"You should be a think-tank type of ninja!"
Rasa suddenly spoke. At first, he hadn't paid close attention, but the more he observed, the more he felt something was off. What really alerted him was the attitude of the Raikage's son toward this person—and how casually this person interacted with someone of such status.
There was no way the son of the Raikage would associate so naturally with someone ordinary.
"Yes."
Tamura Hao replied without evasion. He noticed the persistent wariness in Rasa's eyes—an instinctive caution born of village politics. His presence in the Hidden Cloud, and the prosperity of this entertainment city, likely stirred both alertness and jealousy in the Sand delegation.
"Tell me," Rasa continued, "how much intelligence can someone like you glean from observing us for just a day?"
He was testing Tamura Hao's insight. If Hao truly had the Raikage's ear, he might grow into a central strategist of the Hidden Cloud—perhaps even a future rival on the political battlefield.
"I did notice some things," Tamura Hao admitted, smiling slightly. "But why would I just tell you for free?"
His words carried a clear implication—information was a commodity, and he was willing to trade.
"What do you want in exchange?"
Ye Cang raised her eyebrows slightly, intrigued. Intelligence was also power. She wanted to see if this civilian-raised ninja could truly live up to the rumors surrounding him.
"I've been training my chakra thread technique to improve my chakra control," Tamura Hao replied. "But because I lack a practical framework for it, my efficiency is really poor."
He extended a single, glowing blue thread from his fingertip, letting it sway in the air.
The Hidden Cloud didn't have puppetry traditions, so he could only piece together the basics through scattered documentation, gradually refining it through trial and error—an inefficient and grueling process.
He had begun with the goal of improving chakra control, but now he saw potential for actual combat applications—especially when combined with sealing tags or trap arrays. Since these Suna-nin had approached him, he saw no harm in testing the waters.
"Just chakra thread training?"
Rasa was surprised. If it were full puppetry techniques, they would be restricted. But chakra thread manipulation for control drills? That wasn't a secret. In the Sand Village, it was sometimes used by genin for basic training.
Karura, who used refined sand manipulation herself, also had insight into such techniques. Many Suna shinobi had access to basic chakra thread practices.
"I mean, I'd love to learn secret techniques," Hao said with a grin, "but I know that's unrealistic."
Everyone understood that basic chakra control methods like tree climbing or water walking were widely taught. Chakra thread control was a more specialized but still non-restricted technique—closer to an advanced control drill than a secret jutsu.
It was something one could even commission from an information broker, but Hao was trying a cleaner route.
"If your deductions impress us," Rasa said after a beat, "we'll give you a proper chakra thread training method."
The three Suna ninja exchanged glances. Rasa made the final call, but both Karura and Ye Cang nodded slightly, indicating they were curious to hear the analysis.
Tamura Hao nodded, then turned to Karura. "Let's begin with you, Miss Karura. I believe you're a secret technique user focused on sand manipulation."
She tilted her head slightly, waiting.
"Your steps are heavier than Miss Ye Cang's, which I attribute to the presence of chakra-infused sand stored in your body. Likely a compact defensive layer."
He gestured lightly with his fingers. "When you first entered the hot spring earlier, there was no natural movement in your yukata, even when you walked or sat—meaning the sand is reinforcing the outer layer of your body.
Also, when we were eating hotpot, all of us were sweating, but you didn't sweat at all, which is abnormal for a heated environment. It implies insulation—another trait of chakra sand."
He smiled. "Now, everyone's cheeks are red from the steam, but yours remain pale. That's either incredible blood pressure control—or a layer that blocks surface-level blood flow exposure. My conclusion? You maintain defensive sand over your skin at all times."
Karura blinked, glancing down at her chest. She reflexively pressed her palm against her yukata. Indeed, the compacted sand armor had long since become a subconscious habit, remaining even during sleep.
"Your posture while sitting and walking shows good control but not aggression. No sharpness in your eyes, and no lingering gaze—suggesting you haven't trained in genjutsu. You also don't move with the balance of a taijutsu specialist. So your fighting style must be mid-to-long range with precision control, meaning you rely on sand manipulation."
He tapped his chin. "Against you, anyone relying on brute force would struggle unless they had a speed-based physical jutsu or a piercing-type Lightning Release. Gravity-style Earth Release would suppress your technique considerably as well."
Karura was stunned—not only had he deduced her technique, he had also laid out counters. She felt strangely exposed.
"You're gentle and attentive," Tamura Hao added, "but you've got an inner steel. Kind and responsible. Definitely the type who'd make a good wife and mother."
The corners of Karura's mouth twitched. She wasn't sure whether to feel praised or alarmed.
Tamura Hao then turned to Ye Cang. "Now you."
He narrowed his gaze thoughtfully.
"Your skin is healthy, but the muscle lines around your limbs suggest frequent high-intensity movement. You've clearly focused on physical training. Yet your build is lean, not heavily muscled—so taijutsu is your secondary skill. Likely meant to protect your mid-range offense from close combat threats."
He raised a hand. "When you stepped into the hot spring, your chakra briefly flared in reaction—people from arid environments often aren't used to moist heat. I felt wind and fire affinities mixing in your chakra signature. Together, that suggests you have the Scorch Release bloodline limit."
He nodded to himself. "The Scorch Release is very dangerous—superheated blasts that dehydrate and incinerate. Ordinary Water Release is insufficient unless it's extremely high-volume or mixed with sealing jutsu to contain the heat source."
He looked her in the eyes. "You strike me as cold on the outside, but warm to those you trust. A typical ninjutsu-centered fighter with some physical reinforcement. Likely avoids illusionary arts in favor of direct offense."
Ye Cang stiffened slightly. She was not used to people reading her like a book. Yet everything he'd said matched her background and current profile.
"Finally… Rasa."
Tamura Hao turned to the young man who would one day be the Fourth Kazekage.
He smiled slightly. This was the richest man in the future Naruto timeline—second only to Konan post-war due to her control of the Rain's hidden funds. He deserved special attention.