Hokage : My Nine tails are getting more and more

Naruto observed the surge of power coursing through him and gave a satisfied nod.

"This strength... it's impressive," he thought.

Nearby, Kurama was originally planning to watch the situation unfold with detached amusement, but his shock became evident as the events progressed.

The other two manifestations of the Nine-Tails sat on Kurama's shoulders, their expressions equally stunned.

The three of them stared at Naruto in disbelief.

"Naruto, how is this even possible?" Kurama asked, his voice filled with astonishment. "How are you not affected by malevolent thoughts?"

Naruto turned to Kurama with a calm demeanor. "Kurama, you once said that to avoid being influenced by evil, one must understand their true self. You mentioned the True Falls as a way to achieve this."

He paused, then continued, "But if I simply live in harmony with my heart's desires, do I really need to visit the True Falls?"

Kurama was rendered speechless. "You mean to say... living true to yourself is enough?"

Naruto shrugged lightly. "That's exactly it."

Kurama couldn't help but be skeptical. "Still, Naruto, your childhood was filled with rejection by the villagers. How is it possible that you harbor no hatred? This... isn't normal!"

Naruto chuckled lightly. "Of course, it's not normal. But there's a simple reason for that."

He paused and added, "Kurama, I recall Sarutobi Hiruzen once striking you with a ninja tool. Tell me, do you hate ninja tools or do you hate Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

Kurama was taken aback and remained silent.

"That's not a fair comparison," Kurama eventually argued. "A ninja tool lacks life, but the villagers who rejected you are living beings with intent."

Naruto shook his head. "It's no different to me. I've decided to hold the real culprits accountable—Danzo and his ilk."

Kurama fell silent again, an uneasy realization dawning upon him.

"This Naruto," Kurama thought, "he's far too rational. It's unsettling."

---

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who had planted the Cursed Seal on Sasuke, witnessed the clash between Naruto and Shukaku.

From that moment, Orochimaru realized the futility of executing the Konoha Crush plan.

"Konoha now has a combat force equivalent to a super Kage-level ninja," he thought grimly.

Believing Naruto to be thoroughly indoctrinated with the Will of Fire, Orochimaru concluded that Naruto would undoubtedly protect the Third Hokage at all costs.

Thus, Orochimaru abandoned the Konoha Crush plan altogether.

Sasuke, meanwhile, remained in Konoha under Naruto's watchful eye. To Orochimaru's dismay, the Cursed Seal he had left on Sasuke had been neutralized by an unknown power.

Refusing to give up, Orochimaru began scheming to lure Sasuke away with promises of power and access to his body's potential. However, this plan, too, seemed doomed to failure.

Undeterred, Orochimaru turned his attention to another Uchiha—Uchiha Itachi.

---

In the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert, two figures, Itachi and Kisame, stood quietly.

Suddenly, Orochimaru emerged from the horizon, a sly smile on his face.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise," Kisame remarked, gripping Samehada tightly. "An old acquaintance has shown up uninvited."

Orochimaru ignored Kisame, his snake-like eyes locking onto Itachi.

"Do you truly believe your plan will succeed?" Orochimaru asked Itachi directly.

Itachi's gaze remained cold and impassive. "What are you talking about?"

Orochimaru chuckled knowingly. "You're aware, aren't you, Itachi? The so-called leader of the Akatsuki is not the one wielding the Rinnegan."

Itachi didn't respond, but Orochimaru's words struck a chord.

Kisame, sensing the shift in atmosphere, grew more serious.

Orochimaru pressed on. "I know your plan, Itachi. However, there exists a force even greater than the Rinnegan—one that threatens everything you've worked for."

"What's your point?" Itachi asked, his voice icy.

Orochimaru smirked. "Your plan hinges on protecting your brother, Uchiha Sasuke. But if this force isn't dealt with, Sasuke will never stand a chance. He'll be killed and his eyes gouged out."

At the mention of Sasuke, Itachi's gaze darkened, and a dangerous aura began to emanate from him.

Sensing Itachi's growing hostility, Orochimaru quickly interjected, "Relax, Itachi. I'm here to propose a mutually beneficial deal."

Before Kisame could intervene, Itachi cast a powerful genjutsu, rendering him unconscious.

With Kisame out of the way, Itachi turned to Orochimaru and said, "Speak."

Orochimaru wasted no time. "I can restore your body and elevate your power to its peak. All I ask is a small sample of your flesh and blood."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "And what do you intend to do with it?"

Orochimaru smiled slyly. "I'll use it to cultivate perfect Uchiha clones. Nothing more."

---

Meanwhile, the Third Chūnin Exam was about to begin.

Due to Orochimaru abandoning his plans, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was still alive and had severed all ties with Orochimaru.

Rasa dispatched his Anbu to inform Baki of the decision to abandon the operation and made his way to Konoha to oversee the Chūnin Exams personally.

However, an unexpected turn of events unfolded during the exam.

Several participants began voicing their protests loudly.

"Why do we have to compete with this guy?" one yelled.

"This isn't fair! He should be promoted automatically!" another added.

"Yeah! Konoha's trying to kill us by making us face him!"

All their complaints pointed to a single individual standing in their midst—Naruto Uzumaki.

The memory of Naruto defeating Shukaku was fresh in everyone's minds.

And now, the same formidable ninja was standing alongside them in the Chūnin Exam.

"This is ridiculous!" one participant exclaimed.

Faced with such chaos, the examiners turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and Rasa for guidance.

After a brief discussion, the two Kage decided to bypass the formalities and directly promote Naruto to Chūnin.

For Naruto, this decision was a relief. He had no interest in "ninja games" and was eager to move on to more significant matters.

---

As the exam proceedings continued, Naruto roamed the venue, observing the matches with mild interest.

His leisure was interrupted when an Anbu approached him, stating that both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Rasa wished to speak with him.

Intrigued, Naruto followed the Anbu to meet the two Kage.

Before they could address him, Naruto preemptively asked, "Third Hokage-sama, have you ever heard of Uzumaki Setsu?"

------------------------------------------------

Visit our Patreon for more:

patreon.com/Johnwick007