Ever since he successfully created the camel puppet, Elder Chiyo had personally instructed Shang Qi in the Puppet Technique, and her trust in him grew day by day.
Later, to elevate the reputation of her son, Akasuna Uchao, in Sunagakure, Elder Chiyo proposed attributing the credit for the camel puppet to Akasuna Uchao.
For Shang Qi, the prestige within Sunagakure was completely worthless, and besides, Elder Chiyo had sensibly compensated him with a pile of rare materials.
That being the case, what harm was there in letting Akasuna Uchao have the credit?
Using these rare materials, Shang Qi crafted a windproof cloak that was impervious to blades, as well as a pair of shoes that enhanced his jumping ability and speed—to put it bluntly, survival gear for someone afraid of dying.
While teaching Shang Qi the Puppet Technique, Elder Chiyo was astonished to find that Shang Qi always had numerous bizarre and eccentric ideas, and these concepts seemed to open up another mysterious gateway to the Puppet Technique.
Consequently, Elder Chiyo handed over this puppet-making workshop for Shang Qi to use, allowing him to take any materials he needed from it at will.
Shang Qi traveled back and forth in a straight line every day between his living quarters and the puppet-making workshop.
One day, as night fell thickly, Shang Qi walked out of the puppet-making workshop and prepared to return home.
Two shuriken flashed like bolts of lightning, carrying a fierce whistling sound as they shot straight toward Shang Qi.
Fortunately, Shang Qi was wearing the windproof cloak that was impervious to blades; the shuriken struck the cloak with a heavy thud without causing him any injury.
However, this sudden assault felt like a heavy hammer, instantly tightening Shang Qi's heartstrings—this was the first time he had ever faced a ninja's attack alone.
His heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his breathing grew rapid, much like a violently pulled bellows, but he knew deep down that he must not panic.
With a movement of Shang Qi's hands, the short sword in his right arm guard instantly unsheathed, flashing with a chilling, steely glint in the cold moonlight like a slice of silver silk.
The steel wire in his left arm guard quietly shot out like a venomous snake emerging from its cave, moving with a ghost-like speed that was difficult to detect.
His eyes flashed with a faint, dark glow, fixed intently on the ambushing ninja as he rapidly calculated a countermeasure in his mind.
The ninja was entirely wrapped in black cloth, revealing only a pair of intensely ferocious eyes that gleamed with a resolute intent to kill.
Seeing that his shuriken had failed, he did not hesitate to wield a kunai, his figure charging fiercely toward Shang Qi like a phantom.
His speed was as swift as a gale, kicking up a whistling wind as the kunai carved a chilling arc in the moonlight.
When he rushed within three meters of Shang Qi, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his cheek, only to realize that a steel wire as fine as a strand of hair had sliced across his face.
In that instant, a shock rippled through his heart; he had never expected Shang Qi's methods to be so bizarre and unpredictable.
The attacking ninja channeled chakra into the soles of his feet, making them seem as deeply rooted as a tree.
He forcefully and abruptly halted his high-speed charge, defying momentum.
Squinting his eyes to look, he saw that the area within three meters of Shang Qi was densely woven with countless threads, resembling a fatal web.
The threads gleamed with a subtle light, concealing endless danger.
Seeing the attacking ninja stop, Shang Qi shouted angrily, "Who are you? Why did you suddenly attack me?"
Yet the ninja did not reply to Shang Qi's question; instead, he violently kicked off the ground, leaping high backward.
His hands formed hand seals in a blur, and chakra frantically gathered in his throat.
"Wind Release: Air Pressure Void!"
"Puff—puff—puff—" Air bullets erupted from his mouth, carrying immense impact force as they blasted fiercely toward Shang Qi like cannonballs.
Shang Qi's gaze sharpened, his feet exerting sudden force as if fitted with springs; relying on the shoes that enhanced his jumping and speed, his figure flickered to dodge several air bullets.
The air bullets smashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"This fellow is not easy to deal with; I must stay calm!" Shang Qi warned himself inwardly.
While dodging the attacks as nimbly as a monkey, he manipulated the steel wire to launch a counterattack.
Under his control, the steel wire lunged toward the ninja.
The ninja dodged left and right, his figure fluttering like a withered leaf in the wind as he evaded the steel wire's repeated attacks.
Yet Shang Qi's assaults grew increasingly dense, resembling a torrential downpour that gradually left the ninja struggling to cope.
Shang Qi's confidence slowly grew; seizing the right moment, he suddenly lunged toward the ninja like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Startled, the ninja quickly formed hand seals again and shouted aloud, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A powerful current of air swept toward Shang Qi.
However, Shang Qi twisted his body in an instant, altering his direction to circle around to the ninja's flank like a swallow skimming the water.
The steel wire instantly entangled the ninja's arm, and with a hard pull from both of Shang Qi's hands, the ninja's balance was instantly lost. Staggering, several bone-deep wounds appeared on his arm, and blood gushed out.
Taking advantage of the opening, Shang Qi lashed out with his short sword, which thrust toward the ninja like a viper darting its tongue.
The ninja struggled desperately to break free from the steel wire, using his kunai to block the short sword. The sound of metal clashing suddenly rang out in the night sky, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Feeling the opponent's stubborn resistance, Shang Qi's fighting spirit grew even more fervent, his eyes wide open like an enraged lion.
"I refuse to believe I can't take you down!" He clenched his teeth, the veins on his arms bulging as he increased his strength once more.
The two fell into a stalemate, neither willing to yield, but Shang Qi's bizarre steel wire attacks struck relentlessly alongside the deadlock.
The injured ninja's movements gradually slowed, and obvious openings began to appear in his stances.
Seizing the opportunity, Shang Qi swept his short sword like a flash of lightning slicing across the night sky, grazing the ninja's shoulder.
The ninja winced in pain, his movements freezing for a moment.
Shang Qi's steel wire instantly wrapped around his neck, and with the muscles in his arms tensing, Shang Qi twisted it with all his might.
The ninja struggled frantically, his hands clawing wildly at the steel wire while his feet kicked continuously against the ground, but to no avail.
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Shang Qi's eyes. "Go to hell!" With a low shout, the steel wire tightened abruptly.
With a crisp "snap," the ninja's neck was instantly severed by the sharp steel wire. His head rolled onto the ground, and his body slumped limply.
Shang Qi stood beside the gradually cooling corpse, the short sword on his arm guard still dripping with blood, the crimson liquid pooling into a small puddle on the ground and exuding a foul scent of carnage.
His breathing was rapid and chaotic, and his heart hammered wildly in his chest as if it wanted to burst through his ribs.
At first, a trace of panic and bewilderment flickered in his eyes, but very soon, a bizarre sense of excitement surged into his heart like a roaring tide.
"What is wrong with me?"
When he had witnessed a ninja killing someone on the outskirts of Sunagakure earlier, Shang Qi had been so terrified that his legs went numb; yet this time, having committed his first murder with his own hands, every single pore of his body was actually cheering and leaping with excitement.
Perhaps this was the fear brought by inadequacy, yet when holding a sharp weapon, the intent to kill abruptly emerged.
This fierce battle also attracted the attention of nearby villagers, particularly the decapitated corpse lying on the ground, which sparked a wave of panic.
Shang Qi took a deep breath, trying hard to steady his emotions, and turned back toward the puppet-making workshop.
He was unsure why this attack had happened. As the target of the assault, Elder Chiyo ought to protect him.
Even so, just in case, Shang Qi needed to make thorough preparations.
He swiftly assembled five palm-sized spider puppets, dismantled the steel wire from his right arm guard, and concealed it inside the bellies of the spider puppets.
Once the assembly was finished, Shang Qi hid the spider puppets around the house and waited quietly.
When the door was pushed open, Shang Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it was not Elder Chiyo who had arrived, the person stepping through the door was indeed Akasuna Uchao.
"What is the deal with the corpse outside?" Akasuna Uchao asked.
"I was just getting ready to head home when that ninja suddenly attacked me, so I killed him," Shang Qi answered truthfully.
"Then it's fine. You just need to undergo an investigation," Akasuna Uchao comforted him.
"Could you help me look into what reason there might be for someone to attack me?"
"Rest assured, I will help you."
Even though he was the victim of an assault, because he had killed someone in broad daylight on the street, Shang Qi still had to be taken to the detention center for observation, and the arm guard used as the murder weapon was confiscated.