Naruto jogged through Konoha's streets, his genin headband gleaming and his grin wide as he waved at passing villagers, who mostly ignored him. "Future Hokage, right here!" he shouted, dodging a thrown tomato with a laugh. The Land of Waves had made him a hero to some, but the village's glares hadn't softened. Behind his cheerful mask, his mind was sharp, focused on the Scroll of Sealing hidden in his apartment and the Nine-Tails' chakra burning in his core. The mission had shown him power's potential—and its limits. To uncover the truth about why he was the Jinchuriki, he needed more strength, more control, more everything.Back at his apartment, he unrolled the scroll, studying the multi-shadow clone jutsu and cryptic notes on Tailed Beast chakra. Each word was a step toward mastering the Nine-Tails, toward forcing the Hokage and the village to reveal their secrets. But the scroll wasn't enough—it hinted at techniques and seals he didn't understand, locked behind knowledge only the powerful could access. Naruto's jaw tightened. He'd get there, no matter what.At the next Team 7 meeting, Kakashi announced the Chunin Exams, a chance to become mid-level ninja. "It's voluntary," he said, his eye scanning them. "But it's tough. You'll face the best from every village."Naruto whooped, pumping his fist. "I'm in! Time to show everyone I'm the best!" But inside, his heart raced. The exams were a proving ground, a chance to test his shadow clones and the Nine-Tails' power against real opponents. They were also a risk—more eyes on him, more shinobi like Kakashi who might be watching for the Hokage. He didn't trust his team, not fully. Sasuke was too focused on his own goals, Sakura too hung up on Sasuke, and Kakashi's calm demeanor hid secrets Naruto couldn't crack.That night, Naruto trained in his forest clearing, summoning a hundred shadow clones to spar, their movements a blur. He pushed for the Nine-Tails' chakra, feeling that red-hot surge, stronger now but still wild. Red eyes flashed in his mind, and he stumbled, the chakra slipping away. "I'll get it," he growled, his facade gone in the dark. The exams were his chance to grow stronger, to show the village he wasn't just a demon. But he'd keep his guard up, his secrets close. No one—not Kakashi, not the Hokage—would know how much he was hiding.
