"No, just a little disagreement on training!"
"A puppeteer and a Wind Release ninja can argue over training issues?" Temari asked suspiciously.
"See?" Daimaru laughed. "I said I'm a Wind Release ninja, and Kankuro insists I'm a puppeteer. I've been training Wind Release ninjutsu so diligently, where do I look like a puppeteer?"
"Is that true?"
Temari looked at Daimaru, who seemed to be speaking exaggerated words with sincerity, then glanced at Kankuro, awaiting his answer.
"That's right. Daimaru, this disgrace to puppeteers, actually uses the Puppet Technique as a cover to delve into Wind Release ninjutsu. I just can't stand the sight of it..."
"Kankuro..."
Temari patted his shoulder, smiling as she mediated. "Although Daimaru isn't a serious person, he chose correctly this time. The Puppet Technique has no future; Wind Release suits us Sand Ninja better. Do you want to learn from me too? It's not too late..."
"No need, the Puppet Technique is just fine!"
Kankuro, in a foul mood, stood up. "I have something to do, I'm leaving first. You two continue!"
With that, he turned and left.
Watching Kankuro's retreating figure, Temari wiped the smile from her face and spoke seriously to Daimaru:
"You, don't provoke Kankuro casually. Don't think just because we're relatively familiar you can say whatever you want!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Daimaru feigned a confused expression.
"Don't play dumb! I don't care what you said to Kankuro, but if you dare bully him, I'll make you pay!"
"As if? How could I possibly bully Kankuro..."
Ignoring Daimaru's defense, Temari continued on her own:
"Kankuro has had few friends since childhood. Being a child of the Fourth Kazekage brought him no benefits, but instead caused him to be ostracized by other children, so he always holed up in his room playing with puppets..."
Kankuro, who had maintained a "strangers keep away" attitude since childhood, disguised most of his emotions beneath fierce puppet face paint. Only close family could realize that Kankuro was also a teenager longing for friends his own age.
"If you can be friends with Kankuro, I'm happy to see it happen. But don't think you can be unscrupulous about everything. If I find out you have bad intentions, I, as his sister, will be the first to not spare you!"
Finished, Temari didn't wait for Daimaru to explain before turning and striding away.
"What a young master and young miss with terrible tempers," Daimaru gave a bitter laugh.
Daimaru, an only child in this life, really hadn't experienced the affection between siblings.
The three seemed out of sync: Gaara was an autistic problem child; Kankuro was a deeply hidden, awkward tsundere; Temari was a brave girl with shrewdness and depth, yet bold and passionate, longing to be a good sister.
Although their personalities differed greatly, the bond between family members was real. After Gaara changed his ways, he would become a responsible man with outstanding charisma.
Daimaru didn't take being "educated" in turn by the siblings to heart.
The struggle over ninja paths—aside from debates on Nindo, the Will of Fire, and the "King" of the Daimyo and Kage—also existed in places like Kirigakure regarding Kekkai Genkai versus non-bloodline routes. Sunagakure's puppeteers faced similar issues.
The Puppet Technique was widespread in Sunagakure, but easy to learn and hard to master. There weren't many experts who could truly show it off. To maintain status and unity, the niche but powerful elite puppeteers naturally banded together to promote the advantages and contributions of the art, covering up the dark history of once manipulating the corpses of comrades for battle. Especially regarding the ban on Human Puppet arts, puppeteers were more radical than other Sand Ninja.
This tradition had existed for a long time, peaking after Sasori of the Red Sand created the Human Puppet technique and mysteriously disappeared.
"Where there are people, there is politics. I get it! But relying solely on puppets really isn't enough!"
The entire Sunagakure didn't even have the ability to stop Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara; the Fifth Kazekage was abducted in broad daylight. This was a humiliation comparable to the Third Kazekage vanishing without a trace, dead or alive!
Even with Human Puppet arts, who could be more formidable than Sasori? That forbidden technique was invented and perfected by him.
Sunagakure's high-end combat power in the later stages relied entirely on Gaara. Baki counted as half, and even Temari and Kankuro were lacking.
If Daimaru developed according to his current strength, three years later, he might not necessarily be stronger than Temari or Kankuro.
Not beating the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki was fine. Not comparing to Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke was acceptable. But if he couldn't beat Temari, how would he assert his authority as a husband later?
The head of the household needed face too!
"It's good that you left; I have the training ground to myself!"
Since he decided to use Wind Release as his main combat power for the coming period, his current level was far from enough.
He hadn't gone down the path of a pure assault ninja not only because he lacked the heritage and his Chakra couldn't support a Rasenshuriken system like Uzumaki Naruto's, but mostly because Daimaru saw the potential in combining Wind Release closely with air.
The Polarizing Light Killing Formation, which manipulated air density to distort light, was just one application. An ambition Daimaru had never shown anyone was...
Flight. The dream that haunts humanity the moment they look up at the sky!
Very few ninjas in the ninja world could fly.
One could fly after becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki; owners of the Rinnegan and Tenseigan who controlled repulsion and attraction could fly; one could fly after achieving Six Paths Mode; the perfect Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fu, could fly; Konan could fly controlling paper wings; Gaara could fly on sand; Deidara could fly on clay puppets; "Divine Pen" Sai could fly; Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, could fly using Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique; Uchiha Sasuke could fly with wings in Cursed Seal Level 2 state.
Aside from them, only large flying summons could carry ninjas to grant flight capability.
Daimaru wanting to rely on Wind Release to fly wasn't a delusion.
Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique essentially lightened body weight to fly with the wind.
Daimaru didn't know this gravity-controlling Earth Release. To fly, one method was to increase wind power to blow himself up, but that was too difficult; no matter how much Chakra he had, he couldn't afford the consumption.
Another feasible method was using airfoil theory, borrowing lift to fly and glide in the air, which was much more energy-efficient.
Flapping wings frequently was too tiring. Gliding downward and soaring by borrowing updrafts saved a lot of stamina and Chakra.
Regardless, to fly, one first needed a pair of wings. Daimaru was born human and had no wings, but that didn't stop him from making a puppet with wings.
Daimaru brought out a strange puppet he had made long ago but never shown because he had no way to use it.
Its general appearance was like a triangular shuttle fitted with slender wings. The whole structure formed an inverted V-shape. The wingspan exceeded six meters; it was the largest type of puppet Daimaru had ever made.
At first glance, it looked a bit like a shrunken strategic bomber. The dual-side structure referenced the wing structures of the golden plover and albatross, maximizing the use of natural wind to extend flight distance.
Back in the Land of Wind, Daimaru had thought about testing it, but without a jutsu like Wind Release: Gale Palm to provide initial thrust for takeoff, relying solely on jumping from high altitudes to glide was meaningless.
"From today on, your name is 'Phantom'. Whether I can escape with my life in a crisis depends on how fast you fly."
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