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The morning sun was just beginning to paint the majestic and imposing arched rooftops of Sunagakure in a soft, copper-gold hue when small, rhythmic steps, heavy with clear hesitation, echoed down the main corridor of the Kazekage's Tower.
Guren stopped dead in her tracks right in front of the large, polished wooden door that guarded the Kazekage's main office. She could feel her heart racing, pounding hard against her ribs, while her hands nervously gripped the seams of the clean clothes she had been given the day before.
Yesterday, before being shown to her quarters, the Kazekage had told her to come this morning to talk about her future.
Her mind, thoroughly accustomed to the merciless treatment, constant threats, and freezing atmosphere of Orochimaru's underground laboratories, expected the facade of kindness to drop at any moment.
However, remembering the deep warmth and serene gaze with which the Kazekage had welcomed her on the day of her arrival, she took a deep breath of fresh air, puffed out her little chest, and with trembling fingers, knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," resonated Daigo's calm, deep, and perfectly modulated voice from inside the room.
Guren pushed the door slowly, making sure the hinges didn't make a sound, and walked in with short steps.
Daigo was already waiting for her. He was sitting behind his wide oak desk, surrounded by mountains of commercial documents, supply route maps, and official scrolls of the sand, showing implicitly that he had been awake and working long before the sun broke the horizon.
The young Kazekage looked up from his papers and locked his eyes onto her, immediately noticing the slight stiffness in the shoulders and the defensive posture that the six-year-old girl adopted unconsciously out of pure survival instinct.
"You arrive right on time, Guren," Daigo said, breaking the tense silence with a light, highly approachable smile as he calmly stood up from his seat.
"Before we get down to talking about your future... tell me one thing, have you had a chance to eat breakfast yet?"
Startled by the question, the girl immediately lowered her gaze, fixing her black eyes on the tips of her sandals and fidgeting with her fingers in clear embarrassment that painted her cheeks red.
"No... I forgot," she whispered in a voice so small it was almost lost in the vastness of the office.
Daigo let out a soft, melodic laugh and nodded understandingly as he picked up his Kazekage cloak to put it on.
"I figured as much. A true ninja cannot function properly on an empty stomach, let alone someone your age who is in full physical growth. Let's go get something to eat first; the serious talk and the plans can wait a bit."
To Guren's absolute surprise, Daigo didn't call any guards or order a servant to bring a tray of expensive food to the office.
Instead, he walked over to her, gestured for her to follow him, and personally guided her out of the safety of the tower, walking straight into the bustling, wide, and transformed commercial streets of Sunagakure.
The journey of just a few blocks became an absolute cultural and emotional shock for the little girl. With every step they took on the compacted clay pavement, the dynamic of the village unfolded before her eyes.
The civilians opening their shops, the merchants unloading fabrics and spices from carriages, and the patrol ninjas guarding the districts stopped dead in their tracks when they saw them pass.
However, they didn't step aside out of fear or tyrannical submission; they moved to the side with genuine smiles on their faces, bowing with deep respect and true admiration for their young leader.
Daigo, far from being cold or distant like the leaders Orochimaru used to tell her about, waved back at them, exchanged kind words about the day's sales with an old man arranging clay pots, and took the time to maintain that human closeness that had completely transformed the spirit of the sand.
Daigo stopped in front of a local stall that emanated a delicious aroma of freshly baked bread and seasoned meat. Naturally, he ordered a complete, balanced, and hearty breakfast for both of them, pulled a few coins from his own pocket to pay the merchant, and after receiving the food, guided Guren toward a stone bench located in a nearby plaza.
The place was remarkably quiet and tucked away from the civilians who wouldn't leave Daigo alone, allowing them to sit and eat under a roof that sheltered them from the harsh sun.
Guren observed absolutely everything around her with her eyes wide open, holding her plate tightly while looking sideways at the imposing man sitting next to her.
"Why... why does everyone here treat you in such a good way?" Guren asked suddenly, remembering how everyone had greeted him.
"Could I... could I ever be treated with that same respect by people one day?"
Daigo took a bite of his breakfast, chewing calmly as he looked toward the desert horizon, letting the morning breeze move his hair before fixing his eyes firmly on hers.
"It is very possible that you will achieve it, Guren. But you must understand something fundamental: real, lasting respect is not demanded by instilling fear, nor is it achieved by showing that you can destroy the weak; it is earned by protecting others with your life," he replied in a measured but firm voice.
"When I was exactly your age, I was nothing more than a child in a Sunagakure that was much colder and more military than it is now. I didn't possess a famous bloodline, nor did I come from a renowned clan, nor did I have a power inherited in my genes. All I had were my hands and my mind.
I began to train hard, day after day, without rest, learning everything I could about the world, the flow of chakra, and nature. It was during that long time of effort, alongside Pakura, that I began to fixate on the idea of creating something completely new for the village... a unique element that no one else in the Five Great Nations had, which would serve both to build a new future and to defend the defenseless. That was how, after countless failures and an unyielding desire, I managed to give life to the Crystal Element."
Daigo paused intentionally in his story. His usually serene expression became unusually serious, shadowed by a weight of guilt he rarely showed.
"And precisely because I created that power... I have the duty to offer you a sincere apology, Guren," the Kazekage continued, looking directly into the girl's black eyes.
"I know perfectly well that because I was the first to conceive and master the Shōton in this world, Orochimaru became sickeningly obsessed with that technique. He wanted to decipher the secret of my strength, and since he couldn't catch me, he began looking for subjects who could develop a similar affinity, experimenting cruelly on you in his labs to get you to replicate the very thing I had invented. I am truly, deeply sorry that you had to go through that living hell because of the existence of my technique."
Guren was completely stunned, frozen in place with the piece of bread halfway to her mouth. She looked at the Kazekage with a mixture of shock and veneration.
The most powerful man of the sand, the youngest Kage in ninja history, and the leader who was expanding Suna's borders beyond the desert like no one ever had before, was apologizing humbly to her a helpless girl who, just a few days ago, had tried to kill civilians on the border under the indoctrination of the Sannin of the snakes.
The little girl reacted quickly, shaking her head vigorously and swallowing hard as she clenched her fists over her legs.
"No... you don't have to apologize for anything to me, Daigo-sama! It's not your fault at all," Guren said with a fierce determination burning in her eyes.
"I... I was the one who accepted Orochimaru doing those experiments on my body. I wanted to make myself strong at all costs, I didn't want to keep being a weak child that everyone could cast aside or abandon in misery. It was my own choice because I didn't know any other way to survive."
Daigo observed her in silence for a few moments, evaluating the inner fire, the suppressed pain, and the forced maturity that trauma had sculpted into the little girl's spirit.
With an imposing gentleness, he reached out his hand and placed it on the girl's shoulder, conveying a security that felt like an impenetrable shield.
"Never again in your life think that you need the cruelty of others to be strong, Guren. The true strength of a shinobi does not come from macabre experiments or genetic modifications from a monster in a dark laboratory. Real power is born from your own unyielding will, your mental discipline, and a body that has been well-trained through the sweat and daily effort of your own hands. If what you seek in this life is real power, power to change your destiny with honor... tell me, would you like to become my official student?"
Guren's eyes widened to their limits, losing all remaining timidity.
The original creator of crystal, the hero of Sunagakure, was formally offering to be her master? The impact of the proposal left her completely speechless for a few seconds, but the answer erupted from the depths of her chest with an absolute urgency that admitted no doubt.
"Yes! I accept with all my heart!" the girl exclaimed, her voice trembling notably from the wave of emotion that flooded her.
"How could I ever pass up an opportunity like this? There is no way I would refuse. I want to learn, I want to make myself strong... incredibly strong so I can protect the lives of Sayuri and little Yukimaru from anyone who tries to hurt us again or drag us into the darkness."
Daigo nodded his head, visibly pleased by the response and, above all, by the motivation driving his new disciple's spirit.
"You have chosen the right path, Guren. You must know that the most powerful, destructive, and lasting strength in the ninja world always comes from the pure desire to protect others.
That is exactly how I obtained all my power: wanting to protect the existence of Sunagakure and everyone who walks near me. If you fight solely for yourself or out of selfishness, your power will always have a very short limit; but if you fight with the conviction of keeping those you love safe, there will be no barrier, no enemy, and no Sannin in this world that can stop your advance."
To definitively seal the pact of master and student, Daigo removed his hand from Guren's shoulder and extended his right palm in front of her, keeping it face up.
The girl watched with absolute fascination as Daigo's chakra began to manifest visibly without the need for a single hand seal. Small, sparkling pink particles materialized in the air, floating around his fingers before beginning to cluster, compact, and solidify with a beautiful, harmonious crystalline chime.
Before Guren's bedazzled eyes, the crystals began to grow, branch out, and shape themselves with mathematical precision, taking the delicate, perfect, and eternal shape of a flawless crystal flower that reflected the morning sun like a pure diamond.
Finishing it with a subtle movement of his fingers, Daigo took the flower by the stem and handed it to Guren, who received it by extending both hands with extreme care, as if she were holding the most sacred and valuable object on the entire planet.
"From this day forward, you are officially my student," Daigo declared. "Your duty from this moment on is to stay safe and study the basics of the village. However, I have to leave Sunagakure immediately to resolve a matter of utmost importance abroad. Because of that, your true combat training will begin as soon as I return from this important trip. In the meantime, take this."
Daigo reached into his Kazekage cloak, pulled out a small cloth bag containing a generous amount of village money, and extended it to the girl, who looked at it in confusion.
"Go explore the village shops calmly, get to know the commercial districts, and spend that money on whatever you need, on new clothes, or on whatever you want to buy as a gift for Sayuri and the baby. Enjoy your first day of freedom."
Guren nodded her head eagerly over and over, a huge, radiant smile lighting up and completely erasing the shadows from her face for the first time in many years.
She tucked the bag of money into her pocket and nestled the beautiful crystal flower securely into her hair with extreme care; then, she spun around and took off running at full speed, bursting with pure energy and happiness as she headed straight for the assigned housing where Sayuri was waiting, anxious to tell her the incredible and wonderful news.
Daigo remained standing in the plaza, keeping his arms crossed as he watched the little girl's silhouette run with enthusiasm until her figure completely vanished after turning the corner.
His smile remained. Without turning his head, he looked sideways toward the wooden roof structure that hung directly over the stone bench.
"You can stop hiding and come down from there now, you know?" Daigo said out loud, breaking the silence.
From the top of the structure, a figure dropped down with impressive feline agility and absolute silence.
It was Pakura. She walked with a confident, elegant step toward him, and without asking permission, sat directly on Daigo's lap on the stone bench.
The young Kazekage immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her weight with total ease, right before receiving a deep, warm, and tender kiss from her, sealing the intimate atmosphere.
Pakura pulled back just a few inches, keeping their faces very close, and looked at him intently with those fierce, intense eyes.
"I have to admit, you're really good with children, Dai," she commented with a soft smile, reaching her fingers out to affectionately arrange a rogue lock of Daigo's hair.
"I've always been good with them, Ura-chan," Daigo replied in a soft tone.
"Guren is a child who has gone through too many horrible things at an age where she should only be worrying about playing. We have to fill her with happiness now that she is with us, give her a purpose in life and a safe home. That is the only real way to make sure she doesn't end up straying down the dark path of vengeance or hatred that did her so much damage in the past."
Pakura nodded her head in silence, completely sharing the profound vision of the person closest to her.
The two of them continued to talk in low voices for a long time, intertwining their fingers and calmly enjoying the moment.
At Dawn of the Next Day
The next morning, just as Daigo had informed the 5 Shadows of the Desert, everyone was already gathered at the gates waiting for him.
The Kazekage did not take long to appear, though he didn't come alone Pakura was right beside him, ready to join the squad.
"Hey, Pakura is joining us? Are you sure you haven't changed the plan, Daigo?" Kisame asked, flashing his shark-like grin.
"We are not going to attack Kirigakure, Kisame. This is just to ensure we move safely. We are entering enemy territory and we don't want everyone falling before the Mist, right?"
"Heh, fair enough, Kazekage-sama... though you still owe me a rematch," Kisame said, crossing his massive arms.
"You've still got a way to go before I give you that rematch. Come on, we have a long way to run."
With that, the group of 7 people set out at the dawn of the day, ready for a mission that could either turn out perfect or go straight to hell.
End of Chapter