199. First Puppet Master

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin's words, the once-smug Shamon instantly broke into a cold sweat, beads of it dripping down from the dragon tattoo on his shiny bald head, falling onto the parched sand below and stirring up some dust.

"No way, Mr. Gin! This is classified! You understand, right? Classified information!"

Shamon, his face full of concern, anxiously grabbed Uchiha Gin's arm, trying to explain what "classified" meant.

"I understand, I understand," Uchiha Gin waved his hand dismissively, signaling he got the message. "I'll add a bit of mystique to Roran’s backstory to make it even more effective."

“No, no...”

Shamon became even more flustered. He didn’t want to be the one responsible for exposing the Dragon Vein that had been protected for generations. But he was at a loss for words and could only scratch his head in frustration.

"Hey, Shamon, I’m just kidding. Secrets like this obviously can’t be shared. Trust me, I’m famous for keeping my mouth shut."

Seeing Shamon almost on the verge of tears, Uchiha Gin chuckled and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“Whew... Mr. Gin, could you please not joke like that?”

After the fright, Shamon wiped the sweat from his brow, his face finally breaking into a relieved smile.

Even after all this, Shamon didn’t consider taking any action against Uchiha Gin. To him, Gin was genuinely a good person and someone worth befriending.

Reflecting on future events, Uchiha Gin recalled a rogue Sand ninja finding the Dragon Vein, using it to travel back in time, and then ruling over Roran. His expression grew serious as he advised Shamon,

"However, secrets can’t stay hidden forever. The existence of the Dragon Vein in Roran will eventually be exposed. When that time comes..."

“Hah! Mr. Gin, you're a ninja too, right?” Shamon, moved by Gin’s sincerity, noticed the black wooden sword at his waist and asked.

"Just a bit of self-defense for when I'm traveling."

Uchiha Gin openly admitted it. After all, if he tried to deny it, his safe appearance in the desert would raise suspicion.

"I may not look like much, but I'm Roran’s strongest warrior and have never lost a fight," Shamon said, proud of his reputation as a formidable protector.

"Well... there’s something I’m hesitant to say."

Uchiha Gin tilted his head, assessing the confident Shamon.

Based on his own sense, this bald-headed guy’s strength was just slightly above that of an elite squad leader. In a small circle in the Land of Wind, he might be considered powerful, but against a real master, he’d likely be severely outclassed.

“Mr. Gin, don’t hold back,” Shamon encouraged, confident he could handle whatever praise Gin was preparing.

"I’ve traveled to many countries and met plenty of powerful individuals. Not to be rude, but throw a stone in a large clan, and you’ll probably hit someone of your level."



“What?! That’s impossible!” Shamon, expecting compliments, was instantly taken aback. He jumped in disbelief, his eyes bulging in shock.

"Looks like I’ll have to give you a bit of a lesson about the dangers of the ninja world," Uchiha Gin sighed, feeling a little pity for Shamon’s naivety.

“Do you want to spar with me, Mr. Gin? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Misunderstanding, Shamen waved his hands, refusing politely. While Gin’s words were unsettling, he didn’t truly believe them. Hah! No way there are so many people stronger than him. That’s just absurd!

"I don’t want to spar with you either."

Uchiha Gin scratched his head, conflicted. His current power level made it tricky to hold back, and he worried he might accidentally overwhelm Shamon. He didn’t want to discourage him too much, as the future Five Kage Summit would need this bald-headed figure.

"Ah, I almost forgot about that thing!" As he pondered how to handle this gently, Uchiha Gin remembered something he’d acquired secretly on the moon, and his eyes lit up.

"Mr. Gin, are you still insisting on this? Fighting me could be dangerous."

Watching Uchiha Gin’s excitement, Shamen showed little interest, still not believing the calm Gin could match his strength.

"No, no, no. I’m not fighting you."

Uchiha Gin quickly shook his head, indicating he wouldn’t be participating.

"That’s good. I was..."

Shamon sighed in relief. He had noticed that Gin carried only a harmless wooden sword, and the idea of fighting such a gentle person just didn’t sit right.

"I’ll let this fight with you instead."

Before Shamon could finish, Uchiha Gin pulled out a scroll from behind him. With a solemn expression, he opened it, muttering a few incantations while secretly opening a portal to the Shadow Realm.

"Come forth... Shana!"

With a puff of white smoke, a figure in a white kimono emerged from the dark portal in the scroll.

Uchiha Gin, smiling, raised an eyebrow at the stunned Shamon and said very seriously, "As a world traveler, it’s only reasonable I carry a bodyguard, right?"

“What... what is that thing?”

Shamon did not take Uchiha Gin’s words seriously, instead eyeing the kimono-clad Shana warily.
Even with his rudimentary sensory skills, he could feel an oppressive aura emanating from this strange, lifeless woman in white.

This woman, Shana, was one of the two puppets Uchiha Gin had "accidentally" acquired during his venture to the moon. Since the two puppets were identical in appearance and physique, he had named them Shana and Shina for easier distinction.

"Master, what are your orders?"

The one summoned this time was Shana. With a hint of surprise flickering in her yellow, human-like eyes, she glanced at the desolate surroundings before asking her master, Uchiha Gin, in a cold tone.

"Shamon, my own abilities are... complicated to explain. But fortunately, I have a bodyguard. Why don’t you spar with her?"

Pushing the visibly confused Shana forward, Uchiha Gin called out to Shamon, who stood with a furrowed brow.

"Mr. Gin, what is this woman?"

Unable to discern Shana's nature, Shamon cautiously asked Uchiha Gin, hoping for answers.

"This thing? Shamon, don’t insult me! Shana is my trusted companion, not some thing!"

Hearing Shamon’s phrasing, Uchiha Gin pretended to be offended, his genuine tone even stirring a rare moment of emotion in the puppet. For a fleeting second, Shana felt something akin to warmth in her mechanical heart—before it metaphorically shattered.

"She’s not a thing!"

Crack.

Shana's mechanical heart collapsed immediately. Her once-touched eyes turned hollow, but thanks to Uchiha Gin’s chakra embedded within her, her system rebooted in moments.

"Master, just tell me what you want."

She had learned her lesson. Never again would she let herself be moved so easily.

Coughing to recover from the awkward moment, Uchiha Gin quickly improvised: "Shana is a gift from a distant relative. They live in a remote region, so you’ve probably never seen anything like her. A regional specialty, you could say."

"Then what exactly is she?"

Seeing Shamon’s curiosity almost physically pressing against him, Uchiha Gin decided to stop teasing and explained:

"Shana is a puppet. I control her movements with chakra."

"A puppet? Interesting! Very interesting!"

Hearing this term for the first time, Shamon’s eyes lit up as if a switch had been flipped. He circled Shana several times, marveling aloud. It was clear he had developed a deep fascination for puppets.

Ah, men will always be boys, Uchiha Gin mused. No matter their age, they couldn’t resist their favorite “toys.”

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Noticing Shamon’s strange fixation, Uchiha Gin interrupted before things got out of hand.

Great, I may have just set the stage for the first puppet master in ninja history, he thought, watching the mesmerized Shamon.

"Come on, let me see the power of this puppet!"

Interrupted but not annoyed, Shamon enthusiastically accepted Uchiha Gin’s proposal, his excitement directed at the calm and cold Shana.

"Host combat detected. Steel Heart treasure chest accumulation in progress..."

The system decided to remind Uchiha Gin of its existence, almost making him forget it was still active.

"Shana, just spar with him lightly. Don’t go overboard."

Although he had a general idea of Shana's strength, Uchiha Gin couldn’t help but worry. He reminded her again to hold back.

"Understood."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Shana transformed into a streak of white lightning, darting toward Shamon.

"So fast!"

Shamon, who had been underestimating Shana moments ago, felt his heart leap into his throat. His eyes darted frantically in all directions as he unleashed a purple chakra aura that formed a protective barrier around him.

He brought his hands together, channeling wild wind-nature chakra into his palms, preparing to deliver a fatal blow once Shana appeared.

"What are you looking for?"

As Shamon searched desperately, a mechanical, cold voice sounded above him.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

Startled, Shamon didn’t even glance upward. He immediately sent a powerful burst of wind chakra toward the source of the voice above his head.

"Where are you aiming?"

When he didn’t hear the expected sound of his attack connecting, Shamon’s heart sank. Just as he was about to form new hand seals, the voice echoed again—this time from behind him.

Realizing his previous attack had failed, Shamon quickly shifted tactics. He formed seals, channeling wind chakra to unleash a broader-range technique.

"Wind Style: Net Trap!"

A large, yellow wind-constructed net expanded from his position, covering a wide 360-degree area with no escape.

"Unless you’ve grown wings, there’s no way out of my Heavenly Trap!"

“Chirp, chirp~”