SHINOBI EXAM

"Ahhh! Why didn't you say there are no enemies?!" Naruto exclaimed.

The team wandered through the forest, yet it seemed devoid of life. There were no hostile ninjas or dangerous animals; even the wildlife avoided them. Occasionally, a blood-sucking insect would try its luck, but the sand surrounding Gaara instantly crushed it before it could get close.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Gaara broke the awkward silence with a soft, "Sorry."

Naruto waved dismissively, scratching his face. "I don't mean to blame you. I said stop apologizing so suddenly."

Gaara's shift in personality puzzled Naruto. Just two days ago, Gaara was full of murderous intent, exuding an aura of danger. Now, he seemed almost harmless. The abrupt change left Naruto unsure of how to react.

After finishing their bento boxes, the group realized they needed to find more food. Naruto had noticed earlier how the Sand siblings nibbled on their food cautiously.

Naruto grumbled but handed Gaara a rice ball. "Here. This was specially made by Aunt Mikoto. It's precious, I say."

Gaara hesitated but accepted it. Though it was a small gesture, the act stirred something unfamiliar in Gaara—an almost foreign sense of belonging. It was different from the moments when Sakura and Sasuke had begrudgingly shared food with Naruto during their own missions.

It wasn't just food. It felt like someone saw him, truly saw him.

---

Sasuke, meanwhile, broke into the practical mode. "Let's split into teams of three. Don't wander too far."

Even though the area was quiet, Sasuke wanted to maintain order. However, before he could finalize the arrangements, Gaara declared, "I'm teaming up with Naruto."

His tone brooked no argument.

Sasuke frowned, clearly annoyed, but glanced at Sakura. Leaving her unguarded wasn't an option. Begrudgingly, he relented.

The final teams were:

Naruto, Gaara, and Temari.

Sasuke, Kankuro, and Sakura.

Naruto protested immediately. "Hey, shouldn't I be in a group with Sakura?"

Sasuke glared, dark clouds forming metaphorically over his head. Sakura didn't hesitate to put Naruto in his place with a sharp reprimand, silencing him.

---

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure...

A new crisis emerged. A mechanical voice resounded ominously, accompanied by glowing text on the ground.

[Question: Whose power is absolute defense?]

The gathered Sand Shinobi froze.

"Is this another trick from Konoha?!" one of them shouted, his anger bubbling over. "How dare they—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a strange distortion in space overtook him. His body twisted grotesquely, and within seconds, he was reduced to a grotesque mist of blood and flesh.

A horrified gasp rippled through the others. Someone tried to scream, but their companion clamped a hand over their mouth, silencing them.

Death came swiftly, mercilessly.

The message continued:

---

Rules for the Barrier Realm:

1. There are three chances to answer.

2. All life forms in the domain may answer.

3. A wrong answer results in the immediate deprivation of life.

4. If three individuals fail, the question session ends, and the barrier opens.

5. If a correct answer is given, the barrier will open immediately, and the answerer will receive a reward.

---

Outside the barrier, chaos erupted.

"The Kazekage isn't here! What do we do?!"

"Find the elders! Hurry!"

Inside the barrier, panic mingled with confusion.

"This isn't Konoha's doing," one Sand Shinobi murmured, his voice trembling. "It's not their style, and there's no chakra signature. Could it be..."

The thought was too horrifying to finish. Memories of the masked man who had declared the Fourth Ninja War resurfaced, stoking their fears.

Suddenly, the mechanical voice interrupted their frantic deliberations:

[Reward 1: A special ninja tool for the Sand Shinobi Secret Art Puppet Technique—a human puppet made from the body of the Third Kazekage, infused with a portion of his chakra.]

---

Silence descended as the words sank in.

The strongest Kazekage in their history, missing for over a decade, had been turned into a human puppet. The sight of the lifeless puppet brought anger and despair to the Sand Shinobi.

"Who dared do this?!" one ninja roared, his fists trembling.

An elder who arrived moments later assessed the situation grimly. Recognizing the puppet, he barked out an order. "Get Lady Chiyo here! Now!"

"Yes!" A ninja disappeared in a flash, carrying out the command.

---

As the tension thickened, the voice returned:

[Reward 2: An aged bear-shaped doll.]

The odd item appeared before them. It looked like an ordinary, slightly worn toy.

"What is this?"

"A doll?"

"It's a common style. I think I bought one like it for my daughter years ago."

"Is now really the time to talk about that?! Idiot!"

---

The voice interrupted again.

[Reward 3: ...]

The Sand Shinobi braced themselves.

---

End of Chapter

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