Daimaru's reaction was calm, far calmer than Otokaze had expected. It unnerved the older ninja in a way, given the weight of the conversation. The subject wasn't light, but Daimaru's demeanour didn't waver.
"Tell me, Captain," Daimaru asked, breaking the silence, "what exactly do you like about me?"
"What nonsense are you talking about brat?" He said dismayed whilst looking at him suspiciously.
".....Not like that Captain!" Daimaru replied urgently, whilst also realizing what he said.
Otokaze paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. The flames of the campfire flickered, casting dancing shadows across his sharp features. "Your former captain, Satie, he's not someone to throw compliments around lightly."
Daimaru blinked in surprise. "Satie? I didn't think he thought that highly of me."
"Satie and I go way back," Otokaze replied, leaning back against the rough wall of the cave. The crackle of the fire and the distant sound of the wind outside gave their conversation a sense of intimacy. "When he heard you were assigned to my squad, he told me I was lucky. That I got a 'big deal'."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Daimaru's lips. "A big deal, huh? All thanks to Jounin Satie's kindness."
Otokaze chuckled. "You say that like it's nothing, but Satie saw something in you that most people wouldn't."
"And what's that?" Daimaru asked, genuinely curious now.
Otokaze's tone shifted, becoming more thoughtful, more deliberate. "You have qualities, Daimaru. I'm not entirely sure if they're the same qualities Satie admired, but there's something in you that shines when it matters."
Daimaru's brow furrowed. "I'm just doing my best, like everyone else."
Otokaze leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Are you though? I've gone through your mission reports, Daimaru. You've survived situations that would've killed most genin. And there's something else – the incident a few months ago. How exactly did you manage to survive in that sea of quicksand for over two weeks?"
Daimaru's fingers twitched at the memory. "Luck," he replied, though the word tasted bitter as he said it. He didn't truly believe it.
"Luck?" Otokaze's voice was low, almost amused. "Don't lie to yourself. You're far too cautious to leave something like that to chance. I'm not here to pry into your secrets, but I'm no fool. Every ninja has their trump cards. Yours is still hidden, but I know it's there."
For the first time, Daimaru felt uncomfortable under Otokaze's gaze. "You're basing this all on speculation. You barely know me."
Otokaze shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. But I'm good at reading people. And Daimaru, you're stronger than you let on."
Daimaru stayed silent, unsure how to respond. His mind raced. He'd spent so long keeping certain things hidden that hearing someone else come so close to the truth felt unsettling.
Otokaze continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Your confidence, your pride… even your arrogance. It's rare in someone so young."
"Arrogance isn't exactly a strength," Daimaru muttered, his eyes flicking away from Nekaze's.
"In moderation, it is," Otokaze countered without missing a beat. "You believe in your path. That's more than can be said for most shinobi your age."
Daimaru's eyes narrowed, and he finally looked back at his captain. "And what makes you so sure I won't fail?"
Otokaze smiled softly, a glint of understanding in his eyes. "Because, Daimaru, you understand something that most don't at your age. The path isn't something predetermined. It's something you carve out yourself. Others have made it. Why can't you?"
Daimaru sat back, letting the words sink in. The silence between them was punctuated by the wind howling outside, the storm outside lessening but still a reminder of the dangers they constantly faced. He had always been determined to forge his own path, but hearing someone else acknowledge it made it feel more tangible.
After a long pause, Daimaru finally spoke again. "What about Yome and Sen? They're not exactly... the strongest."
Otokaze chuckled, the mood lightening for a brief moment. "They're genin, like you. But they have potential, especially Yome with her ninjutsu. Don't discount them so easily."
Daimaru sighed, looking into the fire. "I guess. But I'm not going to abandon them. They're my team."
Otokaze's smile softened. "Good. They're lucky to have you. Just remember, your journey is your own. You walk it at your own pace, but that doesn't mean others can't follow if they can keep up."
The fire crackled, and the wind outside finally began to die down. The air inside the cave, however, felt heavy with unspoken thoughts. Daimaru knew the road ahead wasn't going to be easy, but for the first time, he felt like he had more than just his own ambitions pushing him forward. There were people relying on him – teammates, a village, maybe even something more.
Two days later, they returned to Sunagakure. The mission was over, and the team disbanded, at least for now. Daimaru, with a sense of quiet duty, apologized to Yome and Sen for his earlier behaviour during their training.
Despite the words, however, the tension between them hadn't completely disappeared. Yome, in particular, seemed distant, her usual light-heartedness replaced by something much heavier.
As they parted ways in the dim light of the village, Yome's voice broke the silence. "I was awake, you know," she said quietly, not turning to face him.
"Yeah, me too," Sen added, though her gaze remained focused on the ground.
Yome's fists clenched at her sides. "This time... we weren't abandoned."
Sen nodded, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Yeah... Daimaru's... reliable now, I guess."
"But..." Yome's voice cracked, her shoulders trembling slightly. "Being shown mercy like that, being given help out of pity... I can't stand it."
Sen wiped at her eyes, her voice trembling as well. "I don't want to be in that position again. We have to get stronger. We have to be better."
Yome's fists tightened until her nails bit into her palms. "The Chuunin Exams... that's our chance. We can't let this happen again."
The reality of their situation stung, a bitter reminder of the gap in strength. Daimaru may have stepped in to save them, but the feeling of helplessness still lingered. They had been spared humiliation this time, but for Yome and Sen, the wounds to their pride were still fresh.
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Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa sat in silence, a secret letter from the Hidden Sound Village open on the tatami before him. Though nominally allies with Konoha, the Sound had kept their distance, rarely interacting with Sunagakure. But the information in the letter was too valuable to ignore. Rasa's plans, long in the making, seemed to be falling into place.
The Sound Ninja had offered an alliance, the details hidden behind layers of coded messages and diplomatic subtlety. The Chuunin Exams were an ideal platform for their plan, but what caught Rasa's attention most was the name mentioned in the letter – Orochimaru.
His blood boiled at the memory of Konoha, the same village that had once humiliated Sunagakure. And the same village responsible for the deaths of Chiyo's in-laws, a wound that never fully healed.
Despite this lingering grudge, the political realities remained unavoidable. The other villages were circling, sensing weakness in Sunagakure's isolation. The alliance with Konoha, however fragile, was necessary to deter external threats. But an opportunity to strike back, to reclaim some pride – that was something Rasa couldn't afford to ignore.
"Orochimaru?" Rasa murmured, his fingers lightly brushing the parchment. "A dangerous ally, but perhaps... a necessary one."
The alliance with Konoha may have been a bitter pill to swallow, but it wouldn't last forever. The peace they had now was fragile, stretched thin over old wounds and new ambitions. "It's been more than ten years. What you call peace has been long enough."