"Creating Puppets must take a lot out of you, doesn't it?"
Yushishi's voice interjected from the side.
He looked at Shiratori Rin with concern.
Shiratori Rin's words considered everyone, except himself.
He was still just a child!
Hanzou's heart sank as he looked at the Puppet before him.
He had clashed with Chiyo of the Hidden Sand Village dozens, if not a hundred, times.
Even as a novice in Puppet Jutsu, he could tell how mentally and physically exhausting it was to create a Puppet.
"It's fine!"
Shiratori Rin immediately said.
Under Yushishi's gaze, he was too embarrassed to lie and spoke truthfully: "Creating Puppets does consume my strength…"
"But!"
Shiratori Rin quickly raised his head, looking at Hanzou and Yushishi: "Everyone in the war is working hard! Compared to that, what am I! Everyone can give their lives for the Amegakure, and so can I. Compared to fighting the Sunagakure on the battlefield, creating Puppets is not hard at all!"
[Ding!]
[System detected Hanzou's Nostalgia Value +3000]
[Your Cursed Spirit Choso's Rank increased to 52.5%]
[Ding!]
[System detected Hanzou's Affection Value +3000]
[Ding!]
[System detected Yushishi's Affection Value +3000]
[Ding!]
[System detected Iron Hail's Affection Value +3000]
[Ding!]
[System detected Miozawa's Affection Value +3000]
[Currently collected Affection Value +12000, your Accompanying Cursed Spirit Rika Orimoto's Rank increased to 89.5%]
"Good!"
Hanzou's heart was stirred with various emotions.
He was proud of Shiratori Rin as his disciple, yet also pained by the contributions he, as a child, made to the Amegakure.
"Teacher!"
Shiratori Rin looked at Hanzou with shining eyes: "I want to join Miozawa's trap unit so I can have the Puppets scout for information while luring the Hidden Sand Village into traps! That way, no one has to put themselves in danger!"
Miozawa immediately looked at Shiratori Rin, his fists slowly clenching, and he lowered his gaze, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.
As the trap unit, they would indeed no longer have to put themselves in danger with Shiratori Rin, but the one putting himself in danger would shift from them to Shiratori Rin.
Hanzou's gaze fell on Miozawa.
With Shiratori Rin's Puppets, the trap unit would indeed no longer need to put themselves in danger, and even the intelligence unit's safety would be greatly enhanced.
However, conversely, Shiratori Rin was very likely to be exposed on the front lines of the battlefield.
Shiratori Rin could easily become the target of all.
Seeing that Hanzou had not answered for a long time, Shiratori Rin's eyes darted around, and he immediately said: "Teacher, I know you must be worried about my safety, but I also have Curses around me to protect me, so nothing will happen to me."
Hanzou immediately remembered another matter.
He looked at Shiratori Rin and asked: "I heard Isou say that a new Curse appeared on the battlefield this time."
Shiratori Rin pursed his lips and nodded seriously: "It's a Curse that appeared suddenly. This is the first time I've known of its existence. Its power is very strong, somewhat difficult to control…"
His voice suddenly became firm and powerful: "But don't worry, Teacher, I will control it!"
Hanzou looked at Shiratori Rin like this, his heart filled with satisfaction.
His hand rested on Shiratori Rin's shoulder: "Teacher trusts you."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"I won't disappoint Teacher!"
Shiratori Rin looked at Hanzou with teary eyes, filled with emotion.
Hanzou's heart also felt warm.
Ever since Shiratori Rin appeared by his side, he had experienced the feeling of having family.
"I agree to you joining Miozawa's squad."
Hanzou looked at Miozawa, the meaning in his eyes very clear.
"Lord Hanzou, rest assured, we will definitely protect Rin!"
Receiving the signal in Hanzou's eyes, Miozawa immediately knelt on one knee and solemnly pledged.
Shiratori Rin was entering the front lines for their safety, so they would naturally protect him with their lives.
Shiratori Rin's value far outweighed theirs.
He was the hope of the Amegakure!
No matter what, they would protect Shiratori Rin.
Hearing Miozawa's assurance, Shiratori Rin's smile remained unchanged, but he grumbled internally: "In the end, I'll still be the one protecting them."
However, Shiratori Rin also knew that these Ninja's desire to protect him was sincere, it was just that their strength was indeed limited.
After Hanzou gave Miozawa some instructions, Shiratori Rin left the camp with Miozawa.
Miozawa stood beside Shiratori Rin, and they walked towards the squad gathered at the camp entrance.
Shiratori Rin was in his mind, formulating a plan, when he heard Miozawa beside him once again earnestly assure: "Rin, don't worry, we will definitely protect you!"
Shiratori Rin looked up at Miozawa. Miozawa, who had given the assurance, was expressionless, but his eyes were exceptionally sincere.
"I will protect everyone too!"
Shiratori Rin showed off his 'God's Smile', which he had practiced in front of the mirror.
The curve of the corners of his mouth and the brightness of his eyes in this smile were the most infectious.
Therefore, Shiratori Rin named it Skill One — God's Smile.
[Ding!]
[System detected Miozawa's Affection Value +2000]
[Your Accompanying Cursed Spirit Rika Orimoto's Rank increased to 89.7%]
Miozawa stood in front of the trap squad, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces in the squad, and said: "From now on, Rin will join our operations. Always be mindful of Rin's safety!"
"Yes!"
The Ninja of the trap squad said in unison.
Their excited gazes fell upon Puppet Number One behind Shiratori Rin.
For Lord Hanzou to make the decision to let Rin accompany them indicated that Rin's Puppet Jutsu was real.
Rin could truly create Puppets that didn't require human control.
This was just too amazing!
"Depart!"
At Miozawa's command, the Ninja of the trap squad marched in formation towards the Land of Wind.
Meanwhile, Shiratori Rin was riding on a broom, flying high in the air.
Number One effortlessly followed behind Miozawa, its movements no slower than the Ninja's, and as a Puppet, it felt no fatigue.
Shiratori Rin observed the situation ahead from high in the sky while conceptualizing his Puppet plan.
Now that he possessed Zenin Mai's Construction Technique, creating Puppets no longer required raw Materials.
After constructing various Puppets with Cursed Energy, he could directly use Masamichi Yaga's Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique to obtain a group of obedient and self-acting Puppets.
It was so satisfying to have different types of Techniques!
Not only that, Shiratori Rin also thought of another use for Nishimiya Momo's Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique.
Since Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique could temporarily imbue objects with a "Soul" or "Will", couldn't he use Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique on the battlefield to make the enemy's weapons attack themselves?
Life was truly getting more and more promising!