9: The Elders are watching my Yan, and he is totally unaware of it!

Night fell.

The Hidden Sand Village had shed the daytime clamor, leaving only the whimpering of the wind passing through the empty streets, like someone softly weeping.

Inside Tang Yan's secret room, however, it was bright as day.

He was meticulously performing maintenance on his three precious puppet treasures.

Every joint of medicine child was disassembled and coated with a transparent, smooth, specially formulated lubricant.

For the tiny poison needle firing ports, he used a special slender metal wire to poke back and forth, ensuring that every hole was unobstructed and could deliver poison to the enemy at a crucial moment.

The sharp, gleaming wings of Owl were wiped repeatedly with a soft cloth until they shone so brightly they could reflect a person's image.

The mechanisms at the wing joint were also recalibrated to ensure that the attack angles would be more insidious and cunning.

As for the big guy—Shura—it overbearingly occupied the central position of the secret room.

Tang Yan was currently like a nimble monkey, hanging near Shura's broad chest, his fingers flying as he carefully adjusted the output power of the energy core.

During the last real combat, it was satisfying when Shura took down Black Rock with one shot, but the Chakra consumption made his heart ache.

Must optimize! Must improve!

As his understanding of Tang Clan's mechanical arts and this world's puppet techniques deepened day by day, the combat power of these three cold killing machines visibly soared.

"Whew…"

Tang Yan lightly jumped down from Shura, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and looked at the three puppets before him, a satisfied smile spreading across his lips.

These were not dead objects; they were his hands, his eyes, his most lethal fangs!

At the same time, in the Hidden Sand Village's Council of Elders meeting hall.

The atmosphere was slightly heavy.

The flickering oil lamps cast wavering shadows on the walls, making the expressions on the faces of the seated elders appear dim and indistinct.

Maki bowed, standing below, reporting in detail the Fifth Squad's previous ambush of the rogue Ninja Black Rock.

He specifically emphasized and described Tang Yan's three puppets, especially Shura's terrifying combat power.

"Three-Machine Manipulation… Instant kill of a Chunin… Even with the assistance of other squad members, it…"

An old yet still somewhat authoritative voice slowly broke the silence.

The speaker was an old woman with a head full of silver hair, her face so wrinkled it could trap a fly.

She was the Hidden Sand Village's authority on puppet techniques, Elder Chiyo.

At this moment, unusual sparks flickered in her clouded old eyes, which had witnessed countless sandstorms.

"Maki, you boy better tell the truth! Is that puppet called Shura really as… mystical as you claim?"

Elder Chiyo's voice carried a hint of pressure.

Maki bowed even lower, his voice remaining steady: "Elder Chiyo, everything I said is true, without any exaggeration! The puppet's intricate structure and powerful weapons far surpass any puppet I have ever seen in my life! Moreover, that kid Tang Yan's control over puppets has reached an astonishing level!"

"Oh?"

Beside Chiyo, Ebizo, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them now.

His gaze behind his glasses was like a poisoned needle, sharp enough to pierce one's heart.

"In that case, our Hidden Sand Village has produced another incredible little monster."

Ebizo spoke slowly, his tone unreadable.

Elder Chiyo gently tapped the table with her withered fingers, making a soft "thump, thump" sound.

"The puppet corps is the foundation of our Sunagakure. Any new gadget that can enhance the combat power of puppets is worthy of attention from us old folks. This Tang Yan, observe him closely! If he's truly as extraordinary as Maki says, the Village will consider him a priority for cultivation."

She paused, her voice deepening: "The Hidden Sand Village desperately needs fresh blood, especially… fresh blood that can bring about change!"

Maki's heart tightened, and he quickly responded, "Yes!"

He knew that this time, Tang Yan had completely caught the eye of the Village's higher-ups.

For him, this was a great opportunity, but it might also… be accompanied by unpredictable risks.

Tang Yan had no idea that he had become a "little monster" of particular interest to the Council of Elders.

He was currently sitting at his experimental table, a crudely drawn, simplified map of the Land of Wind spread before him, his brows furrowed into a knot.

His fingertip moved slowly across the map, finally resting on the small mark of the Hidden Sand Village.

As someone with memories of a previous life, he knew better than anyone in this world that the current peace was merely a brief calm before the storm.

Before long, the dark clouds of the Third Great Ninja War would cover the entire Ninja World like a giant dark cloud.

And the Hidden Sand Village would not be able to escape unscathed.

The Fourth Kazekage Rasa, that fellow whose mind was filled with nothing but using war to seize money, food, and territory, would soon rise to power.

After all, in a poor, desolate place like the Hidden Sand Village, if they didn't seize, could they expect pie to fall from the sky?

"A war lasting four or five years…"

Tang Yan mumbled softly, a deep sense of powerlessness instantly engulfing his heart like a cold tide.

At most, he was an elite Genin, and that was even counting the combat power of his puppets.

In such a brutal war where even Kage-level experts might be dragged away like dead dogs, his current strength was probably not even enough to be a qualified cannon fodder.

Stop the war? What a joke! What could he use to stop the decision of a high-level official of a great nation?

"No, I can't be so disheartened!"

Tang Yan shook his head violently, blasting those unrealistic pessimistic thoughts out of his mind.

The only thing he could do now, and must do, was to improve his strength at all costs!

To allow himself, and those he cared about, a greater chance to survive in the future chaotic world, as slippery as a loach!

"Self-preservation… escape…"

Tang Yan's gaze fell back onto a blank blueprint on the table.

He needed a puppet specifically for escape and self-preservation!

His previous medicine child, Owl, and Shura were all too focused on offense and control.

If they encountered a tough opponent they couldn't beat, or fell into a desperate situation, their three-person squad had no reliable means of self-preservation.

He grabbed the charcoal pencil from the table and quickly sketched on the blank blueprint.

A strangely shaped puppet with a thick, long tail, looking like an enlarged pangolin, gradually became clear on the blueprint.

Its four limbs had to be strong and powerful, and it had to be proficient in Earth Release Ninjutsu, especially the kind of Earth Release used for digging and escaping!

The torso part was reserved with enough space to accommodate at least two people.

"Let's call you… 'Earth Mover'!"

Tang Yan's lips curved into a slightly wicked smile.

The core ability of this puppet was one word—slip! Ultimate Earth Release stealth, ultimate defense!

In times of crisis, he could take his older sister Cang Qi, or… Qian? Hide inside the puppet's belly, then control the puppet to dive deep underground, no matter how chaotic it was outside, he would slip away first!

Of course, this was currently just an immature draft.

Besides the puppet, Tang Yan also needed to make two of his ultimate hidden weapons for self-preservation.

Tang Clan hidden weapons, a divine skill that could kill across ranks invisibly!

For example, Dragon Whisker Needles and Peacock Plume.

Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus was out of the question; he didn't have the strength to activate it now, let alone the precious materials for its production.

Dragon Whisker Needles were as fine as hair, shot out silently, and once embedded in the human body, they would curl and twist muscles. If coated with potent poison, they were instantly fatal, absolutely a life-saving weapon for killing above one's rank!

Peacock Plume was even more ruthless; a tiny cylinder contained three hundred and sixty-five fine needles coated with potent poison. Once fired, the scene was like a peacock displaying its feathers, a rain of needles covering a vast area. No matter how good your movement technique, you would be riddled like a porcupine!

However, the core materials for these two abnormal hidden weapons, one called "Plate Crystal Hair Gold" and the other called "heavenly meteorite shadow silver," he had never even heard of in this Naruto world.

A clever housewife cannot cook without rice!

Without suitable materials, even the most amazing blueprints were just waste paper!

The Naruto world also had its own unique system of ores and materials. Perhaps he could find substitutes with similar properties?

A flash of inspiration struck him, and he thought of a place—Takumi Ninja Village!

Since it was a sacred place for Ninja tool development, their knowledge and reserves of various strange ores must be far beyond what a poor Village like Sunagakure could compare to.

"It seems I'll have to find a way to take on more missions that involve going near Takumi Ninja Village soon."

Tang Yan made up his mind.

However, for several days in a row, the Fifth Squad did a few trivial small missions, but Tang Yan's longed-for Takumi Ninja Village mission was nowhere to be seen.

One day, Tang Yan was in his sister Cang Qi's Ninja tool shop, helping to organize a new batch of kunai that had arrived.

"Sister, do you have any records about various rare ores, or… old procurement lists or something like that?"

Tang Yan asked casually, but the kunai in his hand was bent.

Cang Qi glanced at him, then swiftly plunged a newly sharpened kunai back into the rack.

"What, you brat, thinking of tinkering with some newfangled killing toy again? I'm telling you, those strange ores are not cheap, and many are simply unavailable at any price."

Tang Yan chuckled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Just a little curious, wanted to learn more about them."

Cang Qi rummaged through things under the counter for a while, then "slapped" an old, worn-out booklet with frayed edges onto the table for Tang Yan.

"Here, this is a procurement list left by an old customer. It records the names, properties, and some possible origins of many rare metals and ores. It's ancient history, so you figure it out."

Tang Yan snatched the booklet as if it were a treasure, eagerly flipping through it.

"Red copper, obsidian iron, star-patterned steel…"

Tang Yan's gaze lingered on several names for a long time. The descriptions of these ores' properties surprisingly bore some resemblance to certain special materials recorded in the Tang Clan's ancient texts in his memory!

"Sister, where can these ores generally be found in such desolate places?"

Cang Qi tilted her head and thought: "Red copper, well, some volcanic veins on the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth seem to have some output. Obsidian iron is rarer; it's said to only exist in certain special mines in the Land of Lightning. As for that star-patterned steel… that's even rarer. Legend has it that it's formed from fragments of stars that fell from the sky, entirely dependent on luck."

She paused, then added: "However, when it comes to the most thorough research and the most complete variety of various ore materials, it still has to be those craftsmen in Takumi Ninja Village."

Tang Yan's heart was set, his resolve even stronger.

Takumi Ninja Village, he had to go!

Just as Tang Yan was scratching his head, figuring out how to legitimately make his way to Takumi Ninja Village, the opportunity presented itself, uninvited.

That evening, Maki gathered the three brats of the Fifth Squad.

"There's a new mission. Your wish has come true."

Maki looked at Tang Yan, his lips curving upwards in a rare, not-quite-a-smile expression.

"A C-rank escort mission: escort a merchant caravan from Takumi Ninja Village back to their Village, and you will need to be stationed there for two weeks."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan's heart stirred violently!

A pillow presented when one is sleepy! This opportunity was practically tailor-made for him!

Zi Luo asked in a muffled voice, with a hint of doubt: "Takumi Ninja Village? Isn't that a place specifically for forging Ninja tools? They need our Sunagakure Ninja to escort them?"

Qian also blinked her bright, clear eyes and asked curiously: "Yeah, they should have pretty good connections, right? Why would they come to us and pay for escorts?"

Maki explained expressionlessly: "This caravan purchased a batch of unique medicinal herbs and ores from our Hidden Sand Village, and their value is considerable. Moreover, the border of the Land of Wind has been unstable recently, with rogue bandits and rogue Ninja frequently appearing. To ensure absolute safety, they issued an escort mission to our Hidden Sand Village."

His exposed single eye swept over the three of them, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's.

"This mission will be a long journey and may take some time. All of you, stay alert and be prepared."

"Yes!"

The three responded in unison, their voices clear and loud.

The corner of Tang Yan's mouth, at an angle imperceptible to others, curved slightly upwards in a barely noticeable arc.

Takumi Ninja Village, here I come!

He had already begun to plan in his mind: once he reached Takumi Ninja Village, besides searching for those coveted special materials, could he also "borrow" some of their impressive Ninja tool forging techniques?

See if he could combine them with his Tang Clan mechanical arts to create something more interesting, even more deranged.

For example, an "intelligent upgraded Peacock Plume" that could automatically track enemies, automatically reload, and even adjust the type of poison needle based on the target's distance and Chakra strength?

Or an "invisible self-propelled Dragon Whisker Needle launcher" that could perfectly blend into its surroundings, silently approach enemies, and then deliver a fatal blow right next to them?

Of course, automatic targeting and such were still a bit too sci-fi for now.

Although this world's tech tree was a bit skewed, with electric lights and wires, it hadn't reached that level of intelligence yet.

However, that didn't stop him from imagining it first.

Unknown journeys were always full of damned temptation.