Naruto:Suna Shinobi

This is actually easy to understand. It's akin to playing a game where a normal person can control only one hero at a time. How effectively they utilize that hero's strengths depends entirely on their skill.

The Black Secret Technique, however, allows a user to control multiple heroes simultaneously and to their full potential, effectively doubling or tripling their combat power.

"The key to the Black Secret Technique lies in its advanced use of chakra threads and its similarity to the Shadow Clone Technique. By employing the unique characteristics of chakra to separate consciousness, a puppeteer can manage multiple puppets independently. However, it is very difficult to master, and all Black Secret Techniques are at least B-rank or higher. Those who succeed in learning it are often elite chunin or higher."

The instructor paused, letting his words sink in, then continued.

"This technique is far less dangerous than the Shadow Clone Technique. Unlike the Shadow Clone, where memories and experiences of the clone return all at once to the user, potentially causing sensory overload, the Black Secret Technique builds gradually. This allows the user to stop before reaching their limit, making it a much safer practice method. In fact, once you master this, learning the Shadow Clone Technique becomes significantly easier."

He gestured at the puppets hovering in midair, each suspended on glowing threads of chakra.

"Now, let me explain the classifications of advanced chakra-thread techniques within the Black Secret Technique. Record these carefully. This knowledge must not leave this room."

Hiriito, seated at the far end, wrote everything down at lightning speed onto his scroll, careful to miss nothing.

Beside him, Sasori mirrored his focus, jotting notes with equal intensity.

Both he and Sasori had officially joined the Sixth Squad of the Puppet Army.

After collecting intelligence, weighing the pros and cons, and consulting Jonin Momi multiple times, Hiriito had finally decided to join the Sixth Squad.

During the selection process, his talent for puppetry had stood out, even among a pool of exceptionally skilled participants. The only one who rivaled him was Sasori, two years his junior.

All six squads had extended attractive offers to Hiriito, including ones more tempting than the B-rank puppet Little Boy.

But it was the Sixth Squad that aligned most with his ambitions.

The deciding factor had been Sasori's invitation.

Sasori had approached him personally a few days prior, requesting Hiriito join the Sixth Squad. His reasoning was simple: he wanted a worthy rival within his own squad. Beating Hiriito would be more satisfying if they trained together daily.

Even Elder Chiyo's grandson had chosen the Sixth Squad, reinforcing Ishido's earlier assurance that it was the safest and most resourceful team in the puppet army.

Now, the final lesson was complete, and they were officially members of the Sixth Squad. The documents they had submitted to the Puppet Army, as well as the orders issued by Sunagakure's leadership, were fully enacted.

"As expected," Hiriito mused. "Now that I've joined the Puppet Army, my status in Sunagakure has risen considerably—and, by extension, my importance in the world has grown."

Walking down the sandstone corridors, Hiriito glanced at his panel. The progress bar had jumped dramatically, shooting from 17.9% to 34.8% before gradually slowing, though it continued to tick upward.

"Here we are," Sasori's calm, detached voice brought Hiriito back to reality.

Before them stood the base of the Sixth Squad, a medium-sized facility constructed entirely from solid rock.

As Sunagakure was a desert village, wood was a precious resource, rarely used in construction. Most buildings were made of sandstone and compacted earth, a testament to the village's resourcefulness.

"Ahaha! Finally, some fresh faces! That means I'm officially a senior now!"

The moment the doors opened, an energetic female voice greeted them.

Hiriito turned toward the sound and found three figures waiting: two men and a girl.

The girl, who had white paint on her face in a style reminiscent of Nohara Rin, grinned at them. Her hair was bound by a ring of white cloth, and she appeared around fifteen or sixteen years old.

"Ahem," the older man beside her spoke. "Nanako, I heard these newcomers have impressive backgrounds, so you might want to tone down your senior act."

The man, who looked two or three years older than Nanako, had a composed demeanor and bore some resemblance to her in his facial features.

The third figure was none other than Ishido Jonin, Hiriito's familiar mentor from the selection process.

"Finally, you're here," Ishido said warmly. "Allow me to introduce you to your new team."

He crossed his arms and gestured toward the others.

"This is the Third Unit of the Sixth Squad. I'm Ishido, your captain and the Sixth Squad's vice-captain. You've already met me."

"I'm Nanako," the girl chirped. "I'm a chunin specializing in Earth Release and basic medical ninjutsu."

"Nanaken," the older boy nodded. "Special jonin. Nanako's older brother. I'm proficient in Wind and Earth Releases and serve as Captain Ishido's deputy."

Both siblings smiled warmly, giving a stark contrast to Sasori's cold demeanor.

"I'm Hiriito," he said, shaking their hands. "Genin. Aside from puppetry, I'm afraid there's not much else I'm good at."

He laughed awkwardly, knowing his ninjutsu and taijutsu were only slightly above average among genin.

"Sasori," the red-haired boy introduced himself curtly. "Same."

As always, Sasori exuded indifference, uninterested in anything that didn't pique his intellectual curiosity.

"Here, Hiriito," Ishido said, handing him a sealing scroll. "This is the Little Boy puppet I promised you."

Hiriito accepted the scroll with a slight bow.

"And Sasori," Ishido continued, pulling out a small booklet. "This is from Elder Chiyo. She asked me to deliver it to you personally."

Sasori's usually stoic expression softened as he accepted the booklet. The title, written in his grandmother's handwriting, read Notes on Human Puppet Crafting.

"I understand," he murmured, his gaze lingering on the familiar script.

For Hiriito, the greatest benefit of joining the Puppet Army was gaining access to advanced puppetry knowledge, such as the Black Secret Technique.

Additionally, members could purchase rare materials from the army's warehouse at discounted rates, enabling Hiriito to improve his puppets significantly.

However, he wasn't in a rush to upgrade Fatty or Tom just yet.

"I'll learn more first," he decided.

After all, the panel was merely a tool to perfect his designs. It could only enhance what he already knew.

(End of Chapter 14)