Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Zabuza's resentful gaze instantly lost focus, his body went limp, and he completely fainted.

Kakashi watched this scene and casually explained the "girl" on his shoulder.

“Naruto, this child is a boy, but he looks somewhat effeminate.”

Upon hearing this, Naruto felt as if something inside him had shattered into pieces.

"Moreover, he is quite strong, possessing the bloodline limit 'Ice Release,' making him far more valuable than Zabuza Momochi."

Kakashi continued, then paused, his tone becoming somewhat meaningful, "If used well, Konoha might be able to gain another bloodline limit."

The eight ninja dogs obeyed the order, skillfully securing the two prisoners. Led by Puck, they quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

The subsequent bridge repairs proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Despite Zabuza's defeat, Gato did not seem to give up and continued to send wave after wave of wandering samurai to harass him.

These rabble were weak and their techniques were utterly pathetic in Sasuke's eyes.

Naturally, there was no interest in wasting energy on such insignificant individuals.

But for Naruto Uzumaki, these enemies were the most suitable sparring partners.

At first, Naruto was somewhat flustered and struggled to deal with the hordes of enemies.

But only a few days later, under the tactic of being surrounded and attacked by countless shadow clones, he was able to easily and without taking any damage to a large group of enemies.

A week later, the Bridge of Hope connecting the Land of Waves and the mainland was successfully completed.

Tazuna and the people of the Land of Waves held a grand celebration for the bridge that symbolized hope, and Tazuna even proposed to name the bridge "Sasuke Bridge".

But Sasuke's icy glare shut her up...

On the eve of the mission's completion, a light drizzle began to fall.

As my first task, I can't afford to have any problems later on.

With that thought in mind, Sasuke's figure vanished without a trace.

The following morning, as Team 7 prepared to depart, news spread from the Land of Waves—

The wealthy merchant Kado and all his warriors perished overnight in his luxurious mansion.

On the way back to the village, Naruto was still talking about it with great interest, guessing which righteous hero had acted on behalf of heaven.

Kakashi gave the black-haired boy at the front a meaningful look, but said nothing.

......

After returning to the village, life seemed to return to its usual tranquility.

Day after day of training became almost the entirety of Class Seven's life.

However, unfamiliar faces began to appear in the village one after another, dressed in different clothes and wearing different headbands.

It's like some kind of omen.

until a certain day.

The seventh squad regrouped at the third training ground.

Kakashi leaned against the tree trunk, his expression more serious than usual.

"Sasuke, Naruto."

He pulled two forms from his pocket and waved them in front of the two of them. "Although it's a bit sudden, I've already registered you and intend to formally recommend you to participate in this Chunin Selection Exam."

"The Chunin Exams?!"

Naruto instantly became excited, snatched the registration form, and exclaimed with wide eyes, "Really? Kakashi-sensei! Can we participate?!"

Sasuke, however, did not take the form. He could sense that something was amiss with this Chunin Exam.

Those unfamiliar ninjas in the village were probably there for this reason.

But he still shook his head.

"I refuse."

"Huh?! Why, Sasuke?!" Naruto turned around in confusion.

Kakashi seemed to have expected this, and sighed helplessly: "Can you give me a reason, Sasuke? This is an opportunity that every genin dreams of."

"no need."

Sasuke's answer was straightforward: "A Chunin title is of no use to me."

A mere exam between genin is nothing more than children playing house.

You can't say that.

Kakashi didn't seem to be giving up easily. He coaxed, "This exam is jointly organized by the five great ninja villages. Many powerful people from other ninja villages will be coming. You might see some interesting people."

Sasuke paused slightly while wiping the blade, but quickly resumed his steady movements.

I still refused.

"I'll go and watch the match then."

He spoke calmly, giving his final answer, "But there's no need to waste time getting involved personally."

"Sigh, I really can't do anything with you." Kakashi scratched his head helplessly, but could only agree.

Chunin Exams...

Naruto held the registration form in his hand, glanced at Sasuke's resolute attitude, and the excitement on his face slowly faded, replaced by some hesitation.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Kakashi noticed the change in his expression.

"that."

Naruto hesitated for a moment before speaking, "If Sasuke doesn't participate, then should I also...?"

"Naruto."

Kakashi interrupted him, his expression turning serious. "I'm asking you, what is your dream?"

"Of course, I want to become Hokage!" Naruto blurted out almost immediately.

"Do you know what the minimum ninja rank requirement is to become Hokage?"

"What is it?"

"He's a Jonin."

Kakashi looked into Naruto's eyes and said, word by word, "The Chunin Exams are the first hurdle you must overcome on your path to becoming a Jonin."

"If you can't even get past this door because your comrades aren't going, how can you even talk about becoming Hokage?"

These words struck Naruto's heart like a heavy hammer.

yes......

His goal is to become Hokage.

The paths they took were fundamentally different.

If I have to rely on him even for such a small thing, how can I possibly keep up with him, and how can I possibly become the Hokage that everyone recognizes?

"I understand, Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto's eyes hardened again as he gripped the registration form tightly in his hand.

"I'm determined to pass this exam and surprise everyone!"

Chapter 61 Genius and Effort

The next morning, the area in front of the ninja academy was already crowded with people.

With an almost scrutinizing mindset, Sasuke followed the excited Naruto here.

Kakashi's comment, "There will be many powerful guys from other ninja villages coming," did pique his interest to some extent.

However, the result greatly disappointed him.

Those genin from different ninja villages had chaotic chakra fluctuations, and their eyes were filled with unnecessary tension and bluffing.

"......boring."

Sasuke silently assessed the situation and lost all interest.

Just as he turned to leave, a somewhat shrill voice came from the side without warning.

"Um, Miss Sakura!"

Sasuke paused slightly, glancing at the source of the sound.

A boy with a watermelon-shaped haircut, wearing a green bodysuit, and exaggeratedly thick eyebrows stood excitedly in front of Haruno Sakura.

"Please go out with me! I'll protect you with my life!"

This sudden confession caused the surrounding air to freeze instantly.

Sakura Haruno's face was filled with embarrassment and resistance, and she subconsciously looked at Sasuke in the distance.

The boy with the watermelon-shaped haircut followed her gaze, which finally landed on Sasuke, his eyes blazing with a defiant fighting spirit.

"You must be Sasuke Uchiha, the guy Sakura likes?"

He stepped forward, blocking Sasuke's path, gave him a thumbs-up, and revealed a set of pearly white teeth. "My name is Rock Lee. Let's settle this with a duel!"

Sasuke's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he glanced at him indifferently, squeezing out a few words from his throat.

"Trash, get out of here."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

But clearly, Rock Lee had no intention of letting him leave easily.

"You bastard, don't you dare insult me!"

With a furious shout, Rock Lee's fist, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, aimed straight for Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke merely tilted his head slightly, narrowly avoiding the sudden punch.

The force of the punch grazed his cheek, ruffling a few strands of black hair on his forehead.