Returning from the river, Naruto sat on the sofa with a troubled expression, pondering deeply.
'Not only did I use Pinru's wardrobe, but I also defeated Sasuke. According to Kanpū-sensei's theory, even if Sakura didn't immediately fall for me, she should at least change her attitude towards me and regard me differently, right?'
He racked his brains but couldn't figure out where the problem lay.
During dinner in the evening, Kushina saw Naruto seemed preoccupied and asked a few questions, but Naruto wouldn't dare to tell Kurenai the truth. After all, wouldn't that just invite trouble?
So he slipped away.
Back in his bedroom, Naruto lay by the window, staring blankly at the sidewalk under the night sky.
'I'm full of worries, but I don't know who to talk to.'
"Sigh~"
Naruto, who has not graduated from the Academy, was already burdened with the pain he shouldn't have at his age.
After some time passed, Naruto suddenly brightened up when he saw his father coming home from work.
He quickly ran downstairs to the entrance to greet Minato.
"I'm back."
Minato opened the door and came in, then saw Naruto. He then couldn't help but remember when Itachi Uchiha came to apologize earlier in the evening, then thought in his heart: 'I am afraid that Naruto's anomaly has attracted the attention of many people. Perhaps Itachi wasn't the first one to discover Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki.'
'Naruto's situation was relatively better at the Academy, but when he graduated…'
'It seems that I should be more cautious in selecting Naruto's Jonin Instructor candidate…'
While Minato was contemplating, he smiled and asked: "Naruto, are you going out?"
"No."
Naruto approached with a fawning expression and asked, "Dad, I just wanted to ask when Kanpū-sensei will come back."
"Kanpū…" Minato's expression immediately darkened.
Kanpū has been missing for several months. And let alone his whereabouts, even the whereabouts of Taki, Hyōketsu and Tenkū are all mysteries.
It would be fine if Kanpū is still here, as Minato does not need to worry about the candidate for Naruto's Jonin Instructor.
"Dad?" Naruto looked at Minato strangely as he fell into an odd atmosphere.
"He's on a mission outside the village and won't be back for a while." Minato could only say so.
"I see…" Naruto frowned, his face lacking the usual vitality.
...
Land of Water.
Kirigakure.
The night is deep, and Elder Genji, leaning on his snake-shaped cane, accompanied by 'Beauty Secretary', slowly arrived at the first training ground.
"Genji-sama!" Ao had been waiting here.
Genji nodded slightly: "Ao, how are the training results?"
Few years ago, Genji gave the order to train three thousand elite Shinobi to Ao. But now, with only half a year left until the Konoha's Second Joint Chunin Exams, Genji felt that it was time for these elites to sneak into the Land of Fire in batches.
Ao smiled and waved his hand. Suddenly, from the quiet dark forest, three thousand people emerged silently, standing in the shadows of the trees like ghosts, emotionlessly staring at Genji and 'Beauty Secretary'.
"Interesting." The 'Beauty Secretary' chuckled with a cold laugh.
Ao glanced sideways at 'Beauty Secretary,' and the veins on his right eye, covered by the eyepatch, suddenly bulged.
That's right, after Orochimaru cooperated with Genji, he returned the Byakugan to Kirigakure. This was not because Orochimaru was generous, but because he already had Uchiha Shin and Sharingan, so the allure of the Byakugan to him was not as strong as before.
"It really is you, Orochimaru!!!" Ao's expression immediately changed.
At the beginning, the Anbu Captain, who obtained his Byakugan, was killed by Orochimaru and the Byakugan was taken away. But a year ago, Genji suddenly gave the Byakugan to him, which made Ao suspicious.
But now that he saw it, it became clear!
"Genji-sama, what exactly is going on here?" Ao questioned gloomily.
"Watch your tone, Ao!" Genji slammed his cane heavily, his tone stern.
"Sorry!" Ao's heart trembled, and he quickly lowered his head in apology.
Genji snorted lightly, then said with satisfaction: "Even if you didn't ask, I would have told you about this."
Ao waved his hand to let the nearby three thousand elites withdraw.
'Very sensible…' Genji was even more satisfied, his tone involuntarily softening: "All of this is related to a plan."
"A plan?" Ao glanced at the Orochi-Beauty-Maru, then at Genji, and secretly thought, 'Are they 'working together'?'
"Yes, it's called: Konoha Crush!"
Then, Genji told Ao about the Konoha Crush Plan, emphasizing that besides Kirigakure and Orochimaru, Sunagakure and Otogakure were also involved.
Ao was dumbfounded after hearing it all, 'Kirigakure, Sunagakure and Otogakure…'
'This Orochimaru has actually connected so many forces in secret…'
'But even so, can they really defeat Konoha?'
Deeply worried, Ao advised: "Genji-sama, Konoha is the Number One Great Shinobi Village in the Shinobi World, with very formidable strength. Attacking during the Chunin Exams held in Konoha's territory is too presumptuous! If we fail, we…"
"Enough!"
Genji interrupted him dissatisfiedly, "Ao, I'm informing you, not discussing with you!"
"…Yes." Ao turned his head away unwillingly.
"Now, immediately send your subordinates to sneak into the Land of Fire in batches and lay ambush near Konoha."
Genji instructed, "At the same time, you will also enter Konoha and rendezvous with Terumi Mei, then the Konoha Crush Plan…"
"Wait a minute!" Orochi-Beauty-Maru interrupted, "Please forgive me for being blunt, but Terumi Mei has been in Konoha for so many years, I am afraid that she is no longer loyal to your village."
"What do you mean?" Genji asked with a frown.
"Orochimaru, you're talking nonsense what?! How could Terumi Mei betray our village!" Ao was furious, and he rolled up his sleeves and wanted to fight him here immediately!
"As far as I know, every night, Gekko Kanpū of Konoha goes to Kirigakure's envoy to have a drink and talk with Terumi Mei…"
Orochi-Beauty-Maru smirked sinisterly, "After so many years, I am afraid that Terumi Mei is already Konoha's daughter-in-law."
"What you said makes sense." Genji said with a solemn face.
"Genji-sama, don't listen to Orochimaru nonsense!"
Ao said anxiously, "Terumi Mei will never betray the village!"
"Just in case, don't disclose the Konoha Crush Plan to Terumi Mei, understand?" Genji said, his murky eyes fixed on Ao like a zombie.
Ao's spine chilled. Gritting his teeth, he nodded: "I understand."
"Then, depart for the Land of Fire tomorrow." Genji turned around slowly, and with the Orochi-Beauty Secretary-Maru's help, he left quickly.
Then, Kirigakure, Otogakure and Land of Sky's Shinobi secretly dispatched their elite Shinobi to sneak into the Land of Fire in batches to prepare for the Joint Chunin Exams in Konoha six months later.
...
Time flew by, four months passed in the blink of an eye.
In the underground base beneath the frozen soil of the Land of Iron, Kanpū lay on the wooden bed as usual.
In the past few months, he had been eating, drinking, and defecating, feeling like his limbs were about to atrophy.
Fortunately, God rewards the diligent!
After lying down for four months, the 49 red stardusts in Kanpū's mind finally merged into one, emitting a bright red halo, just like a red sun!