He still had a little chakra left in his body, though, so he could still fight if he needed to.
As an experienced and well-rounded veteran, the Third Kazekage had a certain level of sensory ability up close, allowing him to gauge Qingshui's current state. This filled him with even more emotion.
Even if Qingshui made no further progress, simply with the increase in chakra from physical development, and relying on his current abilities, his combat strength ten years from now would likely be no less than his own.
If he maintained his current rate of progress, Qingshui would absolutely have a chance to claim the title of strongest in the Ninja World.
And even now, Qingshui's combat strength was probably enough to firmly suppress Rasa.
As Rasa's teacher, the Third Kazekage knew very well Rasa's limits and potential.
From a strength perspective, while Rasa still had the qualifications to compete with Qingshui, he was already completely at a disadvantage.
As for his abilities...
It was better not to mention them.
Rasa's only advantage now was his older age and more accumulated achievements in war, but with time, just one Ninja World War would be enough for Qingshui to close these gaps, or even surpass him.
The Third Kazekage felt a complex mix of emotions.
Rasa was a disciple he had personally trained, and he naturally had a certain affection for Rasa, hoping he would inherit his mantle.
But he was also the Third Kazekage of the Sand Village.
He knew very well that if Rasa became the Fourth Kazekage, whether it would be good for the Sand Village was debatable, but at the very least, he certainly wouldn't be able to suppress Qingshui.
However, if a few more years passed, the Third Kazekage believed Qingshui would be able to suppress Rasa, just as Konoha's Third Hokage could suppress Danzō.
At least, the Third Kazekage was not the Third Hokage, and Qingshui was not White Fang.
The former was truly the strongest Kazekage in history, and the latter didn't have White Fang's obvious personality flaws or background deficiencies. Furthermore, he had the support of Chiyo, Ebizo, and the entire Puppet Force behind him.
It was time to make a decision and pave the way for this child.
With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, the Third Kazekage finally patted Qingshui's shoulder again.
"Your strength is already excellent, Qingshui. When you have time, you can also come to me to take on more missions and interact with other jonin outside of the Puppet Force. Building good relationships is very important for your future development."
The Third Kazekage spoke earnestly to Qingshui.
"I understand, Lord Third."
Qingshui nodded gently.
At this moment, Chiyo and the others also gathered around.
"I truly didn't expect your strength to improve so much in such a short time. It seems I've really been negligent in guiding you."
Ebizo clicked his tongue in wonder, looking at the Iron Sand that had re-cooled and solidified around them.
"Sister, is Hanzo's swordsmanship that strong? Can a single notebook make Qingshui's swordsmanship reach this level?"
Ebizo was referring to the swordsmanship notebook Hanzo had previously given Qingshui as compensation.
"Why don't you just ask Qingshui directly?"
Chiyo rolled her eyes at her brother, then looked at her beloved disciple with a benevolent expression.
In her opinion, Qingshui's current swordsmanship was not far off from White Fang's or Hanzo's.
But that wasn't what concerned her.
What concerned her was the three puppets Qingshui had created; their individual combat strength was almost on par with the average level of the Chikamatsu Collection.
If you asked Chiyo and Ebizo to personally craft puppets, they would need the corpse of a top-tier expert to create a top-tier Human Puppet.
But Qingshui hadn't used any corpses.
While still expensive and rare, they were much easier to acquire than the corpses of top-tier experts.
"Ahem, Teacher Ebizo, my swordsmanship was developed by me. Captain Chiran laid a very good foundation for my swordsmanship, and later I tried to develop my own. Finally, it complemented Hanzo's swordsmanship, and I also incorporated some essence absorbed from other Nintaijutsu, which allowed me to create this sword technique that combines with breathing."
Qingshui explained to Ebizo.
"No wonder I thought your swordsmanship was different from the mainstream in the Ninja World. I suppose a considerable part of it must have been developed by you, right?"
At some point, Fukami Senran also appeared in the training ground, looking at Qingshui with a complex yet gratified expression.
Not only had Qingshui completely surpassed him in swordsmanship, but his combat strength had also left him far behind.
"Third Kazekage, now you should have a headache."
Chiyo chuckled as she approached the Third Kazekage, hinting at something.
"No headache. The other ninja villages should be the ones with headaches. I imagine they'll soon realize that our Sand Village has gained another top-tier combatant, and such a young genius at that!"
The Third Kazekage burst into hearty laughter, completely unbothered.
"Elder Chiyo, whether it's Qingshui's Puppetry, his swordsmanship, or his Separation Release, these are all things that can greatly strengthen the village's foundation. I can't praise him enough!"
"Oh? Does the Third Kazekage mean..."
"I just told Qingshui to interact more with the jonin outside of the Puppet Force. I'm wondering if we can have Qingshui start a ninja improvement class."
"A ninja improvement class?"
Chiyo asked in surprise.
"No one will question Qingshui's power anymore. His sword skills, his puppetry, and his experience in developing Kekkei Genkai—all of these are crucial foundations that should be passed down to the village's future generations."
"If he represents a brighter future for the village, then there are certain things he must do."
Chiyo smiled.
The Third Kazekage's words also held deep meaning.
Wasn't this creating opportunities for Qingshui to interact with others in the village and boost his prestige?
If other ninja, under Qingshui's guidance, created stronger puppets, or improved their sword skills and ninjutsu, would they vote for Qingshui in the future when it came to the jōnin trust vote?
To become a Kage, one doesn't need the approval of every single person in the village, but they must earn the trust of most of the jōnin.
Jōnin are the most important link between the village's highest echelons and its lower and middle ranks. If you can get most of the jōnin in the village to listen to you and act on your behalf, you can mobilize much of the village's power.
Not far away, Karura heard their conversation, and her heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
Qingshui's puppetry was already different from the village's traditional puppetry, and his sword skills and Kekkei Genkai were unique. Therefore, Qingshui could enrich the village's foundations and create more avenues for talent development.
And what about Rasa?
Magnet Release was originally created by the Third Kazekage.
All ninja in the village who possessed both wind and earth attributes would undergo specialized selection and training upon becoming genin. Both she and Rasa stood out through this very path.
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