Utakata watched the match with growing interest, his eyes following Shikamaru's movements with particular attention. The boy moved with purpose, even when it appeared he was merely retreating. A true tactician—something rare in genin so young.

  He idly blew a few bubbles from his pipe, watching them float lazily above the arena before popping. The crowd's excitement had settled into a more contemplative buzz as they processed the unexpected conclusion.

  "The Sound shinobi played it too conservatively," Utakata remarked, breaking the silence between him and his students. "If either he or the Sand girl had pushed harder from the beginning, Nara wouldn't have had time to set up... whatever he did."

  "Yeah, what even was that?" Suigetsu leaned forward, elbows on his knees, pointy teeth visible in his frown. "I didn't see any shadow connecting them."

  "Perhaps a new Nara technique," Utakata said thoughtfully. "Or something else entirely."

  Hotaru nodded, her eyes still on the arena where medics were helping Dosu to his feet. "That Sound shinobi was much more aggressive in his preliminary match. Remember when he fought me? He went for a killing blow almost immediately."

  "He did," Utakata agreed, his expression growing more serious. "The change in tactics is... curious."

  Suigetsu snorted. "I expected more from that Sound village if they're working with someone like Orochimaru. That was disappointing."

  "Perhaps they have other priorities today," Utakata murmured, almost to himself.

  He blew another stream of bubbles, but these were different—they didn't pop, instead drifting purposefully through the stands. His eyes followed their path as they meandered between spectators, occasionally pausing near certain individuals before continuing onward.

  Hotaru noticed his sudden distraction. "Sensei? Is something wrong?"

  Utakata's eyes narrowed as one of his bubbles hovered near a chunin who appeared to be from Grass. The man's hand twitched subtly toward a weapons pouch when the bubble approached.

  "I need to check on something," Utakata said, rising to his feet. "You two should go sit with the Konoha genin."

  "Why?" Hotaru asked, concern evident in her voice. "Is there danger?"

  Utakata kept his expression neutral, though his eyes continued tracking several of his sensor bubbles as they moved through the crowd.

  "Just a precaution," he said lightly. "Besides, it would be good to foster relations with our potential allies. The Mizukage would approve."

  Suigetsu looked unconvinced but shrugged. "Whatever. Their section probably has a better view anyway."

  Hotaru hesitated. "Sensei..."

  "Go," Utakata said, his tone gentler. "Enjoy the matches. I'll return shortly."

  He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before stepping away, his movements casual but his eyes alert.

  "And stay close to the jonin instructors," he added quietly, almost as an afterthought.

  Suigetsu stood and stretched dramatically. "Come on, Hotaru. Let's go see if Haku's getting nervous about his match. I want to mess with him before he fights."

  "You're terrible," Hotaru admonished, but she rose to follow him nonetheless.

  Utakata watched them go, making sure they were heading toward the Konoha section before turning his attention back to the arena. Below, they were preparing for the next match, with Neji, Ino, and Kankuro taking their positions.

  But Utakata's focus had shifted. His bubbles had detected something—subtle chakra signatures where there shouldn't be any, patterns of movement among certain spectators that didn't align with normal behavior.

  He casually adjusted his robe and began making his way toward one of the exit tunnels, apparently leaving for a break, yet his senses were fully alert. The bijuu in him stirred restlessly, sensing his unease.

  Something wasn't right. The Sound ninja's uncharacteristically passive approach. The delayed arrival of the Kazekage. The unusual number of foreign shinobi scattered throughout the stands.

  As a survivor of Kirigakure's bloody politics, Utakata had developed a keen sense for impending trouble. Right now, that sense was practically screaming.

  He cast one last glance toward his students, now safely ensconced among the Konoha genin and their instructors, before disappearing into the shadows of the tunnel.

  Whatever was happening, he needed to alert the Mizukage. And quickly.

  Ino Yamanaka stood in the arena, flipping her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder with practiced confidence as she sized up her opponents. The roar of the crowd faded into white noise as she focused on the task at hand.

  What the hell had she been thinking running her mouth like that?

  She'd spent the last fifteen minutes trash-talking both Neji and Kankuro in the waiting area, but now faced with actually fighting the Hyūga prodigy and the Kazekage's son simultaneously, her bravado was evaporating faster than a puddle in Suna.

  It was part of my strategy to get them off their game, she reminded herself, but I don't want to die either.

  She took a deep breath, centering herself. The pre-match jitters were normal—even her father got them before important missions. What mattered was how you channeled that energy.

  Okay. Ino, focus.

  The proctor stood between them, explaining the rules they all already knew. Ino used those precious seconds to finalize her battle plan.

  At the beginning they will blitz me, she thought, mentally mapping the arena terrain. That will give me the chance to use the Mind Body Disturbance Technique on Neji when he gets close enough that he can't dodge. Or I could pretend to be trying to obscure sight with a petal bomb—even though I know Neji will be able to see through it with his Byakugan, I can use my immobilization technique through it while they're distracted.

  She glanced at Kankuro, who stood with his wrapped puppet slung over his shoulder. He'd been insufferably smug since his victory over Tenten, but Ino had been watching closely. She knew things about his fighting style that he probably didn't realize she'd noticed.

  Watch for Kankuro's puppets. I think my immobilization jutsu should work on them as well, since they're chakra-controlled. If I can disrupt his connection...

  "Begin!" The proctor's voice cut through her thoughts.

  Crap, the proctor said go!

  Ino immediately leapt backward, creating distance while reaching for her kunai. Who will come first? Need to get some distance...

  But something strange was happening. Neither opponent was looking at her.

  Neji had dropped into his Gentle Fist stance, Byakugan activated, but his focus was entirely on Kankuro. The puppet master had already begun unwrapping his bundle, his fingers twitching as chakra threads formed.

  They are both ignoring me and focusing on each other.

  Ino blinked, momentarily frozen in confusion. She'd prepared for being double-teamed, for having to fight defensively until she could set up her trap. Instead, neither boy had even acknowledged her presence.

  She darted to the side, intentionally making herself more visible. They aren't even glancing my way...

  The realization struck her like one of Sakura's punches. They didn't consider her a threat. After all her trash talk, after making it this far in the exams, they still saw her as nothing more than an annoyance to be dealt with after they'd handled the "real" opponent.

  Heat rushed to her face, and it wasn't from exertion.

  Those bastards! How dare they ignore me!

  Fury bubbled up inside her chest, temporarily overriding her carefully thought-out strategy. The crowd's cheers faded further as her focus narrowed to the two boys who had dismissed her so completely.

  Neji charged forward, palm strikes aimed at Kankuro, who deftly maneuvered his puppet—Crow—between them. Wood clacked against wood as Neji's strikes hit the puppet's frame. Neither combatant spared her a glance.

  "Fine," Ino muttered, reaching into her equipment pouch. "If they want to pretend I'm not here, I'll make damn sure they regret it."

  She pulled out a smoke bomb, but hesitated before throwing it. No, that would be too obvious. They'd expect that. Instead, she began circling around, moving to position herself behind Kankuro while he was distracted with Neji.

  The puppet master was good—better than she'd expected. He kept Crow dancing between himself and Neji's deadly strikes, the puppet's limbs occasionally revealing hidden weapons that forced the Hyūga to alter his approach. It was like watching a bizarre, lethal dance.

  I could hit either of them right now with my clan technique, Ino thought, forming the familiar hand seal frame with her fingers. But if I jump into Neji's body, Kankuro will just skewer me... him... us. And if I take over Kankuro, Neji will see the chakra disruption with his Byakugan and take advantage.

  No, she needed a better opening.

  What she really needed was to make them acknowledge her.

  She reached into another pouch and withdrew several specialized kunai—ones tipped with small explosive tags, nothing that would cause serious injury but enough to create a distraction. With practiced precision, she flung them toward the space between Neji and Kankuro.

  The tags detonated with sharp cracks, sending small plumes of smoke into the air. Both boys jumped back, momentarily startled—but still, neither looked at her.

  "Are you kidding me?" Ino said aloud, not caring if they heard. "I am literally throwing explosives at you!"

  In the stands, she could hear Sakura's voice rising above the general crowd noise: "Don't let them get to you, Ino-pig! Make them pay attention!"

  At least someone is taking me seriously, Ino thought bitterly.

  Neji kept his Byakugan activated, the veins around his eyes bulging as his enhanced vision tracked every movement of the puppet master before him. The Yamanaka girl was somewhere off to his left—he could see her perfectly well, of course—but she wasn't his concern at the moment. Not when Kankuro presented such a complex tactical challenge.

  The Yamanaka clan techniques require complete concentration and stillness, Neji thought as he deflected another assault from Crow's clicking limbs. With my Byakugan, I can see the chakra building before she even completes the transfer. Dodging is trivial.

  He pivoted sharply, avoiding a spray of senbon that shot from the puppet's mouth. The needles embedded themselves in the arena wall behind him with a series of dull thuks.

  This puppeteer, however...

  Neji frowned, analyzing the chakra threads that connected Kankuro to his wooden creation. They pulsed with chakra, a complex network that allowed for precise control. He had studied puppeteers in preparation for this match—an opponent who could attack from range while remaining protected was naturally troublesome for a close-combat specialist like himself.

  A minor explosion erupted to his right—the Yamanaka attempting to insert herself into the fight. Neji didn't even glance her way. Her presence was like background noise: acknowledged but irrelevant until the real threat was neutralized.

  "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Neji thrust his hand forward, sending a compressed burst of chakra toward the puppet. Crow shuddered but remained intact, its wooden frame absorbing the impact.

  The Gentle Fist is designed for flesh and chakra networks, not inanimate objects, Neji reminded himself. I can disrupt the chakra flow momentarily, but I can't "kill" a puppet the way I can incapacitate a human.

  Another volley of weapons launched from the puppet—this time from compartments that opened in its arms. Neji spun, performing a partial Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation to deflect them. As he completed the spin, he caught a glimpse of Kankuro's smirk.

  He's comfortable fighting at a distance. Too comfortable. That's his weakness.

  Despite her shouting, Neji continued to pay the Yamanaka no mind. She was a secondary objective at best, a distraction at worst. His clan's teachings were clear: eliminate the primary threat first, then deal with lesser opponents. It wasn't personal—merely the most efficient path to victory.

  The crowd's roar swelled as Neji narrowly avoided another trap from the puppet—this one a cloud of purple gas that billowed from its midsection. He held his breath and leapt clear, already calculating his next move.

  I need a moment of vulnerability. Just one opening to get past that wooden monstrosity.

  With his Byakugan, Neji could see more than just what was in front of him—he could see Kankuro's chakra network, the subtle twitches of his fingers as he controlled Crow, and the second wrapped bundle still on his back. That second puppet would complicate matters if deployed.

  I must strike before he brings out his second weapon.

  Through his 360-degree vision, Neji noticed the Yamanaka girl circling around, attempting to position herself behind Kankuro. A sound strategy, if ultimately futile.

  Let her try. She might create the distraction I need.

  Kankuro manipulated Crow with practiced precision, his fingers twitching as chakra threads pulsed between him and his puppet. Yet behind his face paint, a scowl formed that had nothing to do with combat concentration.

  What the hell is wrong with these Leaf ninja? he thought, watching the Hyūga evade another volley of senbon. Just work together and take me down already!

  He sent Crow charging at Neji again, the puppet's joints clicking menacingly. The Hyūga slipped past the attack with irritating grace, those white eyes never losing their focus. Not once had Neji even acknowledged the Yamanaka girl's presence.

  "Hey! Both of you are ignoring me!" the blonde kunoichi shouted, her face flushed with anger.

  At least she noticed, Kankuro thought bitterly. What kind of village teamwork is this? Sand shinobi would never—

  He cut off his own thought. Sand shinobi wouldn't be trying to throw a match either. They wouldn't be invading an ally during a peaceful event, using their own children as cover for an attack.

  Kankuro felt sweat beading under his hood, and not from exertion. Through the corner of his eye, he could see the Kage booth where his father sat. No, where the man he thought was his father sat.

  Something was off. His father had arrived mere minutes before the tournament began, offering no explanation for his delay. No preparation time, no final instructions—just that cold stare that made Kankuro's insides twist.

  A flash of movement caught his attention—the Yamanaka girl was circling behind him, thinking herself clever. Perfect. If she could land just one of those mind techniques, he could pretend to fight it just long enough to make it look good, then surrender.

  Come on, Blondie. Do something useful for once.

  Kankuro deliberately slowed his reaction time, leaving his back exposed for a fraction longer than necessary. She had to take the bait...

  But the Hyūga lunged forward, forcing Kankuro to refocus on defense. Crow's arms separated, spinning like blades as they intercepted Neji's strike.

  "Damn it," he muttered. This was becoming ridiculous.

  In the stands, he caught a glimpse of brown hair in buns—Tenten sitting with the other Leaf genin. Her eyes were fixed on the match, her expression unreadable from this distance. Something twisted in his chest.

  They'd spent weeks working together on his new puppet. She'd helped him refine Raven's weapon systems, laughing at his jokes, challenging his assumptions about Leaf shinobi being soft.

  What would she think when the attack began? When Sand betrayed Leaf?

  She'd hate me. They all would.

  His fingers faltered, just for an instant, but it was enough for Crow to jerk awkwardly. Neji noticed immediately, those damned all-seeing eyes narrowing at the mistake.

  "Forfeit," Kankuro whispered to himself. "Just do it."

  But his father was watching. The Kazekage would notice. There would be questions. Suspicions.

  Or would it even matter? The invasion would start soon anyway. Everything would go to hell regardless of what he did now.

  Screw this. Screw all of it.

  "I'll just take down the Hyūga first, then deal with the girl," he said loudly enough for both opponents to hear, hoping to provoke some kind of joint attack. "Though I'm not sure why they even let her into the finals."

  The Yamanaka bristled, exactly as he'd hoped.

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  "That's it! I've had enough of being ignored!" she shouted.

  She formed a seal, and Kankuro deliberately slowed his reaction, watching as her jutsu built. This was his chance—let her hit him with something, anything that would give him an excuse to bow out without drawing his father's suspicion.

  Kankuro felt a surge of chakra behind him as the Yamanaka initiated her technique. Perfect. Now all he had to do was pretend to resist for a moment, then—

  But the Hyūga was there, disrupting her jutsu with a precise strike to her arm. "Don't interfere," Neji said coldly. "This is my fight."

  Kankuro wanted to scream in frustration. Are all Leaf ninja this stubborn about working alone?

  He glanced up at the Kage booth again, where his father sat motionless, watching. Something cold settled in Kankuro's stomach. Maybe it was too late to change anything, but he was tired of being a pawn.

  To hell with it.

  Kankuro yanked Crow back to his side and made a split-second decision. If they wouldn't cooperate, he'd force the issue. He released the bandages on his back, revealing his newest creation—Raven. The black puppet unfurled with a mechanical screech, its many arms extending to reveal an arsenal of blades, launchers, and compartments.

  "Two puppets?" Neji's eyes narrowed, veins bulging around them. "You've been holding back."

  In the stands, Tenten leaned forward, her eyes widening. "He's using it!" she exclaimed to those around her.

  Kankuro's fingers danced, and both puppets charged simultaneously—Crow toward Neji and Raven toward Ino. At least this way, he could engage them both, make this look real while finding a way out.

  Ino's hands moved through seals. "Finally! Mind Body Distur—"

  A blade shot from Raven's arm, deliberately missing her by inches but forcing her to abandon her jutsu and dodge. Kankuro needed her technique to hit him, not the puppet.

  "Is that all you've got?" he taunted, hoping to rile her into attacking him directly.

  Neji was proving more troublesome, his Byakugan allowing him to easily track and dodge Crow's attacks. "Your chakra strings are visible to me," he stated coldly. "This match was decided before it began."

  "Oh yeah?" Kankuro smirked, though his heart wasn't in it. "Then why haven't you won yet?"

  He sent both puppets into a coordinated attack pattern, one he and Tenten had practiced countless times—though they'd never anticipated using it against Leaf shinobi. The puppets' movements created a deadly dance of blades and poisoned senbon, forcing both opponents to retreat toward each other.

  Perfect, he thought. Now they'll have to work together or get in each other's way.

  In the Kage box, Rasa leaned forward slightly, his interest apparently piqued by Kankuro's sudden aggression.

  "Your son shows promise," Sarutobi remarked, puffing on his pipe.

  "He has always been... adequate," came the cool reply.

  Mei Terumi smiled behind her sleeve. "The puppetry arts of Suna are legendary. Though I must say, the Hyūga boy's talents are equally impressive."

  Back in the arena, Neji and Ino had indeed been forced closer together by Kankuro's dual assault. The puppeteer maintained the pressure, herding them toward each other while appearing to attack relentlessly.

  "Watch where you're going!" Ino snapped as she nearly collided with Neji during an evasive maneuver.

  "Focus on your own defense," Neji retorted, though he was clearly irritated at having his space constrained.

  Kankuro saw his opportunity. "What's wrong, Leaf ninjas? Can't handle a little teamwork?" he called out. "No wonder your village is so soft!"

  The taunt hit its mark. Ino's face reddened with anger, and even Neji's composed expression tightened.

  "We're not soft!" Ino shouted back. "Neji, we need to take him together!"

  The Hyūga didn't respond verbally, but he adjusted his stance slightly, creating space for Ino to maneuver while maintaining his own defensive posture.

  Finally, Kankuro thought.

  He pressed the attack, making it look fierce while deliberately leaving an opening in Crow's defense—one that would be obvious to a Byakugan user. Sure enough, Neji spotted it immediately, lunging forward with his palm extended for a precise strike.

  At the same time, Kankuro allowed himself to become visibly focused on Neji's attack, "forgetting" about Ino for just long enough...

  "Mind Body Disturbance Technique!" Ino called, her hands forming the final seal.

  Kankuro felt her chakra wash over him, invisible tendrils seizing control of his limbs. He made a show of resisting, his body jerking awkwardly as he fought for control.

  "Got you!" Ino crowed triumphantly.

  Now he had his excuse. He could let her technique force him to surrender, and no one—not even his father—could fault him for falling victim to a Yamanaka mind technique.

  But before he could execute his plan, Neji's strike connected with Crow, sending a precisely targeted burst of chakra through the puppet and into the chakra strings controlling it. The puppet collapsed in a heap of wooden limbs, and Kankuro felt a jarring backlash of disrupted chakra.

  The disruption was enough to weaken Ino's hold momentarily, and Kankuro's control over Raven wavered.

  "What happened?" Ino demanded, strain evident in her voice as she struggled to maintain her technique.

  Neji didn't bother to explain, pressing forward toward Kankuro himself now that one puppet was disabled. His Byakugan allowed him to see exactly where Ino's technique was connecting to Kankuro's chakra network.

  "Your jutsu is interfering," he told Ino coldly. "Release it. He's mine."

  "No way!" Ino tightened her control. "I caught him fair and square!"

  Kankuro could have laughed if the situation weren't so dire. Even when they were supposedly working together, these Leaf ninjas couldn't cooperate properly. It was almost a shame they wouldn't get the chance to learn better.

  The thought sobered him instantly. Soon, this arena would become a battlefield. People would die—perhaps even Tenten or these kids who were just trying to advance their careers.

  In the stands, he caught another glimpse of Tenten, who was now on her feet watching intently. She had no idea what was coming. None of them did.

  The conflict in his heart crystalized into a hard knot of resolve. He couldn't stop the invasion single-handedly, but maybe he could do something to minimize the bloodshed.

  With Ino's technique still affecting him and Neji approaching, Kankuro made his decision. He stopped fighting Ino's control and instead channeled his own chakra to strengthen her connection, startling her with the sudden cooperation.

  "What are you—" she began.

  Using her control as cover, Kankuro raised his voice to carry through the arena. "I forfeit the match!"

  The announcement brought the battle to an immediate halt. Neji stopped mid-stride, his expression darkening with frustration. The proctor looked startled but quickly stepped forward.

  "Kankuro of the Sand has forfeited! The match continues between Yamanaka Ino and Hyūga Neji!"

  Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. In the Kage booth, the Rasa's eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Ino released her technique, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. "Did I make you do that?" she asked uncertainly.

  Kankuro gave her a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe you're better than I thought, Leaf girl."

  In the stands, the Konoha genin and their new Mist companions watched with varying degrees of confusion as Kankuro—who had been holding his own just fine—suddenly forfeited the match.

  "Did Ino's technique really work that well?" Sakura wondered aloud, her rabbit ears twitching with suspicion. "I couldn't see any sign she caught him before he announced the forfeit."

  Kiba snorted. "Maybe he just realized he was outmatched against two Leaf ninjas."

  "No," Hinata said quietly, her Byakugan active. "His chakra flow was irregular, but not in the way it should be under Ino's technique. Something else is going on."

  "We shouldn't jump to conclusions," Shino added, adjusting his glasses. "Why? Because ninja often employ subterfuge during tournaments to conceal their true capabilities."

  Suigetsu leaned forward, sharp teeth gleaming in a predatory grin. "Or maybe he's just a coward. Wouldn't be the first Sand ninja to run when things got tough."

  "Watch it," Kiba growled. "That's Karin you're sitting next to."

  "I'm from Grass, not Sand," Karin corrected with an eye roll. "And I never met Kankuro before coming to Konoha."

  Hotaru, sitting between Suigetsu and Chouji, frowned thoughtfully. "Sensei seemed concerned about something too before he left. I wonder if it's related."

  Down in the arena, Ino and Neji had resumed their battle, with Neji clearly having the upper hand. Each of Ino's attempts to catch him in her clan's techniques was thwarted by his Byakugan and superior speed.

  Tenten watched the match with uncharacteristic disinterest. Her gaze kept drifting to where Kankuro had exited the arena, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  "Neji is displaying excellent form today," Lee commented enthusiastically beside her. "His movements are most youthful!"

  "Yeah," Tenten replied absently, rising to her feet. "I'm sure he'll win."

  Lee looked up at her in surprise. "You're leaving? The match isn't over yet."

  "Neji can handle Ino," Tenten said with certainty. "I need to check on something."

  Without further explanation, she made her way past their teammates and up the stairs, ignoring their curious looks. After exiting their section, she navigated the corridors of the arena, heading toward the competitors' area.

  The hallways were mostly empty, with everyone focused on the ongoing match. Tenten moved quickly, guided by her familiarity with the building from spectating a previous tournament. As she rounded a corner, she caught a glimpse of purple face paint disappearing around another bend.

  "Kankuro!" she called, quickening her pace.

  She found him in a shadowed alcove off the main corridor, Crow already unpacked and laid out for repairs while Raven remained bundled on his back. His head snapped up at her approach, surprise and something like panic flashing across his face before he masked it with his usual cocky expression.

  "Well, if it isn't my favorite weapons mistress," he drawled. "Come to console me after my humiliating defeat?"

  Tenten marched right up to him, hands on her hips. "What was that about? You were doing fine—better than fine. Raven was performing perfectly! I know we just finished tweaking the joint mechanisms yesterday."

  Kankuro shrugged, returning his attention to Crow's disassembled arm. "Yamanaka got me. End of story."

  "Bullshit." Tenten rarely swore, and the word hung sharp between them. "I've been watching you fight for weeks now. I know what it looks like when a puppeteer loses control. That wasn't it."

  "Maybe I'm just not as good as you thought," he muttered, refusing to meet her eyes.

  "Stop it!" Tenten's voice rose with frustration. "You've been acting weird all morning. At first I thought it was just nerves about the finals, but this is something else. You didn't even try to use Raven's new capabilities after all the work we put into them!" Kankuro remained silent, methodically examining Crow's joints as if they contained answers to questions he couldn't voice.

  "Is it your father?" Tenten pressed. "Is he pressuring you? I saw how he looked at you from the Kage box when you forfeited."

  A muscle in Kankuro's jaw tightened, but he still said nothing.

  "Fine, don't talk to me," Tenten continued, her voice taking on a hurt edge. "After all those nights working together, all those conversations about techniques and designs... I thought we were—" She cut herself off, unsure how to define what they had become.

  "We are," Kankuro said quietly, finally looking up at her.

  "Then talk to me! What's going on with you?"

  Kankuro set down the puppet piece he'd been pretending to examine and sighed heavily. "It's complicated, Tenten."

  "I'm a weapons specialist who designs explosive tags as a hobby. I can handle complicated."

  That earned her a small, genuine smile. "Yeah, you can."

  Tenten softened slightly at the warmth in his voice. "Just tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

  Kankuro leaned back against the wall, studying her face with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. "You know, I could listen to you talk for hours, even if it's just you reaming me out. Your voice does this thing when you're angry—gets all musical somehow."

  The unexpected compliment caught Tenten off guard, and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. "Don't change the subject."

  "I'm not," he insisted. "I'm being serious. These past few weeks have been... I didn't expect to find someone like you in Konoha."

  The sincerity in his voice made Tenten's heart skip a beat, but her ninja instincts wouldn't let her be distracted. "What is this really about, Kankuro? Why did you forfeit?"

  He looked away, his expression clouding. "Some things are bigger than tournaments, Tenten. Sometimes you have to make choices that don't make sense to anyone else."

  "That's not an answer."

  "It's the best I can give you right now." His eyes flicked to the mechanical flower pinned in her hair—the one they'd spent hours designing together. "By the way, I figured out what was wrong with the sleep capsule in your hairpin."

  Tenten rolled her eyes at the obvious deflection but couldn't help her curiosity. "Really? What was the issue?"

  "The chakra release valve was inverted," Kankuro said. "The sensitivity was too high, so it wouldn't trigger properly."

  Despite her frustration, Tenten's technical interest was piqued. She reached up and carefully removed the ornate flower from her hair, holding it between them. "Show me?"

  Kankuro hesitated for a fraction of a second, regret flickering across his features so quickly she almost missed it. Then he raised his hand, a thin shimmer of chakra extending from his fingertip to the flower.

  Too late, Tenten realized her mistake. The flower's center opened, releasing a small puff of pale purple gas directly into her face.

  She gasped in surprise, inadvertently inhaling the knockout agent. Her vision immediately began to blur around the edges. "What are you doing?" she managed, her tongue already feeling thick and uncooperative.

  "Keeping you safe," Kankuro answered, catching her as her knees buckled.

  The world tilted sideways as Tenten fought to stay conscious. "Safe from what?" she slurred, her eyelids growing impossibly heavy.

  Kankuro's face swam above her, his expression a mixture of determination and regret. "I'm sorry, Tenten. I really am."

  As darkness closed in, she felt herself being lifted. Through narrowing vision, she watched Kankuro unwrap Raven, the puppet's compartment opening to reveal a space just large enough for a person.

  "No..." she protested weakly, but her body refused to respond to her commands.

  The last thing she heard before unconsciousness claimed her was Kankuro's voice, low and fierce: "I won't let you get hurt during the invasion. After it's over, I'll help you escape. You'll hate me for this, and I'll deserve it, but at least you'll be alive."

  Then darkness swallowed her completely.

  Kankuro worked quickly, arranging Tenten's limp form inside Raven's body cavity. The puppet had been specially designed with this hidden compartment—standard for infiltration missions where an agent might need extraction. It wasn't comfortable, but it would keep her safe during what was to come.

  He checked her breathing to ensure the knockout agent hadn't been too strong, then carefully closed the compartment, making sure the air holes remained unobstructed. No one would think twice about him carrying his puppet, even with its precious cargo.

  With practiced movements, he rewrapped Raven and hoisted it onto his back. It was heavier now, but not noticeably so to anyone who didn't know puppets. He gathered Crow's parts and packed them away as well, his movements mechanical as his mind raced.

  This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He'd planned to warn her somehow, to get her away from the arena before everything went to hell. But she'd come looking for him, challenging him directly with those fierce brown eyes that saw too much, and he'd panicked.

  "I'm sorry," he whispered again to the silent puppet on his back.

  He'd made his choice now—not just to protect Tenten, but to limit the damage he would cause in the coming chaos. His father would be furious, but Kankuro could no longer bring himself to care.

  In a few minutes, the arena would erupt into violence. People would die. But not Tenten. Not if he could help it.

  Taking a deep breath, Kankuro stepped out of the alcove and moved toward the gathering point where the invasion forces would be preparing. His part in this tragedy was set, but perhaps he could still write his own ending.