"Daigan, the day after tomorrow, Temari and I have to leave Konoha for a bit," Kankuro said suddenly, watching the figures on the street below grow more numerous. "Gaara will be with us. We'll be back in a few days."
"Leave? Doesn't that mean I'll be all alone in Konoha?"
"No, there are other Sand Ninja in Konoha on business. But for the next few days, you'll be the only genin candidate. It's your own fault for getting injured and not being able to travel."
"Is that so..." Daigan sneered inwardly. Even if he were completely unharmed, he would never be included in anything important. "It's fine to stay. The food here is good. I'm satisfied."
As for where Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were going, Daigan didn't want to ask. From the looks of it, they were probably going to make the final arrangements. Some things were difficult to discuss in Konoha, where powerful reconnaissance techniques might detect the Sand Ninja's plans.
The location was most likely Kikyo Mountain Castle. It wasn't too far from either Sunagakure or Konoha, and according to their armistice agreement, Sunagakure had ninja stationed there permanently. Any orders from the Fourth Kazekage could be relayed promptly.
Of course, there was another important reason for Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari to leave temporarily: the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail's state was becoming increasingly unstable. The Chunin Exam had provided too much stimulation for Gaara. To ensure the "Konoha Crush" plan went smoothly and he could successfully release the One-Tailed Shukaku in the village, his seal needed to be adjusted.
And that was absolutely impossible to do within Konoha.
***
To be honest, Daigan didn't know how Temari and Kankuro felt about accompanying Gaara to Konoha to participate in the "Konoha Crush" plan.
The three siblings were risking their lives to create a favorable opening for Sunagakure's attack. There was nothing wrong with that; being a ninja was a profession that walked the line of life and death.
But did they really understand what would happen after the Tailed Beast within the Jinchuriki was unleashed?
Either he would die from the beast's removal, or he would be killed in retaliation by Konoha ninja.
Apart from perfect Jinchuriki, none who fully released their Tailed Beast ever met a good end.
If Temari and Kankuro's mission was a near-certain death sentence, Gaara's was an absolute one.
It was likely that everyone in Sunagakure, including the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, saw the failed Jinchuriki Gaara as a burden. They just wanted to make one final use of this "waste product," having him contribute his last bit of strength in Konoha. As for the Jinchuriki's own life, almost no one cared.
Did Gaara understand the fate that awaited him? Perhaps he did. Even if Gaara himself didn't know, the One-Tailed Shukaku within him would surely clamor and tell him, striking at his spirit to increase its own chances of escape.
As for Temari and Kankuro, they were most likely just following the plan in a state of bewildered ignorance.
If Uchiha Sasuke hadn't injured Gaara and disrupted his mental state, preventing him from using the Feigning Sleep Technique in time to release Shukaku, and if Uzumaki Naruto hadn't defeated him, his fate might not have been so good.
"Hey, Daigan..."
Lost in thought, Daigan suddenly noticed a hand waving in front of his face.
"What's with you? Did you even hear what I just said?"
"Did you say something?"
"You bastard..." Kankuro cursed, annoyed that his well-intentioned reminder had been ignored.
"Easy now, little brother-in-law..."
"Who's your brother-in-law..." Kankuro didn't even have time to retort before Temari, who had been standing by indifferently, suddenly snapped. "Don't think I can't take you down just because you're in a wheelchair."
"Temari, don't shout. This is a hospital. You'll bother people," Kankuro said, glancing at the tactless Daigan while trying to calm the suddenly enraged Temari.
"If it weren't for your big mouth, this guy wouldn't be so smug!" When a girl gets angry, she doesn't care if you're her little brother. Her scolding was just as fierce.
"What's it got to do with me? If you two have a problem, you can have a good fight during the Chunin Exam. Settle your grudges..."
"We don't need you to tell us..." Temari said viciously. Then, as if remembering something, she snorted and turned her head away, saying no more.
Whether it was intentional or not, after the match between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Neji, the next fight was Uchiha Sasuke versus Gaara. Logically, the second match would be Gaara's chance to release the One-Tailed Shukaku. The third match between Kankuro and Aburame Shino, and the fourth between Daigan and Temari, would never happen.
At this moment, who could have predicted that Uchiha Sasuke, the most watched genius of them all, would actually be late for the Chunin Exam?
If it had been someone else, like Daigan, the referee would have certainly declared a loss by default. But a candidate with connections and hype had privileges. They could even postpone the match. So much for the supposed dignity of the joint Chunin Exam.
"Did your squad leader, Otokaze, give you any special instructions?" Kankuro asked suddenly as the sun rose higher, signaling it was time to leave.
"No."
Although Daigan and Captain Otokaze were on decent terms, they had only known each other for a few short months. In less than half a year, they had only interacted during missions; otherwise, they were busy with their own things. They weren't close enough to share everything.
"I see," Kankuro said with a resigned smile.
Though Kankuro and Temari were nominally part of a plan, once the fighting started, who could look out for whom? It would be every man for himself. For them, their only real connection was the bond of blood between the three siblings.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go," Daigan said with a seemingly oblivious smile. "Waking up this early to see off our comrades is about enough. I'm starving. Time for breakfast."
With that, the substitute puppet dutifully pushed the wheelchair, carrying Daigan away.
Only Temari and Kankuro were left, bathed in the morning light.
"Temari, how much do you think Daigan knows about 'the plan'?"
"How would I know? I'm not close to him."
"I guess I'm pretty familiar with him, but I still don't really understand him. I never know what he's thinking..."
"He's a sneaky guy. Probably plotting some kind of scheme again..."
Kankuro smiled and shook his head. "Daigan might be mysterious, but he's actually a very lazy person. He doesn't do pointless things. And he's incredibly proud. Why do you think he can ignore our status as the children of the Fourth Kazekage and interact with us so casually? Because he simply doesn't care about any of that..."
"Maybe he just doesn't understand the Kazekage's power and influence yet."
"Is that possible? It's one thing to be ignorant and fearless as a child, but after four years as a genin, could he still be a clueless fool?"
Sunagakure was only so big. Even if they weren't close, most kids in their age group had heard of each other. Daigan had been a domineering child, and he'd bullied the Kazekage's kids more than a few times. He had mellowed out a bit as he grew up, but it wasn't that his temper improved; he just engaged in fewer childish antics.
"You wouldn't notice his deeply hidden arrogance unless you interacted with him often. Months ago, Daigan was already vowing to take part in the Chunin Exam. Why do you think that was? Just to show off and get your attention? I'm not sure about other things, but his constant talk about pursuing you is probably genuine. A guy like Daigan wouldn't bother lying about something like that."
"So what?" Temari laughed lightly. The straightforward princess of the sand was no less proud than anyone else.
"Only the Sand Ninja who survive have the right to talk about anything else. That goes for you and me, too."
Family status and identity meant nothing in the face of grand events.
Compared to Daigan, Temari was more worried about her own brothers, Gaara and Kankuro.
There was less than a month left—the final chance to prepare.
If the "Konoha Crush" plan failed, then it was all over.
But what if it succeeded? Could Sunagakure really make Konoha yield? Probably not. Konoha wasn't that fragile; it wouldn't fall from a single setback.
More likely, it would just be the beginning of another long, drawn-out war.
-----
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