The payout from Daimaru's latest C-rank mission had brought some much-needed relief, easing the tight grip on his finances. But the longer missions took, the less lucrative they seemed. D-rank missions, while less rewarding, were brief and manageable—often completed within a few days. C-rank ones, however, dragged on for weeks. The money was better, sure, but it wasn't as big of a difference as he'd hoped.
Daimaru began to realize he couldn't rely on missions alone if he wanted to move forward. He needed something more stable, more lucrative. That's when the idea struck him: poisons. He had dabbled in refining natural poisons from plants and pits in the past, and in a village like Sunagakure, where puppet masters thrived, the demand for deadly tools never dried up.
The opportunity came when Kankuro, the second son of the Kazekage and a notable puppet master, came by.
Daimaru grinned, eager to make a deal.
"I've got something special for you today, Kankuro," Daimaru said, rubbing his hands together as he displayed a small vial of blue-purple powder.
Kankuro eyed him warily. "What's that supposed to be?"
"Careful," Daimaru warned, "That's potent stuff. One whiff and you'll be seeing stars—if you live long enough to tell anyone about it."
Kankuro dipped a finger into the powder, giving it a cautious sniff. "Hmm, smells strong," he muttered, wiping the residue off his finger onto a cloth.
"It's more than strong," Daimaru said confidently. "This isn't like the cheap stuff you usually find. This is pure. You won't get quality like this anywhere else."
Kankuro eyed him again, hesitating. "It's good," he admitted, "But it's too expensive. You know I've been putting all my money into collecting new puppets. I can't afford this right now."
Daimaru crossed his arms, leaning against the wall casually. "Listen, you get what you pay for, Kankuro. That cheap crap you've been using? It's nothing compared to this. Remember how smooth your last mission went with the batch I gave you? You want results like that again, right?"
Kankuro nodded slowly, but still seemed unsure. "Yeah, but...I'm short on funds at the moment."
"Then let's make a deal," Daimaru suggested. "How about a trade? You don't have the cash, but I know you've got materials. You give me what I need, and you get the poison."
Kankuro's brow furrowed, but Daimaru could see he was considering it.
"And don't go thinking I'm asking for one of your puppets," Daimaru added quickly, sensing Kankuro's hesitation. "I know how attached you are to those things. I just want some materials, nothing too fancy."
Kankuro finally sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal. But don't get too greedy, Daimaru. Just the materials, nothing more."
Daimaru couldn't help but smirk as he returned home with his haul of rare puppet-making materials. "Finally!" he muttered to himself, looking at the piles of items scattered across his floor. "I made a good trade today."
He chuckled softly, admiring his newfound wealth. It wasn't easy making a living like this, but if anything, Daimaru was resourceful. The poisons he crafted from common plants weren't something everyone knew how to do, and that gave him an edge. The puppet masters, especially, valued speed when it came to neutralizing their enemies, and his refined cyanide provided just that.
But as he stood over his stockpile, a thought crept into his mind. How long could this last? How long until someone figured out his methods? He wasn't foolish enough to think his secret would stay hidden forever. A master like Chiyo—she had decades of experience with poisons. If she ever got her hands on one of his samples, she might be able to reverse-engineer the recipe.
"Well," Daimaru muttered, "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
Just as he was about to start working on his next project, the doorbell rang.
"Who the hell is that?" Daimaru grumbled, dragging his feet to the door.
When he opened it, he found Saya standing there, arms crossed and a smug look on her face.
"You're too loud. I can't sleep," Saya complained, peering over his shoulder. Her eyes landed on the materials spread across the floor. "What the hell is all this?"
Daimaru frowned, blocking her view. "What do you care? It's none of your business."
Saya pushed past him, stepping into the room. "You've got a lot of junk here. You seriously think this stuff's worth anything?"
Daimaru felt his eye twitch. "Junk? This is top-grade material! You wouldn't know quality if it hit you in the face."
Saya smirked, leaning against the wall. "I'm just saying, don't get ahead of yourself. You're not the only puppet master in this village, you know."
Daimaru rolled his eyes, trying to ignore her exaggerated eye shadow and ridiculous lip gloss. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But why do you always have to paint your face like that? It's a bit much."
Saya raised an eyebrow. "Not about fashion, genius. It's to show my rank. Thought even you'd know that by now."
Daimaru bristled. "You think you're better than me? I'd like to see you make something out of this 'junk.'"
Saya's smirk widened. "Maybe I will. Maybe I'll make something better than anything you could dream of."
Daimaru narrowed his eyes, his competitive streak flaring up. "We'll see about that. But don't come crying to me when you realize you're in over your head."
Saya gave a light laugh. "Yeah sure thing, Daimaru. We'll see."
Daimaru shook his head. She was always like that—arrogant, dismissive. But Daimaru knew the value of what he had. Even if Saya or someone else figured out how to replicate his poisons, it wouldn't be easy. And in the meantime, he'd keep doing what he did best—finding opportunities and exploiting them.
He looked back at the materials scattered across the floor. "With these," he said to himself, "I'll make something amazing."
"Why don't you make a toilet plunger instead, considering your level of skill, it shouldn't be too difficult".
"..."
"Well now, I didn't take you for a comedian." He spoke in a monotone voice. "But now that I look at your face again, I think you'd be a better fit for the circus instead".
"..."
"Now listen here you li-