Two days later.
The final stage of this year's Chūnin Exams was held at Konoha's Enbu Arena.
In the massive coliseum, drums thundered and the crowd surged with excitement.
Countless wealthy merchants, city lords, and influential figures from surrounding nations had gathered to watch.
They weren't here only to witness the battles, but also to evaluate the strength of the future shinobi of both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
This way, when they issued high-ranking missions, they could decide which village to favor.
Thus, the Chūnin Exam finals had become more than just a test—it was a struggle for prestige and resources between Hidden Villages.
At the center of the arena, the chief examiner, Moonlight Hayate, raised his hand. One by one, the candidates walked inside, listening carefully as he explained the rules.
Unlike in the original events, Uchiha Sasuke did not arrive late.
Even that sound-nin, the one who provoked Gaara with his sound waves in the original timeline—his name barely memorable—had not died by Gaara's hand, spared thanks to the "Death of the Kazekage" incident.
At the highest seat of the arena, two ornate chairs stood side by side.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was already seated to the right.
Soon, footsteps echoed.
Hiruzen and the two Anbu guarding him turned their gaze toward the "Fourth Kazekage," dressed in white robes, his face hidden beneath a veil. Two guards, Rasa's subordinates—Lengwan and Jinnaruo—followed closely behind.
"Well, isn't this Kazekage-sama? I've been waiting for you."
Although Hiruzen knew this man was no longer truly the Kazekage, his smile never faltered, revealing not a hint of suspicion.
"Ah, Hokage-sama, you're too polite. I wonder, how are things progressing?"
The "Kazekage" sat down to the left, smiling faintly as he asked.
"Please don't worry, Kazekage-sama. For now, let us quietly appreciate the valor of this new generation."
Hiruzen answered with a calm smile, deliberately sidestepping the question.
The meaning was obvious—he still hadn't discovered the truth.
Jinnaruo scoffed in disdain, but the "Kazekage" said nothing more, sitting silently, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The plan was simple: once the Nirvana Abode Technique was cast, the civilians—especially the wealthy lords who had come to spectate—would fall asleep, sparing them from the chaos.
Though war was at hand, the Sand aimed to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties.
After all, many of these spectators were wealthy patrons, and their "support" would be crucial for the village's future development.
Killing too many of them would only backfire.
The first match, Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Neji, began.
From the very start, the atmosphere soared to its peak.
Fortunately, the crowd could not hear Neji's bitter words, nor his mention of the Raikage incident that forever scarred Konoha's history.
Otherwise, the reaction might have been disastrous.
In the audience, Hyūga Hiashi frowned.
Though he couldn't hear what Neji said to Naruto, he saw his nephew remove his forehead protector, revealing the cursed seal of the Caged Bird. Coupled with Neji's resentful gaze, Hiashi could already guess the subject.
"What do you think they're talking about, Hokage-sama?"
The "Kazekage" asked mockingly.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps just a quarrel between children," Hiruzen replied with his usual gentle smile.
But in truth, he understood as well.
This was the matter he least wanted to acknowledge.
The Uchiha massacre could at least be explained as the suppression of a clan with rebellious tendencies.
But the Hyūga affair?
That had been pure weakness.
When Cloud Shinobi attempted to kidnap Hinata, they demanded Hiashi's corpse in return. And Konoha… had agreed.
White Fang—dead.
Jiraiya—gone.
Orochimaru—defected.
Tsunade—departed.
Minato—fallen.
All that remained was weakness upon weakness, leading to this moment.
The "Kazekage" chuckled.
"A child with such eyes… If he were raised in the Sand, he could achieve great things."
Hiruzen shot him a cold glance before quickly hiding it behind a genial smile.
"I'm afraid that won't happen. Neji is one of Konoha's finest geniuses."
Of course, in truth, what Konoha had always excelled at was crushing its geniuses.
Still, against the Nine Tails' chakra and the will of Asura's reincarnation, Neji could not stand.
When Naruto tapped into that power, Neji was swiftly defeated.
"The chakra… it feels like Gaara's."
Temari and Kankurō exchanged uneasy glances, then turned toward their younger brother.
Gaara's pupils narrowed, his focus shifting entirely to Naruto.
Because Sasuke had arrived on time, the match sequence had changed—Temari vs. Shikamaru never took place.
Instead, it was now Gaara's turn.
"Gaara. Temari. Kankurō."
A deep, magnetic voice echoed in Gaara's mind.
He instinctively glanced for just a second toward the highest stage—toward "Kazekage"—before lowering his gaze again.
"…Got it."
Gaara's body dissolved into sand, reforming in the center of the arena.
Sasuke leapt down as well, ready to face him.
The strongest Genin of the Sand versus the Uchiha survivor.
All eyes locked onto the field. Even Naruto, Shikamaru, and the others watched with bated breath.
No one noticed that Temari and Kankurō had quietly gripped the railing beside them, muscles tense, ready to act at a moment's notice.
"The second match—Uchiha Sasuke vs. Gaara!"
"Begin!"
Two voices rang out.
One belonged to Moonlight Hayate, standing at the center of the field.
The other came from the highest seat in the arena—spoken by the "Kazekage," Rasa.