Red sand dust

Guren, who was fooled around by Yakushi Kabuto, was not known for his intelligence, but he was still a bit quick-witted when it came to important matters concerning his own life.

As Daimaru said, Yukimaru was actually implicated by Guren. If he wanted to get better treatment for himself, he had to make up his mind to pay a price in order for Daimaru to show his favor.

As a prisoner, you must have the awareness to recognize reality.

After thinking for a long time, he didn't find anything worthy of Daimaru's attention, so Guren had to turn his thoughts to another area.

The next morning, Guren, who had asked to see him many times, finally met the busy Daimaru.

With all the chakra sealed and completely unable to use ninjutsu, he waited awkwardly for Daimaru to ask.

After stamping the last document, Daimaru relaxed, stretched his body, poured himself a cup of tea, and then asked slowly:

"Think clearly? I have to remind you that you only have one chance. My time is precious and cannot be wasted on you and Yuukimaru. If you can't give me the answer I want, you don't need to think about anything anymore..."

Guren took a deep breath and said bitterly:

"I exchanged the blood inheritance limit, Crystal Release, Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto's information, as well as my own refuge, in exchange for Sunagakure Village's protection of Yuukimaru and myself..."

"Huh? These... are considered costly for you!"

Daimaru smiled and said,

"Although I have a way to peel off the blood inheritance limit on you, it is always a good thing to have my cooperation! The information about Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, if it were two years earlier... No, even if it was one year earlier, it would be very good Value, now..."

Let’s not mention those cannon fodder who don’t even deserve names. The so-called intelligence is that Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto, and Uchiha Sasuke are valuable. Even Kito Suigetsu, Juugo, and Daimaru don’t value it very much, and there is no need for Guren. Know the accurate and inaccurate information.

Under Guren's hopeful eyes, Daimaru reluctantly nodded in agreement:

"The last one seems illusory and has no reality at all, but it is actually the most valuable! Life is the miracle of the world, with an extremely broad imagination..."

Guren was able to convince Daimaru because Daimaru had a way to turn those general promises into substantive constraints.

"Starting from today, your official identity is that of an external trainee instructor of the air combat force. You can occasionally go to public classes to teach apprentices how to behave. Secretly, your duty is to go to the designated location when needed. …”

"that's it?"

Guren, who was originally prepared to abandon his dignity and freedom in exchange for Yuukimaru not being harmed, couldn't help but ask.

"If you want to do more, I can't trust you. It's not that I don't have the means to control it, but it's just that it's not necessary!"

Too many hidden moves have been made, so there is no need to pay too much attention to a ninja who has acceptable strength but obvious shortcomings.

The people under Orochimaru's command can't even be completely trusted by Korin, let alone Guren?

"There are no free benefits in this world. Apart from tolerance, you must have paid a necessary price in places you don't know..."

"These prices... I'm not even qualified to know!"

Guren, who realized what Daimaru meant, couldn't help but feel sad. The restraints that were visible and tangible were not scary. It was even more difficult to get rid of the control of someone who had an unknown weakness in their hands.

"I even think that even if I explain, you won't understand!"

Daimaru shrugged, waved his hand, and asked his subordinates to bring Yuukimaru, and handed over two contracts for them to sign separately.

Tremblingly, he wrote his name on the scroll, which looked like it was not a serious contract, and then pressed the bloody handprint. Guren held Yukimaru in his arms and said to Daimaru:

"Is this okay?"

"Roughly the same!"

After putting away the contract scroll, Daimaru was in a good mood and couldn't help but ask a few more questions.

"You don't look like you want to betray Orochimaru, so why are you so willing to sacrifice your life for Suna Ninja?"

"Many of Orochimaru-sama's subordinates have been favored by him, and I am no exception. However, apart from most of the fanatical admirers, the few who have lived long enough are also relatively life-saving..."

"just like you?"

"I still respect Lord Orochimaru, but after being abandoned twice, I may no longer trust my former benefactor..."

Especially now, after recovering from his injuries, Orochimaru, who has devoted himself to researching various secret techniques such as Forbidden Jutsu and Earth Reincarnation, has less and less need for cannon fodder. Only talents like Deidara, Yakushi Kabuto and Uchiha Sasuke can Will be looked at differently, Guren is still a little bit worse after all.

"There's nothing wrong with working for the Suna Ninja. There are many wandering ninjas who want to join the five major ninja villages but can't find a way. It's better to have a big force behind you to protect you than to live without a fixed place in the ninja world!"

"If you say so..."

Daimaru tilted his head with a half-smile, and thought for a while with his chin.

This is a phenomenon that has not been discovered before. Daimaru, who grew up in Sunagakure Village, rarely interacts with ninjas from other villages and wandering ninjas. He really doesn't understand their thoughts.

Daimaru, who set his goal to surpass Konoha Village and look at the entire ninja world, ignored that no matter how embarrassed Sunagakure Village was, it was still very attractive to other small countries, ninja villages and wandering ninjas.

The tiger skins of the Five Great Ninja Villages are still there, and their arrogance is still there, which is quite intimidating.

Being unable to defeat the Konoha ninjas is really not a big problem. The ninja world has been beaten by the Konoha village in turn, and the performance of the Suna ninja on the battlefield is also remarkable.

It's not that Sunagakure Village is too bad, but that Konoha Village is too strong. This is also the common understanding of ninjas all over the world.

"It's quite interesting!"

Daimaru wondered whether he should mention it to Gaara and allow a small number of "naturalized" Suna shinobi to test the water. Maybe he could attract some outstanding external shinobi and supplement the talent shortage in Sunagakure Village.

"Seclusion" at the Ninja Village level is not advisable. If Suna Ninja were more generous, Xiang Rin and her mother wouldn't be able to take in someone like Kusanagi Ninja.

However, thinking about the conditions of Sunagakure Village in the past, Daimaru couldn't help but sigh. His own life was very tight, and he really had no conditions to help outsiders.

Moreover, ninja is a profession that relies heavily on intelligence. All kinds of spies are difficult to guard against, and even mind-reading skills cannot be guaranteed to be foolproof. Kabuto Yakushi and Yura are just a few typical examples, and we don’t know how many informants there are under the water.

The risk of accommodating external ninjas is too high, and it is not incomprehensible that major ninja villages tend to be conservative.

However, for a long time to come, the relationship between the major ninja villages has become harmonious, and the conditions in Sunagakure Village have also improved a lot, so it seems possible to give it a try.

Recruiting and training external gifted children is too slow to produce results.

"The Fourth Ninja War is coming. It might be a good thing to have external manpower to supplement it!" 』

Every means to increase the survival rate of sibling is worthy of consideration.

Just when Daimaru was wandering around, Guren, who was waiting for further arrangements, reminded:

"What else do we want?"

"Huh? It doesn't seem good to just leave you guys in Naruto Village like this!"

Daimaru came back to his senses, thought about it, and waved the Star Puppet Thread to subdue Guren and Yukimaru. After temporarily confusing their will, he put two regeneration cores into his body, and then used the secret technique of Submersible Brain Control Sand. After sealing some "unnecessary" memories, the restrictions were released.

Daimaru didn't have too high expectations for these two people who had hardly any entanglements, but at least they were people with blood inheritance limits and natural talents, and he might be able to use them at some point.

As for Orochimaru, apart from studying ninjutsu and paying attention to Uchiha Sasuke, he probably doesn't care about other things.

Guren and Youkimaru were as useless to him. Even if they would cause trouble for Daimaru, it would not be because they wanted to take back the two subordinates, but for other reasons.

Thinking about the large number of filthy earth bodies he has mastered, each one is more powerful than the last. Once they come to his door, it is really difficult to deal with them.

"So, we still have to find something for Orochimaru to do!" 』

After sending Guren and Yukimaru away and letting his subordinates make arrangements, Daimaru quickly contacted his subordinates in Konoha Village. Two days later, the flying ninjas of the "Rescue Team" "accidentally" discovered Uchiha Sasuke and Yakushi Kabuto. Traces of activity were quickly passed on to the superiors.

And a certain "root" ninja's nano poisonous insect "coincidentally" detected this secret, so he reported the news to Shimura Danzo.

Soon, the secret assassination team to which "Root" belonged was dispatched.

…

Daimaru, who had done some trivial things, was handling some official duties while waiting for Uchiha Sasuke to make a decision.

At this moment, in Konoha Village, the atmosphere within the Hyuga family became increasingly tense. Even Hinata Hizashi, the clan leader, was almost unable to withstand the pressure from the elders of the branch.

Sometimes, human relations and logic don't make sense. There are so many branch family members who have been here for so many years. Why can Hyuga Neji be an exception?

Just because he is a genius?

After nearly a thousand years of inheritance, the family has produced many amazing and talented people. Hyuga Neji is not the one who stands out the most. The so-called genius has no meaning for such a wealthy family with a big family and a big business before it can truly realize its potential. Very big.

Hinata Neji, who stayed at the clan leader's mansion every day and served as a sparring partner for Hinata Hinata and Hinata Hanabi sisters, felt something ominous from his uncle's increasingly gloomy face.

The pressure caused by this made the young man who was not too worried at first start to worry about gains and losses.

Impulsively, in public, he tested the family's taboos. The key was that he hadn't won the game yet, so he felt like he was losing a lot.

However, the young man whose mind has become more mature has no regrets. Even if he does it again, he will most likely make the same choice.

After a day of training, Hyuga Neji returned to his room, washed and tidied up a little, and prepared to rest.

Just when he closed his eyes and fell asleep, a strange mental wave connected to his mind.

Half asleep and half awake, a young man came to a strange place. In a daze, he saw the girl who had defeated him.

"It's you?"

Hinata Neji, who had calmed down a little, looked around. He saw a dark world with no end in sight. Only the place where the two of them were was illuminated by light.

"Is it your illusion that brought me here?"

"It's just an insignificant ray of spirit!"

Kurama Yakumo said with a smile,

"I did leave a vague spiritual power on you! There is no malicious intention. If you don't need it, over time, the mark will be slowly erased and will not have any impact on you. But once your thoughts A certain mechanism is triggered that will bring you here..."

"So, it's not that you are looking for me, but that I subconsciously feel the need to see you..."

"It's easy to talk to smart people. Yes, the confusion and hope for help in your heart are clear to me. Don't get me wrong, I haven't looked through your memory, it's just a superficial mood swing..."

Hyuga Neji, who couldn't understand even a simple explanation, had a little understanding of his own heart.

"It turns out I'm not as strong as I thought!"

"Everyone gets into trouble and can't extricate themselves. At least you still have a way out..."

Kurama Yakumo sighed,

"This is also my fault. The Kurama family also knows very well about the Hyuga family's connections. They thought that the great changes in the ninja world would make the Hyuga family more tolerant, so they didn't cover it up for you..."

It was not too difficult for Kurama Yakumo, who almost controlled the whole scene, to hide the key information.

"It's my own problem and has nothing to do with you!"

Before you are strong enough to protect yourself, if you touch the taboo rashly, the consequences can be imagined.

"Why not ask the village for help? The scar-faced examiner made it very clear that even the Hyuga family must consider the village's opinion..."

"It's not time to completely break up, it's just..."

I originally hoped that as the clan leader, Hinata Hizu would turn things around, but now it seems a bit difficult.

Realistic changes are imminent, but in the end, the power of tradition has not been shaken. Hyuga Neji, who is stuck at a critical point, has become the focus of competition between the two factions.

Hyuga Neji was involuntarily thinking about countermeasures, and it was possible to accidentally activate the mark left by Kurama Yakumo.

"The so-called family is both a help and a shackle. The Hyuga family has fallen!"

The obsessed branch family cannot even tolerate a young man who has become a caged bird.

This tradition was originally set up to prevent the supercilious look from spreading and to maintain the cohesion of the family. However, it gradually changed. The purpose was no longer mentioned, but the methods became more and more strict.

"They are scared! Even I, who am not very good at illusions, can see how those angry and angry faces put pressure on the patriarch!"

Rejection and fear of change are the instincts of almost all defenders of the existing order. Even if Hyuga Neji didn't actually want to unlock the Caged Bird Curse Seal, he would still be regarded as a heretic by them.

The caged bird on his forehead controls life and death, while the caged bird in his heart imprisons his soul. Violent resistance will only completely separate Hyuga Neji from his family. For the entire Hyuga family, it will only be a small splash in the backwaters.

"Although we have no friendship, we can still do something with a little effort. Do you want me to give you a hand?"