SHINOBI EXAM

"Why are you so thin, this child?" Karuto's eyes shimmered with maternal love.

Such an expression made Naruto and Gaara's throats tighten. They didn't understand why their eyes stung and their throats ached, but there was a guess lingering in their hearts—one they feared might lead to greater disappointment if wrong.

"Beep-beep-beep..." The woman was too exhausted to open her eyes again to look at her child.

[Medical Ninja]: "Lord Kazekage, Lady Karura's heart rate is dropping rapidly."

"Do something quickly! Find a way to save her! Hurry!!" the Kazekage roared, gripping the medical ninja's collar in desperation.

A long, monotonous beep followed—the sound signaling the end of a woman's life.

Hinata and Neji, watching from a distance, had unparalleled clarity with their eyesight.

[Hinata]: "The way the mother holds the baby with her hands—it's the same as the statue made of sand. It looks as though she's protecting her child."

In the video, Fourth Kazekage was shown lying on the floor in agony beside Karura, and Elder Chiyo patted his shoulder in comfort. Through the gap in the window, one could clearly see Karura's final moments, lovingly holding Gaara before she passed away.

"Why?! Why!" Gaara held his head as tears streamed down his face. The symbol of "love" on his forehead burned painfully. "Why, Yashamaru? That woman... you both wanted me to die, didn't you?"

The scene transitioned to Sunagakure at night, drenched in sorrowful music.

Blood splattered across the walls. A young Gaara turned around, clutching his toy bear. Sand formed a protective barrier around him—a defensive wall forged by loneliness.

Elder Chiyo stared at her past self in the image, feeling a pang of guilt.

["That child is also a failure. He's started losing control."]

Chiyo remained silent. Back then, those words had seemed factual—Jinchūriki were inherently unstable, and the safety of the village had to come first. But now, watching Gaara's solitary figure, regret lingered.

She also recognized the toy bear from the second reward. So that was it—Gaara's sole companion in childhood.

The video continued with Elder Chiyo's cold words piercing the Fourth Kazekage. Helpless and broken, he grasped his hair in frustration.

The narrative shifted to the economic turmoil of Sunagakure. The daimyo had cut the village's funding, forcing further disarmament. Already the weakest of the five great ninja villages, the Land of Wind faced worsening crises. With a mentally unstable Jinchūriki, an inhospitable climate, and diminishing resources, desperation was inevitable.

["The unruly Shukaku must be contained immediately to prevent a greater threat to the village!"]

Watching the Sunagakure council's heartless treatment of Gaara enraged Naruto, whose own life bore striking parallels.

["If Jinchūriki is deemed useless, we can only depend on the new technique developed by Lord Kazekage and trade sand gold to stabilize the Land of Wind."]

The other village leaders watched the Sunagakure deliberations with stoic expressions.

Every village harbored its darkness. It was not uncommon for advisors to exploit their position, forcing village leaders—shadows—to make cruel decisions. The greater the responsibility, the harder it was to remain humane.

The image transitioned to a conversation between Fourth Kazekage and Yashamaru.

This moment shattered Gaara's understanding of his past.

Gaara heard his father order Yashamaru to test his strength. He heard Yashamaru plead on his behalf, only to be overridden by his father's cold logic.

They spoke of using Gaara's love for his mother as a means of mental stimulation, assessing his stability, and determining whether he was too dangerous to live.

["I know very well that Gaara loves his mother, Karura, deeply. That's why this method is necessary. Only those who can control themselves are worthy of being Jinchūriki."]

Senju Tobirama, watching from the afterlife, sighed deeply.

[Tobirama]: "Before becoming Jinchūriki, they must first be recognized as human beings."

[Third Hokage]: "Yes, I believe the same."

Though he knew Naruto's treatment in Konoha had been far from ideal, he couldn't help but admire the child's resilience. "Naruto is an extraordinary boy. We, as a village, owe him so much."

[Tobirama]: "He will surpass both me and my brother as a ninja."

The Third Hokage and his advisors were shocked by such high praise from Tobirama.

[In the video, another full moon illuminated the sky, signaling another fateful night.]

Unable to sleep as a Jinchūriki, Gaara wandered alone.

Naruto's connection to Gaara's chakra revealed the most devastating moment in Gaara's life.

Yashamaru—someone Gaara held dear, like Iruka was to Naruto—had been ordered to assassinate him.

["Lord Gaara, like my sister—your mother—I hate you to the core."]

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Naruto, having seen this scene before, was overwhelmed. Others, witnessing it for the first time, were left speechless.

The perception of ninjas as emotionless tools, willing to do anything for money, began to shift in the minds of ordinary citizens.

"That man is the leader of the Ninja Alliance now?!"

"It's incredible how far he's come."

In the video, Fourth Kazekage questioned Gaara's worth as a future Kazekage and declared his intent to test Gaara's strength personally.

"You bastard! What kind of Kazekage are you?!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"Hey, idiot Naruto!" Sakura scolded, glancing nervously at the Sand Siblings. To her surprise, neither Temari nor Kankuro reacted negatively. Gaara, tilting his head in confusion at Naruto's outburst, looked almost childlike.

The image shifted again, now featuring another battle.

["Onoki, do you remember? After the war, alliances failed, and villages turned on one another."]

[Tsuchikage]: "The winning village always seizes control in the end."

The video concluded with a heavy atmosphere, leaving viewers across the world to reflect on the burdens of leadership, the scars of war, and the humanity often lost amidst ninja politics.

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