Training Ground No. 44, Central Tower—
"Be careful. Together—open them together…"
Uzumaki Naruto held the Heaven Scroll while Sakura Haruno held the Earth Scroll. Following the rules of the second exam, they prepared to open both scrolls at the same time inside the Central Tower.
Gaara's team, it was said, had already opened their two scrolls in another room and passed safely.
But there were also rumors that some teams, for various reasons, failed to open the scrolls simultaneously. They lost consciousness on the spot and were immediately disqualified from this year's Chunin Exams.
Because of that, sweat beaded in Naruto and Sakura's palms. They were terrified that their timing wouldn't match.
"Just open them already. It'll be fine" Temari said impatiently. She really couldn't understand why these Konoha brats made such a big deal out of it.
"Temari," Gaara shot her a glance. "Don't rush them."
"…Oh."Wait—he took their side?!That was her own little brother! Wasn't that betrayal way too fast?!
That Uzumaki Naruto… he'd gained Gaara's trust to the point where even the Sand's Absolute Defense had failed!
…
The two scrolls opened at the same time. Inside was a single character—
"Human."
"Heaven.""Earth.""Human."
"Poof—!"
A cloud of smoke burst forth, revealing a figure Naruto knew better than anyone.
"I-I—Iru—Iruka-sensei?!!"
Sasuke and Sakura froze as well. Their Heaven and Earth Scrolls were summoning ninja tools… that summoned Iruka-sensei?!
Under their stunned gazes, Konoha chūnin Umino Iruka greeted them with a smile. "Long time no see."
After witnessing two separate vision sequences about Gaara, Naruto understood more deeply than ever why he'd turned out differently—why he'd escaped that lonely hell. It was all because of Iruka-sensei: scolding him, worrying about him, treating him to ramen, acting like a brother, like a father…
And most of all—
Acknowledging his existence.
"Iruka-sensei!!!"
Naruto didn't think twice. He leapt forward.
He rubbed his chubby little face hard against Iruka's chūnin vest.
"N-Naruto?" Iruka was a little taken aback. Why was this kid suddenly acting so clingy…? Well, as both his teacher and someone who saw himself as an older brother, Iruka didn't actually dislike it.
After that, Naruto very formally introduced Iruka-sensei to Gaara.
"Yashamaru…?"
The two men looked nothing alike, and their auras were completely different. Yet Gaara still saw Yashamaru's shadow in Iruka.
"Hm?" Iruka smiled politely. "That's great, Naruto. You've made friends from another village? Be sure to get along well from now on."
Naruto flashed a huge, sunny grin. "Of course!"
Then Iruka acted on impulse. "Alright! Tonight's on me—ramen! Your Hidden Sand friends should come too and try Konoha's best Ichiraku!"
"Ahhh! That's so like you, Iruka-sensei."
Watching their interaction, Gaara was reminded of his own childhood with Yashamaru.
After seeing the future visions and learning that Yashamaru hadn't hated him—that his mother and Yashamaru had actually loved him deeply—the headaches that had plagued Gaara for so long finally eased. It felt as though the endless night had finally welcomed the rising sun.
"…Thank you."
Gaara's sudden words made everyone—especially the Sand ninja—tense up.
Naruto reacted quickly. "No need to thank us! Iruka-sensei's just really awesome!"
…
Suddenly, a ninja burst in, shouting, "Hey! You guys, come out here! That thing appeared again!!"
"Huh???" Naruto blinked. "Appeared? What thing?"
"That vision! There's a new vision again!!!"
Wasn't this happening way too often?! What was going on?!
Were they even going to be allowed to properly finish the Chunin Exams? Watching vision after vision didn't make them stronger, and it definitely didn't fill their stomachs like ramen did.
Several groups, grumbling in annoyance, left the Central Tower and headed to the place where they'd previously watched the 'The Shinobi Alliance vs. The Reanimated Kage'
[Tap. Tap. Tap.Two pairs of ninja boots climbed the stairs.]
There had been a slight delay—this was Neji's team, just arriving at the Central Tower.
Neji said calmly, "Judging by the boots… they're Konoha ANBU. But they're smaller than an adult's. Likely teenagers, not much older than us."
As expected of a genius recognizing another genius—soon enough, the image revealed a once-renowned prodigy of Konoha.
["Since you've joined ANBU, you can't avoid this mission anymore."A voice Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura knew all too well.]
"Kakashi?!""Kakashi-sensei?" "Kakashi-sensei?!"
Shikamaru sighed. "Tch… what a drag. Not just the future—now we've got visions from the past too?"
Naruto scratched his head. "What do you mean, dattebayo?"
"Idiot. Look closely. That's at least seven or eight years ago—probably from when even your jōnin sensei wasn't an adult yet."
"Oh… you're right—"
[Kakashi in the vision looked younger than he does now, dressed in an ANBU uniform. More importantly, his demeanor was completely different—serious, cold, and every bit an elite.]
"Hahahaha!" Naruto laughed so hard he sat down. "No way! That's Kakashi-sensei? Someone must've used the Transformation Jutsu!"
[The image shifted behind Kakashi, revealing a black-haired young ninja.]
In an instant, the atmosphere around Uchiha Sasuke changed.
Darkness. Rage.
"Uchiha… Itachi!!!"
Naruto stopped laughing immediately. He and Sakura stared at the ANBU boy in the vision, who looked about the same age as them.
This was Sasuke's older brother—Uchiha Itachi?
The legendary murderer who slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan in a single night and became a Konoha S-rank missing-nin?!
He looked completely ordinary. If anything, he even seemed gentle and quiet.
At the very least… not as obnoxiously smug as that idiot Sasuke.
…
Inside, Sasuke was seething.
That bastard Kakashi—he never told him that Itachi had once worked alongside him in ANBU!
No. He needed answers. He was going to confront Kakashi himself!
"Naruto!" "Sasuke-kun!!"
Sasuke turned to leave the training ground, intent on finding Kakashi face to face—but sand blocked his path.
"Wait, Uchiha Sasuke…"
Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Are you trying to stop me too?!"
Gaara crossed his arms. "I suggest you watch the rest of the vision."Whatever this vision was to others, Gaara felt nothing but gratitude toward it. It had allowed him to learn the truth sooner.
It had also allowed him to truly acknowledge Uzumaki Naruto—and make a friend.
Someday, he would walk out of hell too. Just like Naruto.
[In the vision, the young Uchiha Itachi asked Kakashi, "What kind of mission will we be doing here?"]
Hearing his brother's voice after so many years, Sasuke stiffly turned his head back toward the screen.
But what came next—
Left both Uchiha Sasuke and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto unsure how to face themselves… or each other.
[Kakashi said, "Six years ago, when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, the higher-ups suspected the Uchiha clan was behind it."]
"!!!"
The Nine-Tails… the Uchiha clan…?
Why?
["From that point on, ANBU missions added a new directive—24-hour, round-the-clock surveillance of the entire Uchiha clan."]
Sasuke: "!!! Surveillance on the Uchiha?!"
[The vision shifted to memories of those who had lived through the Nine-Tails incident.]
[Once again, a full moon.A massive tailed beast descended upon Konoha.]
[Crimson fur. Blood-red eyes. Chakra seething with hatred.]
[The beast roared through Konoha as civilians fled in panic under the guidance of ninja.]
[Its Nine tails lashed out—one flick could shatter mountains and raise tsunamis.]
This was the first time Naruto and the rest of his generation had seen the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha with their own eyes—not just hearing it from others.
The Nine-Tails' true power made even the newest genin tremble.
Gaara, long tormented by Shukaku the One-Tail, instantly understood what the Nine-Tails truly was. He looked at Naruto.
"Naruto…"
For once, Naruto didn't meet anyone's gaze. Like a coward, he couldn't even look at the vision—let alone at the others.
He was afraid they'd find out.
That he… was the monster fox.
Standing beside him, Umino Iruka immediately understood. He reached out and pressed a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"You have only one identity—my acknowledged student, Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha!"
Sasuke and Shikamaru snapped their heads toward Naruto and Iruka.
The Nine-Tails! A tailed beast! A jinchūriki!
All their questions suddenly connected into a single answer!
What had Naruto… been carrying all this time?!
[The vision returned to thirteen years ago. A still-young Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, donned his battle armor, preparing to face the Nine-Tails.]
[A gloomy-looking man appeared—his right eye wrapped in bandages, an old shuriken-shaped scar on his chin. He was Shimura Danzō, a contemporary of the Third Hokage and one of the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's students.]
["The Konoha Military Force should be assigned to protect non-combatants and await orders in the rear."]
Watching the vision as well, Senju Tobirama fell silent.…Of course he was involved.
[Hiruzen frowned in confusion. "The Uchiha clan's dōjutsu can be used to suppress the Nine-Tails!"]
[Danzō objected. "But the Sharingan can also control the Nine-Tails, can't it?! Don't forget—it was Uchiha Madara who once brought that monster to Konoha! If another Madara were to appear among the Uchiha and seize the Nine-Tails for himself, what then?!"]
Just a few lines—
Yet the information they contained was overwhelming.
Tobirama's expression changed. "This is bad! An ANBU's coming out!"
As if responding to the Second Hokage's words, ANBU immediately appeared beside the Third Hokage, kneeling in the standard posture to await orders—