Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

"I just wanted to hold Miss Pakura, fall asleep peacefully for once—is that really so much to ask?"

Hattori's frustration boiled over after his plans were thwarted again. The instant explosions echoed outside, he sprang from his bed, grabbed his puppet sealing scroll, and dashed out of the tent.

"Whoever it is, I'm taking you down today, or my name isn't Hattori!"

With that, he gripped his puppet scroll in one hand, forming a seal with the other, and unleashed the Summoning Jutsu!

"Summoning Jutsu—come forth, my friend!"

*Boom!*

With a massive pop and a rush of white smoke, a dragonfly with huge wings appeared under Hattori's feet, carrying him straight into the sky!

The dragonfly's powerful wing beats hummed through the air, prompting everyone below to look up in awe. Seizing the moment, Hattori pulled a few flash bombs from his ninja bag and tossed them down toward the crowd below.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

A series of blasts followed as the flash bombs went off. In an instant, the magnesium inside flared with a searing light, blinding the crowd below.

The flash bombs didn't discriminate, blinding many Sand Ninjas as well, followed by a wave of shouts and confusion. But Hattori had anticipated this, ignoring the chaos below and focusing on spotting the infiltrating Mist Ninjas.

With the camp lit up as bright as day, Hattori, perched high above, quickly spotted his targets.

"There they are!"

Two Mist Ninjas in black uniforms and gray armor were clenching short swords in one hand and shielding their eyes with the other. Clearly, both had fallen victim to Hattori's flash bombs, temporarily losing their combat ability.

Seeing them in such a state, Hattori didn't bother with explosive tags; he simply threw a few shuriken, finishing them off effortlessly.

---

**[You successfully killed Level 21 Ninja. EXP+0]**

**[You successfully killed Level 22 Ninja. EXP+0]**

Confirming their deaths, Hattori guided the giant dragonfly back to the ground. Once he landed, he noticed that, like Ninjas he had taken down before, each Mist Ninja left a glowing bead above their bodies after death.

He quickly grabbed the beads and inspected their attributes.

**[Water Bead (Excellent): Used to synthesize Water Attribute puppets for levels 20-39. Currently unusable.]**

Examining the beads, Hattori realized he now had three different kinds:

- **[Earth Bead (Common)]** x16

- **[Water Bead (Excellent)]** x2

- **[Earth Bead (Superior)]** x1

Smiling, he carefully tucked them away in his pouch. After witnessing Lady Chiyo's "Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu" technique, he had a hunch these beads would be valuable.

Just as he stowed them, Pakura came running up to him, eyes wide with concern.

"Hattori, are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"I…" Hattori began, ready to reassure her, but stopped mid-sentence as he had a sudden thought.

"If I'm here for Pakura's protection, claiming I can defeat two Mist Chunin on my own would ruin my chance to stay in her bedroll."

Thinking fast, he dropped the brave front, and feigned terror, rushing toward her with an expression of pure dread.

"I'm so scared, Sister Pakura!" he whimpered, diving right into her embrace.

Pakura was momentarily stiff with surprise, instinctively wanting to push him away, but as her hand touched his slightly trembling shoulder, she stopped, awkwardly patting his back and speaking soothingly.

"It's okay, they're gone now; you're safe. Don't be scared; I'll protect you."

"But…but I'm still scared!" Hattori put on a pitiful expression, looking up at her. "Can you hold me while I sleep tonight?"

"Alright, I will."

This time, Pakura agreed without a second thought.

Hearing her answer, Hattori's heart leaped, and he couldn't help but smile to himself. But just as he was about to go back to sleep with her, Chiyo's voice rang out once again.

"Hattori, you're coming with me. I need aerial support."

"No way!"

Hattori didn't hesitate to shake his head at Chiyo's order.

"I'm not going! Mist Ninjas are terrifying—I want to stay with Sister Pakura!"

Chiyo's face twisted with irritation. "Afraid of the Mist Ninjas? Or just afraid of missing your chance to cozy up to the girl, hmm?"

Seeing him clinging to Pakura and even nuzzling her shoulder, veins started popping on Chiyo's forehead.

"Fine, if you're that scared, I'll bring Pakura along, and I'll have someone escort you back to the Sand Village. It'll be the safest place for you."

"Wait, what?"

Hattori's face went slack with shock, and he quickly raised his hands in protest.

"Wait, sensei! Just looking at your wise face has given me courage! Hahaha!"

He laughed loudly, quickly pulling away from Pakura and breaking into an break dance.

"And ah hey… And ah ho… And ah ha ha…" he sang. "Mist Ninjas? I'm not scared, not scared at all. Nerves are just another way to be brave!"

Chiyo, at a loss for words, chuckled despite herself, waving him off.

"Alright, enough with the theatrics. Just focus on giving us aerial support. Once we've dealt with the Mist Village threat, Pakura can escort you back."

"Really?" Hattori's eyes lit up, and he eagerly thumped his chest.

"Got it! Leave the air support to me. I'll make sure those Mist Ninjas regret ever showing up!"

With that, he summoned the giant dragonfly again, waving down to Pakura.

"Sister Pakura, come along! Let's go for a ride!"

"Huh?" Pakura stammered in surprise.

*(End of Chapter)*