Um idk if requests are still open but headcanons for the puppet corps??? If you haven't already
How one goes about applying/being scouted for puppet corp, the deal with the face paint ans what certain markings mean...things like that
Sorry it took so long to respond, we surprisingly hadn't thought much about the Puppet Corps/Brigade, but I hope you enjoy our headcanons for it!
The first user of the Puppet Technique is said to be Monzaemon Chikamatsu, as he took what was formerly used for entertainment purposes and applied it to battle. You may be told that the Ōtsutsuki clan was actually the first to develop this technique; however, we at Daily Suna believe differently. The Ōtsutsuki used genjutsu to communicate with and control automatons, automatic puppets while Monzaemon Chikamatsu's Puppet Technique makes use of chakra strings to control the puppets. This clearly shows that while the Ōtsutsuki may have been they first to use puppets, Chikamatsu was the inventor of the Puppet Technique, a shinobi technique we really only see those in the Land of Wind using. Now, there is actually an even more apparent difference between the two techniques. Automatic puppets are said to be scientific ninja tools, but in Sunagakure, puppets could be categorized more as an artistic ninja tool.
To the people of Suna, puppetry is a work of art, a creative endeavor that transcends simple use in battle. The puppets of Suna are meant to both be beautiful and creative as well as functional. It is because the Puppet Technique descended from puppets used for entertainment that the people of Suna see it this way. That is also why there is a puppet workshop that can be found in Suna. This workshop belongs to no specific shinobi and is rather more of a government establishment that any Suna ninja who utilizes puppets may go to work on maintaining, repairing and building puppets. Not every shinobi has a space for a personal work station after all. This facility contains all the tools you could imagine a puppeteer could wish for and then some. It also comes fully stocked with staff members who, while not necessarily being ninja themselves, know the tools and the workshop space like the backs of their hands. They are there to assist puppeteers with whatever they need but also help to produce the government issued puppets members of the Puppet Brigade get when joining. These puppets are less artistic, and are more so mass produced to serve a specific purpose; however, anyone in the corps would likely already own at least one puppet. Thus, the puppets built by the workshop staff serve as backups and can also be used for specific mission purposes, as they are designed as a basic tool for the job.
So those in the corps already own puppets? Why yes, it would only make sense for them too. The Puppet Brigade is a specialized and elite force in Sunagakure where shinobi who specialize in puppetry may apply to. Those in the corps are assigned to specific battalions or non fighting related teams such as a bomb squad and a research team. All shinobi who are accepted go through training so they may be fully prepared for what role they are given, but such a specialized force cannot train people from scratch. For one to apply to be a member of this elite team, they must first meet a few requirements.
First, they must have the status as a chunin. Those of the genin level would simply be too young and inexperienced to have the necessary skills of a brigade member. Thus, once one has become a chunin, they have attained a certain level of experience, knowledge and skill. Once they have attained this needed skill, they can apply to the Puppet Brigade and upon acceptance would be given training to enhance and boost their current skill level.
Second, not just any chunin can apply to the Puppet Corps and be accepted. One must be skillful and knowledgeable about puppets. As puppetry is a prominent technique in Sunagakure, teachers at the academy as well as any who oversee genin are trained to keep a watchful eye for any students who show an interest in puppetry and/or skill in chakra manipulation and control. When such a kid is spotted, the teachers will guide them towards the path of becoming a shinobi who uses the Puppet Technique. Thus, by the time these children are chunin, they will have already trained to have skill in puppetry.
Not all those who use puppets enter the brigade, as we see with Kankuro who is technically not a member, but any shinobi in Sunagakure who does use the technique will be familiar with, and on occasion work with, the Puppet corps. As the corps is separated into different teams, Chiyo herself would have once been on the research team, solo puppeteers would likely interact with different teams and battalions depended on how they were needed. It wouldn't be odd for them to join on a mission if a specific skillset they had was needed or if a battalion is unable to find a substitute for a sick member within the corps. It also would not be odd for them to assist in research or to aid the so called bomb squad when there was a threat to Sunagakure. In addition, they would likely run into each other in the workshop. Members of the brigade can submit their issued puppets to be repaired, maintained, or even to have a completely new one, created by the staff in the workshop, but they would likely work on any personal puppets, or they may even wish to modify their issued ones in some fashion. Even if they do not all belong to the Puppet Corps, they all have enough knowledge and training to work well with one another if necessary.
Now, puppets are very versatile tools which means the Puppet Brigade can be deployed on just about any mission, from assassinations to infiltrations, to escorting an important person. This means the Puppet Brigade would be called upon frequently and for a number of missions, but there are a few specific scenarios we can see them being the only ones who are called. The research division of the corps is exactly what it sounds like, a team who researches and seeks to make further developments in the Puppet Technique. Clearly any matter relating to the logistics of puppets is suited for none other than this team. In addition, what we affectionately refer to as the bomb squad, is a team that specializes in defensive maneuvers to keep people, as well as the puppeteer themselves, safe from threats. As puppets can serve as a good insulator if a bomb were to go off in battle, or say in the middle of a crowded Sunagakure market, this squad would be called upon to limit casualties by sacrificing the integrity of their puppet. They can also protect themselves from the threat as they control the puppets from afar. In the same fashion, members of this specific team can remotely control their puppet’s limbs in order to diffuse bombs or other manners of weapons that can be dismantled. Even if they were to mess up, they themselves would not be in danger as it is the puppet who was close to the bomb in the first place.
As far as face paint goes, it is not a Puppet Brigade centric thing. While I could see them using face paint to show ranks much like many militaries in our world use stars and badges, in Sungakure, face paint is more of a personal choice. Some may use it simply for the style, some may use it to denote rank/jobs in a specific setting and others may use it for more spiritual purposes. Face paint is truly a very important part of Suna culture, but is not tied to the Puppet Corps or even shinobi in our opinion. Any Sunagakure citizen, probably even and Land of Wind citizen, can wear whatever kind of face paint they want. Kankuro wears some likely as a more artistic choice, seeing as its similar to Kabuki makeup, but he is not a member of the corps to our knowledge. Meanwhile, Chiyo and Sasori, who were both a part of the corps, do not use face paint, showing us that it really is more of a personal choice.
The Puppet Corps/Brigade is a fundamental part of Sunagakure’s protection and prosperity. This group is indispensable as ninja but also help carry on cultural traditions of Suna. They continue to spread the artistic beauty that is the Puppet Technique and likely even help put on festival and event performances just like when these beautiful works of art were only used for entertainment.