Startled, Yome and Chi were about to peer out the window to see.
"Wait, don't!"
"Daigan, do you know something?"
"It has nothing to do with us Sand Ninja. Don't meddle."
This wasn't Sunagakure; this was Konoha, on the brink of war. It wouldn't do to get into any more trouble at such a tense time.
"I see." Yome and Chi exchanged a look and reluctantly suppressed their curiosity.
"You're like this, and Temari is acting strange too. Is there something you have to hide from us?"
"You overestimate me. I'm with you guys most of the time. What could I possibly know?"
Other than the cryptic warnings from Kankuro and Captain Otokaze, no one had ever said a word to Daigan about the Konoha Crush plan. He knew nothing about the specific plan, the targets, the time of attack, or the signals. He had thought that by making it to the third stage of the exam, he would at least be considered one of the combatants in the main arena. It seemed he had overestimated his own importance.
*Only the strong have the freedom to know the truth, while the weak can only live in deception.*
"So you're saying we're too weak, and therefore not qualified to know?" Chi said bitterly.
"I'm the same. No different."
It made sense. The lives of the Fourth Kazekage's entire family were on the line. What did a slightly promising genin with a decent performance matter?
"Then we won't ask."
A ninja needed to know when not to show too much curiosity.
*The one who just jumped out the window was probably Yakushi Kabuto, on his way to attack Uchiha Sasuke,* Daigan thought. *One can't be careless for a single moment.*
After last night, the joint Chunin Exam was, for all intents and purposes, already over for the Sand Ninja.
*The end of peace! The Chunin Exams were fun, but it's a shame...*
***
Before the eliminated Sand Ninja candidates were sent back to Sunagakure, Daigan paid a visit to his other fallen comrades.
He didn't bother with those he barely knew, but he had to check on his "big client," Lady Saya, who had unexpectedly joined the Chunin Exam because of his influence.
However, the sight of Daigan—wrapped in bandages like a mummy—visiting the almost unscathed Lady Saya was strange, to say the least.
"You're... I'm so flattered that the great 'Red Sand Dust' would take time out of his busy schedule to visit an incompetent who was defeated by a Konoha ninja."
"You have a way with words. If Lady Saya is incompetent, then the rest of the Sand Ninja would have no face to live."
"What do you want?" Saya asked warily. Besides "talking business," Daigan rarely interacted with people he didn't know well.
"Don't be so standoffish. I don't mean any harm. I just have a small matter to trouble you with, Lady Saya..."
Saya was already unhappy about her careless loss to Aburame Shino. The thought that someone like Daigan had advanced while she had to go home put her in an even worse mood.
"If you have a problem, handle it yourself. I don't have time right now..."
"But we know each other so well..." Daigan had spent half the day charming the nurse at the front desk just to find out Saya's room number. He wasn't about to give up so easily.
"I heard that Lady Saya was fully prepared for this Chunin Exam. Now..." Daigan shot her a look that said, *you know what I mean*, and continued, "since you won't be needing them anymore, how about selling me your Military Rations Pills, wound medicine, antidotes, storage scrolls, and puppet-making materials?"
"Don't even think about it. Trying to take advantage of me again? I'd rather let them rot than sell them to you..."
"We're comrades from the same village. How can you be so merciless? Help me this once, and I'll owe you a favor. Go ahead and ask around—when has the unyielding Daigan ever owed anyone a favor?"
"How much is your favor worth?"
Lady Saya wasn't so easily fooled. Even if she didn't have many friends and was a bit naive, she wasn't someone just anyone could swindle.
"We're all trying to maintain some face out here. Don't be so heartless! If we make this deal, I'll help you once, no matter what it is. I swear on my honor as 'Red Sand Dust,' I won't go back on my word!"
Daigan pounded his chest, nearly talking himself hoarse. But Lady Saya was a tough nut to crack, no longer as quick to trust him as she once was.
"Nice words, but do you have the money to buy them? And let me be clear, I won't be fighting anytime soon, so I don't want any of your strange poisons..."
"That's easy. As long as Lady Saya agrees to give me the items..." Daigan rubbed his hands together nervously, his face wreathed in a smile. "I've been busy lately, no time to make any potent poisons. And I certainly don't have any money..."
"Get lost..." Lady Saya, who had been somewhat reasonable just a moment ago, instantly flipped. "After all that talk, you just want me to give you everything for free! On what grounds? That stinking mouth of yours?"
"Don't put it so crudely. It's not for free. I can write you an IOU..."
Writing an IOU wasn't a big deal. It wasn't like he was planning on never paying her back. If he had anything of value to offer right now, Daigan wouldn't be shamelessly begging.
To speed up ninjutsu training, you had to spend money. Even with Uzumaki Naruto's chakra levels and stamina, he still needed Haruno Sakura's Military Rations Pills for assistance. Daigan didn't have such an exaggerated constitution; without external help, he wouldn't accomplish much in just over half a month.
Daigan had briefly looked over the information on the Shadow Clone Jutsu. As expected of a B-rank jutsu, it required eight hand seals within four seconds, among other conditions. It wasn't overly difficult to learn, but it wasn't something one could pick up casually.
However, seeing Uzumaki Naruto's performance, the higher-level A-rank forbidden jutsu, the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, unbelievably required only one seal. Of course, Daigan could understand how Naruto managed to learn it in a single night. What he lacked in control, he made up for with sheer chakra volume—a large supply was highly effective for clone-type jutsu. Other techniques probably didn't offer such a convenient shortcut.
...
After much persuasion, Daigan, having "borrowed" a batch of supplies from Lady Saya, returned to his room, satisfied. Although he had written a hefty IOU and agreed to some harsh conditions, none of that mattered. As long as he could survive the "Konoha Crush," a little debt was nothing. He'd worry about paying it back later.
It was still early, so Daigan continued to look through the jutsu in the scroll Captain Otokaze had given him.
There were two C-rank Wind Release jutsu: the long-range Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere and the close-quarters Wind Release: Gale Palm. The ranks weren't high, but for Daigan, who lacked offensive wind jutsu, they were excellent additions.
Besides those, the only two sand techniques were the auxiliary scouting jutsu, the Third Eye, and the very useful Sand Body Flicker Technique.
Apart from the five jutsu, the scroll also contained some notes and tips on their use.
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