Naruto:Suna Shinobi

"Bang!"

A puff of white smoke billowed, and Hiriito quickly transformed into someone completely unrecognizable.

The new appearance was that of a Caucasian male with a square jaw, sharp eyebrows, and a high forehead. If he wore a suit and sunglasses, he would look like a classic bodyguard from a gangster movie.

This was a deliberate choice. Hiriito briefly considered mimicking someone famous like David Beckham or Leonardo DiCaprio, but that would have drawn too much attention. Beckham was already a global celebrity, while Leo's stunning features would make him stand out far too much.

Instead, he settled for an ordinary, rugged handsomeness, similar to a younger Keanu Reeves—a face that could blend in but still carried a certain edge fitting for Gotham's criminal underworld.

The Penguin squinted at Hiriito, gripping the handle of his high-tech umbrella with suspicion. For a moment, he thought Hiriito was about to attack.

"You're full of surprises," the Penguin finally said, relaxing slightly. "This transformation... you could give Clayface a run for his money."

Hiriito smirked.

Clayface, or Basil Karlo, was a shapeshifting criminal with a body capable of mimicking anyone, even down to their DNA. While Hiriito's transformation wasn't quite as versatile, it was precise enough to fool most people.

"Use this face to craft me a new identity," Hiriito said.

"Got it. We'll need a photo and some measurements to match the ID information," Penguin replied, nodding. "It'll take a day. Where are you staying?"

"I'll come back to pick it up," Hiriito replied, avoiding the question.

Three Days Later

Hiriito walked out of the Iceberg Lounge with a new identity, a deed to a house, and a box full of books.

The house was a necessary purchase. Hiriito needed a secluded place to build and modify his puppets without raising suspicion. Renting wasn't an option—no landlord would tolerate a tenant converting an entire floor into a workshop.

The location was modest, chosen more for its affordability than its prestige. Unlike Metropolis, Gotham's housing market was more forgiving. Even so, Hiriito had to strike a deal with another gang leader, borrowing money and laundering the rest through Penguin's operation at a steep 50% fee.

When all was said and done, the 70-square-meter property, along with additional materials, tools, and computers for his puppet crafting, left Hiriito with only $20,000 in cash.

It wasn't much by Gotham standards, but if he spent wisely, it would last a year or two.

"No problem," Hiriito muttered to himself, flipping through a book titled Microcontrollers and CNC Electronics. "Let's start building."

Hiriito's original body was far from idle.

The Sixth Squadron of the Puppet Forces was busy dealing with the aftermath of the ongoing Ninja World War. While Hiriito's team didn't see direct combat often, their role was critical: repairing damaged puppets from the battlefield and salvaging usable parts from destroyed ones.

This wasn't a glamorous job, but it was rewarding. The village's scarcity of resources meant everything had to be used to its fullest potential.

Corruption within the puppet forces was rare and harshly punished. Puppets were inspected by three separate teams before being processed, and any irregularities could lead to investigations by the Sand Village's Anbu. For low-ranking ninjas like Hiriito, the risks of corruption outweighed the rewards.

Still, the work came with perks. The pay was better than standard missions, and there were periods of downtime between batches.

"Hah... Finally, we're done with this batch," Hiriito sighed, collapsing onto a couch in the puppet corps base.

Nanako, his teammate, sprawled out on the opposite end of the sofa, equally drained.

Meanwhile, Sasori remained at his workbench, meticulously crafting parts for his next puppet.

"Hey, Sasori, don't overdo it. Kids need rest, or it'll stunt your growth," Hiriito teased, trying to coax Sasori into taking a break.

"If I rest now, I'll just lose to you next time," Sasori replied coolly, not looking up from his work.

"Tsk, don't say that. I've been working hard too, just... not on puppet crafting lately," Hiriito admitted, scratching the back of his head.

In truth, Hiriito had been focusing on mastering the Black Secret Technique. Among the team, his puppet manipulation skills were still the weakest. Even as a genin, Sasori was half a step ahead in skill.

Unwilling to fall behind, Hiriito jumped off the couch and began practicing with his puppets.

With ten chakra threads extending from his hands, he controlled both Fatty and Tom simultaneously, working on improving his multitasking abilities.

Nanako groaned. "Tch, you're as bad as Sasori. Don't you kids know the importance of rest? You'll never grow taller at this rate!"

Despite her protests, she soon joined in, unwilling to be the only one slacking off while her teammates worked.

(End of Chapter 17)