SHINOBI EXAM

"Father!"

"Dad!!"

Temari and Kankuro, the Sand Shinobi siblings, were stunned to see the sudden appearance of their father, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Only then did the reality of the scene before them sink in—it matched the ominous events being broadcasted in the mysterious video.

Sasuke let out a muffled groan from where he lay sprawled on the sand.

Gaara released the sand holding Sasuke, letting him drop cleanly to the ground.

Initially semi-conscious, Sasuke snapped fully awake as a sharp pain radiated from the cursed seal on his shoulder. Groaning, he instinctively rubbed at the throbbing spot while slowly sitting up.

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto and Sakura rushed to his side. Naruto squatted close while Sakura knelt beside him, both anxiously checking to see if he was alright.

Meanwhile, Gaara stood quietly, staring at the projection. The image displayed was of his future self confronting his father, the Fourth Kazekage.

In that vision, there was no trace of familial affection between them—none of the warmth one might expect between a father and son.

Gaara's heart twisted as he recalled the cold truth: in his father's eyes, he had never been a son, only a tool. His existence had been defined solely as the vessel for Sand Shukaku, the weapon Rasa deemed essential for the village's power.

Naruto, oblivious to the heaviness in Gaara's thoughts, asked bluntly, "Hey, Gaara, is that guy the Fourth Kazekage?"

Gaara nodded without hesitation. "Yes. He's my father."

---

[In the projection:]

The future Gaara, now the Fifth Kazekage, looked down at Rasa with unwavering confidence.

"Sand Shukaku is long gone," Gaara declared.

"I'm no longer the Jinchūriki you turned me into, Father!" His tone carried the bitterness of years of pain—pain inflicted by the cursed title of Jinchūriki, which had left his childhood scarred with memories of rejection and torment.

Naruto, ever blunt, exclaimed, "Your dad made you into a Jinchūriki?!"

The revelation sent a ripple of shock through him. His mind immediately drew parallels to his own situation.

"The Fourth Kazekage…" Naruto's voice trailed off, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger.

"I told you before," Gaara said, his tone steady but cold. "My father, the Fourth Kazekage, made me a Jinchūriki."

Naruto clenched his fists, his voice shaking with emotion. "Why would a father do something like that?!"

Turning toward Kankuro, he demanded, "Tell me! Why?!"

Kankuro flinched under Naruto's fiery glare. "I—I don't know!" he stammered. As Rasa's son, Kankuro didn't feel it was his place to openly question the Kazekage's decisions. Yet, deep down, he couldn't fully justify his father's actions either.

---

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged worried glances, understanding why Naruto was so enraged. His empathy often ran deep, especially when it came to shared pain. Gaara's experiences resonated with him, igniting his unshakable determination to protect others.

Sasuke, however, was lost in his own thoughts. His fists tightened at the word "Jinchūriki." It left him questioning—what exactly did it mean to bear such a title?

---

[In the projection:]

The scene shifted to a barren hill swept by harsh winds.

The Fourth Kazekage questioned Gaara sharply. "What do you mean you're no longer a Jinchūriki? Explain yourself!"

Even in death, Rasa's concern for the village's safety was evident. The responsibilities of a Kage—protecting and advancing the village—remained deeply ingrained in him.

Gaara's expression was firm as he explained. "The enemy who resurrected you with Impure World Reincarnation stripped Shukaku from my body, using the One Tail's power to start the Fourth Ninja World War."

"I died once as a Jinchūriki."

The candidates gathered near the central tower gasped in unison, their eyes darting toward Gaara.

"Does that mean…" someone murmured, recalling an earlier vision. "That image of Gaara dying… was it this?"

The implications were staggering. Could Sand Shinobi Village really possess the means to resurrect someone from death?

---

The screen transitioned to a dark, cavernous space.

Konan's eyes widened. "That's the Gedo Statue!"

Nagato, known as Pain, furrowed his brows. "So, the person behind these images knows of the Gedo Statue…"

Konan hesitated. "Should we report this to Madara?"

Nagato shook his head. "Let's wait."

Konan glanced at him uneasily. Doubts about Madara had been brewing within her since the first vision. Yet, she kept her concerns to herself, afraid of losing Nagato's trust.

---

The next image was a brutal one.

The unconscious body of Gaara was shown, bound to the Gedo Statue.

"Sealing Technique: Nine Sealing Magic Dragons!"

Nine chakra dragons erupted from the statue, wrapping around Gaara and draining him of the One Tail's chakra.

As the scene progressed, the grim aftermath was revealed. Gaara's body disintegrated into sand, and his consciousness faded into a void.

This was the fate of a Kage who gave everything to protect his village.

---

Sand Shinobi watching the broadcast struggled to contain their emotions. Gaara's future self, the Kazekage, had been their beacon of hope, yet this was his fate.

Naruto suddenly grabbed Gaara's arm, his voice trembling with determination.

"Don't you dare die on me, Gaara! You hear me?! I'll save you—Uzumaki Naruto promises that!"

Gaara stared at him in silence, moved yet unsure how to respond.

---

[Back to the projection:]

The confrontation between Gaara and Rasa resumed.

"Because of the Shukaku you placed in me," Gaara said, "I died once. But with Granny Chiyo's sacrifice and the help of my friends, I was brought back."

Rasa's expression shifted to one of disbelief.

"Granny Chiyo… sacrificed herself for you? And you said 'friends'? You actually made friends?"

Gaara hesitated at the word "friends."

Naruto wrapped an arm around Gaara's neck. "Of course, we're friends! Me, Sasuke, Sakura—we're all your friends!"

Sasuke, ever the contrarian, scoffed. "Don't decide things for other people, loser."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, come on, Sasuke. Stop being so stubborn. Your mom asked me to look out for you, little Sasuke~!"

"YOU!" Sasuke sputtered, his face reddening. "You're younger than me, and I'm the older brother!"

Naruto blinked in surprise. He wasn't used to hearing Sasuke admit something like that.

But then, a sudden realization struck him like lightning—he was the youngest Genin in his class! Born on October 10th, he was younger than everyone… except for Hinata, who was two months younger.

Spotting Hinata approaching shyly, Naruto greeted her with a bright smile, completely missing how flustered she became.

---

Temari and Kankuro, still processing everything, turned to Naruto.

"Gaara," Temari said hesitantly, "it seems like your absolute defense… doesn't work against Naruto."

Kankuro nodded. "Yeah, anyone else would've been hurt by your defenses if they got that close."

Gaara glanced at Naruto, who was still hanging off him. For the first time, he felt something akin to warmth breaking through the icy walls he had built around himself.

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