With the Gates out there, dangerous monsters roamed freely. But inside a major village—especially one as rich and guarded as Suna—people were safe. The thought made sense.
But it was not the only reason why so many wealthy civilians had flocked to Suna. The most important thing was:
Suna no longer needed to rely on the Wind Daimyo for missions or income, as they'd done in canon timeline. The presence of the gates, and all the bounty within those gates, saw to that.
Unlike the Suna from canon timeline, this village was self reliant.
In fact, instead of needing to rely on the Wind Daimyo, the situation was probably the opposite now, with the Wind Daimyo needing to rely on Suna for protection.
And because of all that, the money must've poured in nonstop.
With the money came civilians. With more civilians came trade. Which brought in more wealth to the village. Which attracted more civilians.
It was a self perpetuating cycle that only made Suna wealthier and more prosperous over the years.
And with that money, they could train more shinobi. Build more defences. Expand the village.
He passed another street and saw a team of young ninja hauling a broken puppet arm into a forge. The foreman shouted orders, telling them to "check the core chamber first." The boys nodded and went to work, looking focused.
Even the younger shinobi here looked sharper, and better equipped than they did back in Konoha.
He passed a square where a small puppet show was taking place. A crowd of children cheered as the wooden hero defeated a monster puppet shaped like a snake.
The puppeteer pulled the strings with fluid precision, and the crowd threw coins into a box marked For the Puppet Academy.
Puppet Academy.
Suna had no such thing in canon timeline either. Yet, it's existence didn't surprise him in the least.
He realised Suna had built not just a military force, but a culture around puppets. And the village had thrived on it.
He caught sight of a large warehouse marked with the symbol of Sunagakure. Guards stood at attention. He caught a glimpse through the open gate—rows and rows of crates filled with something that shimmered faintly with chakra.
More monster parts, no doubt.
They weren't hiding them, as Konoha did. They were storing them openly. Selling them. Exporting them.
The logic behind it eluded him.
Wouldn't that make Suna weaker in the long term? Shouldn't such powerful materials be restricted?
But maybe that was the point. Maybe Suna didn't hoard. Maybe it sold and reinvested. Maybe that's how it became so wealthy.
The thought made his stomach twist.
Was… was Konoha wrong in the way it went around using the Gate resources. With taking a third of the wealth in tax, and half of the monster cores that the shinobi forces earned. Hoarding it all for the higher ups, for the stronger shinobi.
Before his arrival to Suna, he wouldn't have given it much thought and agreed with what Konoha was doing. Now… he was starting to doubt everything.
And all this… because of Gates.
He remembered what Suna used to be. The smallest and weakest of the Five Great Villages. Poor. Undermanned. Betrayed by its own Daimyo.
Yet the Suna before him rivaled Konoha. In wealth and prosperity if nothing else.
In fact…
He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, spreading his Kagura's Mind Eye to sense the entirety of Suna. And what he found made his stomach twist in discomfort.
Five… S-class shinobi. And that's excluding Pakura. Add her to the mix and that's Six S-class shinobi. And that might not be the full force of Suna either. Some other S-class shinobi might still be outside the village, completing missions or what not.
How in the earth did Suna became so powerful. Two of those must be Rasa and Gaara. One could be Chiyo. But who were the other S-class shinobi? Where did they come from?
The answer was simple. Monster meat and cores.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the bustling market once again. The realisation that this was indeed and Alternate Universe finally settling in for good.
Because this Suna was no longer the weakest of the four remaining major village.
In fact, with all the other three villages weakened and unstable due to losing their Kages to the S-class gates, he was now starting to wonder if Suna was not perhaps… the strongest of the four.
The thought would've felt absurd once.
But as he looked at the prosperous village around him, he felt that it might very well be possible.
He woke early the next morning, sunlight spilling through the narrow window in bright, hot streaks. Still a bit exhausted from the long journey to Suna.
For a few minutes, he just lay there, listening to the faint hum of life outside—the muffled voices, the shuffle of sandals on stone, and the dry wind pressing against the walls.
Last night, after getting settled, he'd done some thinking. Pakura hadn't led them through the market by accident. She'd wanted them to see it—the wealth, the crowds, the shining faces of merchants and shinobi alike.
It wasn't just a welcome tour; it was a message. This is Suna now. Prosperous. Independent. Strong.
And to be honest, it had worked. And he doubted he would ever forget it.
Their lodging wasn't anywhere near the market, though. The Konoha genin had been placed in a large, sturdy apartment complex on the outskirts of the village.
It wasn't cramped. In fact, it was pretty luxurious, but it was isolated. Far enough from the main streets that the noise of the market barely reached them. Hidden away.
At first, he'd thought it strange. But after a bit of reflection, it made sense. With the animosity between Konoha and Suna shinobi, it made sense to keep them away from the rest of Suna forces.
If tensions still lingered between the two villages, it would only take one drunk veteran or grieving widow to start something ugly. Keeping them apart prevented accidents—and ensured Suna could say they were "treated well" if anyone asked later.
He sat up, stretching slightly. The air wasn't nearly as suffocating as he'd expected. In fact, it was… pleasant. Cool, even. Which was odd, considering the heat outside. He reached out with his chakra sense and paused as he noticed something he'd missed yesterday.
There it was—at the centre of the ceiling, hidden behind the plaster—a refined monster core, faintly pulsing with energy. Its chakra flowed through an array of Fuinjutsu seals that lined the walls and floor, forming a neat network of cooling fuinjutsu.
They're using cores to power seals?
That thought made him pause. He had no idea that Monster cores could be used like that. Konoha's sealing specialists had never developed anything like that.
He let out a slow breath at the thought.
Just another place where Suna's ahead of them.
He couldn't decide if that realisation was humbling or irritating.
A sharp knock broke his thoughts. Kagura's Mind Eye confirmed that it was a shinobi. But a weak one. Low Genin. Probably being used as an errand boy.
"Come in," he called.
The door slid open to reveal a young Suna genin, probably around his own age. The boy had tanned skin, short brown hair, and a guarded expression. "Breakfast is ready. You're asked to come downstairs."
He nodded and grabbed his flak vest. "Got it."
Downstairs, the dining hall was simple but clean. Long tables lined the space, filled with Konoha genin chatting in low voices. The food wasn't bad— rice, eggs, grilled vegetables, and a kind of dried meat stew. Not luxurious, but filling.
After everyone had eaten, a chūnin entered the hall. "You'll be meeting your Jounin instructors today," he announced. "Gather your gear and follow me."
They moved out in a small group, passing through the village's sandstone outskirts and into the desert beyond. The sun was already high, beating down hard, but the group pressed on until they reached a wide clearing surrounded by rocky outcrops and sparse vegetation.
A training ground.
Three figures waited for them there.
He stopped as soon as he saw them.
No way…
Gaara stood at the center, calm and expressionless, a faint shimmer of sand drifting lazily around his feet. To no one's surprise, Gaara was indeed one of the S-class shinobi he'd sensed yesterday. What was surprising was that Gaara's emotions were stable.
The red-haired boy's expression was calm and steady—no twitch, no flicker of bloodlust, no faint killing intent leaking from his sand. This Gaara wasn't the unstable child he remembered from canon.
Another surprising thing was that Gaara was wearing the Jounin attire of Suna shinobi. Though in hindsight, it shouldn't be as surprising.
With Gaara's chakra reserves and his bloodline, as long as Gaara remained emotionally stable and rational, he should have no problem defeating other Jounins.
To his left stood Temari, her posture relaxed but her eyes studied them intently. A massive battle fan rested against her shoulder, and even from here, he could feel the subtle hum of wind chakra woven through her presence. She was also clad in a Jounin attire.
Spoiler: Temari
Here's where it got even more surprising.
Her aura wasn't Jōnin-level—it was beyond that. Elite Jounin. And it felt sharp and deadly to him, refined in a way that few other Jounins could match.
On Gaara's other side was Kankurō. His painted face looking at them with mild disinterest. A dozen smaller scrolls on his back. Each one no doubt carrying a powerful Puppet made from monster parts.
Of all three siblings, Kankuro was the weakest. But even his Chakra was firmly in Jounin rank. And when you factor in the higher tier puppets that Suna shinobi were now using…
He would not be surprised if Kankuro could hold his own against Elite Jounins as well. At least for a while.
He blinked slowly. What the hell?
In the original timeline, all three of them had been genin when they first came to Konoha. Admittedly, even then they were far stronger than normal Genins. Probably in Chunin rank. But nothing like this.
Now, they stood like seasoned veterans. The difference was staggering.
It didn't take a genius to guess why.
Suna had invested in them. Hard.
Training. Resources. Monster cores. The works.
They were the Kazekage's children, after all.
Maybe Rasa had actually been a decent father in this world. Or at least, a better one than he'd been in canon timeline.
Then again, maybe he wasn't. Maybe he'd just seen his children as assets to invest in—perfect weapons to guard the village's new prosperity. Who the hell knows what goes on in that man's head.
Whatever the reason, the result was plain to see.
Before he could think further on this, Gaara stepped forward.
The sand at his feet stirred faintly, swirling in a slow, deliberate motion. His calm, measured voice carried easily across the open training ground.
"Chozina Akimichi. Raka Inuzuka. Kozi Sarutobi," Gaara said. His pale eyes swept over the three of them, expression unreadable. "From today till the end of the year, I'll be your jōnin instructor. Follow me."
Two of the genins nodded immediately, but one didn't.
Kozi Sarutobi stepped forward, his mouth set in a thin, irritated line. He was maybe fifteen or sixteen, tall and broad-shouldered, with the faint arrogance common among those with famous family names. Despite being Genin rank, His chakra was strong. Almost as strong as his own—solidly chūnin-level.
"Wait," Kozi said. "You're our instructor?"
Gaara didn't answer. He just looked at Kozi like he was a fool.
Kozi scoffed. "Why are we being assigned to someone who's not even our own age? Shouldn't we have real instructors? Not—" he gestured dismissively "—someone who hasn't even grown up yet."
He winced internally. Idiot.
He wasn't the only one. A few of the other Konoha genin shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between Gaara and Kozi. Even Raka Inuzuka took a cautious step back, her ninken whining softly.
It seems he wasn't the only one who realised how dangerous Gaara was. Though he doubted that the other realised the full extent of the threat that Gaara represented.
Gaara didn't move at first. He just stared.
Then, without warning, the sand beneath Kozi's feet exploded upward.
It moved too fast for the eye to follow, wrapping around his legs, torso, and arms in one smooth, fluid motion. In the space of a heartbeat, he was buried up to his neck in solid sand, his arms pinned tight against his body.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some of the genins took out their kunai and went in battle position. Ready to fight. As if they would've really stood a chance.
Gaara still hadn't raised his voice. "If you are unwilling to follow basic orders," he said, each word calm and precise, "then you can return to Konoha. I hear that kind of behaviour is tolerated there."
Kozi struggled, face flushing red. "What—what is this? Let me go!"
The sand responded to his shouting, tightening slightly, just enough that the boy's breath hitched. A painful hiss filled the silence as the pressure increased around his chest.
Gaara's eyes didn't change. "I will not repeat myself," he said quietly. "You have two choices. Follow orders… or go home."
Kozi tried to glare, but the look faltered as the sand pressed harder against his ribs. His breath grew shallow. His voice came out strained, breaking halfway. "I—I'll follow orders!"
For a long second, Gaara didn't move. Then, with a quiet shff, the sand loosened. It slipped away from Kozi's body and fell back to the ground.
Kozi dropped to his knees, coughing hard, his face pale. He didn't look at Gaara again.
For a moment, there was silence, as the Konoha Genins exchanged glances. Looking unsure of what to do next.
Then, Gaara turned away. "Good. Follow me."
He began walking toward the edge of the training field without another word.
Chozina and Raka immediately moved to follow, neither daring to hesitate. Kozi scrambled after them, keeping his head down.
He watched quietly as they left, wondering which one of the remaining two siblings would be his Jounin Sensei for the next year.
A few days ago, he would've asked for Temari since she was the only one among the three that knew Wind Release Jutsu. But now, after having seen the various advancements in Puppeteering techniques, he found that he didn't mind learning that discipline after all.
He himself would probably not use them in real battle. But his Shadow Clones always could. And with powerful enough Puppets, his Shadow clones should have little problem facing higher tier monsters.
The idea appealed to him. But alas, the three genins that Kankuro called out for weren't him.
Soon, Kankuro left with three other Genins, leaving only him, and two others.
Once Kankuro and his group had left the area, Temari finally spoke up. "Ken. Toji Aburame. Yakumo Kurama. Follow me." With that Temari turned and started running, while the three of them did their best to keep up with her pace.
But even as he ran after Temari, his thoughts were focused on the only girl in his team. Yakumo Kurama.
He'd only known her as only Yakumo so far and hadn't thought much of it. But Yakumo Kurama. Wasn't she that girl from that filler arc? The one with immense genjutsu prowess whom Kurenai failed to teach.
He remember that part of by Kurenai failed to teach her was because her body was too fragile to become a shinobi. But in this world, with a proper diet of Monster meat, that shouldn't be a problem for her.
Which is probably why she's currently running by his side as a Genin. And not trapped in Konoha as a civilian.
"Excuse me, miss." He said as Temari took them further and further away from Suna village.
"You can call me Temari Sensei or simply Sensei." Temari said in a no nonsense attitude, not even turning back to look at him. "What is it?"
"Um… I wanted to ask where you're taking the three of us." He said.
"You'll find out soon enough." She said, and he sighed internally. Knowing that he wasn't about to get any answer from her.
They ran in silence for the next two hours, by the end of which Yakumo looked exhausted. Just as he was about to offer her his help, Temari slowed down her pace.
They crested another sand dune before they arrived at an oasis, with an entire village built around it.
Temari entered the village without any fanfare. The villagers paused at her arrival and moved to the side, bowing to them in reverence.
Finally, Temari entered a house that had a glowing portal which was barely able to fit within the large house.
The portal had four large pillars built around it. Each covered from top to bottom with Fuinjutsu seals. They had created a red coloured barrier around the gate, stopping anything from coming out of it.
Temari stood at the front of the barrier and turned to look at them. "This is a D-class gate. It's monster boss has been contained. And the gate is now used for the materials within." She said. "It produces about one monster each week. And it's been over a year since it was last harvested. So there should be over fifty monsters inside by now."
She then took out three scrolls and carelessly tossed it to them. "Your task, is to go inside, kill those monsters, place their corpses within those storage scrolls, and return. You have one day to accomplish that. Fail, and I'll send you back to Konoha. I have no interest in teaching weaklings. Any question?"
Yakumo slowly raised a hand.
"This is not a class. You can speak up directly if you want." Temari chastised, though he noticed that her tone was a bit kinder when talking to Yakumo.
"Um… Sensei, you said that this is a D-class gate." Yakumo pointed out.
"I see that you picked out the obvious. What of it?"
Yakumo gulped at Temari's intense gaze but spoke up nonetheless. "I… I've never been to a D-class gate before."
"There's a first for everything." Temari said brusquely. "Anything else you want to ask?"
Yakumo looked like she did in fact want to say something else. But in the end, she simply lowered her head. Either too shy or too afraid to speak up.
"No? Very well then. In you go." Temari said as she placed a hand seal on one of the pillars and made a handsign with another. A moment later, the red barrier vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.
The three of them exchange glances with each other. Toji Aburame looking expressionless as ever, while Yakumo looked pretty nervous.
"I'll go first and scout the area with my sensor abilities. The two of you, remain near the gates and wait for me." He said, and winked at Yakumo, trying to get her mind off all the brutal ways she could die in there before he stepped inside the gate.
After all, he was pretty confident in his own abilities. The Dustless and Mayfly techniques could both be classified as S-class techniques in their own right, with how bullshit they were. Kagura's Mind Eye was also one of the best senso abiltiies. And he knew the 8 gates technique on top of that. So even if anything went wrong, he was confident in his survival.
With his stealth abilities, killing 50+ Chunin tier monsters wasn't hard. What was hard was accomplishing that in one day. For an ordinary chunin that alone would be incredibly difficult. And risky.
They would have to go into a dangerous terrain, and search for the monsters inside while doing their best to not get ambushed along the way.
Even if they were extremely good at what they did, they would have to do this 50 times. All within one day.
But Kagura's Mind Eye, would give him the location of every monster within the gate. And Mayfly technique gave him immense speed while travelling underground, so that should technically not be a problem either.
Morst importantly though, this D-class gate was the exact thing he needed to finally Reach Level 3.
And he'd be damned if he didn't take full advantage of this opportunity.Last edited: Oct 28, 2025 Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Sasha1, Luxcver, Puru and 643 othersUnfortunate_SoulOct 28, 2025Reader modeNewAdd bookmark Threadmarks preierVersed in the lewd.Oct 28, 2025NewAdd bookmark#889Interesting, it seems they really have industrialized gate farming.
"It's monster bass has been contained" ah, an aquatic gate then? 'nods sagely', truely a treasure for Suna. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:SirMaou, Twista, Santinius7 and 64 othersSeliasWell worn.Oct 28, 2025NewAdd bookmark#890I hope that the other villages are actually going to train the Konoha genin and give them cores. Hopefully Itachi wasn't stupid enough to cripple the growth of the most promising genin of their generation. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Albert Scoot, Gennart, Twista and 35 othersKumar AmbarishFlight from deathOct 28, 2025NewAdd bookmark#891No way in hell is konoha that incompetent..and how is being able to making monster core available in the market make up for the difference when according to you konoha has been stuffing every monster core up their ass? Shouldn't their upper tier strength be more than suna..you just made konoha incompetent weak and stupid? Are they even ninja? Where is their will of fire. Suna dick sucking is getting increasingly unbelievable Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Nelson656, SirMaou, EchoPhantom and 40 othersTRmConnoisseur.Oct 28, 2025NewAdd bookmark#892Huh, part of me was expecting that they'd mix up the village of origin for the teams so there'd be Konoha/Kumo/Iwa under a Sun sensei but I guess keeping them together makes them easier to track in a way
Yakumo makes for an intersting teammate to and Aburame are pretty strong so combine with Ken's sensing, they make for a really good indirect combat team