Seeing the elegant features on Saya's face begin to contort with rage, Daigan turned to check on his two female teammates. They probably couldn't beat a single person here. If it hadn't been for Daigan's insistence, they shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess with their current level of skill.
Seeing Daigan approach, Yome and Chi's worries immediately subsided.
"Everyone here looks so fierce and strong. Are we really going to compete with them for the rank of Chunin?"
Daigan chuckled. "This is nothing. Of these thirty Genin, most are just background characters for the Chunin Exams. Besides Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari's squad, it'll be a good outcome if even one more Suna team passes the second round."
"Are the Chunin Exams that difficult?" Chi hesitated. She had come with determination and had trained hard, thinking she had improved, only to find she was still just a minor character. "Daigan, are you not confident either?"
Daigan was silent for a moment before answering softly, "Sunagakure is too small. You can't understand how terrifying the real geniuses of the ninja world are until you've seen them with your own eyes."
Chi and Yome were stunned.
"Then why are you participating in the Chunin Exams? Wouldn't it be safer to wait a couple of years until you're stronger?"
"Strength is only one aspect of becoming a Chunin." Daigan opened his mouth to explain further but didn't know where to begin. "Just listen to me. When we get past the team battles and into the individual matches, if you're not confident, you can forfeit on your own."
"Alright then."
The preliminary selection was already over; it was too late to back out now. They might as well push forward and see what these so-called geniuses were made of.
A while later, Toki appeared, a bandage wrapped around his forehead and his arm in a sling held against his chest. He looked even worse than before. The Iron Sand Squad had been in poor condition, but their opponents were also a defeated team that had just been through a tough fight. The battle between the two squads had been brutal, but in the end, Toki's team had managed to pull through.
"A win is a win," Daigan said, comforting the battered Toki. He patted his shoulder, causing the other man to grimace in pain.
"That used to be your role," Toki said.
On the old Iron Sand Squad, with his tough hide, Daigan had been the undisputed frontline, which was one reason he so often found himself in perilous situations.
"Always reminiscing about the past is a sign of premature aging! Heal up well. We'll be rivals in the Chunin Exams."
"Yeah. I won't go easy on you."
"Don't go crying when you lose!"
"Who's gonna cry, you idiot!" Toki retorted with a laugh.
The final squad to pass the preliminaries was decided, and the testing, which had lasted most of the afternoon, officially came to an end.
Looking down at the thirty young faces below, Baki sighed internally. These were the most outstanding prospects Sunagakure had produced in recent years. He wondered how many of them would still be alive in a few months.
"To all of you present, congratulations. You will represent Sunagakure in the joint Chunin Exams to be held in Konoha. You have three weeks to prepare. I will lead the contingent to Konoha in the middle of next month. Your supervising Jonin will inform you of the specific plans."
Baki paused. "The village has a limited number of Jonin and Chunin positions. Only the most outstanding Genin can be promoted. I won't say anything more. Do your best. For the future of the Suna, show the other villages the strength of Sunagakure. Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara, stay behind. Everyone else is dismissed!"
Ninja were a profession that valued efficiency; long-winded speeches were rare. Besides, these Genin, who had not lived through the Third Great Ninja War, wouldn't understand grand principles anyway.
***
The Genin didn't have to worry about submitting the official list of participants to Konoha or creating temporary travel passes. Yome and Chi's injuries weren't serious; a few days of rest would have them back to normal, and it wouldn't affect their participation in the upcoming exams.
"Daigan, do you really like Temari?" On the way home, Chi, supported by Yome, suddenly asked the distracted Daigan.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Then what do you like about her?"
"Pretty face, great body."
"What?" The petite Yome was utterly confused. Chi, however, shot Daigan a disdainful look for his matter-of-fact reply.
"Is that all?"
"Is that not enough?" The Land of Wind was too sandy and the conditions too harsh; there weren't many beautiful women, and pretty kunoichi were even rarer. What was wrong with a sixteen-year-old boy liking a young, beautiful girl?
"I was thinking of putting in a good word for you with Temari, but now I think I'll pass." Chi shook her head with a smile. "So you're just a shallow pervert after all."
"When did you get the impression I was a perfect gentleman?" Daigan chose to ignore the disrespect in her tone. "Temari's no saint either. We're a perfect match."
The Fourth Kazekage's daughter, the one who used that fan for Wind Release ninjutsu, was no sweet little girl. When facing an enemy, she could be just as ruthless as Gaara; she just wasn't as powerful as the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail and couldn't take a life with a mere flick of her wrist. The way she mercilessly beat Tenten black and blue during the Chunin Exams showed she was not a soft-hearted person.
Such a ninja's heart was the norm for Sunagakure. The struggling village needed strong ninja to maintain its status; a kind-hearted ninja like Uno was the anomaly. Powerful, ruthless, with an unfathomable depth of mind and above-average intelligence—it would be utterly foolish to see a kunoichi like her as just a pretty face.
Chi looked at Daigan's completely unrepentant face and sighed softly. "As a ninja, your eye is certainly sharp. But when it comes to girls, you're just too dense, Daigan. A guy like you doesn't stand a chance."
"Where there's a will, there's a way. The main problem is that Temari has misunderstood my sincerity. As long as I can convey my true feelings, she'll definitely understand!"
"Understand, and then what?" Chi asked with a mocking, wry smile. "Plenty of guys your age like Temari. Why should she choose you?"
Daigan fell silent.
"What if—and I'm just saying if—you met a girl in the future with an even better body, who was even more beautiful? Would your feelings change?"