They Are Still Young

Hearing the word "worm," Sasuke's curiosity intensified, but this was clearly not the place to talk. After a quick tidy-up of the area Naruto had damaged during the fight, and apologizing to the surrounding residents, they quickly left the scene of trouble.

When they returned to Sasuke's house, Nanfeng explained Gaara's situation to them.

"He's the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure. These guys clearly have big plans by sending their Jinchuriki here this time. In short, be careful when facing him..." Nanfeng warned.

"But isn't the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure the One-Tail? Naruto has the Nine-Tails sealed within him. With such a difference in the number of tails, shouldn't beating Gaara be a piece of cake?" Sasuke frowned, then asked the question that concerned him most.

"Each Tailed Beast has its own unique abilities. Simply judging by the number of tails isn't a very suitable approach. Although... it does represent a certain level of strength, they are all in a sealed state. Naruto's state is the Reaper Death Seal, which is relatively complete. Although a lot of Chakra leaks from the Nine-Tails, it can still be suppressed..."

"However, Sunagakure's Jinchuriki seal is very incomplete. Their seals are even flawed. In this state, Gaara is more severely affected by Shukaku. I don't know if you noticed, but his dark circles are unusually heavy," Nanfeng said, shaking his head.

"If you hadn't said anything, I would have thought he was wearing makeup. I was even wondering if Sunagakure's visual kei fashion was quite good!" Sasuke said with some surprise.

But it wasn't his fault. Anyone who saw Gaara for the first time would think he was wearing heavy smoky eye makeup, given how his dark circles went beyond the scope of a normal human.

"This is what happens when the seal is incomplete. He can't fall asleep, or rather, if he falls asleep, Shukaku will be fully released. He hasn't slept a wink since he became a Jinchuriki. You all know how your temper gets inexplicably worse when you don't get enough rest after staying up late. Not to mention, he hasn't slept at all, and there's the influence of Shukaku's Chakra. With all these factors combined, his danger level is definitely the highest among this batch of candidates."

Nanfeng quickly explained everything to Naruto and Sasuke, making them even more worried about the upcoming exams.

"But are you really sure we're qualified to participate in the Chunin Exam?" Naruto couldn't help but feel a little anxious, thinking that Kakashi still hadn't notified them.

Normally, the Jonin leader would inform them about such things, but with the exam so close and no news received, it was quite disheartening.

"Don't worry. The abilities we showed in our previous battles are enough for us to become Chunin, and participating in the Chunin Exam is a sure thing. Besides, the Chunin Exam is such a grand event, there will definitely be a lot of things happening. Just wait patiently!" Nanfeng said, then closed his eyes.

The few days of rest had greatly relaxed his mind. Taking advantage of this relaxed state, Nanfeng had his Shadow Clones diligently study knowledge related to Space Ninjutsu.

After all, the Shadow Clones' experiences would eventually return to Nanfeng's main body, so it was all the same!

This was a part of the main body's consciousness. If the Shadow Clones could resist, Nanfeng would probably be the first ninja to be blacklisted by his Shadow Clones, which was quite remarkable.

In Konoha, within the Hokage Office, a scene like today was rarely seen. All of Konoha's Jonin leaders were present in the Hokage Office, and even some individuals who were usually never seen were there. They wore expressions of slight seriousness, quietly awaiting the Hokage's next command.

"Is that so? The ninjas from other villages have already arrived, then the assessment we prepared should begin." The Hokage put down his pipe after hearing the notification from the Anbu. As for Konohamaru, he had been sent home by the Anbu ninjas before entering the Hokage Office.

This was not something a child like him could participate in.

"Is it finally going to start? Although it hasn't been long since the last exam, the feeling back then was really good..." The person who said this was Anko Mitarashi, but her frantic remarks were clearly not paid much attention to by many.

After all, she was known as the second most scatterbrained ninja after Naruto, often causing trouble because her thoughts were not on the same wavelength as others.

"Anko, please be a little quieter. Lord Hokage hasn't given the order yet!" Kurenai Yuhi spoke up. The two of them were good friends and both very attractive, making them a unique sight in the office.

"It will probably be the same as before. So, all Jonin leaders of Konoha Genin, do you have any recommended Genin lists for the Chunin Exam?" The Hokage waved his hand, looking at the sea of Jonin below.

"Team 7, Hatake Kakashi's team, all members participate."

"Might Guy's team, all members participate!"

As Kakashi's rival, Might Guy naturally followed suit.

Then Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi exchanged glances and simultaneously nominated their Genin teams. In a back-and-forth manner, almost all the Genin ended up participating in this Chunin Exam.

"Lord Hokage, I have some questions. I think these children are still too young to become Chunin. They should gain more experience, especially the students who just graduated this year. Their experience..." Iruka rushed in, presumptuously speaking to the Hokage before him.

"Iruka, this is a Jonin meeting. You are only a Chunin and have no right to participate!" Ibiki Morino frowned, looking at Iruka pleading in the Hokage Office.

"It's alright, Iruka is just worried about these children. However, why don't you ask their Jonin leaders?" the Hokage asked with a smile.

"Teacher Iruka, I hope you understand one thing. Although it is not a time of war, since they have graduated from the Ninja Academy, it means they have become qualified ninjas. I don't know about the other students, but my students have directly clashed with Jonin. I, as their teacher, know their teamwork and combat strength well. Moreover... what level of understanding do you have of them now?" Kakashi spoke.

"I know, I just think they are still young and need a few more years..."