Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

Over time, the teams that passed the exam gradually gathered at the central tower.

Out of all the participants, only five teams made it through. Those from the Grass Village, Sound Village, and various weaker Leaf shinobi teams were all eliminated, leaving only the Konoha Twelve and the Sand Siblings.

Originally, there were 26 teams participating, but only five managed to reach the central tower.

This meant that each team had to eliminate at least one other team. Of the remaining 16 teams, Naruto had taken out an extra two teams, and Gaara had taken out four. The other six teams were incapacitated by wild animal attacks, while four teams fainted from using the Heaven and Earth scrolls incorrectly and were subsequently disqualified.

Even so, 15 participants were too many. Seven needed to be cut.

After all, the next stage wasn't a team battle but individual matches.

In the noisy and tense training ground of the central tower, the Third Hokage finally arrived, albeit late. The supervising jonin lined up, staring solemnly at the 15 participants who had passed.

On the stage, the Third Hokage began giving a speech full of principles. Below, Naruto yawned out of boredom.

It wasn't until the sickly-looking Gekkō Hayate appeared that the crowd was informed that too many participants had advanced, necessitating a preliminary round before the third stage.

Reactions varied—some were surprised, others nervous. Naruto, however, remained indifferent. He was planning to forfeit anyway.

To him, the Chūnin Exam was merely an opportunity to ensure Sakura and Sasuke could advance. As their teammate, at least he hadn't dragged them down. But when it came to individual matches, he had no interest.

Naruto didn't need money or care about honor.

Fighting was meaningless; he knew he wouldn't become a chūnin anyway. He just wanted to rest.

Gekkō Hayate coughed and addressed the crowd, "Before we proceed to the third stage of the exam, there will be a preliminary round. If anyone wants to withdraw, speak up now."

The announcement stirred the crowd—who would voluntarily give up at this stage?

"I forfeit," Naruto suddenly raised his hand.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned toward the raised hand, and upon realizing it was Naruto, everyone was stunned.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"Have you lost your mind?" Kiba sneered. "You could still fight, right?"

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata looked at him worriedly.

"Damn it, what's that guy up to now?" Sasuke muttered, holding his injured neck with a pained expression.

On the stage, the Third Hokage glanced at Naruto without much reaction and simply nodded.

"Very well, leave the arena."

The Third Hokage had never intended for Naruto to participate in the Chūnin Exam in the first place and had only granted him a special allowance later. Naruto's sudden decision to withdraw seemed like a whim, so the Hokage didn't intervene.

"Hey, Naruto!" Shikamaru called out from the back. "Why are you giving up?"

"Too much work," Naruto waved dismissively and left without looking back.

Exiting the central tower, he remained within the boundaries of the Forest of Death.

He didn't wander far—he planned to watch the matches later but wanted to rest for now.

Naruto had come to a clear realization: as long as he remained the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, it would be hard to escape his predetermined fate. Whether as the "Child of Prophecy" or a "Reincarnation of a God," those were future concerns. He didn't care about events that hadn't happened yet. To truly gain freedom, he needed to rid himself of the Nine-Tails.

Anyone who wanted to be a Jinchūriki could have the job. He would find a solution through his system sooner or later and get the Nine-Tails out of his body.

He wanted to live for himself and reject everything he didn't want to do.

His current goal was simple: be a normal ninja, do no more than required, and face the higher-ups head-on if necessary. He was confident Danzo wouldn't dare make a move against him. If Danzo tried, Naruto would fight him openly.

The Four Symbols Seal restricted Naruto's freedom, robbing him of any connection to his ancestors.

Still, with the system at his side, Naruto knew his strength would only grow. Compared to the likes of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, his system's power was unmatched.

"There's always a way forward," Naruto thought. He didn't even need to train—completing system tasks granted him instant mastery of jutsu.

For now, he'd enjoy life and avoid unnecessary things like the Chūnin Exam's individual matches. There was no need to prove anything.

Naruto knew no one there could beat him, but the higher-ups wouldn't let him advance to chūnin anyway.

And he wasn't interested in lecturing anyone.

The Hyūga clan's cursed seal? What was the point of talking about it? Trying to convince others to let go of their hatred was foolish, and Naruto had no interest in such nonsense.

Ultimately, the only people he cared about were his friends and a few close companions. The village itself meant nothing to him.

Yawning, Naruto leaned back on a shady set of stone steps, closing his eyes.

The summer breeze was cool and refreshing.

As his consciousness faded, Naruto suddenly opened his eyes and found himself once again in the sealed space.

Kurama glanced at him and then looked away, uninterested.

Naruto scanned the dark, sewer-like surroundings, noticing only the grimy floor and damp walls.

"Not exactly an ideal prison," he muttered.

Kurama opened one eye, observing Naruto with a complicated expression.

"Human, what are you doing here?"

"From now on, you'll call me Warden," Naruto replied.

"What?" Kurama growled, visibly annoyed.

"I was thinking about how to improve this prison. It's way too shabby," Naruto said casually.

Kurama was momentarily stunned before sneering. "How about you die and let me out instead?"

"Don't worry," Naruto said calmly. "If I'm ever close to dying, I'll make sure you're sealed away permanently for eternity."

"Why you..."

"Be practical, Kurama," Naruto interrupted. "Stop acting like a coward and face reality."

"What do you plan to do?"

"The Four Symbols Seal can bring things in from the outside," Naruto said, holding up a pair of black socks that had somehow been brought into the space. "I'll bring you some things to pass the time."

"Why... why are you doing this?" Kurama asked, surprised.

"Because I don't want you pulling me in here for no reason!" Naruto snapped. "Appreciate the time we have together because I'll be kicking you out soon enough!"

"You're courting death, aren't you?"

"Not even close."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto replied, fixing Kurama with a steady gaze. "Kurama, you're too weak. There are powers out there you've never even dreamed of."

Kurama's expression turned serious. "And what kind of powers are those?"

"Do you know what a cheat code is?" Naruto grinned.

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