"Rest assured, I won't be rude."
"I have things to do later, so I'm leaving. Also, the eliminated Sand candidates will be gathered and sent back early tomorrow morning."
"Is that so? Going home is good too."
"You... you really do know something, don't you? Did Kankuro tell you... or was it Temari?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Captain. I don't know everything; I only know what I should know."
Otokaze stared sharply into Daimaru's smiling eyes, seeming to want to discover something. After a moment, he waved his hand helplessly.
"Let's leave it at that. Work hard."
"Forgive me for not seeing you out!"
Daimaru manipulated the Substitute Puppet to wave its hand exaggeratedly.
Ninja with family resources, inheritances, and good teachers could never understand the difficulty a commoner ninja with nothing faced in learning a high-level jutsu.
Konoha had a vast estate and great assets; at the very least, they provided channels for Chunin and Jonin to exchange money or merit for high-level jutsu.
Sunagakure had no such convenient conditions. After becoming a genin, one had to rely on oneself for everything. If one could gain the favor of a senior who would pass on a move or two, they were already considered lucky.
Daimaru was relatively well-off, knowing some fairly mature basic training methods. The vast majority of Sand ninja could only grope around in the dark by themselves through mission after mission.
This resulted in the current situation where Sand ninja relied on all sorts of strange weapons and eccentric outfits. The same jutsu, when performed by different ninja, would have completely different effects.
This was entirely different from the ninja cultivated under Konoha's perfect system.
The only advantage the Sand ninja had was their rich experience and unpredictable fighting styles. In terms of solid foundations, they were far inferior to Konoha ninja.
The value of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a B-rank support jutsu, was far greater than its learning difficulty suggested. Its derivative, the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, was one of the most important cornerstones of Uzumaki Naruto's combat power. Only with it could his future training in various Wind Release jutsu, and even Senjutsu, proceed smoothly.
If Daimaru had known the Shadow Clone Jutsu a day ago, how could he have been beaten so badly by Rock Lee?
A Shadow Clone plus a puppet would have been enough to dodge the Reverse Lotus unleashed with five gates open; his main body wouldn't have needed to risk itself at all.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu could not only greatly enrich his tactics but also play a huge role in assisting his training.
Daimaru was excitedly studying this jutsu he had coveted for so long.
Even if there were no other jutsu in the scroll, just the Shadow Clone Jutsu alone made his risky adventure worthwhile.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a sudden knock on the door startled Daimaru from his immersion.
"Come in!"
Sen, who was wrapped in bandages, and Yome, who looked mostly unharmed, pushed the door open and walked in.
It was almost the hottest season in the Land of Fire, and the sun outside was at its fiercest.
Of course, it couldn't compare to the Land of Wind, so the Sand ninja didn't feel much discomfort in such an environment.
Sunlight streamed through the window into the ward, dispelling the gloom.
On the table beside the hospital bed sat a row of peeled fruits, lined up and waiting to be fed into Daimaru's mouth by the puppet.
The Substitute Puppet stood respectfully to the side holding the scroll, awaiting Daimaru's orders.
"Seeing you like this, it doesn't look like anything is wrong. Sen and I are relieved."
Yome, who had been knocked out by Uzumaki Naruto, had only suffered superficial injuries and was fine after a night's rest.
Sen's injuries were much more serious: several soft tissue contusions and shifted internal organs. It was fortunate that no major bones were broken.
Her burnt, messy hair had been hastily trimmed. Her original ponytail had turned into short hair that just passed her ears.
Touching her sideburns unnaturally, Sen looked a bit gloomy.
"I'm really not used to looking like this!"
"Just find a place to sit!"
The special care ward prepared for the third test candidates was quite spacious.
Sen moved a small chair over and sat down languidly, while Yome leaned casually against the railing at the foot of Daimaru's bed.
"Leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah. We wanted to stay, but the village has other arrangements," Sen said regretfully.
Yome pouted, looking unhappy. "Is the village being too stingy? Unwilling to cover the expenses of the eliminated candidates?"
Daimaru smiled but didn't speak. Medical treatment for Sand ninja who didn't enter the third test was free, but once they were mostly healed, Konoha wouldn't provide free room and board.
Next, dignitaries from all over the ninja world would arrive in Konoha. Tourists would come in an endless stream, hotel reservations were already full, and room rates were skyrocketing.
Under these circumstances, letting a few kids eat and live for free—what were they thinking?
"Daimaru, we're all leaving. You'll be left alone in Konoha. You won't even have a companion to cheer for you then..."
"With my strength, do I need cheering? It's just the Chunin Exam; it's in the bag..."
"After you beat that Yakushi Kabuto, your opponent is Temari! You... can you really bring yourself to fight her?"
"I'll go easy on her when the time comes!"
Since Temari wasn't there, it didn't matter if he bragged a little.
"Also, don't talk about that Konoha ninja Yakushi Kabuto like he's a cabbage that anyone can beat casually. Show some respect for your seniors, okay?"
"Even though he's pretty old, he really doesn't look that tough!"
Yome had observed Yakushi Kabuto these past few days. aside from being a bit mysterious, she hadn't found anything special about him.
"Let's just assume that's true."
Daimaru smiled.
As they were chatting, the sound of window glass shattering suddenly came from outside. Immediately, a figure fell from the sky, flashed past Daimaru's hospital window, and dropped into the small woods below.
"What happened?"
Startled, Yome and Sen were about to stick their heads out the window to look.
"Wait, don't go!"
"Daimaru, do you know something?"
"It has nothing to do with Sand ninja. Don't be a busybody!"
This wasn't Sunagakure; this was Konoha, where war was about to break out. At a critical juncture where everyone was on edge, it wouldn't be good to provoke any trouble.
"Is that so..."
Yome and Sen looked at each other and helplessly laid down their curiosity.
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