Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

Yamanaka Residence, Hidden Leaf Village — Mountain District

"Ino, why are you asking me this?"

Yamanaka Inoichi looked at his daughter, surprised by her serious expression. After a pause, realization dawned on him. His face shifted, and his tone grew stern.

"You're not… thinking about that boy in that way, are you?"

"You're too young to be distracted by this kind of thing! Didn't I already tell you to stay away from Naruto?"

He scolded her a few more times. Seeing the hope fade from Ino's eyes, replaced by disappointment, Inoichi sighed internally. As a father, he considered himself fairly open-minded. He didn't want to control every aspect of his daughter's life.

But when it came to Naruto Uzumaki, the village's Jinchūriki, it wasn't just about parenting. It was politics.

The major clans of Konoha—including the Yamanaka—had been given clear directives from the Hokage: aside from the Sarutobi clan, no one was to get too close to the Jinchūriki.

If Ino were a boy, maybe a simple friendship would be tolerated. But she was a girl. There could be no possibility of a romantic connection.

The Hokage wouldn't allow a marriage alliance between a major clan and the Jinchūriki.

"Don't ask about this again," he said quietly. "Go back to your room and rest."

Ino walked away, confused and upset.

Why doesn't Dad want me to get close to Naruto? Why won't he tell me anything about him?

Could the rumors really be true? Was Naruto the fox demon that attacked the village?

No—that couldn't be. Naruto had protected her from that terrifying creature, not become it.

That thing—that was the demon.

But… why had it been inside Naruto's spiritual world?

There had to be more to the story. Something hidden. Something no one was telling her.

That night, Ino lay in bed, thinking about Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Fox. She didn't even come down when her mother called for dinner. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep with a troubled heart.

The Next Morning – Chunin Exam: Second Stage Gathering Point

When Naruto arrived, the sun was already high overhead. Most of the Genin had assembled, and when he appeared, they instinctively parted to make way.

It wasn't fear—at least not entirely. It was curiosity.

After all, Naruto had accepted four challenges at once: Kiba, Rock Lee, Sasuke, and Gaara. Every Genin there wanted to see what would happen next. It was part amusement… and part reconnaissance.

"This guy's full of himself. Who does he think he is?"

"Maybe he's strong. Confident people usually are."

"Strong or not, the people who challenged him aren't pushovers. The one in green is a little weird, but the others… that blond kid's going to get crushed."

"You're kidding, right? The one with the gourd is the Kazekage's son. The dog-boy is from the Inuzuka clan. And the guy in blue? He's Uchiha Sasuke."

"…Wait, the one people said got assaulted? That Sasuke?"

"Yeah. Still, pretty face or not, what a shame…"

The gossiping trailed off as the challengers approached. Sasuke, in particular, cast a cold glance around the room. Since yesterday, he'd heard those strange rumors—people whispering about being "violated." None of it made sense, and he chose to ignore it.

He had only one goal: defeat Naruto Uzumaki and begin restoring the Uchiha name.

Naruto yawned, relaxed, surrounded by rivals. But he didn't move. The system only allowed him to trigger battle choices once he was inside the Forest of Death.

So for now, he just waited.

Tension filled the air. No one wanted to speak first—it would be a sign of weakness.

Temari stood behind Gaara, watching Naruto nervously. She had seen firsthand what Naruto could do. She worried that he might beat Gaara here and ruin Sunagakure's plan entirely.

Across the field, Ino also spotted Naruto. Her father's words echoed in her mind, but after some hesitation, she walked up to him anyway.

"Good morning, Naruto."

Naruto gave her a polite nod but said nothing.

Ino frowned and nudged him with her elbow. "What's wrong with you now? Did I offend you or something?"

Still nothing.

Naruto's eyes were locked on someone across the field—a Grass ninja in a straw hat, who noticed his gaze and responded with a twisted smile.

Naruto's expression darkened, and he quickly looked away.

So Orochimaru has arrived.

Is it Sasuke he's after? Or maybe me too?

He knew he had to defeat the others quickly and vanish before Orochimaru could make a move. If he waited too long, they'd both be targets.

Just then, Sakura rushed toward them.

"Ino pig! Get away from Naruto!"

"Ugly broad-forehead, maybe you should back off."

"I'm on Naruto's team! You're the outsider here!"

Ino clenched her jaw. She knew Sakura liked Sasuke, so why was she fighting her over Naruto?

Without hesitation, Ino grabbed Naruto's arm."I'm not leaving. What are you gonna do about it, huh?"

Sakura immediately latched onto Naruto's other arm."Come here, Naruto. Ignore her!"

From the sidelines, Rock Lee—who had fallen head over heels for Sakura—watched the scene unfold with heartbreak.

He clenched his fists and yelled, "Miss Sakura, please give me a chance! I swear I'm a better man than Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sakura blinked, looked at Lee… and then back at Naruto.

It was as if Naruto suddenly shone with golden light. His skin looked fairer, his eyes brighter. He seemed… divine.

Sakura glared at Lee."Get lost! You think you can compare to Naruto?!"

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Sakura… that was a little harsh."

"I'm just speaking the truth," she replied confidently.

Lee collapsed to his knees in despair, tears streaming down his face. He felt like he had taken a kunai straight to the heart.

Then, with a loud thud, Mitarashi Anko landed in the middle of the gathering. As dramatic as ever.

"Hey, brats! Cut the chatter! If you want to fight, save it for the exam!"

Her voice boomed, and her... presence… commanded attention.

"Listen up! Here are the rules: each squad starts with either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. To pass, you need to collect both scrolls. Use any means necessary—even killing your opponents!"

She grinned. "Now... let the real fun begin!"

Meanwhile, in a training field elsewhere in Konoha...

Kakashi and Might Guy were sitting on the grass, cooling down after a sparring match.

"Kakashi," Guy began, "my student and yours… they're going to face off soon. You know that, right?"

Kakashi gave a lazy nod. "Yeah. I'm not worried. I don't think Naruto will lose. He's strong."

Guy laughed. "Don't be too sure! Lee's been training nonstop. He'll surprise you."

Seeing they were at a deadlock, Guy changed the subject.

"What about Uchiha Sasuke? Any news?"

Kakashi shook his head. "It's all rumors. Sasuke's been training under me. He's had no contact with Asuma."

"And how's his progress?"

Kakashi smiled slightly. "Honestly? He's growing fast. I'd say he might be stronger than Naruto now."

Guy's eyes widened. "Didn't you say last time Naruto was miles ahead?"

"I did," Kakashi admitted. "But Sasuke learned Chidori… and awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan."

"WHAT?!"

The three-tomoe Sharingan was a milestone—most Uchiha never reached it. It drastically boosted combat ability.

Even Kakashi, a genius in his own right, was stunned by Sasuke's rapid growth.

But what he failed to realize was that Naruto's progress had never depended on him.

Naruto had trained, grown, and evolved on his own. He was already the strongest Genin—without anyone's help.

Inside the Forest of Death, Naruto tied his forehead protector to his arm. He stood still, the breeze brushing his bangs.

Softly, he said:

"Let the games begin."