I just returned to Konoha and found that my entire clan was gone.

"No, it's the inauguration ceremony for the Fifth Kazekage."

Knowing the situation, Shikamaru muttered something.

"The Godaime Kazekage?"

The Konoha 11 who took the exam were surprised by the news. They never expected to be able to witness the Kazekage's inauguration ceremony. Tsunade's inauguration ceremony had shocked them for a long time.

"What kind of ninja will he be?"

In Ino's mind, the Kazekage and the others were still quite distant, and she hadn't paid any attention to this matter at all, so she couldn't help but be a little curious.

"That's someone you know."

Asuma said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, "I never expected this kid to become the Kazekage. This world is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to me, as if anything can happen."

"acquaintance?"

Somewhat puzzled by Asuma's reply, the other Jonin also had no intention of figuring out the answer. They all stopped to watch the ceremony.

A figure appeared on the rooftop of the Sunagakure office building in the distance; the Kazekage's hat obscured his features.

The figure was not tall. He slowly walked to the edge of the rooftop, placed his hand on his straw hat, and began his pre-appointment speech. His voice was calm and gentle as he detailed the current predicament of Sunagakure and his determination to lead Sunagakure out of its difficulties.

"That voice is!"

Xiao Li was the first to react, and the others had the same feeling, but they didn't make the connection. Then, the figure above took off the Wind Shadow Hat and announced.

"From this day forward, I am the Fifth Kazekage!"

Upon seeing the faces above them, the group was momentarily stunned.

"As expected... it's Gaara."

While the group was still feeling smug about becoming Chunin, their opponent had already become Kazekage. The shock and impact of witnessing this firsthand struck everyone's hearts.

“That’s right. Since the establishment of the ninja village’s system, Gaara is the youngest person to become a Kage.”

Ye Lan said directly, and this information completely wiped away the joy in their hearts.

...

In a dark corner, a figure wearing a cloak slightly raised his head and looked intently at Gaara, who was giving a speech.

"Gaara has truly become the Kazekage..."

Rasa's mood at this moment was no better than that of the other genin, but he had a longer-term perspective.

If it weren't for the current situation in Sunagakure, Gaara would never have become the Kazekage, and the mess Sunagakure is now in is even more difficult than when he took over.

"After becoming the Kazekage, the road ahead will be even more difficult. I hope you can do it."

Rasa tightened the hood on his head. He absolutely could not let anyone discover his appearance. The matters of his previous life were settled, and the future of Sunagakure was no longer his concern.

"Who are you! What are you doing in Sunagakure?"

Temari, who had been keeping a close watch on the surroundings, noticed Rasa's suspicious figure and immediately led her team to surround him. All the other Jonin who had come to Sunagakure had been registered, and Temari was certain she hadn't seen this person before.

"Hehe, you've grown up too. You'll have to help Gaara a lot from now on."

Luo Sha left only one sentence before turning into a wisp of yellow sand and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Captain, should we continue the pursuit?"

When the other team members saw this, they asked Temari about it, but they didn't know what had happened.

Thump~

Temari knelt down on the ground. Although she couldn't see his face, she wouldn't mistake the voice. It was her father's voice. Why was it at this time?

Chapter 104 Burning Again

"There's an Uchiha site nearby. I need to go check it out. You guys go ahead."

Not long after the group set off, Ye Lan spoke up.

With the mystery of the Uchiha clan about to be revealed, Ye Lan couldn't help but feel anxious and made up an excuse to leave the group.

"Okay, then hurry up, we'll meet in Konoha."

Asma was somewhat taken aback by Yelan's excuse for leaving the team, but he still agreed, as such unauthorized actions were not allowed during the mission.

They all knew that Ye Lan was surnamed Uchiha, and since the mission was over, they couldn't very well refuse Ye Lan's reason for going to investigate the ruins.

After Asuma agreed, Ye Lan immediately left the group, this time without Sasuke. It would be too suspicious for the two of them to leave together.

Is this really a good idea?

Red coming to Asma's side to handle personal matters is something that is not allowed during missions.

"I hope everything's alright..."

Asma murmured as he watched Ye Lan's departing figure.

The others, including Ino, couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only watch Ye Lan leave in silence. Only Sasuke guessed what Ye Lan was thinking.

Suppress your curiosity and continue forward with the group.

...

Country of Hot Springs

Besides the Land of Water, this country is also a country that is separated from the Ninja World Continent.

Although the country is poor and banditry and theft are rampant, it has hardly ever experienced any major wars due to its remoteness from the mainland.

A figure dressed in a long robe arrived at a tourist attraction in the Land of Hot Springs and went into a small shop to prepare lunch.

When she saw a familiar figure, she immediately thought of turning around and running away, but when she heard the two talking, she found a corner and sat down.

These two people haven't seen me many times, so they shouldn't be in any danger.

The person wearing the cloak is Tayuya.

After being swallowed by Manda, it was able to avoid being digested by Manda in time thanks to its Cursed Seal II state.

After killing Wanshe, Yelan crawled out of Wanshe's esophagus out of her will to survive.

When she emerged, all the battles had ended. She had completely given up on Orochimaru and instead went to the Land of Hot Springs, far from the center of the ninja world.

The person Naruto encountered at the shop was Jiraiya, who was training with him.

Having left Orochimaru, Tayuya completely lost her source of information. She hadn't realized it before, but after surviving on her own, she understood the importance of intelligence and decided to steal some information from here.

"Naruto, you need to speed up your training. I heard the second Chunin Exams have already started. I guess your classmates have all been promoted to Chunin by now."

Jiraiya kept reminding Naruto that Naruto's training progress was really giving him a headache.

Without competitors behind him, the kid's progress has obviously slowed down. Since I'm not the kind of teacher who's particularly strict, I can only use his classmates to motivate him.

"What! The Second Chunin Exams have started! Perverted Sage, we need to get back to Konoha right now! I want to become a Chunin!"

Naruto became excited as he recalled his first Chunin Exams.

"Even if you go back now, it'll be too late. The exams will probably be over by then. And how many times have I told you not to call me the lecherous immortal!"

Jiraiya said somewhat angrily, "According to seniority, I am this kid's advisor, and no matter how many times I've told him, he won't change."

"Why did you only tell me now! My chance to become a Chunin is gone just like that!"

"Hmph, you're not even good enough to become a Chunin! Besides, I heard from Tsunade that Sasuke is almost a Jonin!"

Jiraiya had been in communication with Tsunade, and while he didn't have a complete understanding of the village's situation, he was fairly well aware of it.

"A Jonin! Like Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto was genuinely surprised. He took it for granted that his classmate had become a Chunin, and having been out with Jiraiya for almost a year, he was well aware of the strength of the other ninjas in the ninja world.

Sasuke's rapid rise to Jonin status stirred a slight sense of jealousy and resentment within him. "We all graduated together, how come you became a Jonin so quickly?" he thought.

"That's right. If you see Sasuke when you go back to the village in the future, you'll have to use a respectful title for him, since you're just a genin."

Jiraiya joked.

"Aaaaah! How could this be!" Naruto scratched his head, turning his already messy hair into a bird's nest.

Jiraiya wanted this effect, so that Naruto could continue to work hard for a while longer.

However, thinking about this trip, he couldn't help but sigh and mutter to himself.

"I originally wanted to come to the land of hot springs to gather some materials, but I didn't expect that the most famous hot spring in the land of hot springs was closed."

"This has nothing to do with it! The lecherous immortal wants to cultivate!"

Naruto stood up; he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Gathering materials is also part of cultivation, but how long are these people going to eavesdrop?"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as he spoke to the group of people at the table beside him.

Tayuya was startled, thinking she had been discovered, but to her surprise, the people sitting next to Jiraiya stood up.

The leader looked to be under twenty years old and had a handsome face, but a scar on his face diminished his otherwise good looks.

The man spoke slowly and deliberately.

"As expected of Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, one of the Legendary Sannin, it's true that we have our reasons for not being able to enjoy the hot springs in the Land of Hot Springs, but we also have our reasons for doing this."

"Shu, you were originally a Jonin of Yugakure, but you murdered a nobleman who provided funds to the village. Yugakure has already issued an S-rank warrant for your arrest. What reason do you have for doing such a thing?"

Jiraiya despised these rogue ninjas the most, not to mention killing nobles who provided missions for the village; they were simply unworthy of being ninjas.

Xiu sneered and said, "Just because they are the village's source of funding, does that give them the right to do whatever they want? How many people have been harmed by them? Has Konoha, which has always been known for its peace and justice, made such a judgment so easily?"

Xiu killed Mozi's maternal family members, not only slaughtering the entire clan but also distributing all their land and property to those who had nothing to eat.

Jiraiya couldn't soak in the hot springs in the Land of Hot Springs because the hot springs here were originally run by Moko's family. Now that they've all died, no one is taking care of them anymore.

(For details about Mozi and Xiu, please see Chapter 47.)

"I don't know why you did this, but betraying the village is the most unforgivable act in the ninja world!"

Jiraiya was somewhat dissatisfied. Apart from Naruto, no one had dared to speak to him like that for a long time. Did they really think his title as one of the Legendary Sannin was just for show?

"The so-called rules are nothing but rules you made. Even though I've repeatedly asked the village's higher-ups for help, they just turn a blind eye. To them, the lives of nobles are what matter, but the lives of us ninjas and commoners are nothing!"

Xiu was agitated. He had run around the village seeking help, but even as a Jonin, he couldn't change the rules. He could only watch the An family die tragically and bear the stigma of betraying the village.