Moreover, Hardy noticed that Sasori lacked real combat experience.
If any attack affected him directly, the young boy would become flustered.
So Hardy adjusted his combat strategy.
"Secret Black Technique: Serpent Fang!"
Two sharpened, perfectly shaped conical fangs shot from Tom's mouth, whistling through the air straight at Sasori's head.
Hardy wasn't worried about injuring Elder Chiyo's precious grandson—after all, there were two jonin watching nearby.
But with little combat experience, Sasori was a bit overwhelmed at this moment. He hurriedly dodged the venomous fangs, and his manipulation of the puppet faltered.
A good opportunity!
Hardy seized the moment, controlling Tom to break away from White Ant and charge at Sasori.
Tom's performance was superior to White Ant's, and its design was based on the lynx—a nimble feline—so the finished puppet was an agility type, much faster than White Ant.
Previously, Sasori could keep up thanks to his excellent puppet skills, but now that Hardy had found an opening, Tom instantly broke free from White Ant and shot toward Sasori like an arrow, leaping at him.
"Ugh!"
In a panic, with no puppet to shield him, Sasori drew a kunai and held it in front of himself.
Ishido and Suna no Sasayama were already prepared to intervene.
Sasori was knocked to the ground by Tom, one hand holding the kunai across his chest, wedged in Tom's mouth, while his other hand shot out chakra threads, trying to control White Ant single-handedly and pull it back to protect himself.
"You've lost, Sasori."
Hardy raised his hand slightly, controlling Tom to reveal its final mechanism.
Tom's mouth remained open, clicking as a mechanism extended outward.
A wooden cylinder.
"There's a venom sac from a snake inside. By my design, it can be triggered to spray all the venom at once when the enemy is close. The venom not only burns the skin, but also numbs nerves and disrupts chakra."
Sasori lowered his gaze.
"I lost. Your puppet… is very good."
After a brief silence, he added,
"Better than mine."
Suna no Sasayama and Ishido exchanged a glance, then walked over in tacit understanding—one separated Sasori and Tom, while the other pulled Hardy aside.
"I knew you were skilled at making puppets, but I didn't expect you to be this good."
Ishido put his arm around Hardy's shoulders, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Is the little boy Ishido-senpai's puppet?"
"No, this puppet—"
The original master of the puppet was in the same squad as me in the Puppet Corps, but he died in battle two months ago. However, the puppet itself was left behind. The village bought it from the original owner's family, and in the end, it was assigned to you for repairs."
Ishido explained simply.
"I see."
Hardy nodded in understanding.
"Ahem, with the performance you and Sasori have shown, there's no doubt you'd be accepted into the Puppet Corps. So… how about joining the Sixth Squad? If you do, this little boy puppet will be yours."
Ishido winked at Hardy, trying to tempt him.
"The Sixth Squad? Is it any different from the other squads?"
Hardy asked curiously.
"Strictly speaking, the six squads of the Puppet Corps are all the same level, but in practice, each squad has its own focus."
Ishido pulled Hardy to sit down on a rock and began to explain in detail.
"When the Puppet Corps is at full strength, there are 150 members, with 25 people in each squad. Each squad is further divided into five teams. The First and Second Squads have the strongest average combat ability, with the most jōnin and special jōnin. There are even teams made up entirely of special jōnin or higher. They usually follow Elder Chiyo to carry out the most dangerous missions."
"The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Squads also have excellent average combat strength. While they don't have as many top-tier fighters as the First and Second Squads, they often take on important assault missions on the battlefield. Ninjas can be killed by explosive tag traps, but puppets won't be."
That sounded quite dangerous.
"So what about the Sixth Squad…?"
"The Sixth Squad sometimes takes on those missions too, but that's usually only when there's a shortage of personnel. Most of the time, the Sixth Squad is responsible for the maintenance, manufacturing, and research of all the puppets in the Puppet Corps. It's the place that suits you best."
Hardy was a bit tempted.
"Can I ask around a bit before deciding?"
"Of course! You'll choose the Sixth Squad. You'll gain more there."
Ishido winked at Hardy and put away the sealing scroll.
"I'll keep it for you for now."
…
…
DC Universe.
Arkham Asylum.
A cold blue light shone on the glass, casting a silent and closed-off scene, creating a sense of oppressive gloom.
"Oh, let's see. Not bad, today's dinner actually has half a German sausage. Oh, and there's even some bacon hidden under this overcooked stew. Quite a feast."
In the next cell, Black Mask spoke mockingly, then wolfed down the food in his bowl.
He called it a feast, but there was barely any food, and not much of it at that.
If there were more, the prisoners might have enough energy to attempt an escape.
The wolfing down wasn't just because he was hungry, nor because it tasted good, but because it tasted so bad he just wanted to get it over with before his tongue could react.
In stark contrast, Hardy forced himself to endure the terrible taste, chewing slowly and swallowing each bite.
This was for better digestion and maximum nutrient absorption.
He needed to refine chakra, so he had to absorb every bit of nutrition and convert it into energy.
"Pah!"
Black Mask spat into his empty bowl, then placed it in the wall cabinet next to the glass door.
An hour later, someone would collect the dishes from the other side of the cabinet for cleaning.
Soon after, Hardy finished eating and did the same.
"Damn it, when will this kind of life end! That freak in tights, the Bat, should have to try this too, don't you think, Puppet Master?"
Black Mask cursed, venting his frustration toward the next cell.
"Whatever. Just don't eat bat sashimi when you get out, or you might get poisoned."
Hardy replied absentmindedly, hiding one hand behind his back where the camera couldn't see, fiddling with a tiny object.
It was an ultra-miniature puppet just over two centimeters long, made from one of Hardy's own teeth as the main body, pieced together with fingernails, strands of hair, and other body parts.