Chapter 2: The Affection-Starved Tattooed Youth

The Chunin Exams?

Naruto replayed the words in his mind. The Chunin Exams. He hadn't heard wrong.

Chunin... Exams?

Judging by their ages and strength, were these tryouts to select chunin?
But why would ninjas from other villages show up here?

A term suddenly popped into Naruto’s head: The Inter-School Joint Entrance Examination!

Inter-school, multi-school joint exams! Ancient memories awakened in Naruto. Because his high school had a decent reputation, it seemed he had been passively forced to participate in such things back in his school days.

Although nothing changed except for the exam papers, titles like "Five-School Joint Exam" or "Nine-School Joint Exam"—just hearing the names made them sound ridiculously epic.

Drawing an analogy to those massive standardized tests, Naruto felt he could suddenly understand this whole Chunin Exam thing.

He had just dozed off and someone handed him a pillow. He had been fretting over how to make a name for himself, and now the opportunity had arrived.

This exam... was practically tailor-made for him, Uzumaki Naruto.

Why call it the Chunin Exams?
It was clearly a stage for him, Naruto, to showcase his true power!

This time, he, Uzumaki Naruto, was going to shock the world with a single brilliant performance and become the absolute protagonist of this stage!

He was going to stand out brilliantly!
And declare to the entire world: Uzumaki Naruto has fucking arrived!

By this time, Temari seemed to finally remember she had a younger brother. She immediately ran over and pried Kankuro out of the wall.

"Don't move... cough, cough... My bones are broken~" Kankuro wailed, coughing up a pool of blood.

Looking over at them, Naruto felt quite embarrassed.
*Guests coming from afar, should you break their bones first as a greeting?* That surely wasn't the Eastern superpower's way of hospitality.

However, he absolutely couldn't be blamed for this. Who told them to grab Konohamaru right off the bat?
That was his dearest... little brother.

Not that he couldn't be beaten, but it would cost extra.

"Here, take this."

Naruto tossed over a Xiaoyao Pill.

It was a No. 16 Xiaoyao Pill, capable of restoring 625 health points—just right for genin peak-performers like them.

Temari raised her hand and caught it with precision. Seeing that it was a red pill stamped with the number 16, she naturally recognized what it was.

Though Sunagakure was poor, for the sake of these exams, the Kazekage had still gritted his teeth and purchased quite a few Xiaoyao Pills.
Yet somehow, other people's pills always seemed better than their own.

"Kankuro, hurry up and eat it. It's a No. 16 Xiaoyao Red Pill."

After swallowing it, a couple of *crunching* sounds echoed—his bones automatically realigned, and within moments, Kankuro was resurrected at full health.

Xiaoyao Pills might not do much for other ailments, but for internal and external injuries caused by physical attacks, they were practically divine medicine.

Glaring bitterly at Naruto, Kankuro felt a strong urge for revenge. His hand even brushed against his Crow puppet, but remembering the freakish physical strength this guy had just displayed, his courage instantly evaporated.

"What? You still want to make a move?"

Sasuke stepped out from the side, holding two stones in his hand. The warning intent was blindingly obvious.

Upon seeing Sasuke, Temari's eyes lit up once more.

Why are there so many handsome guys in Konoha?
Unlike Sunagakure, which was full of bizarrely dressed, rough-looking brutes.

And who are you supposed to be?
Kankuro figured he couldn't beat the little blond punk from earlier, but you? Just some punk like you? He once again gripped his Crow puppet fiercely.

At that moment, Naruto suddenly looked up toward the tree canopy. In his sensory perception, chakra-infused sand was gathering right there.

In an instant, a figure materialized.

"Kankuro! Stop it. You're a disgrace to the village."

"I... Gaara."

Seeing the guy called Kankuro sweating guiltily, Naruto wondered if this newly appeared guy was really that terrifying.

He used his sensory perception once more.
This violent chakra... could it be a tailed beast?
Turns out you're a jinchuriki too.

Naruto sized up the newcomer: strikingly familiar red hair, the kanji for "Love" (Ai) tattooed on his forehead, heavy dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days, and a gigantic gourd strapped to his back.

With a tattoo like that, just how starved for love are you?
Still, if he's a jinchuriki... this guy's strength shouldn't be underestimated.

Naruto mentally tagged his chakra signature, planning to test the waters if they crossed paths in the future.

Since nothing else was going on, Naruto prepared to leave. Konohamaru was still pestering him to play ninja games, and Naruto couldn't help but sigh in resignation.

"Hey, what's your name?" the little redhead suddenly called out to stop him.

"Uzumaki Naruto. And yours?"

"Gaara."

"Great, looking forward to seeing you in the exam venue!" Naruto said quite sincerely; he was genuinely eager to throw down with Gaara.

Since they even sent out a jinchuriki, Sunagakure must have invested a fortune.

Sasuke, standing nearby, looked deeply displeased: *Why didn't he ask for my name?*
*Am I not worthy?*

At the same time.

Kakashi and a group of squad-leader jonin were summoned, and the Hokage officially announced the Chunin Exams to be held in a week's time.

Amidst the traditional greetings from the elderly Third Hokage, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, and Hatake Kakashi each recommended the genin under their respective supervision to participate in this Chunin Exam.

This decision shocked quite a few of the other jonin instructors.

Generally speaking, newly graduated ninjas only participated in the Chunin Exams during their second year. That had been the case for the past five years.

Yet this year's fresh graduates were all being recommended for the Chunin Exams by their instructors?
Wasn't this disregarding the students' actual strength purely for the sake of saving face?

"Please wait a moment!"

Iruka stepped forward anxiously, shouting a rebuke: "They are all just newly graduated genin! Although they are talented, participating in the Chunin Exams is still much too early and too cruel for them!"

"Are you trying to ruin these children?"

Hearing this, Kakashi felt a wave of helplessness.
Just how long had it been since Iruka updated his data? His version of the software was way too outdated.

Were the people Iruka called "children" really just children?

Naruto: Could take down at least 100 Irukas.
Sasuke: Could take down 10 Irukas.
Even Sakura: Could take down 1 Iruka.

You, Iruka, are a chunin yourself—why couldn't those kids be?

Following the persuasion of the three fresh jonin instructors and Iruka's continued arguments, the Hokage agreed to give these newcomers a special preliminary assessment.

Time shifted forward a few days.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura each received their Chunin Exam application forms from Kakashi.

The three of them harbored very different thoughts.

Sakura didn't seem very confident.
Naruto wanted to tell her that strength was all relative. It was just like taking an exam: if he and Sasuke both scored 100 points, while Sakura could only score 80, she would feel inferior.

Yet if she looked at the other squads.
Good grief, failing grades were everywhere, with scores of 50 and 60 flying all over the place.
Sakura, you were actually a powerhouse all along.

There was no need for Naruto to lecture her; once the exams started and Sakura got into a real fight, her confidence would instantly shoot right back up.

The three of them disbanded. Sakura was so anxious she didn't even mention her usual request for a date with Sasuke, heading straight home alone.
Sasuke vanished immediately as well, presumably to go ramp up his training.

Only Naruto wandered around aimlessly. Strolling down to the riverside, he spotted his three little subordinates playing ninja games yet again.

"Boss Naruto, come play with us!"

Naruto looked up at the sky. It was barely past nine o'clock. He had free time, sure, but he couldn't just admit he was free.
These little guys would undoubtedly rope him into playing ninja games, and once they started, it would last the entire day.

Last time he fell for it and got sucked into their enthusiasm for a full twelve hours, which had been honestly a bit boring.
He might as well go home and sleep, or play cards with that stinky old fox Kurama.
If he added some wagers, he could definitely tease and pet Kurama for a whole day.

"Sorry, guys, I probably have to go train now?"

"What? You can't play ninja games with us?" Konohamaru looked immensely disappointed. Last time, having the big boss around made the fun factor skyrocket a hundredfold.

"It's only nine o'clock. Don't you guys have school?"

"But Boss, today's the weekend."

Uh... is it?
Ever since graduation, he had stopped paying attention to what day of the week it was.
Unless it was Thursday.

Suddenly, a strange ninja wearing an Amegakure forehead protector appeared, attempting to abduct Moegi.

But just as the intruder prepared to leap away, he discovered that his ankles were tightly bound by ropes made of hardened soil.

"Iruka-sensei, what are you trying to do?"