Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

Hattori, riding on his giant winged dragonfly, swiftly returned to the defense line at the border. Along the way, he looted three elite-level Hidden Stone Village jonin he had previously taken down with his Water Iron Cannon, collecting three high-quality chakra beads and several explosive tags.

As for the miscellaneous items, Hattori didn't even bother; they weren't worth his attention.

Back at the defense line, he circled around the enemy's position, collecting all the scattered chakra beads along the way. Since he was the only one who could see these beads, to everyone else, his grabbing motions looked like he was swatting at nearby insects, so no one paid much attention.

Only Pakura, who was close by, noticed something unusual.

She observed that while Hattori's hands appeared empty, every few seconds, he would mimic putting something into his ninja pouch. A flicker of curiosity crossed her face.

So, when he repeated the motion again, she couldn't resist asking, "Uh… Hattori, what exactly are you doing?"

"Capturing chakra!" Hattori replied with a smile, busy collecting chakra beads as he answered Pakura, who looked puzzled.

"This is my unique ability. I can gather the scattered chakra on the battlefield to create sealing puppets."

"Sealing puppets?" Pakura's eyes widened.

"Like the famous Chikamatsu Ten? Those precious puppets… they're made like this?"

"Haha, I don't know about those guys, but my puppets are made this way!" He gave her a teasing wink.

"Do you like puppets, Sister Pakura? I can make one for you!" he offered.

"Um… no, that's alright!" Pakura quickly shook her head. "I already have my Scorch Release. You should keep those precious sealing puppets for yourself. Didn't a few of them get damaged in the recent fight against the Stone Ninjas? I'm not sure if you can even fix them."

"Nope!" Hattori shook his head as he continued speaking.

"These can't be repaired—they're one-use puppets. Once they're broken, they're gone. Making them is simple: just seal chakra into an ordinary puppet, that's it!"

"Uh…" Pakura's expression turned a bit strange. Listening to Hattori talk about sealing puppets as if they were as common as roadside vegetables, she couldn't help but feel baffled.

"If the puppet brigade knew that their cherished sealing puppets were treated as disposable by you, they'd probably cry."

With that thought, she bit her lip, then looked up at Hattori. "Hattori, could I ask you for a favor?"

"Hm?" Hattori was surprised, seeing the serious look on Pakura's face.

"This is the first time you've asked me for anything, isn't it? Go ahead, if it's within my ability, I'll make it happen!" He raised his hand solemnly. "I swear, even if you ask me *not to flirt with other women after marrying you*, I'd agree!"

Pakura: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Not flirting after marriage is an unreasonable demand?

She couldn't help but smile, seeing Hattori's look of resolve, and rolled her eyes. "Of course, that's not it!"

"Oh, good!" Hattori let out a huge sigh of relief, patting his chest in exaggerated relief. "You had me worried there; glad to see you're not so shallow!"

Pakura: "…"

What nonsense is this?

Watching Hattori slip into rambling mode, Pakura shook her head in exasperation and finally voiced her request.

"It's like this: if you can make sealing puppets in large quantities, could you equip some for the puppet brigade? It would not only boost their fighting power but also greatly improve their survival rate on the battlefield. What do you think?"

"That's all you're asking?" Hattori looked at her in surprise, then his expression softened with emotion.

"Wow… Pakura, you're truly selfless. No wonder you're destined to be the future Kazekage. I'm so proud to be your man. Come here, give me a kiss! (づ￣3￣)づ"

"Pfft, there you go again!" Pakura chuckled, giving him an exasperated smile as he leaned in with puckered lips. "Enough with the jokes! Are you going to accept my request?"

"Yes… absolutely!" Hattori nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at grain.

"I'd say yes a thousand times over. Now, come here, give me a kiss! (づ￣3￣)づ"

Watching him, Pakura sighed in resignation and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

But as soon as she did, Hattori covered his face in astonishment, staring at her. "Sister Pakura… did you really kiss me? I didn't expect you to actually do it!"

"Uh…" Pakura was flabbergasted. "Didn't you ask me to kiss you?"

"I was just kidding! How could you take it seriously? I'm a young man with a clean reputation, and you just kissed me like that… how will I find a wife now?"

He dropped to his knees dramatically, clinging to her leg in mock despair. "You have to take responsibility for this, or I'll have no choice but to throw myself into the river! Waaaah…"

Pakura: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Is this a new trick?

Seeing her dumbfounded face, the nearby Sand Ninjas began to join in.

"Haha, Lord Hattori's right! Lady Pakura, you have to take responsibility for him!"

"That's right, don't let him jump in the river, haha!"

"When Hattori and Pakura get married, I'll be sure to send my blessings!"

"Count me in…"

Hearing the teasing remarks, Pakura's initial bewilderment gave way to embarrassment, her cheeks flushing red.

"Don't you all have something better to do? Get back to cleaning the battlefield!"

After scolding the others, she turned to Hattori and grabbed his ear. "And you, where do you think your hand's going? Let go!"

"No!" Hattori replied, stubbornly holding his ground. "I'm holding onto my wife—why should you care? Ow! Okay, okay, I'm sorry… that hurts!"

"Hahaha…" Watching this playful scene, the others burst into laughter and returned to their tasks.

For them, defeating the Stone Ninjas with so few casualties was a true victory, and each of them wore a look of satisfaction and admiration for Hattori.

From that day forward, many began calling Hattori "Kazekage Successor" or simply… "The Future Fifth." 

*(End of Chapter)*