After Gaara and the others completely disappeared around the corner on the other side of the street.
Naruto turned around, looked at the three timid little kids behind him, smiled gently, and said softly.
"There will likely be many Ninja from other villages in the village lately, so you kids need to be careful!"
To reiterate, the Third Hokage never actually did anything to harm Naruto.
Third Hokage doesn't mean he'd hold a grudge against a child like Konohamaru. While Naruto may harbor some darkness within him, it wasn't to that extent; it was just a casual act of kindness. Besides, in the original story, Konohamaru is fairly a 'shonen manga' protagonist, so there's nothing wrong with elaborating a bit more.
And that was right after the words were spoken.
Before Konohamaru and the others could say anything...
Naruto waved slightly in acknowledgment, then his figure blurred as he used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the spot. Now that the Chunin Ninja Exams were confirmed to be about to begin, Naruto needed to speed up his planning.
After Naruto left.
Konohamaru seemed to wake from a dream, a look of annoyance appearing on his wrinkled little face.
"If we meet again next time, I'll definitely make you my older brother!"
Konohamaru witnessed the true power of Ninja for the first time.
She truly considers Naruto her idol.
Meanwhile, during the brief encounter between Naruto and the Sand Ninja trio...
On the other side.
Inside the Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage was in another, larger office.
At this moment Ninja, over a hundred Ninja have gathered, including Jonin and Chunin. Without exception, apart from the teachers of the Ninja Academy and the Ninja specially summoned by the Third Hokage to be in charge of the corresponding sections of the Chunin Ninja Exams, all the rest are currently the Ninja from Konoha who lead Genin teams.
Among them, the three Jonin in charge of Naruto's team, Shikamaru's team, and Hinata's team— Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi— were also listed, and even placed in the very front row.
Umino Iruka is a full-time teacher at the Ninja Academy.
He also appeared at this meeting.
"You all know why we've summoned you, right? This year's Chunin Exams have been decided to be held in our Konoha. Ninja from various villages have already arrived one after another, and the latest Ninja will arrive in the next day or two. Today, Konoha is also here to confirm the candidates for the Chunin Ninja Exams. In principle, Genin who has completed eight or more missions is eligible to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams. However, generally speaking, it's most suitable for genin who have completed more than double the number of missions and have been Ninja Genin more than a year to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams. The other teams should be fine, but for the teams that became Genin this year, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, do any of your teams need to recommend Genin?"
At the head of the table.
In the huge conference room.
The only one qualified to sit upright, the Third Hokage, spoke slowly, his pipe dangling from his lips.
Although the Third Hokage could probably guess that among the teams that graduated and became Ninja this year, only Team 7, Team 8, and Team 10 would participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams, firstly because the Third Hokage had some time to learn about the mission records of these three teams, and secondly because the Third Hokage was very familiar with the personalities and styles of the Jonin who were in charge of these teams.
The other teams, of course, are left out.
But that was only the Third Hokage.
Of the majority of the Ninja present.
They all believed that these Jonin their teams wouldn't recommend their squads to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams, since it had only been two months since the graduation exams. To expect them to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams now would be going too far.
Iruka, who was sitting in the back row, thought so too.
Even though Iruka knew beforehand that each of the three teams had completed a C-rank mission, and Naruto's team had even completed a B-rank escort mission ( Iruka didn't know about this A-rank mission yet, since Naruto had only been back for a few days).
But from Iruka's perspective...
That should all be thanks to the Jonin instructors.
The nine Genin were all just there for show.
Even after witnessing Naruto's ability to kill Mizuki, whose current strength was definitely above his own, Iruka, as a teacher, or perhaps a bit too protective, still somewhat 'arbitrarily' believed that Naruto and the others were still just children, and that participating in Sasuke Naruto Chunin Ninja Exams was too early for them!
And it was almost at the moment that a similar thought flashed through Iruka's mind.
Above the head of the table.
" Team 7, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, in the name of me, Hatake Kakashi, a Jonin, I recommend these three to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams!"
" Team 8, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, in Jonin name of me, Kurenai Yuhi, I recommend these three to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams!"
" Team 10, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka, in the name of me, Asuma Sarutobi, Jonin, I recommend these three to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams!"
Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma, the three Jonin, directly recommended three newly promoted Genin from their respective teams to participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams.
"Huh? All three of them recommended it?"
"No way, he's only been Genin for two months?"
"Wasn't this a bit too forceful?"
"Isn't this a bit illogical?"
The remaining Konoha Ninja in the rear all looked surprised and began to whisper among themselves.
Iruka's expression changed drastically.
This is completely different from what he had envisioned!
Should we just have Naruto and the other nine newly graduated Genin take the Chunin Ninja Exams?
"Please wait a moment! Forgive my rudeness, Lord Hokage, but I believe that the nine Genin, including Naruto Uzumaki, recommended by the three Jonin are completely unsuitable to participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams. Just two months ago, they were only students at the Ninja Academy. Even if they have completed the required number of missions, they are still just children. I think it would be more appropriate for them to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams!"
Although I knew this was the occasion.
I am neither suitable nor qualified to speak.
But this involves the lives of Naruto and the other eight Genin.
How many Genin have died in the Chunin Ninja Exams in previous years?
Iruka wasn't saying that Naruto and the others should never participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams; if that were the case, they might as well not become Ninja at all, since the risks of missions are just as high. Iruka simply thought that Naruto and the others were taking the Chunin Ninja Exams too early.
Out of a deep sense of responsibility.
Iruka, still daring to speak up, hoped the Third Hokage would refuse the recommendations of the three Jonin.
The eligibility of nine genin (Genin ninja) for the competition has been revoked.