Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

Guided by Nagato's powerful sensory abilities, the group quickly reached a campsite.

Here, candidates from various ninja villages were sitting together, chatting and laughing, creating an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere.

Seeing this scene, Konan couldn't help but ask, "With so many people gathered here, aren't they afraid of being discovered by Manda?"

A Hoshigakure ninja gave a nervous chuckle. "I think I get their reasoning. For weaklings like us, if Manda spots us, we've got zero chance running together—better odds if we scatter and save ourselves individually."

Another Hoshigakure ninja added, "The Tayuya ninjas we met earlier also told us about this place. Probably because it's well hidden, Manda hasn't attacked here even once. If passing the exam isn't our priority right now, this spot might actually be a safe haven in the forest!"

Yahiko and the others felt moved, admiring how their dream of peaceful coexistence between villages had truly emerged within this Chunin Exam.

At that moment, one ninja from a nearby area shouted loudly, "Full honesty here—I'm just some random guy, but hear me out. I used to think all the big villages' ninjas were the same. But today I realized something—compared to other villages, Konoha really is different! In them, I saw respect. I saw the possibility of equal coexistence!"

This seemed to trigger a chain reaction, as numerous ninjas voiced agreement.

"Mui hit the nail on the head! Only Konoha can be our light!"

"Take Mist for example—they don't even treat us like human beings. To them, we're nothing more than slaughter-bound pigs!"

"Speaking of which, Lord Seiki gave up his claim for our sake. Will the Konoha elders hold that against him? Could damage Konoha's reputation..."

"Huh? Can we ask our village leaders to plead on his behalf?"

"No way. We're just genins—no one listens to nobodies like us. Our village won't change its stance because of us either!"

"Yeah... face it—we're worthless nobodies scurrying in the shadows, too scared to keep going through the exam!"

Just as everyone's mood began sinking, Yahiko stepped forward decisively. "Why put yourselves down like that? Everyone has infinite potential. This situation just means you haven't found your proper place yet! Believe in yourselves, strive for transformation, unite all your strength together—there will come a day when the world trembles because of us!"

Hearing this fiery little *speech*—almost felt like propaganda—the entire crowd instantly became electrified.

"That's right! We have our own significance too!"

"Let the whole world hear our voices!"

But after the excitement faded, everyone suddenly remembered:

"Wait, bro—who exactly are you?"

Yahiko gave an awkward chuckle, then suddenly shot his thumb upward. "Me? Just a random guy!"

Behind him, three Hoshinins' expressions rapidly evolved from admiration into fanaticism. Upon hearing this, they hurriedly stepped forward to explain.

"We were attacked by Zabuza from Mist, but several senior ninjas from Amegakure rescued us and personally brought us here."

"Zabuza, huh?" Upon hearing the name, the other patients immediately erupted in righteous indignation.

"That damned bastard again! I-I curse him to never find a woman!"

"He actually rescued someone right under Zabuza's nose? That's amazing!"

"They're hurt. Quickly, go fetch Lord Seiki!"

Meanwhile, inside a small tent built farther away specifically for patient rest.

Asuma sat up straight, beaming with a grin and nodding along.

Observing this, Kurenai couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think what they're saying is somewhat embarrassing?"

Asuma shook his head firmly. "That's just how great our Konoha is! Though I do feel bad—I wish someone would mention me too."

She shot him a sideways look. "You're not even a medical ninja. Is sitting here resting really that difficult?"

Asuma pouted. "But I was the one who made the bet. I'll have to apologize if I lose."

Kurenai suddenly remembered, "Oh yeah, you were the one who made the bet!"

This only made Asuma look even more pitiful.

Seiki, on the other hand, sat quietly nearby, eyes slightly narrowed. "So it's them after all. They must've sensed the coming war and deliberately infiltrated the Chunin Exams to gather intelligence."

He wasn't particularly surprised by this. After all, the three of them truly were among the few idealists in this world.

At this moment, Yahiko and his group of six approached as well.

"Lord Seiki, p-please heal us..." Three Seinin ninja felt uneasy. In their eyes, Seiki possessed extraordinary talent and strength, being a disciple of one of the Sannin—surely destined to become a major figure in Konoha—while they might remain ordinary ninja from a minor hidden village for their entire lives.

Though both were currently Genin, the difference between their standings had already become like night and day.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'll heal you right away." Seiki spoke gently, his voice carrying an almost magical power that instantly calmed the three Seinin.

The glowing Yang Release chakra washed over them like warm sunlight—peaceful and soothing, almost like soaking in a hot spring.

[Yang Release]

"There. Just take it easy for a while longer, and you should be fine."

The three snapped awake at his voice, disbelief evident in their eyes. They'd actually lowered all defenses before a complete stranger—an inconceivable act for any ninja.

Yahiko and his companions stood there with mouths agape. "S-so incredible! It didn't even take a minute. This medical jutsu is just amazing!"

Smiling, Seiki accepted their praise modestly. "I suppose my medical jutsu is barely worth mentioning."

Of course, Yahiko and the others couldn't buy into Seiki's modesty. After all, even Zabuza claimed he hadn't been able to fight back against him.

If that level of strength was just "nothing special," then everyone else must be pretty much useless.

Suddenly looking at Seiki, Yahiko asked, "Do you realize that Zabuza intentionally left you alive instead of killing you outright simply to drain your chakra?"

While wrapping bandages around the three Hoshigakure ninja, Seiki smiled. "If I couldn't even see through something like that, I wouldn't deserve to be a ninja anymore."

Konan, standing beside him, exclaimed in surprise, "You knew? Then aren't you worried about getting ambushed by him later?"

Seiki chuckled. "If we back away just because we're scared or worried, the world would miss out on something amazing!"

Yahiko slapped his palm down excitedly. "Exactly! Someone's gotta step up and do it. In fact, precisely because others don't dare to do those things, we have to be the ones to step forward bravely!"

Standing nearby, Asuma, who had once again been completely ignored, couldn't help but speak up. "Honestly, you two are overcomplicating it. You don't seriously believe Seiki, after using up most of his chakra, wouldn't still be able to defeat Zabuza, do you?"

Instantly, the atmosphere froze!

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