Chapter 172
But the good news is… Kazekage Rasa is dead.
This can't be blamed on Gaara's filial piety.
Given Rasa's attitude towards Gaara, it's a miracle Gaara didn't celebrate wildly after his death.
After this upheaval, Gaara actually matured a lot.
He said goodbye to Naruto alone.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you are the first being who truly defeated me."
"You are also the first person I completely acknowledge."
"Although I initially felt deeply humiliated, I quickly understood that it was nothing more than pathetic pride…"
"The people who died by my hand back then didn't even get a chance to feel humiliated…"
"And I, after all, am not dead yet."
"Since I'm still alive, perhaps my existence still has meaning…"
"What I truly want to say to you is…"
"Thank you."
Not only was Naruto surprised, but Baki, Temari, Kankuro, and others also changed their expressions.
"Gaara…"
Naruto smiled faintly: "Gaara, although I didn't like you before and even considered you a monster, however…"
"You are indeed very powerful!"
"And, I'm afraid there isn't a second person in this world who can understand you better."
"Because…"
"The same monster resides within me, and because of it, I also suffered from indifference and the Byakugan's gaze. The taste of loneliness, I think we both feel the same…"
Gaara's heart stirred; he knew Naruto was speaking the truth.
But Naruto's tone shifted, and he quickly returned to his usual bright smile.
He clasped his hands behind his head and laughed, "But you're also very lucky. At least you have your older brother and sister, and your teacher. You're not truly alone."
Gaara looked back at the three of them, said nothing, and simply nodded calmly.
"Indeed, perhaps I'm not alone…"
"Goodbye, Uzumaki Naruto."
"We should have a chance to meet again in the future."
Naruto clenched his fist and said, "Oh! Next time we meet, let's have another match to decide the winner!"
Gaara nodded, silent, and followed Baki forward.
He suddenly spoke, "Baki-sensei, Temari, Kankuro…"
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
The three of them were completely stunned.
For such words to come from Gaara's mouth was nothing short of earth-shattering… Temari quickly said, "N-nothing at all…"
Before she finished speaking, two streams of tears were already flowing… After bidding farewell to the Sunagakure Ninja, the reconstruction of Konoha Village continued.
Because the war ended early, coupled with Sunagakure's complete submission, Konoha Village not only gained a breathing space but also acquired more resources and wealth.
The reconstruction work proceeded very smoothly.
Next up were the post-Chunin Exams matters.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked through the documents, somewhat hesitant.
"Everyone, what are your thoughts?"
"Who ultimately deserves to be promoted to Chunin?"
Many Jonin, clan heads, and even several examiners were present.
Kakashi smiled faintly: "Although it sounds a bit like self-praise…"
"I believe all three members of Team 7 should be promoted to Chunin."
Asuma Sarutobi nodded.
"Naruto goes without saying; he's the hero who ended the great war early, and he defeated Gaaraand sealed the Ichibi Shukaku. His strength and contributions are top-notch; a mere Chuninpromotion is nothing for him."
"Sasuke and Hinata also performed very well."
"If it weren't for the unforeseen circumstances, Sasuke would have been the only candidate to contend with Naruto for the championship. Even if he ultimately lost to Naruto, he definitely had the strength to be promoted to Chunin."
"Although Hinata lost to Gaara, her strength is completely sufficient. Her Byakugan's insight, the family's secret Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm, and Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm are all very proficient. She even created her own Guardian Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm. Her talent and creativity are top-tier…"
"More importantly, during the war, the two of them intercepted Temari and Kankuro, and then followed Naruto to summon Jiraiya-sama, making contributions to the victory of the war."
Kurenai Yuhi also said, "I also agree that all three should be promoted to Chunin."
Might Guy laughed heartily: "Me too!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the others.
"What are your opinions?"
Anko Mitarashi said, "Team 7 encountered Orochimaru in the Forest of Death and still emerged unharmed. Moreover, they were the second team to reach the finish line, second only to Gaara's team. Anything else I say is moot…"
Shiranui Genma said, "Indeed, in terms of strength, they are completely sufficient. More importantly, the real life-and-death battles they've experienced are probably more than any other Genin…"
"From encountering Zabuza Momochi, to fighting Orochimaru for their lives, to battling Gaara and so on…"
"This experience, and the will and mindset derived from it, are simply incomparable to other Ninja."
Gekkō Hayate coughed, and weakly said, "Cough, cough, Genma is right…"
"The most important thing for a Chunin isn't strength, but the ability to lead a team on missions."
"Having experienced life-and-death battles facing the pressure of strong opponents, Team 7, from this perspective alone, is unmatched…"
Even Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokadonodded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief: "Good, then all three members of Team 7 will be promoted to Chunin!"
"Kakashi, well done!"
Kakashi scratched his head and chuckled twice.
"Hokage-sama, even if you say so, I dare not take credit for this…"
"This is the result of the hard work of the three children of Team 7."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly: "Don't be too modest, Kakashi."
"Alright, what about the other candidates?"
"Those who entered the finals also include Sakura Haruno, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, NejiHyuga, and Rock Lee…"
"Among these people, who do you think is qualified for promotion?"
Shiranui Genma raised his hand and said, "I recommend Shikamaru Nara."
"Although his raw strength isn't the strongest, his mind is outstanding and incredibly agile. Such a person is best suited to lead a team on missions and is an absolutely rare talent!"
Kakashi Hatake said, "Hmm, I agree."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled: "Shikaku, you have a good son…"
Shikaku Nara sighed: "That guy is good in everything else, but his personality is too lazy…"
"He still needs to be properly disciplined…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Making him a Chunin and leading a team is the best way to discipline him."
"Alright, what about the others?"
Anko Mitarashi said, "I did notice one person…"
"Shino Aburame."
"Although he lost to Sasuke in the finals, his strength, will, and intellect are all excellent. I believe he can serve as a Chunin."
Kurenai Yuhi smiled sweetly: "Shino certainly has the qualifications."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "His Parasitic Destruction Insect Secret Technique is indeed very proficient. It's not just for combat; it's also very useful for reconnaissance, infiltration, and intelligence gathering."
"What about the remaining three?"
"Sakura Haruno?"
Kurenai Yuhi frowned slightly: "Although Sakurainherited my genjutsu, I have to say, her mentality isn't that mature yet. I think she still needs more training."
"Hmm."
"Then, what about those two guys from Might Guy's team?"
"Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee?"
Might Guy scratched his head: "As their teacher, of course I think they are both excellent!"
"However, whether they can become Chunin, I'd like to hear everyone's opinion!"
"Kakashi, what do you think?"
Kakashi said, "Hmm… in my opinion, in terms of strength, these two actually reached Chunin level long ago."
"It's just that…"
He glanced at Hiashi Hyuga.
Hiashi Hyuga understood what he wanted to say.
"Neji's personality is indeed a bit extreme, but I can understand it, because of what happened with Hizashi back then…"
"Fortunately, after that match, when he lost to Rock Lee, I had a good talk with him. I believe he will resolve his inner conflict and continue to grow…"
"In terms of talent, he is even above Hinata and will certainly become an excellent and powerful Ninja."
Kakashi nodded: "As for Lee, his strength is absolutely sufficient, but regarding leading a team…"
Might Guy said, "Indeed, Lee is more suited for charging into battle and isn't very suitable for leading teams on missions."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned: "Do you mean that these two should not be promoted at the moment?"
"However, I have a different opinion…"
"Konoha Village is currently in ruins, and this is precisely when we need talent."
"Although the war has been contained, there are still many casualties. At a time like this, I believe we should actually relax the promotion criteria."
"Moreover, Rock Lee won in the finals, which itself represents his strength."
"Hinata and Shikamaru both lost, yet they were promoted to Chunin, while Rock Lee won and wasn't promoted?"
"While it can't be completely compared like that, it's still somewhat unreasonable."
Utatane Koharu said, "Hiruzen is right. Promoting more Chunin, in the current situation, should be a good thing."
Homura Mitokado also nodded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Then it's settled…"
"The final list of promoted Chunin is…"
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Hinata Hyuga!"
"Shikamaru Nara!"