Pakura had been about to argue with Jiang Feng some more, but a figure approaching from the distant horizon caught her attention.
The man wore a Sunagakure Forehead Protector. He was middle-aged and had an ordinary face, yet stood out in the cold desert night.
The middle-aged Sunagakure Ninja approached the group. Only after confirming they were the delegation Sunagakure had sent to Konoha did he start greeting everyone, making his way from one campfire to the next.
Jiang Feng's attention was drawn to him, too. "He seems to be pretty popular."
Popular people attracted attention wherever they went.
"You're not the only one who's popular."
Pakura lifted her chin slightly. "Senior Daishi is a veteran Jonin of Sunagakure. He's very popular there, and he's someone I look up to."
"Never heard of him," Jiang Feng said bluntly, his expression unchanged.
"That's because you're ignorant!"
"How is Jiang Feng Gege ignorant? If that Ninja named Daishi were as famous as Gege or the Sannin, how could Gege not know who he is?"
Kurenai Yuhi immediately shot back. In her eyes, Gege was perfect. How could she stand by while this woman from Sunagakure called him ignorant?
Pakura gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do. Daishi simply wasn't as famous as Jiang Feng or the Sannin, whose names resounded throughout the Ninja World.
As they talked, Daishi finally reached the campfire at the center of the group, where Jiang Feng and the others sat.
"Senior Daishi."
"Pakura, I knew I'd find you here."
Pakura warmly welcomed him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she asked why he was there. He said only that he was leaving the village on a mission and had happened to see Sunagakure's delegation, so he'd come over to bum a tent.
Pakura nodded. It was common for Sunagakure Ninjas traveling through the desert to run into each other, exchange greetings, and share a tent or campfire.
After chatting with her, Daishi turned to Jiang Feng and the others. "And who are these people?"
"The leader of Konoha's team—" Pakura corrected herself. "The Chunin in charge, Uchiha Jiang Feng, and his friends." She pointed to Jiang Feng and Konan, pointedly ignoring Kurenai Yuhi.
"So you're Heavenly Flying Immortal Uchiha Jiang Feng! I've got to meet you!" Daishi perked up.
Jiang Feng smiled and raised his head. "I'd like to meet you, too, Senior Daishi."
"Haha! Am I really famous enough that even Heavenly Flying Immortal wants to meet me?"
"Not quite. Before today, I'd never heard your name."
"Oh?"
Daishi looked puzzled. "If you'd never heard of me, why did you want to meet me?"
"Because Pakura said you're her idol. And when you came over just now, you greeted everyone at every campfire without the slightest hint of resentment or discomfort."
Given Pakura's personality, what sort of person would she look up to?
He would have to be someone who shared her ideals, and a powerful Ninja with an outstanding record in battle—especially during the Second Shinobi World War.
Sunagakure's main opponent in the Second Shinobi World War had been Konoha. In other words, Daishi had surely killed many Konoha Ninjas, and had surely lost many comrades and friends to them.
Now, the people in this group—those from Sunagakure and Konoha—were sitting together. Yet Daishi had greeted everyone without a trace of resentment. Didn't that prove he was a man who longed for peace?
"Ah..."
Daishi sat by the campfire. "That's what being a Ninja is like. You kill me today, I kill you tomorrow. Who can really say what's right or wrong?"
Pakura furrowed her brow slightly, but said nothing. She sat down by the fire, too. Daishi was, after all, someone she respected.
"You really are someone worth getting to know," Jiang Feng said with a sudden sigh.
"Life in this world leaves you with no choice. Grudges are hard to put aside, and feuds go on forever. Unfortunately, not many people can see that."
"You're the one worth getting to know."
"Since we both want to get to know each other, we're friends."
"Exactly. We're already friends."
In just a few words, Daishi, a genial and clear-eyed man who got along with everyone, had become Jiang Feng's friend. It happened so casually that Pakura was left staring in disbelief.
Konan and Kurenai Yuhi were used to it. Jiang Feng had met Yahiko and Nagato the same way, and he'd become friends with other people just as easily.
Jiang Feng cheerfully shared the roasted meat and freshly brewed milk tea with Konan, Kurenai Yuhi, Pakura, and Daishi. If he wasn't willing to share food, how could he call them friends?
Pakura had meant to refuse, but the hearty Daishi accepted everything Jiang Feng offered and ate it all. So she stopped resisting and joined them.
"The meat is tender, rich, and juicy. It must be premium beef, the kind only nobles can afford."
"It's premium beef, sure, but not something only nobles can afford."
"Since I've eaten such good food from a friend, I should return the favor."
Daishi took several portions of field rations from the pack he carried and set them over the fire. "Sunagakure Ninja rations can't compare to your premium beef. I hope you won't mind."
"I wouldn't mind at all. With friends around, anything tastes good."
"Haha, that's true."
Before long, Daishi had roasted the rations. He took a packet of seasoning powder from his pack, sprinkled it over them, and warmly shared them with the others.
Compared with Jiang Feng's premium roast meat, Pakura would rather eat the rations Senior Daishi had offered her. She was just about to put one in her mouth when Jiang Feng's warm expression suddenly faded. Holding the ration, he sighed.
"What's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Daishi still wore his hearty smile.
"The rations are the same as before, but the friendship isn't. Or maybe this friendship was fake from the start." Jiang Feng sighed softly.
The smile froze on Daishi's face. Kurenai Yuhi and Pakura were confused, while Konan seemed to realize something. She suddenly glared at Daishi, her brows drawn together.
His plan had failed. The hearty smile vanished from Daishi's face, and he abruptly sprang up and ran for his life.
Jiang Feng jabbed a finger toward him. Twenty-Four Solar Terms Shocking Spirit Finger—Awakening of Insects.
A fierce, swift burst of wind-and-lightning chakra shot through the air and blasted through Daishi's knee. He pitched forward into the sand.
Congratulations, Host, on defeating a top-tier expert of the current age. As a reward, you have received the top-tier expert [Murong Fu · Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils] template.
Why had they suddenly started fighting?
The crowd erupted. Pakura and Jiang Feng shouted for everyone to stay calm, then hurried to Daishi's side.
He was dead, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Poison. It's deadly poison!"
Pakura frowned deeply. She might not have been good at reading people, but she knew enough about being a Ninja not to irrationally accuse Jiang Feng of killing Daishi.
She pried open Daishi's mouth and found a molar with poison hidden inside. It had been crushed.
"The poison he took was probably the same as what was mixed into the seasoning. If you don't believe me, catch a wolf and feed it one of the rations."
Jiang Feng sighed. Daishi really was something else—who else would come up with a way to act genial while poisoning people right to their faces? Luckily, Jiang Feng had the [Chu Liuxiang] and [Lu Xiaofeng] templates.
Yu Hua once complained about Gu Long's novels, saying there was little fighting in them and nothing but poison.
Being able to guard against poison was an essential trait for protagonists in Gu Long's novels.
Lu Xiaofeng, Li Xunhuan, Chu Liuxiang, and the rest all seemed to have an instinct—a knack for noticing poison the moment someone tried to poison them.
Jiang Feng had thought this special ability would never come in handy. He hadn't expected a single trip to Sunagakure to put it to use.
Sunagakure certainly had plenty of poison experts.
"But why would Senior Daishi want to kill you?" Pakura asked, baffled. Could it be that Senior Daishi had come to the same conclusion she had, and wanted to poison a great enemy of Sunagakure?
"You should be asking yourself that. You were the one he really wanted to kill." Jiang Feng glanced at Pakura with amusement.
Daishi was close friends with Pakura and had handed her the rations before offering any to Jiang Feng. However you looked at it, Pakura was the one he'd really been trying to kill.
As for Jiang Feng—or, more accurately, Konoha's representative—he'd just been collateral.
Senior Daishi wanted to kill me!?
Pakura froze, her mind in a whirl. Before she could sort out her thoughts, another figure appeared at the far end of the horizon: a young man with reddish-brown hair.
Jiang Feng knew this man. He was the future Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's father—Rasa.
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