Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

After cleaning up the battlefield, Hattori took stock of the harvested Ninja Pearls and found that there were nearly two thousand of them.

The majority, about ninety percent, were ordinary Ninja Pearls dropped by Genin. 

The remaining ten percent consisted of superior Ninja Pearls from Chunin and refined-grade Ninja Pearls from Jonin.

As for epic-grade Ninja Pearls, there wasn't a single one.

This further confirmed Hattori's earlier theory.

"It seems only S-rank ninjas can drop epic-grade Ninja Pearls. For regular Jonin, refined-grade pearls are the limit."

With that in mind, he set aside the hundred or so refined-grade pearls separately.

As for the superior-grade pearls, he left them with the ordinary-grade ones. 

He planned to use these low-grade pearls for equipment Sand Village puppet forces or as consumables to enhance high-level puppets' performance.

After organizing the pearls, he returned to the temporary camp the Sand ninja had set up, found a comfortable spot, lay down, and closed his eyes.

The previous battle with the Rock ninjas had drained him, both mentally and physically, especially due to the huge MP consumption, leaving him feeling exhausted.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, he noticed that the scenery around him had completely changed.

What had once been a battlefield strewn with ruins was now a vast prairie.

The blue sky was dotted with clouds, and occasionally an eagle would soar overhead, startling a prairie dog that poked its head up before retreating again.

Seeing this, a look of surprise flashed across Hattori's face.

"Huh…where am I? A dream?"

"This isn't a dream. It's your inner world!"

A voice suddenly reached Hattori's ears. Turning around, he saw a massive iron cage behind him.

Inside the cage was a huge, four-tailed, red-furred ape—the Four-Tails himself.

Under Hattori's gaze, the Four-Tails spoke again with a complex expression.

"The inner world of a person reflects their state and emotions. I've seen many inner worlds, but yours is the most unique!"

"Huh…" Hattori raised an eyebrow, "Is that a compliment?"

"…"

Seeing Hattori's smug expression, the Four-Tails could only nod with resignation.

"Yes, I'm complimenting you. Though I don't like you, I don't dislike this environment. Now, fulfill your promise."

"My promise?"

Hearing this, Hattori was momentarily puzzled before understanding dawned on him.

"Oh, you want to hear *Journey to the West*, right? Fine, I'll continue the story. Last time, we left off with the Great Sage Equal to Heaven being pinned under Five-Finger Mountain. He stayed there for 500 years, during which a lot happened…"

Hattori was very familiar with *Journey to the West*; during his school days, the show would air repeatedly on TV every summer and winter break.

At that time, anime wasn't popular yet, so watching *Journey to the West* became his greatest enjoyment.

Having watched it dozens of times, he might not have memorized the original text, but he knew the TV show plot well enough to tell the story.

Under his storytelling, Monkey King's escape, Pig recruitment, the theft of Ginseng Fruit, and the battle with the White Bone Demon all came alive in the Four-Tails' mind.

He listened intently, utterly captivated!

Especially when Hattori described how Monk put the restrictive headband on Sun Wukong, the Four-Tails felt a deep sense of empathy.

Wasn't he, a sealed Sun Wukong, just like the one with the headband on?

So, when Hattori ended with, "To know what happens next, stay tune in for following episode," the Four-Tails couldn't help but ask.

"╭(°A°`)╮Does Sun Wukong ever remove the headband?"

"(ω`) He does!"

"╭(°A°`)╮When?"

"(ω`) When they return from the journey."

"╭(°A°`)╮When will they return from the journey?!"

"(ω`) When you agree to lend me your power."

"╭(°A°`)╮…"

Feeling tricked, the Four-Tails fell silent.

Though he wanted to declare, "I don't care for your stories," the words never left his mouth.

Hattori could sense the Four-Tails' internal struggle, so he didn't say more, just lay back on the grass and closed his eyes.

After a while, the Four-Tails' voice rang out again.

"If you tell me stories, I'll lend you power. It's a fair trade!"

The comment was clearly self-deception, but Hattori knew the Four-Tails was just looking for a way to save face.

So, he didn't call him out and instead jumped up, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Thank you, Brother Monkey!"

"No need for thanks, Pig!"

Hattori: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Wait, how did I become Pig?

Startled, Hattori shook his head vigorously.

"No, no, Brother Monkey! With my handsome looks, how could I be Pig? At the very least, I'd be Monk!"

"But you called me Brother Monkey!"

The Four-Tails replied confidently.

"Isn't Pig the only one who calls Sun Wukong 'Brother Monkey'? So, you must be Pig!"

Hattori: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Did I just trap myself here?

If they were outside, Hattori would definitely object to being called "Pig" until the end.

But this was his inner world, and no matter how much the Four-Tails called him that, only he could hear it.

"Maybe I should just accept it and get closer to the Four-Tails!"

With that thought, he reluctantly nodded.

"Fine, call me whatever you like. Now give me something to recharge, I'm too tired to tell more stories."

"Alright, Pig!"

The Four-Tails agreed readily, but Hattori found the words unpleasant.

Hearing "Pig" made him feel as though his handsome face had morphed into that of a chubby, pig-faced character from the TV show.

A pang of sadness washed over him.

But at that moment, he saw a notification of new abilities unlocked.

**[New Skill Unlocked - Partial Tailed Beast Transformation: You can transform into Four-Tails Chakra mode in battle, gaining temporary HP +23100 and temporary MP +20800.]**

**[New Skill Unlocked - Tailed Beast Ball: In Four-Tails Chakra mode, gain active skill Tailed Beast Ball, attack power +5000, with special effect: Instant Kill.]**

**[New Skill Unlocked - Tailed Beast Cloak: In Four-Tails Chakra mode, gain passive skill Tailed Beast Cloak, defense +3000, with special effect: Burn.]**

Hattori: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Wow, these are incredible!

Seeing these new skills, the sadness in Hattori's heart instantly vanished.

He was filled with joy.

"Thanks for the power-up, Brother Monkey! Pig feeling great, hahaha…"

Four-Tails: "…"

*(End of Chapter)*