After leaving Gaara and his group behind, the teachers of several teams finally showed up.
Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma were all suffering from the same problem. None of them could figure out what the hell was going on with their students lately.
For some reason, all of them had started dressing like gangsters. Lately, they kept gathering together and saying the strangest things.
Stuff like, "Only the young can change the world!" and "It is our glorious purpose to restore Konoha's lost honor!"
At this point, all the formerly good students had gone completely off the rails. With the Chunin Exams right around the corner, They were still loitering around the village like they had all the time in the world.
It was giving their teachers massive headaches.
That said, despite all their concerns, none of them actually tried to stop the students.
Because while they looked like delinquents, the truth was, they were stronger than ever. Each one of them had made crazy progress in a short amount of time.
At the center of it all was Makoto.
Makoto wasn't just strong. His understanding of jutsu was insane. The teachers had been shocked to realize that even they were starting to learn new things just from listening to his ideas.
At this point, Makoto was basically the one teaching all of them. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma had been reduced to glorified babysitters, just tagging along on missions while their students handled everything themselves.
With a sigh, they handed over the registration forms for the Chunin Exams. Makoto and his crew took the forms and, without wasting any time, headed to a secluded forest in Konoha to prepare.
As for Konohamaru, he went home like a good kid.
"Makoto, why'd you bring us all the way out here?" Naruto asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
"Yeah, are we having a picnic?" Choji chimed in, glancing around while still munching on his potato chips. "But we didn't bring any food!"
Meanwhile, Naruto glanced down at his stomach, lost in thought.
Makoto, ignoring their confusion, sat down on the ground and calmly formed a hand seal.
In an instant, a barrier surrounded them.
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. The fact that Makoto was taking precautions meant that whatever he was about to say was serious.
"I called you all here because there's something important I need to talk about," Makoto said, his expression unusually stern.
"The Chunin Exams might not be as peaceful as they seem. You all remember that red panda kid from the Sand Village, right?"
"Gaara?" Naruto frowned. "What about him?"
"That guy's strength isn't as simple as it looks," Makoto continued. "There's a Tailed Beast sealed inside him."
The moment he said that, everyone's expressions changed.
"The Tailed Beast?"
"What are Tailed Beasts?"
"Wait, what kind of beast is that? Is it edible?" Choji asked, still chewing.
Shikamaru crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I remember my dad mentioning them once… They're unbelievably powerful creatures, walking natural disasters. No one can truly control them, so the only way to keep them in check is by sealing them inside people."
He glanced at Makoto. "So that means… Gaara is the Jinchuriki of the Sand Village?"
Makoto nodded. "That's right. Normally, Jinchūriki don't leave their villages so easily. The fact that he's here in Konoha means there's a bigger plan at play."
Shikamaru frowned. "Then shouldn't we report this to the Hokage?"
Makoto shook his head. "That brings me to the second thing I wanted to tell you."
He turned toward Naruto, who took a deep breath, looking like he had just made a huge decision.
Then, clenching his fists, Naruto stepped forward.
"Guys… there's something I need to tell you."
He exhaled and looked each of them in the eye.
"I'm actually Konoha's Jinchuriki. The strongest of all the Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails, is sealed inside me."
After dropping the bombshell, Naruto clenched his teeth, bracing himself for the worst. He had always been afraid that this moment would come, that his friends would look at him differently.
But... that reaction never came.
Instead, everyone just stared at him with surprise and curiosity.
"Wait, for real? Naruto, you seriously have a Tailed Beast inside you?!" Kiba asked, his eyes widening.
"Tailed Beast? Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki?" Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "So… that means the one inside you is called the Nine-Tails? Man, do they just name themselves after how many tails they have?"
"Hey, Naruto!" Kiba smirked. "Can you let it out? We've never seen the Nine-Tails before!"
Naruto blinked, completely thrown off. This… this wasn't the reaction he expected at all.
"Aren't… aren't you guys afraid of me?" He hesitated. "There's a big monster inside me. The villagers always call me the demon fox brat. Don't you... don't you hate me?"
At that, everyone collectively rolled their eyes.
Kiba scoffed and threw an arm around Naruto's shoulder. "Tch! Don't be stupid, dumbass. Who cares?"
Choji grinned. "Yeah, I don't hate you, Naruto. Here, have some chips!"
Sasuke crossed his arms and smirked. "Idiot. Monster or not, you're still Naruto, the same fool who came in last place in our class."
Naruto's eyes widened as their words sank in. He gritted his teeth, trying so hard to hold it in… but it was no use. His vision blurred, his nose stung, and before he knew it, hot tears spilled down his face.
He clenched his fists, his voice shaking.
"Everyone… thank you!"
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