"What's wrong, Naruto? You seem a bit down these past two days. Are you nervous about the Chunin Exams?"
On Konoha's bustling streets, Satsuki slightly tilted her head, her dark eyes filled with undisguised concern as she looked at the somewhat silent Naruto beside her.
She naturally didn't know that Naruto's mind was swirling with complex thoughts about Orochimaru and Gaara. She only assumed he was feeling pressured by the upcoming major exam.
Hearing her warm inquiry, Naruto snapped out of his contemplation, met Satsuki's focused gaze, and his tone unconsciously softened. "Sorry for making you worry. I'm fine, it's just that there's a bit more I need to think about lately."
"I see…"
Satsuki softly acknowledged, not pressing further, but the concern in her eyes didn't fade. "Alright. But if you feel unwell, or run into any trouble, you must tell me immediately."
Satsuki thought to herself, a strange feeling in her heart, that Naruto usually handled all sorts of situations with ease, whether it was combat or social interactions. Why was he like this now? However, for her, investigating the reason wasn't the priority. Placing Naruto's feelings and safety at the highest priority was already an ingrained instinct. Since Naruto seemed to have encountered a problem that required thought, then she would become his staunchest support.
Actually… sometimes, Satsuki secretly wished Naruto wasn't always so capable, so independent.
If he could be troubled by more things, if he wasn't so strong… wouldn't he rely on her more, hold onto her tighter, and become even more… inseparable from her? In that case, his gaze, his world, might then belong more completely to her alone.
And at this moment, after briefly responding to Satsuki's concern, Naruto's thoughts once again sank into assessing the situation. He repeatedly analyzed and dissected the comparison of strengths between their side and the enemy in his mind, ultimately arriving at a clear conclusion: even without mobilizing the power of the [Ember] Organization, his own strength seemed sufficient to suppress any trouble Orochimaru might stir up.
As long as the First Hokage, resurrected by Edo Tensei, couldn't exert his full power from when he was alive, Naruto alone had a good chance of dealing with Orochimaru and his Otogakure forces.
It's just that this guy's ability to survive and his numerous revival contingencies were simply too many; he was practically the most resilient person in the Ninja World. If he were to engage in a fight to the death with him, it would likely lead to endless trouble.
Moreover, to be fair, deep down, Naruto harbored a hint of "cherishing talent" for Orochimaru's astonishing scientific abilities.
If Orochimaru's genius-level scientific mind could be guided to the right path, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost for promoting the advancement of knowledge and technological development throughout the entire Ninja World. Destroying it like this would be too much of a pity.
Of course, the premise of all this "persuading cooperation" was built upon an unshakable bottom line—Orochimaru must never show even a sliver of covetousness towards Satsuki or the power of the Uchiha.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance that Orochimaru dared to set his sights on Satsuki… for Satsuki's absolute safety, Naruto would have to eliminate him completely, no matter the cost.
Hopefully, this Orochimaru, who hadn't been crushed and defeated by Uchiha Itachi, hopefully that incredibly smart and life-loving guy, will make a wise enough choice this time… "Hey! Naruto!"
Just as Naruto was immersed in his own thoughts, a deep voice echoed in his inner depths.
It was the Nine-Tailed.
Naruto paused slightly. It wasn't common for the Nine-Tailed to initiate a conversation with him.
"What's wrong, Kurama?"
Naruto immediately responded internally, his voice directly reaching the massive figure behind the sealing gate. This conversation existed only between the two of them, a man and a fox; the outside world was oblivious.
The giant Nine-Tailed Fox lay lazily on the surface of the sealing water, its vertical pupils slightly narrowed, a clearly disdainful curve to its mouth.
Its tone sounded somewhat troubled, yet it couldn't hide its inherent arrogance and contempt for a specific individual.
"A familiar, annoying guy has snuck into Konoha."
The Nine-Tailed's voice carried undisguised disgust. "It's that idiot Shukaku! Its chakra is nearby. It's its Jinchuriki."
"Go, Naruto! Go meet it! Don't let it think it can still be arrogant when it's on someone else's territory!"
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