Konoha Village.
Kyoko's Barbecue Restaurant.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle~
At a long table, over a dozen young ninja dressed in their standard uniforms were gathered on either side. On the tabletop, plates piled high with various cuts of meat were continuously being placed onto the sizzling grill, the sound of rendering fat and cooking meat filling the air.
"Sigh! Teacher Kyoko, when on earth is Uncle Tatsuya coming back? I haven't seen him in ages!" At one side of the table, Naruto, seated between Hinata and Sasuke, looked up at Kyoko opposite him and let out a frustrated sigh.
The group gathered for this meal was none other than Konoha's "Rookie Nine" plus Team Guy – essentially the Konoha 12. In addition to these twelve, Kyoko and their respective squad leaders were also present. Kyoko had been specially invited by them.
"Yeah! We haven't seen Teacher Asuma in ages either. When is this standoff at the border finally going to end?" The moment Naruto finished speaking, Ino chimed in with her own complaint.
It had now been over a year since the border conflict had erupted. During this past year, although no direct, large-scale war had broken out between Konoha Village, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure, the tense military standoff among the three major powers had persisted. As long as Kumogakure and Iwagakure didn't withdraw their forces, Konoha naturally didn't dare to easily pull back its own troops. And so, the three great hidden villages remained locked in this costly stalemate.
This prolonged standoff had severely impacted the normal functioning of Konoha Village. Due to a large number of ninja being deployed to the front lines, the quantity and quality of missions completed by the village had noticeably declined. During this period, the four squads comprising the Konoha 12 had all received a significant amount of mission experience, being pushed to their limits.
However, because the situation at the front lines remained tense, both Kakashi and Asuma had been recalled for duty there. As a result, the leadership of Team Seven and Team Ten had changed. Yamato was temporarily leading Team Seven, and Mitarashi Anko was temporarily leading Team Ten.
For this reason, hearing Ino's complaint, Mitarashi Anko immediately spoke up, a hint of displeasure in her voice, "Hey, hey, hey! Ino, what's wrong with me leading you guys, huh? My current strength is even greater than Asuma's!"
Looking at Mitarashi Anko, who was holding her head high with a touch of playful arrogance, Ino stuck out her tongue slightly but didn't say anything further. Beside Ino, Choji, who had been happily devouring his food, paused his actions for a moment, while Shikamaru's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. The three of them couldn't help but silently roast their temporary sensei in their minds. Teacher Anko, you really don't have much self-awareness, do you? Mitarashi Anko's strength was indeed considerable, but her leadership abilities were far inferior to Asuma's. During missions, Anko, who was prone to getting carried away, had on several occasions abandoned them to single-handedly pursue enemies, leaving them to fend for themselves. If not for Nara Shikamaru's quick thinking and Choji's surprisingly formidable strength, the three young rookies might have ended up buried somewhere long ago.
Beside Mitarashi Anko, Yuhi Kurenai, watching this scene, couldn't help but smile faintly. After thinking for a moment, Kurenai said, "The Chunin Exams are about to begin soon. Are all of you planning to sign up?"
Hearing Kurenai's question, everyone in the room paused their actions. Even Guy and Rock Lee, who had been engrossed in their food, stopped eating.
Naruto was the first to speak, raising his hand with a proud expression. "All members of our Team Seven will be participating!" Sasuke and Sakura didn't say anything, but the determined expressions on their faces confirmed Naruto's statement.
Neji Hyuga was the second to speak. "Our Team Three has also registered."
Kiba Inuzuka, seeing this, quickly chimed in, "Our Team Eight will also be participating!"
After these three had spoken, everyone's gaze shifted to Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. Shikamaru pursed his lips and let out a soft "Tch!" of resignation. Ino smiled sweetly and said, "Of course, we'll be participating too!"
After Ino finished speaking, Kiba Inuzuka immediately pumped his fists together, his expression animated. "That's great! Our entire year will be participating! Just thinking about it is so exciting!"
Naruto stood up, placed his hands on his hips, and declared boisterously, "Haha! Don't you worry, everyone! I'll go easy on all of you!"
"Damn it, Naruto! Don't be so arrogant!" Naruto's words quickly drew the collective ire of the others.
At the table, Kyoko silently watched the group's playful bickering, a sweet smile on her face. But deep within her eyes, an undeniable trace of longing surfaced. Tatsuya-kun… it had been over a year since he last returned.
Hokage's Office.
"Lady Hokage, Team Seven and Team Eight have all registered for the upcoming Chunin Exams. Should we remove Naruto, Sasuke, and Choji from the list?" Nara Shikaku reported to Tsunade, holding a list in his hand.
Tsunade frowned upon hearing this. "Why remove them?"
Nara Shikaku smiled wryly. "Lady Hokage, with the strength of those three, they are already more than qualified for promotion to Special Jonin right now. Letting them participate in the Chunin Exams… I'm afraid it will cause dissatisfaction among the other participating villages."
After listening, Tsunade directly waved her hand, rejecting Shikaku's suggestion. "Pay no mind to that! In Konoha, those three are still officially Genin. There's no need for special treatment. What's more, this is also a rare opportunity to showcase our village's strength to the outside world."
"But… Sunagakure and Kirigakure are currently parties we are trying our best to win over," Nara Shikaku continued to persuade. "If things get too ugly during the Chunin Exams because of them, it might negatively impact these diplomatic efforts."
Tsunade tapped her long fingers lightly on the desktop, pondering for a moment. "In that case, during the Chunin Exams, you will pay close attention to arranging the match-ups. Just ensure that Team Seven and Team Eight are not pitted against participants from those villages."
"Yes, my lady," Nara Shikaku replied with a nod. After speaking, he immediately turned to leave the Hokage's office.
"Shikaku," Tsunade called out, stopping him.
"Lady Hokage?" Nara Shikaku paused and turned back, looking at Tsunade with a questioning expression.
"For this Chunin Exam," Tsunade said, her expression turning grave, "we must make thorough preparations. According to intelligence reports from our covert operatives, it seems Akatsuki has started to make moves again. Their target is very likely Naruto."
"Lady Hokage, please rest assured. I will make all the necessary arrangements," Nara Shikaku replied solemnly, accepting the grave responsibility.
After Nara Shikaku left, Tsunade remained seated, her expression still deeply serious. After thinking for a moment, she picked up an intelligence report from the pile of documents on her desk and reread it carefully. This was a report that the ANBU had just relayed back from Kumogakure.
After finishing, Tsunade stood up, walked over to the window behind her desk, and gazed silently out at Konoha Village. Under the night sky, countless lights twinkled like scattered stars throughout the village, creating an image of peace and tranquility.
And on the desk behind Tsunade, the intelligence report she had just been reading lay open. A short message was recorded on it:
Five days ago, Akatsuki launched a two-pronged surprise attack on Kumogakure and the Unraikyo under the cover of rain. Not only did they cause significant casualties within Kumogakure, but the village's Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails is also missing.