On this quiet night, Sunagakure was unusually calm and free of wind.
Bright moonlight bathed the slumbering village.
Even the One-Tail’s Jinchūriki, whose heart burned with violent rage, had calmed down somewhat.
Leaning against a rooftop corner, he quietly enjoyed the peace brought by the moonlight.
In the shadows untouched by the moonlight, ANBU members who answered directly to the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, monitored every movement within the village.
Inside the communal apartments reserved for unmarried ninja, a young man was sweating profusely while training his muscles, completely unaware of the pair of eyes observing him from outside the window.
“So this is him, huh?
Not bad.
Setting aside talent and strength, his diligence alone already surpasses most shinobi.”
The newly risen Jonin of Sunagakure, Otofū, had only just returned to the village from a mission when he was assigned to temporarily lead a newly formed Genin squad.
Though somewhat unwilling, Otofū couldn’t disobey orders.
Thus, he immediately came to observe the people who would become his subordinates.
The first member left a favorable impression on him.
Seeing him in person was far more intuitive than reading reports.
As for the other two, he would have to observe them during the daytime tomorrow.
Completely unaware of all this, Daimaru rested on the floor after finishing his training.
As if remembering something, he pulled a small wooden box out from beneath his bed.
Inside lay a puppet about the length of an adult arm.
Its face remained featureless and unfinished, but its body, limbs, and clothing had already been crafted with great care.
It still feels like something’s missing.
Right, I still need to prepare a fan…
The materials required by puppet masters were rather expensive.
Rare woods and metals capable of conducting chakra were luxury items that couldn’t easily be obtained.
Given Daimaru’s financial situation, he could only hunt large creatures such as giant desert scorpions and quicksand pythons, using their venomous fangs, bones, and scales as substitutes.
As long as one’s craftsmanship was sufficiently skilled, the finished puppet wouldn’t be much worse than one made from precious materials.
The only problem was that it was troublesome and quite dangerous for a mere Genin.
Every year, Sunagakure produced numerous puppets, but even more were destroyed.
However, it was almost impossible for secondhand materials to circulate on the market.
The chakra signatures and battle damage left on a puppet could reveal much about its owner’s techniques and fighting style.
Unless a puppet became completely unusable, it would usually be repaired repeatedly or if not possible destroyed.
I’ll ask Sayo and Kankuro first to see if I can acquire some materials.
If that doesn’t work, I’ll have no choice but to hunt another large beast.
Hopefully I can finish it before the Chunin Exams.
Daimaru had studied puppet techniques for quite some time and had accumulated considerable experience, yet he still didn’t possess a truly presentable puppet.
As for some of his hidden trump cards, he had even less intention of letting anyone know about them.
Not because he was deliberately trying to be mysterious—
He simply couldn’t use them yet.
…
Three days later, Daimaru finally received notice.
It was time to officially meet his supervising teacher and new teammates.
Jonin Otofū possessed messy grayish-white hair and a somewhat youthful baby face.
At twenty-six years old, he still carried the pride characteristic of young people.
This was his first time leading a Genin squad.
Although it was only temporary, it was still a matter of fate.
As for the other two teammates, they turned out to be rather interesting.
“Chi, Yome—so it’s you two.
Life really does bring people together in unexpected ways.”
One of them was a genjutsu specialist who required battlefield preparation, secret medicines, and a fan to display her true strength.
Her taijutsu was weak, her ninjutsu mediocre, and only her intelligence stood out.
The other was a support-type dojutsu user.
Her perception range was enormous, theoretically reaching dozens of kilometers.
She could transmit information over long distances to a limited extent and possessed passable medical ninjutsu.
At first glance, the two seemed fairly compatible with Daimaru’s combat style.
But their weaknesses were simply too obvious.
Neither female ninja could be relied upon for frontline combat.
Daimaru would have to assume both the role of tank and primary damage dealer, while also protecting his fragile teammates from enemy attacks.
“It seems all of you already know one another, so introductions are unnecessary.”
Otofū looked over his three subordinates.
“From now on, I will be leading everyone on missions.”
Though each of them possessed shortcomings, all three undoubtedly met the standards expected of Genin.
As long as they utilized their strengths and cooperated properly, D-rank missions would pose no problem, and even C-rank missions should be manageable.
Of course, at least for now, the three of them were still some distance away from becoming Chunin.
“Since this is our first meeting, we’ll stop here for today.”
“Gather tomorrow morning.
I’ve already selected our mission.”
“We’ll be eliminating a bandit group entrenched near the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Grass.”
“Make sure you’re fully prepared.”
“Understood!”
“Very good.
Dismissed.”
…
Neither Chi nor Yome had expected to meet Daimaru again so soon.
And to end up on the same team, no less.
“Daimaru, I heard your original squad abandoned you.
I thought it was just a rumor, but it turns out it’s true.
I never imagined someone like you would suffer such humiliation…”
“Shut up.”
Daimaru felt somewhat embarrassed.
Most of the authority and prestige he had accumulated in the past had practically vanished overnight.
“Weren’t you two abandoned by your squads as well?”
“It’s different for us!”
At the mention of this, Chi’s mood seemed to darken.
“One of my teammates was severely injured and retired.
Our team was disbanded, and the remaining teammate was transferred elsewhere…”
When a Genin squad lost its core member, disbandment often became inevitable.
It was difficult to find a replacement capable of filling the same role.
“And what about you, Yome?
Why did you become all alone too?”
“That’s…
hard to explain.”
Yome looked uncomfortable, clearly unwilling to discuss painful memories.
Chi answered on her behalf.
“Yome’s eyes can barely be considered a bloodline limit.”
“When she was first assigned, it seems people overestimated her abilities and placed her into a very strong squad.”
“But both her teacher and teammates felt her growth didn’t meet expectations.
She simply couldn’t keep up with everyone else’s pace.”
“So you were disliked because your strength wasn’t good enough.”
Daimaru muttered to himself and couldn’t help smiling bitterly.
In the end, Sunagakure’s standards for evaluating Genin were simply terrible, and its training system was little more than a joke.
The village’s obsession with immediate results permeated every aspect of life.
Harsh reality left Sunagakure with no room to think about long-term development.
And with these team arrangements, it was obvious that the village didn’t hold much hope for Daimaru’s future.
His two teammates lacked overall combat ability.
With monsters everywhere during the upcoming Chunin Exams a few months later, standing out would be nearly impossible.
Still, their support abilities were quite good.
Helping Daimaru pass the first exam and survive the Forest of Death in the second exam remained entirely possible.
The key question was whether Daimaru himself, as the core of the team, could hold everything together.
Complete missions.
Earn money.
Buy materials.
Train.
The next few months are going to be extremely busy.
By now, this year’s Genin from Konohagakure’s Ninja Academy should have almost finished their preparations as well.
I’m really looking forward to it.
(End of Chapter)