Sakumo was going to land of Sand with Emumi Uzumaki following. "I can't believe they're sending ten year old Genin to the front." Emumi growled.

She started yelling. "First you white haired geezer I'm thirteen! Secondly I have faught in this war for three years now. And lastly I have faced A the third Raikage and came back alive so don't treat me like a genin!"

Sakumo chuckled, feigning offense. "I may have grey hair, but I assure you, I'm still quite sprightly for my age. Why, my little Kakashi is only four years old and already giving me a run for my money." He winked at Emumi, his visible eye crinkling with amusement.

Emumi smirked. "Than I better make sure you don't break your hip."

Sakumo landed on the sand softly, his feet barely leaving an imprint on the dunes. Emumi landed behind him, the grains kicking up a small cloud around her ankles.

"Is it true Suna uses puppets? Reminds me of my sis," she said, squinting against the glare of the sun.

Sakumo nodded, adjusting the pack on his back. "Indeed, the Puppet Brigade is one of Suna's most formidable forces. Your sister must be quite skilled to bring them to mind."

"She could animate them with a seal and move it with her thoughts," Emumi said, her expression growing wistful. "I remember watching her practice when we were kids. The way the puppets danced and fought with such grace and precision, it was mesmerizing."

Sakumo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's quite an impressive skill. I've heard tales of the Puppet Brigade's prowess, but to control them with mere thoughts is extraordinary."

Emumi kicked at the sand, her expression darkening. "Yeah, well, she took it to her grave, the greedy bitch." She spat on the ground, jaw clenched. "All that power, and she couldn't be bothered to share it with her own family."

Sakumo nodded, his expression somber. "There's no worth being angry at the dead. The pain they caused lingers, but holding onto bitterness only poisons our own hearts."

Emumi's shoulders slumped, and she released a heavy sigh. "You're right. It's just..." She trailed off, her gaze distant. "We were so close once. Sisters, best friends. I never imagined she'd leave me behind like that."

Sakumo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The bonds of family are complex and often strained. But the love remains, even when the path diverges."

Emumi managed a small smile, appreciating his wisdom. "Let's get to the meeting point before they think we're dead."

They set off across the dunes, the sand shifting beneath their feet. Sakumo kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, his senses alert for any sign of danger.

As Sakumo and Emumi approached the meeting point, an eerie silence hung in the air. Lifeless bodies littered the sand, their eyes wide and unseeing.

"What happened here?" Emumi whispered, her voice trembling with shock.

Sakumo crouched beside one of the fallen shinobi, his fingers ghosting over the man's neck in search of a pulse. "They're all dead," he muttered grimly. "We need to proceed with caution."

Emumi nodded, her stance tense as she scanned their surroundings. A slight disturbance in the sand caught her eye, and she tensed. "Sakumo, look out!"

A puppet burst forth from the dunes, its limbs whirring with deadly precision. Before Sakumo could react, a volley of poison needles shot towards Emumi, piercing her skin. She gasped as a sickly purple hue spread across her flesh, but her eyes remained determined.

Emumi pointed at the puppet and an adamantine chain burst from the back of her arm, coiling around the menacing construct and ripping it apart with a sharp tug. Once the threat was neutralized, she glanced down at her arm, relief washing over her as the sickly purple hue slowly faded, her skin returning to its normal color.

More puppets rose from the sand, their wooden limbs clacking ominously as they advanced. Sakumo sprang into action, his renowned White Fang flashing in the desert sun as he charged forward. With a series of precise strikes, he decapitated the puppeteer, their head rolling across the dunes as the lifeless puppets clattered to the ground.

"Impressive work," Sakumo acknowledged, his gaze sweeping over the fallen foes. "Your adamantine chains are a formidable weapon."

Emumi nodded, flexing her fingers as the chain retracted into her arm. "Thanks. It's a unique ability passed down through my clan." She kicked at the remnants of a puppet, her brow furrowed.

Emumi surveyed the broken puppet pieces scattered across the sand. "Okay, where do they get the wood for their puppets? I mean, there isn't a forest in the desert!"

Sakumo sheathed his White Fang, his visible eye crinkling thoughtfully. "Near an oasis, perhaps? Or they may have trade routes to acquire the materials from neighboring lands."

Emumi crouched down, running her fingers over the intricately carved wood. "These are masterfully crafted. Not something a mere woodcarver could produce." She glanced up at Sakumo. "You think they have a specialized craftsman dedicated to puppet-making?"

Sakumo nodded. "It's likely. The Puppet Brigade is one of Suna's most elite forces. They wouldn't entrust the construction of their weapons to just anyone."

Emumi closed her eyes, allowing her senses to expand outward, her chakra reaching out like tendrils into the surrounding desert. A frown creased her brow as she detected eight distinct chakra signatures rapidly closing in on their position.

"We're surrounded," she murmured, her eyes snapping open. "Eight other shinobi are heading this way. They're puppeteers."

Sakumo's expression hardened, his visible eye narrowing as he surveyed their surroundings. "Emumi, you take care of the puppets. I'll handle the puppeteers."

Emumi nodded, her fingers flexing as she prepared for battle. "Got it. Just don't let them outmaneuver you with those damned dolls."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a hail of kunai rained down upon them, the blades whistling through the air with deadly precision. Sakumo deftly deflected them with his White Fang, his movements a blur of silver and steel.

Sixteen puppets surged forth from the dunes, their wooden limbs clacking ominously as they zeroed in on Sakumo and Emumi. The Uzumaki kunoichi's eyes narrowed, her fingers flashing through a series of hand signs. "Wind Release: Flesh Tearing Gust!"

A violent whirlwind erupted from her lips, the razor-sharp blades of air shredding through four of the puppets, sending fragments of wood and scraps of cloth spiraling across the sand. Sakumo seized the opening, his White Fang flashing as he charged toward the puppeteers, weaving through the remaining puppets with fluid grace.

Emumi's hands blurred once more, her chakra crackling with electric fury. "Lightning Release: Chained Raijin!" Five adamantine chains burst forth, coiling around the advancing puppets with blinding speed. Arcs of lightning danced across the chains, scorching the puppets until they crumbled to ash.

The puppeteers unleashed a hail of kunai, the blades whistling through the air with deadly intent. Sakumo deflected them with ease, his sword a whirlwind of steel as he closed in on the enemy shinobi. One puppeteer attempted to retreat, his fingers working furiously to manipulate his remaining puppet, but Sakumo was relentless.

With a precise strike, he severed the chakra strings, rendering the puppet lifeless. The puppeteer's eyes widened in terror as Sakumo's blade swept toward his throat.

Emumi panted, her hands resting on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. "I can't believe we made it out of that alive." Her eyes widened as she studied Sakumo, taking in his calm demeanor and the ease with which he carried himself. "It's true, you're stronger than the Sannin."

Sakumo chuckled, sheathing his White Fang. "Oh no, I'm just your average Jōnin." He offered her a warm smile, his visible eye crinkling with amusement. "Those puppeteers were formidable opponents, but they underestimated the power of teamwork."Sakumo decided to ask, "Are you alright?"

Emumi nodded, heaving for breath. "Yeah, just combining a chakra nature with my chains takes a lot of chakra at once." She wiped the sweat from her brow, her lips curling into a weary smile. "But it's worth it to see those puppets turned to kindling."

Sakumo surveyed the carnage around them, his gaze lingering on the bloodied sand and splintered remains of the puppets. "We'd better head back to Konoha," he murmured, his tone grim. "The longer we linger, the more likely we'll attract unwanted attention."

Emumi's expression hardened, her fingers flexing instinctively as she prepared for another potential attack. "You're right. We've caused enough of a ruckus here." She cast a wary glance around the dunes, her senses alert for any sign of movement.

As they began to retrace their steps, Emumi's brow furrowed in contemplation. "I can't help but wonder about those puppets," she mused aloud. "They were remarkably well-crafted, far beyond the skill of a mere woodcarver."

Sakumo nodded, his visible eye creasing with intrigue. "Indeed. Suna's Puppet Brigade is renowned for their artistry and ingenuity. It's likely they have specialized craftsmen dedicated solely to puppet-making."

Emumi sighed, kicking up a small cloud of sand as they trudged across the dunes. "My sister was a horrible craftsman, despite our parents' efforts."

Sakumo glanced at her, intrigued. "I sense there's a story there."

Emumi's expression grew wistful, her eyes distant as memories resurfaced. "Our parents were artisans – my mother a skilled woodworker, and my father a master blacksmith. They poured their hearts into their crafts, creating beautiful works of art."

She chuckled, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "Me and Kuki, on the other hand, had zero talent for it. We were shinobi through and through, drawn to the thrill of battle and the rush of chakra coursing through our veins."

Sakumo nodded, his visible eye crinkling with understanding. "The path of a shinobi is not for everyone."

"True," Emumi conceded. "But Kuki, she loved helping our parents when she could. She found solace in the rhythmic motions of carving wood or hammering steel."

A faint smile graced her features as she recalled those simpler times. "When she first heard of puppetry, it was like a spark ignited within her. She saw an opportunity to combine her love for our parents' crafts with her shinobi skills."

Emumi's expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "She threw herself into it with an obsessive fervor, spending every waking hour crafting and manipulating her puppets."

Emumi sighed, her brow furrowing as she recalled her sister's struggles. "Kuki was a master at crafting the puppets themselves, but when it came to creating and manipulating the chakra strings, she was hopeless."

Sakumo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Truly? That's quite unusual for someone so devoted to the art."

Emumi nodded, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "She would spend hours, days even, meticulously carving and assembling each puppet, imbuing them with intricate mechanisms and deadly traps. But the moment she tried to control them with chakra strings, it was like her fingers turned to lead."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I remember watching her in frustration, the puppets lying in a tangled mess at her feet while she cursed and swore like a sailor."

Sakumo couldn't help but join in her amusement, his visible eye crinkling with mirth. "I can only imagine the scene."

Emumi's eyes lit up as she recalled her sister's breakthrough. "Ah, yes! Kuki was so frustrated with the chakra strings, she was determined to find another way. Night after night, she pored over scrolls and texts, searching for any technique that could bridge the gap between her craftsmanship and her shinobi skills."

She grinned, a mixture of pride and nostalgia washing over her. "And then, one day, it hit her – a seal that could imbue the puppets with her own chakra, allowing her to control them with her thoughts alone. No strings, no hand signs, just pure mental command."

Sakumo's visible eye widened in amazement. "That's extraordinary! To manipulate puppets with such precision using only her mind... I can scarcely fathom the level of skill and concentration required."

Emumi nodded, her expression growing somber. "It was a technique years ahead of its time. Kuki was ecstatic, convinced her discovery would revolutionize puppetry forever. She spent months perfecting it, meticulously crafting each seal and puppet to work in perfect harmony."

A wistful sigh escaped her lips. "But she was possessive of her art, unwilling to share her secrets with anyone outside our family. She confided the technique to our parents, and for a time, they reveled in her genius together."

Her jaw clenched, bitterness seeping into her tone. "But then Uzushiogakure fell, and they all perished, taking Kuki's groundbreaking technique with them to the grave."

Sakumo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his expression solemn. "I'm sorry, Emumi. To have such a revolutionary discovery lost to the ravages of war is a tragedy."

Emumi shook her head, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "Don't be. Kuki was always a stubborn, secretive thing. Even if she had lived, she likely would have guarded her technique jealously, never sharing it with the world."

She glanced up at the vast expanse of desert surrounding them, her eyes squinting against the glare of the sun. "Sometimes I wonder what could have been if she'd been more open, more willing to collaborate and share her knowledge. Maybe puppetry would have taken an entirely different path."

Sakumo joked. "I Imagine those puppeteer would have slain us instantly back there if they had that technique."

Emumi let out a derisive snort. "If they had my sister's technique, we wouldn't have stood a chance. Those puppets would have been a thousand times deadlier, moving with the precision and fluidity of human limbs." She shook her head, her expression somber. "No, we were fortunate they lacked that level of control."

Sakumo's brow furrowed as he considered the implications. "You're right. The ability to manipulate those puppets with mere thoughts is a terrifying prospect." He glanced around the desolate dunes, his visible eye narrowing.

Emumi snorted. "She called it the 'Mind Animating Seal'. It was a stupid name, honestly. The seal itself might still exist somewhere in the rubble of Uzushio."

Sakumo's visible eye widened. "You think there's a chance her technique survived the destruction?"

Emumi shrugged, her expression pensive. "It's possible. Kuki kept meticulous notes and records of her work. If any scrolls or artifacts made it through, her seals might be preserved."

A glimmer of hope flickered in Sakumo's gaze. "That's remarkable. If you could recover those seals, imagine the potential – a whole new era of puppetry could emerge."

Sakumo chuckled, his visible eye crinkling with amusement. "I can only imagine the frustration of deciphering her notes."

Emumi rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Oh, you have no idea. It's like she intentionally made her writing as indecipherable as possible." She held up her hands, mimicking the act of frantically scribbling. "Loops and squiggles everywhere, with random symbols scattered throughout. And don't even get me started on her shorthand!"

Sakumo raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Shorthand?"

"Yeah," Emumi huffed, kicking up a small cloud of sand as they walked. "Instead of using proper words, she'd create her own symbols and abbreviations. Like, a little swirl would stand for 'chakra', and a squiggly line meant 'seal'. It was maddening trying to decipher her scribblings."

She shook her head, a wry grin tugging at her lips. "I remember spending hours hunched over her journals, squinting at the pages and cross-referencing her messy scrawls against other notes. Half the time, I couldn't even tell if I was reading about her puppetry techniques or her grocery lists."

Sakumo nodded, his visible eye crinkling with understanding. "Indeed, it seems your sister's legacy may yet live on, even if she herself is gone."

Emumi's expression grew contemplative as she considered his words. "You know, you're right. Kuki's techniques, her meticulous notes and research – it's all that remains of her. A piece of her spirit, preserved in ink and parchment." A faint smile tugged at her lips, a glimmer of determination shining in her eyes. "If I can decipher her scribblings and unravel the secrets of her Mind Animating Seal, it would be like breathing new life into her work."

Athors note: Yea this is all set up for the fourth shinobi war, so expect multiple uzumaki playing support, destroying seals or unsealing captured opponents.