Naruto: Zanka No Tachi

Chapter 175: NZNT: Chapter 175

”Clan Head Uchiha, these puppets are Sunagakure’s standard issue. You can test their functions,” Chiyo reminded him as the contest was about

”Clan Head Uchiha, these puppets are Sunagakure’s standard issue. You can test their functions,”

Chiyo reminded him as the contest was about to begin. Puppeteers usually test unfamiliar puppets beforehand to avoid problems during the contest.

Yusuke smiled, ”Thank you, Elder Chiyo. I’m already familiar with them.”

Seeing Yusuke’s composure, Chiyo’s expression turned serious. She didn’t believe he could surpass her in puppetry, but she wouldn’t underestimate him. He was the strongest ninja; she had to give her all.

With the Sunagakure referee’s announcement, Chiyo extended ten chakra threads from her fingers, connecting them to slots on the backs of her ten puppets. Each slot concealed a chakra receiver.

The receivers received the puppeteer’s chakra. Once connected, the puppeteer could control the puppets.

Connected to the puppets, Chiyo’s fingers moved rapidly, sending complex chakra signals through the threads to the puppets.

Upon receiving the signals, the puppets attacked Yusuke from different directions.

Seeing Chiyo control ten puppets with different movements to surround Yusuke, the Sunagakure puppeteers present showed admiration. They knew how difficult this was; it required immense talent and skill.

Chiyo had attacked; everyone watched Yusuke, wanting to see how the strongest ninja would counter a top puppeteer.

Seeing that Yusuke hadn’t connected to his puppets yet, the Sunagakure ninjas smirked, assuming he didn’t know how to control them.

They anticipated Chiyo defeating the strongest ninja, and their excitement grew. This puppet battle would greatly affect Konoha and Sunagakure’s reputations.

Just as everyone thought Yusuke had no chance, his one hundred puppets suddenly moved, attacking Chiyo’s ten puppets. The puppets clashed fiercely.

The audience erupted, seeing Yusuke standing still, his hands untouched.

”What? He didn’t use chakra threads, yet he controls them?”

”Is it a forbidden jutsu? How can a normal person control one hundred puppets?”

The Sunagakure ninjas tensed. Even Ebizo, who’d been confident, looked worried, his smile fading.

”Kumoku, what do you sense?” Ebizo asked a young female ninja behind him.

Kumoku was a special jōnin; her combat skills were average, but she was an expert chakra sensor, an elite in Sunagakure’s reconnaissance unit.

”Within a ten-meter radius of Yusuke, there’s an invisible field filled with chakra-like energy. It’s probably a secret technique that changes chakra’s nature,”

Kumoku said, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. She swallowed nervously, continuing, ”He’s using this energy to control the puppets.”

Kumoku couldn’t imagine maintaining such a large field. She couldn’t understand how anyone could control one hundred puppets simultaneously.

Ebizo sighed. After a moment, his frown relaxed, and his usual expression returned.

He hadn’t found a countermeasure; he’d simply accepted the situation. He’d done all he could; the rest was fate.

As the battle intensified, the audience’s mood changed. The Sunagakure ninjas, initially confident in Chiyo’s victory, were now tense. The Konoha ninjas smiled.

”How is he doing this?”

Chiyo was also puzzled, controlling her puppets while observing Yusuke. But she found no clues.

”Even if he controls the puppets with a secret technique, he can’t match my years of training!” Chiyo thought.

As Chiyo thought, though Yusuke controlled ten times more puppets, his puppets were less skilled than hers. In two or three minutes, she’d destroyed ten of Yusuke’s puppets, while hers were unharmed.

But as the battle continued, Chiyo noticed Yusuke’s puppets becoming more cunning and coordinated. He was learning to control them.

Around ten minutes in, Chiyo had destroyed about thirty of Yusuke’s puppets, but everyone saw that she was in trouble.

Chiyo was sweating, breathing heavily, and her puppets were less agile.

Yusuke remained calm. In his eyes, everyone saw the confidence of the strongest ninja.

From the beginning, Yusuke had been certain of victory!

...

Just then, a puppet with a blue marking on its back was surrounded and attacked by a group of puppets with red markings. Unable to break free, it was destroyed.

This was the first of Chiyo’s puppets to be destroyed, marking a turning point in the battle.

Controlling about sixty puppets, Yusuke, now familiar with their operation, launched a counterattack, systematically eliminating Chiyo’s puppets one by one. Chiyo fought back, but to no avail.

One by one, her puppets fell until only one remained. Chiyo lowered her arms, sighing deeply.

All the Sunagakure ninjas looked disappointed.

After gathering his remaining puppets, Yusuke said to the dejected Chiyo, ”Elder Chiyo, your puppetry is superb. Only Sasori could compare.”

Chiyo waved her hand, ”I’m old. Clan Head Uchiha, you’re the strongest. I still don’t understand your technique. Could you explain?”

All the ninjas present watched Yusuke intently, eager for an explanation.

Yusuke smiled, ”I won’t explain. Feel it for yourselves!”

He released his spiritual pressure, covering the arena. He’d used this field to control the puppets.

Controlling puppets requires chakra threads or something to replace them, and strong mental fortitude. Stronger ninjas can multitask better and control more puppets.

Yusuke, with his powerful spiritual power, had unparalleled mental fortitude.

As Yusuke’s spiritual pressure spread, the Sunagakure ninjas felt immense pressure. It affected their bodies, making them feel heavy, and their minds, causing anxiety and slowing their thoughts.

They felt an insurmountable pressure.

”This is the power of the strongest ninja?” they thought.

Yusuke withdrew his spiritual pressure. Chiyo, who’d been impressed, suddenly changed her expression, ”If you controlled the puppets with this field, my puppets were always under your control?”

This question shocked everyone, especially the Sunagakure puppeteers.

If Chiyo was right, she’d never had a chance to win. Sunagakure’s puppetry was useless against someone with Yusuke’s ability.

Yusuke nodded, leaving the puppeteers bewildered. Their skills were rendered meaningless.

”But rest assured, I’m the only one in the ninja world with this ability,” Yusuke declared.

Kurama Yakumo might eventually achieve this, but Yusuke didn’t mention it.

The Sunagakure puppeteers snapped out of their bewilderment, realizing they’d overthought it. Against Yusuke, their skills would be useless. Even without this technique, he could defeat them easily.

After the puppet battle, the banquet ended. Yusuke and the Konoha ninjas returned to the inn, while the Sunagakure leaders went to their meeting hall to discuss the next day’s negotiations.

Sunagakure hadn’t expected this. Their plan not only failed to damage Konoha’s morale but put them at a disadvantage. Already weakened by defeat, they’d lost in puppetry, making the negotiations even harder.

Back at the inn, Yusuke told everyone to rest and called Kurama Yakumo to him.

The contest had given Yusuke an idea. He couldn’t use puppetry, but Yakumo, with her strong spiritual power, could use puppets to compensate for her taijutsu and ninjutsu weaknesses.

Yusuke gave Yakumo a scroll, ”This was found on Kankurō. It contains an interesting puppet, supposedly Sasori’s last.”

The Fourth Kazekage had given this scroll to Temari for Kankurō to use against enemies at the Konoha Research Institute. But Orochimaru’s overwhelming power led to their surrender; the puppet was never used.

After Kankurō was imprisoned, his tools and the scroll were confiscated. He revealed the seal release.

Yusuke told Yakumo the release, and she released the puppet.

It was a robot-like puppet with many mechanisms and weapons, made of incredibly durable material.

Using spiritual pressure, Yakumo quickly controlled it.

After playing with it, Yakumo said happily, ”This puppet is interesting. I sense many functions; it can change shape. I need to study it more.”

Yusuke nodded, smiling, ”Keep it. It’s Sasori’s last mechanical puppet. It’s powerful. Use it as a guard.”

After thanking Yusuke, Yakumo left happily. She was very interested in the puppet.

____________________

For more advance Chapters visit my patreon

patreon.com/kane45

Tier: 10$ Casual Reader - +20 Advance Chapter

20$ Intermediate Reader - +40 Advance Chapter

40$ Expert Reader - +80 Advance Chapter

Update: ”Monday to Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day”

”Saturday and Sunday - Off”