Team Shinki

Representing the Hidden Sand, this cell pairs Shinki, whom the Fifth Kazekage Gaara raised as his own child, with two additional Suna ninja named Araya and Yodo. All three carry the rank of chunin once their story advances into the newer generation's adventures.

The team travelled to the Hidden Leaf for the Chunin Exams and cleared both the written round and the survival trial, crossing paths with Metal Lee's group along the way. In the tournament finals Araya bested Inojin Yamanaka and Shinki overcame Chocho Akimichi, though Yodo fell to Shikadai Nara and Araya was later stopped by Sarada Uchiha, while Mitsuki simply conceded his bout to Shinki. Every member walked away promoted to chunin.

Their later assignments included recovering an Otsutsuki puppet, a task complicated when Deepa intervened before Shinki destroyed the device himself, plus watching over Kawaki during a subsequent exam and joining a strike against the Human God Trees.

Shinki, the wind-and-iron wielding heir of Gaara, anchors the group. Years afterward, when the invader Matsuri overran the Sand, he sealed his father to shield him and was swallowed by the Claw Grime for that sacrifice. Yodo lost her life to the enemy Ryu while working beside Konohamaru's Team 7, and it was that loss that awakened Sarada's Mangekyo Sharingan. Araya survived to wield the Thornsoul, which he used to release Shinki from the grime that had claimed him.