"So, what do you want from us?"
Seeing that Kazama had taken all their ninja tools, and despite throwing everything they had at him, they still couldn't beat him, even the usually stubborn Gaara had lost his fire.
"Easy. Kankuro, you bullied Naruto earlier, so at the very least, you owe him an apology."
"Fine, I'll apologize."
Though Kankuro was reluctant, he didn't dare defy Kazama.
"Thanks a ton, Kazama! Come on, I'm treating you to Ichiraku Ramen!" Naruto shouted, bounding over excitedly.
"You and Sakura go ahead. I've got something to handle here," Kazama replied.
He needed to talk to Gaara about what was coming next. Kazama wasn't just thrashing the three of them to show off. His real goal was to stop Gaara from attacking Konoha.
"Cool, we'll wait for you!" Sakura called out, flashing Kazama a heart-shaped hand gesture as she left.
Wonder what Gaara, the eternal bachelor, thought of *that*.
"What do you want with me?" Gaara asked, picking up on Kazama's subtle glance. He quickly sent Kankuro and Temari away.
"Gaara, don't follow the Fourth Kazekage's orders to destroy Konoha."
"What?! How do you know about our plan?" Gaara instinctively moved to attack, stunned that their mission, which hadn't even started, was already known to an enemy—a ninja's worst nightmare.
But then he remembered his Sand Release was useless against Kazama.
"Don't worry about how I know. Just listen. The Fourth Kazekage is being manipulated by Orochimaru. That's why he's teamed up to attack Konoha. And it won't be long before Orochimaru assassinates him. You need to be on guard. That's all I've got to say—believe me or not, it's up to you."
With that, Kazama turned and walked away. He knew Gaara was sharp enough to dig into the truth himself. If Gaara could see through Orochimaru's scheme, the damage to Konoha would be minimal.
Kazama had considered telling the Third Hokage directly, but if the Third was prepared, Orochimaru wouldn't cause enough chaos. And without chaos, Kazama wouldn't get his chance to take out Danzo. So, he came up with this balanced plan: let Orochimaru stir up trouble, giving Kazama the opening to kill Danzo, while keeping the chaos controlled to avoid heavy casualties. Plus, after dealing with Danzo, he could help Konoha fend off Orochimaru's attack.
As Kazama finalized his strategy, ready to shine in the Chunin Exams, he was suddenly summoned to the Third Hokage's office.
"Kazama, you don't need to take part in the Chunin Exams. With your skills, you can be promoted to Jonin right now!"
Kazama hadn't expected the Third to open a backdoor for him.
"Uh, about that…" Kazama hesitated, caught off guard.
He knew the Third meant well. With his current strength, entering the Chunin Exams was like a max-level character stomping through a newbie village—pointless. But Kazama needed to fight different ninjas and absorb their jutsu to grow stronger. The Chunin Exams were his golden opportunity.
"Thanks for the offer, Lord Hokage, but if I skip straight to Jonin, people might talk. It could hurt your reputation, too. So, please, let me take the exam."
"Alright, if you're fine with the hassle, then Team 7 will participate together," the Third said, clearly pleased that Kazama wasn't looking for special treatment and even considered his position.
"If you weren't so young, I'd be tempted to pass the Hokage title to you," the Third murmured, watching Kazama's retreating figure with a sigh.