ALL NOVEL Chapter 72: Looking Ahead at the Chunin Exam
Chapter
73: Looking Ahead at the Chunin Exam
Afterwards, Menma went to the ninja
tool shop to replenish his supply of shurikens, kunai, and explosive tags. The
wear and tear of these tools during tasks and daily practice had been
considerable. Menma's recent increase in funds allowed him to afford such
expenses, but he knew the necessity of stocking up on ninja tools for his next
plan.
It was already summer, and Menma
estimated that the Chunin Exam would be held soon, within half a month.
Necessary preparations needed to be put on the agenda. 'I hope you won't
disappoint me, Orochimaru-san,' Menma thought silently. All his plans were based
on the actions of the former Sannin, and Menma eagerly anticipated the
"Konoha Collapse Plan." The more chaotic it was, the easier it would
be for him to leave the Hidden Leaf Village without too many pursuers.
As Menma was returning home, he
sensed a few chakra auras and a slightly intense noise. Curious, he quickened
his pace and turned a corner to see a few familiar figures. Among them were his
teammates and three short figures hiding behind Naruto and Sakura. Two crucial
figures, with their backs to him, were immediately recognizable. 'Kankuro,
Temari!' The biological children of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa and Gaara's
siblings.
Menma was certain that the Chunin
Exam had arrived.
"Damn you brat, how dare you
sneak up on me!? I must make you pay!" Kankuro shouted angrily, glaring at
Konohamaru, who had bumped into him. Kankuro lifted Konohamaru off the ground
by his collar, causing the boy to struggle.
"Put him down!" Naruto
yelled, stepping forward with his fists clenched.
Sakura quickly followed, concern
etched on her face. "He's just a kid! Let him go!"
Kankuro sneered, tightening his grip
on Konohamaru. "And what are you going to do about it, brat?"
Sasuke, leaning against a tree with
an air of disinterest, watched the scene unfold. He glanced at Menma, who had
just arrived and gave a subtle nod.
Menma observed the situation
carefully, noting the tension. He decided to wait and see how his teammates
handled it.
Temari, Kankuro's sister, sighed in
exasperation. "Kankuro, stop causing trouble. We're not here to pick
fights."
But Kankuro was not in the mood to
listen. "Stay out of this, Temari. This brat needs to learn some
respect."
Naruto growled, "Why
you...!" He was about to charge forward when Sasuke intervened. In a
flash, Sasuke disappeared from his spot and reappeared behind Kankuro, holding
a kunai to his neck.
"Let him go, or you'll regret
it," Sasuke said coldly, his Sharingan spinning menacingly.
Kankuro froze, feeling the cold
steel against his skin. "You little...!" But before he could react, a
voice interrupted.
"That's enough, Kankuro."
Gaara's voice was calm but carried a chilling intensity. He stood atop a nearby
tree, sand swirling around him protectively.
Kankuro's eyes widened in fear, and
he immediately released Konohamaru, who stumbled back into Naruto's arms.
"G-Gaara..."
Temari visibly relaxed, though her
eyes remained wary. "Thank you, Gaara."
Gaara's cold gaze shifted to Sasuke
and Naruto. "Who are you?"
Sasuke smirked, lowering his kunai.
"We're Team 7 from Konohagakure. And you are?"
"I'm Gaara of the Desert,"
Gaara replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "These are my siblings,
Kankuro and Temari. We're here for the Chunin Exam."
Menma, still hidden, observed Gaara
closely. 'So, that's the One-Tail Jinchuuriki...'
Naruto stepped forward, defiance in
his eyes. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! And you better watch yourself if you mess
with my friends!"
Gaara's expression remained
unreadable. "Interesting. We'll see how you fare in the Chunin Exam."
With that, he turned and walked away, Kankuro and Temari following him.
The encounter left a heavy
atmosphere. Naruto, still fired up, looked at Sasuke. "Thanks,
Sasuke."
Sasuke shrugged, "Just doing my
part."
Sakura let out a breath she didn't
realize she was holding. "That was intense."
Seeing things were just fine Menma
resumed his journey home.
The arrival of reference personnel
from major ninja villages made Konoha more lively. Even the less sensitive
villagers realized their ninja village was about to host a major event. Genin
with previous Chunin Exam experience received clear notifications from their
captains and began preparing for the upcoming exams.
The next day, Menma, Naruto, Sasuke,
and Sakura received Kakashi's summons. Menma was well aware of the reason,
while the others had some guesses, especially after meeting the trio from
Sunagakure the previous day.
Naturally, the other three members
of Team 7 noticed Menma's new look. Sasuke glanced at him, while Sakura's
reaction was more pronounced.
"Menma-kun, have you changed
your clothes?" Sakura asked, wide-eyed. Menma's new look, almost as if the
seal had been lifted, made her subconsciously compare him to Sasuke. Even as a
staunch Sasuke fan, she had to admit that Menma was equally handsome.
"Well, the previous outfit
wasn't very beautiful. I made a small fortune some time ago, so I changed my
outfit," Menma said with a slight smile.
"Yeah, yeah, my previous
clothes really didn't look good. They completely covered up Menma-kun's
charm!" Sakura nodded crazily.
"Tsk, tsk, it does look very
different like this, Menma, you look much more handsome than before!"
Naruto extended his thumb with a smile.
"Thanks."
"Hey, can you tell me which
store Menma bought his clothes from? I want to take a look too," Naruto
asked eagerly.
"Well, I had these
custom-made."
"Hey, is that true?
Really?"
"Just here..."
While Naruto and Sakura were
enthusiastically asking about Menma's new clothes, Kakashi suddenly appeared in
a flash, arriving early for once. The team, used to his lateness, was stunned.
Kakashi's eye widened slightly as he
took in Menma's new appearance. Menma stood confidently in his new red and
black outfit, a stark contrast to his previous look. For a moment, Kakashi's
mind raced back to memories of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The
resemblance was uncanny—Menma's facial features, his confident stance, and now
his attire all reminded Kakashi of his former sensei.
Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into
a smile behind his mask. "Menma, I must say, the new look suits you
well," he said, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia.
Menma's eyes met Kakashi's, and he
saw a rare softness in the normally aloof jonin's gaze. "Thanks,
Kakashi-sensei. I thought it was time for a change."
Kakashi nodded, still lost in
thought. 'Minato-sensei, you would be proud to see how far your sons have
come,' he thought. Kakashi felt a surge of pride for his students, especially
Menma, who had grown so much since they first met.