Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

It turns out that no matter where you are, humanity's desire to soar in the sky is universal.

Pakura was no exception. When she heard Hattori's invitation, she was immediately intrigued.

However, she didn't act immediately. Instead, she glanced at Chiyo beside her, as if seeking her opinion.

Seeing this, Hattori couldn't help but frown slightly, his expression subtly shifting.

Although he relied on a feigned order from Chiyo to get close to Pakura, deep down, he didn't really want Pakura to be so "obedient"—even if it was to Chiyo.

The shift in Hattori's expression was fleeting, but Chiyo, no ordinary person, noticed it right away and allowed a slight smile to play at the corners of her mouth.

"This brat Hattori… he really does see Pakura differently!"

Thinking this, she turned to Pakura with a smile.

"Pakura, from today onward, except for major military decisions, Hattori words will represent mine. You can listen to him as you would me."

"Huh?"

Pakura was clearly caught off guard by Chiyo's words and was momentarily stunned, though she quickly recovered and nodded earnestly.

"Yes, Lady Chiyo, I understand!"

Afterward, she bowed slightly toward Chiyo, then leaped onto the giant-winged dragonfly, standing beside Hattori.

Seeing her join him, Hattori finally allowed a smile to spread across his face.

"Hold on tight, Sister Pakura, we're taking off!"

"Mm!" 

Pakura nodded, then gave Chiyo a slight nod from above.

"Lady Chiyo, then we'll head off first!"

"Go ahead, and be careful on the way. Don't act recklessly."

Though Chiyo's words appeared directed at Pakura, Hattori knew they were actually meant for him.

So, he gave Chiyo a thumbs-up.

"Teacher, don't worry. I'm the best !"

With that, he tapped his foot lightly, and as the giant-winged dragonfly ascended, he started singing loudly.

"I'm the strongest, the brightest, the most amazing, watch me blossom… I'm the best, the coolest, the finest, shining the brightest…"

As the dragonfly soared higher, Hattori's voice faded into the night sky.

Chiyo looked on with a beaming smile, a look of fondness nearly spilling from her face.

"That little rascal…"

Muttering to herself, she then turned and issued orders to the Suna-nin behind her.

"Relay to the entire force to prepare. Once we see the signal, launch a full-scale attack on the Kirigakure forces!"

"Yes, Lady Chiyo!"

With Chiyo's command, the Suna-nin stationed on the southern battlefield began to mobilize, ready to intercept the approaching Kirigakure forces.

Of course, "entire force" only amounted to a few hundred people. Even combined with the Kirigakure side, there would be no more than a thousand, a scale that, in Hattori's view, barely qualified as a "village skirmish." But in the shinobi world, this was already a significant localized battle.

A battle involving tens of thousands on each side would be a "once-in-a-decade, unprecedented" conflict.

Such wars were known as the "Great Shinobi Wars."

But Hattori didn't care about these things.

Having knowledge of the plot, he knew that no matter how intense the first three Shinobi Wars were, they were nothing compared to the scenes of Tailed Beast Balls flying during the Ten Tails' rampage.

As for those shinobi armies, calling them "pathetic" was polite. They were closer to burdens that held everyone back.

So, he had only one plan.

To grow stronger, to level up carefully, and to make it to the end without being killed by some minor character.

"I'm going to grow stealthily, level up carefully, and make it to the end, just like Orochimaru!"

Silently chanting his motto in his mind, Hattori perked up, then asked Pakura beside him, "Sister Pakura, do you know where the Mist ninjas are?"

"No idea!" Pakura shook her head. "They're good at hiding, and since it's night, it's hard to spot them."

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Hattori clicked his tongue in mild disappointment.

"Tsk… it'd be great if those two Mist-nin hadn't died. Maybe we could've gotten some information out of them."

"That's impossible!"

Barely had Hattori finished speaking before Pakura shook her head.

"Those two Mist-nin were obviously willing to die. Their purpose was to cause chaos, maybe even just to test us. Even if we'd captured them, we wouldn't have learned anything."

"A test?"

Hattori smirked, his expression laced with sarcasm.

"Risking lives for a test? Looks like they don't value lives. Since that's the case, I won't feel guilty when I get rough with them."

With that, he tapped his foot lightly once more.

"Alright, buddy, this will do. Patrol around here, centered on where we started. A few hundred Mist-nin can't hide near the desert!"

"Bzzz…"

At his words, the giant-winged dragonfly immediately adjusted its flight path, taking Hattori and Pakura off in another direction.

Seeing this, a flicker of admiration appeared in Pakura's eyes.

"It must be nice to have a summoning beast like this. It's quick and convenient for both battle and travel. Did Lady Chiyo give you the summoning scroll?"

"Of course not!"

Hattori shrugged, recounting his cover story once more.

"I found the scroll on a dead Iwa-nin during the last raid. When I used it, this dragonfly appeared, and we signed a contract."

"I see!"

Hearing Hattori's explanation, Pakura's eyes lit up, her gaze filled with even more admiration.

"You're lucky, then. I once got a summoning scroll too, but it failed when I used it!"

"Huh? Summoning scrolls can fail?"

In Hattori's understanding, to acquire a summon, one only needed to place their handprint on the scroll. Failure seemed impossible.

Pakura looked at his surprise and gave a rueful smile.

"A summoning scroll simply opens a passage between the summoning world and the shinobi world. The size of the passage, what may appear inside, and whether a blood pact can be signed—all of that is uncertain."

"Can't you try multiple times?" Hattori asked.

"No way!"

Pakura shook her head again.

"Summoning scrolls come from the three Great Summoning Lands; they can't be made by humans and are very rare!"

"Ah…"

Hattori finally understood why Pakura had looked at him with such envy.

"Seems I'll have to make a trip back to Ryuchi Cave and bring out a scroll, so my dear Pakura can choose her own summoning beast."

With that thought, he patted his chest confidently.

"Don't worry, Sister Pakura. I'll handle your summoning beast!"

Pakura: "???"