In Sunagakure, the long-absent Third Kazekage appeared before a crowd of ninja. A large group of genin looked up at him with excitement from below the raised platform—he was known as the most formidable Kazekage in history. Though he had vanished for many years after the Second Great Ninja War, upon his return he ended the bloody Third Great Ninja War that had brought devastation to the village and initiated the Second Kage Summit.
However, they didn't know that another soul resided within this Kazekage's body.
Standing atop the platform, the Kazekage loudly announced, "The Chunin Exams are about to begin. Our allied nation Konoha has sent word that this year's exams will be held inside Konoha village. This is your chance to show your true strength. I hope capable genin will step forward and sign up voluntarily. Final selections will be decided by Baki."
A man wearing a white cloth wrapped around his head, his left face covered by a white cloth while two red markings adorned the right side of his face, dressed in tight black combat clothing stepped forward. He said seriously, "Those who wish to sign up should gather here with me so I can test your eligibility for the Chunin Exams."
Instantly, swarms of genin rushed over eagerly, highly motivated and ready to go.
Viewing through the Kazekage's eyes, Anya noticed an unusual teenager who clearly stood out from the surroundings. The kanji "ai" (love) etched on the side of his forehead gave away his identity.
Gaara—once slated to appear as an early game villain—radiated intense pressure upon entering the scene. But compared to the original story, he now seemed merely cold and aloof—relatively normal overall.
Next to him, Mabui noticed the direction of the Kazekage's gaze and quietly walked over, whispering, "That child is the jinchuriki of the One-Tail. Orphaned from birth, he was raised by his uncle Yashamaru. His personality is rather introverted, disliked by others in the village."
"Sunagakure lacks the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques. It isn't easy to seal a tailed beast. Has it ever lost control?"
"Elder Chiyo has tested multiple times. So far, there hasn't been any loss of control. However..."
"What happened?"
After hesitating slightly, Mabui replied, "Elder Chiyo once proposed one final test—sending Yashamaru to assassinate Gaara. If Gaara could still control the tailed beast without losing control under such extreme circumstances, it would mean he truly mastered the beast's power, making him suitable for deployment in war. I found it too cruel and refused the idea."
"Chiyo, huh... It seems she still hasn't forgotten her hatred for Konoha."
Mabui cast a pitying glance toward Gaara, saying, "That child is so pitiful. Ever since being possessed by the One-Tail, he hasn't been able to sleep peacefully. The beast refuses to stay quiet, constantly trying to take over Gaara's body. As soon as he falls asleep, the One-Tail fully awakens inside him. Because of this, Gaara suffers severe insomnia due to chronic sleep deprivation."
"All villages' jinchuriki must endure similar hardships. Later, I will resolve this issue inside him."
One more thought remained unspoken—this wouldn't just apply to Gaara, but to every single jinchuriki.
While they were talking, Baki had already prepared a list of thirty Genin—all top-ranking ninja from the village chosen to represent Sunagakure in the exams.
The joint Chunin Exams hosted by various allied nations were essentially military and economic competitions—miniature wars between allies. Besides the participation of each village's Kage, national daimyos and celebrities also attended.
By observing the battles during the Chunin Exams, they could assess each village's strength. Naturally, only elite members from each country participated, so this required serious attention. If a village got completely crushed during the exams, which client would still entrust missions to their village? Without missions, the village would lose its source of income and eventually collapse.
Baki respectfully presented the list to the Kazekage saying, "I've finalized the personnel selection. Please review it, Lord Kazekage."
The Kazekage didn't take the list, instead patting Baki's shoulder said, "That won't be necessary. I trust your judgment. Since you've completed preparations, you'll lead them to Konoha immediately. Later, I will also go to Konoha to observe the exams."
Baki excitedly knelt halfway and replied, "Understood."
Back in his office, the Kazekage Puppet's eyes dimmed as it was sealed into a scroll, which Sasori then handed to Anya.
"Big Brother Kurotsuchi, your body currently cannot fight, so take this puppet with you. After my multiple modifications, its power has surpassed what it was in life, sufficient enough to handle most combat situations."
"That won't be necessary. Right now I'm just an outsider, and won't easily get involved in fights. Let it stay in the village for emergencies."
The Mechanical Army Base located behind Sunagakure Village was an extremely important strategic resource. Without a Kage-level guardian, Anya felt uneasy. So she activated the Kazekage Puppet from the scroll, commanded it to enter the secret chamber where she stored her spiritual energy inside, which would activate automatically if someone disturbed the puppet.
Mabui stared at her blankly and asked, "The Kazekage is supposed to go to Konoha to watch the competition, right? If you're not bringing the puppet with you, how are you going?"
Anya casually put the Kazekage's robe on Mabui, dressed her in the Kazekage hat and mask, and said, "There you go. After all, you've impersonated the Kazekage for years. This time, just represent me in person."
Mabui stared blankly asking, "You're serious about this?"
"What else?"
Mabui sighed helplessly saying, "I feel like you think everyone else is stupid."
Sasori confidently replied, "When has Big Brother Kurotsuchi ever done anything unreliable? Don't worry."
Mabui rubbed her forehead, lost for words, and finally muttered, "Do whatever you want."
Thus, disguised as the Kazekage, Mabui set off with Anya and Sasori as her guards, accompanied by Tenten, the confused Konoha Genin.
On the journey, Tenten confusedly asked, "Are all of us heading to Konoha together?"
Sasori, wearing a straw hat like Anya, quickly replied, "The Chunin Exams are starting soon, and Konoha is hosting it."
"Oh, that explains it."
"Tenten wasn't too interested in the Chunin Exams: 'Last time, Master Guy didn't let our team participate. This time we definitely won't be able to skip it either—after all, new recruits usually don't even take these kinds of tests, especially with two hotheaded ninjas on the team.'"
Talking about her teammates gave Tenten a headache—but her lips curled up in amusement anyway.
Anya disagreed, saying, "You're wrong there. Perhaps all the fresh graduates from Konoha will participate this time."
Tenten responded doubtfully, "No way. Every Chunin Exam has its death list, unless a village's Jonin is desperate for reputation."
"Hmm." After thinking, Anya nodded in agreement. "That's exactly how it is. Anyway, you twelve are like those urban cockroaches—you don't die easily."
Cockroaches? Since when did that become a compliment? Tenten looked confused but couldn't help feeling flattered—still, the analogy felt weirdly over the top…
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