Despite being poisoned, the Third Kazekage remained formidable. His hands formed rapid seals, and iron sand flooded from his body like a living storm.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Countless black grains rained down like kunai, piercing through puppet after puppet. The cavern floor turned into a deadly field of spikes, each puppet that touched it collapsing into broken wood.
Sasori's eyes glinted, fingers dancing. "Secret Red Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
Dozens of new puppets surged forward, each armed with blades, chains, and hidden senbon launchers. But the Kazekage raised his palm.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Shield!"
A massive wall of black sand formed before him, absorbing the storm of senbon. Poisoned needles clattered harmlessly against the hardened defense, while spikes of sand burst outward in retaliation, skewering puppets in midair.
Still, the poison gnawed at him. His breaths grew shallow, and his vision dimmed for a moment. Sasori pressed the advantage, unleashing puppets armed with silver weapons gleaming under the dim light.
The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. He thrust both hands forward.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Spears!"
Dozens of lances formed instantly, streaking forward like missiles, destroying puppets in an explosion of wood. But the silver-forged weapons ignored the magnetic pull, cutting clean through the spears and striking the ground behind him.
A silver scythe came slicing for his head. The Kazekage rotated his palm.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Shuriken!"
Shuriken the size of windmill blades spun through the cavern, intercepting the scythe and carving the puppet into fragments.
Yet Sasori's calm never wavered. His body twisted unnaturally as wires pulled him aside, even when an iron sand spike pierced through his torso. His puppet frame was unfazed.
With a sharp gesture, the Kazekage clasped his hands.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Order!"
The entire cavern shook as the ground erupted. Massive blocks of black iron sand floated into the air before crashing down like meteors, crushing swathes of puppets at once. The cave ceiling cracked under the force, stone raining down alongside the iron.
But Sasori countered without fear. His threads pulled his surviving puppets forward in unison, dozens launching weapons in perfect synchronization. Silver swords, spears, and kunai rained down from every direction, cutting straight through the falling sand.
The Kazekage raised a dome of sand in desperation, but his chakra flow stuttered for just a second. His body trembled. A silver spear slipped through the gap, striking his side. Blood sprayed, mixing with the venom already inside him.
Even wounded, he roared and raised his hand again.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Needles!"
Thousands of hair-thin projectiles fired in every direction, shredding approaching puppets like paper. But Sasori's body twisted unnaturally, threads jerking him aside as his puppet frame shed damaged limbs. He advanced relentlessly, his own body proof against the Kazekage's might.
The cavern echoed with the clash, sand roaring like a black ocean, puppets screeching as metal clashed with wood and steel. But the poison slowed the Kazekage's chakra flow more and more. His sand wall flickered, and silver blades slipped through. One after another, cuts spread across his body until his knees finally buckled.
Even then, his eyes blazed with defiance, the iron sand trembling around him as if trying to rise again. But Sasori's calm precision had already decided the battle. Threads wrapped tight, silver blades struck home, and the strongest Kazekage of his era finally fell.
As his lifeless body collapsed, the iron sand scattered, dissolving back into the earth. The cavern crumbled soon after, burying the battlefield in silence.
The Third Kazekage had gone alone, seeking to end the threat in secret. But secrecy became his tomb. No one would ever know where Sunagakure's strongest weapon had met his end.
***
At the exam grounds, Obito and Guy were still locked in fierce combat.
Initially, Obito relied on ninjutsu and shuriken manipulation, but seeing Guy's relentless close-quarters attacks, he felt compelled to abandon those tactics.
Eventually, the two resorted to hand-to-hand combat.
Konoha Whirlwind, Konoha Great Whirlwind...
This wasn't a clash between enemies; it resembled more a sparring match between brothers.
After all, their attire was nearly identical, save for the war fan crest on Obito's uniform.
"This Uchiha... hmm, he's not quite what I expected," Ebizo muttered, unable to suppress his surprise.
"Hmph, Konoha isn't Sunagakure. We have no shortage of combat styles. This Uchiha practices Konoha-style taijutsu, not the clan's traditional techniques," Orochimaru half-joked, half-meant, casually dismissing Ebizo's concerns.
In truth, he disapproved of Obito's foolish battle plan, but he couldn't show such dissent to outsiders.
Ebizo fell silent.
'This makes us Sunagakure Ninja sound like a bunch of clones,' he thought.
'But... when you think about it, it's kind of true.'
'And I initially thought those two green-clad weirdos were the only normal Genin in Konoha, but now it's clear they're just as strange.'
One had awakened the Sharingan and excelled in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and shuriken techniques.
The other's Ninjutsu skills remained hidden, but his Taijutsu alone was enough to crush any Genin of his age in Sunagakure.
'Konoha is overflowing with talent!'
Ebizo's thoughts immediately turned to the Sunagakure children who had been kidnapped, and his mood darkened further.
Before long, Obito emerged victorious by a narrow margin.
"Obito wins."
The duel concluded.
Raj, hearing the announcement, glanced down from his vantage point.
Obito and Guy were both battered and bruised, but their exceptional physiques ensured rapid recovery.
They needed no further treatment; a brief rest would suffice.
Raj hadn't watched the fight, but judging by their condition, it must have been a brutal, man-to-man clash.
If Guy had won, he might have earned a promotion to Chunin.
As for Obito...
Even if he won, he wouldn't be promoted.
His victory would be too ugly.
But noticing the two boys' excited expressions and their seemingly stronger bond, Raj could only chuckle inwardly.
'As long as you're happy.'
"Next match: Rin vs. Yashamaru."
Yashamaru?
Rin paused, then glanced at the opposite stands.
There sat a gentle-looking boy, almost feminine, who seemed to be a Medical Ninja like her.
She turned her head to look at Raj.
"Meow!"
Raj immediately stood up.
Two servings of Cat Food had mostly restored his physical stamina.
Though his Chakra was only partially replenished, defeating Yashamaru wouldn't be difficult.
From his memories, Yashamaru was quite weak.
"Come on, let's fight together," Rin said.
She lowered her hand, allowing Raj to climb onto her shoulder.
Then she leaped onto the arena stage in the center of the field, carrying him with her.
Since they weren't from the same village, they didn't need to perform the "Confrontation Seal" or "Reconciliation Seal."
The two opponents stood facing each other across the arena, awaiting the referee's signal to begin.
As a Ninja Cat, Raj was considered part of Rin's combat strength.
This type of battle wouldn't prohibit his participation.
Now perched on Rin's shoulder, Raj mentally strategized for the upcoming fight.
There was no doubt that the Chunin Exams weren't just about raw strength; they also assessed combat intelligence, leadership skills, and more.
Even if Rin were to win by overwhelming force, she might not be selected as a Chunin.
Therefore, in this battle, Rin needed to fully demonstrate her capabilities.