Twists and Turn

"Impossible!"

"There's no such thing as strange fire in the ninja world. How could I create a real burning technique for you?"

"What? Emperor Dou?"

"Is he worthy of the Sage of Six Paths?"

The conversation between Naruto and Sasuke took an unexpected turn. They went from discussing contact lenses to debating the plot of X Breaking the Sky. Sasuke also speculated about Fen Jue's power and questioned how the Dou Emperor might compare to the ninja world.

Naruto expressed his disdain. The fighting power in X Breaking the Sky far exceeded that of the Hokage. He believed that a high-attack, low-defense ninja could never match the characters in X Breaking the Sky.

"I wouldn't get too obsessed with it," Naruto advised. "The power levels are just way off."

Kurama, who had been meditating and practicing—what he euphemistically called "retreat practice"—had become somewhat of a nuisance to Naruto.

Naruto sighed, clearly frustrated. Kurama, who once complained about Naruto's meditation, seemed to have developed a penchant for it himself.

As Naruto and Sasuke chatted, Naruto noticed a sudden drop in temperature around them.

"Strange…" Naruto murmured, shivering. "There's no air conditioning here. Why is it so cold?"

Sasuke, feeling the chill as well, glanced at Naruto. The two then noticed Hinata and Sakura standing behind them. Hinata's face was mostly shadowed, making her expression difficult to read.

Sakura looked tense, and Naruto saw what seemed like burning flames in Hinata's eyes. Her gaze made him uneasy.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing?" Hinata asked, her tone unexpectedly gentle. But Naruto felt the temperature around him drop even further.

Sasuke, sensing the shift, took a step back. He felt a flicker of guilt and saw a faint murderous intent in Hinata's eyes.

"I... I was just talking to Sasuke," Naruto explained, scratching his head nervously. "It's nothing serious."

Hinata's white pupils glowed with a blue light once more. She had just learned through Sakura's communication about Kirigakure's male connections, which shocked her.

Her suspicions about Naruto and Sasuke's closeness grew. Hinata, determined not to let Uchiha Sasuke steal her man, was ready to confront this perceived threat.

Naruto's smile faltered as he realized Hinata's reaction was due to Sakura's influence. He shot a frustrated look at Sakura, deducing that she had said something to Hinata.

"Good, good! I'll remember this grudge, Sakura!" Naruto thought angrily.

Naruto pulled Hinata away, trying to calm her. Hinata, caught off guard by Naruto's actions, felt her anger fade into confusion and embarrassment.

"Hinata, listen..."

"Sasuke is just—" Naruto began, attempting to explain.

Meanwhile, Sasuke watched the scene from a distance, puzzled. "Is Hinata really angry?" he wondered aloud.

Sakura, unable to meet Sasuke's eyes, was trying to justify her actions in her mind.

[Haruno Sakura!]

[You did the right thing!]

[We can't let this forbidden love continue. It's bound to end badly!]

Sasuke, not understanding Hinata's anger, shifted his focus back to the competition. Since he had already seen Gaara's battle, he decided to leave.

He approached Kakashi, who was engrossed in a book, and began reading quietly himself.

"Ugh…" Sasuke winced as he touched his neck, which had been injured. Kakashi noticed and looked up.

"Sasuke, what happened to your neck?"

"It's nothing," Sasuke replied calmly. "Just a snake bite."

Kakashi, alarmed, recognized the curse mark on Sasuke's neck as Orochimaru's work. His concern grew as he saw the cold Chakra emanating from Sasuke's body. This Chakra could potentially cause Sasuke's energy to go haywire.

Kakashi, deeply worried, stood up. "Sasuke, come with me."

He led Sasuke to a quieter area, clearly anxious about the situation.

As the Chūnin exam approached its end, the final match-ups were announced:

"Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Hinata.""Uchiha Sasuke vs. Gaara.""Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru."

The young couple, sitting in a corner, were stunned by the list.

"How can it be like this?" Naruto protested, glaring at the Third Hokage's figure. "There's something shady about this battle list."

He had hoped to deal with his uncle, only to find himself pitted against Hinata.

Hinata, equally confused, looked at Naruto.

"Protests are pointless," the Third Hokage announced before quickly leaving the scene.

The match between Hinata and Naruto was Hyuga Hiashi's suggestion. The Hyuga clan felt that Naruto's behavior was too disruptive, and the idea of having Hinata fight him was meant to test her strength and teach Naruto a lesson.

Seeing the Third Hokage's hasty departure, Naruto grew more convinced that something was amiss.

Damn it! There was no way he could fight Hinata!

Naruto couldn't figure out who had come up with such a scheme, so he decided to blame Danzo for the fiasco. He planned to visit the hospital to confront Danzo, and maybe take a detour to Hyuga's house for a quick visit.

With his mind set on his next move, Naruto prepared for the upcoming challenges.