The two presences that frightened Shukaku naturally came from the Six Paths powers within Naruto and Sasuke. As incarnations directly descended from the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths, standing before him evoked an indescribable sense of fear deep within their hearts.
By the time everyone left and parted ways, a firm friendship had already been formed between them. However, thinking about the upcoming plans, Temari and Kankuro couldn't help but sigh inwardly—this newly established bond would likely shatter in an instant when the time came.
"Why does Naruto seem a little upset?" Sakura asked with some confusion after Temari and the others had left. "Does he dislike Temari and them?"
"Naruto seems really interested in that cold, expressionless guy who called me Gaara!" Naruto's voice carried a heavy tone of jealousy, causing Ino and others to stifle laughter as they listened.
"He's also a Jinchuriki like you—and his life has been incredibly tragic!" Sakura sighed and explained Gaara's life story to Naruto and the others. "Because he carries Shukaku—the idiotic One-Tail—Gaara has never dared to sleep since childhood. Shukaku constantly disturbs his mind with noise. On top of that, as a Jinchuriki, he was never accepted by his village and didn't have a single friend. Most importantly, Gaara had a totally insane father. His own uncle was even ordered to try killing him—and ended up being crushed to death by Gaara's protective golden sands. Before he died, his uncle said something that shattered Gaara completely—that's what turned him into the cold, dangerous guy he is now!"
"He's a Jinchuriki too?" Naruto recalled his life before meeting Sakura—how the entire village despised him, how every day he endured villagers' hatred and hostility. If it weren't for later meeting Sakura and having good friends around him, he probably would have turned out just like Gaara.
"Was his father out of his mind?"
Hinata and others focused on another aspect. How could a father send people to assassinate his own child? What an absolutely nuts move!
"According to the Fourth Kazekage's mindset, he feared that the Jinchuriki might suddenly go berserk, so he deliberately sent assassins to test the strength of the seal!" In fact, Sakura herself thought that the Fourth Kazekage must really have been insane.
"But somehow, it feels like his actions were practically begging for the One-Tail's seal to break!" Sasuke voiced his inner doubts. Jinchuriki couldn't endure excessive emotional stimulation—they worried about losing control and triggering the beast's rampage. Yet, the Fourth Kazekage's approach was practically provoking the Jinchuriki intentionally into unleashing the beast.
"How should I put it… People like him just don't think like normal folks at all!"
In the end, Sakura and her group reached a consensus: the Fourth Kazekage was absolutely a lunatic.
Chapter 160: Iruka Almost Didn't Make It
Inside Konoha's Hokage Office, the Third sat behind his desk with a group of Konoha Jonin standing before him.
"The Chūnin Exams are about to begin. Recently, many outsiders have come to our village, some with ill intentions. Everyone must stay vigilant. Also, any qualified Genin may step forward now. This exam carries great significance; I hope you all will participate enthusiastically."
Hiruzen said while smoking. He was determined to use this Chūnin Exam as an opportunity to showcase Konoha's strength in front of other ninja villages and remind them of the fear they once felt under Konoha's dominance.
"I—" Kakashi Hatake leaned on his cane and stepped forward, but Hiruzen cut him off mid-sentence.
"Your three students *have* to participate—no need to explain that. Just go back and recover already!" With a wave of his hand, the Third Hokage shooed Kakashi off to the hospital.
The last time this guy took his three students out for a mission, he ended up carried back by his own students. At first, he thought Kakashi had suffered serious injuries—but then, after a medical checkup at the hospital, the diagnosis turned out to be nothing more than kidney deficiency. That had infuriated the Third so much, his face nearly turned green.
"Erm…" Kakashi chuckled awkwardly before retreating to a corner. It wasn't even entirely his fault! That little monster Sakura used [Wood Release] to bind him up and completely drained his chakra, leaving him with symptoms similar to kidney deficiency. And since his chakra had been sucked dry so severely, he still hadn't fully recovered—it's why he needed a cane just to walk. Truly pitiful.
Once registration ended, every member of Sakura's team had signed up for the Chūnin Exam. In addition, multiple teams from other groups of Konoha's Genin also made the selection. This would almost certainly become the largest Chūnin Exam ever held in Konoha history.
"Umm, Lord Third… Are Sakura, Naruto, and their friends really ready for the Chūnin Exams?" Iruka asked with concern. "They're fresh graduates, after all!"
"Now, now, Iruka. You shouldn't worry—they're way stronger than you'd think," Kakashi replied with a smile. "Besides, each of them holds powerful hidden strengths. The winner of this exam will ultimately be decided through internal competition among them. There's absolutely no chance for any shinobi from other villages!"
"Is that so…?" Still unconvinced, Iruka hesitated briefly before saying, "Then maybe I should test their abilities myself tonight!"
"That's fine," the Third nodded. Waving his hand, he signaled Zabuza and Haku from the back of the crowd. "These two will follow behind you, so you can proceed without worries."
"I don't think that'll be necessary. It's just a simple assessment—I'll know how strong they are and won't go too far." Iruka said, puzzled. Aren't these two Zabuza and Haku from Konoha Hospital? Were they coming along because he might accidentally hurt Sakura and the others?
"You've got it wrong!" The Third gave Iruka a meaningful look. "What I mean is, having them accompany you ensures there's someone who can rescue you quickly—just in case Sakura and her friends don't hold back and happen to kill you accidentally."
Iruka: "???"
Still full of confusion, Iruka sat aside deep in thought. After the meeting concluded, he still couldn't figure out exactly what the Hokage had meant. Eventually, he could only return home in a daze, preparing himself for the upcoming nighttime 'assessment'.
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