Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

A few days later.

At the Hokage Building in Konoha, Kakashi pushed open the door and walked in, only to find the room unusually crowded.

"Huh? So many people?" he muttered, surprised to see that in addition to himself, other Jōnin—including Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and several others—were also present.

Seated at the head of the room, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, took a slow puff from his pipe before speaking.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get down to business. I've gathered you all today to discuss the upcoming Chūnin Selection Exam."

"The Chūnin Exam?"

The room stirred slightly. Konoha hadn't hosted one in several years.

Hiruzen nodded. "This time, the exam will be held in collaboration with Sunagakure. It's a matter of Konoha's prestige, so we must take it seriously."

He exhaled a plume of smoke before shifting his gaze to Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma.

"In addition to the Genin who were already eligible, are there any new candidates you believe are ready to participate?"

Kakashi responded without hesitation. "Hokage-sama, all three members of Team 7 can participate."

"The same goes for Team 8," Kurenai added, her crimson eyes gleaming.

"Of course, Team 10 is in as well," Asuma chimed in with a nod.

A look of surprise crossed Iruka Umino's face. He hadn't expected the nine Genin who had only recently graduated to be thrown into the Chūnin Exam so soon.

"Wait a moment, Hokage-sama," Iruka spoke up quickly. "Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai… these nine Genin were all my students. They may have done well in the Academy, but isn't it too soon for them to take the Chūnin Exam? Shouldn't they gain more experience first?"

His concern was valid. The Chūnin Exams had seen casualties in the past. And with the involvement of another village, the dangers could be even greater.

"Iruka," Kakashi said calmly, "they may have been your students once, but they are my subordinates now."

"If they want to become true shinobi, they can't always be shielded from danger." His tone was firm. "Besides… I became a Chūnin six years younger than Naruto and the others."

Iruka frowned. "But you were a genius! This is different."

"Genius?" Kakashi scratched his head, his mind drifting to Sasuke.

"If you knew the level of talent in this group, you'd be shocked," he said. "For Sasuke, this Chūnin Exam will be too easy."

He had little doubt that very few people in this room could confidently claim to surpass Sasuke's strength.

"Enough," Hiruzen decided. "Since Kakashi has confidence in them, it's settled. Prepare accordingly for the Chūnin Exam."

---

"Ahhh, Kakashi-sensei told us to meet up… what's going on now?"

Naruto stretched his arms lazily as he walked down the streets of Konoha, alongside Sakura.

Sakura sighed. "Honestly, Sasuke is starting to act just like Kakashi-sensei… always making us wait."

"Maybe it's an important mission?" Naruto speculated excitedly.

Before they could continue, Naruto suddenly felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Konohamaru again?" he muttered, shaking his head just as the little boy jumped out in front of him.

"Naruto-nii! Fight me!" Konohamaru declared confidently.

Naruto grinned. "Alright, Konohamaru! I'll show you my new jutsu!"

"Oh? A new jutsu?" Konohamaru's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yep! Watch closely—Harem Tech—!"

WHACK!

Before Naruto could finish, Sakura's fist came crashing down on his head.

"Idiot! Don't use your stupid jutsu in front of kids!"

Konohamaru flinched, staring at Sakura in horror.

"So… so scary!" he stammered. "Big forehead and violent fists…"

"What did you say?!" Sakura clenched her fist, her aura turning ominous.

Konohamaru panicked and ran off—only to collide with someone.

A rough hand grabbed his collar and lifted him off the ground.

"Hey, brat, watch where you're going," a deep voice grumbled.

The speaker was a tall young man dressed in black, carrying a puppet on his back, with purple face paint marking his features—Kankuro of the Sand.

"Hey, you big black pig! Put him down!" Naruto shouted, rushing forward.

Kankuro sneered, his fingers twitching slightly.

Naruto's body stiffened, then collapsed to the ground as if an invisible force had bound him.

"Wha—what the hell?!" Naruto struggled, but his limbs refused to move.

Kankuro grinned. "What a weakling. Are all Konoha ninjas this pathetic?"

"Kankuro, don't overdo it," a voice interrupted.

A blonde girl carrying a giant iron fan stepped forward—Temari.

"Don't forget why we're here in Konoha," she reminded him.

THWACK!

A small pebble suddenly struck Kankuro's hand, forcing him to release Konohamaru.

"What the—?!"

Temari and Kankuro turned to the source of the attack.

At the end of the street, Sasuke stood casually, tossing a second pebble in his hand.

"The way you Sand shinobi act, it's like you own this village," Sasuke said, his tone ice-cold.

"Sasuke!" Sakura sighed in relief.

"Huh? Not bad," Temari murmured, sizing Sasuke up with an interested smile.

"Damn it," Kankuro growled. "Another punk to deal with!"

Sasuke ignored him, his sharp eyes glancing to the side.

"You might want to hold back. Otherwise, things could get messy."

Kankuro frowned, confused.

Then, a chilling voice came from the wall beside them.

"Kankuro, stop embarrassing us."

A red-haired boy stood there, arms crossed, his expression unreadable—Gaara.

Cold sweat formed on Kankuro's forehead. "G-Gaara?! No, listen, it's not what it looks like—these guys started it—"

"Shut up," Gaara said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Kankuro immediately went silent.

Gaara turned to Sasuke, his piercing gaze lingering on him for a moment before finally speaking.

"Apologies for my teammate's behavior," he said in an eerily calm tone. "Let's go."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, with Kankuro and Temari quickly following behind him.

Naruto, still lying on the ground, exhaled. "What… was that guy's deal?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

---

(A/N: Advance Chapters Are Available On My Patreon... Please Think Of Joining It)