It's better to be a rebel ninja than to be a Hokage

"Naruto! What are you doing?"

Naruto's appearance should have been a perfect opportunity to help Sasuke and Sakura fight Gaara again.

But Sasuke... intuitively felt that something was wrong.

The way Naruto appeared might be an extremely fast instant body movement technique in the eyes of ordinary people, but under the observation of the Sharingan, Sasuke knew very well that Naruto's chakra was a more direct "creation from nothing in space".

"He kicked the enemy of Sunagakure who invaded Konoha in the stomach and sent her flying."

Naruto recounted his actions, "Attacking the enemy is normal behavior, right?"

Although he answered Sasuke's questions, his attention was always on Gaara who was in "sleep" - or to be more precise, it was the human-sized tailed beast Gaara.

The art of sleeping.

Naruto finally shifted his gaze and looked at Sasuke, whose body was covered with black curse spots.

I never thought that Sasuke could force Gaara into such a desperate situation.

But this is exactly what Naruto wants.

Naruto stretched out a hand and touched Gaara's gravel body, and the red chakra of the Nine-Tails disrupted the concentration of the One-Tails chakra in Gaara's body.

It takes time for Shukaku, the one-tailed beast, to awaken its self-awareness.

Gaara even shed his Sand appearance and returned to his original form.

But he was still under the effect of the sleeping technique, sleeping with his eyes closed.

Naruto used his other hand to form a seal and created four shadow clones.

After the first three shadow clones were created by Naruto, they disappeared in an instant.

Sasuke observed the appearance and disappearance of the shadow clones, and the disappearance of the shadow clones was also "from existence to non-existence in space."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto's hand that was controlling Gaara by contact, and then looked at the fourth shadow clone that was still next to Naruto's body.

"Naruto, you summoned the Shadow Clone... are you guarding against me and Sakura?"

Although Sasuke was unwilling to believe it, his intuition reminded him that Naruto's behavior was a manifestation of treating him and Sakura as enemies.

"Sasuke? Why are you saying that?!"

Sakura didn't have as sharp an intuition as Sasuke, but she still understood the subtle atmosphere between the three members of Team 7 at the moment.

She would subconsciously ask Sasuke for his judgment instead of speaking up to defend Naruto.

Naruto didn't answer.

There was no way that Sasuke could know what Naruto was thinking at this moment.

Several figures suddenly appeared around Class 7, and their positions seemed to indicate that they were going to surround the three members of Class 7.

"ANBU?!"

"Why!?"

Sasuke noticed how these figures were dressed, wearing ANBU vests and animal masks that concealed their appearance.

Why did the Anbu suddenly appear here?

But Sasuke immediately realized that he had guessed the identities of these ninjas wrong.

"The Nine-Tails has been found! The One-Tails Jinchuriki from Sunagakure is here too - and the Uchiha as well!"

One of the masked ninjas looked at Naruto and Gaara, addressing them both as such...as well as Sasuke.

"Set up the barrier first!"

Another masked ninja spoke.

Not the Anbu!

Sasuke felt the hostility released by these masked ninjas. Who are they?

"Your 'roots' are still haunting us."

Naruto was forced to let go of the hand that was touching Gaara.

The next moment, Naruto's real body and shadow clone disappeared from Gaara's side.

"Did he flee the battlefield?"

"No, on the ground!"

All eyes turned to the forest floor, where the disappeared Naruto was standing over the unconscious Temari.

"Don't let him leave!"

The masked ninja, presumably the team leader, gave the order.

"I won't leave, but you don't have time to deal with me now, right?"

Naruto stood still, as if to show that he was a man who practiced what he preached.

"Hey! Something's wrong with the One-Tail's Jinchuriki!"

After Naruto took the initiative to remind him, the ninjas of the "Root" noticed Gaara who had begun to transform into a tailed beast again.

Sasuke, who had the Sharingan, reacted faster. He hurriedly pulled Sakura, who had little chakra, away from Gaara.

Sasuke's judgment was correct and decisive.

The sand and gravel that wrapped around Gaara's body expanded into an extremely huge existence in an instant!

A huge raccoon cat with an extremely long tail appeared in the forest.

The tall trees looked as small as grass in front of this civet cat.

The fully transformed One-Tail appears!

"Hahahahaha! I'm finally out!"

Gaara used the technique of feigning sleep to suppress his own consciousness and fell asleep in place of the One-Tail, and the One-Tail gained a brief period of "freedom".

It let out a high-pitched, piercing laugh, noticing the ninjas in the forest.

"As soon as I come out, someone will kill me! It's really great!"

Roaring like this, One-Tail's belly swelled into a ball, and a large amount of chakra gathered in its belly.

"Wind Escape·Practice Blank Bullets!"

Ichibi gathered the chakra in his stomach in his mouth and spit it out into a powerful wind ball!

Just like Naruto said just now, with the appearance of the One-Tail, the "Root" guys now have no time to deal with Naruto.

……

the other side.

With the help of Flying Thunder God, the two shadow clones of Naruto returned to the residential area of ​​Konoha and reappeared in Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant.

"We are closed today..."

He looked at the two Narutos who looked exactly the same suddenly appearing in front of him.

He really couldn't understand why there were still people coming to eat his own ramen when Konoha was in chaos.

As expected... I have been running Ichiraku Ramen in Konoha for so many years, and my ramen has become one with Konoha!

In the food world, has it become the representative of Konoha?

The shadow clones ignored the fantasies they were typing. They walked out of Ichiraku Ramen and looked towards the Hokage's office not far away.

"Sure enough, there is a barrier here too."

After Naruto was reverse summoned to the Konoha Forest, a barrier that isolated perception also appeared in the Hokage's office.

"It's not a big problem. Just prepare your spiritualism skills according to the plan and wait for the opportunity to seize the Sealed Book. I will be responsible for the retreat route."

Another shadow clone said.

The two shadow clones looked at each other, and the next second, they disappeared in front of the door of Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant.

But this time, their destinations were no longer the same.

……

The duel arena is the venue for the finals of the Konoha Chunin Selection Exam.

"That little brat...is not simple!"

Kakashi helped up the seriously injured Shiranui Genma.

At this moment, Genma Shiranui's body was covered with holes and his life was in danger.

"Lee, Neji, and Tenten! Take Genma to the hospital! This is not a battle you can participate in!"

Standing in front of Kakashi and Genma Shiranui, Gai gave instructions to Team 3.

The three members of Team 3 took Genma Shiranui from Kakashi and escorted him to the hospital for emergency treatment.

"That's a bloodline limit, right? Attacking with bones - is it the Kaguya clan of the Land of Water?"

Kai also stared intently at the white-haired boy in front of him who was standing side by side with Maki from Sunagakure.

The jonin's Maki was covered in dust and blood from a fierce battle.

But the boy from the Hyuga clan, who was about fourteen or fifteen years old, was incredibly clean.

"That boy also has the strength of a jonin, and is even stronger than Maki."

Kakashi also came to Guy's side. Maki was the captain of the Sunagakure surprise attack force responsible for attacking Konoha this time. There was no need to question his strength too much.

But the young man from the Hyuga clan is stronger than Maki.

"Compared to this young man, the ninja students we lead are really not good enough."

Kai couldn't help but sigh.

"It's not too late to talk after you praise the enemy. The boy's bloodline limit is very restrained against your physical skills. You take care of Maki, and I will take care of the boy."

Kakashi and Gai divided their respective enemies into groups. He held up his forehead protector and exposed the Sharingan in his left eye.

"please wait a while."

The young man from the Kaguya clan suddenly spoke up. He looked at Kakashi and Gai and suggested in a negotiating tone, "How about we call a truce if possible?"

"Kimimaro, you!"

Not only Kakashi and Gai, but Maki was also surprised by the boy's sudden action.

Young man, Kaguya Kimimaro ignored Maki's anger.

Kimimaro even took the initiative to explain to Kakashi and Kai the reason for the truce: "If you are worried that I will cause greater harm to Konoha in the future, there is no need to worry."

"I won't live to that point. One month, two months, one day or two days - my life has already come to an end. I won't be far from death even without your help."

"Konoha's copy ninja, Sharingan Kakashi and the blue beast, Might Guy - fighting with the two of you will hasten my death, which is very troublesome. Now that Kabuto-sensei has passed away, I am the last pillar of Orochimaru - if I die prematurely at such a critical moment, it will only cause more trouble for Orochimaru."

Kimimaro spoke of his own death, but his tone was eerily calm.

He was not afraid of his own death, but was concerned about Orochimaru's troubles.

"What if we say no?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and looked at Kimimaro. An enemy who was powerful and not afraid of death - and who also had bloodline limits - such enemies were always the most difficult to deal with.

"If you refuse, I will die."

Kimimaro answered.

But he was not showing weakness, but emphasizing his strength.

Black curse spots like thorns spread from Kimimaro's chest.

"Cursed seal!?"

Kakashi knew very well the origin of the marks on Kimimaro's body, and he had been trying to find a way to suppress the curse seal on Sasuke's body for some time.

Then, Kakashi and Gai heard what Kimimaro hadn't finished saying.

"But I can guarantee that I can kill one of you before my physical death."

Kimimaro's words were not just empty talk.

He is not fighting Kakashi and Guy alone, he has Maki by his side.

As long as Kakashi and Gai reveal their weaknesses in the battle, Kimimaro, who is not afraid of death, will definitely give up his own life and kill one of Kakashi or Gai.

"People like you should also understand that death cannot intimidate ninjas."

Kakashi rejected Kimimaro's opinion.

Kimimaro is a very troublesome person, and he is also a subordinate of Orochimaru who attacked Konoha, so he should be dealt with here.

"That's right... Sorry, please forget what I said just now that seemed to be belittling you."

Kimimaro stretched out his hands, and sharp white bones grew from his wrists.

Even though they were enemies with Konoha, he respected Kakashi and Gai so much and apologized for his slip of the tongue.

"Although he is an enemy, he is a good kid..."