Gotham Universe.
Shimizu's new identity was now officially Flesh Water.
Which, translated back, still essentially meant "Shimizu."
A native of Gotham, 25 years old. Orphaned as a child, but academically outstanding, he received a charitable scholarship from the Cobblepot family to attend university.
At 18, he went to Central City for further education, completing a combined bachelor's and master's program. He now held a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Central City University, with verifiable academic records. Conveniently, his nominal advisor, Harrison Wells, had passed away just two months ago—meaning that as long as the documents from Central City matched up, it would be extremely difficult to uncover anything suspicious.
"Harrison Wells?"
Shimizu furrowed his brow and searched the name online.
Harrison Wells: PhD from Star City University, later a professor at Central City University, founder of S.T.A.R. Labs, a high-energy physicist, and the pioneer of a new generation of particle accelerators. A year ago, an experimental accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Two months ago, he was killed in yet another lab accident.
Tch…
Why the hell did Penguin assign that guy as his mentor?
If he remembered correctly, Wells was Reverse-Flash, wasn't he?
Fortunately, the man was already dead. Even if some residual timeline effects appeared in the future, they'd likely focus on the Flash, not him.
Plus, anything going on in Central City probably wouldn't reach as far as Gotham.
First thing first: get to building the puppet.
Thanks to recent studies, combined with his foundation in puppet techniques from the Naruto world, Shimizu figured he was ready to start crafting.
After all, knowledge is one of those things—the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know, and the harder it gets. But with his current level of ability already surpassing his previous standards, he figured it was time to act.
Another reason: the neighborhood had become increasingly unsafe.
It wasn't a high-security upper-class district—just an average residential area. Not quite a slum, but not far from one either.
Just yesterday, two gangs had exchanged gunfire on the street nearby. A stray bullet had even shattered one of his windows.
Fortunately, he had his planning board, so designing the new puppet was the easiest part.
The tungsten alloy and aluminum alloy plates for the puppet's frame and body had already been delivered the previous day.
In the corner of his room sat an integrated machining workstation, combining a mill, drill, bender, and more.
It wasn't one of those top-tier industrial machines costing hundreds of thousands or even millions—Shimizu didn't need that level of precision for now.
Besides, puppet masters often had their unique methods for finishing certain tasks.
He had the tools, the materials, the design, and the technique—now it was time to get to work.
First, he cut the alloy plates, then used the bending machine to perform the initial shaping. After that, he used the mill and drill for fine adjustments—boring holes, refining connection points—so that all the parts could be joined with precision.
The dense, heavy tungsten alloy would serve as the internal skeleton, while the lighter aluminum alloy would make up the body. The parts were connected with high-conductivity metal wires made of gold and copper, along with sensors, cameras, and mini radar devices connected to a microcontroller unit, all arranged per the digital model.
These gadgets weren't for combat but for support. Even if they were disabled due to interference, Shimizu could still operate the puppet using chakra threads for full combat functionality.
After all, he wasn't trying to build a high-tech Iron Man suit—just combining civilian-grade tech with puppet jutsu to create a solid combat platform. There was no need for bleeding-edge technology just yet.
Once the internal structure was complete, he attached an outer armor shell made of ceramic composite and high-strength stainless steel, bonded using resin adhesives. Finally, he used argon arc welding to seal the joints, completing the puppet's main body.
One noteworthy detail: the puppet's arms featured chakra-powered pneumatic mechanisms.
The setup allowed him to use chakra threads to operate pistons that compressed and stored air inside a chamber.
When needed, a twitch of the chakra thread would activate the pump, unleashing devastating punches thanks to the added pneumatic force combined with the puppet's brute strength.
Since it was chakra-controlled, Shimizu could moderate the output, providing a good balance of power and safety.
Next came the weapon systems.
Shimizu modified the Hardin revolver and PMX submachine gun he had purchased.
The submachine gun was mounted inside the puppet's right arm, with the muzzle pointing forward. He removed the magazine and connected a large-capacity ammo belt inside the arm, expanding the original 30-round capacity to 150 rounds.
The Hardin revolver was mounted on the puppet's shoulder. It could deploy automatically and rotate 360 degrees, with massively increased kinetic output and an expanded drum capacity—a mini-Gatling gun.
Shimizu spent a full week working in his converted backroom workshop, ordering takeout for every meal, until he finally completed the puppet.
"Black Secret Technique: Single Puppet Control."
Ten chakra threads shot out from Shimizu's fingers, connecting to the puppet's parts and assembling them mid-air.
Clanging and grinding metal filled the room. Within seconds, a tall, imposing metallic puppet stood before him.
A black gloss coated its muscular steel frame, radiating raw power. Standing around 2 meters tall, it towered over most people.
Shimizu was very confident in this puppet's power.
[Puppet Name]: Unnamed
[Overall Specs]:
Height: 2.01 meters
Weight: 188 kg
Materials: Industrial alloys, ceramic composite fibers, silver, copper…
Energy Source: None
Control Method: Chakra threads
[Puppet Rating]: B- (B)
[Overall Evaluation]:
An armor-type combat puppet—a first attempt at integrating puppet jutsu with modern engineering. Excellent performance, high melee destructive power, with some ranged attack capability. When combined with the puppeteer, combat ability can be further enhanced.
Shimizu made the puppet perform some basic movements around the workshop. It didn't feel particularly taxing to control.
He then yanked the chakra threads again, disassembling the puppet mid-air, and reassembled it around his own body.
"Smells a bit like machine oil… I should consider adding an air filtration system later. The field of vision is okay, but I might also install a dual-layer visor—one made of bulletproof glass for normal use, and another sliding HUD projection to display rear camera feeds."
He clenched his fists and flexed his hands.
Shimizu, wearing the Black Gold puppet armor, walked around his first-floor workshop, admiring the weight and power of his creation.
(End of Chapter)