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Haruto stood at the edge of the arena, his eyes drifting upward, away from the matches, toward the figure sitting in the highest seats—the Third Kazekage. His gaze lingered on the man, the ruler of the Hidden Sand, a shinobi who in his world had become nothing more than a legend—and eventually, a puppet.

His name… Shoden. The name rang in Haruto's mind, though he knew no one else here realized its significance. Shoden of the Iron Sand. The anime had never revealed his name, and to fans in Haruto's old life, the Third Kazekage had always been a figure of mystery, known only by his fearsome abilities.

Haruto knew better. Shoden, once the strongest of the Kazekage, would one day fall, his body taken by Sasori and turned into a living puppet, his life reduced to a gruesome tool of destruction. Haruto couldn't help but feel the weight of that knowledge as he watched the man, sitting tall and commanding, watching the Chunin Exam with cold, calculating eyes.

One day, he'll become nothing but a trophy. Just another addition to Sasori's twisted collection.

The thought sent a chill down Haruto's spine. The image of Shoden, as powerful as he was now, being stripped of everything—his power, his identity, his very life—only to be turned into a hollow puppet by his own village's rogue ninja.

But for now, Shoden was still here, still in command, still the most powerful shinobi in the Hidden Sand. His control over Magnet Release, using Iron Sand, had earned him his title and solidified his place as the strongest Kazekage to date. It was that same technique, that mastery over iron sand, that Haruto knew had later made Sasori so eager to turn him into a living puppet.

Alive now, but destined for something far darker.

POV: Shoden, the Third Kazekage

Shoden sat with quiet authority, his sharp eyes surveying the match below. The Uchiha boy, Shisui, had just dominated his opponent. His movements were blindingly fast, almost too fast for the untrained eye to follow. Shoden's lips remained pressed in a firm line, but inwardly, he took note. Another Uchiha prodigy. Another reminder of Konoha's strength.

His thoughts flicked to the Hokage, who sat beside him, stoic and calm as always. But Shoden knew the Hokage was well aware of what this exam was really about. This wasn't just about promoting genin to chunin. It was about displaying the strength of their villages to the world, a show of power that could sway political tides and determine which villages received the most lucrative missions.

And Konoha is winning.

The Hidden Sand had been losing ground—literally and figuratively. Missions that once came to them were now funneled to Konoha, and with every contract lost, the village's coffers shrank. The economy was suffering. The Leaf was prospering. Something had to change.

That's why we brought our best.

Shoden's gaze drifted to his own genin, watching the matches unfold below. Rasa, his personal prodigy, sat with calm assurance. Like Shoden, Rasa wielded Magnet Release, but instead of iron sand, Rasa had mastered the use of Gold Dust. His power was immense, easily on par with jonin-level shinobi. Shoden had made sure of that—he had personally overseen Rasa's training, ensuring the boy would one day stand as the future of the Sand.

Then there's Pakura. Shoden's other ace. Her Scorch Release made her a deadly force, capable of incinerating her enemies with a single touch. Between Rasa and Pakura, the Hidden Sand had its champions, but Shoden knew it wouldn't be enough to simply win a few matches. They needed to dominate, to remind the other nations why the Hidden Sand was still a force to be reckoned with.

The Hokage knows what's at stake, just as I do, Shoden thought grimly. The Chunin Exams were a political battlefield, and each village was fighting to keep their place in the world.

Shoden allowed himself a brief glance at the other villages' leaders, assessing their reactions. The crowd, the nobility, and the potential clients were watching intently, their eyes moving from fight to fight, from shinobi to shinobi, judging not just the genin, but the villages they represented.

We have to make our mark here.

The Third Kazekage's eyes darkened as he returned his focus to the arena. The Hidden Sand needed more than just good fighters—they needed to win the right battles, to remind the world of their strength.

And Shoden was ready to ensure they did, no matter what.