Chapter 29: The Puppeteer Killer

Chapter 29: The Puppeteer Killer

After setting the blaze, Hayama suddenly felt the air around him compress and shift. In a flash, he found himself standing at the coordinates Minato had marked earlier. As he estimated the distance they had just crossed, Hayama realized one of the limitations of Minato's space-time ninjutsu—more precisely, the limitation of Minato's current mastery. The maximum range appeared to be around five kilometers. While this wasn't unlimited, it was still impressive enough to leave Hayama marveling.

Though Hayama had only a passing familiarity with the anime Naruto from his previous life, he'd read countless web novels, particularly Battle Through the Heavens, which had made a lasting impression. According to those novels' power levels, anyone who wielded spatial abilities was a near-invincible powerhouse. From this perspective, Namikaze Minato was undeniably one of Konoha's most formidable figures. Missions involving infiltration or assassination became almost trivial with space-time ninjutsu. The most challenging part of such missions—retreating safely after striking the target—was something Minato's technique handled effortlessly. A five-kilometer jump left most pursuers in the dust.

Reflecting on this, Hayama found himself feeling less resentful toward Konoha's leadership for their earlier neglect. If a civilian-born shinobi like Minato could develop into such a monstrous talent, it was understandable why resources hadn't been directed toward less promising candidates.

Once Minato landed, he quickly oriented himself and called for the team to head back to the camp. This was still deep in Suna's territory, and it would be unwise to linger and risk being surrounded. With the squad's mission completed, they returned to camp unscathed, almost as if they'd just been on a casual outing rather than an A-rank mission.

Hayama, however, couldn't contain his curiosity. As Minato began making his way to report the mission's outcome, Hayama called out, "Captain Minato, what's the name of that space-time ninjutsu?"

Minato turned and smiled, unreservedly sharing the answer. "It's called the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage. Hayama-kun, would you like to learn it?"

Hayama hesitated. He couldn't help feeling a bit awkward; asking to learn such a powerful technique felt almost like asking for something far too precious. Still, he nodded shyly. Minato's grin widened. He performed a summoning technique, and a small toad appeared, clutching a scroll in its mouth. Minato retrieved the scroll and handed it over to Hayama without a second thought.

Hayama was stunned. This was no minor scroll, and yet Minato had given it to him so casually. Since when did Konoha shinobi have such extravagant generosity?

But Hayama quickly shook off his hesitation and accepted the scroll. He wasn't the type to refuse an opportunity, especially one so freely offered. After expressing his gratitude, he headed back to his tent. Minato gave him a pat on the shoulder before going to make his report.

Once inside, Hayama wasted no time. He unrolled the scroll and began studying its contents. However, within moments, he felt a growing sense of frustration. He couldn't make heads or tails of it.

The scroll was filled with terms like "vector operations," "spatial coordinate principles," and "chakra-space transition equations." Each word was familiar, but their combination rendered them incomprehensible. Even something as basic as constructing a coordinate axis left Hayama scratching his head—those long-ago math lessons had completely faded from memory.

For the first time, Hayama regretted not taking math more seriously. If only he had been a top student in mathematics back then, he might have stood a chance. Now, staring at these complex diagrams and equations, he felt utterly defeated.

Hayama slumped into his chair, muttering to himself, "This is impossible. Absolutely impossible."

Hours later, when Minato returned to the tent with his meal, he found Hayama still hunched over the scroll, red-eyed and scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

"What are you working on, Hayama?" Minato asked, curious about the strange symbols Hayama had drawn.

Hayama sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "This is just… too hard."

He explained his struggles to Minato, who looked thoughtful. "It is difficult," Minato agreed. "It took me about half a year and a lot of brainpower to master it."

Hayama stared at Minato in disbelief. Half a year? To him, it sounded like a lifetime wouldn't be enough. Surely Minato had been born into the wrong world. With that kind of intellect, he could have been a revered scientist rather than a shinobi.

In the end, Hayama decided to let it go. He wasn't a genius, and not learning the Flying Thunder God Technique was no tragedy. After all, if it were so easy, every village would have their own teleporting ninja. In Konoha's long history, only a handful had ever mastered it, and they were all extraordinary individuals. It was no shame for a "normal" shinobi like him to fail. With that, he set the scroll aside, ready to focus on something more within his reach.

...

A few days later, in a barren wasteland, an ambush was in full swing.

Hayama delivered a powerful spinning kick, sending a Suna shinobi flying. Without giving the enemy time to recover, he unleashed a Fire Release jutsu. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Suna shinobi barely managed to evade the blazing inferno. Gasping for breath, he began summoning his puppet, only to hear a chilling voice behind him.

"Do you understand spatial coordinate principles?"

The Suna shinobi, clutching his bleeding throat, collapsed with a look of utter confusion. His final moments were haunted by the echo of that question and a disdainful murmur: "Another ignorant fool."

As Hayama dispatched another puppeteer, he turned his sights on another Suna shinobi who was skillfully maneuvering two puppets, pressing Inuzuka E into a tight corner. With a burst of lightning-enhanced speed, Hayama closed the gap and asked the same question: "Do you understand spatial coordinate principles?"

The puppeteer, engrossed in controlling his creations, never saw it coming. A hidden third puppet sprang from the ground in a desperate attempt to defend its master, but Hayama was already one step ahead. Anticipating the puppeteer's every move, Hayama struck true, driving his blade into the man's heart and finishing him off with a swift, precise kick to avoid the ensuing blood spray.

This seamless execution left Inuzuka E momentarily stunned. It wasn't that the Suna shinobi were weak; rather, Hayama's fighting style was a natural counter to puppeteers. With the combination of his Earth and Lightning techniques, along with his rigorous training in blade combat, he was a nightmare for these puppet users. They never saw him coming, and their delicate balance of precision and distance crumbled under his relentless assault.

A puppeteer killer, through and through.

In the distance, a Suna jōnin engaged in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Minato. Watching his comrades fall one by one, the Suna jōnin felt a pang of sorrow and rage. Puppet users were Suna's pride and joy, their development a costly investment in both time and resources. The sight of them being cut down like this was a painful blow.

Reeling from another one of Minato's sudden attacks, the jōnin decided he had to stop Hayama. He charged straight at him, fists flying.

Hayama, sensing the imminent threat, quickly retreated. He wasn't about to recklessly clash with a veteran jōnin.

As the two squared off, their comrades continued fighting in the background. Both men knew that the outcome of their duel would heavily influence the battle's final outcome. While the Suna jōnin hoped to keep Hayama occupied, Hayama understood the stakes: he needed to win quickly, so he could help his struggling allies.

Fixing his gaze on the jōnin, Hayama let out a slow breath. He steadied himself, focusing all his energy. In that moment, there was no fear, no hesitation—only the cold, calculated resolve of a true shinobi.

And so, the deadly dance began.