With a monster like Naruto joining the operation, the entire chessboard had changed.
"So, Naruto-kun, how do you plan to proceed?"
Orochimaru's voice held a rare note of caution.
Naruto replied calmly,
"I'll enter the Chūnin Exams under the guise of a Genin from the Hidden Sound. Once the exams are over, I'll decide when to enter the battlefield."
Orochimaru's expression twisted subtly.
"You? Entering the Chūnin Exams?"
Naruto nodded.
"Is there a problem?"
Orochimaru's mouth twitched, but he shook his head slowly.
"Of course not."
'Poor bastards from the other villages though…'
He thought silently.
Naruto's gaze drifted toward the strange experiment in front of Orochimaru.
"And this? Looks interesting…"
In a large glass cylinder, a very curvaceous female figure floated in green fluid.
Orochimaru explained with pride,
"It's my latest gender transformation project. A perfect conversion—appearance and biology—100% female."
Naruto raised a brow.
"Why even research that?"
Orochimaru flipped her hair back—her androgynous appearance unsettlingly graceful.
"I found that a female body's flexible structure is far more compatible with my serpentine form."
Naruto nodded solemnly.
"Fair. Good luck."
That caught Orochimaru off guard.
When Naruto left, Orochimaru finally exhaled in relief.
He had acted calm on the surface, but inside she'd been rattled.
That boy's eyes… something about them made him feel cold all over.
"In just over a month… and he's already grown this strong again?"
"Truly… terrifying."
For the first time, Orochimaru felt an opponent he could not resist.
One week later.
The Konoha Crush Plan officially began.
Naruto wrapped a Sound Village forehead protector around his arm.
Behind him stood the elite of the Sound:
-Karin, eyes filled with starry admiration.
-Kimimaro, Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, and more.
No one questioned Naruto's command.
They had all seen his power.
Naruto activated Flying Thunder God.
The next moment, the entire group appeared directly inside his old home in Konoha.
"Flying Thunder God… such a convenient ability."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, scanning the photos on the wall.
"This was your old home, Naruto-kun?"
One photo had Naruto's younger face—his bright eyes and spiky hair standing out even among a crowd.
"Not important."
Naruto walked over and kicked open the front door.
The sudden appearance of Naruto's chakra within Konoha sent a wave through the village's sensory network.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, still in charge of the barrier system, immediately activated his Crystal Ball Jutsu.
Upon confirming Naruto's presence:
"Naruto… What are you doing here…?"
"This village… cannot survive another storm from you…"
Hiruzen was filled with dread, his heart sinking.
But after multiple failed attempts to reconcile with Naruto, he no longer had the courage to confront him directly.
Each negotiation had ended in failure.
Time passed.
Hiruzen grew weaker, more hunched—like a gust of wind could knock him over.
Naruto's team walked openly down the main street.
People stared.
As soon as they recognized Naruto—
Panic.
The villagers' faces turned pale as ghosts.
No more insults.
Only fear.
Due to the upcoming Chūnin Exams, many shinobi from other villages were also present in the village.
They glanced curiously at Naruto as they sensed the reaction he provoked.
"Naruto-kun, why do those people look so scared of you?"
Karin asked nervously.
"Karin, you shouldn't ask things you don't need to know."
Kabuto gently warned from the side.
He, a triple-agent, knew all too well what Naruto had done in the past.
Before participating in the exam, all teams had to register at the Academy.
Just as Naruto was about to step through the gates—
Three figures stepped out from the entrance.
Two boys, one girl.
The one leading had red hair, heavy dark circles under his eyes, and a massive gourd on his back.
The intense aura radiating from him could make a child cry.
Gaara of the Sand.
Naruto and Gaara locked eyes.
Gaara's gaze was filled with killing intent.
"You… you are worthy of being killed by me."
Suigetsu burst out laughing.
"Pff—hahaha! Did you hear that? This emo kid says he wants to kill our boss!"
Since Naruto took over the team, Suigetsu had naturally begun calling him "Boss."
Even the usually cold Kimimaro nearly chuckled.
But Gaara's eyes grew colder.
"Die!"
A wave of sand began to rise from his gourd.
This was Naruto's first real encounter with another Jinchūriki.
He activated Transparent World and looked straight into Gaara's body.
As expected, inside was a vast pool of Chakra.
But compared to the Nine-Tails, this was laughably small.
"That's Shukaku,"
Kurama muttered from within.
"He's nothing compared to me—but be careful anyway."
Just as Gaara was about to attack, a blonde kunoichi stepped in to stop him.
She whispered in his ear:
"Gaara, don't lose control. Don't forget our mission."
That was Temari, Gaara's sister.
Gaara's eyes twitched, but in the end, he pulled back his sand.
He had noticed Naruto's foreign headband and realized that he, too, was here for the Chūnin Exams.
As they passed each other, Gaara said without looking back:
"Chūnin Exams. I'll be waiting."
Then disappeared around the corner.
Naruto didn't particularly care about Gaara…
But that One-Tail inside him?
'Should I take it now?'
He pondered.