After weighing his options, Naruto decided not to kill Gaara—for now.
Better not to disrupt the Chūnin Exams. He still had a mission to complete.
At the Ninja Academy, the one overseeing registration was none other than Iruka, whom Naruto hadn't seen in a while.
When Iruka looked up and saw who had entered, his eyes widened slightly.
"Naruto? When did you come back to Konoha? Why are you here?"
Naruto shrugged.
"To take the Chūnin Exams, obviously."
Iruka blinked.
"Huh? You're taking the exams? With your strength—"
He paused mid-sentence, having just noticed the Hidden Sound forehead protector on Naruto's arm.
"Naruto... you joined another village?"
Naruto didn't bother explaining.
"Iruka-sensei, just hurry up."
Hearing the impatience in Naruto's voice, Iruka fell silent and processed their registrations.
As Naruto was leaving, Iruka rushed after him and grabbed his arm, his expression unusually serious.
"Naruto… this time, don't hurt the village again. Don't keep making the same mistakes, okay?"
Naruto brushed his hand off, voice turning cold.
"I call you 'sensei' out of respect. That doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do."
The words left Iruka frozen in place.
Naruto didn't look back.
He left with the Sound group trailing behind.
That one sentence revealed everything.
Iruka—just like the rest of the village—stood with the people, never once asking why Naruto had acted as he did. Never once seeing the betrayal, the loneliness, the reason behind it all.
Just another one-sided moral lecture.
Once outside the Academy, Naruto told the Sound group to find their own lodging.
He had other plans.
Time to catch up with the Konoha Nine.
…Well, eight. Sakura excluded.
She would avoid him anyway.
Deep down, she was scared to face him.
That evening, the old Konoha gang gathered at Chōji's family's barbecue place.
Plates stacked high. Meat sizzling.
Naruto sat in the middle—Hinata on his left, Ino on his right.
Across the table were Shikamaru, Chōji, Sasuke, and Kiba.
Ino kept stealing glances at Naruto's profile. He looked even more handsome than before.
His once-boyish features had matured, and those galaxy-like eyes?
They were hypnotic.
"With a face like that, even if we fight, I'd probably end up slapping myself…"
Ino thought helplessly.
Hinata, far less bold, just snuck sideways peeks at Naruto's eyes.
There was something about them…
A strange link to her Byakugan.
And she liked that feeling.
"Naruto, how'd you get so tall in just a few months? Standing next to you makes me look like a kid,"
Shikamaru grumbled, cheek resting on his palm.
Chōji chuckled while handing out grilled meat.
"He's always been taller than us, right?"
"Maaan. Chūnin Exams start tomorrow. What a drag…"
Shikamaru sighed.
His eyes wandered to Naruto's arm.
"That forehead protector… Sound Village, right? From the Land of Rice?"
Everyone turned toward Naruto, waiting for an answer.
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah."
Shikamaru didn't pry further.
He already knew Naruto would never be labeled a rogue ninja—no matter what.
The girls focused on Naruto's mesmerizing eyes.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was dead focused on what kind of power those eyes held.
He stared hard—then suddenly activated his Sharingan.
Twin tomoe spun in his crimson pupils.
With the Sharingan active, Sasuke could see the flow of chakra.
What he saw nearly blinded him.
A storm of chakra, bright as a star exploding at point-blank range.
"Naruto! What the hell are those eyes?!"
"Dunno. Took a nap, woke up like this."
Naruto said casually, chomping down a few more slices of meat.
Sasuke's Sharingan trembled.
"You just… took a nap?"
So the pride of the Uchiha Clan couldn't compare to a nap?
His emotional surge triggered the awakening of a third tomoe.
Shikamaru saw it happen and sighed.
"Sitting at a table with two overpowered freaks like this… not fun at all."
Naruto looked at Chōji.
"By the way, how's the curry pills I ordered last time?"
Chōji's mouth was still packed with meat. He swallowed fast and counted on his fingers.
"Hmm… I think we've got a few thousand stockpiled."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"Naruto, why do you even need that many curry pills? Chōji's parents have been grilling him for months. Nobody buys that stuff."
"I've got plans," Naruto replied.
He handed Chōji a scroll.
"Some jewels inside. See if it's enough. I'll pick up the goods after the exams."
Then he pulled out a shiny pearl necklace—each pearl pristine and glimmering.
He leaned toward Hinata and fastened it around her neck himself.
"Consider this repayment for the 500,000 ryō I borrowed. Looks great on you."
Hinata stared down at the necklace, face burning red.
"If it's for you, Naruto-kun… you didn't have to pay me back."
Even so, she looked really happy.
Ino, sitting nearby, was green with envy.
"Naruto, if you ever need money again, I'm available too~."
Kiba groaned.
"Alright, alright! Why do the barbecue tastes like dog food all of a sudden?! Damn it!"
Akamaru barked twice at the mention of "dog food."
After the meal, a voice called from behind.
"Naruto! Come to my house tonight. I've got something to ask you."
Sasuke said.
Naruto froze.
"…At night? To your house?"
A shiver ran down his spine.
Hard pass.
"Not going."
Sasuke clenched his teeth.
"Then I'll come to your house!"