Daimaru had lowered his posture as much as possible.
There was nothing humiliating about showing proper respect in advance to his future father-in-law, who only had a few months left to live anyway.
“I understand your request.
You may leave now.
Once a decision has been made, you will be informed.”
“Thank you, Lord Fourth.”
The Kazekage had countless affairs to manage every day.
There was no guarantee that such an insignificant figure as Daimaru would even remain in his memory.
Had it not been for the commendation report for his supposed death in the line of duty that had crossed his desk two months earlier, Rasa probably would have forgotten him long ago.
After Daimaru left, the decisive Fourth Kazekage immediately summoned one of his most trusted subordinates.
“Yura, is this the official Genin currently registered in the village?”
“Yes.”
Calm and capable, the Jonin Yura had risen to prominence over the past several years.
Known for his reliable work and ability to keep secrets, he had earned Rasa’s trust and participated in many of Sunagakure’s confidential operations.
Even the village elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, who worked behind the scenes, had praised him highly.
In a Sunagakure suffering from a shortage of talent, an elite like him possessed limitless prospects.
“Too many.
Are you familiar with the records of Genin Daimaru?”
“Yes, Lord Fourth.”
Yura answered seriously, displaying his meticulous work ethic.
“This Daimaru is somewhat well known among the Genin…”
“Oh?
Is he particularly strong?”
Rasa’s interest was slightly piqued.
Yura pulled Daimaru’s ninja registration file from a large stack of documents and handed it over.
“He possesses excellent physical qualities and outstanding talent in ninjutsu.
His chakra carries an extremely rare ‘seal-breaking’ attribute.
Although it’s currently weak, its potential is considerable.
Most importantly, his spiritual power is exceptionally strong, giving him uncommon aptitude for genjutsu.”
Rasa glanced over the information card.
“Not bad.”
“Especially that innate seal-breaking chakra attribute.
It’s incredibly valuable.
That’s precisely why he stood out among his peers.
Unfortunately…”
Yura shook his head regretfully.
“We have no experience cultivating this type of ninja.
He can only rely on himself to explore his potential, causing much of his excellent talent to go unrealized.”
The Land of Wind was simply too barren.
Sunagakure’s resources were limited.
If the Second Kazekage, Lord Shamon, had not deliberately promoted sand manipulation techniques and puppet techniques, Sunagakure might not even have remained among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Sunagakure possessed very few bloodline clans, and the variety of ninja types was extremely limited.
Talented genjutsu specialists were practically nonexistent, and their proficiency in sealing techniques couldn’t even compare to Konohagakure’s shadow, much less the even rarer seal-breaking attribute.
“What a waste.”
Rasa sighed regretfully.
“We’re helpless as well.
This Daimaru will definitely have his uses in the future, but we don’t know how to use him—or when.”
He was like chicken ribs.
Too insignificant to enjoy, yet too valuable to discard.
“His supervising Jonin is Satetsu.
What has he taught him over the years?”
“Some basic sand manipulation techniques, with fairly good results.
In addition, according to reports submitted by Jonin Satetsu, Daimaru appears to have independently developed several rather interesting things…”
“Self-created ninjutsu?”
Yura nodded, confirming Rasa’s speculation.
“Yes.
Aside from his sand manipulation techniques derived from Earth Release, the Wind Release chakra he occasionally reveals is remarkably impressive.
Daimaru should possess considerable attainments in Wind Release ninjutsu.”
“Interesting.
Anything else?”
Yura continued,
“Furthermore, he appears to have secretly studied puppet techniques on his own…”
Daimaru’s father had been a ninja, and so had his grandfather.
Neither had been particularly powerful, but neither were they unknown figures.
When the Second Kazekage had developed sand manipulation and puppet techniques, numerous experiments had been conducted.
Back then, many ninja families had been provided with prototype puppet techniques to practice and test.
Even today, many surviving ninja households still possessed fragments of those early puppet techniques and incomplete sand manipulation secret arts.
Countless civilian ninja with no backing had relied on these remnants, together with their own experimentation, to create unique techniques that helped enrich Sunagakure’s overall system of cultivation.
“Puppet techniques, huh?
Can we determine what type?”
“Daimaru has never used either Wind Release or puppet techniques in public.
We have no way of knowing their exact nature.”
“What I want to know is whether he has touched upon any taboos.”
If an unsupervised puppet master inadvertently began researching forbidden techniques such as Human Puppets, they absolutely had to be stopped.
“No such signs have appeared.
Lord Fourth, with only scattered fragments passed down from decades ago, researching forbidden techniques such as Human Puppets is likely beyond a teenager like Daimaru.”
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a moment, Rasa asked,
“Anything else worth noting?”
“As far as strength goes, that’s about it.
However, judging from Daimaru’s mission history, this fellow’s luck is extraordinarily bad.”
“Bad luck?”
“Yes.”
Even Yura couldn’t help but smile slightly as he spoke.
“Their squad was actually quite capable, yet they constantly encountered bizarre mishaps.
If it had been any other Genin team, they probably would’ve been wiped out several times over.
But Daimaru always manages to survive impossible situations—especially the last incident…”
Rasa waved his hand.
“I know about that one.
‘Red Sandstorm,’ wasn’t it?
Quite a good title.”
“How does Lord Fourth view his terrible luck?
If we reassign him to another Genin squad, should that factor be considered?”
“No need.”
Rasa answered calmly.
“Frequently encountering danger naturally leads others to say your luck is poor.
But possessing the fortune to survive every hopeless situation—is that truly good luck or bad luck?
That remains difficult to say.”
“Luck is a part of strength.”
“But Sunagakure shinobi never place their hopes in luck.”
“I understand.
Thank you for your guidance.”
Yura lowered his head respectfully.
“Additionally, there is one personal matter that seems related to Lord Fourth.”
“Oh?”
“Daimaru appears to be very fond of your eldest daughter, Temari.
He is currently pursuing her.”
“Is that so?”
Only then did the usually unshakable Rasa show a hint of surprise.
“The age when boys and girls begin admiring one another…
Temari has reached that age as well.”
“Should we interfere?”
“No.”
Rasa shook his head.
“Let her do as she pleases.”
Sunagakure itself had been founded by wanderers and outcasts who had gathered in the deserts of the Land of Wind.
Concepts such as matching social status and valuing wealth had never been mainstream.
Rasa himself had only become Kazekage because of unexpected circumstances during wartime.
He did not come from some prestigious clan or noble family.
“Only Sunagakure shinobi who survive to adulthood are qualified to think about the future.”
“It’s still too early.”
“As you wish.”
Yura respectfully bowed and withdrew.
Now that he understood the Fourth Kazekage’s attitude, he also knew how matters should be arranged.
Sunagakure’s casualty rate had always been high, and there were many squads missing members.
With only slight adjustments to team assignments, the future paths of many people could be altered.
Whether they became exceptional or mediocre often depended upon a single decision.
(End of Chapter)