A bright moon hung high in the sky.
On the rooftop of Naruto's old apartment building, the head of a black-robed ninja wearing a cat-patterned mask dangled upside down over the eaves.
Jiraiya lay sprawled on his back, watching Naruto sleep inside.
"Hey."
The ninja had only just heard the voice when Jiraiya grabbed him and hoisted him upside down before he could react.
Holding him by the ankle like a little chick, Jiraiya looked down at him coldly, his dark eyes glinting beneath the moonlight.
"I don't like people watching me sleep. So stay away from me."
With that, he flung the ninja away. The man spun dozens of times in the air before landing awkwardly in a crouch on a telephone pole.
"Lord Jiraiya, as a member of the Anbu, it's my duty to watch Naruto. I have to follow orders."
Jiraiya's wooden sandals struck the rooftop, sending a shockwave through the air. "I don't want to repeat myself."
The Anbu Ninja leaped down into the alley and vanished without a trace.
Jiraiya felt troubled. While they'd been talking, Naruto had told him about his life over the years. Naruto had spoken lightly, but every word was steeped in bitterness.
The son of a hero, a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, struggling to survive under discrimination. Jiraiya had no idea what the men who'd once owed Minato Namikaze their lives were doing.
Konoha felt like a cage.
And the Anbu were the lock that kept it shut.
Looking up at the moon, he murmured, "Naruto, are you waiting to break out of that cage?"
Jiraiya knew that although Naruto was living peacefully for now, the moment he tried to escape Konoha's cage, he would face the absolute malice of the entire village.
Dawn.
Upstream of a waterfall, Naruto walked across the water while Jiraiya stood motionless in the rushing current.
"Naruto, attack me with the ninjutsu you're most confident in."
Naruto immediately coated his hand in sword energy and charged across the water, thrusting a Hell Sword straight at Jiraiya's chest.
Jiraiya's pupils contracted. His figure flickered as he dodged Naruto's charge. "Ninjutsu?"
Naruto shook his head. "I don't know any offensive ninjutsu. No one ever taught me."
Jiraiya scratched his head. "Hold on. Don't attack yet. Show me that chakra control technique again."
Naruto casually gathered sword energy.
Jiraiya's previously carefree gaze turned serious. "How did you do that?"
Naruto demonstrated the process, from rubbing his cells to releasing the energy.
Jiraiya considered himself well-versed in many subjects, but Naruto's method of control was astonishingly simple.
The closest comparison he could think of was Kushina Uzumaki when she went berserk and underwent Tailed Beast Transformation, using the Nine-Tails Chakra to cloak and strengthen her body.
But Naruto was using his own Chakra, gathering a specific amount in a particular area.
His control was undeniably that of a genius.
"Naruto." Jiraiya laughed happily, delighted by Naruto's talent. "I've decided to teach you the Rasengan, the jutsu Minato spent three years creating!"
A confident smile appeared on Naruto's face, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Go ahead and teach me, old man. I learn incredibly fast. Let's see what you've got—your skill and experience. Don't tell me you'll run out of things to teach me in just two or three days!"
Jiraiya felt a spark of competitiveness ignite within him. "Bring it on! This Sage can teach you for at least a few years!"
Half a month flew by.
It was time for the third stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
The circular, tiered arena, large enough for ten thousand spectators, was packed to capacity.
Beneath the tiled roof with its elaborate brackets, distinguished guests sat in their finery, crowns on their heads.
The daimyo arrived in ornate carriages guarded by rows of warriors. They alighted and climbed into sedan chairs, then surveyed the grounds as ninjas escorted them inside.
The last guest to make a grand entrance was the Kazekage of Sunagakure, dressed in a blue-and-white robe and wearing a "Wind" hat, his face hidden behind a white veil.
The Kazekage met with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, on the arena's uppermost floor. They took the only two adjacent chairs and looked down at the thousands of spectators.
Drums and gongs thundered as the lively crowd celebrated as if attending a grand festival. The daimyo held booklets listing the competitors and placed bets at the public betting counter, while privately wagering with their friends.
As a Konoha competitor, Naruto stood in the center of the arena, which had been arranged to resemble a natural setting with trees and hard-packed earth.
Hinata stood close beside him, hunched over with her head lowered, terribly nervous.
She knew she'd only advanced because she'd been lucky enough to face Haruno Sakura. Her next opponent was Dosu, the bandage-wrapped hunchback and strongest ninja from Otogakure. She wasn't confident she could beat him.
She glanced at Naruto, but he wasn't looking at her. He was scanning the daimyo, as though trying to memorize their faces.
Gekko Hayate was still the proctor. After the opening ceremony, everyone except Temari and Shikamaru, who were competing in the first match, returned to the competitors' seats through the passageway.
Yakushi Kabuto was being very friendly, chatting nonstop. Whenever he saw Sasuke, he sighed and said, "What rotten luck, running into a genius from the Uchiha Clan. Looks like I'll have to prepare for my eighth exam next year."
Sasuke didn't care either way. He only had eyes for powerful opponents. He didn't look down on typical failures like Kabuto, but beating one wouldn't give him anything to be proud of.
But Naruto sensed something was wrong.
After training under Jiraiya's guidance and learning about the Kekkei Genkai of the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto's talent for sensing emotions had become more distinct.
He'd grown increasingly sensitive to people's feelings.
Hypocrisy. Beneath Kabuto's sincerity lurked overwhelming hypocrisy, along with deep-seated malice.
The same went for Kankuro and Temari from the three-person team from Sunagakure.
Naruto went to the railing overlooking the arena. Temari was wielding her enormous Three-Star Fan as she fought to outwit Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Technique. Her expression was anxious and irritable, utterly unlike the cold arrogance she'd shown before.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke. "Come with me to the bathroom."
Sasuke wanted to refuse, but Naruto's grip was so firm that he silently followed.
The farther Naruto walked from Kabuto, the stronger the feeling of being watched became. It prickled like needles against his back, even giving him a direct sense of danger.
He was certain this wasn't an enemy Sasuke could handle.
After they went around a stairwell corner and were out of sight, Naruto said, "You'll lose. Forfeit."
Sasuke jerked his arm away. "What are you talking about?!"
He'd trained hard with Kakashi for a month and finally mastered Lightning Release: Chidori. He'd planned to use it to defeat Naruto, and now Naruto was telling him to surrender to an exam veteran who'd failed time and again.
Naruto said firmly, "He's strong. Stronger than anyone who should be in a Genin game like this."
Sasuke still couldn't accept it. "How do you know?"
"Instinct."
Naruto's mind worked on its own, running through one possibility after another until it settled on Orochimaru, who wanted to take Sasuke away and was one of the legendary Sannin, famed alongside Jiraiya.
Sasuke clenched his fists and turned back. "I'm not forfeiting."
An ominous feeling lingered in Naruto's heart, but without concrete proof, he couldn't force Sasuke to believe him.
"I'll show you what I can do." Sasuke's expression was fierce, his resolve even fiercer.
The two returned to the spectators' seats. The first match had ended, with Temari victorious.
Hinata was heading toward the entrance passage. Her small face beneath her mushroom-shaped hair still had a hint of baby fat, but her gaze was unusually determined.
Naruto and Hinata met eyes, then passed each other.
Hinata tried her best and lost. When she returned, the crowd jeered, but her face was relaxed.
She'd proven with her own performance that no matter how hard she worked, she had no talent for fighting. Rather than wear herself down, she could look for a different path.
"Naruto was right. Fighting just isn't where my talent lies."
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