SHINOBI EXAM

[In the video, a voice repeats the question.]

Answer: ( ) people.

This left only two possibilities: someone specific or someone important to the person answering. Eliminating irrelevant options like men, women, or generalizations, only "a particular individual" or "someone important" fit.

Still, Shikamaru wasn't convinced. The answer didn't entirely align with logic. Even if Naruto's response matched his earlier theories, it didn't add up. After all, Naruto was nothing more than a Genin in Konoha Village—an underdog without remarkable status or qualifications.

Could such a person grow to the point where the commander of the Ninja Alliance would risk their life to protect them?

Shikamaru thought deeply about Naruto's answer. His words carried conviction, but the conclusion seemed absurd. Naruto's incessant talk about being Hokage was what ultimately caught Shikamaru's attention.

"Maybe that's it…" Shikamaru muttered. He didn't notice his father's furrowed brow as they watched the unfolding scene.

But then, Gaara appeared on the screen as the commander of the Ninja Alliance. That revelation broke Shikamaru's concentration, and the earlier mysteries resurfaced.

Why were he, Chōji, Ino, Hinata, Neji, and Sakura present in the future team—but not Naruto or Sasuke?

Their teacher, Kakashi, was captain of the Third Unit. It seemed too odd to be coincidental.

Recalling the whispers surrounding Naruto's upbringing, Shikamaru thought back to his childhood. He had once innocently asked his parents at dinner, "Why does everyone hate Naruto?" His mother's expression froze, and his father offered a vague, dismissive answer.

An inexplicable anger bubbled up within Shikamaru.

"What's going on? Why?!" His voice was low but irritable.

Shikaku remained silent, his face dark and unreadable. Shikamaru instantly realized the truth—it was an S-rank secret.

Shikaku sighed. "Shikamaru, I'm sorry. Before I'm your father, I am first the head of the Nara clan and a Jonin commander of Konoha."

[In the Hokage's office...]

The Third Hokage frowned as a messenger arrived, delivering troubling news: "The Nine-Tails matter may not remain secret for much longer."

He glanced at the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who stood nearby.

"Nidaime," Hiruzen murmured.

Tobirama nodded, already aware of the potential fallout.

The Second Hokage, despite his reputation as a strict leader, understood the weight of war better than anyone. His thoughts drifted to the Fourth Great Ninja War—the alliance of 80,000 shinobi gathered to face a single overwhelming threat.

He sighed. "Of those 80,000, fewer than 20,000 survived. War is devastation incarnate, a force my elder brother tried his whole life to eliminate."

The image on the screen shifted to a wide-angle view of the ninja alliance, their forces stretching endlessly across the horizon.

"It's unprecedented," Tobirama muttered. "To see such a massive coalition of shinobi, all villages uniting their might… It's both inspiring and tragic."

[Back to the video...]

Temari's voice broke through the silence: "Gaara is the captain of our Fourth Unit, but he's also the commander-in-chief of the coalition. Do your best, Gaara."

Shikamaru grumbled as he appeared on the screen. "This is troublesome. Why do I have to join such a team?"

The camera lingered briefly on Shikamaru and Temari standing apart. In real life, the two glanced at each other awkwardly. Neither could imagine being so familiar with one another in the future.

"Hmph," Temari scoffed, looking away. Shikamaru shrugged, already resigned to his future self's supposed decisions.

Meanwhile, Naruto crouched nearby, sulking. "Compared to Gaara becoming Kazekage and commander of the alliance, Shikamaru being a team leader doesn't surprise me at all. But where am I?!"

He tugged at his hair, exasperated. "Why don't I even have a cool moment?! Tell me what happens to me in the future!"

The video paused on Gaara's image, highlighting him as the commander of the Ninja Alliance.

In reality, all eyes turned toward the young Gaara standing in their midst. His twelve-year-old self was vastly different from the composed leader on the screen. The air around him felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if his murderous intent had a physical presence.

Sand swirled lightly around his feet, an unconscious reaction to his growing tension.

Gaara crossed his arms, his expression cold and indifferent. "This is pointless. A childish trick."

No one could truly understand the torment that shaped him. He was a Shura, a demon bound by his own hellish existence. The only way he could prove his worth was by killing.

[Back in the video, Hatake Kakashi appeared.]

The masked Jonin spoke calmly: "Gaara, you're the commander-in-chief of this great alliance. Please say a few words to the troops before we depart."

In the present, Tobirama observed Gaara with a sharp eye. "That boy doesn't seem very charismatic. Uniting the ninja of the five great nations, each burdened with hatred… It's no easy task."

He paused, recalling his own efforts to maintain peace among the clans during his era. Still, he was curious about what Gaara had said to inspire such loyalty.

[The video cut to the army assembled before Gaara. Tens of thousands of shinobi awaited his words.]

The screen lingered on Gaara's older self as he prepared to speak.

Naruto, still crouched in the present, muttered to himself. "He's gonna make a speech? What did he even say to get everyone to listen to him?"

For a moment, the crowd in Konoha was silent, captivated by the unfolding scene.

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