Not long after Uzumaki Naruto left, a young boy appeared, hanging upside down from a tree branch on the roadside. He had short, reddish-brown hair and a large kanji for "love" etched onto his forehead.
"What a shame, Kankuro."
The boy's voice was cold and devoid of emotion, and though it was just a simple sentence, it made the arrogant Kankuro break into a cold sweat.
"I… I'm sorry, Gaara."
The boy with the large gourd strapped to his back was none other than Gaara of the Sandfall, a figure of great fear—even to his own siblings.
Although Kankuro was Gaara's older brother, the overwhelming murderous aura Gaara exuded was nearly unbearable.
"I… Gaara," Temari interjected quickly, her tone firm but cautious. "Don't forget why we came to Konoha in the first place."
Temari's words seemed to reach him. Gaara's expression softened just a bit as he calmed down.
"Hmph. Don't let it happen again," Gaara warned coldly before vanishing into the shadows.
Temari exhaled deeply. Every time Gaara appeared, the killing intent he carried made it hard to even breathe.
---
Fourth Raikage: "So this is the One-Tail Jinchūriki from Sunagakure? He looks more like a monster obsessed with killing than a human being."
Terumi Mei: "It's obvious. Compared to him, Naruto is far more composed—even the Naruto of this timeline has learned to control his emotions well."
Ohnoki: "Heh, you two don't understand the real story. The Kazekage of the Hidden Sand has weaponized their Jinchūriki!"
Fourth Raikage: "So that's why… I'm not the only one who feels nothing but hatred radiating from this kid. He's completely different from the Jinchūriki in our village."
Fourth Kazekage Rasa frowned deeply.
How does that old fossil Ohnoki know about this?
In truth, ever since Gaara's birth, he had been raised to be a weapon of war. Sand Shinobi Village was small and lacking in natural resources. To survive, they often resorted to war. And in war, the destructive power of the tailed beasts became a strategic asset.
So from the beginning, Gaara was chosen—sacrificed, really—to serve as the village's most dangerous tool.
Everything had been orchestrated by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa himself.
---
The Next Morning
Early the next day, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke arrived at the designated training ground. As expected, Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning, everyone!" came Kakashi's familiar voice, full of unearned cheer.
"Sorry I'm late. I met an old lady trying to cross the street, so I escorted her home."
He greeted the trio with a friendly wave as if nothing was wrong.
Sakura rolled her eyes. Good morning? It was already noon.
Kakashi didn't seem the least bit remorseful. Instead, he pulled out three forms with their names already written on them.
"This is the application form for the Chūnin Exam. I've recommended all three of you to participate!"
He handed out the forms, his tone casual but firm.
"Of course, the choice is still yours. You're not being forced into this. But… well… that's that."
And with those vague words, Kakashi disappeared again, clearly avoiding any further questions.
The three young ninjas stared at each other in stunned silence. So this was the "important matter" Kakashi had mentioned.
"I'm definitely taking the Chūnin Exam," Sasuke said first, his voice calm but determined.
If he couldn't even become a mere Chūnin, how could he hope to defeat that man someday?
Naruto nodded as well. For him, the exam sounded exciting. It was a chance to prove himself further.
Only Sakura hesitated.
But after seeing both Naruto and Sasuke confirm their decision, she clenched her fists and smiled nervously.
"I'll take it too!"
---
With all three members of Team 7 agreeing to participate in the exam, they now had a few days to train and prepare. Each of them chose their own methods.
Uchiha Sasuke, as always, preferred to train alone. Though the Uchiha clan was no more, he still had the entire compound to himself. It was quiet, vast, and perfect for undisturbed practice.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura had a brief exchange before parting ways.
"Naruto… I need to head home first," Sakura said quietly.
Just as she turned to leave, Naruto called out.
"Sakura, do you really want to take the Chūnin Exam?"
Naruto's sudden question caught her off guard. Her reaction betrayed her doubt. Her expression had been uneasy all morning, and now he had struck right at the heart of it.
The truth was simple.
Nearly all the Konoha participants came from powerful clans—the Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka…
Even Rock Lee, who wasn't born into a clan, had Might Guy as a mentor who treated him like his own son.
But Sakura?
Her parents were ordinary civilians. She had no clan background, no special inheritance, and no unique jutsu.
She was… ordinary.
Could she really compete in something as intense as the Chūnin Exam?
Three Body Technique? That's about all she had mastered.
---
Orochimaru: "This is why I despise the hidden villages. The elite always rise because they're born into greatness. These kids inherit powerful jutsu and bloodlines. And the mediocre ones? They're left to rot."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "That's nonsense, Orochimaru. Konoha has plenty of outstanding ninja from civilian families. The Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze—wasn't from a clan."
Orochimaru: "Oh, come now, dear Sensei. How many Minato Namikazes does Konoha have compared to all the Irukas and Sakuras?"
Orochimaru's retort left the room in stunned silence.
It wasn't just a Konoha problem—it was a universal truth in the ninja world.
The people who held real power, who made decisions, were always from the great clans.
Even when a Hokage was appointed, they needed the backing of those powerful families to be accepted.
As for the rest—the villagers, the civilians—they were often just notified once the appointment was made.
That's how the ninja world worked.
From ancient times until now, social class was a boundary rarely crossed.
Too many people's interests were tied into the system.
Even the Hokage couldn't change it completely.
---
That was why, in the alternate reality seen in the black-framed vision, Naruto dreamed of building a truly ideal nation.
Even as a young boy, he had already realized the painful truth—
Becoming Hokage wasn't a reward, but a shackle that limited freedom.
To be truly free and powerful, one had to break the system, not rule within it.
---
"Sakura," Naruto said suddenly. "Why don't we train together for the next three days?"
The Naruto from the black frame had spoken up again.
"Na… Naruto?"
Sakura blinked in disbelief. Never in a million years did she think Naruto would offer to help her—especially with something so important. Why would someone like him waste his precious time?
Naruto was a rising star, practically destined to be an elite shinobi. Just being in the same team as him already felt like an honor to Sakura.
But his serious expression told her this wasn't a joke.
He meant it.
Sakura's heart swelled with emotion. She took a few steps closer to him, her eyes softening with gratitude.
"Um… Naruto… would you… like some candy?"
She pulled something out of her pouch and held it up.
"It's imported…"
Naruto blinked. The moment hung in the air.
"..."
---
To be continued...