"As for Naruto's control over the Nine-Tails' chakra, I will think of a solution." Jiraiya said uncomfortably.
"Wait, no!" Funan quickly interrupted. "Jiraiya, I think your idea about beating up the Nine-Tails is pretty good."
"Don't blame me!" Jiraiya retorted, annoyed. "I didn't suggest anything."
"So, just now you…"
"That doesn't count!" Jiraiya looked at Funan with a grim expression. "Naruto is my last hope. Funan, if something happens to him, I can't guarantee what I'll do."
Funan's eyes lit up. "Is that a threat?"
"No, not at all!" Jiraiya flinched slightly before gritting his teeth. "You're the Hokage, how dare I threaten you? I'm just… begging you. Yes, begging you."
Funan gave him a look of contempt. "Pathetic."
'Well, yes, I am pathetic!' Jiraiya complained in his mind. 'I'd rather be that than what happened last time. If it weren't for the fact that Konoha's medical system is under the command of Tsunade, who personally took care of my treatment, I'm sure I would have died.'
Thinking of that, Jiraiya looked at Funan with a complex expression. "Thank you." He said softly.
"Thank you for beating you up?"
"Yes!" Jiraiya said seriously. "Because Naruto and I were so injured that no one else could treat us, this forced Tsunade to intervene personally. And thanks to that, she managed to overcome her hemophobia."
"You're welcome," Funan replied, patting him on the shoulder. "That's just me; I love to help. If something like this happens again, you can count on me!"
"…Thank you." Jiraiya said with a sigh of bitter irony.
"Anyway, leave Naruto's affairs to me. This is what we agreed at the beginning." Jiraiya stared at Funan.
"Okay!" Funan didn't care. With his current strength, he didn't care about a nine-tailed fox.
"Jiraiya..." Funan looked at Jiraiya and said: "You'd better work hard, otherwise, I think you will regret it again."
Jiraiya's expression suddenly became serious, and he said: "Hokage, what do you mean by this? Could it be..."
Funan smiled and said: "I won't attack Naruto. This is what I promised you. Moreover, I have almost everything I want. However, just because I don't attack him doesn't mean that others won't attack him either."
After that, he turned and left.
Jiraiya watched as Funan walked away, his face filled with uncertainty.
When it came to Funan, Jiraiya was calm. That man was proud and arrogant, but he always kept his promises.
However, what he said made sense: if he didn't do anything to Naruto, others would.
Thinking of the tailed beasts that had disappeared one after another, Jiraiya felt a chill.
Akatsuki!
Jiraiya couldn't be unaware of the organization that captured the tailed beasts.
Nagato, Yahiko and Konan...
"Will we have to face each other in the end?" He muttered to himself.
"I definitely need to speed things up." Jiraiya muttered with determination.
Naruto was left in an autistic state.
Even though he was not smart, he knew that as a ninja of Konoha, if he didn't obey the orders of the Hokage, he would be a traitor.
So, Naruto pitifully asked Kakashi: "Will the Hokage give orders that are different from my Nindo?"
Kakashi looked at Naruto speechlessly.
Not only him, but other leading jonin also looked extremely helpless.
Kakashi thought for a long time, but still said helplessly: "Take these Chunin Exams for example. This time, they are related to the security of Konoha. The Kages of each village have issued orders to their participants to kill as many enemies as possible. Naruto, what would you do in this situation?"
"I..." Naruto wanted to cry.
The other members of the Konoha Twelve were equally perplexed.
"What a trouble!" Shikamaru sighed. "Sensei, I will not be participating in the Chunin Exams."
"Shikamaru..."
His choice surprised many people.
Shikamaru shrugged and said: "We are not prepared at all. Going into battle without proper preparation is pointless."
"That's right!" Ino, visibly upset, crossed her arms. "If it was that dangerous, they could have warned us in advance!"
Kakashi said helplessly: "If we knew earlier, we would have told you and trained you accordingly. Unfortunately, the Hokage made this decision suddenly."
Ino snorted indignantly. "A sudden decision? And you expect us to risk our lives? Do our lives mean nothing to the great leaders?"
Kakashi's expression became serious, and he said: "Ino, as a shinobi, you must be prepared to face unforeseen events on every mission. Didn't your sensei teach you that?"
Ino tensed, casting an uncomfortable glance towards Uchiha Yashiro, her sensei.
For a moment, she feared she had crossed a line by criticizing the Hokage in front of a loyal Uchiha. However, Yashiro remained composed, his smile unwavering.
"Yashiro!" Kakashi intervened, his tone becoming more serious. "Ino didn't mean it with bad intentions. She's just a girl."
Yashiro raised his hands, feigning innocence. "I didn't say anything, Kakashi. Besides, Ino is my student. You're overthinking it."
Kakashi's face was gloomy, and he turned his head to look at Ino with blame in his eyes.
She's just a little Genin, and she has the courage to talk about the Hokage?
In a more cutting tone, Kakashi added: "If you are not going to participate, then go back home. We, the leading jonin, must dedicate our time to training those who will."
Ino wanted to protest, but Shikamaru stopped her.
"Let's go!"
Shikamaru's expression also became serious, completely different from his previous laziness.
Ino, surprised by his abruptness, allowed him to lead her, while Choji followed them silently.
Yashiro, always with a smile, watched them leave until they disappeared from sight.
"What adorable students." He commented at the end, almost in a whisper.
...
"What are you doing, Shikamaru!?" Ino angrily broke free from Shikamaru's grasp.
"We might die!"
With those words, Shikamaru not only left Ino in shock, but also stopped Choji, who had tried to intervene.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Suddenly, Ino remembered Yashiro. His expression was different than usual.
"Are you saying that Yashiro-sensei...?" Ino gulped, her face full of terror.
"Ino!" Shikamaru stared at her and said: "Don't you know how much the Uchiha were suppressed until they finally had a Hokage? Don't you remember how much Yashiro-sensei admires the Hokage?"
Ino opened her mouth but didn't speak.
"Alas, you don't know!" Shikamaru sighed and said: "Right after your complaints, not only Yashiro-sensei, even Sasuke completely changed his expression."
"Sasuke?!"
Ino finally couldn't help screaming.
"You mean, Sasuke will hate me?"
Shikamaru: "..."
Women are indeed a group of troublesome creatures.
"Let's go!" Shikamaru said helplessly.
After that, he pulled the distraught Ino and strode away.
...
Among the Konoha Twelve, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had decided to retreat.
Furthermore, Hinata had also chosen not to participate.
Kiba and Shino were somewhat hesitant.
Sasuke and Neji chose to participate without hesitation.
Rock Lee, seeing this, also decided to join in with a youthful passion.
Tenten and Sakura were filled with uncertainty.
Kakashi and the other leading jonin, however, were in no hurry. After all, there was still time before the chunin exam. They were advised to go home and think things over carefully.
Once the children left, they quickly surrounded Yashiro.
"What's wrong with you two? Why is everyone surrounding me?" Yashiro exclaimed, annoyed. "I don't remember doing anything to you."
"Yashiro..." Kakashi said patiently. "Ino didn't really mean it with bad intentions. You shouldn't take it so seriously. Besides, you're her sensei."
"Precisely because I am their sensei, I must correct their mistakes." Yashiro replied seriously. His smile disappeared, revealing a cold face. "And besides, do you know what really bothers me?"
"What thing?"
"How long have I been Ino's sensei? Do you really think Ino's resentment was spontaneous? I have the impression that it reflects something she has heard repeatedly from those around her."
Damn it!
Kakashi was sweating.
"Yashiro!" Kakashi said earnestly. "How long has Konoha been at peace? Besides, it's obvious that the Hokage is preparing something big. You wouldn't want instability in the village at this time, would you?"
Yashiro looked at him like he was a fool. "Kakashi, what importance do the Ino-Shika-Cho clans have right now? Do you really think their small movements go unnoticed, and do you think that in their current state they can cause a big problem in Konoha? If the Uchiha clan wanted to eliminate them, how long do you think it would take?"
Kakashi was speechless.
"Kurenai!" Desperate, Kakashi looked at Kurenai, waiting for her to intervene.
However, she just looked at him and said in a soft voice: "You know, when the Third Hokage was in power, the family of one of my classmates complained about the Sarutobi clan. He was then recruited into the Root. Why didn't I see you worried at that time?"
Damn it!
Kakashi almost vomited blood.
Sarutobi Hiruzen again!
Guy also tried to mediate. "Yashiro, let it go. Ino certainly needs punishment. How about I make her run headlong around Konoha ten thousand times?"
Kakashi: "..."
Yashiro: "..."
Kurenai: "..."
Wouldn't it be better to just finish her off once and for all?
Kakashi and the others continued to insist until Yashiro finally gave in. He said that he would inform the Hokage and let him make the final decision. In reality, Yashiro didn't want to do anything to Ino; his target was the Yamanaka clan.
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. One can never know with the Uchiha, there will always be extremists among them.
Even more so since Funan became Hokage, they have increased and practically become his believers. For them, Funan was more than a leader. He was a symbol, an unbreakable faith.
Any doubt or criticism towards him was answered with implacable retaliation.
Even Funan was somewhat frustrated with these fanatics. He had tried to control them several times without success.
If these fanatics found out what Ino had said, they wouldn't hesitate to attack her. That's why Yashiro wanted to cause trouble for the Yamanaka clan to divert attention from her.
With Yashiro's reply, Kakashi hurriedly left for the Nara clan residence to discuss the situation with Shikaku. He had to see if there really was a problem with the Yamanaka clan as Yashiro had said.
"Right before the chunin exam, and something like this happens!" Kakashi could only sigh in resignation.
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