The world I hear is completely different from yours.

Sage Mode grants Tensei explosive power surpassing that of a Jonin for a short period, but due to her extremely poor physical attributes, even with enhancements, she's only at a near-Kage level, still far inferior to the Second Hokage, Second Raikage, and other major Kage. Furthermore, since Tensei currently lacks access to advanced ninjutsu, the amplification effect of Sage Chakra is largely meaningless. On the battlefield, near-Kage level strength only makes her a relatively important pawn; she still cannot determine victory. A large group of ninjas can simply overwhelm her.

The emergence of puppetry allowed Tensei to fill his last weakness, giving him the potential to influence the course of the battle. Recall the original descriptions: how did the Sand Village use puppeteers in the war? Puppet masters fought amongst ordinary ninjas, attacking together, releasing puppets to attack whenever they encountered an enemy—no wonder they were soundly defeated by Konoha.

Why must puppets be humanoid? Why can't they be made into exoskeletons to protect ninjas? Why can't they be made into tank-like mechanical monsters with a puppeteer inside? Why can't they be made into transport planes that fly through the air? In the original work, the puppets could all fly! Furthermore, with the support of large barriers and chakra, why can't puppets be made into Gundams?

Hundreds upon hundreds of Gundams roared down from the sky, launching countless self-destructing puppets for carpet bombing. Given the limited anti-air capabilities in the original work, apart from a few powerful figures like Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and Pain, the remaining 99% of ninjas could only be utterly crushed and defeated.

The only explanation Tianqing can offer is that there are very few puppeteers in the Sand Village, making it impossible to form a complete puppet army. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain the Sand Ninja's performance in actual combat in the original work.

Since you Sand Village don't use them, then I will. Just imagine, years from now, every Konoha ninja has a mecha, and Naruto and Sasuke are piloting mechas and exchanging blows—that scene would be pretty cool.

Moreover, for Tian Qing, by talking to the puppet, she can easily learn how the puppet is made, quickly master how to operate it, and become a high-level puppeteer in a short time and use it in actual combat.

After a few days of rest, Sarutobi Aoyama led the much-recovered 308 Squad on their way back. Along the way, Sarutobi Aoyama and Uchiha Haruno looked at Tian Qing with strange expressions. A small monkey puppet with a large head and a small body, no bigger than a palm, was perched on the girl's left shoulder, swaying left and right from time to time.

"What's wrong with the weather?" Hinata Kagetsu, though blind, vaguely sensed the strange atmosphere in the team and asked.

"During the past few days of repairing puppets, I've felt that I'm quite suited to be a puppeteer, so I made this little monkey. Its name is Sanzang. I hope everyone will give me lots of guidance in the future."

The little monkey puppet nodded to everyone, as if in greeting.

The three were speechless: "Isn't this puppet still controlled by you? What do you mean by making this puppet nod and bow separately? I remember the Konoha Research Department once published a report saying that most puppeteers have psychological problems such as split personality because they often engage in role-playing. Now it seems to make a lot of sense."

Chapter Sixteen: Methods

The Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.

Kinkaku was reading letters from other ninja clans in his office. The Second Raikage was still at the front lines, planning to lead the main force of Kumogakure back to the Land of Lightning. Taking advantage of the Second Raikage's absence, Kinkaku frequently visited the various ninja clan headquarters in Kumogakure, contacting those ninjas who opposed the ceasefire with Konoha, preparing to unite and pressure the Raikage to continue the war against Konoha.

“Brother,” Silver Horn walked in, “I just received news that the mercenaries failed, but the Konoha team is still alive.”

"What? Isn't there a skilled mercenary named Kakuzu? How could he have failed?"

"The Second Hokage actually sent a group of Anbu to follow the team. Kakuzu was seriously injured after killing the Anbu, so he didn't make a move."

"A bunch of useless trash!" Jinjiao slammed the letter in his hand onto the table.

"Should we send another group of mercenaries? The Anbu is gone; we'll definitely be able to take out the Konoha squad this time!"

Just as Kinkaku was about to say something, a ninja rushed into the office and stammered, "It's terrible, Lord Kinkaku! Lord Raikage has just returned to the village!"

"What!" Jinjiao immediately disregarded everything else and grabbed the ninja: "How come so fast? Didn't the main force just set off for the village a few days ago?"

"For some reason, Lord Raikage suddenly led a group of elite subordinates, broke away from the main force, and traveled back to the village overnight!"

"Traveling through the night?" Kinkaku released the ninja and muttered to himself, "He sensed something was wrong after learning about my actions in the village? He realized that the forces opposing the ceasefire in the village were about to unite, so he immediately returned to the village to suppress them? As expected of the Second Raikage, his political acumen is truly outstanding!"

"Brother, what should we do?" Silver Horn asked anxiously.

"Don't panic. The Second Raikage returned in such a hurry that he must have brought only a small number of people. Let's immediately contact the Hiyori, Jigen, and other ninja clans that we contacted beforehand, and put pressure on the Raikage together before the main force arrives!"

"Something terrible has happened, Lord Golden Horn!" Several more ninjas rushed into the office.

Jinjiao recognized those ninjas; they were the liaison ambassadors he had previously sent to the Feirong, Dici, and other ninja clans.

"What's going on?" Jinjiao asked.

"It was Lord Raikage. Before returning to the village, he went to the garrisons of various ninja clans and said that the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails had gone berserk. He then transferred a large number of ninjas from various clans to leave the village to suppress the tailed beasts and detained us. We were only released after the Raikage returned to the village."

"What!" Kinkaku exclaimed in shock. "The Second Raikage is quite cunning! By using the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails, he directly diverted the ninjas who opposed the ceasefire to suppress the Tailed Beasts. Now, there is no force in the village that can directly confront the Raikage's people! After signing the ceasefire agreement with Konoha, the die will be cast, and the ninja clans that opposed the ceasefire will have no choice but to accept it."

"Then what should we do? Should we just stop fighting like this?" Silver Horn asked.

"Of course not," Jinjiao said coldly. "The blood we shed before cannot be shed in vain! We still have a chance. Yinjiao, you lead the remaining mercenaries and, together with Jinjiao's forces, hide under the guise of a mission, prepare for battle, and await my orders. Everyone else, disperse, cease all operations, and do not let the Raikage notice. As for that Konoha squad, consider them lucky; I'll let them go for now. Do you all understand?"

"Yes!" everyone nodded and then left.

Chapter Seventeen: Returning to the Village and the Verbal Battle

The 308th Squad's subsequent operations proceeded smoothly, encountering no other enemies along the way, much to the relief of Tianqing and her companions. Upon entering the Land of Lightning, they were successfully escorted into the Hidden Cloud Village by the Cloud Ninja who came to meet them, and met the Raikage. After watching Sarutobi Aoyama exchange documents with the Raikage's advisor and set the travel dates for the Second Hokage, the 308th Squad embarked on their journey back to Konoha.

The closer they got to Konoha, the more somber the mood became within the team. No one wanted to speak the rest of the way. Especially Hyuga Kagetsu; although she forced a smile, everyone could see her frustration and unease in her actions. Uchiha Haruno's face was grim; he would occasionally glance up at Kagetsu, then look down at his right arm, which was in a cast. Ameharu held Sanzang in his hands, the man and puppet staring at each other, constantly honing his puppetry skills, occasionally glancing at his two teammates with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Upon entering Konoha Village, Sarutobi Aoyama signaled that the team's mission was complete and they could disband and return home. He then used a Body Flicker Technique to leave and report to the Second Hokage. However, the other three members of Squad 308 remained standing in place, as if waiting for something.

Soon, a group of Hyuga ninjas walked over from one side of the street. The middle-aged Hyuga ninja at the head looked at Hyuga Kagetsu with a blank expression: "Kagetsu, it's me. I've come to take you back."

“Okay, Uncle Sora,” Hinata Kagetsu nodded, preparing to follow them back.

At the same time, a group of Uchiha ninjas walked over from the other side of the street: "Uchiha Haruno, come back with us, the Grand Elder wants to see you."

Uchiha Haruno glanced at his clansmen, gritted his teeth, and turned to Hyuga Kagetsu—his longtime comrade-in-arms who had gone through thick and thin with him—and called out, "Kagetsu, can I visit you at your house later?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere froze, and the expressions of the Uchiha and Hyuga clansmen instantly changed. The competition between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans was already close to a fever pitch, with tensions running high, only prevented from escalating into a full-blown fight thanks to the Hokage's influence. And now, an Uchiha was actually saying he wanted to visit a Hyuga ninja at their base?

Just as Hyuga Kusui was about to object, Hyuga Kagetsu turned around, a genuine smile on his face for the first time: "Of course, Haruno, I'll be waiting for you at home."

Hyuga Kusui glared at Hyuga Kagetsu, his face a mixture of surprise and anger. However, in this situation, he dared not say anything such as forbidding Uchiha from visiting or that the Hyuga clan did not welcome Uchiha. He could only politely decline: "Uchiha Haruno, I am glad to see your concern for Hyuga Kagetsu. However, our clan's residence is currently under renovation and is not suitable for outsiders to visit. I will invite you another time when there is an opportunity."

However, everyone knew in their hearts that regardless of whether the base was under renovation or not, there would be no more invitations in the future.

At this moment, Uchiha Meishi, the leader of the Uchiha clan, also spoke up: "Hano, since it's inconvenient for them, don't bother them. Go back quickly, the Grand Elder still has a task for you."

Uchiha Haruno looked at his clansmen, speechless. He feared that once he returned to the Uchiha camp, he would be constantly on missions and would never have time to come out again.

At this moment, Tianqing spoke up: "Huoyue, it's not good to always stay at home. Didn't you say you'd go shopping with me? And Yuanye, as a member of the Konoha ninja team, you have to come with me too!"

Uchiha Haruno and Hyuga Kagetsu were overjoyed when they heard this. "That's right, you used the excuse of renovating the base. We've been out for a while now, haven't we?"

The Hyuga and Uchiha clansmen stared coldly at Tianqing. They had completely ignored this commoner ninja before, but they didn't expect her to dare to speak under such circumstances. Didn't she know the consequences of offending two major Konoha ninja clans at the same time?

"What?" Tian Qing smiled slightly, looking puzzled. "What does it have to do with you middle-aged men if young people go shopping?"

Chapter Eighteen Rewards

"Haha, she's right!" a voice interjected.

"Hokage-sama?" Everyone turned around and saw that it was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!

Tobirama Senju nodded: "Tenjiro is right. It's not our business for middle-aged people like us to go shopping. After all, it's a task that should be assigned to the same team, right? Elder Uchiha Meishi? Elder Hyuga Kusui?"

Since the Hokage had spoken, Uchiha Meiseki and Hyuga Kusui had no choice but to nod in agreement and dare not voice any further objections.

"Well then, I'll come to the base to find you guys in a few days," Tianqing said to Uchiha Haruno and Hyuga Kagetsu.

"Mmm." "Okay."

In truth, all three knew that Hyuga Kagetsu would leave Team 308 after losing his sight, and with Kagetsu's departure, Uchiha Haruno would also cease to remain with Team 308. It seemed the three would never have the chance to perform missions together again. However, none of them wanted to abandon the friendship they had built, the bond forged through shared life and death.

Watching Uchiha Haruno and Hyuga Kagetsu walk away, Senju Tobirama spoke up: "Tenqing, what you said earlier was very good."

"Lord Hokage, I was just telling the truth. We are all ninjas from Konoha, isn't it normal for us to travel together?"

"Oh?" Tobirama Senju looked at Tensei, somewhat surprised by her answer. Konoha hadn't been established for very long, and there weren't many ninjas who felt a sense of belonging to Konoha.

"Lord Hokage, I'm serious," Tian Qing said solemnly. Of course, anyone who has read the original work would agree.

Tobirama Senju looked at Tenharu and, after confirming that what she said was indeed true, said approvingly, "Tenharu, it's excellent that you have this mindset. Konoha will be proud of you. Keep up the good work."

After watching Tobirama Senju leave, Amemori quietly went home. Only Sanzang bounced on her shoulder, exclaiming, "Yay! The plan to show loyalty to the leader was a huge success! With your combat prowess during the mission and your current display of loyalty to Konoha, the Hokage will have to show some appreciation, right?"

As it turns out, Tobirama Senju was indeed a decisive and efficient person.

That evening, while Tianqing was carving a puppet in her room, a member of the Anbu wearing a fox mask walked in: "Tianqing, are you interested in joining the Anbu?"

The Anbu, officially known as the "Assassination Tactics Special Forces," is a special organization established by the Second Hokage. Anbu members are selected elite ninjas from the villages, primarily tasked with protecting the Kage and preventing enemy intrusions. They are also sometimes responsible for reconnaissance and assassinations, all of which are highly challenging missions. Due to the nature of their missions, members wear white masks that mimic animal forms, and all mission details and other information are kept strictly confidential. The Anbu is an armed force directly under the Hokage; all orders are issued by the Kage. The unit is divided into multiple four- or five-person squads, with squad leaders relaying orders and leading mission execution. Members are referred to by code names during missions.

The above is an introduction to the Dark Side from the original work.

Tobirama Senju's meaning was clear: Tensei was willing to contribute to Konoha, support the Konoha leadership centered on the Hokage, and maintain Konoha's peace and integrity. At the same time, he himself had certain potential, so naturally he should be recruited into the Hokage's direct Anbu for further training and development.

"I'd be happy to." Tian Qing nodded. Joining the Anbu meant he was one step closer to becoming the Third Hokage. When he became the Third Hokage, that Demon Egg that had been feigning death should finally appear, right?

Chapter Nineteen Report

"Name?"

"The sky is clear."

"Huh?" The ninja in charge of registration was a little surprised, but didn't say much, assuming that Tianqing didn't want to reveal her surname, so she only gave her name.

Which mask would you like to choose?

Tianqing handed over a piece of paper with a pattern drawn on it: "I guess you don't have this here, so make one according to my pattern."

The other person stared blankly at the design. The mask had a pale white background, patterns painted on its face, and a pair of horns on its head. They couldn't help but ask, "What animal is this mask made of? A bison?"

"Isn't Ichigo's Hollow mask cool?" Tianqing asked expectantly.

"Uh, so what's your codename?" The other person clearly didn't want to share their thoughts, so they abruptly changed the subject.

"Empty".

"Alright, welcome to the Anbu, Xu. Your mask and uniform will be delivered to your home shortly. Also, since you requested to work alone in a team, you must complete your first mission alone. Now you can go back." The other party clearly didn't intend to say anything more to Tian Qing and waved him away.

"Then goodbye," Tian Qing waved with a smile, not caring at all about the other party's cold attitude, because the other party's headband had already explained: "Because you are an Anbu appointed by the Hokage, you joined the Anbu directly without having to undergo a strength test. They felt it was unfair, so they wanted to give the newcomer a hard time."

In front of Kage-level powerhouses like Tobirama Senju, she dared not use her mental power to listen, because the keen senses of Kage-level powerhouses could more or less detect mental power; or if the opponent was a high-level sensory ninja specializing in perception, Ame would still have some reservations, but in front of ordinary Anbu, Ame had no reservations at all.

The Anbu were incredibly efficient. When Tianqing finished lunch, a bull-headed Hollow mask and a uniform were already laid out on her desk. But Tianqing was dissatisfied. Honestly, couldn't these ninjas just deliver things normally? Did they have no sense of privacy? Could they just barge into a girl's room like that? After carefully checking the small mechanisms set up in the room and confirming that they hadn't done anything beyond delivering the items, Tianqing finally picked up the mission scroll.

After telling her adoptive parents that she was going out on a mission, Tian Qing left home.

A girl with long black hair, dressed in white and wearing wooden clogs, walked happily down the street with a small monkey perched on her shoulder. She casually turned into a deserted alley, a private hideout assigned to her by the secret service. This was a convenient place for her to change clothes and prevent others from discovering her true identity and endangering her family.

"Sage Art - Swift Clothing Change Technique!" Tianqing muttered her self-created name as she changed into a black uniform, put on a bull-headed Hollow mask, and donned a black cloak, leaving Sanzang at the base. After all, having a puppet monkey perched on her shoulder was too easily recognizable. When she walked out of the base through the other exit, the Chunin named Tianqing had disappeared, and now only the Anbu member named "Hollow" remained.

The first mission was to eliminate a rogue ninja. However, it seemed that the ANBU leader who assigned the mission simply wanted to test Tensei's combat abilities, so the intelligence clearly stated the target's location: a cave within the Land of Fire.

Half a day later, Tian Qing found her target. But it wasn't just one person, but a group. This rogue ninja had actually led more than a dozen rogue ninjas to form a small raiding gang. They had probably just pulled off a heist, because the group was eating and drinking heartily in the camp.

"There are 3 sentries on the outer perimeter and 9 inside the camp. I haven't seen the target; they should be in a cave inside the camp." Tian Qing estimated the enemy's strength, stood up, and walked towards the camp.

Chapter Twenty: The Puppet Master in Close Combat (Part 1)

On a high mountain on the other side of the camp, two secret agents were observing the situation. Since Tian Qing had requested to undertake the mission alone, they were sent as witnesses to ensure she was indeed alone and to provide timely assistance should she be outmatched.

"She just walked out like that? No feints or any ranged ninjutsu to wear her down?" the ANBU member wearing the cat-face mask said in surprise. "Is this newbie so confident in her close combat skills?"

"Maybe it's just the arrogance of a newbie. Lately, all the kids have been acting so disrespectfully," said another member of the Anbu wearing a monkey-face mask.

Tian Qing slowly took a few steps, and just as she was about to enter the enemy sentry's field of vision, she tore open the scroll and shouted, "Quick Sage Mode!"

With a powerful push, Tian Qing's feet left deep footprints on the ground. The enormous recoil bounced back from the ground with a "bang!" Tian Qing's body flew out like a cannonball, her cloak billowing out, making her look like a strange bird gliding across the ground.

"Enemy attack!!" Several sentries quickly sounded the alarm and then began to form hand seals. At the current clear weather, it would take about three seconds to rush to the camp. The hand seal speed of these rogue ninjas was exactly the time required for a round of ranged ninjutsu attack.

However, halfway through, Ame raised her hand and shot out her chakra threads!