Daigan just smiled. "No need. You'll see why."
Every joint Chunin Exam was either a one-man show for Konoha or a contest between Sunagakure and Konoha. The other villages were just there to fill the seats. And this year, the spotlight was on last year's Rookie of the Year, Hyuga Neji; this year's Rookie of the Year, Uchiha Sasuke; and the three children of the Fourth Kazekage.
The dignitaries who came to spectate weren't interested in watching nobodies fight. The rise and fall of the great clans was what truly captivated them.
The ultimate purpose of the joint exam wasn't to select chunin, but to showcase strength to clients and patrons in order to secure more mission contracts. Even the timing of the exams was deliberate; when Konoha had a bumper crop of talent, it was only natural to invite their allies over for some mutual commercial flattery.
"You're the temporary captain. As long as you've thought it through," Chi said, relieved. "I was worried you unconsciously overlooked them because of Temari."
"How could I? I'm not the type to let personal matters interfere with my duties."
Daigan had already figured it out. Compared to beating Nara Shikamaru, defeating stronger opponents—or even Temari herself—would likely be a better way to win her affection.
"You seem more confident than before."
"Is it that obvious?" Daigan rubbed his chin, where a bit of stubble was starting to grow.
Chi smiled without a word. Yome sighed. "Daigan, sometimes I find it strange. You never seem to care about Kankuro and Temari's status. You became friends with them so casually. I've known Temari for years, and we still barely talk…"
Chi, having been friends with Temari for a long time, understood a little better. "Being thick-skinned is a virtue, I guess. It's better than being an affected, pretentious phony who looks refined but is actually shallow and fake. Temari and Kankuro have almost no friends in the village. Temari is a bit better off, but Kankuro, aside from occasionally hanging out with you, just stays in his room tinkering with those puppets! If it weren't for that, Daigan, getting close to Temari would probably be even harder…"
***
"So you're saying I owe Kankuro one?" Daigan laughed. For Temari, who was determined to be a good older sister, taking an indirect approach seemed like a good strategy.
"There aren't many genin in Sunagakure who are better fighters than you. And you're the boy Temari knows best… even if you are an annoying guy!" Chi teased.
"Is that so? Kankuro said something similar."
"What's with that… forced smile? It's not like you. Shouldn't you be jumping for joy?"
"Hearing it a second time, I guess I've built up some immunity. Besides…" Daigan trailed off, shaking his head.
Being ahead of a bunch of nobodies who had even less presence than he did was nothing to be happy about. His competition wasn't limited to Sunagakure. "Things like feelings don't follow a first-come, first-served rule. Being a step ahead now doesn't mean I can just relax…"
If he wanted to win the fair lady's heart, he had to keep working at it.
"Huh? That barren brain of yours actually has some gray matter in it. It's not all sand…" Having gotten familiar with Daigan, Chi knew that the nominal leader of their squad wasn't that petty or unreasonable. She could get away with a few jokes without fear of reprisal.
"The Chunin Exam is right around the corner. Can't you stop saying things that undermine team unity?" Daigan pouted. "How am I dumb? It's called being wise-in-disguise!"
Not to be left out, Yome chimed in with a laugh. "I wonder who it was that got into a fight, got himself all beaten up, and then got dragged off by the captain to apologize?"
"Yome, you're too young. There are some things you wouldn't understand. Imagine you have two choices. Option one: fight by the book. You have a high chance of winning, but there's still a small chance of defeat. Option two: risk a few minor injuries to secure a swift victory, with almost no possibility of losing. Which do you choose?"
"Well, it depends on the situation," Yome mused, unable to give a clear answer.
Daigan clapped Yome and Chi on their young shoulders. "In my opinion, the choice depends on the value of the victory."
When sparring with Yome and Chi, Daigan would never resort to mutually destructive tactics, because there was nothing to gain from winning and nothing to lose from defeat. But in the Sunagakure preliminary selections, facing the unknown risks presented by Sajin, he couldn't accept the possibility of losing. To avoid any unexpected complications, swiftly crushing his opponent was the best choice.
His fight with Uchiha Sasuke was similar. The outcome itself wasn't that important; bullying a not-yet-fully-developed child of destiny was just a bit of mischievous fun. The most crucial reason was that he couldn't let himself become a stepping stone for another handsome guy in front of Temari. Getting slapped down after trying to show off would be just too pathetic. It was precisely because he wasn't completely confident of victory against Sasuke that he had to resort to such a tactic.
"If our squad passes the team portion and moves on to the individual matches, I'm definitely not giving up. You two should think carefully about what you'll do…"
With that, Daigan finished putting away his puppets, which were already polished to a spotless shine, and turned to leave. "Let's go get lunch. The next few days won't be this relaxing."
***
The sun was high in the sky. After lunch and a short rest, Daigan's team made their way to Room 301 of the Konoha Ninja Academy. The path was clear, with no genjutsu-based obstacles blocking their way. It made sense; Konoha didn't much care about the skill level of genin from other villages. They might set up a small challenge to weed out any of their own hopefuls who were relying on luck, but outsiders didn't get the same treatment.
Since they were a little late, Room 301 was already crowded. When Daigan pushed the door open, he was met with numerous scrutinizing gazes. The hot-blooded Sand Ninja who had caused trouble on his very first day in Konoha had, at the very least, made a name for himself.
"Yo, quite a crowd. I just wonder how many of you can withstand my iron fist!" Daigan provoked the entire room without restraint. Some of the weaker ones shot him venomous looks but didn't dare say a word. Being able to take down the renowned Uchiha Sasuke meant Daigan had already proven himself stronger than most of the candidates present.
A few of the Rain Ninja and the Sound trio looked eager for a fight, but they held back, likely because the Sand Ninja clearly outnumbered them and a brawl would put them at a disadvantage.
"Bunch of gutless cowards. You'd better pray you don't run into me during the exam!" Daigan spat contemptuously and walked coolly over to Temari and Kankuro. Not a single person tried to stop him.
"Hey, Kankuro, how come no one's near you? Where are your fellow Sand Ninja? So cold. You'd think they'd stick together when they're away from home."
"You idiot," Kankuro said, punching Daigan's arm lightly. "Just shut up, will you? This place is full of weaklings who look like they have a death wish. Don't piss Gaara off."
"Got it."
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