"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must absolutely not leave Konoha."
During the high-level Konoha summit, Danzo vehemently opposed Team 7's participation in the Joint Chunin Exams hosted by Sunagakure.
"The current Naruto possesses a very strong sense of belonging to the village. By utilizing this Joint Chunin Exam, I want to make the children of Team 7 grow even more rapidly."
To ensure that a Jinchuriki would not defect, the spouses, siblings, or other blood relatives of the Five Kage—or even the Five Kage themselves—were chosen to serve as Jinchuriki in the vast majority of cases.
For instance, the One-Tails and Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were the sons of the previous Kage, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki was the Fourth Mizukage, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was the Raikage's younger brother.
In the traditional rules of the shinobi world, the Jinchuriki was used to protect the village's leading Kage, functioning as a display of raw power.
However, the exact moment a female Jinchuriki's seal was at its absolute weakest was during childbirth. In the past, Uchiha Obito had launched his assault on Konoha at exactly this vulnerable juncture, unleashing the Nine-Tails.
Jinchuriki were frequently treated as a nation's ultimate military power. Back then, Senju Hashirama had sealed the nine-tailed beasts and convened the inaugural Five Kage Summit to distribute them among the various countries possessing hidden villages, aiming to balance the military capabilities between nations.
"Tsunade, you..."
The ominous undertone within Tsunade's words caused the expressions of the several Konoha elders present to turn somewhat unsightly: "Could it be that you and Jiraiya..."
"For this Joint Chunin Exam, both Jiraiya and I will attend personally. While ensuring the safety of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, we also hope to leverage Sunagakure's formidable strength to accelerate their growth. Konoha's future hope likely rests upon their generation."
Regarding the matter of how to cultivate Team 7, Tsunade and Jiraiya had discussed it countless times. Under normal circumstances, they might have led them to travel the shinobi world, fostering their growth through training along the journey.
Yet under the current geopolitical climate, this method was no longer viable. Although there was an inherent risk of the Jinchuriki being contained and seized by Sunagakure, compared to the future of Konoha, the two Sages were fully willing to place this high-stakes wager.
According to the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, apart from Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke was an existence that mirrored the Child of Destiny—much like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara in the past.
An evaluation of this caliber was sufficient to make the two realize that Uchiha Sasuke possessed immense hidden potential for the future.
Coupled with Haruno Sakura, whom Tsunade was meticulously mentoring, the entirety of Team 7 stood as Konoha's hope for tomorrow.
Precisely because they were so vital, they could not be sheltered like flowers in a greenhouse. With time running desperately short, this accelerated method was their only option.
Uchiha Itachi naturally understood their reasoning as well. On the issue of this Joint Chunin Exam, he hesitated for a brief moment before granting his approval.
The Will of Fire of Konoha had to be passed down. Even if the price required his and Jiraiya's lives, the two would not harbor a single shred of regret!
Sensing the sheer resolve of the two, even Danzo held his tongue.
Under the current circumstances, perhaps this truly was the optimal path.
"The Chunin Exams? Traveling to Kikyo Pass?"
Right outside the entrance of the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Uzumaki Naruto was devouring a bowl of ramen, a look of utter bewilderment on his face as he stared at Kakashi. As for Sasuke, he seemed to think of something, a unique gleam surfacing within his eyes.
A few years ago, due to the disruptions caused by Uchiha Kaede, Konoha had been left utterly dilapidated. After several years of continuous restoration, it had barely regained the semblance of a village. Though it remained deeply impoverished, Ichiraku Ramen had persistently stayed open to this day.
After briefly explaining the nature of the Chunin Exams and learning that the only participants representing Konoha would be Team 7, Uzumaki Naruto displayed an ecstatic expression. This indicated that they were chosen to represent the village on the grand stage of the Joint Chunin Exams.
"That's awesome!"
This absolute idiot...
Doesn't he understand at all? For this Joint Chunin Exam, the opponents are highly likely to be Sunagakure Village...
The current shinobi world's greatest nemesis to Konoha, and the primary adversary in the impending Shinobi World War, was hosting a Joint Chunin Exam at this exact juncture—and they were sending the three of them to participate?
Haruno Sakura felt a surge of fear, genuinely wondering if their team was being treated as mere cannon fodder to test Sunagakure's true strength.
Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, harbored immense anticipation toward the Chunin Exams, because there was a distinct possibility he might encounter other members of the Uchiha clan within Suna's ranks.
Observing the varying reactions of the three members of Team 7, Kakashi committed it all to memory and spoke lazily: "Rest assured, Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya will also be in attendance this time. Just focus on performing to the best of your abilities."
In truth, Kakashi himself was not particularly keen on attending this Joint Chunin Exam. Every single time the topic of the Fifth Kazekage was brought up, Kakashi would invariably be dragged out as the textbook negative example.
"They were both geniuses who achieved renown in their youth; yet now, one has become the undisputed number one figure in the shinobi world, while the other has degenerated into a complete salted fish."
Salted fish Kakashi?
Come on, who did I provoke? That guy is literally several years older than me, so how did he suddenly become part of my generation?
Can everyone please stop dragging me into these comparisons with the ultimate overachiever...
"Haha! Kakashi-sensei, I heard that you used to be considered a genius of the same era as the strongest monster in the shinobi world. Does that mean you're a monster too?"
Before Naruto could even finish his sentence, Kakashi immediately treated him to a demonstration of the New One Thousand Years of Death.
Within the Kazekage's office building in the Land of Wind, Shiraishi perused the intelligence documents in his hands. To his side, Arakawa Kashi and Shira stood guard with absolute seriousness.
Over the past few years, after undergoing rigorous training within the Naval Department, these two former genius genin had risen to become Shiraishi's personal bodyguards.
A combination featuring Shira, who hailed from a civilian background, alongside Arakawa Kashi, who represented a traditional elite Suna clan—this arrangement held deep symbolic significance.
"For the Joint Chunin Exams, who do you all recommend to participate?"
Compared to Konoha's single entry of Team 7, Sunagakure was fully prepared. Dozens of newly appointed jonin instructors gathered inside Shiraishi's office, eagerly stepping forward to recommend their respective subordinates.
At this moment, Uzumaki Tomoki stepped forward slowly, being the first to speak: "I recommend Aoki Shigeru, Uzumaki Tomoko, and Gaara."
Genin Team 9, led by Uzumaki Tomoki. This marked his second time leading a squad, but the three genin under his wing this time were all certified geniuses and massive problem children.
Among them was Uzumaki Tomoko, who inherited the twin Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuga's Gentle Fist and the Kaguya's Shikotsumyaku, layered upon her own Uzumaki lineage.
She reigned as the undisputed martial queen of the Ninja Academy—a literal engine of violent destruction, widely regarded as the single most powerful combatant among this year's genin crop.
Seeing Uzumaki Tomoki take the initiative to speak first, Yamaji Kumtake stepped forward with a casual demeanor: "Then it's my turn next. I recommend my subordinates from Team 19: Uzumaki Karin, Uchiha Akira, and Minazuki Haku."
With both of his former teammates having made their recommendations, Rōshi naturally walked forward with an expressionless face: "I recommend my own subordinates from Team 12: Temari, Kankuro, and Hozuki Suigetsu."
These nine individuals represented the absolute finest cream of the crop among Sunagakure's current generation of genin.
The roster featured a vast array of exceptional young talents drawn from the newly integrated Suna lineages, including the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Hozuki, and Yuki Ice Style clans.
It could be said that the current Sunagakure was brimming with an abundance of exceptional talent. It was a far cry from the bleak era when Shiraishi had first graduated from the Ninja Academy, where the entire village could barely scrape together a handful of notable ninja.
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