"Gaara, take a look at this plan. You two as well."
After returning home, Rasa laid out the documents of the Konoha Crush Plan before Gaara. Gaara silently unfolded them and read through each page with care.
When he finished, he passed the documents to Temari and Kankurō.
The siblings scanned the papers, their faces gradually shifting to surprise and uncertainty.
"But… aren't we allies with Konoha?" Temari asked, confused. Kankurō frowned as well.
"Is this really a good idea?" he muttered.
"Hmph! What do you know?" Rasa's expression hardened.
"Alliances are nothing more than scraps of paper. When profit is involved, they shatter easily. If this plan succeeds, our people will live better, and Sunagakure will finally rise again!"
He then turned to his children.
"For this mission, the three of you will enter Konoha as Genin and take part in their Chūnin Exams."
His gaze softened slightly as he looked at Temari and Kankurō. Though they had already earned their Chūnin rank, their participation as Genin was essential to the plan. As for Gaara, despite his overwhelming strength, he truly was still a Genin.
"What?!"
"We have to join the Chūnin Exams?!"
Temari and Kankurō were both taken aback, clearly not expecting to be sent back into the exams.
"Although this exam is part of our plan against Konoha, Sunagakure's honor cannot be stained," Rasa continued firmly. He knew that if they sent ordinary Genin from the village, most would be eliminated quickly.
Among Sunagakure's current Genin, only Gaara could stand on equal footing with Konoha's new generation. At the very least, they had to reach the finals if the plan was to succeed.
Rasa's eyes drifted toward the distant horizon outside the window.
Konoha was a land rich in talent and resources. But if they could tear even a single piece of flesh from it, Sunagakure would have the means to thrive.
Meanwhile, in Otogakure, Orochimaru's preparations for the assault on Konoha were already underway. The Sound Village shinobi had been readied, and nearly two months had passed since Naruto, Sasuke, and the others graduated from the Academy.
Orochimaru had also approached Konoha with the idea of a joint Chūnin Exams.
As he expected, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, agreed.
The Chūnin Exams were not just a trial for young shinobi, but a chance to demonstrate strength before the world. Konoha, weakened and plagued by misfortune, needed to show that its next generation was still strong enough to uphold its legacy.
And now, with the heirs of Konoha's great clans having just graduated, the proposal of a joint exam with Sunagakure seemed perfectly timed. As the saying went, when you are weary, the pillow arrives.
The Third Hokage had no reason to refuse.
Word of the exams soon spread across the shinobi world.
At the table of the Hidden Cloud, the Raikage slammed his palm down with explosive force.
"A joint Chūnin Exams? I'm not interested!"
His secretary winced, glancing at the cracks running across the table beneath his hand.
Far away in the Land of Earth, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, studied the document with a sour expression.
"What are Sunagakure and Konoha plotting? Hmph, is this really just an ordinary Chūnin Exam? Forget it—we won't take part. Our current Genin are too weak; sending them would only embarrass us."
His decision was swift. Participation was voluntary, after all.
Konoha and Sunagakure had extended invitations not only to the Five Great Nations but also to smaller shinobi villages. The great nations could afford to decline, but for the smaller ones, refusing would be seen as open disrespect toward their superiors.
And so, most of the minor villages accepted. For them, this was not just a chance to build relations, but an opportunity for their young shinobi to see the wider world—to witness the level of talent nurtured by the great villages.
Otherwise, cloistered in their small villages, some might truly start to believe they were geniuses.
In reality, the smaller villages were starved of resources. Their populations were small, their shinobi few, and many lacked even proper academies. Most had no systematic training at all.
Orochimaru studied the reports in his hand, scanning the feedback with a serpentine smile.
"The pieces are in place. Now, only the final step remains."
With that, he turned away, slipping back into the shadows of his laboratory to continue his experiments.
On Naruto's side, he too received word from Orochimaru, requesting Umbrella's cooperation during the upcoming Chūnin Exams.
"Since Orochimaru-kun has extended the invitation," Naruto said lightly, "we should also send a few of our own. What do you think, Shisui-kun?"
The real Naruto had come to Umbrella's headquarters for a time, his mission elsewhere temporarily complete.
Shisui set his teacup down with calm precision. "Didn't a few promising recruits surface recently? Let them slip into Otogakure's ranks and take part. It will be good training."
Naruto chuckled.
"Exactly what I had in mind. Let them test their strength against ninjutsu users. Most Genin don't possess overly dangerous techniques yet, so there shouldn't be too much risk."
Time moved steadily forward, and Konoha remained oblivious to the storm building on the horizon.
After finishing his mission, Naruto returned to Konoha. Three months passed quickly. With the changes in the Land of Waves, that entire storyline had quietly disappeared.
Now, only a month remained until the Chūnin Exams.
Then, unexpectedly, Naruto received another message from Orochimaru—this one detailing a plan to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
Naruto paused. He remembered clearly: in the original timeline, Rasa was indeed killed by Orochimaru before the exams.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to involve him directly.
The thought stirred excitement within him. If Rasa died, Gaara would inevitably rise as the Fifth Kazekage. With Gaara in place, Umbrella could gradually infiltrate and influence Sunagakure, eventually extending their reach across the Land of Wind.
Despite its harsh deserts, the Land of Wind still possessed rich resources—especially the oil reserves Naruto coveted. He envisioned transforming the Land of Wind into a powerful industrial base, all while sheltering his operations behind Gaara's new position as Kazekage.
Given time, Umbrella would reveal a terrifying power to the shinobi world.
Naruto relayed Orochimaru's proposal to Shisui, leaving the decision in his hands. He had no intention of personally taking part.
Naruto couldn't help but feel satisfied with Shisui. Under his steady leadership, Umbrella's growth had been orderly and efficient.
Shisui read Naruto's message, then calmly picked up the phone to respond to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-kun, we agree. I'll arrange the personnel to assist you."
A brief pause, then Orochimaru's low chuckle came through the receiver.
"Then I look forward to Umbrella's cooperation, Shisui-kun."
When the line went silent, Shisui already knew who to send.
Zabuza had recently broken through to a level comparable to the Five Kage. Pitting him against a Kage-level opponent would not only test his limits but also showcase Umbrella's strength.
And, perhaps most importantly, it would let Orochimaru see with his own eyes just how powerful their organization had become.
...
TN:
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