Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Although he felt very guilty, Kankuro was too proud to admit it, given how his friends had seen through him.

"Oh well, let's just leave it to fate."

Gaara, seeing his brother's pathetic state, knew exactly what was going on. They'd grown up together, and his brother was far from being a cultured person; being able to write his own name was already a feat, so what more could he ask for? But they were already at this point, and if he backed down now, his brother would probably be buried alive by their father's gold dust combo.

“Gaara...”

Seeing Gaara like this, Kankuro felt as if he had been hit by tens of thousands of points of damage. It was bad enough that his friends had seen him, but now even his younger brother had seen him.

But he really didn't have any substance in his belly!

Konoha is really unpredictable! Aren't ninjas supposed to just fight and kill? They even have written exams! It's not like we're supposed to be scientists...

"Why.....!"

Temari and the others shook their heads helplessly as they entered the examination room and found seats with their names on them.

Of these fifty-odd people, more than half were alright. They were all geniuses carefully selected by Rasa to show off their skills, and they were quite literate. Even Karin and her two friends who were forced to come here just to make up the numbers were not bad in terms of academic background. After all, if their grades weren't good, Rasa wouldn't have put them in the same class as Karin.

However, people like Kankuro are common in every village; there are one or two of them.

For example... the savior of Konoha.

This person was completely illiterate; only he could understand his own name. After the proctor handed out the exam papers and announced the start, he kept scratching his head and looking trembling, as if he was having some kind of internal struggle. In addition, the captain of the Konoha Anbu Torture Department, Morino Ibiki, was a black-faced god who was good at manipulating people's minds, which put a lot of pressure on these kids. Only a few people with good mental fortitude remained calm. After receiving the exam papers, they calmly glanced at them and began to observe the situation around them.

A few of the brighter kids figured out the real purpose of the exam. As soon as they got their papers, they heard someone next to them grab their pen and start scribbling away. Normally, they would have given that person a free, universally recognized hand gesture, but this was clearly not a normal situation.

This is the Joint Chunin Exams, and every participant represents their village. If you try to show off now and get embarrassed, you'll bring shame to your village. So it's clearly not a good time to show off, especially... Dude, at least try to disguise yourself properly! The Chunin Ma clan members are showing through your clothes!

After discovering the flaws and understanding the purpose of the written test, the kids started showing off their special skills. The second male lead started copying actions, while the tragic Hyuga boy and the Crown Princess were even more impressive. The Byakugan is definitely the eye that every man in the ninja world wants to have, no exaggeration. Its popularity even far surpasses that of the Uchiha Sharingan. If it were in the hands of old masters of human body art like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya, they probably wouldn't trade it for the Rinnegan. The Sharingan can only copy actions, but the Byakugan can see through things, and it can see through multiple layers of things. This kind of temptation is much greater than that of the Sharingan and the Rinnegan!

Some were playing with insects, swatting them to spy on others. In short, the methods were so varied and dazzling that it was hard to keep up. Even Shinto, who was watching the excitement from the outside using his Observation Haki, was deeply impressed by the methods of these young men. Gaara's Sand Eye technique was just ordinary. Kankuro's crude method of using a puppet to impersonate an examiner and collude to cheat was simply unbearable to watch. The truly brilliant one was a young man from Amegakure. He used a small Water Release technique to make a small water droplet gather on the ceiling and another on the ninja headband on the forehead of the "tool man". Then, he used the light refraction to project the answer onto his own desk.

That's some seriously amazing talent!

This kind of talent is only a peripheral member of the Akatsuki? No wonder even Orochimaru said Nagato... pshaw! He'll never amount to anything...

Of course, these people are all highly skilled. The purpose of this written test is to examine their intelligence gathering skills. After all, Konoha has always required its ninjas to develop in all aspects, including morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. Killing people is only one aspect of physical fitness. Intelligence gathering is also a compulsory course for ninjas, unlike other villages that have always focused on killing people.

So even if Ibiki Morino discovered it, as long as his skills were good enough, he would pretend he didn't see it.

However, some people, although they discovered the intention to take the exam, were kicked out by Morino Ibiki because their methods of spying were too simple and crude.

For example, there were a few burly men from Iwagakure. Although they were still genin, the fact that Onoki sent them meant that their strength was definitely top-notch among genin. However, they had been working as ninjas for a year or two. Not to mention that they had forgotten everything they learned in school when they graduated, their village's Chunin Exams didn't even have a written test. Although Iwagakure didn't have the same martial spirit as Kumogakure, they still relied on fighting to rise in rank. What good was being good at studying?

Can you become a shogun just by studying well?

The Tsuchikage position was predetermined...

So when the exam started, he was completely bewildered holding the test paper, then craned his neck to peek around, as if afraid no one would notice he was spying. He really thought this was Iwagakure's home turf! If Morino Ibiki didn't eliminate these guys, he'd feel like he was doing a disservice to his headband...

How dare they be so blatant in front of me, the head of this interrogation department? Do they really think I'm just a paid employee?!

971. Such a huge difference between the descendants of geniuses.

Shinto's biggest concern is still their little darling. Although Karin is usually carefree and has inherited the fine traditions of the Uzumaki clan, she never falters when it matters. Although the sealing techniques don't give her any way to show off her skills, she has excellent perception abilities, which allow her to see the target's movements as clearly as if they were in slow motion. Although she can't copy the opponent's movements in sync like the Sharingan, she can still do simple imitations without any problem.

Moreover, Shinto knew that the ultimate purpose of this written test was to test his mental fortitude. In terms of mental strength, Shinto was not just bragging, but even the second male lead, who was only interested in revenge, couldn't compare to Karin, who dared to retort even when Shinto made a casual remark about that short-lived Uchiha.

Karin's methods, as the head of the Konoha Anbu's interrogation department, were not enough to scare her father, who was a terrorist.

After the exam, Karin appeared the most relaxed, showing no pressure even with a stern-faced man watching her from above.

.......

"Sigh... Naruto still isn't good enough!"

Inside the Hokage Building, Konoha's "Half of the Sky" was absent as usual, probably because he had some kind of shady deal with Orochimaru and knew that something big was about to happen, so he deliberately kept his presence to a minimum. However, the three giants of Konoha were all present. They were the ones who proposed this joint Chunin Exam, so they were naturally quite concerned about the exam, mainly to see how the next generation of each village would fare.

So far they are quite satisfied, especially after seeing Morino Ibiki eliminate several Iwagakure kids. Hiruzen Sarutobi, who has been under a lot of pressure and is in a tense mood recently, has his face breaking out with smiles again.

Then, as the crystal ball played videos of the Konoha children showing off their skills, and he saw the two Hyuga boys and girls using their Byakugan, he felt both envious and comforted. At least for now, the performance of the Konoha youths had won his heart. Look at that Aburame clan kid, he plays with insects even better than his father.

Then look at the Nara clan's big head. They're too lazy to even cheat. They finished answering the questions in ten minutes based on their own abilities. The brain of someone who could establish a shogi dynasty in the Land of Fire at the age of five is terrifying. Even his father couldn't beat him.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but wonder if his youngest son had gone through something during his years as a monk and become a masochist, daring to play shogi with this brat...

However, when the savior appeared on the screen, before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even speak, the literary figure next door, Homura Mitokado, became uneasy. He even felt a toothache as he watched the constantly changing savior in the crystal ball, which clearly didn't have much substance, and had to swallow a bottle of painkillers to relieve the pain.

Back then, their Fourth Hokage was so dashing. He learned the Flying Thunder God Technique from a commoner, a technique that no one had been able to master since their Second Hokage. He even improved upon it and played it better than their Second Hokage. Not to mention his cultural knowledge, he taught himself the Flying Thunder God Technique and developed such advanced techniques as the No-Seal Ninjutsu. Without a certain level of knowledge, he would have ruined himself. Moreover, that kid was obedient and had an excellent grasp of his leader's intentions. After Orochimaru gave up the Hokage position to join Danzo in Root, even Nawaki, the super prince, couldn't compete with him for the Hokage position.

Even though Kushina wasn't very famous in the ninja world, that was only because she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. They protected her and didn't dare let her go out and cause trouble. But her reputation in the village was top-notch. Back then, apart from her boyfriend Minato, who among her classmates hadn't been beaten by her? Plus, she learned sealing techniques personally from Lord Mito, so she was definitely a genius.

But why is it so miserable to have this child with the couple?

It's understandable that the child is too young to understand the purpose of the written test, but he has been naughty and mischievous since childhood, and his grades are always at the bottom. He is completely different from his parents. If it weren't for the few fox-like long whiskers on his face, Mitokado Homura would have suspected that Danzo had switched the child with a fake one. This is really too bad.

Then look at the great-granddaughter of Chiyo, the old woman from Sunagakure. They are both from the same Uzumaki clan, so why is there such a big difference?

"This girl must be from the Uzumaki clan of Sunagakure, right?"

Koharu, who was in the same room, looked at the savior and then at the red-haired girl who was also in the scene, and shook her head helplessly.

However, compared to the savior, she was more concerned about the red-haired girl, Yukari. As everyone knows, since the Uzumaki clan was wiped out by the various villages, the only known members of the Uzumaki clan are the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki of Sunagakure and Kushina of Konoha. The most obvious feature of the Uzumaki clan is red hair, which is even rarer than the golden hair of Shiki and Minato. Sunagakure only has the super puppeteer Sasori and his Jinchuriki. In addition, according to the information they have, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki is Sasori's wife. Therefore, this little girl is the fourth legal heir of the Miyako clan.

One is the son of Konoha's famous super genius, the Fourth Hokage "Yellow Flash," and the other is the daughter of Sunagakure's famous super genius, the master puppeteer. Although it's unclear how talented this little girl is, judging from their current performance, Konoha's talent seems to be slightly inferior.

"...Who else could it be but her?"

Speaking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt inexplicably heartbroken, just like when he learned that Shiki had found a Minazuki with an Ice Release technique, but it was even more heartbreaking. The Uzumaki clan!

Its effect is far greater than Ice Release!

For many years, thanks to Lord Mito, only Konoha had ever had members of the Uzumaki clan. They were the specialists in sealing the Nine-Tails, and their importance to the village was immense. However, when the Uzumaki clan was attacked by a coalition of other villages in the ninja world, they were wiped out in just a few days due to the speed of the attack. Konoha couldn't react in time. Upon receiving the distress call, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only send Sakumo to protect the Uzumaki clan's bloodline. He already knew that with the Uzumaki clan under the siege of so many villages in the ninja world, apart from Kushina who was rescued by Sakumo, there should have been no one else left. After all, the entire Uzumaki Village had been split in two by Shiki the Golden Lion, and later, the entire village even summoned the Shinigami. This shows how devastating the battle was back then.

But who could have imagined that the five main ninja villages of Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Amegakure would not have brought back a single member of the Uzumaki clan, while the relatively insignificant Kusagakure would have gotten one, and in the end, they couldn't even hold onto it and let Shiki take advantage of it!

Every time he thinks about this, Hiruzen Sarutobi feels as if his father has died.

The Grass Village is right next to their Leaf Village, even closer than the Sand Village. How come he didn't discover the Uzumaki clan members of the Grass Village back then?

972. White: Masato-sama's mouth is so foul.

While it's true that a child prodigy may not necessarily amount to a great adult—Kakashi, whose Sharingan has held him back, is a prime example—this little girl's performance so far surpasses that of his perfect grandson. Just look at her calm demeanor; that's something most children wouldn't possess.

If it had been Konoha that acquired the Uzumaki clan from Kusagakure, they would have had many more options. He would never have allowed his perfect grand-disciple's son to become a Jinchūriki; it would have tarnished his reputation as the perfect grand-disciple.

This is also one of the reasons why he hasn't revealed Naruto's identity all these years. One reason is to protect Naruto. After all, the entire ninja world knows that Minato's wife, Kushina, is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. There are no other Uzumaki clan members in Konoha, so their child is definitely a Uzumaki clan member. Without a doubt, he is a Jinchuriki.

Secondly, it was indeed to protect the reputation of the perfect grand-disciple. The perfect grand-disciple was so outstanding, having practically cleared the entire map in the third battle. If his son were to perform poorly, it would be a real slap in the face to the perfect grand-disciple.

His perfect grand-disciple died for the village, and he really didn't want his perfect grand-disciple to lose face after his death.

In this respect, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly had nothing to say about his perfect grand-disciple, Minato Namikaze; he treated him more like a son than his own eldest son...

.....

The first written exam was a mixed bag of emotions. However, aside from Onoki's son, Kotobuki, the leader of Iwagakure, the people from other ninja villages were generally happy. Although some of them had been eliminated, none of them were important members. While the Iwagakure members weren't exactly important either, Onoki's beloved granddaughter and disciple, two core members, were still around, Iwagakure currently had the fewest members among the three major ninja villages: Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure. Konoha was always playing these fancy games, and Iwagakure had already eliminated so many people in just the first round. Who knows what will happen in the later rounds?

Konoha was definitely targeting him, but he couldn't say anything. Back when they were in the Iwagakure joint Chunin Exams, his father Onoki's underhanded tactics were even more shameless. So even though he knew Konoha was targeting him, he couldn't say anything.

"Nephew, you're not in good shape. As the saying goes, fortunes change every thirty years, and you shouldn't underestimate a young man's potential. Your old man, that shameless Onoki, ended up like this too. A lot of people were eliminated this time, but your daughter and your little brother are still around, aren't they? It's okay to gamble, as long as you still have the chips, what's there to panic about?"

Masato patted the shoulder of the sullen-looking Koyoko.

Ever since he saw that about a dozen of his underlings from his village had been recruited, this little sly guy's face turned as if his father had died.

No wonder Onoki is two years older than Hiruzen Sarutobi and still hogs the spot without doing anything. Although this kid inherited Onoki's cunning, his talent and courage are really not as good as Onoki's. He's already in such a sorry state after eliminating only ten or so people. Onoki was hit hard in the buttocks by his Thousand Years of Death, but he can still start cursing without changing his expression when he sees him!

The difference is just too great!

"........"

Huang Tu was in no mood to talk to him. You weren't the one being targeted by Sunagakure, so of course you had the nerve to make sarcastic remarks. Didn't you know who was being targeted and came to sabotage our former daimyo?

I still haven't finished paying off my gambling debts...

Of course, such thoughts are best kept to oneself. Although this old man doesn't get along with his father, he's still of the same generation, so even if he gets beaten up, it'll be pointless...

"But speaking of which, is this daughter really your biological daughter? She doesn't look like her at all!"

Masato suddenly stroked his chin and said.

Speaking of the Onoki family, three generations of ancestors are truly bizarre. The father is short and ugly, the son is a strong man, and the granddaughter has long legs. Most people really can't imagine that these three generations are a family.

Just like with Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son back then, no one believed that Konoha's little green seedling was Hiruzen Sarutobi's biological son, even though Hiruzen Sarutobi produced a DNA report and birth certificate, it was useless. The difference was just too great!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son almost perfectly avoided inheriting his father's genes. He is tall, handsome, and doesn't have a big beard. Most importantly, he is a gentleman.

Onoki had quite a few suspicions that Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife had a relationship with the handsome guy next door back in the day...

That's the right way to portray Hiruzen Sarutobi's son—the youngest son.

The situation was similar across three generations of the Onoki family. Hiruzen Sarutobi knew the Onoki had a granddaughter, but had never met her. When he first saw her, he even suspected that Onoki's daughter-in-law had stolen someone's head years ago...

"Lord Shindou, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that Kurotsuchi is her biological daughter! Kurotsuchi looks just like her mother!"

Huang Tu said seriously with a dark face. This time he couldn't stay silent. This old bastard was a big mouth. If he continued to make up stories, his whole family would be trending on the ninja world's hot search list.

He was actually puzzled, as this wasn't the first time he'd been suspected, but it was just gossip; no one had ever dared to say it to his face.

If it weren't for the tradition of respecting elders in Iwagakure, he would have already started fighting this old guy...

"..."

Mizuki Haku, who was following Masato, was also speechless. During the time he had been with this man, he found that this man's mouth was too foul!

Basically, apart from the people of Sunagakure and Konoha's White Fang, during the time he's been out with him, he hasn't seen anyone who can stand his mouth. Even Konoha's technician Kakashi, who is a famous ninja, almost lost his temper after just a few words.

This is saying to their face that their daughter isn't their biological child...

The fact that they've survived until now is truly a testament to their strength; any other person would have been ambushed in the bushes long ago!

"Just kidding, don't take it so seriously! Your old man is the same. Hiruzen Sarutobi had to take over because Konoha had no other talent. You Iwagakure clearly have such an excellent successor as your nephew, but you still insist on occupying the position without doing anything. That old man has too much of a lust for power! Only a filial son like you can tolerate it. If it were me, I would have kicked him out and taken over myself long ago."

Shinto seemed oblivious to the expressions on Huang Tu's face and those of the group of Iwa ninja behind him, speaking as if he were speaking up for him.

“…”

"Water without moon, white sky gazing"—is this some kind of attempt to convincing someone of patricide?

"My abilities are limited, my father is still in good health, and we have other matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave now!"

After finishing his sentence, Huang Tu hurriedly left with his underlings.