***
"Death?" Daigan chuckled. "I'm different from you. I want to live. I want to live a good life, and I want the people around me, the people I care about, to live happily too."
The joy of being reincarnated, the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, the partings and reunions—everything in this world made Daigan feel the weight of life.
He remembered the day he was buried twenty or thirty meters underground by a sea of quicksand. It was complete darkness. He couldn't tell up from down, left from right. His limbs were numb, he couldn't feel his own body, and he didn't even know if he was alive or dead.
The day he saw sunlight again, Daigan felt for the first time how beautiful every day in the past had been, and how every day in the future was worth looking forward to.
"You may have your ninja way, but we Sand Ninja are also fighting desperately to survive. Don't underestimate our resolve."
Baki suddenly appeared and put a hand on Daigan's shoulder. "That's enough."
"I understand, Baki-senpai." Daigan turned his head and said to Uzumaki Naruto, "Sorry, I'm in a lot of pain, so my head's not very clear. I got a little worked up. Just forget what I said."
As Naruto watched Baki lead Daigan away, he looked at his teacher.
"Does the Chunin Exam really have to be this cruel?"
Hatake Kakashi sighed. "Several candidates have already lost their lives. What do you think? Now, don't overthink it. Lee may have lost, but his hard work has value. Everyone saw that."
After a moment of silence, Uzumaki Naruto asked quietly, "That Daigan guy once said that no Hokage has ever died of old age. Is that true?"
Hatake Kakashi ruffled Naruto's messy blond hair. "Forget the Hokage. Every Kage from the five great ninja villages who has died, died an unnatural death. They either fell on the battlefield, succumbed to their wounds, or just disappeared without a trace for decades."
A Kage doesn't become a Kage just because they're powerful. They become a Kage because they carry the weight of the entire village on their shoulders and are respected by its people.
"Don't throw the word 'death' around so lightly anymore, Naruto. The conviction to protect your ninja way at all costs should be kept firmly in your heart and acted upon."
Elsewhere, Daigan leaned against a wall and swallowed a pill Baki had given him to temporarily ease the pain, making him feel a little better. Yome was treating his wounds with her less-than-expert medical ninjutsu.
"Stop, Yome. Don't waste your chakra. You still have a match," Daigan said.
"But—"
"Don't worry. A few wounds like this are nothing."
Not far away, Lady Saya clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Such a tough guy. It would have been better to just get proper treatment."
Sana asked, puzzled, "Lady sister, can a Puppet Master really do what Daigan did? Fighting on even with broken bones in his arms and legs..."
"It's possible, but who could stand it? It hurts just watching..."
Besides, it was a trick you couldn't practice. You couldn't just break your own bones every now and then to see if it worked.
Down below, the staff was cleaning up the ground that had been torn apart by Rock Lee and Daigan's fight, giving the candidates a chance to rest. Daigan's bleeding wounds were bandaged, and his superficial injuries had been treated. As for the hidden damage to his muscles and bones, he could only endure it for now and wait until the preliminary selection of the third exam was over to go to the hospital.
"Daigan, you never told us why you insisted on participating in this joint Chunin Exam," Chi asked in a low voice. "With your skills, becoming a Chunin at another time wouldn't have been difficult."
"Can't I just want to show off?"
"It doesn't seem like it." Even though she didn't know the details, Chi could sense that something was different about the atmosphere among the Sand Ninja. "You've succeeded in getting Temari's attention. Whether it's good or bad, you're no longer just a stranger to her. But if you ask me, love isn't something you can win just by showing off."
"I know." Daigan smiled, but the movement pulled at his wounds, making him grimace. "But what else can I do? The only thing I can do is show Temari my most brilliant side."
The rest would be up to her to decide.
"You... understand a lot more than people think. Anyone else might have already been captivated by you."
"Maybe." Daigan closed his eyes, the exhaustion on his face no longer concealable.
Yome quietly took Chi's hand and led her away, not wanting to disturb Daigan's rest.
Not long after, Daigan, leaning wearily against the wall, suddenly sensed someone approaching. "Didn't I tell you to let me rest?"
"It's me."
Daigan opened his eyes. "Kankuro, what is it?"
"Can you last until the end of the exam?"
"Shouldn't be a problem."
"That's good." Kankuro set down the puppet on his back and sat down next to Daigan, leaning against the wall. "You know, that match of yours was really something else."
"You need the skills to back up your big talk. Otherwise, it's just embarrassing when you get called out."
"Don't take your Puppet Technique any further."
Kankuro, who had been joking, suddenly said something completely out of the blue.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Don't go any further. My future brother-in-law will be a living person, not a cold puppet."
"I know. Don't worry, I won't."
"Good. Puppet Masters who cross that line never have a good end."
Any Puppet Master who delved deep into the Human Puppet Performance and started modifying their own body was a ruthless character, one who could easily fall into the forbidden abyss of human puppets. What's more, Daigan was obsessed with adding chakra circuits to his puppets to allow them to use ninjutsu. All of this together made one wonder if Daigan was practicing to create human puppets.
"I'm too afraid of dying to joke around with my own life."
"Right. Also, I have some bad news. The bloody fight between you and that Bushy Brow kid seems to have piqued Gaara's interest..."
"You're... kidding me, right? I can't handle Gaara's enthusiasm, especially not when I'm seriously injured."
"Just be careful. If something feels wrong, run. This is Konoha, so Gaara should be a little more restrained."
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