"These are all the ninjutsu scrolls in the Village that you are currently qualified to borrow."
The next day, Yubi went to find Arai and stated his purpose.
The other party was also very efficient.
After all, the Third Kazekage had previously given instructions regarding Yubi's requests.
Therefore, Arai quickly brought over a number of ninjutsu scrolls.
The records within the ninjutsu scrolls basically covered the Hand Seals and the Chakra meridian pathway diagrams, among other things.
"What do you need so many ninjutsu scrolls for?" Arai was somewhat curious. "You're a Medical Ninja. If you want to practice some of these Ninjutsu... it probably won't be easy. After all, your Chakra nature is relatively singular for now... other Ninjutsu like elemental release techniques would likely be difficult to perform."
"I just want to study them, to look at the composition and circulation methods of the Hand Seals and pathways... Even though I can't perform the release techniques, I can still get a feel for the Chakra."
Yubi said with a laugh.
"Accumulating Ninjutsu knowledge?"
Arai understood.
A mature Ninja, even if unable to use related release techniques, should at least have some understanding of Ninjutsu of other attributes.
Truly powerful individuals can, within a short time after their opponent uses a Ninjutsu, analyze and predict the 'technique' to a certain degree.
This is the benefit that experience brings.
"Although if I say this, others might find it a bit strange to hear... but you, Yubi, cannot be judged normally. I think you can thoroughly research the responses of various Hand Seals and Chakra in these scrolls, because... if you train to a certain level, you might be able to perform one-handed seals in the future... or even, perform Ninjutsu without seals."
Arai coughed.
"Hiss..."
Hearing this, even Yubi drew in a sharp breath.
His mouth slightly agape, he looked at the Elite Jōnin before him.
"..."
"In your eyes, I'm that amazing? Aren't you overestimating me a bit?" Yubi asked.
"The strange things you've done... are they few? Who told you to be a genius... There's no harm in trying."
Arai scratched his head.
It seemed he also felt his expectations for Yubi were a bit too high.
After all, looking across the entire Ninja World, those who can perform one-handed seals... are exceedingly rare, truly one in a million.
And those who can perform Ninjutsu without seals... at least, Arai had never seen one.
Yubi packed the scrolls into his bag, preparing to leave.
He would need to devote himself to studying them thoroughly in the coming period.
It would probably take quite a while.
That guy Sasori still hadn't returned. Yubi wanted to wait for him to come back before leaving the Village together.
Who knows what mission Sasori is on outside... taking so long.
For general missions, depending on the difficulty level, the time limit also increases, but normally, short ones take about ten days, while long ones can take a month.
For some team missions, especially during wartime, like border patrols, they take even longer.
After packing his things, Yubi turned to leave but suddenly paused his steps.
"Teacher Arai... is the Village preparing to negotiate peace with Konoha?"
He asked, looking back.
As the Third Kazekage's personal bodyguard, Arai was naturally well aware of the higher-ups' decisions.
Looking at Yubi's face, Arai's expression shifted from its previous ease to become more serious and somewhat gloomy.
"Any decisions discussed by the higher-ups are absolute secrets for the Village... don't go prying around," Arai cautioned.
"This kind of thing... is already blatantly obvious. Even if the higher-ups seal lips, those who have withdrawn from the front lines are discussing it privately. The Village's actions have already said it all... I work at the hospital, you can't fool me about these things."
Yubi said with a laugh.
"..."
Arai fell silent.
After a moment, his deliberately solemn demeanor seemed to deflate.
"You little rascal... you're good at everything, it's just sometimes your mind is too sharp... That's not necessarily a good thing."
"So, we really are negotiating peace?"
Yubi raised an eyebrow, his smile fading.
"The hatred between us and Konoha is already irreconcilable... there's no possibility of peace talks," Arai said.
"So you mean... releasing a signal to Konoha on the battlefield, a tacit mutual ceasefire? The Village can't hold on anymore... In the end, isn't that still a form of disguised peace talks... Seeing us stop, Konoha, which still has to deal with the other Great Ninja Villages, is naturally happy to cease fighting as well." Yubi offered the deeper interpretation hidden in Arai's words.
"The Kazekage-sama has his considerations... The Village can no longer withstand large-scale war. If we continue fighting, the consequences are something the Village cannot bear."
"No one wants to stop the war... If possible, we would even want to kill all the people of Konoha to avenge our fallen comrades."
"It's not exactly as you think... It's not a complete cessation. We will still engage Konoha... It's just that given the current situation, it can only be small-scale conflicts."
This kind of daily conflict and friction between the Five Great Ninja Villages is, frankly, just like before this Ninja World War broke out.
The reason Arai was willing to say so much... partly because he knew he couldn't hide it from Yubi, and partly because Yubi was special.
Furthermore, this news couldn't be hidden for much longer anyway.
Yubi is the hope for the future of the Hidden Sand Village.
Some things... some situations, it's good for him to know about them early... to accept them.
It can also help this young man recognize the true reality and structure of the Ninja World sooner.
"I understand."
Yubi smiled again.
He showed no anger or rage, nor did he blame the Kazekage-sama and the others, including himself, for weakness.
This showed that Yubi's mind was indeed mature.
No one wanted to reach this point... but, reality was before them, and they had no choice but to retreat.
"Please convey a message to the Kazekage-sama for me. Tell him the Village will definitely get better and better, I believe it!"
Leaving these words, Yubi walked out the door under Arai's gaze.
Hearing this, Arai's eyes reddened... his face showing relief.
Although they had 'lost' this Ninja World War... Yubi's emergence was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.
A gift from heaven to the Hidden Sand Village.
Their Hidden Sand... still had hope... The failure of the Hidden Sand Village, the Village's higher-ups bore full responsibility!
The first to bear the brunt was the Third Kazekage.
Because he lacked self-awareness, for the sake of 'economics', he opened fire on Konoha... his ambition was a bit too great.
Thus making the Village pay for his arrogance and ignorance.
Therefore, having personally experienced the period of the Second Great Ninja War and witnessed the Village's gradual changes, Yubi felt not the slightest bit of regret over the future death of the Third Kazekage.
The Hidden Sand Village could declare war on Konoha!
But they must have a sufficiently clear understanding of both the enemy and themselves.
Including planned troop deployments and formations, not mindlessly charging forward and sending the Village's people to their deaths.
Just from his own experience executing patrol missions, one could see... the Kazekage's arrangements for frontline operations were not meticulous.
The staggering number of casualties among the Village's combat forces now also proved, from the side, that such wartime orders and deployments... were probably the norm.
He had improved the Medical Department's capabilities, saving those people... who in the end were still sent to the front lines like sandbags, mercilessly.
The Third Kazekage's play was terrible.
Not to mention Hidden Sand's Puppeteers or Bloodline Limits... just take Hidden Sand Village's 'poison'.
Although Grandmother Chiyo could neutralize Hanzou's poison gas, Tsunade could also counter Chiyo's 'poison'. This point alone should have warranted attention in every battle deployment between Hidden Sand and Konoha.
"I believe... the Village will get better and better, but on the ship of the future... there's no place for you."
Walking out of the building, Yubi looked back at the window of the Third Kazekage's office in the distance and whispered.
Then, he walked away.