Just as Daimaru expected, security throughout Konoha had noticeably tightened, likely due to some sudden situation.
It must be the reaction to the news of Gekko Hayate's murder.
Although he didn't know who had killed the man tracking Yakushi Kabuto, strengthening defenses was never a mistake.
And so, Daimaru spent every morning repairing puppets and preparing more weapons; past noon, he observed Konoha's security movements; in the afternoon, he went to the training grounds prepared for the Sand Ninja to practice the Sand Body Flicker Technique, Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere, and Wind Release: Gale Palm; at night before bed, he practiced the Shadow Clone Technique and the Secret Technique: Third Eye, draining his Chakra almost completely before sleeping.
After a week passed in this manner, Temari and Kankuro, who had been gone for many days, returned to Konoha with a stone-faced Gaara. compared to before, the worry on Temari and Kankuro's faces was much heavier.
Daimaru couldn't fathom the thoughts of the three siblings. Gaara was purely driven by bloodlust, seeking proof of his own existence through it.
Temari feared the current Gaara more than she cared for him, and as for Kankuro, who didn't listen to his older sister, she couldn't control him even if she wanted to.
The fiercely independent Kankuro was quite dissatisfied with Gaara. Their relationship wouldn't improve until much later.
After returning, Gaara was elusive every day, vanishing to do who knows what—perhaps seeking out Uchiha Sasuke to find trouble.
At the training ground, Temari was grooming her Three-Moon Fan by the distant river, while Kankuro, having familiarized himself with his puppet tricks, sat on a tree trunk watching Daimaru practice Wind Release and the Sand Body Flicker Technique.
One shouldn't assume geniuses and the strong don't train hard.
The more talented and powerful a ninja, the more they understood the value of effort. Temari and Kankuro's formidable strength didn't just blow in with the wind.
After several days of familiarization, he could more or less perform the Sand Body Flicker Technique, though not proficiently. It had little combat value and served mostly as a flashy opening move.
Wind Release training was much harder. The first thing Daimaru did after learning it was to load the Chakra circuits onto two puppets.
The main medium for Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere would definitely be the puppets; the element of surprise was far effective. Using it with his main body required movements that were too large, failing to achieve a surprise attack effect.
Wind Release: Gale Palm served as a supplement to close-quarters combat tactics. The high-pressure airflow could blow away incoming Kunai and shuriken, or directly attack the enemy. Of course, it could also be coordinated with a Shadow Clone, using the massive thrust of compressed air from the palm to catapult the main body, allowing for high-speed displacement like a human jetpack.
Just as Daimaru was training and contemplating tactical scenarios, Kankuro walked over from nearby.
"What is it?"
"These past few days, you seem to be practicing Wind Release and the Shadow Clone Technique. Why haven't I seen you use the Puppet Technique?"
"Puppet Technique, huh..."
Daimaru smiled. "Let's take a break first..."
Under the shade of the tree, Daimaru and Kankuro replenished their food and water. August was approaching, the hottest time of the year. Even Sand Ninja had to pay attention to climate changes, especially Daimaru, who couldn't afford to overdraw his Chakra.
"Kankuro, where do you think the future of a puppeteer lies?"
"Does that even need to be asked? Stronger puppets, more skilled manipulation methods, superior tactics!" Kankuro answered as if it were obvious.
"In short, making the puppet's combat ability stronger!"
Daimaru nodded in understanding. "I probably don't count as a puppeteer, just a ninja who uses the Puppet Technique..."
" Isn't that the same as a puppeteer?"
"Of course there's a difference. A puppeteer takes the puppet as the core to increase combat power, while I take increasing my own abilities as the core. One focuses on the external object, the puppet; the other focuses on the self. There's actually a big difference."
"You..." Kankuro was momentarily choked with speechlessness. "You want to give up the Puppet Technique and be a Wind Release ninja?"
"Not give up, but distinguish priority. As long as it makes me stronger, I personally don't care if it's the Puppet Technique or Wind Release..."
This line of thinking was different from the vast majority of puppeteers who were obsessed with their craft.
Daimaru, who was clearly not lacking in Puppet Technique aptitude, having such plans made Kankuro find it hard to accept for a moment. After a silence, he asked:
"Do you look down on the future of the Puppet Technique?"
"No!"
"Really? I don't believe it!"
"Fine." Daimaru spread his hands. "I feel the current Puppet Technique can't take me to the heights I want to reach!"
"What do you want? Human Puppets?"
"Don't get excited, Kankuro!" Daimaru rubbed his forehead, nursing a headache. "I believe living life is the limitless miracle. The Human Puppet technique, which strips away human life, has gone down a divergent path!"
"You really think that?"
Kankuro looked at Daimaru skeptically. "I always knew you had ideas, but I didn't expect you to have already started thinking about Human Puppets."
"I have no intention of turning myself into a puppet. As for making Human Puppets... I absolutely won't be soft-hearted when it's time to kill, but turning a living person into a puppet is something I still can't bring myself to do. However, I have no burden using ready-made Human Puppets!"
Moreover, Daimaru didn't possess the technology to create Human Puppets. Using existing ones was fine, but groping around for the method himself? Forget it, the difficulty was too high.
"I hope you remember your words!" Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief. "If one day I find you've crossed the line, I definitely won't let you off!"
The Human Puppet technique itself wasn't necessarily unforgivable evil; the key was the concept that "killing makes you stronger." It tested human nature too severely.
Who wouldn't be afraid of a puppeteer using Human Puppet arts nearby? Who knew when such a guy might treat you or your companions as raw materials?
Rejecting the Human Puppet technique was like a biological instinct to fear natural predators; there was no room for negotiation.
"Relax, I have a sense of propriety!"
As long as he survived the crisis of the "Konoha Crush," Sunagakure would still be a decent sanctuary. The next few years would be an era of turbulent winds and clouds. Let alone rogue ninjas, even wandering ninjas, if too outstanding, might be targeted by the "conscientious" bounty hunter Kakuzu.
Perhaps Sunagakure was safer than Konoha. At least Pain hadn't "bestowed" Sunagakure with a Planetary Devastation to stage a "village destruction" tragedy.
As the two were speaking, they suddenly heard approaching footsteps.
"Hey, are you two quarreling?"
Temari, rarely seeing Kankuro and Daimaru in a dispute, walked over to ask what was happening.
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