Late at night, after finishing his training, Daimaru leaned against the window, gazing at the moon bathed in the night breeze.
He gently picked up the wound ointment Lady Saya had given him, then unwound the bandages around his hands, revealing palms covered in countless tiny scars.
His right hand pointed toward the crescent moon in the sky.
With his left hand, he formed a one-handed seal, gathering chakra into his right palm.
A ring of Wind Release chakra burst forward, forming countless shimmering silver wind blades.
The blades ricocheted off one another, producing crisp metallic clangs as they collided.
The wind blades appeared and vanished in an instant.
From his wrist to his fingertips, fresh cuts split open across his skin, blood seeping from each one.
The sudden pain made his outstretched hand tremble involuntarily.
Still can’t control it perfectly…
but it’s finally practical.
Now, the wound medicine Saya had given him finally came in handy.
He carefully spread the ointment evenly over each wound.
A refreshing coolness flowed from his hands throughout his entire body.
Premium medicine really is something else.
With medicine like this, his Wind Release training could progress even faster.
Did Lady Saya just happen to give me exactly the wound medicine I needed…
or did she discover my secret?
Training as a shinobi was often this dull.
It required endless accumulation…
…and the resolve to endure loneliness and pain.
The countless scars covering his hands were proof of the effort he had poured in over the years.
Wind Release talent…
Daimaru couldn’t help sighing.
Several years ago, when he discovered his chakra affinity leaned toward Wind Release, he had been overjoyed.
He’d thought his golden age had finally arrived.
The Rasengan.
The Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Either one was an overwhelming trump card.
Master one of them, and he’d surely dominate the battlefield.
Later…
…he realized he had been dreaming.
If an ordinary Sunagakure Genin suddenly started using the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze’s signature technique…
…wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?
Konohagakure would never ignore it.
Sunagakure’s ANBU would interrogate him as well.
Besides…
…the Rasengan wasn’t particularly suited to him.
Both the Rasengan and Chidori were close-range piercing techniques.
Unless one possessed the Sharingan like Kakashi Hatake or Sasuke Uchiha…
…or reaction speed unrivaled in the shinobi world like the Fourth Hokage…
…either the attack would miss entirely…
…or the user would be easily counterattacked.
Even Naruto Uzumaki relied on sheer numbers when using the Rasengan.
Every Shadow Clone carried one.
Then they all rushed the enemy together.
As for Jiraiya…
…his Rasengan had rarely ever landed on opponents of equal strength.
Most of the time, it was simply used to bully weaker enemies.
As for the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken…
Daimaru didn’t even dare think about it yet.
Even Naruto Uzumaki, with the Uzumaki Clan’s physique and the Nine-Tails’ incredible healing ability, had nearly crippled himself after using it.
…that was something he should never attempt.
After Naruto later mastered Sage Mode, he could throw the Senjutsu-enhanced Wind Release: Rasenshuriken from a distance.
But Daimaru was a Sand shinobi.
Sage Mode…
…was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Throughout his years as a Genin, all he’d learned from Satetsu was a little Sand Manipulation.
Sunagakure certainly had powerful Wind Release users.
Baki, for example, was exceptionally skilled.
Unfortunately…
…he was the instructor of the Fourth Kazekage’s three children.
He had nothing to do with Daimaru.
In the end…
…he still had to rely on himself.
He had diligently trained Wind Release nature transformation for nearly four years.
By now, he was already quite proficient.
After all, the leaf-cutting exercise already existed.
It was simple and effective.
The only thing it demanded was time and steady accumulation.
As for shape transformation…
…he had no choice but to explore it entirely on his own.
The scars covering both hands were merely part of the price of developing original ninjutsu.
In the future…
…puppet techniques and Sand Manipulation would become Daimaru’s standard combat abilities.
Wind Release…
…would remain the trump card he rarely revealed.
…
Three days later…
Lady Saya came storming over and blocked the entrance of Daimaru’s apartment building with an ugly expression.
“Lady Saya.”
“I already did everything I promised.”
“You got what you wanted too, didn’t you?”
“So why are you still picking a fight with me?”
“You liar!”
“You tricked me so badly!”
“Give me back my wound medicine!”
“That’s impossible.”
“The transaction is already complete.”
“You gave me the medicine, and now it belongs to me.”
“But you never told me that Shira couldn’t qualify for the Chunin Exams!”
“That’s hardly my problem.”
“You never asked.”
Back then…
…they had only agreed that she needed another Genin to fill out her squad.
The very next day, Daimaru introduced Saya to Yome.
Yome then introduced them to Shira.
Although the meeting hadn’t been particularly harmonious…
…Shira, eager to earn recognition, still accepted the harsh conditions proposed by the Saya sisters.
Graduation season was only about two months away.
After arranging one or two makeup examinations…
…Shira successfully obtained his Genin qualification and officially joined Saya’s squad.
The Jonin leading Saya’s team had been specifically assigned by her father’s faction to mentor both Saya and Sana.
However… Find the original chapter at g.com.
…Shira ran into enormous trouble when it came to qualifying for the Chunin Exams.
In principle…
…a Genin had to complete a minimum number of missions before becoming eligible.
In Konohagakure, a Genin needed at least eight completed missions before applying for the Chunin Exams.
Sunagakure required ten.
Shira had only just become a shinobi.
His completed mission count was zero.
In other words…
…Saya’s squad had to complete at least ten missions within just a few months…
…without a single failure…
…before Shira could even be recommended for the Chunin Exams.
Naturally…
Lady Saya was furious.
Low-rank missions were boring enough already.
As for the meager rewards from D-rank missions…
…she couldn’t care less.
Why would she willingly spend her time grinding through such tedious assignments?
“So what do I do now?”
“The situation’s already set in stone.”
“It’s too late.”
If this idiot standing in front of her hadn’t casually offered such a reckless suggestion…
…she never would have ended up in such an awkward position.
“What you should be doing right now…”
“…is rushing to complete as many quick D-rank missions as possible.”
“Help Shira build up his mission record.”
“But there are less than two months left…”
Traditionally, Sunagakure held its Chunin Exams around the middle or latter half of May.
Any later than that…
…the desert would become unbearably hot.
The weather simply wasn’t suitable for Genin examinations.
“Do everything you can.”
“Then leave the rest to fate.”
Daimaru patiently advised her.
There was actually plenty of time.
Before long…
Konohagakure would send Sunagakure an invitation to hold a joint Chunin Exam.
The first test would be held on July 1st…
…a full month and a half later than Saya expected.
Barring any accidents…
…they would have enough time to finish all ten D-rank missions.
“…I suppose that’s the only option.”
Saya left gloomily to contact her teammates and Jonin instructor.
Meanwhile…
…Team Otokaze had received a major long-term assignment as well.
The northern border fortress was undergoing a troop rotation.
Team Otokaze would accompany a logistics convoy to the northern frontier, then remain there to carry out patrol missions assigned by the local commander.
The assignment would last two months.
By the time they returned to Sunagakure…
…the Chunin Exams would be just around the corner.
(End of Chapter)
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