"Don't act on your own. We're not in Sunagakure anymore. Be careful about everything."
Now that they had entered the Land of Fire, uninvited guests could be lurking in the shadows. They had to be wary of everyone, even their ostensible allies in Konoha.
***
"So this is Konoha?"
Chi stared, captivated, at the bustling village gate. Unlike the somewhat grim atmosphere of Sunagakure, Konoha radiated a vibrant energy from the inside out, leaving the Sand Genin who were seeing it for the first time feeling a little crestfallen.
"This is what our ally is like."
Daigan steadied himself and strode forward, with Yome and Chi half a step behind him.
As expected, the gatekeepers were Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu. They spotted Daigan's group from a distance and seemed to have already been briefed, showing little alarm at the strangers wearing Sand headbands.
A routine inspection, however, was still necessary. After Daigan, Chi, and Yome presented their passes, Izumo and Kotetsu gave their belongings a cursory check and let them through.
"You're here for the Chunin Exam, right? The Sand ninja are pretty late this year!"
"Well, we do have the longest journey," Daigan replied calmly, putting away his pass. "Some of our people should have already arrived to receive us. Do you know where we can find them? Or perhaps you two could provide a map? It's not very convenient being new here and not knowing the way."
Perhaps their ever-cautious allies had given Konoha a relatively deferential impression, as Izumo and Kotetsu didn't seem to mind Daigan's somewhat impolite tone.
"Konoha is huge. You can wander around as you please. If you happen to walk into a restricted area, an Anbu will naturally be there to remind you." Izumo had a gentler face but was a man of few words; Kotetsu was the more talkative of the two.
"I see. Well, see you around then." Daigan nodded and led his two teammates away.
"That guy… is he a puppeteer?" Izumo asked, watching Daigan's retreating back.
"Probably. A puppeteer who displays his puppet so openly is certainly one of a kind."
Ever since his skills as a puppeteer had been exposed, Daigan had made no effort to hide them. He let the puppet girl sit openly on his broad shoulders. Such an unusual puppet was bound to attract attention.
Yome, still possessing a girlish heart, was dazzled by the colorful sights lining the bustling streets. If Chi hadn't been holding her hand to keep her moving, the petite girl would have already stopped walking.
"We must be the first Sand squad to arrive, right?"
Compared to the other, more leisurely teams, Daigan had led Yome and Chi at the head of the group, even pulling slightly ahead of the focused Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.
Chi watched the Konoha ninja who occasionally brushed past them with a cautious eye. "Shouldn't we go gather some intelligence to prepare for the Chunin Exam?"
Daigan shook his head. "No need. The vast majority of the Genin taking the exam are fodder. It's not worth wasting time on them. We only need to pay attention to the more famous ones."
Out of more than one hundred and fifty candidates in total, the first written exam would cut the number in half. After the second test in the Forest of Death, only seven squads would pass.
Since Daigan, the squad's decision-maker, had made up his mind, Chi didn't press the issue.
"So what should we do? There are still several days until the exam is scheduled to start."
"Isn't it obvious?" A brilliant smile spread across Daigan's face. "We'll act like country bumpkins in the big city and have our fun in Konoha first!"
"That sounds fine too." Chi had no objections to this plan, and Yome was delighted.
As for Daigan's true intentions…
The Chunin Exam was a stage to showcase oneself. No matter what he wanted to do in the future, he would need sufficient resources and support. Without demonstrating a certain degree of potential, it would be difficult for Daigan to realize any of his ambitions, no matter how many he had.
Even more importantly, once the Konoha Crush began, Daigan had to escape the danger zone as quickly as possible. How could he do that without familiarizing himself with the terrain beforehand?
"Let's split up for now, free time. We'll meet back here in an hour… Wait a second."
Just as he was giving orders, Daigan spotted a short kid with blond hair wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, walking alongside a girl with long pink hair in a dark red, form-fitting dress.
*So I've run into the child of destiny just like that? It really is… a small world, isn't it?*
Yome and Chi followed Daigan's gaze curiously to the pair in the distance. "Konoha ninja. They're just a couple of kids. Probably rookies," Yome said dismissively, completely forgetting that she herself was just a rookie last year.
"They might be competitors in the exam this year. Should we test them?" Chi's hand moved to the fan tucked into the back of her waistband, eagerly awaiting Daigan's approval.
The blond pipsqueak, with his beast-like intuition, seemed to sense he was being watched. He turned his head and saw Daigan staring right at him.
"Sakura, are those people looking at us?"
"Don't be so full of yourself. Who would be looking at a shorty like you… Huh? You're right!"
"Konoha Genin. How interesting." Chi covered the lower half of her smiling face with her fan, her narrowed eyes watching the two clowns from Konoha. "Not a shred of vigilance. They're worse than students from the academy in Sunagakure."
Just then, Daigan raised a hand to stop Chi, who was about to make a move. "Don't underestimate them. They may be useless now, but there's no telling what the future holds."
Yome's eyes widened as she glanced around. "Someone's watching us."
"Yeah," Daigan nodded. "Don't reveal any information about ourselves needlessly. We're not the only ones with our eyes on those two weaklings. Let's go… Huh?"
Just as Daigan, Yome, and Chi, who wanted to avoid trouble, were about to leave, the blond-haired kid unexpectedly approached them.
"That's a pretty puppet. Are you a puppeteer who's come to Konoha to perform?"
*He might be an idiot, but at least his aesthetic sense isn't off.*
The term "puppeteer" was a general one for all doll makers. Within the ninja disciplines, those who created combat puppets were called puppet masters; Sasori of the Red Sand was a prime example of one.
"Idiot?" The blond shorty froze. "Are you insulting me?"
"What do you think? Kid, get your grubby hands off my puppet."
The utterly impolite Uzumaki Naruto was actually trying to touch Daigan's meticulously crafted treasure.
"Tch, so stingy! You come to Konoha to make a living, but you won't let anyone see your puppet. How do you expect to get any business?"
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