Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

Originally, when Hattori said "I'll just show a little," he only meant to be modest, but he had no idea he'd end up making a fool of himself!

How embarrassing!

Looking at Chiyo's dark expression, he instinctively shrank back, lowering his head, not daring to make a sound.

But in his mind, he kept grumbling.

"Darn it, is this skill even reliable? It's totally different from medical ninjutsu. I can't believe I botched it, and it just had to land on Chiyo's head! I'm so screwed now!"

At that moment, Hattori could already imagine Chiyo losing her temper and kicking him out.

But little did he know that Chiyo herself was completely shocked!

"This puppet technique… Sasori took three days to learn how to use chakra strings to control a puppet, yet Hattori here managed to do it after listening just once, and he's already using five strings! Not only that, he's able to control the puppet's limbs with five fingers, making it spin in midair. What kind of talent is this? Could he really be a genius?"

So, overcome with shock, Chiyo lost focus for a moment, which explained why Hattori's botched puppet control hit her on the head.

But as the advisor of Sunagakure, Chiyo had long developed a habit of masking her true emotions, so others couldn't read her. 

Thus, her dark expression wasn't genuine anger at Hattori; it was her way of hiding her astonishment so he wouldn't know what she was truly feeling.

However, seeing Hattori shrinking like a timid quail, Chiyo realized she'd scared him. She quickly softened her expression and broke into a bright smile.

"Hattori, you did well!"

Hattori: "Σ(°△°|||)︴"

What's going on here? Is she so mad she's smiling?

Seeing Chiyo's radiant smile, Hattori, still confused, instinctively stepped back and clasped his hands together.

"I'm sorry, Sensei! I was wrong; I won't do it again. Goodbye!"

With that, he lifted his leg, prepared to dash out.

But before he could take a second step, Chiyo grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, placing the small wooden puppet in his hands again.

"Try again!"

"Huh?" Hattori blinked in surprise, wondering if he'd misheard. He quickly asked again, "Sensei, you mean… you want me to try again?"

"Yes!" Chiyo nodded. "Just like before!"

"Uh… alright!"

Not entirely sure why, but since Chiyo had said so, Hattori didn't dare disobey. He followed her instruction and tried again.

But this time, to be safe, he added the only ten experience points he had into [Puppet Control], leveling it up.

**[Puppet Control Level 2: Enables the use of chakra strings to control a Level 2 puppet or two Level 1 puppets. Requires 20 experience points to level up!]**

After leveling up, Hattori didn't initially feel much of a difference, but as soon as he activated [Puppet Control] and attached the chakra strings to the puppet, he felt an immediate sense of precision that made his eyes light up.

"I've got this!"

With that thought, he confidently flicked his wrist, tossing the small wooden puppet into the air and making it perform a 360-degree flip.

This time, however, the puppet didn't crash down as before. Under Hattori's skillful control, it adjusted its direction mid-air and landed steadily on the table beside Chiyo.

Not only that, but once it had landed, the puppet stretched out its thin arms, picked up Chiyo's cup from the table, and walked towards her step by step.

"Sensei, please have some water!"

Hearing Hattori's words, Chiyo snapped out of her astonishment, turning to look at him with a complex expression.

"Shi, you really are a genius!"

"Hehe!"

Hearing Chiyo's praise, Hattori chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Actually, I just got a bit lucky. And if it weren't for meeting you, Sensei, I'd probably still be struggling like all the other orphans in the village just for food every day. So, I'm really grateful to you!"

"Hm?" Hearing this, Chiyo's eyebrows furrowed. "Orphan? What do you know? Did someone tell you something?"

"No, no one told me anything."

Seeing Chiyo's slightly angry look, Hattori shook his head, then spoke again.

"I grew up in Sunagakure. I know what it's like in the village, so when you told me my parents were on a long mission, I already knew the truth."

"…"

Hearing this, Chiyo fell silent. After a long pause, she looked at Hattori with a complex expression and asked, "So, do you blame me? After all, I lied to you."

"Haha, of course not!"

Hattori immediately laughed and shook his head.

"Besides, it wasn't really a lie; it was a kind-hearted fib because you didn't want to hurt me. So, I'm not only not upset—I'm actually very grateful to you!"

At that, Hattori bowed deeply to Chiyo.

"Thank you, Sensei, for choosing me, for taking me in, for giving me a place of shelter, and for warm food. That potato pancake you gave me that night was the best thing I've ever eaten. Thank you, Chiyo-sensei!"

"…"

Hearing Hattori's words, Chiyo said nothing. She bit her lip tightly, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, trembling slightly.

And when Hattori lifted his head, she quickly turned away, her voice a little hoarse.

"Hattori… let's call it a day. Go back, take the puppet with you, practice with it, and see if the medical unit needs any help."

"Understood, Sensei. I'll head back now!"

"Go on!"

With Chiyo's permission, Hattori left the tent.

Once he was gone, Chiyo turned around, wiping her reddened eyes with her sleeve and letting out a deep sigh.

"Ah, what a considerate child, far more so than Sasori ever was. If only he could have been more like this…"

At that, she opened the drawer under her desk and took out a worn family photo. Looking at her son, daughter-in-law, and young Sasori in the picture, tears welled up once more.

"Sasori… where have you gone?"