The puppet that blocked Gaara's strike was none other than Sasori's mother puppet, one of the first he had ever created in his childhood. Her body was pierced through, gears grinding with a screeching sound before breaking apart into scattered fragments.
Everyone thought she had protected Sasori from the fatal blow. But what they hadn't expected was that at the same time, a shard of sharpened iron sand had slipped past and pierced straight through his heart from behind.
Sasori's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… actually…"
Before he could even finish his sentence, his body fell to its knees before Gaara, motionless. His gaze turned slowly toward the puppets of his mother and father.
Now, he had become just like them—nothing but a puppet. Yet as death closed in, there was no hatred in his eyes. With the faintest voice, he whispered, "At last… I can see you again… Father… Mother…"
Gaara's eyes softened faintly. He could sense the difference in how Sasori looked at those two puppets. His final words rang clearly in Gaara's ears. Like himself, Sasori was a child of sorrow.
Losing his parents had driven him into his obsession with puppetry. That passion had kept him alive, but it had also led him down a path far removed from ordinary people. Perhaps turning himself into a puppet had been his way of trying to stay by his parents' side—his life's greatest regret.
That final phrase, "at last we meet," carried the weight of inevitability. It was as if Sasori had long known this would be his end.
Kakashi, who understood Sasori better than most, couldn't help but sigh. There was pity in his gaze, even if only for an instant. "To think… Akatsuki's Sasori, defeated so quickly."
News of Sasori's death reached Kaede soon after. It was all within his expectations. In the original flow of the shinobi world's story, opinions had differed—some said Sasori's strength was equal to Gaara's, others that he was stronger. But Kaede's presence had already changed every destiny that once lay ahead.
The exam continued. Gaara now held one of the clearance cards. With Sasori dead and the battle concluded, the field shifted immediately.
At that moment, only Gaara possessed a clearance card. Who held the other nine remained unknown.
Weaker genin quickly fell to ambushes by organized teams, losing their ability to continue fighting. Unfortunately, Tenten, Hinata, and Sakura were among those eliminated.
After several skirmishes and retreats, five clearance cards had surfaced. Naruto and Gaara each secured one. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino claimed another through flawless teamwork.
Neji and Lee managed to take one, while Shino and Kiba remained empty-handed.
The rest were held by genin from other villages, their strength uncertain. For now, no one made a rash move—everyone was waiting, watching.
The genin of Kamigakure gathered together, listening to Shikamaru's strategy.
"We've got two choices now," Shikamaru explained. "First, defense. As long as we guard the cards we already have—and especially protect those who haven't revealed theirs yet—we can guarantee that at least some of us advance. It's a safe, reliable plan."
"And the second?" Naruto asked.
"The second choice is offense. We strike first. The four from Kusagakure should still have at least three cards between them."
"If we attack, it means taking down everyone outside of us," Shino added calmly.
The options lay clear before them—play it safe, or risk everything in a full-on assault.
(End of Chapter)
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