NOVEL WEB Chapter 38: Change
Outside the Alley.
The three Sand siblings stood in the sunlight, frozen in shock. Even Gaara held back his murderous intent, staring in horror at Naruto hidden in the shadows.
"Let's go!" Temari whispered urgently, too shaken to care about anything else.
She grabbed her two rebellious brothers and hurriedly pulled them out of the alley, not stopping until they were far away, finally letting go and catching her breath.
"What... what was that?" Kankuro, his face painted with purple camouflage, leaned against the wall, his hand trembling.
Kankuro managed to stay rational, remembering that Gaara, standing beside him, was also a dangerous "monster." He wisely chose not to say anything potentially damaging.
"The... Nine-Tails," Temari whispered, shaking so hard her legs cramped with tension.
"How could Konoha have something so terrifying?" Kankuro recalled the scene, his lips trembling.
---
"Nine-Tails?" Sand Jonin Baki, who was leading them, frowned as he looked over the three. "Impossible. You must have been tricked by that kid."
"Tricked?" Temari and Kankuro looked at each other, while Gaara stood unmoved, his expression cold as usual.
"Baki-sensei, what do you mean?" Temari asked, her forehead slick with nervous sweat.
Baki, with his stern face, wore a brown vest over a black, tight-fitting outfit, his head wrapped in white cloth that hid half his face. His tone was serious and authoritative.
"There's no need to worry," Baki said. "The Nine-Tails was sealed years ago. That Jinchuriki is long dead."
"The current Konoha Jinchuriki is just an ordinary kid who can't control the beast's power."
Baki paused, eyeing his three students before continuing.
"What you described—seeing the face of the Tailed Beast—that's something only a perfect Jinchuriki could do. If Konoha really had such a Jinchuriki, we wouldn't have dared plan for the Leaf Destruction."
"So you're saying... that kid can't really control the Nine-Tails and just pretended to scare us?" Temari asked, stunned.
"Exactly. Why would the village's most crucial Jinchuriki just casually cross your path?" Baki nodded, his expression suggesting he'd already seen through Konoha's scheme.
"The Chunin Exams are meant to show the strength of each village's younger generation. This was Konoha's way of intimidating the Sand Village."
"Ah, I see." Kankuro nodded, still feeling something was off, but he brushed it aside, reassured by their Jonin's confidence.
Temari let out a relieved breath, then bit her lip and muttered angrily.
"If that guy dares mock us like that again, he'll regret it!"
Gaara, who had been silent the whole time, shot them a cold glance but didn't correct their misunderstanding.
Lowering his head, his eyes gleamed with battle-hardened resolve.
He knew the truth—that pressure had undoubtedly been the Nine-Tails.
---
The next day, a heavy rain fell over Konoha.
Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi walked through the rain with umbrellas, on their way to submit the Chunin Exam registration forms at the Hokage's office.
Under her pink umbrella, Sakura broke the silence and, gathering courage, asked Kakashi, who was walking in front of her.
"Kakashi-sensei, why can't Naruto take the Chunin Exam with us?"
Kakashi paused, turning to look at her.
"It's the Hokage's orders. There's nothing I can do."
"But..." Sakura's grip tightened on her umbrella, her knuckles pale in the cold rain. "But we're a team, aren't we?"
The sound of rain muffled her voice, so Sakura had to raise it for Kakashi to hear. Raindrops soaked the tips of her pink hair, and her voice wavered slightly.
"You taught us, Kakashi-sensei, that we're a team. So... shouldn't we stick together, not leave Naruto behind?"
Sasuke also stopped, frowning, his gaze directed at Kakashi, silently agreeing.
"Would you defy the Hokage's orders?" Kakashi asked, his gaze indifferent as he looked down at Sakura.
"Even if it means losing your chance to take the exam? Would you still insist?"
"I..." Hearing Sasuke would also be affected, Sakura hesitated.
Kakashi glanced between Sakura and Sasuke, his voice serious as he explained.
"The Chunin Exam is the only way for Genin to advance. Once you're a Chunin, you'll receive far more missions and resources than as a Genin."
"You both have your own goals, don't you? Wouldn't you want to achieve them sooner? This exam is held here in Konoha; this is your best chance."
"And reapplying could take time. By then, your friends might already be Jonin."
"Even so, would you still insist?"
Thunder cracked, lightning splitting the rain-filled sky, and the rain beat down, filling the silence around them.
Sakura and Sasuke stood quietly, letting the sound of the rain envelop them.
"It's alright," Kakashi spoke up again. "Naruto's exclusion from the exam came directly from the Third Hokage. It's beyond your control."
"Come on, we should go, or we'll be late."
With that, Kakashi turned and continued walking, his footsteps echoing in the rain.
"I..." Tears fell down Sakura's cheeks as she thought about their first mission together, and Naruto's words of comfort.
"Being ordinary isn't so bad. If I had the choice, but..."
"Sakura, your strength isn't in combat. You don't need to push yourself. Sasuke and I will handle it."
Unable to hold back her tears, she wept quietly, feeling regretful for her moment of hesitation. Naruto had never hesitated...
"Kakashi-sensei! I... I still want to take the Chunin Exam with Naruto!" Sakura looked up and shouted, her voice choked with emotion.
Her vision blurred by tears, she wasn't sure if Kakashi had heard her, or if the rain had drowned out her words.
Perhaps...
But then she felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw Kakashi's gentle gaze, a slight smile on his face.
"I understand."
"You've done well, Sakura. And Sasuke has already told me. You both have."
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