids.

The same goes for these three kids. Although Yekura and Conan's dad often had sparring matches at school, their talents were mainly suited for winning situations, and they would stop when things got tough. Once they were at a disadvantage, they would stop fighting. Moreover, these rookies who had just graduated from school were still in the stage of grinding D-rank daily tasks and had never even seen human blood. It was already quite good that they weren't overwhelmed by handsome Sasori in terms of momentum.

The slightly older Mei Chuan Neiyi was in a similar situation. Although he was older and his previously devised tactics were sound, the three of them lacked practical experience. Since breaking his leg during his first mission, Mei Chuan Neiyi had spent years in his family practicing puppetry. His judgment was excellent; he could analyze an opponent's situation at a glance and devise reasonable tactics. However, without experienced mentors to guide his tactics, it was like Zhuge Liang without his three chariots—constantly striving for the playoffs...

"No way! Sasori fights the Seven-Tails all the time, and he's even winning now. How can he be inexperienced? Yes! Sasori, just like that, beat them up!!!"

Hearing Masato's exclamation, Karin's mother, who was cheering for her lover next door, asked while still keeping her eyes on the battle ahead, and then continued to cheer for her lover with great enthusiasm. Her lover was now on the winning side, so how could he be so inexperienced?

"...He's got plenty of experience getting beaten up, but when it comes to fighting...this kid's a long shot! Besides, the giant beetle isn't human. Even if it could talk, it's still a low-level reptile, while humans are hairless, upright-walking, high-level animals. The difference is too great. His experience fighting the Seven-Tailed Fox is completely useless. And you've seen him fight the giant beetle; when has he ever had a 50/50 chance? Every time he's been unilaterally beaten up. He has absolutely no experience. Several times, if the giant beetle had hit a little harder, your little lover would have gone to find his grandfather! Don't you think so, giant beetle...?"

Masato said the last sentence to Karin's mother's stomach.

Upon hearing this, the giant beetle inside Karin's mother's belly widened its eyes instantly, curled up, and began to tremble...

(Sorry everyone, I was too busy during the day and only managed to squeeze in two chapters tonight, but I just couldn't stay awake any longer...-_-||).

415. There are so many tricks in the lives of the wealthy!

When Handsome Scorpion was fighting this insect one-on-one, the insect revealed its killing intent several times. If it weren't for him watching from the side, Handsome Scorpion would probably have been turned into a meat sandwich. But you can't be surprised. Although it was a bit cowardly, it was still a noble Seven-Tailed Beast, born from the belly of the Six Paths. If you were to count by seniority, this thing was an ancestor. Now it was being used as a sparring partner for a brat who hadn't even grown his hair yet. Anyone would be tempted, let alone a noble tailed beast that had sprung from the belly of the Six Paths.

However, he felt it necessary to remind the Seven-Tails. Now that he was the ninja instructor leading the team, he couldn't stay in the village every day, nor could he keep Karin's mother by his side. He certainly couldn't persuade Sasori not to challenge the Seven-Tails to a duel. It seemed like Sasori had taken a liking to the Seven-Tails; he didn't want to fight the One-Tails but insisted on going after the Seven-Tails, and he couldn't be stopped. If he were to leave the village with his three kids one day, who knew what horrific things the Seven-Tails would do to Sasori? Sasori had already started beating up a lot and was behaving abnormally, often staring blankly at passersby for one or two hours at a time. It was obvious that he had been beaten up and was in trouble. If he wasn't in the village, even the One-Tails couldn't be controlled when it went berserk, let alone the Seven-Tails. Although Karin's mother had a relatively good relationship with the Seven-Tails now, she still had a sense of awe towards him. If the Seven-Tails really went berserk, she really wouldn't be able to control him.

So Shinto also wanted to take this opportunity to teach the Seven-Tails a lesson. Although it was a lowly insect-like creature, its millennia-old cultural heritage should allow it to understand the meaning behind his words...

"...╥﹏╥"

At this moment, the Seven-Tails, lying in Karin's mother's belly, was covered in tears. It was as if the memory of the excruciating pain in its head made it tremble. That heart-wrenching, unforgettable pain had only lasted less than a year, yet it was still unforgettable...

Thinking back to its arrogant Seven-Tailed Fox, although it was a bit more timid than its brothers, its fighting power was still among the top three. Over the years, it had been treated like royalty wherever it went. Even when it almost fell into Hashirama Senju's hands, Hashirama didn't dare treat it like that. But now, it was being used as a sparring partner by a brat who hadn't even grown its first beard. The more glorious it was back then, the more pathetic it was now... ╥﹏╥

......

While they were chatting, the battle ahead had reached a fever pitch. Although Mei Chuan and the other two were constantly being chased and attacked, Liangzai Scorpion's experience in fighting was simply too poor. In addition, these steel giants had a single attack method. Although the damage was explosive, it didn't have as many fancy maneuvers as traditional puppets. After all, it was already very difficult to create such a large and slow-moving heavy metal puppet. Designing various mechanisms and hidden weapons would be even more difficult. Moreover, these puppets were designed to counter the Seven-Tails. Those mechanisms and hidden weapons were completely useless against the Seven-Tails. Therefore, Liangzai Scorpion didn't bother with that. So, although these steel giants looked imposing and domineering, their attack rhythm was quite simple. After the three of them adapted to Liangzai Scorpion's attack rhythm, they became much more relaxed. Although they were panting heavily and sweating profusely, they hadn't yet shown any signs of weakness.

Meanwhile, Sasori, unable to break through the barrier, began to get impatient. His hands moved faster and faster, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Although he had undergone long and brutal training with Shinto and the Seven-Tails, making his endurance far beyond that of ordinary people, just as Mei Chuan had thought, dragging such a large puppet was already extremely difficult. Even a group of ordinary adults might not be able to move such a large puppet, let alone control it with chakra. No matter how outstanding Sasori was, his body was still that of a mortal, unlike the Uzumaki clan with their massive chakra reserves and powerful vitality.

Mei Chuan Neiyi, being the heir of a prestigious family, possessed a multitude of tactical strategies. Initially, the strategy involved a double mid laner laning against a jungler flanking the backline. However, the ten tanks in front of them were even tankier than Lian Po, prompting a change in tactics. Because Mei Chuan Neiyi was in a wheelchair and was expending too much chakra, the strategy shifted to a two-on-one approach. The mid laner and jungler provided cover for him to recover mana. Once he had recovered his mana, they noticed that Liangzai Scorpion was becoming anxious, with sweat visibly dripping from his forehead. They changed tactics again, opting for a war of attrition, prioritizing avoiding being killed rather than achieving any significant victory. Thus, the three of them continuously dodged the attacks of the Iron Giants without retaliating. After leaving the Iron Giants' attack range, they immediately ran in three different directions, separating Liangzai Scorpion's ten Iron Giants. With each person facing three or four Iron Giants, it became much easier, and Liangzai Scorpion was unable to easily multitask.

The spectator, Zhen Dou, exclaimed that the big families have so many tricks up their sleeves!

"Damn...! (▼へ▼メ)"

From a distance, the handsome scorpion, controlling the situation, gritted his teeth, a large "f" sign appearing on his forehead. Having fought this far, even with his intelligence of 95, he knew his opponent's tactics: splitting his ten puppets to minimize their threat. But he regretted his lack of knowledge; he'd spent years studying puppetry and its basics, neglecting tactical texts. Knowing his opponent was using a trick, he couldn't think of any countermeasures, forced to be led by the nose. Fueled by the anger of having his toys stolen, he wanted to give his opponent a good beating to calm his restless heart. But things didn't go as planned; his opponent was as slippery as an eel, offering no opening. At this moment, he regretted not having included hidden weapons or even some sleeping gas when creating the puppets. If he couldn't defeat the Seven-Tailed Fox, surely he could take down these three...

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

"Alright, alright, game time's up! Nephew, put away those lumps of iron you're carrying. At this rate, it could go on for several overtimes and still not be over..."

Just as Sasori was thinking about using sleeping gas when making puppets in the future, Shinto, seeing his nephew already drenched in sweat, quickly blew the whistle to end the match. His nephew was, after all, the village's designated successor, and regardless of whether he would leave to pursue art, he was destined to be a member of the Sunagakure Hall of Fame. If he was exhausted by those three brats in this first match, it would inevitably become a dark chapter in his career, like being blown to pieces by the richest woman in the ninja world in the original story. What's the point of playing if his historical status is lower than that unlucky Shamon? Shamon is considered the lowest-ranking member of the Hall of Fame; being able to be killed by the One-Tailed Beast, his historical status isn't very good...

416. Coincidentally, he was born in the Year of the Leo.

"Damn...(▼へ▼メ)"

Seeing the "referee" enter the field, and with that look in his eyes that said, "You got a chance, but you didn't use it, so you'll understand," Handsome Scorpion reluctantly stopped and withdrew his Iron Giant. Then, seeing the three guys in front of him exhausted after the whistle blew, he almost exploded with rage. But when you're in this business, you have to keep your word. Before he left, his bastard uncle promised him a chance to beat up these three guys, but now that he couldn't do it, he could only blame himself for not being good enough.

"There's a saying that goes, 'Practice makes perfect.' By fighting different opponents, you'll discover more of your shortcomings. Your potential is limitless. Don't be so narrow-minded and fixate on the giant beetle. You'll find that what seems like the pinnacle of the ninja world is actually just the beginning. The higher your aspirations, the farther you can go in the future..."

Shinto patted the head of the unwilling young Sasori. He didn't know why, but lately, whenever he saw Sasori's thick, beautiful hair, his hand would involuntarily rest on it. He realized that constantly having Sasori get beaten up by the giant beetle wasn't a solution. Firstly, it was wasteful of money, and secondly, it was physically demanding. Moreover, fighting an animal wouldn't lead to any improvement. Sasori had already fought the giant beetle over ten times, and still couldn't defeat three kids who had never even seen a giant beetle before—that was already a big problem. His experience of being beaten and his fighting experience were always on opposite sides. While the adults' advice about taking a beating wasn't wrong, Sasori's passivity in taking beatings had clearly reached its peak. Getting beaten up by the giant beetle was pointless. It would be better for him to spend that time pecking at these three weaklings; both sides could improve!