Daimaru’s calm reaction was completely unexpected to Otofū.
“Can you tell me, Captain…”
“What exactly was it about me that caught your eye?”
“Your former squad leader, Senior Satetsu, and I know each other fairly well.”
Sunagakure wasn’t a large village.
There weren’t many Jonin, so most of them were acquainted to some degree.
“After I heard you’d been assigned to my squad…”
“…Senior Satetsu told me I’d picked up quite a bargain.”
“Really?”
“I’m honored that Jonin Satetsu thinks so highly of me.”
Although Daimaru had gotten along well with his previous squad leader and had received quite a bit of guidance from him, he hadn’t expected that bald old man to hold him in such high regard.
The thought genuinely surprised him.
“To be honest…”
“I also wanted to know what it was that made Senior Satetsu value you so much.”
“So…”
“Have you figured it out now, Captain?”
Otofū nodded…
Then shook his head.
“You do have several qualities that make people take notice.”
“But I don’t know whether the qualities I appreciate are the same ones Senior Satetsu saw.”
“Really?”
“Sounds like I’m quite outstanding after all.”
“I might get a little full of myself, Captain.”
“Proud?”
“You won’t.”
Otofū answered without hesitation.
“Your words and actions may seem carefree and unpredictable.”
“They make it difficult for people to understand your true personality.”
“But you’re not deliberately hiding anything.”
“You simply haven’t found anyone—or anything—you consider worthy of entrusting yourself to.”
“You’re much stronger than you let others see.”
“If Senior Satetsu hadn’t reminded me…”
“…I probably wouldn’t have noticed.”
Hearing that, Daimaru frowned slightly.
“What makes you say that?”
“I went back and carefully reviewed your mission records.”
“I’m not particularly interested in why you kept running into bizarre dangers.”
“But your ability to survive them is astonishing.”
“Especially the incident over three months ago.”
“The one that ultimately forced you to leave Senior Satetsu’s team.”
“How exactly did you survive for more than half a month buried beneath that sea of quicksand before they dug you out?”
“I was just lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“We’ll call it that.”
Otofū smiled.
“You don’t have to be so wary.”
“What shinobi doesn’t have secrets?”
“Having a few hidden trump cards isn’t a bad thing.”
“And that’s enough for you to want to support me?”
Daimaru looked at him skeptically.
He’d only known this man for less than a month.
Could someone really place so much importance on a Genin based on little more than speculation?
Wasn’t that a bit reckless?
Meeting Daimaru’s questioning gaze, Otofū smiled faintly.
“You don’t actually think I have as little experience as those two girls, do you?”
“Those sand puppets of yours may have been crude…”
“…but there were simply too many of them.”
“Even a proper puppet master can’t usually control that many combat puppets at once.”
“I’m not a puppet master myself.”
“So I don’t know exactly how difficult that is.”
“But I’m certain it isn’t something ordinary people can accomplish.”
“You’re overestimating me.”
“It’s just the ability to divide my attention.” This story is hosted at g.com.
“And besides, I don’t even own any combat puppets worth mentioning.”
“Precisely because of that…”
“…I’m convinced you’re even stronger than you’ve shown.”
Otofū spoke with complete confidence.
“Your puppet techniques are already quite impressive.”
“But despite that, you still don’t possess a single proper combat puppet.”
“What does that tell me?”
Daimaru remained silent.
“It tells me…”
“…that you never intended to walk very far down the path of a puppet master.”
“There’s another direction you value even more.”
“A field where you believe you’re stronger.”
“More talented.”
“And have greater potential.”
Daimaru let out a quiet sigh.
“Captain Otofū…”
“Are you trying to strip me bare and figure out everything about me?”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it.”
“The thing I admire most about you…”
“…is exactly this.”
“Your confidence.”
“Your pride.”
“Even your arrogance.”
“Aren’t those flaws?”
“Isn’t that just conceit?”
“How could they be?”
Otofū smiled.
“You know exactly what you want.”
“And you’ve been working toward it all this time.”
“To be honest…”
“I’m very curious.”
“You’re only a Genin.”
“So why are you so convinced your path can’t be wrong?”
Daimaru answered proudly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Even if I’m wrong…”
“…then I’m wrong.”
“Every road is carved out by someone.”
“If others can do it…”
“…why can’t I?”
“Then keep working hard, young man.”
Otofū chuckled.
“That reminds me…”
“Are you going to accept my offer?”
“If we were having this conversation somewhere else, or at another time…”
“…I might change my mind.”
“No.”
Daimaru shook his head.
“I’m fine with things as they are.”
“You can’t bear to leave those two girls?”
“They may not be able to help you very much.”
Daimaru grinned.
“Even if you gave me two stronger teammates…”
“…they’d still just be Genin.”
“Yome and Chi aren’t useless.”
“And as for the future…”
“…who can say?”
Otofū was taken aback for a moment.
Then he burst into laughter.
“Well said!”
“No matter how strong they are…”
“It’s good that you have this kind of confidence.”
“Take care of yourself.”
As he spoke, Otofū patted Daimaru on the shoulder before turning away to rest.
Aside from Gaara—the monster among monsters—and the clearly exceptional Temari and Kankuro…
Not a single other Sunagakure Genin had managed to pass the second stage of the Chunin Exams in the Forest of Death.
With that in mind, for someone like Daimaru, whose goal was to make it through the Chunin Exams, teammates like Chi and Yome—with their uniquely specialized ninjutsu—were actually far from a bad choice.
Silence filled the cave.
Only the howling wind outside…
…and the scraping sound of a kunai carving something…
…could be heard.
In Daimaru’s hands, a piece of bone from some unknown animal gradually took shape.
Two days later, Team Otofū returned to Sunagakure, covered in dust from the journey.
Their captain left to submit the mission report and complete the formalities.
Daimaru once again apologized to Chi and Yome for his rough behavior.
Then he departed.
The two kunoichi were left walking home together, their emotions in turmoil.
“Yome…”
Chi spoke softly.
“You were awake back then…
weren’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
“So were you.”
“This time…”
“…we weren’t abandoned.”
“Yeah.”
“I never expected someone like Daimaru…”
“…to become this dependable.”
“But…”
Chi clenched her fists tightly.
Her fingernails dug into her palms.
“We were pitied.”
“We were shown charity.”
Yome tried not to look back.
But no matter how hard she tried…
…the tears filling her eyes refused to stop.
“It wasn’t because he absolutely needed us.”
“It was because replacing us wouldn’t make much difference.”
“I never want to experience that kind of humiliation again.”
“Even though Daimaru didn’t mean it…”
“…it still feels like he bullied me until I cried again.”
In the end…
…they could only blame themselves for being too weak.
They simply weren’t strong enough for others to truly acknowledge them.
“We have to work harder.”
“The Chunin Exams…”
“…will be our chance to wash away this shame.”
Inside the tightly sealed Kazekage’s office, Rasa knelt on a tatami mat.
Before him lay a secret letter sent from Otogakure.
Although Otogakure was also officially an ally of Konohagakure, it had only joined the alliance a few years earlier and had virtually no contact with Sunagakure.
Yet the contents of the letter offered Rasa—who had long sought an opportunity to strike back at Konohagakure—a faint glimmer of hope.
A secret alliance.
The Chunin Exams.
And…
“Orochimaru…”
“…there’s no harm in making contact first.”
The former commander who had led Konoha’s forces against Sunagakure at Kikyo Castle…
…now a rogue shinobi…
…had finally grown tired of waiting as well.
It’s been over ten years.
Your so-called peace has lasted long enough.
(End of Chapter)
Enjoying the story?