Naruto: The Puppeteer with Magnet Release

After smacking Shindai across the face, Pakura bolted, leaving Shindai standing there, stunned for a moment.

By the time Shindai snapped out of it, Pakura was already long gone.

Fuming, Shindai stuffed five sushi rolls into his mouth to vent his frustration.

"Damn it! That's too much! I was racking my brain trying to help her survive the crisis in the future, and she does this to me? My brain is my greatest asset—what if she knocked some of the genius out of me?"

No matter how angry he was, Shindai knew going out to chase Pakura for revenge was absolutely out of the question.

After finishing the rest of his sushi, he sprawled out on his bed, crossed one leg over the other, and started thinking about random things.

"This is so boring... Now that I think about it, doesn't the ninja world have TVs by now? Too bad Sunagakure is dirt poor—there's not a single place selling TVs. If there were, I'd definitely whip up a few puppets to make some money and buy one. Having money here is pointless anyway. Seriously, not a single form of entertainment."

After lying around for a while, he got up and sat at his desk, fiddling with some mechanical parts.

—

Time passed day by day.

Ever since that day, Pakura hadn't visited again. She was probably on a mission. If she were in the village, she'd definitely drop by every day.

Half a month later, on a certain night—

Shindai was fast asleep when suddenly, the door swung open.

The traps in his room activated immediately, launching a barrage of poisoned senbon toward the doorway. Jolted awake, Shindai shot up.

"Who's there?!"

His chakra threads had already attached to his puppet. The puppet's once-closed eyes snapped open, ready for combat.

But the moment Shindai saw who was standing at the door, he immediately severed the chakra threads and put on a fawning smile.

"Oh! It's Uncle Kaidou! What brings you here?"

The Third Kazekage stood at the doorway, his face dark as he stared at the senbon scattered across the floor. "Why the hell do you have traps set up in your own home?"

Shindai let out an awkward laugh. "Just being cautious, Uncle Kaidou! You know I'm weak—I don't have much skill, and one wrong move could be the end of me. So I have to be careful. But, um... Uncle Kaidou, what brings you here so late? Is something wrong?"

The Third Kazekage stepped inside and got straight to the point. "Shindai, the time has come for you to contribute to Sunagakure."

Shindai's heart dropped. A terrible feeling crept up his spine.

Him? A weakling like him? What kind of "important task" could possibly require his involvement?

Don't tell me they want to send me to fight?!

With growing anxiety, Shindai got up and sat at the desk, facing the Kazekage.

The Third Kazekage sat across from him, his expression serious. "Shindai, we need you to go undercover in Konoha."

Shindai's brain short-circuited. He almost felt like smoke was coming out of his ears.

Undercover? What kind of undercover?

Does he mean finding a bridge in Konoha and hiding under it?!

Snapping out of his daze, Shindai jumped to his feet in a panic. "U-Uncle Kaidou! I can't go undercover! I'm bad at lying, I can't sleep in unfamiliar places, and I have serious digestion issues—if I go to Konoha, I'll probably get diarrhea every day! I'm totally unfit for the job!

"Besides, you know how weak I am! Even a random Academy student could beat me up! Sending me as a spy is basically sabotaging Sunagakure! No, no, no—this is absolutely impossible!"

The Third Kazekage's voice turned cold. "Shindai, this is not up for debate. You are a shinobi of Sunagakure and my kin. When the village needs you, you must answer the call. You don't even have to fight—just successfully infiltrate Konoha."

Shindai's eyes welled up with tears. "But Uncle Kaidou, I really can't do it! I don't even know how to deceive people—I'd be exposed in no time! Please, pick someone else, I beg you!"

Sure, Shindai had always been a little curious about Konoha, but only a little.

Going undercover now? That's a death sentence!

Konoha was already clashing with Kumogakure in small-scale skirmishes—there's no way they'd let a suspicious outsider waltz in.

Even if he somehow got in, the Third Shinobi War hadn't even fully erupted yet. Once it did, Konoha—being the wealthiest of the villages—would become a prime target.

And when they started running low on manpower? They'd definitely start conscripting random people into the war effort.

And what would happen to an unknown newcomer like him? Straight to the frontlines!

No way. Absolutely not.

The Third Kazekage suddenly slammed his palm on the table, making Shindai jump. "Shindai! Do you even realize what you're saying? You're a shinobi—this is your duty! Are you trying to desert?!"

Shindai looked utterly wronged. "But I never wanted to be a shinobi in the first place! You were the one who forced a genin rank onto me, Uncle Kaidou!"

A trace of embarrassment flickered across the Kazekage's face.

Back then, he had given Shindai the rank of genin because of his talent in puppet-making, assuming he had other strong abilities as well.

Normally, one had to go through years of training at the Academy and pass exams to become a shinobi.

But he hadn't expected Shindai's only talent to be puppet-making—everything else was downright pathetic.

The awkwardness on the Kazekage's face quickly vanished as he hardened his expression. "This is not a negotiation—it's an order. Whether or not you're a shinobi, you are a member of Sunagakure, and you are my kin. That means that if the village requires your sacrifice, you must comply. It is your responsibility!"

Shindai stared at the Kazekage in disbelief. Was he seriously trying to guilt-trip him with the whole duty to the village speech?

But… we're just distant relatives! Isn't this a little excessive?!

He had contributed to the village! He had crafted two puppets—albeit rushed ones—and if those puppet masters studied them properly, their combat abilities would improve significantly!

Shindai opened his mouth, trying to find an argument to escape this fate, but the Kazekage cut him off before he could even start.

His voice was stern. "I told you—this is an order. You have no choice. If you insist on refusing, you'll be branded a deserter and locked away in the maximum-security prison forever."

Shindai felt his soul leave his body.

At this moment he knew, he fucked up.

.................

For every 200= 1 Bonus Chapter 

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