"Are you a child? Or have you been reading too many shojo novels? What ninja needs this kind of roundabout, nonsensical garbage? Listen, Temari likes handsome guys, but it's not a strict requirement. And right now, at least, no one is closer to her than you are…"
"Really?"
"Who do you think I am? I'm her brother. You think anything gets past me?"
"So what should I do now?" Daigan rubbed his hands together, both nervous and excited. "Should I get a new hairstyle? I passed a salon just now. Maybe I should give it a try?"
"You need to perform well in the Chunin Exam. Becoming a chunin sooner rather than later might help. Powerful ninja are always more persuasive."
"Strength, huh? I get it. If I can defeat Temari, would that seal the deal?"
"Your skills are decent. You're a notable genin in Sunagakure, but you don't really stand out in the wider shinobi world…"
"Don't worry, I'm confident."
With his overwhelming advantage in information, if he couldn't make a name for himself this time, he might as well just go back to Sunagakure and stay there.
Kankuro nodded, glancing at the neon lights beginning to flicker on along the street. "Head back early, or Jonin Otokaze will give you another earful."
"Got it. Hey, brother-in-law, if you hear anything, you have to let me know!"
"Don't call me brother-in-law!" Kankuro hesitated, then lowered his voice. "And be careful. If things go south, just give up. Whatever you do, don't die."
Daigan, who had started to walk away, turned back and stared at Kankuro's complicated expression. "Thanks. I'll be careful."
The official orders for the Konoha Crush must have already been given to Kankuro and Temari. Most of the weaker Sand Ninja wouldn't make it to the third round over a month from now. Only Daigan, whose strength was in a precarious middle ground, had a chance of breaking through to the final tournament. When the Konoha Crush was launched, the fate of the Sand Ninja present would be left to chance.
***
A total of 153 genin were participating in the joint Chunin Exam. Sunagakure sent ten squads, a respectable number. Konoha, demonstrating its strength as the most powerful of the great ninja villages, had 72 genin participating, more than double Sunagakure's contingent. The remaining candidates hailed from Amegakure, Kusagakure, and Takigakure, with 21, 15, and 12 participants respectively. These three villages were the most significant powers in the buffer zone between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth. Otogakure, a recent addition to the alliance, sent a single token squad. Almost no one paid the newly established village any mind.
Aside from the unaffiliated Takigakure and the secretly allied Otogakure, Sunagakure's relations with the other villages were poor. Konoha went to great lengths just to mediate between its many unruly allies.
The Sand Ninja, being the strongest contingent, occupied the best inn alone. The other villages were housed separately to prevent any incidents.
As the scheduled exam date drew near, the restless genin candidates gradually settled down to make their final preparations.
Chi was grinding secret medicines, checking the various jars and bottles in her ninja tool pouch. Daigan sat at a table, sorting through a pile of finished and semi-finished materials, carefully polishing them with a file and sandpaper.
Yome stood by the window, chakra gathering in her eyes. Her pupils periodically dilated and contracted, adjusting their focus as she observed every genin who could potentially become an opponent.
"Yome, that's enough. It's about to start. Don't waste your chakra."
At Daigan's command, Yome's eyes returned to normal. She shook her head in regret. "There just wasn't enough time. My intel on some of them is still incomplete."
"It's good enough. Your eyes might be a huge asset in this exam."
Although her eyes lacked the combat enhancements of abilities like the Sharingan or the Byakugan, Yome's long-range observation skills surpassed even the reconnaissance range of Aburame Shino's Parasitic Destruction Insects, which was extremely impressive. Under the right conditions, Yome could use the reflections in tiny, suspended water droplets in the air as relays to observe movements dozens of kilometers away. In theory, if she found the right vantage point, the entire Forest of Death could be under her watch. Even without special abilities like copying, imitation, tracking dynamic movement, or seeing through chakra, her potential was exciting.
In comparison, Chi was a more well-rounded ninja, but she lacked Yome's one outstanding specialty.
"Check everything one last time, rest for a bit, then we'll get lunch and head out."
The deadline for Konoha genin was three in the afternoon. Genin from other villages had to arrive by one to avoid wasting time with registration.
"Finally, remember what I said," Daigan declared solemnly. "This is a team competition. Whatever we run into, don't act rashly. Follow my lead. Don't overestimate the other candidates. If we encounter a problem we can't solve, it's likely no one else can either. We don't need to be the best; we just need to perform better than the vast majority of our competitors."
"Got it!" Chi put away her medicines and smiled. "I've been waiting for this day. I can hardly wait!"
Yome rubbed her sore eyes and said nonchalantly, "I've observed a lot of genin from other villages these past few days. Many of them aren't that impressive…"
There were skilled ones, of course. Just watching them from afar, you could feel an intimidating aura. "Hyuga Neji, the one you told me to watch, is definitely strong. Among the genin, only Gaara feels more terrifying. Rock Lee, the one with the thick eyebrows, is a bit like Shira. They share similar weaknesses—too many linear attacks, not enough variation…"
"A general idea is all we need," Daigan nodded.
Before Uchiha Sasuke learned the Chidori from Hatake Kakashi, he was no match for Hyuga Neji. The same went for Uzumaki Naruto; without Jiraiya's training, he was just a reckless brawler who knew the Shadow Clone Jutsu, nothing to worry about. Rock Lee, however, could already open the first five of the Eight Gates. At the genin level, almost no one could withstand a full-power attack from him.
Hyuga Neji and Rock Lee were a clear tier above the rest in terms of raw power, and they were the ones Daigan least wanted to face. As for Uchiha Sasuke, who would be afflicted with the Cursed Seal in the Forest of Death, his condition would be unstable. Daigan had no fear of him.
The other rookie genin were clearly a step down. He had already prepared specific strategies for them and felt his chances of victory were high.
With a clear plan in mind, Daigan was ready. All that was left was to see if his luck would be as bad as it usually was.
"Daigan, why didn't you have Yome gather intel on the other Sand Ninja? They're our competitors too, aren't they?" Chi, who had been puzzled for days, finally voiced her question.
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