Outside the alley.

Temari and the three stood in the sunlight, but they were all stunned. Even Gaara put away his murderous intent and looked at Naruto in the shadow in horror.

"Let's go!" Temari lowered her voice, unable to think about anything else in her hurry.

She quickly grabbed the hands of her two rebellious brothers and led them away from the alley without looking back. She didn't let go until they were a long way away, breathing heavily.

"What is that?" Kankuro, whose face was painted with purple-striped camouflage, had empty eyes and his hands holding the wall were shaking.

Kankuro still remained rational, knowing that Gaara standing next to him was also a monster, and the word monster was the most taboo, so he did not say any more harmful and unhelpful words.

"Kyu...Kyuubi." Temari's whole body was trembling, her calves were too tense and were still in a state of spasm.

"How could there be such a terrifying thing in Konoha?" Kankuro recalled the scene Fousai saw, his purple lips trembling as he asked.

........

"Kyuubi?" Makki, the Jounin led by Sunagakure in the room, frowned and said, scanning the three of them, "How is that possible? You must have been tricked by that kid."

"Have you been fooled?" Temari and Kankuro looked at each other, but Gaara didn't react at all, still standing indifferently.

"Teacher Maki, what do you mean by this?" Temari asked hurriedly with cold sweat oozing from her forehead.

The Jounin, whom Temari calls Maki, has a square face, wearing a black tights lining and a brown vest of Sunagakure Jounin.

He wore half a piece of white cloth on his head, covering the left half of his face. He spoke in a serious tone, with a hint of resoluteness.

"You don't have to worry too much." Maki said, "Kyuubi reappeared in Konoha more than ten years ago. It is believed that the mature Jinchūriki is dead."

"The jinchuriki of Konoha now is just an ordinary brat, unable to control the power of tailed beasts at all."

Speaking of this, Marky paused and looked at the three young apprentices.

"What you just said is the transformation of the tailed beast into a face, which is something that a perfect jinchuriki can do. If Konoha really has such a jinchuriki, how can we formulate a plan to destroy Konoha?"

"Teacher, what do you mean...that brat can't really control the Kyuubi, but is just pretending to be able to transform into a tailed beast to scare us?" Temari asked in surprise.

"Of course, otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that the most important Jinchuuriki of a village happened to pass in front of you." Ma Ji nodded.

His eyes seemed to have seen through Konoha's conspiracy, and he showed a stiff smile that gradually understood everything.

"The Chunin Examination is originally a competition for each village to show off the power of the new generation. How could Konoha miss this perfect opportunity to shock Sunagakure Village?"

"I see." Kankuro nodded. Although he still felt that something was wrong, it was not important anymore.

Since the leading jounin has said so, and the ally we are cooperating with this time is a party with extremely reliable intelligence, there is nothing to doubt.

Temari also breathed a sigh of relief, then gritted her teeth and said fiercely.

"That guy actually teased us, please don't fall into my hands in the future!"

Gaara, who was always indifferent on the side, just glanced at them coldly, but did not open his mouth to correct them.

The moment he lowered his head, his eyes were full of fighting spirit.

He knew best whether it was the pressure of the tailed beast or not. It was unmistakable, it was the Nine Tails.

The next day, it rained heavily in Konoha.

Sakura and Sasuke, led by Kakashi, went to the Hokage Building to submit the registration materials for the Chunin Exam. The three of them walked in the rain holding umbrellas.

Under the pink umbrella, Sakura broke the silence and mustered up the courage to ask Kakashi's back in front of her.

"Kakashi-sensei, why can't Naruto take the Chunin Exam with us?"

Bang, Kakashi stopped when he heard this and turned to look at Sakura.

"Hokage-sama's order, there is nothing we can do about it."

"But..." Sakura swallowed, her knuckles holding the umbrella were extremely pale in the heavy rain, "But we are a group, aren't we?"

The pounding rain blocked most of the sounds from the outside world. Sakura could only shout to make Kakashi hear her voice. The rain wet the tips of Sakura's pink hair.

Her voice was slightly trembling and hesitant.

"You have taught us, Kakashi-sensei, that we are a collective. So...so Naruto shouldn't be left behind like this!"

Sasuke also stopped and frowned slightly. Although he did not speak, he also turned his attention to Kakashi, and the meaning was self-evident.

"Even if this is the Hokage's order? Are you going to disobey it?" Kakashi glanced at Sakura condescendingly and without emotion.

"Perhaps your and Sasuke's qualifications for the exam will also be affected. Even so, will you continue to persist?"

"I..." Sakura hesitated when she heard that Sasuke would also be affected.

Kakashi ignored Sakura's hesitation, glanced at Sasuke and Sakura with one eye, and asked them in a serious tone.

"The Chunin Exam is the only way for a genin to become a chunin, and it is also the fastest way for you to become a chunin. After becoming a chunin, both the mission rewards and the resources you obtain are dozens of times that of a genin."

"You all have your own goals, right? Wouldn't it be better to achieve them earlier? The Chuunin Exams are held every three years, and it's Konoha's home ground. It's a rare opportunity."

"If you do it again, you have to wait another three years. Maybe by that time your companions in the ninja school will have already become jounin."

"Even so, are you still insisting?"

Rumble! The lightning broke through the rain curtain, and the sound of the rainstorm became louder. The banging sound on the umbrella surface was like asking for help.

Sakura and Sasuke both fell silent, letting the sound of rain amplify infinitely.

"It's okay." Kakashi said again, "Naruto's order not to participate in the Chuunin Exam was personally issued by the Third Hokage, and it is not something you can change."

"Let's go, it'll be too late if it's any later."

With that said, Kakashi turned around and walked forward with his tactical boots pattering.

"I..." Sakura couldn't help but shed tears. She remembered the first time the three of them shared information and Naruto's words of comfort to her.

"There's nothing wrong with being ordinary, if you have the choice, but..."

"Sakura, your strength is not in fighting. You don't need to show off, Sasuke and I will shoulder the responsibility of fighting."

Sakura could no longer hold back, tears burst into her eyes, she lowered her head and sobbed. She felt regretful for her momentary hesitation. Obviously Naruto had not hesitated at that time...

"Kakashi-sensei! I...I still want to take the Chuunin Exam with Naruto!" Sakura raised her head and cried loudly.

Tears blurred her vision, and she didn't know whether Kakashi had gone far. Maybe the rain was too heavy and she didn't hear her words.

Maybe...

The sound of treading water came from far away, and Sakura felt a pair of warm hands covering her head. Looking up, Kakashi's smiling eyes spoke warmly.

"I agree."
Chapter completed!