Chapter 121: Sniper Rifle At Work

The Land of Rain was a small, perpetually wet country where the rain rarely ceased. In the midst of the ongoing war, this land had become a battlefield for the major powers.

This morning was no different, with a steady drizzle coating the jungle of the Land of Rain. Through the wet trees, countless figures moved swiftly, wearing black raincoats. The sound of the rain hitting their cloaks was constant, but they ignored it, their focus entirely on their mission.

These were the puppet masters of Sunagakure, the Sand Ninja's elite unit. Their task was clear: to flank Konoha's forces and attack in coordination with their main army.

Puppet masters used a technique called "Puppet Jutsu", which involved controlling human-sized puppets with chakra threads. The strength of a puppet master depended on how many puppets they could control at once, but aside from a few elites, most puppet masters could only handle a single puppet.

Goji was one such puppet master, a member of the Sand Ninja army. Though this was his first time on an actual battlefield, he wasn't afraid. He had been on many dangerous missions before and was excited to be part of this large-scale operation. To him, this was an honor, especially because their captain, Po, was someone he deeply admired.

It was said that Captain Po could control two puppets at once, one for offense, one for defense, making him a formidable opponent.

"I love the weather in the Land of Rain," one of Goji's comrades commented, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Yeah, if it weren't for this kind of weather, Konoha's ninjas wouldn't be so easy to handle," another puppet master agreed.

"True. This rain might affect us a bit, but it definitely messes with Konoha's forces more."

"Hahaha, I bet Konoha's ninjas are going to suffer another loss today!"

Listening to his teammates, Goji smiled. They all knew how much puppets feared fire techniques, fire could ignite their wooden puppets and disperse the poisonous smoke many of their puppets emitted. But the constant rain neutralized most fire techniques, making it the perfect environment for them. Plus, Sunagakure's strength lay in Wind Style jutsu, which could easily overpower Fire Style techniques under these conditions.

The thought gave him confidence. With the weather on their side, and the protection offered by their puppets, Goji believed they could handle whatever Konoha threw at them.

"Focus, everyone," Captain Po's voice cut through their conversation. "We're nearing the canyon. Once we cross, we'll be in position for the ambush. Stay sharp."

The chatter died down as the puppet masters refocused, prepared to complete their mission.

*Whoosh!*

Suddenly, a soft sound sliced through the rain, and one of the puppet masters running ahead suddenly fell from the trees, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

He didn't move.

"Hey, Shu, what's wrong?" Captain Po called out, but before anyone could react—

*Whoosh!*

The same sound came again, and this time, Captain Po himself collapsed. He hit the ground, lifeless, his wide eyes staring blankly ahead. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself.

"Enemy attack!" one of the puppet masters yelled, but panic had already set in.

The remaining Sand Ninjas dove for cover, scrambling to understand what had just happened.

"What's going on? Who's attacking us?"

"I didn't see any enemies nearby!"

"Sensor ninja, hurry and find the enemy!"

"Right away!"

A sand ninja quickly knelt on the ground, pressing his hand into the mud as he extended his chakra to sense for enemies. Meanwhile, Goji, hiding behind a large rock, stared in horror at Captain Po's fallen body.

"How could this be happening?" he thought, panicked. "Captain Po had so much experience… How did he die without even knowing what hit him?"

---

Not far away, hidden behind a rocky outcrop, two Konoha ninjas lay flat on the ground, their raincoats blending in with the environment. The steady rain pattered down on their backs, but they didn't seem to notice. Their focus was entirely on the canyon ahead, 800 meters away.

Both wore wireless earpieces and had their Sharingan activated, their crimson eyes scanning the battlefield with a chilling intensity.

"That's two," one of them said quietly.

"Nice shot," the other replied, equally calm.

"Unbelievable, right?" Uchiha Dan grinned. "I never thought I'd say this, but Orochimaru's invention is incredible."

"Yeah," another voice chimed in. "I'm no fan of Orochimaru, but this thing is impressive."

A brief silence followed, as the next Uchiha lined up his shot.

"Yan, how's your side?"

"Don't worry, we're aiming now. The target… looks like a Sand Ninja puppet master. Goodbye."

*Bang!*

The soft crack of the sniper rifle was completely drowned out by the rain. A few moments later, the puppet master dropped dead, the same look of confusion and terror on his face as the others.

"Wow…" Uchiha Ji, lying beside Uchiha Dan, muttered as he looked through a monocular scope at the fallen Sand Ninja in the distance. "This is unreal! How is this even possible? We're hitting them from so far away, and they have no idea what's happening."

Beside him, Uchiha Fugaku, who had just taken down his own target, was equally astonished. His mind drifted back to the moment when Orochimaru first introduced them to this strange new weapon.

It had begun during their pre-mission briefing, when Orochimaru unveiled a long iron box. None of the Uchiha had any idea what it contained, but Orochimaru instructed them to activate their Sharingan, promising to reveal something that would revolutionize their battlefield tactics.

Curiosity mixed with skepticism filled the room as they watched Orochimaru assemble the contents. In less than a minute, he had constructed a sleek, one-meter-long rifle with a steel barrel, a tripod, a tenfold scope, and a trigger, something completely unfamiliar to them.

When Orochimaru claimed it could hit targets from 1000 meters away, the Uchiha were doubtful. However, their doubts were quickly dispelled when he aimed at a tree 800 meters in the distance and hit it with flawless precision.

----

An hour earlier

Orochimaru had opened the box, revealing several long, polished items unlike any ninja tools they had ever encountered.

"This," Orochimaru began, holding up one of the objects, "is a sniper rifle, designed for long-range precision strikes."

The room fell into stunned silence, the Uchiha members staring at the unusual weapon.

"What... is that?" Fugaku asked, his Sharingan activated as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

Orochimaru smirked. "With this, you'll be able to eliminate the enemy's puppet masters from a distance before they can even react."

He then demonstrated how to aim and adjust the sights. "Your Sharingan will enhance your precision. This rifle has been specifically modified for ninja use, allowing you to take out targets quietly and effectively from extreme distances."

The Uchiha watched in awe as Orochimaru showcased the rifle's capabilities.

"We'll split into two sniper teams of Ten," Orochimaru continued. "With these weapons and your Sharingan, we'll neutralize the puppet masters from afar. By the time the enemy realizes what's happening, their puppet army will be severely weakened."

Fugaku's eyes widened as the full potential of the plan became clear to him. "This... might actually work."

-----

Now, lying in the rain, taking down enemy puppet masters from extreme distances, they realized just how powerful this weapon was.

"Shin," Uchiha Dan said, his voice quiet but serious. "What did Orochimaru call this thing again?"

"A sniper rifle," Uchiha Shin replied, adjusting his aim.

"Ha, what a fitting name."

"Alright, no more talking," Uchiha Fugaku interrupted. "Focus on the mission. We need to take down as many of them as possible before they realize what's happening."

"Got it," the others replied in unison.

"Remember," Fugaku added, his voice steady. "The moment the enemy reveals themselves…"

*Bang!*

He watched through his scope as another Sand Ninja puppet master dropped to the ground, a perfect headshot.

"…we strike."