Naruto smiled faintly and placed his hand on Gaara's soft red hair. Gaara, surprisingly, didn't flinch. Feeling the warmth from the large hand, he was suddenly reminded of his mother.
Naruto's voice was gentle and full of magnetism. "It's been hard all these years, hasn't it? I can understand, because I've walked this path too."
"It is precisely because of these experiences that we become strong."
"Strong… am I?"
Gaara looked up in confusion. The Naruto in his eyes was like a warm sun, about to melt him.
"Yes, Gaara. You need to understand, no matter how much others hate you, you are always you. You don't need to live according to others' emotions and gazes. You live for yourself."
"You will find your own goal, and strive towards it. The process may be tortuous, but you are not alone. I… am your comrade," Naruto said gently, ruffling Gaara's red hair.
"Comrade?" From the bottom of his heart, Gaara already saw Naruto as a comrade.
Although they came from different villages and their stances were adversarial, they were the same kind of people.
They were people who could huddle together for warmth in this world.
It was precisely their similar experiences that had become the bridge for communication between them.
He had received Naruto's goodwill and had also released his own.
This feeling…
It was truly wonderful.
"Naruto, what is your goal?" Gaara looked up and asked.
His eyes were filled with curiosity.
He desperately wanted to know what kind of dream his kindred spirit would have. And what was his attitude towards Konoha?
"My goal?" Naruto chuckled softly, his eyes becoming resolute. "To transcend everything, and stand… in the heavens."
"Stand in the heavens?" Gaara's eyes suddenly blazed with fervor.
If he had heard such an ambition from anyone else, Gaara would surely have found it laughable.
But if Naruto said it, he believed it!
Naruto simply possessed that kind of charisma.
"Then what do you think of Konoha?" Gaara inquired.
Naruto had experiences similar to his own, so he surely must harbor some dissatisfaction towards his village.
Gaara had also pondered this before.
He eventually realized that if he possessed power surpassing the Kazekage, he might choose to leave Sunagakure.
So he eagerly awaited Naruto's answer. How did Naruto, who had endured similar experiences yet always maintained a refined demeanor and a gentle smile, view Konoha?
Did he, like himself, harbor hatred?
Or perhaps…
He repaid injustice with kindness, hoping to warm everyone, to become Konoha's light.
Facing Gaara's question, Naruto smiled lightly and said, "For me, Konoha is merely a passerby. The villagers did indeed cause me great harm, but from another perspective, without them, the Uzumaki Naruto of today wouldn't exist."
"My goal is simple: to surpass everything, become the strongest, and then change this corrupt world. I hope this world can be filled with peace, filled with love."
"Love." Gaara's pupils trembled.
In the eyes of others, he was a monster who disregarded life and slaughtered wantonly. But in reality, he craved love more than anyone.
It was because he craved it that he had tattooed the character for "love" on his forehead.
He lacked love more than anyone else.
Naruto's goal was so grand.
Then what about his own goal?
Gaara fell silent.
He spoke only after a long while, his voice filled with confusion:
"I don't know my goal, my future. Everyone hates me, and I don't like them either. But… I can't leave."
As Sunagakure's war weapon, all of Gaara's actions were strictly monitored.
Although he had dominated in the Chunin Exams, he ultimately couldn't defeat a Jonin.
Let alone a Kage-level powerhouse.
Looking at Gaara's lost expression, Naruto chuckled softly, placed his hand on Gaara's shoulder, his voice gentle yet firm:
"Then become stronger! Continuously become stronger, until you possess a power that even the village cannot ignore. Consider your goals at that time."
"Yes… I can only keep getting stronger." Gaara's eyes became resolute, and he clenched his fists.
"Thank you, Naruto."
"You're welcome. We're comrades," Naruto said with a faint smile.
Gaara then found his vision blurring. He blinked, only to find himself standing in the Forest of Death, with Naruto smiling opposite him.
Kyoka Suigetsu in his hand refracted an exquisitely beautiful light under the sun.
"What a magical Kekkei Genkai," Gaara thought, having roughly guessed what had transpired, marveling inwardly.
He looked around and saw Temari and Kankuro in the distance, watching the field with worried expressions, even discussing amongst themselves: "I didn't expect Gaara to have suppressed his Tailed Beast in the end, he didn't go berserk. But that Uzumaki Naruto is also really strong, to think he still hasn't been defeated."
"It seems Naruto is still a bit weaker than Sasuke."
Gaara looked at Naruto in confusion, only to see the latter give a mysterious smile and place a finger to his lips.
"Now is not the time to reveal your status as a Jinchuriki," Naruto chuckled softly. "I just let them see a few illusions."
"Remember, you didn't go berserk. After our battle, you forced me to retreat."
Naruto turned, preparing to leave.
"Oh, right. I spoke with Shukaku inside you. From today onwards, you'll be able to get a good night's sleep."
With that said, Naruto's figure rippled like a wave and, becoming transparent, vanished before Gaara's eyes.
Gaara rubbed his eyes. The true situation appeared before him.
Gaara stood in place, his eyes glistening with a touched emotion.
Naruto helped me solve a big problem.
"Shukaku?" he called out in his mind.
"What is it, stinking brat? Don't bother me!" Shukaku's fierce voice sounded.
Yet, amidst the ferocity, there was an unexpectedly dorky cuteness to it.
Gaara smiled faintly.
He suddenly realized…
This Shukaku wasn't actually that terrifying.
"Gaara!" Temari and Kankuro in the distance saw Naruto being "forced back" and Gaara standing in the field, sand swirling around him. They breathed a sigh of relief.
If Shukaku within Gaara had truly gone berserk, that would have been troublesome.
Just imagine…
If Konoha found out that Sunagakure's Jinchuriki had come to participate in the Chunin Exams, the underlying purpose would be very profound.
Except during wartime, the great ninja villages rarely allowed their Jinchuriki to leave their villages.
"Let's go," Gaara said softly, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Temari and Kankuro.
Temari and Kankuro looked hesitantly in the direction Naruto had left.
"Don't worry, they didn't find out," Gaara said, his expression cold, his gaze towards Naruto's direction filled with killing intent. "I'll kill him sooner or later."
Gaara, channeling his inner Oscar-winning actor, fooled everyone.
Temari and Kankuro also relaxed, and the group headed towards their final destination.
Meanwhile, Konoha's higher-ups were in the midst of a heated argument regarding the incident in the Forest of Death.
No one knew why a Kage-level powerhouse had appeared.
Nor did anyone know what this Kage-level powerhouse's objective was.
"We must terminate this exam immediately! It's too dangerous!" several elders said, their faces dark.
The Third Hokage, however, was very hesitant.
This session of the Chunin Exams was also an excellent opportunity to showcase the potential of Konoha's Genin to other ninja villages. If it were to be rashly terminated like this, it might arouse dissatisfaction from the other villages.