The strongest ninja village in the world lived up to its reputation. If Daigan hadn't spotted some dangers early and evaded them, he might have already been arrested as a suspicious character.
Near noon, his reconnaissance roughly complete, Daigan returned to the hospital with a clear understanding. After lunch and a brief rest, he began using the Eye of Sand to scout nearby movements.
There was no need to go to conspicuous places like the roof garden anymore; using the Third Eye directly from his hospital room achieved nearly the same result.
As Daigan expected, security throughout Konoha had significantly tightened, likely due to some unexpected emergency.
It must be the reaction to the news of Hayate Gekko's murder.
Although they didn't know who had killed the man tracking Yakushi Kabuto, strengthening defenses was never a mistake.
And so, Daigan fell into a routine: repairing puppets and preparing more weapons in the morning; observing Konoha's alert status after lunch; going to the training grounds reserved for Sand Ninja in the afternoon to practice the Sand Body Flicker Technique, Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere, and Wind Release: Gale Palm; and practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Third Eye technique at night until his chakra was nearly depleted before sleeping.
After a week passed in this manner, Temari and Kankuro, who had been gone for days, returned to Konoha with a stone-faced Gaara. Compared to before, the worry on the siblings' faces was much heavier.
Daigan could not fathom the thoughts of the three siblings. Gaara was purely driven by a thirst for blood, seeking proof of his own existence through it. Temari feared the current Gaara more than she cared for him, and regarding Kankuro, who wouldn't listen to his older sister, she couldn't control him even if she wanted to.
The fiercely independent Kankuro was quite dissatisfied with Gaara. It would be a long time before the brothers improved their relationship.
After returning, Gaara was elusive every day, vanishing to do who knows what—perhaps seeking out Uchiha Sasuke to cause trouble.
At the training ground, Temari sat by a distant stream grooming her Three-Moon Fan. Kankuro, having familiarized himself with a puppet routine, sat on a tree trunk watching Daigan practice Wind Release and the Sand Body Flicker.
One shouldn't assume geniuses and the strong didn't train hard. The more talented the ninja, the more they understood the value of effort. Temari and Kankuro's formidable strength hadn't just blown in with the wind.
After several days of familiarization, Daigan could execute the Sand Body Flicker Technique, though not proficiently. It had little combat value yet and served mostly as a flashy opening move.
The difficulty of Wind Release cultivation was higher. The first thing Daigan did after learning it was to load chakra circuits into two of his puppets.
The main medium for Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere would largely be puppets; the element of surprise was far superior. Using it with his main body required movements that were too large, ruining the ambush effect.
Wind Release: Gale Palm, on the other hand, served as a supplement to close-quarters combat tactics. High-pressure air currents could blow away incoming kunai and shuriken or attack enemies directly. Of course, it could also coordinate with Shadow Clones, using the immense thrust of compressed air from the palms to catapult the main body, achieving high-speed displacement like a human jetpack.
Just as Daigan was training and contemplating tactical scenarios, Kankuro approached from nearby.
"What's wrong?"
"For the past few days, you seem to be practicing Wind Release and the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Why haven't I seen you use the Puppet Technique?"
"Puppet Technique, huh..."
Daigan smiled. "Let's take a break first."
Under the shade of a tree, Daigan and Kankuro replenished their food and water. August was approaching, the hottest time of the year. Even Sand Ninja had to pay attention to the climate, especially Daigan, who couldn't afford to overdraw his chakra.
"Kankuro, where do you think the future of a puppet master lies?"
"Does that even need to be asked? Stronger puppets, more skilled manipulation methods, superior tactics!" Kankuro answered as if it were obvious.
"In short, making the puppet's combat ability stronger."
Daigan nodded in understanding. "I probably don't count as a puppet master. Just a ninja who uses puppet techniques..."
"Isn't that the same as a puppet master?"
"Of course there's a difference. A puppet master focuses on the puppet to increase combat power, while I focus on improving my own abilities. One prioritizes the external object, the other prioritizes the self. Actually, they are very different."
"You..." Kankuro was momentarily stifled. "Are you giving up on puppetry to become a Wind Release ninja?"
"Not giving up, but distinguishing priorities. As long as it makes me stronger, I don't personally care if it's puppetry or Wind Release..."
This mindset was different from the vast majority of puppet masters who were obsessed with the art. The fact that Daigan, whose attainment in puppetry was not poor, harbored such intentions was hard for Kankuro to accept immediately. He fell silent for a moment before asking:
"Do you look down on the future of puppetry?"
"No!"
"Really? I don't believe you!"
"Fine." Daigan spread his hands. "I feel that current puppetry cannot take me to the heights I desire!"
"What do you want? Human Puppets?"
"Don't get excited, Kankuro." Daigan rubbed his forehead, nursing a headache. "I believe that living life is a limitless miracle. The Human Puppet technique, which strips people of their lives, has gone astray!"
"You really think that?" Kankuro looked at Daigan skeptically. "I always knew you had ideas, but I didn't expect you to have started thinking about Human Puppets."
"I have no intention of turning myself into a puppet. As for creating Human Puppets... I wouldn't hesitate to kill when necessary, but processing a living person into a puppet is something I can't quite bring myself to do. However, using a ready-made Human Puppet wouldn't be a burden!"
Moreover, Daigan didn't possess the technology to create Human Puppets. Using an existing one was fine, but figuring it out from scratch was too difficult.
"I hope you remember your words." Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief. "If one day I find you've crossed the line, I won't let you off!"
The Human Puppet technique itself wasn't necessarily unforgivable; the key issue was that "killing makes you stronger." It tested human nature too severely.
Who wouldn't be afraid of a puppet master using such techniques nearby? Who could say when such a person might treat you or your comrades as raw materials? Rejecting Human Puppets was like a biological instinct to fear a natural predator; there was no room for negotiation.
"Rest assured, I know my limits."
As long as he survived the crisis of the "Konoha Crush," Sunagakure would remain a decent sanctuary. The next few years would be an era of turbulence. Never mind missing-nin; even wandering ninja, if they stood out too much, might be targeted by the "diligent" bounty hunter Kakuzu.
Perhaps Sunagakure was safer than Konoha. At least Pain hadn't "gifted" Sunagakure a Planetary Devastation to enact a "village destruction" tragedy.
Suddenly, footsteps approached the two conversing youths.
"Hey, are you two arguing?"
Temari, rarely seeing Kankuro and Daigan in a dispute, walked over to ask what was happening.
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