Chapter 31: The Puppet Master's Gambit

"Damn you, Sand Village!" a Konoha chunin spat, his voice raw with fury and betrayal. "Have you forgotten the alliance treaty you signed with us?"

"Treaty?" a Sand jōnin sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Don't be naive. Such things are just worthless pieces of paper. Who cares about them? Today, we will remove Konoha from the ranks of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!"

"Humph! Wipe Konoha out? What a joke," the Konoha ninja shot back, his confidence returning. "Our forces are already driving your invaders from our streets. Your 'Konoha Crush Plan' is a failure!"

"Tch! Enough talk! Kill them!" the Sand jōnin barked, signaling the attack.

Just as the Sand and Sound forces tensed to charge, a single, strangely shaped kunai shot through the air and embedded itself in the ground between the two factions. It was deflected easily, but it drew every eye toward its source. Standing on a high ledge above them was a lone figure in an ANBU mask, watching them with unnerving stillness.

"Konoha ANBU? Another one come to die!" a Sound ninja jeered, his voice laced with disdain.

"Oh?" Ren's voice was a cold, mocking challenge from behind his mask. "Is that so?"

"Lightning Release: Chidori Stream!"

The words came from the ledge. But in the same instant, the speaker was no longer there. He was suddenly *among them*, in the very center of the Sand-Sound formation. He appeared in a blur of motion, his arms spread wide as a devastating dome of electricity erupted from his entire body. This update is available on novęlfire.net

*Nani?!* The thought flashed through a dozen minds at once. *How did he—?!*

It was too late. Before the shock could even register, the crackling energy field seized them. Eight chunin and four jōnin cried out as the current ravaged their nervous systems, locking their muscles and dropping them to the ground, paralyzed and smoking. They were utterly helpless as Ren's arms morphed into spectral serpents, striking with lethal precision.

***Ding! Host eliminates 8 Chunin, 4 Special Jōnin. Reward: 28,000 Points. Total Points: 45,843.***

It was over in a heartbeat. The lone surviving Sand jōnin, who had managed to leap back at the last possible second, could only stare in horror at the carnage.

"So fast... I couldn't even see his afterimage! He's too strong!" one of the Konoha defenders whispered, awe-struck. They hadn't recognized the Flying Thunder God; they simply assumed his raw speed was incomprehensible. Space-Time Ninjutsu was a legend few had ever witnessed.

"Damn you! I'll kill you!" the surviving Sand jōnin roared, his voice cracking with rage and fear.

"Alright, I'll handle things here. You all, go support the other sectors!" Ren commanded, ignoring the man's threats and addressing the Konoha ninja.

"Y-yes, sir!" they replied in unison, their previous awe now mixed with deep respect. They quickly dispersed, leaving Ren alone with his final opponent.

"Now then," Ren said, turning his masked gaze fully onto the Sand jōnin. "It's just us. Let's have some fun."

"Humph! Letting your comrades leave was a stupid decision. You'll see! You've killed so many of us... you will die for this!"

"You talk too much."

"Tch!" The Sand jōnin didn't charge. Instead, he bit his thumb, flashed through a series of hand seals, and slammed his palm onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A black scroll emblazoned with intricate seals appeared in a puff of smoke. He unrolled it with a practiced flick of his wrist.

***Bang! Bang! Bang!***

Three more plumes of smoke erupted from the scroll, resolving into three humanoid puppets. One was short and compact, with wickedly sharp claws. Another was larger, with a bull-like head and arms studded with spikes. The third had abnormally long, multi-jointed arms.

*A puppet master. And he can control three simultaneously. This guy is no ordinary Sand shinobi,* Ren thought, his demeanor shifting to one of serious caution. Puppet masters were unique to Sunagakure, using chakra strings to control their deadly creations. Their skill was measured by how many puppets they could operate at once. The legends were Chiyo, the Sand elder, and her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand, who had defected to Akatsuki.

"You should feel honored to witness my Black Secret Technique: Trio of Amusement!" the puppet master declared, a thread of pride in his voice despite the situation. "The measure of a puppet master is the number they can control! Our elder, Lady Chiyo, is the strongest, famed for her White Secret Technique: The Ten Human Companions! She once destroyed a castle single-handedly and was known as the 'Thousand-Handed Machine.' While my 'Trio' is far from her legendary skill, my puppets are no ordinary constructs! They are the work of the genius master, Sasori of the Red Sand! As both a creator and a user, his talent was unmatched. It is the highest honor for a puppet master to wield his creations. I was fortunate enough to acquire these three. I may not have achievements like Lady Chiyo's, but with them, I have slaughtered entire bands of mountain bandits!"

Ren's mind raced. *Puppet masters specialize in poison. These things are definitely coated with it. A single scratch could be fatal.* "System, is there a way to counter poison?"

***The Host can exchange for an Antidote Pill. Upon consumption, it will grant immunity to all but the most extreme toxins for one hour.***

"Antidote Pill. Exchange it."

***Antidote Pill. Item Level: B-Rank. Cost: 1,000 Points. Confirm exchange?***

"Confirm."

***Ding! 1,000 Points deducted. Remaining Points: 44,843.***

A small, dark pill appeared in his palm. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed it just as the puppet master finished his boast.

"Every shinobi who has faced my Trio of Amusement has died! This time will be no exception!" Thin, nearly invisible chakra lines shot from the man's fingers, connecting to the three puppets. They jerked to life with a series of ominous *clicks* and *clacks*.

"Behold! Black Secret Technique: Trio of Amusement!" With a yell, he sent the puppets charging forward.

*Tch!* Ren met the charge, his Sharingan whirling to life, tracking the movements of all three constructs simultaneously. The large, bull-headed puppet engaged him head-on, its spiked arms swinging with surprising force. The smaller, clawed puppet darted around like a vicious insect, looking for an opening to strike. The long-armed puppet hung back, firing volleys of senbon and occasionally lashing out with its extendable limbs to snare or distract him.

*The coordination is impeccable. The bullhead applies frontal pressure, the long-arm provides ranged suppression and control, and the small one acts as an assassin, waiting for the perfect strike. It's a flawless team. Sasori's work is indeed genius,* Ren analyzed, dodging and weaving between their attacks. *Attacking the puppets is pointless unless I can destroy them utterly. I need to get past them and take out the master.*

"Haha! You're good at dodging! Let's see how long you can keep it up!" the puppet master taunted from his position of safety.

"Heh. You think a few puppets make you invincible? Do you mistake a tiger for a house cat because it hasn't yet roared?" Ren shot back. "System! Exchange for the Strength of a Hundred Technique!"

***Taijutsu: Strength of a Hundred. Item Type: Talent. Item Level: A-Rank. Cost: 5,000 Points. Confirm exchange?***

"Confirm!"

***Ding! 5,000 Points deducted. Remaining Points: 39,843.***

The now-familiar wave of warmth flooded his body, followed by the instant knowledge of the technique—the precise chakra control needed to gather energy in any limb and release it in a devastating burst of physical force.

The assassin puppet chose that moment to strike again, lunging for his blind spot. This time, Ren didn't dodge.

He pivoted, and his right fist shot out, glowing faintly with concentrated chakra.

"Get lost!"

***CRUNCH!***

His fist connected. The compact, heavily-built puppet didn't just break; it *shattered*, exploding into a cloud of splintered wood, metal components, and leaking poison.

*NANI?!* The puppet master's eyes bulged, his arrogant smirk vanishing. "How is that possible?!"

Ren didn't give him time to process it. He was already moving, a blur aimed straight at the source of the chakra strings.

"Damn it! Trying to get to me? It won't work!" the man yelled, panic edging into his voice. He pulled the bull-headed puppet back to defend him and sent a frantic wave of senbon from the long-armed puppet to block Ren's path.

Ren weaved through the needle storm, his movements a fluid dance. As he closed in, one arm transformed into a giant serpent that shot out, wrapping around the long-armed puppet and yanking it into his path.

"Another one."

***CRUNCH!***

A second chakra-infused punch reduced the second puppet to scrap metal.

The puppet master could only stare, his face pale. He was down to his last puppet, the bull-headed one, which moved to stand protectively in front of him.

It didn't matter.

Ren didn't break stride. He met the final puppet's defensive stance head-on, his fist crashing through its spiked arms and into its core.

***SMASH!***

The third puppet disintegrated.

Ren stepped through the falling debris, his pace slow and deliberate as he advanced on the now-defenseless puppet master.

"Heheh~~ You're next," Ren said, his voice a soft, terrifying promise. "Any other secrets? Any 'Red' or 'White' techniques hidden away?"

The puppet master could only back away, his confidence utterly shattered, replaced by raw, primal fear. The hunter had become the prey.

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