Naruto's Regret

As Naruto walked away from the Hokage Building, he felt a pang of regret. I forgot to mention the seal scroll to Third Generation! It's all Danzo's fault!

Meanwhile, Kakashi, who had been lost in thoughts about a dream involving his father, glanced at Naruto intermittently. He considered the idea of finding Naruto to get some of that special food they had shared before. Kakashi was filled with longing to see his father again, apologize to Lin, and check on Obito in the Pure Land. He even wanted to meet Minato-sensei, though he was less inclined to see his teacher's wife.

He sighed, adjusting his mood, and addressed his young team. "Hey, my dear subordinates. Let's disband here."

Without waiting for a response, Kakashi vanished in a blur, leaving Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke staring at each other in confusion.

"Did Grandpa Third Generation just say we're taking the Chūnin exam?" Sakura asked, her disbelief evident.

Sasuke nodded calmly. "Yeah, the exam."

Naruto and Sakura exchanged puzzled glances, bewildered by Sasuke's nonchalant reply.

Sakura, her mind racing, thought, What does Sasuke mean by this? Her frustration grew. It's all Naruto's fault!

Naruto, equally confused, muttered to himself, Why is Sasuke making this more complicated?

At that moment, the Nine-Tails within Naruto grumbled, "Sect competition? Does Konoha even deserve that?"

Naruto choked on his saliva. Come on, fox! This is the ninja world! Can you be a bit less dramatic?

The Nine-Tails snapped back, "Are you disrespecting me again? Maybe you should read a book..."

Naruto felt overwhelmed, realizing he couldn't control the Nine-Tails' remarks. It's only been a few days since our last chat, and you're already being a nuisance again...

Sasuke, carrying a mysterious, oversized ruler, remained oblivious to the others' confusion. He was lost in his own thoughts, reflecting on his past.

Sakura gazed at Sasuke, her eyes full of admiration. Sasuke is so cool!

Naruto, not wanting to engage further, shielded his face with his hands and turned away, trying to ignore the scene unfolding before him.

Just then, Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee approached the group. Tenten greeted them cheerfully.

"Hey! Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura! Want to grab a bite together?"

She had overheard Sasuke's comment and was curious. Most villagers knew about Uchiha's tragic past, and Tenten was surprised by Sasuke's melancholic mood.

Neji, upon seeing Naruto, rolled his eyes in irritation. His frustration was palpable, but he restrained himself, thanks to Tenten and Lee's intervention.

"Hey, uncle," Naruto greeted Neji casually, causing Neji's anger to flare up.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I'm going to kill you!" Neji yelled, his patience wearing thin.

Fortunately, Tenten and Rock Lee managed to hold Neji back. "Neji, calm down! Teacher Kai invited us all to dinner!"

Tenten added quickly, "Forget it, don't fight now."

Naruto, appreciating Tenten's attempt to diffuse the situation, mentally gave her a thumbs-up. Thanks for not letting Neji cause a scene.

Sakura, seeing the opportunity for a pleasant diversion, asked, "So, are we going to eat?"

Naruto nodded. "Sure, let's join you for dinner. We'll bring Mr. Kakashi along."

Tenten smiled and reassured, "Hinata and the others will be joining us too."

Naruto was taken aback but pleasantly surprised that they were being invited out. It was a welcome change from their usual reputation.

Tenten, having managed to calm Neji, was pleased to see the situation resolved. Rock Lee, however, stood staring at Sakura with a goofy expression.

"Hey, what are you doing standing there, Lee?" Tenten called out.

Seeing Rock Lee's dazed look, Sakura felt a bit of relief, realizing that Class 7 wasn't the only team with its quirks.

As Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke prepared to head to dinner with the others, they left behind the earlier confusion, looking forward to a change of pace.