Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

The epic-level chakra pearl represented Hattori's latest creation—a sealing puppet, at least of S-rank caliber.

With some luck, it could even reach S+ level!

What made it truly valuable was that it was a Lava Release chakra pearl, a rare Bloodline Limit type.

"Now I can finally create a top-notch defensive puppet!" 

Thinking this, Hattori happily tucked the pearl away.

After stowing the pearl, he looked again at the lifeless body of Rōshi on the ground, frowning slightly.

"Seems a shame to just leave him here. He should count as loot. Might as well take him!"

With that thought, Hattori spread out his puppet sealing scroll and sealed Rōshi's body inside.

While most people used specific scrolls for sealing, Hattori, with his "Sealing Proficiency" expertise, could make his scrolls multifunctional!

Once he completed the seal and saw the additional character for "corpse" on the scroll, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect. I heard there's a mysterious organization called the Bounty Station. Might be worth visiting sometime—selling a Four-Tails Jinchūriki's body should fetch a nice price, heh heh!"

A bright smile broke across his face as he spoke.

He was in high spirits. Not only had he dealt with a high-ranking enemy, but he'd also scored a tailed beast and a rare, epic chakra pearl.

Plus, he had a possibly valuable S-rank shinobi corpse.

Most importantly, he had leveled up to 65!

**[Name: Hattori]** 

**[Title: Puppet Tyrant]** 

**[Level: 65]** 

**[HP: 2802/2802]** 

**[MP: 53412/259000 (Yin Seal Unlocked)]** 

**[EXP: 140/650]** 

**[Specialties: Medical Ninjutsu, Puppetry, Sealing, Jinchūriki]** 

**[Combat Power: S+]**

Seeing his new stats, Hattori felt deeply pleased and a bit nostalgic.

"When I first came here, even an unsealed One-Tail would send me running.

"But now, I can seal a tailed beast on my own. I guess this is what reaching peak feels like, huh?"

As if responding to Hattori's pride, a system prompt appeared again.

**[peak? You're still far from it!]**

**[To become a powerful puppet master, you need a pair of sufficiently strong eyes. You may choose one of the following options.]**

**[Option 1: Battle Eyes]**

**[Selecting this grants you a One Tomoe Sharingan, with insight, hypnosis, and mimicry abilities.]**

**[This eye allows you to discern and copy non-Bloodline Limit ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, providing a close-combat advantage.]**

**[Upgrade Method: Manual upgrade. By using a certain amount of MP, you can unlock this eye up to the Rinnegan.]**

**[Upgrade Effect: Allows you to create black rods with Yin-Yang Release, enabling remote control of corpses or puppets in battle, gaining their abilities and vision.]**

**[Friendly Reminder: Use caution when evolving this eye to higher forms, as you risk not only theft but blindness.]**

**[Hyuga: Who's invincible at white eye level? We are! One against seven, easy!]**

**[Option 2: Observational Eyes]**

**[Selecting this grants you a basic Byakugan, with telescopic, x-ray, and insight capabilities.]**

**[Byakugan can penetrate obstacles, see up to a kilometer away, and offers a 360-degree field of vision, providing an advantage in both close and long-range combat.]**

**[Upgrade Method: Auto-upgrades upon reaching max level, unlocking the Tenseigan.]**

**[Upgrade Effect: Allows you to implant spiritual spheres in others to control their will and actions, and to access their thoughts.]**

**[Friendly Reminder: Selecting this eye will alter its appearance, which might bring unwanted attention in addition to the risk of theft.]**

**[Hyūga's Message: Red-eye syndrome is bound to end; Hyūga is the strongest clan!]**

Hattori: "…"

Damn it. There were so many points to complain about, he didn't even know where to start.

Still, getting a pair of dōjutsu eyes made Hattori quite excited.

All fans of *Naruto* knew the series might as well be called *Tale of Legendary Eyes,* given how central eye techniques were.

Because the choice was so significant, Hattori carefully considered which set of eyes he should choose.

Looking at the long-term prospects, both options offered a bright future, with solid destructive power and survivability. However, in the early and mid-game, the Sharingan clearly held the upper hand.

Sharingan could be upgraded immediately with MP, and Hattori had an abundance of it.

With his current chakra reserve exceeding 200,000, he might not be able to unlock the Rinnegan right away, but even reaching the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would grant him tremendous power.

The fully evolved Susano'o—a giant armored warrior? Talk about mecha power!

The Byakugan, in contrast, required him to reach max level to unlock the Tenseigan. Who knew what the max level even was?

Despite this, Hattori still had a soft spot for the Byakugan.

For one thing, its x-ray vision alone held a special allure!

"With these eyes, no woman in Sunagakure—no, no enemy in Sunagakure—could escape my sight!" ^-^v

The thought almost made him pick the Byakugan on the spot.

However, he realized that having the Byakugan would make his eyes visibly different. Keeping it hidden would be tough.

He couldn't very well walk around wearing sunglasses all day, could he?

If anyone saw him, how would he explain it?

The entire shinobi world knew how fierce the Hyūga clan protected their dōjutsu. Claiming he was the illegitimate son of Hiashi Hyūga wasn't exactly an option.

Even if people bought the story, what would that do to his reputation?

As a respected shinobi world leader, he wasn't about to make such a ridiculous claim.

The Sharingan, on the other hand, only activated when he wanted. Hiding it would be simple, and no one would be the wiser.

With all this in mind, Hattori made up his mind.

"A little disappointing, but the Sharingan it is. Besides, when I'm with Lady Pakura, I'll be able to capture every expression on her face. Just the thought of it makes me look forward to it—heh."

He couldn't help but swallow, his face full of anticipation, before decisively making his choice.

"I choose the Sharingan!"

As he completed his choice, he immediately felt his eyes change.

His vision became clearer, and his perception sharper.

Even twenty meters away, he could clearly see a tiny spider hunting on a stone!

"So this is the Sharingan? Amazing! With these eyes, I'll be even stronger in battle. I need to upgrade this ability!"

With that thought, he immediately began using MP to upgrade the Sharingan.

**[Upgrading... MP cost: 200. Upgrade successful! Two Tomoe Sharingan acquired!]**

**[Upgrading... MP cost: 2,000. Upgrade successful! Three Tomoe Sharingan acquired!]**

**[Upgrading... MP cost: 20,000. Upgrade successful! Mangekyō Sharingan acquired!]**

**[Upgrading... MP cost: 31,212. Insufficient MP to continue upgrade.]**

Hattori: "Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"

What the heck?!

Seeing his MP drop from over fifty thousand to a single red "1," Hattori quickly popped a chakra pill into his mouth.

Chewing, he muttered, "Dang it, I thought upgrading would be easy. Didn't expect such a drain. My apologies, my apologies!"

*(End of Chapter)*