Chapter 205: The Most Foolish Kage
Naruto rarely pulled an all-nighter.
After thoroughly understanding the principles of the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, he shifted his attention to another even more forbidden technique on the scroll—Impure World Reincarnation.
The deeper he researched, the stronger his amazement toward the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama grew. The man was simply a genius.
Generally speaking, the operational logic of summoning jutsu was to summon living creatures that had signed contracts with the caster—Mount Myoboku's toads, or the Monkey King Enma's monkey clan.
However, Senju Tobirama had blazingly forged a completely different path, forcibly extending the concept of "summoning" into the realm of connecting the Pure Land and summoning the souls of the dead! This imagination and development ability that subverted the boundaries of life and death left Naruto silently clicking his tongue.
This level of creative thinking and execution—not giving the Second Hokage a Stand or Devil Fruit really was wasting his talent.
Although at present, Naruto wasn't clear what specifically learning Impure World Reincarnation could be used for—summon deceased predecessors or his parents for a chat?
But with such a powerful and unique technique laid before him, based on the principle of "more skills never burden," he still decided to memorize as much of its theoretical essence as possible in his mind. Perhaps this knowledge could come in crucial use in the future.
The next morning, Team Seven's customary meeting point.
Due to staying up researching the scroll, Naruto unavoidably had two faint dark circles under his eyes, his spirit carrying a trace of barely noticeable fatigue.
However, what surprised him somewhat was noticing that Satsuki also had faint shadows under her eyes, clearly similarly sleep-deprived.
But in complete contrast to her slightly weary appearance was her mental state—those pitch-black eyes were exceptionally bright, even faintly glimmering with some indescribable light of satisfaction and pleasure. The corners of her mouth subtly curved upward, her entire being emanating a light aura of "having encountered something extremely delightful."
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As the Chunin Exam date approached, Team Seven had recently been taking simple missions requiring no departure from the village. Naruto indeed noticed Konoha's streets were considerably livelier than usual, with many unfamiliar faces wearing other villages' forehead protectors appearing. The air faintly permeated with a tense feeling of approaching storm.
Facing the upcoming exam, Sakura appeared exceptionally nervous and anxious. She muttered theoretical knowledge under her breath, her eyes occasionally revealing self-doubt about whether she truly possessed the strength to pass the assessment.
In stark contrast to her was Uchiha Satsuki, whose expression remained as calm as ever, even carrying several degrees of matter-of-fact certainty.
In her view, with hers and Naruto's strength, passing the Chunin Exam was an unquestionable result.
As for Uzumaki Naruto himself, his thoughts had long flown beyond the Chunin Exam. At this moment, what he repeatedly weighed in his mind were various variables regarding Orochimaru and his "Konoha Crush Plan."
The Chunin Exam? With Naruto's current strength participating in such an exam was simply dimensional crushing. Forget those genin—even Gaara, the strongest of that period, was no different from a neighborhood stray cat before Naruto.
Even if the One-Tail Shukaku inside him lost control and went berserk, it would at most be a somewhat troublesome matter requiring extra effort.
Orochimaru? He'd make sure there was no return for him!
However, Naruto thought deeply—this time, would events develop as in the original story? The butterfly effect's influence probably couldn't be ignored.
The most critical variable lay in the Ember organization Naruto himself had created. This organization's philosophy had already spread throughout the shinobi world—using absolute military deterrence to forcibly halt wars between nations.
Simply put: "Whoever dares start war, I'll take them out." And the Great Rasengan that "Menma" had once displayed, capable of instantly destroying an entire village, added heavy weight to this deterrence.
Under such circumstances, would Sunagakure really still form an alliance with Orochimaru as in the original and risk attacking Konoha? Wouldn't they worry about the Ember organization's intervention and retaliation?
But when Naruto thought about how the current Kazekage was that Rasa fellow, the doubt that had just risen wavered again.
If Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared indecisive in certain decisions—not necessarily bad, but somewhat foolish.
Then Fourth Kazekage Rasa was simply both foolish and malicious.
Rasa's treatment of his own son Gaara—compared to Naruto being called "demon fox" and suffering cold shoulders and isolation in Konoha, it was simply like living in heaven.
This guy had personally pushed his own son step by step into the abyss.
Gaara had originally been a normal child. From birth he'd been forcibly sealed with the One-Tail Shukaku, becoming the village's "ultimate weapon." Even though that violent "giant tanuki" inside him constantly whispered and threatened in his mind, trying to erode his will, young Gaara initially still maintained his kind nature, trying hard to get close to his sister Temari and brother Kankuro, yearning for family recognition and warmth.
Such a small child, long enduring the tailed beast's mental pollution plus the torture of sleep deprivation, managing to hold out until later before losing control—that willpower was already absurdly strong.
However, when Gaara first lost control due to Shukaku's influence and was subsequently suppressed, at his most mentally fragile, exhausted and on the verge of collapse, what did Rasa do as a father?
Not only did he fail to give his son any comfort, guidance or substantial help, he instead took extremely cold-blooded measures, actively evacuating villagers away from Gaara, completely isolating him. Even more outrageous, he actually repeatedly dispatched shinobi to assassinate his own biological son!
Under the pretense of "testing whether Gaara could still control Shukaku, judging his value as a weapon."
This logic's foolishness could rival that certain fellow with "astonishing wisdom" in blue and white colors.
It was like a doctor facing a patient with severe flu, not only refusing medication but directly throwing the patient into an ice pit, calling it "testing the patient's cold resistance and survival potential."
The result was predictable. Rasa's series of cold, ruthless operations successfully forced his son whose heart originally still held warmth into a bloodthirsty monster with a closed heart who only believed in killing.
And in the end, this chief culprit who single-handedly created the tragedy instead concluded—that Gaara as a "weapon" himself was insufficiently stable, lacking value?
Later when Orochimaru assassinated Rasa, from a certain perspective it could be considered doing a good deed.
Thinking this far, Naruto's heart had already made a decision.
Forget it. If during this Chunin Exam that guy luckily doesn't die at Orochimaru's hands... after the exam ends, find a way to bring Gaara to the Ember organization.
At least there, he could feel what true comrades were, what pure warmth and value were that needn't be proven through killing.
During the Chunin Exam, try persuading him after defeating Gaara. Naruto felt somewhat troubled—he was clearly least skilled at preaching.
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