In an instant, the distant view from high above was superimposed on the normal visual information from his two eyes. There was no distinction between primary and secondary, and it felt like an abstract painting was swirling in his mind.
Daigan immediately closed his left eye, and his nearly dazed brain quickly recovered.
"That's... an indescribable feeling."
This was different from the enhanced vision of the Byakugan or Yome's eyes. Those still relied on two eyes. The "Third Eye" was different; the human brain had not evolved to process three visual signals simultaneously.
If he wanted to force it, he would need to make some serious adjustments.
He would have to shift from two-eyed planar vision to being accustomed to a three-dimensional, stereoscopic view. His sense of spatial awareness would need to be greatly enhanced, and the brain's consumption for processing visual information would inevitably skyrocket.
Focusing chakra in his brain and eye sockets would alleviate some of the discomfort, but correspondingly, chakra consumption would also increase.
It seemed this jutsu still needed a lot of practice to become proficient. Otherwise, with too many limitations, it wouldn't be very effective in combat.
Furthermore, he needed to test its other applications.
Daigan looked up toward the "Third Eye's" position. He gathered his Wind Release chakra and arranged two invisible air lenses nearby. Adjusting the focal length, he freely manipulated the flow of light in the vicinity, and soon, a simple telescope was formed.
Through the Wind Release air lenses, the "Third Eye" observed distant places that were originally hard to see.
"This is a pretty neat trick."
With his field of vision greatly expanded, Daigan enthusiastically watched the marvelous sights he couldn't have seen before.
The general layout of the entire village of Konoha was laid bare before him.
The nearby Hokage Rock, the Ninja Academy, and the Hokage's Residence were clearly visible. He could make out the sign of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the expressions of the passersby in the Teahouse District, and even the distant, deserted reservoir, the bustling theater, and the thriving Ichiraku Ramen shop could not escape his telescope's observation.
Additionally, even the open-air baths in the Hot Springs District couldn't hide from his ultra-long-range peeping eye.
Of course, Daigan, who was fiercely loyal to Temari, would never stoop to something as degrading as peeping into the women's bath. He was just taking a casual glance...
"What a magnificent view... Wait, is that..."
A ninja with waist-length white hair, a red haori, a forehead protector with the character for "Oil," and wooden geta on his feet was hiding in a corner of a hot spring inn's eaves, secretly watching the female guests in the open-air bath. A slack, wicked grin was on his face; he clearly wasn't a respectable man.
*An old geezer like him, still doing something so shameful!*
Daigan spat lightly and zoomed in, wanting to get a clearer look.
Just then, the best-selling author of the ninja world, immersed in "gathering material," suddenly sensed something and looked into the distance.
"Not good!"
In his haste, Daigan dispersed his chakra. The Third Eye and the surrounding Wind Release chakra dissipated.
*That was close. I was almost discovered. Can a ninja's intuition really be that terrifying when they reach a certain level of power? To sense danger from so far away...*
Daigan let out a long sigh of relief and looked up at the sky.
*There's... a barrier there. The security is really tight.*
He hadn't realized it at first. Just as the jutsu was terminated, a subtle fluctuation of power reacted to the dispersing chakra, making Daigan sense a slight discord.
It was a good thing he hadn't probed too aggressively. Minor chakra fluctuations were everywhere; it shouldn't arouse any suspicion.
One might not notice it in daily life, but Konoha was ultimately a militarized mercenary organization. Once the peaceful atmosphere was broken, the fully mobilized war machine would be terrifying.
However, none of this concerned Daigan for the time being.
Such a defense could only be breached with an inside man or an attack on the scale of a ninja village. The power of an individual ninja was basically negligible.
Having grasped the basics of the secret technique, Third Eye, Daigan calmly returned to his hospital room, contemplating his next move.
In the Hot Springs District, a bewildered Jiraiya retracted his gaze.
"Is that the old man Third's Telescope Technique? Has he already found me? He's an old man in his seventies, still peeping at the women's bath..."
As the great member of the Sannin grumbled, he abruptly turned his head. Below, by the men's bath, a soaking wet, blond-haired little boy was looking at him with utter disdain.
The first meeting between the renowned "Toad Sage" and the Child of Prophecy was just that awkward and unpleasant. The impression of "Pervy Sage" was likely forever etched into Uzumaki Naruto's mind.
***
Three days later, Daigan, who was practicing his Third Eye jutsu as usual, went to the rooftop garden of the Konoha Hospital to observe the changes in the village.
Besides the growing crowds, there were also quite a few ninjas, both overt and covert, patrolling the streets.
Furthermore, Daigan saw several of his countrymen wearing Sand forehead protectors. They were nominally in Konoha for official business but were actually scouting the terrain. The Chunin Sajin, whom he had met at the Northern Fortress, was among them.
It looked like the preparations were nearly complete. He wondered if this acquaintance, one of the few people Daigan could talk to, would survive.
Sighing, Daigan prepared to head back and rest. Today was his check-up with the medical ninja in charge.
Under careful treatment, Daigan's injuries were healing quickly. If all went well, his bandages and splints would be removed today, and he could manage some basic movements.
Stepping into the hospital room that was starting to feel familiar, Daigan's gaze sharpened.
In the vase by his bed was a fresh bouquet of flowers. On the table was a card with something written on it.
Daigan glanced at it and carefully picked it up to read.
"Haruno Sakura... A return gift from Rock Lee, I see."
She must have come to visit while he was on the roof, left the message when she didn't find him, and then departed. It seemed like a mere social courtesy, with no intention of getting close to him.
That was for the best. It would save him the awkwardness of having to hold back when conflict inevitably arose.
Putting down the card, Daigan rested for a while. After dinner, the medical ninja Mitachi, whom he had met a few times, gave him a thorough examination. After confirming that everything was fine, he announced that Daigan could start some simple rehabilitation exercises.
A little later, a young female nurse in charge of miscellaneous duties—Otohame—patiently and carefully removed the splints immobilizing his hands and feet.
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