High above the arena, in the Hokage's viewing section, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled slowly, pipe resting between his fingers.
His aged eyes remained fixed on Naruto.
"…Minato," he murmured quietly, too soft for anyone else to hear. "Your son has begun walking his own path."
Beside him, several jōnin exchanged uneasy looks.
After all, Naruto's identity had never been simple.
He was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—the vessel of the most feared tailed beast in existence.
His growing strength wasn't something everyone could celebrate without hesitation.
To some, it was a symbol of hope.
To others… it was a reminder of a disaster that had nearly destroyed everything.
No one could say for certain whether Naruto becoming stronger was a blessing for the village—
...or the beginning of something they wouldn't be able to control.
--
The room where all the genin had been gathered was suddenly too quiet.
Even the ones who'd been chatting a moment ago fell silent as the proctors moved to the center and Hayate cleared his throat.
He coughed once, twice, then straightened as much as his sickly frame allowed.
"…That concludes the preliminary matches," he announced, voice carrying through the hall. "Those of you who won your bouts… congratulations. You will advance to the final stage of the Chunin Exams."
A low ripple of murmurs ran through the room—relief, disappointment, resentment. The wounded ones heaved silent sighs. The winners tried not to grin too widely. A few losers scowled at the floor, teeth clenched.
Naruto was still grinning like an idiot.
He'd come back up from the arena all but buzzing, and now he was bouncing on his heels, hands shoved into his pockets because he didn't know what to do with that much energy.
Up in the stands, that memory of Haku's eyes and the Snow team's glances lingered in his head like a loop he couldn't stop replaying.
"Well then…"
Old man Hokage pushed himself to his feet from the Kage stand.
His robes fluttered faintly as he stepped forward, leaning on his staff. Even from below, the weight of his gaze was clear as it swept across the remaining genin.
"The fact that you have stood here," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, voice steady, "means you have all proven your strength and will to some degree."
He smiled faintly.
"But becoming a Chunin is not so simple."
Naruto's grin faltered a little, replaced by a wary look.
Uh-oh. Lecture incoming.
"The final stage of these exams," Hiruzen continued, "will be held in one month. In that time, you will prepare yourselves as you see fit—train, rest, strategize. The battles you will fight then are not just for yourselves, but as representatives of your village."
His gaze lingered, just for a heartbeat, on the Snow forehead protectors glinting among the Konoha ones.
"…And of your allies."
"Now," Hiruzen said, gesturing with his pipe, "the final matchups."
The big board along the wall flickered to life again, lines and names shuffling as the bracket formed.
Every genin leaned forward at once.
Naruto's eyes practically tried to climb out of his skull.
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon—!
The names finally stopped.
At the top:
Uzumaki Naruto vs Hyuga Neji
Naruto's heart did a weird flip.
"Hyuga… Neji…" he muttered, staring.
Beside him, Neji's mouth curved just a fraction.
"Fate really is fond of irony," he said under his breath.
Tenten glanced between them, wincing.
"Fine," Naruto said under his breath. "I'll beat you in front of everyone. Then we'll see what 'fate' says."
Lower down on the board:
Gaara vs Haku
The air around the Sand siblings changed instantly.
Temari's face twitched, eyes narrowing.
Kankuro, still irritated and secretly relieved about his own forfeit, stiffened.
Gaara just stared, head tilting slightly, the gourd at his back heavy with killing intent. The moment his name connected with Haku's, something dark and amused flickered in his eyes.
Haku scanned the board calmly, then inclined his head.
"A desert and ice," he murmured. "That will be… interesting."
Karin whistled quietly.
"Oi, Gaara vs Haku," she said. "That one's gonna be a mess."
Right beneath that:
Uchiha Sasuke vs Kimimaro
Sasuke's hand clenched around the railing.
There it was.
He looked sideways at Kimimaro.
Kimimaro looked back, expression unreadable.
For a brief moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them—black eyes and calm green, crackling tension invisible to everyone else.
"…Hn," Sasuke muttered.
Perfect.
Up in the stands, Kakashi's visible eye creased in mild amusement.
"Looks like I'll have my work cut out for me."
Guy, to the side, slapped a fist into his palm, teeth sparkling.
"Yosh!! Such splendid matchups!" he boomed. "Youth will explode in the arena!"
"Please don't say it like that," Tenten muttered wearily.
The bracket continued:
Nara Shikamaru vs Karin
Shikamaru stared at the board with the exact expression of a man who'd just been told he'd have to do overtime on his day off.
"…What a drag," he sighed.
But the heavy, dark circles beneath his eyes told a completely different story.
Ino stepped closer, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. She leaned in and whispered something softly into his ear—her voice filled with concern.
Shikamaru remained silent for a moment… then slowly shook his head.
On the other side of the room, Karin finally found her own name on the board.
Her eyes tracked along the line, read "Nara Shikamaru", and then her lips curled into a slow, shark-like grin.
"Oh?" she exhaled. "So I got him."
She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head, studying the slouching boy with the ponytail.
"Dark circles, dead eyes, actually uses his brain… tch. Figures I'd pull the one Leaf genin who looks like he's already sick of everyone's bullshit," she muttered, amused. "Kinda boring."
Up in the Konoha section, Shikamaru felt a prickle between his shoulder blades.
He looked over just in time to see Karin watching him openly, chin propped on her hand, eyes glittering with interest that did not feel reassuring.
She lifted her fingers and gave him a little wiggle of a wave.
"Yo, Ponytail!" she called across the room, uncaring of the looks they were getting. "Try not to chicken out in a month, okay? It'd be a pain if my opponent 'accidentally' got food poisoning or something."
Ino bristled immediately.
"Who are you calling Ponytail, you red-haired—!"
Ino froze, then hurriedly clamped both hands over her mouth as it finally hit her that she was shouting at a foreign genin and a strong one at that. During the Chunin Exams. In front of the Hokage.
"…Oops."
Shikamaru sighed, already tired.
"…Troublesome," he muttered. "They even found a loud version of Sakura from another country."
Karin's grin only widened at that.
"Oh, he's got a tongue on him too," she said under her breath, clearly not pleased. "This is going to be fun."
Finally, near the bottom:
Hinata vs Aburame Shino
Hinata's head tilted slightly at the sound of Shino's name.
Across the way, Shino adjusted his glasses minutely.
"…I see," he said quietly. "This will be… complicated."
Kiba, still half-dazed, flinched from where he'd been supported off to the side.
"Shino versus that blindfolded girl?" he rasped.
"That's… t-that's kind of unfair, actually… it'd be so easy."
He glanced toward Hinata, frowning.
"She doesn't even look that strong…"
After all, in her previous matchup, Kankurō had bailed before she could even show what she was capable of.
Akamaru, wrapped in bandages, whined softly in agreement.
"Those are the main bouts," Hiruzen concluded. "The remaining matches will be adjusted as needed depending on circumstances."
He let that hang there, the unspoken "if anyone dies before then" sitting quietly in the background like a shadow everyone chose to politely ignore.
"One month from now," he repeated. "I look forward to seeing what you all become by then."
His gaze lingered briefly on Naruto—then on Sasuke, Neji, Gaara, the Snow team—before he finally sat back down.
"Dismissed."
The tension in the room snapped all at once.
Voices exploded into the air, plans and arguments spilling out as sensei descended on their teams.
--
"Alright!"
Naruto spun around and jabbed a thumb at himself.
"One month! That's loads of time!" he declared to no one in particular. "I'm gonna train like crazy and completely crush that stupid 'fate' eyebrow in front of everyone!"
"Please stop calling him 'eyebrow'," Sakura groaned. "Also don't say 'crush' in front of Neji, he'll probably start another lecture about destiny or something."
Sasuke ignored both of them, his mind was entirely on the upcoming mach of his.
He could feel it even now—that bone-deep, suffocating killing intent Kimimaro had casually restrained during his earlier match.
Facing someone like that wouldn't just be "difficult."
But did that mean he would back off?
Of course not.
Until they actually clashed for real, he refused to believe he would lose.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Kakashi appeared at Naruto's shoulder in a little puff of displacement, nose buried in his orange book.
"Well, well," he said cheerfully. "You did great out there, Naruto. Using the Rasengan in the prelims… that's quite the statement."
Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"Hehe… I mean, if I didn't use it there, when was I supposed to?"
"Besides, it looked cool, right?"
Kakashi's visible eye curved.
"It did," he agreed. "And also shaved a few years off the proctors' lives, but that's between us."
He closed the book with a soft snap.
"Anyway," he went on, tone shifting. "You've heard the Hokage. One month. I expect all of you—Sakura, Naruto… Sasuke—to use every day properly. I'll be… handling some things with Sasuke for a while."
Naruto's grin froze.
"…Eh?" he said.
Sasuke glanced up, frowning.
"You're training me?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Mm. You're up against a very… unique opponent," he said lightly. "I'd rather you not die in a horribly one-sided manner. It'd be troublesome."
Naruto's brain latched onto one thing and one thing only.
"Wait, wait, wait— so what about me?!" he yelped. "I'm fighting Mr. Destiny over there! Don't I get a special super training too?!"
Kakashi waved a hand airily.
"Oh, you will," he said. "Just not with me."
Naruto sputtered.
"With who, then?!"
Almost as if his words had summoned someone, an energetic, all-too-familiar voice sounded from behind.
"With me, brat."
Naruto whirled.
Uzumaki Kushina stood there with her hands planted firmly on her hips, red hair spilling down her back like a banner. She wore her flak jacket half-zipped over her usual clothes, a grin on her face that was equal parts proud mother and drill sergeant who'd just found her next victim.
"Y-…K-Kaa-chan?!" Naruto yelped.
Kushina's grin widened.
"You wanted special training, didn't you?" she said, one eyebrow lifting. "Then your amazing, super-beautiful mom will pound it into that thick skull of yours so you don't embarrass us in front of the whole village, dattebane."
Naruto blinked.
Then his face lit up.
"Seriously?!" he yelled. "You're gonna train me?!"
Naruto knew his mom better than anyone.
Yeah, she'd hit him sometimes...
okay, okay, only when he screwed up...
but man, she was seriously strong.
If she was to train him… then he'd definitely get stronger.
Kushina snorted, lips curling into a fierce grin.
"Don't get the wrong idea, brat," she said jabbing a thumb into her chest. "I'm not doing this because you begged for it—I just refuse to let my son go out there and embarrass his amazing, super-gorgeous mom in front of the whole world, dattebane."
Kushina's words didn't even feel that boastful, honestly—if anything, they sounded… accurate.
Despite all the years that had passed, her face still looked unfairly young, framed by that wild red hair that spilled down her back.
Her figure was all mature curves and tight muscle, well-proportioned in a way that matched her vivid hair and clear blue eyes perfectly.
She wasn't just "pretty"—she was the kind of woman who turned heads without even trying.
Most people faded as they got older, their charm wearing down with time.
Kushina was the opposite.
Now that she was older, she wasn't just as beautiful as in her youth—she was more beautiful. The kind of beauty that came with sharp eyes, a dangerous smile, and the absolute confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was worth.
Kushina's declaration hung in the air like a thrown kunai.
Naruto was practically vibrating, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.
Sakura… did not yell this time.
She opened her mouth on instinct—ready to call Naruto an idiot for getting special training again but the words died halfway up her throat when she turned and actually looked at Kushina properly.
Up close, with that wild red hair, easy confidence, and stupidly perfect figure, Kushina was… Naruto's mom.
Sakura's hands folded neatly in front of her without her even thinking about it.
"A-Ano… Kushina-san," she said, voice weirdly polite for her, "please take care of Naruto."
She kept her tone obedient, almost formal, eyes lowered just a little—because every time she tried to look Kushina fully in the face, her gaze kept slipping.
…Down.
To the curve of her waist.
The line of her hips.
The way her flak jacket did absolutely nothing to hide how good her body still looked.
Sakura's fingers curled slightly, nails biting into her palms.
(How is that fair… she's a mom… and she still looks like that…?)
She stole one more quick side-glance at Kushina's legs, then snapped her eyes away before anyone noticed, a tiny knot of envy twisting in her chest.
Next to them, Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, head tilted just enough that his bangs cast a shadow over his eyes.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't look at Naruto, or Kushina, or anyone in particular.
But his shoulders were a little tenser than usual, jaw set just a bit too tight.
With his eyes hidden behind his hair, no one could tell what kind of expression he was making.
Kushina's gaze naturally slid over to the two kids standing behind Naruto.
First, the pink one.
Sakura stiffened when she realized Kushina was looking at her. She tried to stand even straighter, hands folded in front like some perfect little honor student.
Kushina blinked once.
Then her lips curled into an amused smile.
"Sakura-chan," she said, tone light. "Thanks for putting up with this idiot all the time."
Sakura flailed a little.
"Ah— n-no, it's nothing! I-I mean, Naruto is… loud, but… he works really hard," she managed, stumbling over her words.
Kushina chuckled, clearly entertained.
"Mm. Good answer," she said. "You've got good eyes, at least. Keep watching him properly, yeah?"
Sakura's cheeks flushed a soft pink.
"…Hai," she said quietly.
Kushina's eyes moved on.
They landed on Sasuke.
For a second, she just studied him. Then she stepped forward without warning and reached out.
Her hand dropped onto his head.
Sasuke stiffened, eyes widening under his bangs as Kushina ruffled his hair once, almost casually.
"Good work," she said, voice softer but still firm. "You've been selected for the finals. That's not something just anyone can do."
He opened his mouth, caught somewhere between annoyance and… nostalgia.
Before he could get a single word out—
"Oi, oi, oi! Mom!" Naruto yelled, practically jumping in place. "Why didn't you say that to me too?! I passed as well, dattebayo!"
Kushina didn't even look at him.
She just waved a hand dismissively, like shooing away a noisy stray cat.
"You should be glad you even managed to pass, brat," she said flatly. "Don't get greedy, dattebane."
Naruto clutched his chest dramatically.
"WHY ARE YOU ONLY STRICT WITH ME?!"
Kakashi lifted a hand in a lazy wave.
"Well then, that's that," he said. "Naruto, you'll be with Kushina-san. Sasuke, I'll handle your schedule. Sakura, you'll be—"
"Studying, huh," she muttered before he could finish.
He patted her shoulder.
"Mm. Harsh, but necessary," Kakashi agreed sympathetically.
Sakura's glare could've killed a lesser man on the spot.
"I heard that, sensei."
Kakashi, on the other hand, didn't give a fuck.
--
On the Snow side of the room, things were… calmer.
Yugao watched the crowd for a moment, then turned to her team.
"You heard the Hokage," she said. "You all did well. Now the real work starts."
Karin folded her arms behind her head, rolling her shoulders.
"Please, I was born ready," she laughed. "Did you see the look on those Leaf brats' faces? They finally realized we're the last-stage bosses."
Haku smiled softly.
"Well… I certainly had fun here. I'm guessing you all did too," he said.
Karin folded her arms, lips quirking.
"Well, yeah, I guess. It was kinda fun… probably just because it was all new, though."
Hinata straightened her shoulders a little.
"Either way… it was a good experience," she said, voice soft but firm. "I want to… do my best next time too."
Kimimaro ignored them, eyes still resting on Sasuke as the Uchiha walked away with Kakashi.
"Yugao-sama," he said. "What are our orders for this month?"
Yugao looked over her team—one blindfolded ex-Heir, one polite natural disaster in human form, and one red-haired problem on legs.
"…We'll get instructions soon enough."
"For now, rest. Then we'll head back to our temporary rest place."
She turned away, masking the brief, sharp flicker of anticipation that passed through her eyes.
Because she could already imagine it.
That man… sitting back, watching all of this from somewhere with that annoying, satisfied look on his face.
Obito would be pleased.
--
Far away from the stadium's noise, deep beneath stone and earth, a lab bathed in cold blue light was quiet again.
Orochimaru hummed under his breath, fingers moving with the ease of long practice as he made a series of careful, precise cuts.
Rasa's head—now cleared, cleaned, and prepared—rested on a separate table, seals beginning to creep along the edges of the preserved flesh like ink searching for paper.
"Such a waste," Orochimaru mused, eyes half-lidded. "A Kazekage who never understood the true value of his own existence…"
He smiled thinly.
"Well. At least you'll be more useful in death than you were in life."
He set the scalpel down and reached for a new scroll.
With a flick of his wrist, Orochimaru unrolled it across the floor. Rows of cramped sealing script filled the parchment—Edo Tensei formulas written in precise, merciless strokes.
The center was still blank.
He bit the pad of his thumb without hesitation.
A bead of blood welled up.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," he murmured to the empty room. "You were never going to stay buried anyway."
He pressed his bleeding thumb to the parchment, dragging a thin line of red across the waiting space as he inscribed Rasa's name in blood, then flicked his fingers, spattering a few controlled drops onto the circle around it.
The "performance in Konoha" Obito had mentioned wouldn't be ready in a day.
But a month?
A month was plenty.
Orochimaru chuckled softly, golden eyes gleaming.
"Konoha… Sarutobi-sensei…" he murmured. "I hope you're making good use of this peaceful little lull. It'd be such a shame if you didn't bring your best to our reunion."
Everything would be ready soon enough.
All that was left… was for the curtain to rise.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 300 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.