42: The situation is tight ahead, Kazekage: Sand Village Special Forces quickly return to the front line

Tang Yan's gaze finally settled on the 'Scarlet Scorpion' core in a special container nearby, still faintly pulsating as if it contained all the malice in the world.

As the analytical light from the Myriad Celestial Crafts Box poured down with full force, Tang Yan could even feel a spiritual impact—a surge of brutality and hatred that had almost materialized from the chaotic soul remnants.

He found it.

One of the seven souls, 'Hatred'.

Truly… a generous gift. Tang Yan's lips curled upwards uncontrollably. The thought of a puppet driven by hatred sent a shiver down his spine. However, this was precisely the perfect test subject for Soul Imprint.

With a thought, the Myriad Celestial Crafts Box emitted a soft light, firmly locking onto that 'Hatred' fragment.

Materials prepared in advance from his storage scroll appeared in mid-air. Hundred-refined dark gold, wind-ground copper, Chakra-conducting metal… Under his precise control, these rare materials seemed to come alive, intertwining into streams of light, emitting a pleasant metallic clang.

A brand-new humanoid skeleton took shape at a visible speed. It was taller than an ordinary person, every line filled with a sense of power. Its spine and ribs were crafted into a precise crossbow-like structure, which, when expanded, became a deadly steel lotus.

This skeleton would be named 'Lotus Bone'.

Tang Yan scrutinized his masterpiece, a name surfacing in his mind.

"From now on, you shall be called 'samara'."

He carefully implanted the 'Hatred' fragment into samara's core in its chest.

The moment of contact, a silent shriek erupted in his spiritual world!

"Buzz—"

samara's metallic eye sockets suddenly glowed crimson, and a brutal killing intent swept through the secret chamber like a cold current, seemingly freezing the air. It stiffly raised its hand, fingers pressed together, and actually condensed a sharp metal spike.

A pure killing weapon, with only the instincts of hatred and destruction.

"Not enough," Tang Yan shook his head.

If this thing went to the battlefield, it would likely be indiscriminate between friend and foe.

He suddenly remembered his loyal and somewhat silly Summoning Beast, the Ninja Toad, and its unique Sand Release. A bold idea came to mind.

Soul Imprint!

Tang Yan concentrated all his spiritual energy, using the Myriad Celestial Crafts Box as a blade and the Ninja Toad's essence blood as ink, and began to slowly engrave the Ninja Toad's unique bloodline characteristics into samara's core.

This was an operation akin to a miracle.

samara's core fiercely resisted, the crimson hatred energy and the earthy yellow Sand Release power violently clashing, as if to tear the core apart. The puppet samara trembled violently, its metal skeleton creaking under the immense strain.

Cold sweat trickled down Tang Yan's forehead, his spiritual energy greatly depleted, but he stubbornly maintained the stability of the engraving.

After an unknown period, the violent energy conflict finally subsided. The two vastly different powers, guided by him, achieved a strange balance and eventually merged perfectly.

Success!

Tang Yan breathed a sigh of relief, clearly sensing that a faint but real Sand Release Chakra had been born within samara.

He contentedly installed the last batch of components onto samara. Ultra-light alloy plates layered over, forming the 'Profound Skin', with sand capable of seeping from the seams to form a flowing armor at any time. Embedded in its back was a 'Scorpion-type Chakra Furnace', improved based on Sasori of the Red Sand's technology, which would cause dark golden circuit patterns to appear on its surface when using Sand Release.

As for the weapon system… Tang Yan's smile deepened. The tips of its ten fingers concealed "Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles" coated with nerve-paralyzing poison; its spine, when expanded, became the "Lotus Bone Crossbow" capable of firing from a hundred holes simultaneously; and within its chest was a "Twin-serpent Soul-chasing Death Pill."

This puppet, with 'Hatred' as its soul, finally gained the ability to use Sand Release, becoming a thorough war machine.

Humanoid Puppet · samara — Hatred-Soul Driven Sand Release Puppet

Core Structure:

Component, Material, Characteristics

Skeleton: "Lotus Bone", Hundred-refined dark gold as meridians, wind-ground copper cast joints, Chakra metal melted into a crossbow-shaped skeleton. When expanded, it resembles a steel lotus, with crossbow bolts hidden in the bone gaps.

Outer Armor: "Profound Skin", Ultra-light alloy plates layered over, with sand capable of seeping from the seams, forming a flowing armor with Sand Release.

Power Core: "Hatred-Soul Core", The 'Hatred' of the seven souls sealed into the power core, resentment converted into combat energy. Black-red Chakra overflows from core cracks; the more violent the emotion, the stronger the output.

Energy System: "Scorpion-type Chakra Furnace", Regenerative Chakra tank embedded in the back (referencing Sasori of the Red Sand's technology), meridian conduits resonate with the skeleton, dark golden circuit patterns appear on the body surface when driving Sand Release.

Sand Release Ninjutsu:

Sand Shower: Spreads sand in the air - concentrated descent - can be injected with poison.

Sand Binding Coffin: Uses the sand layer formed by Sand Shower to constrict and suppress.

Sand Waterfall Funeral: Applies high-intensity compression based on Sand Binding Coffin.

Desert Layered Imperial Seal: The ultimate form combining Sand Shower with sealing Jutsu.

Weapons:

Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle: Hidden in the tips of ten fingers, needles coated with "nerve-paralyzing poison," change trajectory when guided by Sand Release after firing, specializing in breaking through taijutsu experts.

Lotus Bone Crossbow: Spine segments expand like a thousand-petaled lotus, a hundred crossbow holes fire metal arrows simultaneously. When Hatred-Soul is activated, arrowheads are imbued with resentful flames, causing a burning sensation in the five senses of those hit.

Twin-serpent Soul-chasing Death Pill: Ejected from a compression chamber in the chest, the mother pill explodes, splashing corrosive liquid, while the child pills contain poison needles that burst indiscriminately.

Hand Spike: Three-edged poison spike pops out from the forearm, can be used for close combat or thrown.

..........

After dealing with samara, Tang Yan's gaze turned to the massive original body of the "Scarlet Scorpion." Sasori of the Red Sand's magnum opus, a work of art that fused genius and obsession, but unfortunately… too complex.

"War requires a butcher's knife, not a work of art."

The Myriad Celestial Crafts Box hummed at his will, and countless precise tools extended, swarming towards the "Scarlet Scorpion" like a beehive. Disassembly, reassembly, modification. Those intricate structures that required top-tier puppet masters to control perfectly were dismantled one by one and replaced with more robust, more direct transmission modules.

Rasa simply couldn't handle Sasori's fighting style, and even ninety-nine percent of Sunagakure's puppet masters couldn't.

Tang Yan simply "downgraded" it, embedding hundreds of basic attack modules and dozens of combo commands. He even maliciously set up several modes: "Beginner Mode," "Berserk Mode," and "Do Not Seek Death Mode."

Now, the user only needed to input the simplest commands through Chakra threads, such as "kill," "block," or "run," and this crimson war machine would automatically calculate and combine the most efficient sequence of actions for the current battle situation.

It was no longer an extension of Sasori, but an independent, ruthless killing fortress that most Chunin could barely control. This was what Sunagakure needed most at the moment.

As night deepened, a knock sounded on the heavy stone door of the workshop.

"Lord Tang Yan, it's me, Ryosuke."

The door opened, and Ryosuke stood outside, his new Jonin vest still unfamiliar, making him seem a bit constrained. His face showed the fatigue of returning from a mission, but his eyes were bright and piercing, the unique glow of refined Chakra.

"Lord Kazekage sent me to assist you in forming a specialized unit." Ryosuke's voice was very low. He stepped into the workshop, his gaze immediately drawn to the two puppets.

When he saw the completely refurbished and more menacing "Scarlet Scorpion," he was only surprised by the boldness of the modification. But when his gaze fell upon samara, standing silently on the other side, a primal chill ran up his spine. That humanoid skeleton seemed to be the embodiment of hatred; merely looking at it unsettled him.

"Lord Tang Yan, the 'Unveiling Pill' you gave me… its effect far exceeded expectations." Ryosuke withdrew his gaze, his reverence for Tang Yan deepening. He hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to confess, "Lord Kazekage… while having me cooperate with you, also tasked me with monitoring you."

A bitter expression appeared on his face: "Elder Iwamatsu's side is also very displeased with my recent 'distancing.' I…"

Tang Yan said nothing, pouring him a glass of water. The workshop was dead silent, with only the faint sounds of metal cooling.

"Then who do you think has a longer future, them or me?" Tang Yan finally spoke, his tone calm, yet it struck Ryosuke's heart like a heavy hammer.

Ryosuke's fingers tightened slightly around the water glass, causing ripples on the water's surface. He thought of the Kazekage's conservatism, the elders' stubbornness, and then looked at the man before him who could create such terrifying puppets overnight. Did he still need to choose an answer?

"People whose potential is exhausted can only dwell in the past," Tang Yan added.

Ryosuke's body jolted, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes replaced by fanaticism. He set the water glass down heavily: "I understand! Lord Tang Yan, leave the task of forming the unit and selecting personnel to me! I will pick out the most reliable and ambitious individuals in the Village for you!"

"Very good," Tang Yan nodded. "I don't have time to waste."

"Oh, right," Ryosuke seemed to remember the most important matter, taking out an unsealed secret letter, sealed with the highest-grade wax, from his Pregnant. His expression became extremely solemn. "This is urgent intelligence from the front lines. Lord Kazekage also received a copy, but he doesn't seem to fully believe it."

Tang Yan took the secret letter. There were only a few dozen words on the paper, but they made his pupils suddenly contract.

"Konoha's main attack is a feint, front-line pressure has sharply decreased. Their 'Root' elite have secretly redirected, target… Tang Yan. Intercept or capture at all costs!"

'Root'! Danzo!

Tang Yan's fingers gently rubbed, and the tough secret letter paper silently turned to ash, fluttering down from between his fingers.

To target me alone, they even used a feint attack as cover.

It seems that the Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus's blast, after all, blew out some old guys hiding in the shadows.

Instead, a cold arc curved on Tang Yan's lips.

Want to catch me? Danzo, I hope the people you send are enough to fill samara's material reserves.

"As for Lord Kazekage…" Tang Yan looked at Ryosuke.

Ryosuke said in a deep voice: "Lord Kazekage wants me to tell you that time is running out. Whatever you are researching, you must speed up. The Fifth Squad must return to the front lines by three days at the latest."

"I understand," Tang Yan's eyes were deep.

Rasa was telling him that the Village would not be his sanctuary. He wanted to use this "crisis" to see if he could carve out a path to survival from the inescapable net Danzo had laid, to see how great his value truly was.

However, would Danzo, that old fox, really throw his 'Root' forces, which he valued as much as his life, into a risky gamble just for him? He was more like a hunter hiding in the dark, seeking the greatest profit with the smallest cost. This so-called "interception" was probably more of a test.

After seeing Ryosuke off, silence returned to the workshop. Tang Yan's gaze fell on the pile of scattered black chains in the corner.

These metals, once used to bind the "Scarlet Scorpion" and having absorbed earth pulse energy and resentment for years, had long become extraordinary.

He didn't hesitate, taking a portion and throwing it into the workshop's furnace.

Flames surged, and the chains did not obediently melt in the high temperature. Instead, they emitted faint, wailing shrieks like vengeful spirits, and patterns resembling struggling human faces appeared on their surface.

Tang Yan's face was expressionless. He increased his Chakra output, and the furnace fire instantly turned pale white, burning away all impurities and resentment, leaving only the purest liquid metal, shimmering with a dark glow.

After a period of forging and tempering, two ancient-looking Tang swords appeared on the workbench. The blades were long and narrow, covered with intricate dark patterns, as if they could absorb light. At the end of each hilt, there was a small 'Tang' character mark.

These two swords were already top-tier Chakra-conducting weapons.

Tang Yan formed a hand seal with one hand and let out a low shout: "Summoning Technique!"

"Bang!"

The white smoke dispersed, and the Ninja Toad, over a meter tall, wearing a 'Tang' character forehead protector and carrying a miniature sand gourd at its waist, knelt silently on one knee.

"Yan!"

Tang Yan tossed one of the Tang swords over.

The Ninja Toad caught it with its hand, and with a flick of its wrist, the long sword unsheathed an inch.

In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to be cut by the blade, becoming cold and sharp.

A flicker of excitement flashed in its eyes, then it sheathed the sword, its movements crisp and clean.

"Thanks."

The other one, of course, Tang Yan kept for himself.

After dealing with these, Tang Yan's thoughts turned to Cang Qi.

Her Wind Release was sharp enough, but against true powerhouses, it lacked the decisive burst power.

If he could find a powerful Summoning Beast for her… A name appeared in his mind.

"Sickle Weasel."

He walked to a corner of the workshop, took out a mechanical beetle from a hidden compartment, and inserted a note that read "Sickle Weasel, cub or contract, alive" into it. The beetle flapped its wings, turning into a black shadow, and flew out of the exhaust vent into the night of Sunagakure. His intelligence broker, Yura, never disappointed him.

Night had deepened, and only two days remained until the deadline given by the Kazekage.

The next evening, the lights of Workshop Seven finally went out.

In Sunagakure, at Tang Yan's home, the lights were on.

A young woman, whose face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Tang Yan but had a gentler demeanor, was wearing an apron and bustling between the kitchen and the dining room. This was Cang Qi, the elder sister of Tang Yan's current body, and one of the few people who gave him warmth.

The table was already filled with a lavish Japanese meal, its aroma wafting through the air.

"You're finally back!" Cang Qi served the last dish, a flavorful soup, her eyes a bit red. "Becoming a Ninja meant you were never home, and now that you've been promoted to Special Jonin, you've been in the Village for so long but haven't even stepped through the door. I finally waited for you, but it's… for this farewell meal."

As she spoke, Cang Qi's tears still couldn't be held back, dripping onto the wooden dining table.

Tang Yan's heart warmed. He walked over, reached out, and gently wiped away the tears on her face: "Sister, I'll be back soon."

"The battlefield is merciless… you…" Cang Qi choked, unable to speak.

Cang Qi and Zi Luo also sat at the table, the atmosphere somewhat heavy. Zi Luo was uncharacteristically quiet, just silently eating her rice. Cang Qi, meanwhile, quietly watched Tang Yan, her eyes filled with unconcealable worry.

The meal proceeded in a suppressed silence.

"Sister, your cooking is good enough for the Daimyo!" Zi Luo suddenly spoke, her voice exceptionally loud in the quiet. "It's just this fish… isn't it dying with its eyes open? Look, its eyes are wide open, staring at me!"

Cang Qi immediately shot her a glare.

Cang Qi, stirred by her, actually let out a "pfft" and laughed, but as she laughed, her tears flowed even more profusely. Seeing this, Zi Luo knew she had messed up and immediately shrunk her neck, picking up her chopsticks and starting to wrestle with the fish, as if trying to poke several holes in it.

Tang Yan said nothing, only picked up a piece of tempura and placed it in Cang Qi's bowl.

A simple gesture, yet it instantly broke Cang Qi. She covered her mouth, trying not to cry out loud, her shoulders trembling violently.

"You must… come back safely."

"Mm."

Tang Yan responded. This single word was light, yet it weighed like a boulder on everyone present.