Fate had other plans.
The Chūnin Exams.
Naruto had heard about them before. A test meant to push genin past their limits, to separate the weak from the strong. It wasn't just an exam—it was a battlefield disguised as a competition, a way for the villages to show off their future powerhouses while simultaneously weeding out those who couldn't keep up. Violence was guaranteed. Death wasn't uncommon.
And now, Kakashi had nominated Team 7 to participate.
Sasuke and Sakura were thrilled.
Naruto? Not so much.
"No."
The refusal was immediate.
Sasuke and Sakura gawked at him.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Sasuke demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"No," Naruto repeated, shifting in his sunlit spot. "I'm not doing it."
Sakura frowned. "But—why? You're ridiculously strong! You could probably win the whole thing without trying."
"Don't want to," Naruto said simply.
Sasuke scowled. "You're chickening out?"
Naruto blinked at him. "No. I just don't feel like it."
"That's chickening out," Sasuke snapped.
Naruto shrugged.
Sakura crossed her arms. "Come on, Naruto. If you become a chūnin, you'll get better missions, better pay. Don't you want that?"
Naruto considered it.
Did he want that?
Higher rank meant harder missions. Harder missions meant more fighting. More fighting meant more death.
No, he didn't want that.
So he repeated himself. "No."
Sasuke clicked his tongue, obviously frustrated. "I'll treat you to ramen."
Naruto yawned, turning over onto his side. "Not worth it."
That earned a visible flinch from both of them.
"Dattebane," Sakura muttered under her breath.
It was bizarre, seeing someone so absurdly powerful turn down an opportunity like this. Sasuke had known Naruto was weird, but this was another level.
They tried again, offering different deals—more food, easier missions, even just a promise that they'd stick together. Naruto didn't budge. He didn't want to kill anyone, and no amount of ramen could change that.
But then, the Hokage himself called him in.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was old, wise, and patient. He had seen all kinds of shinobi in his time—warriors hungry for power, children desperate for recognition, prodigies who craved challenge. Naruto was none of those things.
So Hiruzen didn't push. He simply explained.
"If you pass the Chūnin Exams, you'll be promoted," he said, folding his hands together. "And if you continue to climb the ranks, you'll get closer to your goal of becoming Hokage."
Naruto stared at him.
Becoming Hokage? That was the end goal, wasn't it? The ultimate proof that he had made it? That he belonged?
But something still felt… wrong.
"How many lives do I need to take to become Hokage?" he asked, voice flat. "Man wild as a whole?"
Silence.
That was the answer, wasn't it?
Too many.
Naruto's grip on his sleeves tightened.
He didn't like violence. He didn't want to kill. But survival was a different matter. He had lived as something else before, as something ancient and primal, and he knew the law of nature—kill or be killed.
He didn't want to kill anyone.
But he wouldn't let anyone kill him, either.
"…Fine."
Hiruzen nodded.
Naruto turned to leave, but paused at the doorway. "I won't kill anyone," he said over his shoulder. "Or anything."
And with that, he left.
Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples.
This was going to be interesting.