4: First Ninja Mission

Inside the secret chamber.

Tools, materials, and designs were all available, as was the skill. All that remained was the actual production.

First, the materials were cut, then placed on a machine tool for the initial rough processing to form the approximate shape, and then auxiliary tools were used for fine processing to ensure that each component could be precisely installed and connected.

Tungsten alloy, hard, dense, and heavy, was used as the skeletal material; lightweight alloys for the main body; and other parts in the middle were made of rare metal beryllium copper alloy wire for energy conduction.

The Butterfly Crossbow served as the frame, with butterfly-shaped patterns winding along it, and the surface was coated with a Tang Clan secret anti-corrosion medicine.

After completing these internal structures, Tang Yan then used ceramic composite materials, made based on his memories of the Tang Clan’s “Thunderbolt Hall” from his previous life, combined with high-strength wood from the Ninja World, to create the outer shell.

Using Tang Clan's “Bone-Penetrating Nail” to reinforce the mortise and tenon structure, the joints were made of Qinggang wood from the Hokage World, soaked in Tang Clan's “Yi Wood Potion” to enhance defense and flexibility, which was far superior to the puppet-making techniques of the Ninja World.

The primary attack methods relied on Tang Clan hidden weapons: Butterfly Crossbow, Serpent Darts, Sleeve Arrows, Bone-Penetrating Nails, Twin-serpent Soul-chasing Death Pill, combined with several poisons. The surgical scalpels at the fingertips also served for medical and attack purposes.

This plan centered on the core concept of “Mechanism as Bone, Technique as Soul,” deeply integrating the ingenious mechanisms and poisonous traps of Tang Clan hidden weapons with the puppet craftsmanship of the Hokage World.

Tang Yan’s fingertip lightly flicked the mechanism on the medicine child’s finger bone.

“Click.”

The last specially made poison needle, gleaming with a faint light, perfectly embedded itself.

This puppet, specialized in poisons, healing, and precision work, was finally complete.

“Black Secret Technique: One Machine Operation.” After a brief test, Tang Yan was very satisfied with his creation.

Currently, Tang Yan’s method of controlling the puppet still relied on Chakra threads from the Hokage World. Once his strength increased and he cultivated the Tang Clan Object Manipulation secret technique, he would be able to free his hands. At that time, Tang Yan’s puppet control would surpass Sasori's ‘Hundred Machine Operation’ technique.

Its ten fingers were Tang Yan’s extended claws and surgical scalpels.

Its torso was a mobile treasure trove of Tang Clan mechanisms and potent poisons.

At dawn, Cang Qi was already busy in the kitchen.

“Awake? Come quickly and eat breakfast.” Cang Qi walked out of the kitchen, carrying baked bread and dried meat.

“An old customer’s puppet needs repair today. Finish it early.”

Tang Yan nodded, took the baked bread, dipped it in clear soup, and swallowed it in a few bites.

After breakfast, the siblings went to the Ninja tool shop in the front yard.

A Genin with an anxious expression was already waiting, cradling a scorpion-type puppet with a broken tail stinger and shattered carapace.

“Boss Cang Qi, Little Brother Yan, is this… complicated to repair? I have a mission today, and this is my only puppet. If it takes too long, it will affect my squad’s schedule,” the villager’s voice trembled slightly.

Tang Yan stepped forward and quickly scanned the puppet.

“The tail linkage shaft is broken, multiple parts of the outer shell need reinforcement, and the internal transmission gears also show wear.”

He reached out and disassembled it in a few swift, dazzling movements.

“Minor issue,” Tang Yan picked up a tool. “Half an hour.”

Cang Qi looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. This boy.

Half an hour later, the refurbished scorpion puppet was returned to his hands.

The Genin clutched the puppet, excitedly thanking him repeatedly before leaving.

“Ding-a-ling—”

The wind chimes on the door rang again.

Just then, another customer came in to replenish supplies. Tang Yan said to Cang Qi, “Sister, our squad has its first mission today. I’m leaving now. If there’s any complicated repair business, you can wait for me to come back to fix it.”

“Hmm, a mission? Although it’s unlikely you’ll get very dangerous missions right now, you still need to be extra careful. Ninja don’t just rely on brute force; most of the time, they rely on their brains,” Cang Qi said, while attending to the customer, not forgetting to instruct Tang Yan.

“Alright, I know, I’m off.”

Training Ground One, target practice area.

Maki walked in. His head was wrapped in white cloth, and the white cloth on his left cheek still covered it.

“Tang Yan, Qian, Zi Luo.” Maki’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an invisible pressure.

Qian and Zi Luo had arrived a bit earlier than Tang Yan and had already been training for a while. Hearing their names called, the three immediately stood straight, their expressions solemn.

“Fifth Squad, assemble.”

The three followed Maki to an open area at the edge of the Village.

“Your first mission.” Maki unrolled a scroll.

“Go to the border between the Mengle Gobi and the Swamp Oasis to collect ‘Sea Buckthorn Ironwood’ and ‘Swamp Clay,’ materials used for making puppets.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

“The Village elders have reached a conclusion regarding the Fourth Kazekage candidate, just waiting for the right moment to announce it. After the new Kazekage takes office, there will certainly be actions to increase his influence. Sunagakure needs more vital forces; you must grow quickly.”

Qian’s eyes instantly lit up. “Is it Rasa-sama?”

Maki did not answer her.

“Be careful during the mission. There are not only fierce beasts but also some unstable geological environments.”

“Yes!” the three responded in unison, their voices clear.

The journey to the mission location was not smooth.

The fierce winds of the Gobi Desert carried sand and grit, stinging their faces.

Qian skillfully avoided several hidden quicksand areas while moving.

Zi Luo, relying on his powerful taijutsu, leaped effortlessly between rugged rocks and quicksand.

Tang Yan walked in the middle, seemingly calm, but his spiritual power had already spread out.

Besides the mission materials, his more important goal for this trip was to collect poisonous insects and rare herbs needed for his poison refining.

Entering the edge of the Swamp Oasis, the air became humid and hot, carrying a unique smell of humus.

“Sea Buckthorn Ironwood generally grows in the transition zone between the Gobi and the oasis,” Zi Luo identified the direction, pointing to a slightly darker area ahead.

Qian, meanwhile, vigilantly observed her surroundings. “There are so many strange-looking bugs here; they look creepy.”

Tang Yan’s gaze, however, was drawn to a deep black beneath an inconspicuous fern.

A completely black spider with dark red stripes on its back was quietly lurking in the shadows.

Ink-Patterned Ghost Spider.

Tang Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. This was excellent material for refining “Bone-Corroding Powder.” He hadn’t expected to encounter it here.

He remained calm, observing carefully for a few breaths, confirming there were no other threats around, before his finger subtly moved in his sleeve.

A specially made steel needle, as fine as an ox hair and glowing with a faint blue light, silently shot out, making no sound as it pierced the air, accurately embedding itself into the Ink-Patterned Ghost Spider’s abdominal ganglion.

The spider didn’t even have time to react. Its eight legs instantly stiffened, and after a tiny twitch, it became completely motionless.

Only then did Tang Yan unhurriedly walk over, naturally bending down as if merely examining an ordinary plant.

From his scroll, he took out a palm-sized box carved from cold jade, and carefully used special small tweezers to pick up the Ink-Patterned Ghost Spider and place it into the jade box.

The venom of this Ink-Patterned Ghost Spider was extremely potent; if not for the cold jade’s isolation, ordinary metals would be slowly corroded by it. Refining it with his Tang Clan secret methods would not only make his mechanical poisons more sinister and tricky but also allow him to temper certain special puppet components, imbuing them with potent venom.

“Tang Yan, what are you fiddling with down there?” Qian, while swatting away buzzing little flies near her face, curiously leaned over, peeking. “Did you find another weird bug? Ugh, there’s no end to the bugs in this place; they’re giving me goosebumps.”

“A rare poisonous insect,” Tang Yan closed the jade box and carefully tucked it into his sleeve pouch, his tone as calm as ever. “I noticed its carapace has some unique properties; perhaps it could strengthen puppet coatings, increasing a bit of corrosion resistance or hardness.” He casually explained, this explanation being half-true, fitting his identity as a master of mechanisms without revealing his true intentions.

Qian eyed him skeptically as he put away the jade box. “It’s black and has dark red stripes; it doesn’t look like something good. Can it really be used on puppets? Don’t go experimenting and end up poisoning yourself before you even strengthen the puppet.” She exaggeratedly shivered, as if already seeing such a scene.

Maki, who was carefully identifying the branches of a bush not far away, glanced back at the sound. Seeing that Tang Yan had already stood up, he made no particular comment. “Don’t waste too much time on those small things. Finding Sea Buckthorn Ironwood and Swamp Clay is the real priority.”

Tang Yan secretly smiled to himself and did not argue.

The first unexpected gain of this trip was achieved.

The value of this Ink-Patterned Ghost Spider was far more important to him than the mission materials themselves.

During the rest of the journey, he successively captured several colorful poisonous scorpions and a Phosphorescent Centipede hidden in rotten wood.

These would all become valuable materials for his Tang Clan poison techniques, enriching the killing methods of his puppets.

The mission materials were collected smoothly and without danger; at most, they encountered some poisonous insect attacks, but with Tang Yan, a master of poison, nothing major happened.

Before nightfall, the three had already gathered all the required sea buckthorn, ironwood, and swamp clay.

The first group mission concluded.

Maki led the three back to the Village, and after submitting the mission, each received a few thousand mission bounties.

After bidding farewell to Qian and Zi Luo, Tang Yan returned home.

Tang Yan did not research puppets today; instead, he went to the underground secret chamber and sat cross-legged.

He focused his mind and began to circulate Xuantian Skill.

Xuantian Skill circulated through his body for several major cycles, sweeping away all fatigue, leaving Tang Yan feeling refreshed and full of energy.

He opened his eyes, and in the dim secret chamber, his pupils were exceptionally bright.

Subsequently, he began to cultivate ‘Xuan Yu Hand’.

This secret technique involves circulating his internal energy, which the Tang Clan calls “Qi,” in a special way and infusing it into his hands.

When practiced to a profound level, the hands can become as hard as metal and stone, impervious to all poisons, yet at the same time, their tactile sense becomes extraordinarily acute, allowing for precise detection of even the most subtle changes in toxicity.

This is an essential skill for Tang Clan disciples, especially those proficient in using poison, for collecting, refining, and applying poisons.

Tang Yan extended his palms flat, placing them on his knees, palms facing upward.

He concentrated on guiding the internal energy of Xuantian Skill within his body, no longer the gentle flow for physical recovery as before, but rather, according to the unique method of Xuan Yu Hand, it gathered thread by thread, strand by strand, towards the meridians of his arms, then slowly channeled into the Laogong acupoint in his palms, and subsequently spread throughout all ten fingers.

This process required extreme focus and control.

Too much internal energy could damage the meridians in his hands; too little would result in ineffective training.

Tang Yan was already proficient in this, and at this moment, he was even more single-minded.

Initially, there was no special sensation.

But as the internal energy continuously flowed in, his palms first felt slightly warm, as if immersed in warm water.

Gradually, the warmth faded, replaced by a strange cool sensation, as if his hands had truly transformed into warm jade.

The blood vessels beneath his skin seemed to retract, and the color of his palms became slightly paler than usual, much more delicate.

He tried flexing and extending his fingers; there was no stiffness in his movements; instead, there was an indescribable sense of both toughness and flexibility.

Tang Yan’s thoughts stirred, recalling the Ink-patterned Ghost Spider he had captured today.

If he hadn’t had Xuan Yu Hand, even with specialized tools, direct contact with its venom or poison glands would not have been foolproof.

With Xuan Yu Hand, he would be able to process those highly toxic substances with greater ease in the future, and in some situations, even directly touch them to formulate more exquisite poisons.

“Bone-corroding Powder… the phosphorescent poison of the Green-scaled Centipede…” Tang Yan’s fingertips curled slightly, feeling the unique texture brought by the surging internal energy.

He could almost foresee how these newly acquired poisons would combine with Tang Clan secret techniques in his hands, transforming into unpredictable killing tools, or be refined into even more lethal puppet components.

A faint, almost imperceptible halo of light shimmered on the surface of his palms for an instant, then quickly vanished.

Tang Yan slowly concluded his practice, clenched his fists, and felt the special power contained within his hands.

The cultivation of Xuan Yu Hand was not an overnight endeavor, but each advancement meant he gained more confidence in the path of poison and the art of mechanisms.

A subtle curve unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth; he had gained much today, both from the mission itself and these pleasant surprises, which gave him more confidence in his future plans.

Especially with the progress of Xuan Yu Hand, combined with the newly acquired toxic materials, his repertoire of methods would be greatly enriched.

He had just finished cultivating Xuan Yu Hand, and that strange cool sensation had not yet completely faded from his palms.

His thoughts flowed, naturally extending from Xuan Yu Hand to the entire system of Tang Clan ultimate skills.

The Chakra of this world was indeed convenient for driving puppets, but in terms of subtlety and profoundness, compared to the Chakra manipulation in puppetry, the difficulty of cultivating Tang Clan secret techniques was more than just one level higher.

It was not merely an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative transformation, an ultimate utilization and sublimation of every bit of one’s potential.

Every cultivation method and every technique of the Tang Clan embodied the countless efforts and wisdom of generations of ancestors; a hair’s breadth of difference in cultivation could lead to a thousand-mile deviation in actual combat.

For example, what he was silently outlining in his mind at this moment was the true treasure on the Tang Clan Hidden Weapons Manual, the ultimate hidden weapon hailed as the Tang Clan's finest – ‘Guan Yin’s Tear’.

It was said that when this item appeared, even gods and devils were startled, possessing incredible destructive power.

However, the conditions for refining and launching this heaven-defying strike were so stringent that they were enough to deter any genius.

The Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track movement technique needed to be as fast as lightning to seize that fleeting combat opportunity; the Xuantian Skill’s internal energy needed to be refined to the extreme to unleash that unparalleled energy; the Xuan Yu Hand’s control needed to be subtle and profound to ensure precise accuracy during launching; and the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon’s grappling and force redirection techniques were the foundation for stabilizing oneself in complex environments.

These four Tang Clan ultimate skills were not simply to be mastered, but ‘all must be cultivated to their peak,’ and they needed to be perfectly integrated, reaching a state of seamless fusion and perfect harmony, only then could one condense and unleash that strike, achieving the divine skill of ‘human overcoming god’.

Tang Yan mused that his Xuantian Skill was currently only rudimentary, and Xuan Yu Hand had barely scratched the surface.

As for Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, they had only recovered to about one-tenth of his previous life’s peak level, still a vast distance from the so-called ‘peak’.

Sometimes, he even felt that the Chakra system of this world seemed to simplify the methods of acquiring and utilizing power to some extent.

The Tang Clan’s path, however, was a path of cultivation without shortcuts, requiring painstaking dedication.

Cultivation had always been a slow accumulation, allowing no room for carelessness.

Especially in this unfamiliar world, starting from scratch to re-cultivate Tang Clan inner techniques required even greater caution, proceeding step by step.

Every cycle of Xuantian Skill and every infusion of internal energy into Xuan Yu Hand had to be done with complete focus and precision.

He was immersed in this meticulous refinement, which seemed incredibly tedious to outsiders but was immensely fulfilling to him.

The Qi within his body, under his careful guidance, silently traversed the meridians, repeatedly flushing through barriers and refining itself.

The underground secret chamber isolated all external sounds; there was only his own long and faint breathing, and the almost inaudible hum of internal energy surging within his body.

Time quietly slipped away in the silence.

Sweat quietly seeped from his forehead, gathering into beads, sliding down his focused face, dripping onto the bluestone slab beneath him, spreading into a small, shallow puddle of water, which was then quickly carried away by the cool, dry air in the secret chamber, leaving only faint traces.

This was not merely sweat from exhaustion, but a natural reaction of accelerated metabolism when internal energy was circulating at high intensity within his body.

His clothes were already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his back, outlining the lean yet flexible and powerful lines of the young man’s spine.

After an unknown period, Tang Yan’s flickering eyelids finally stilled.

He slowly opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of light flashing in his dark pupils for an instant, then quickly receding, returning to his usual calm.

He exhaled a long, turbid breath, the prolonged exhalation carrying away much of the stagnation and slight discomfort caused by his cultivation.

Progress was indeed slow, but not without gain.

At the very least, the internal energy of Xuantian Skill had condensed a bit more, and his understanding and application of Xuan Yu Hand had become more effortless.

Moreover, through this meticulous cultivation of his most familiar power system, reflecting on the unique Chakra system of this world, he gained some new, deeper understanding of the latter.

This feeling was quite extraordinary.

He gently clenched his fists, feeling the power that had re-gathered in his limbs and bones.

Although it was still far from his peak state in his previous life, this sense of steady, step-by-step progress brought him immense peace of mind.

“Slowly, then,” he murmured to himself, a habitual, almost imperceptible faint smile gracing his lips, “Anyway, I have all the time in the world.”

Furthermore, in this new world, the Tang Clan ultimate skills might collide with the local power system, igniting even more extraordinary sparks and radiating an even more bizarre and unpredictable brilliance.

Thinking of these things, Tang Yan felt an indescribable anticipation and hidden excitement for his various future plans and arrangements.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, which were slightly stiff from prolonged sitting, and prepared to welcome a new day.