A violent surge of energy burst from Hattori Tatsuno's body, only to be quickly restrained. He looked at Haruto Saito before lowering his head and kneeling on one knee. "Greetings, my lord!"
"Do you remember who you are?" Haruto Saito asked first.
"I am my lord's retainer," Hattori Tatsuno replied.
"Can you recall anything from yesterday?" Haruto asked again.
"I was just born. There is no yesterday," Hattori Tatsuno answered.
Haruto nodded. It seemed this man had completely forgotten everything from before—or rather, he had become an entirely different person. It was possible that Hattori Tatsuno's soul had been erased, and the current version of him was a completely new being.
Physically, Hattori Tatsuno looked the same as before—same height, build, and aura. However, there was one notable difference: the resurrection sigil was still engraved on his forehead.
"You," Haruto pointed toward a distant mountain, "destroy that mountain."
"Yes!" Hattori Tatsuno accepted the command and instantly vanished.
Two breaths later, he appeared atop the mountain, swiftly forming hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Punishment Hammer!"
A massive surge of lightning struck the mountain, reducing it to dust, completely leveling it.
Immediately after, Hattori Tatsuno flickered back to Haruto Saito's side.
"Mission accomplished, my lord!" He knelt and reported.
Haruto nodded in satisfaction. Very good—very powerful. Hattori Tatsuno's strength had not diminished at all, and he followed orders without hesitation. However, his intelligence seemed dulled, his independent consciousness seemingly weak.
"System, besides combat, does Hattori Tatsuno still retain any other abilities? Like management skills? Also, how is his independent consciousness?" Haruto inquired internally.
"Ding! Answering the host: Hattori Tatsuno retains complete independent consciousness. However, because his memories were wiped, only his combat skills remain intact. All other abilities have been lost. But he can relearn them! He can quickly master skills such as literacy, arithmetic, logical reasoning, and intelligence analysis..."
"Good, that's a relief." Haruto sighed.
Hattori Tatsuno had once been a strategic advisor to the Mizukage. Beyond his combat prowess, he possessed exceptional leadership and military acumen.
If he had become nothing more than a mindless combat puppet, that would have been a terrible waste.
Fortunately, he could still learn.
"If I send him on solo missions, will he be able to handle them?" Haruto asked, feeling slightly uneasy. After all, puppets typically couldn't operate independently.
"After sufficient training, Hattori Tatsuno will regain the ability to execute independent missions. However, the host should note that, as a puppet retainer, his strength will decrease the further he is from the host. At extreme distances, his power could drop by up to 50%."
"Excellent." Haruto was pleased. He asked another question: "Can he die?"
"Yes! Although he is a puppet retainer, his nature is unique, and he can still die," the system spirit responded. "However, the host has unlocked the ability to construct a Resurrection Altar. If Hattori Tatsuno dies in battle, the host can use this altar to resurrect him."
"Oh, right! The Resurrection Altar!" Haruto suddenly remembered. He had unlocked this ability earlier as a hidden achievement but hadn't yet explored it.
"What exactly is the Resurrection Altar?" Haruto quickly asked.
"The Resurrection Altar is part of the Village Construction feature. The host can check its details independently."
"Oh?" Haruto blinked and quickly opened the system interface.
Under the Village Construction menu, a new option had indeed appeared—he could now build a structure called the 'Resurrection Altar.' This altar would allow Haruto to revive certain special entities, including puppet retainers. However, resurrection required spending Reputation Points.
It wasn't a free ability—revival came at a cost!
"Wait," Haruto had a sudden realization. "If I hadn't unlocked Village Construction but had still obtained my first puppet retainer, would I have still gained access to the Resurrection Altar?"
"No! Unlocking the Resurrection Altar requires two conditions: first, activating Village Construction; second, obtaining a puppet retainer for the first time. Without meeting both conditions, the hidden achievement would not be triggered."
"Understood." Haruto nodded and turned his gaze back to Hattori Tatsuno.
The man remained kneeling, motionless, as if waiting for orders. It wasn't that he lacked consciousness—it was just that his mind was currently blank. He didn't know what else he could or should do. His ability to think was limited.
This situation could be resolved with basic education.
Once Hattori Tatsuno learned more, he would behave like a normal person without any apparent abnormalities.
"Rise," Haruto commanded.
"Yes, my lord!" Hattori Tatsuno stood up.
"Hm… From now on, don't call me 'my lord.' Call me 'Haruto-sama.'"
"Yes, Haruto-sama!"
"And…" Haruto looked him up and down. His clothes were in tatters, barely covering him—an unsightly and unacceptable state.
"Change into this." Haruto retrieved a suitable outfit from his inventory and tossed it to him.
Hattori Tatsuno changed into the clothes, donned a black cloak, and assumed a mysterious appearance.
Haruto then focused on a marked kunai he had left with Kakuzu, confirming its location. He pointed eastward. "I'll head there first. Follow and meet me there immediately."
"Yes, Haruto-sama!"
"Good. I'm going now." With that, Haruto vanished.
Hattori Tatsuno became a blur as he dashed eastward.
---
A hundred kilometers east, a group of over ten people was swiftly moving through the dense forest.
Kakuzu, covered in blood, his eyes bloodshot, remained highly vigilant. Only twelve Root shinobi were left by his side.
Whoosh!
Haruto Saito appeared beside Kakuzu out of nowhere!
Kakuzu flinched in shock, nearly attacking Haruto before halting himself. Seeing Haruto's battle-worn, blood-stained clothes, he immediately asked, "How did it go? What about Hattori Tatsuno?"
His expression turned tense—Haruto had returned, but did that mean he had brought Hattori Tatsuno back as well?
"He's dead," Haruto said.
"What?!" Kakuzu exclaimed in shock.
"I'll explain later." Haruto waved him off and surveyed their surroundings. "What about them? The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?"
"They retreated! Three of them were seriously injured," Kakuzu quickly reported, still scanning the area warily. "But I can't guarantee they won't return for another attack…"
"I hope they do!" Haruto sounded almost disappointed.
The Seven Swordsmen had withdrawn because their comrades were critically wounded, robbing Haruto of the chance to finish them off.
Had they stayed, Haruto could have annihilated them with Hattori Tatsuno's assistance.
But they had fled!
Haruto then examined the remaining Root shinobi.
Three had died—only twelve remained, all wounded, as was Kakuzu. Clearly, they had endured a fierce battle.
"Let's go. This way!" Haruto commanded, motioning westward. He led the group, moving at high speed.
First, they needed to rendezvous with Hattori Tatsuno.