However, he still had a little chakra left in his body. If he were to continue fighting, he would still be able to put up a fight.
As an experienced powerhouse with versatile abilities, the Third Kazekage possessed a certain level of perception at close range, allowing him to assess Shimizu's current state. This realization filled him with even more emotion.
Even if Shimizu made no further progress, the increase in chakra reserves from his physical development, combined with his current abilities, would likely make him no weaker than the current Kazekage in ten years.
If he maintained his current rate of progress, Shimizu would definitely have a chance to claim the title of the strongest ninja in the world.
Even now, Shimizu's combat power was estimated to be firmly above Rasa.
As Rasa's teacher, the Third Kazekage was well aware of Rasa's limits.
From a strength perspective, although Rasa still had the qualifications to compete with Shimizu, he was completely at a disadvantage.
And in terms of ability…
The less said, the better.
Rasa's only advantage now was his greater age and the more merits he had accumulated in the war. However, with the passage of time, just one Shinobi World War would be enough for Shimizu to close the gap, or even surpass him.
The Third Kazekage felt a mix of emotions.
Rasa was a disciple he had personally trained, and he naturally had some affection for him, hoping that Rasa could take over his mantle.
But he was also the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure.
He knew very well that whether Rasa becoming the Fourth Kazekage would be a good thing for Sunagakure was debatable, but at least Shimizu would definitely not be suppressed.
However, if a few more years passed, the Third Kazekage believed that Shimizu would have the ability to suppress Rasa, just like the Third Hokage of Konoha was able to suppress Danzo.
At least, the Third Kazekage was not the Third Hokage, and Shimizu was not Sakumo Hatake.
The former was a veritable strongest Kazekage of all time, and the latter did not have such obvious personality flaws and background defects as Sakumo, and he was supported by Chiyo, Ebizo, and the entire Puppet Brigade.
It was time to make a decision and pave the way for this child in front of him.
The Third Kazekage said to Shimizu earnestly.
"I understand, Lord Third."
Shimizu nodded slightly.
At this time, Chiyo and the others also gathered around.
"This old man really didn't expect that your strength would improve so much in such a short period of time. It seems that this old man really neglected to guide you."
Ebizo marveled, looking at the iron sand that had cooled and solidified around him.
"Sister, is Hanzo's swordsmanship so strong? Can a single notebook allow Shimizu's swordsmanship to reach this level?"
Ebizo was referring to the swordsmanship notebook that Hanzo had compensated Shimizu with earlier.
"Why don't you just ask Shimizu?"
Chiyo rolled her eyes at her younger brother, then looked at her precious disciple with a kind expression.
In her opinion, Shimizu's swordsmanship was now almost on par with Sakumo Hatake and Hanzo.
But that was not what she was concerned about.
What she was concerned about was the three puppets that Shimizu had created. The individual combat power of each puppet was almost close to the average level of the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
If Chiyo and Ebizo were to personally create puppets, they would need the corpse of a top powerhouse to create a top-level human puppet.
But Shimizu didn't use any corpses.
Although they were also quite expensive and scarce, they were much easier to obtain than the corpses of top powerhouses.
"Ahem, Teacher Ebizo, my swordsmanship was developed by myself. Captain Chirashi helped me lay a very good foundation in swordsmanship. Later, I also tried to develop my own swordsmanship. Finally, I complemented Hanzo's swordsmanship and added some essence absorbed from other ninja body techniques to create this sword technique combined with breathing."
Shimizu explained to Ebizo.
"No wonder I see that your swordsmanship path is different from the mainstream in the ninja world. It seems that there should be quite a few places that you have figured out yourself, right?"
At some point, Kazekami Chirashi also appeared in the training ground, looking at Shimizu with a complex and gratified expression.
Shimizu had not only completely surpassed him in swordsmanship, but his combat power had also left him far behind.
"Third Kazekage, you should be having a headache now, right?"
Chiyo smiled and approached the Third Kazekage, hinting at something.
"No headache. The other ninja villages should be the ones with a headache. They will soon know that Sunagakure has another top combat force, and a genius as young as this!"
The Third Kazekage laughed heartily, very open-minded.
"Elder Chiyo, whether it's Shimizu's puppetry, swordsmanship, or Magnet Release, these are all things that can greatly enhance the village's foundation. I can't wait to support him!"
"Oh? What does the Third Kazekage mean…"
"I just told Shimizu to interact more with the jonin other than the Puppet Brigade. I was wondering if Shimizu could open a ninja improvement class."
"Ninja improvement class?"
Chiyo asked in surprise.
"No one will question Shimizu's strength anymore. His swordsmanship, his puppetry, and his experience in bloodline development are all important foundations that must be passed on to the village's younger generations."
"If he represents a brighter future for the village, then there are some things he must do."
Chiyo smiled.
The Third Kazekage's words also contained deep meaning.
Wasn't this creating opportunities for Shimizu to contact other people in the village and increase his prestige?
If other ninjas created stronger puppets, improved their swordsmanship and ninjutsu skills under Shimizu's guidance, would they vote for Shimizu in the jonin trust vote in the future?
To become a Kage, it's not about gaining the recognition of everyone in the village, but you must gain the trust of most of the jonin in the village.
Jonin are the most important link between the village's top level and the middle and lower levels. If you can get most of the jonin in the village to be willing to listen to you, you can mobilize most of the village's power.
Not far away, Karura heard this conversation between the two and her heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to speak.
Shimizu's puppetry was already different from the village's traditional puppetry. His swordsmanship and bloodline limit were also unique, so Shimizu could add to the village's foundation and increase the channels for cultivating more talents.
And what about Rasa?
Magnet Release was originally created by the Third Kazekage.
All ninjas in the village with Wind and Earth attributes would begin to undergo special selection and training when they became genin. She and Rasa both stood out through this path.
