Naruto:Suna Shinobi

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This oasis seemed to be a production base for puppet materials in the Sand Village.

One hour was more than enough for material collection. The real challenge lay in the subsequent puppet crafting.

The two-hour timeframe for creating a puppet was tight. While many materials in the oasis were high quality, most required extensive processing before they could be used. In other words, participants had to focus on easily processed or immediately usable materials while considering their quality.

The best choices were animals with chakra, as their chakra-infused bodies offered superior conductivity. This was the same principle behind the Sand Village's most powerful puppets, which were human puppets made from once-strong ninja. However, working with such materials was labor-intensive, requiring dissection, preservation, and expertise in anatomy.

"But that doesn't mean they're useless," Hiriito thought, narrowing his eyes as he swung a kunai at a poisonous snake hidden in the bushes. His aim was precise, striking the snake's vital point.

Although the snake's brain was dead, its nervous system remained active. Hiriito approached cautiously, broke off a branch, and prodded the snake's mouth to confirm it was harmless. Once assured, he extracted its fangs and venom sac before leaving the rest behind—other parts were useful but too heavy to carry within the 15-kilogram limit.

"The weight limit means we can only create small or micro puppets. Heavy metals are out of the question, and there's no time to smelt them. Bones from chakra-infused animals would be ideal for the puppet's skeleton. If none are available, bamboo or similar substitutes will have to suffice," he mused.

Hiriito controlled Fatty, his puppet, to assist with the work. The toothed knife on Fatty's wrist popped out, and it sliced through a tree with practiced efficiency. The wood was stored in Fatty's back compartment, originally designed for transporting medical supplies but now repurposed for carrying crafting materials.

The tree Hiriito chose was white ironwood, renowned for its durability, light weight, and chakra-conducting properties. It was often used for weapon handles and puppet parts. He even planted seeds from the tree as part of the Sand Village's ethos of reforestation.

Next, Hiriito searched for materials suitable for the puppet's skeleton, focusing on areas near water sources. Animals larger than rabbits or foxes needed access to stable water supplies, and any animal that could monopolize such a resource was likely to have chakra.

Following the river upstream, Hiriito soon noticed signs of a larger predator. Scat and urine marks near the trees suggested the territory of a powerful creature.

"So, it's a lynx," Hiriito muttered as he spotted the animal lounging on a rock.

The lynx was larger than average, nearly 1.5 meters long, with black tufts on its ears that resembled horns. Its fur was a mix of brown and white, and it radiated a faint chakra aura.

"This one will do," Hiriito decided.

He set up traps using kunai, shuriken, and steel wire, then connected chakra threads to Fatty's limbs and torso. Under Hiriito's control, the puppet crept toward the lynx.

Controlling a puppet to sneak was far harder than sneaking himself. Despite his efforts, the lynx stood up alertly when Fatty came within 20 meters. It crouched, growling a low warning.

"Sand Secret Technique: Thousand Poison Needles," Hiriito murmured.

The face of Fatty opened, revealing a launching mechanism dotted with dark holes. A volley of poisoned needles shot toward the lynx. Simultaneously, Fatty's left arm extended its toothed knife as the puppet charged forward.

The lynx dodged the needles with feline agility, leaping to the side and aiming for Fatty's neck.

"Predictable," Hiriito smirked. Puppets had no vital points like living creatures, and Fatty was equipped with countermeasures for dealing with agile enemies.

"Sand Secret Technique: Extension Maneuver!"

Fatty's arms detached, releasing thick ropes that shot out and wrapped around the lynx, immobilizing it.

The lynx thrashed and howled, but its struggles were futile.

Hiriito emerged from the bushes, pulling a few senbon from his tool pouch. The needles were coated with a neurotoxin derived from desert cactus juice, which had anesthetic properties.

As the poison took effect, the lynx's movements slowed, its cries fading into silence.

"Well, that's one step done," Hiriito muttered, preparing to harvest the lynx for its valuable materials.

(End of Chapter 6)