Over the past few days, the first two rounds of the Chūnin Exams had concluded.
Konoha shone brightly.
Neji, Sasuke, even Naruto and Hinata displayed strength far beyond typical genin.
Naruto felt this most deeply.
As a Jinchūriki, once reviled as a monster and shunned, he now basked in attention and praise. Last night, Iruka-sensei took him to Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate, joined by other ninjas offering encouragement.
To Naruto, it felt like a dream come true.
Like a fantasy turned reality overnight.
So, he cherished everything he had now.
But—
That guy, Gaara, was jealous of him.
"It's natural Gaara's jealous," Shen Mo said, laying out the truth. "Like you, he's a Jinchūriki, feared and ostracized by his village since childhood. The One-Tail is sealed in him."
"…" Naruto froze.
"But compared to you, his childhood was far worse," Shen Mo continued after a pause. "You had Iruka, Ichiraku's Teuchi. Gaara… even his father loathed him, tried to kill him multiple times. Naruto, you can imagine why Gaara's like this, right?"
Naruto's body stiffened, fists clenched, his expression as if witnessing something horrific.
He could imagine it—too easily.
Just picturing a life without Iruka-sensei or Teuchi… he shuddered.
Gaara was that "what if" version of himself.
"Naruto," Shen Mo placed a hand on his shoulder, "in my eyes, you've always had great potential—not from your physique or the Nine-Tails, but from the pain you've endured. That pain forged the foundation of your will. Gaara… his pain surpasses yours, so I have high expectations for his potential too."
Naruto was undeniably unfortunate.
But Gaara was even more so.
Everyone, even those Gaara trusted most, abandoned or tried to kill him.
Growing up like that and still finding redemption…
It could only mean Gaara's heart still yearned for love.
If not, Shen Mo would've given him the Demonic Path Series, letting him embrace darkness and make the world feel pain.
But now…
Guiding Gaara to the right path, unlocking his potential as a prime player…
That depended on Naruto and the Kazekage.
"Phew!" Naruto took a deep breath, grabbing Shen Mo's hand. "Uncle, train me! I've gotta beat that guy!"
Understanding Gaara's mindset and emotions only fueled Naruto's resolve to defeat him.
No one could ruin his current happiness.
"I see your determination," Shen Mo smiled, then shook his head under Naruto's eager gaze. "But I refuse."
"Why?!" Naruto looked frantic.
"My time's valuable," Shen Mo shrugged.
"Liar! You're just strolling around!"
"You're not qualified."
"Aaagh! Didn't you just say I had potential?"
"-_-||"
Shen Mo stared at the stubborn Naruto, feeling utterly exasperated.
He had no interest in training him.
But from this attitude…
Naruto wouldn't give up easily.
Time to get tough.
As Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, ready to use his commanding aura to make Naruto face reality and back off, Jiraiya stood, stepping close to Naruto and pointing at himself.
"How about I train you instead?"
Though Jiraiya hadn't met Naruto, he'd gathered from the conversation that this boy was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, his disciple Minato's son.
Different from what he'd imagined.
But he wanted to know more.
Naruto glanced at Jiraiya, grimaced, and turned back.
"No way!"
His refusal was absolute.
"Pfft." Tsunade couldn't hold back a laugh.
Jiraiya's face reddened, unprepared for rejection. He stepped back, striking a pose on one leg, exhaling dramatically.
"Ha, kid, I'm the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku! You sure you want to pass on my guidance?"
His pose was convincing, but his bruised, swollen face ruined it.
He had zero credibility.
Naruto turned, sticking out his tongue. "Who needs your training? You're not even worth one of Uncle's fingers."
Naruto wasn't dumb.
He knew Shen Mo's overwhelming power.
"Outrageous!" Jiraiya flushed, pointing at Shen Mo. "Fine, I'll spar with him to show you who's got the skills."
Everyone froze.
Including Shen Mo.
No one expected Jiraiya's sudden challenge.
But Shen Mo quickly sensed through telepathy…
Jiraiya saw this as a chance to test him under a pretext.
This man…
Despite his carefree facade, he was among Konoha's most loyal.
"Scared, huh? Hmph." Jiraiya crossed his arms, head lowered, shoulders shaking. "Since Tsunade says you're older than us, it's not bullying. Don't worry, you're Konoha's guest—I won't hurt you. Just a friendly spar."
A blatant taunt.
For Konoha, for Tsunade…
Jiraiya couldn't ignore this mysterious man.
Just… a little test!
"Jiraiya, don't be rude!" Tsunade frowned, guessing his true intent.
But…
"You don't understand Shen Mo's identity or strength," she said gravely.
Jiraiya's gaze grew serious.
He caught her meaning.
—Don't cause trouble for Konoha!
He'd been so cautious with his words, yet Tsunade still warned him.
Who was this Shen Mo, really?