These thoughts flashed through Naruto's mind, and soon his attention was attracted by the competition on the field. At this time, the referee had already stepped onto the ring and announced that the competition had officially begun.

After a while, Naruto suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracted violently, and his body trembled slightly. A strong sense of urgency enveloped him, and his eyes became sharp, as if he wanted to see through everything in front of him.

.

"It's him!" Naruto was startled, secretly thinking that the matter had become very serious. He remembered the previous confrontation with Orochimaru, that cunning and powerful enemy was able to disguise himself as the Kazekage, which had to make him realize the situation in front of him.

Deep worry arose. "Since Orochimaru can disguise himself as the Kazekage, then the real Kazekage..." Naruto's thoughts were running rapidly, and he tried hard to recall everything about the Kazekage and Gaara.

Suddenly, he turned around and looked at Gaara who was standing next to him. His lips moved, but he didn't know how to speak. The worries and doubts in his heart were like a huge stone pressing on his chest, making him almost breathless.

After a while, he finally managed to calm down and asked: "Gaara! Do you think the person sitting with Grandpa Hokage in front of you is the Kazekage of your village?"

Gaara looked at Naruto with some confusion, waiting for his further explanation. Sasuke also noticed Naruto's changes. He was about to ask, but was interrupted by an indifferent voice.

"Stop talking! Keep your heads up!" A ninja who looked like Moonlight Hayate came over with a toothpick in his mouth, his tone carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty. The appearance of this ninja suddenly changed the atmosphere on the field.

Gotta get nervous.

"This game is your stage! And you are the protagonists!" the ninja continued, his eyes sweeping over Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke in turn, as if assessing their strength.

At the same time, the slightly hoarse voice of the Third Hokage also resounded over the entire venue: "Everyone in the audience! Welcome to..." His speech kicked off the competition and made everyone present feel excited.

It reaches the throat.

Naruto glanced sideways at the guy named Toss and frowned. He knew in his heart that this seemingly ordinary ninja actually had considerable strength, and his appearance seemed to be inextricably linked to Orochimaru's conspiracy.

contact. However, what is more important now is to confirm the identity of the Kazekage and ensure the safety of Gaara and Sasuke.

"Gaara! Sasuke!" Naruto took advantage of the tedious process before it was over, and there was still nearly half an hour before the start of the game. He decided to do something first to deal with the possible crisis. He glanced at Sasuke and found that the opponent

He was also looking at himself, his eyes shining with expectation and doubt.

"Naruto, what do you want from us?" Sasuke asked, with an imperceptible tremor in his voice. He was both happy and a little unhappy that Naruto took the initiative to call him - especially when

When Naruto also called Gaara, he couldn't help but glance at Gaara and found that the other person was also looking at him with complicated eyes.

"Well... there is something I want to confirm." Naruto took a deep breath and said slowly, "About the identity of Kazekage... I suspect that he may have been replaced by Orochimaru." He tried to keep his voice as clear as possible.

Remain calm, but the sense of urgency cannot be concealed.

Gaara and Sasuke were both shocked when they heard this. They looked at each other and saw the shock and worry in each other's eyes. If Naruto's guess was true, then this game would be more than just a simple contest.

, and may evolve into a battle related to the fate of the entire Sand Hidden Village.

"Are you sure? Naruto." Sasuke asked in a deep voice, his eyes becoming extremely sharp.

"I'm not 100% sure, but I have a strong hunch... In short, we can't take it lightly." Naruto shook his head and said, "Moreover, if my guess is true, then the real Kazekage may have already encountered something.

Unexpected..." His voice gradually became lower, and the worry in his heart was burning like a flame. He knew that he had to find out the truth as soon as possible in order to protect the safety of his friends around him and the entire Sunagakure Village.

Gaara stood upright in front of Naruto, his eyes were deep, but did not have the sharp light of Sasuke. Naruto looked at him, and then quickly stated his request, without giving Gaara and Sasuke any questions.

opportunity.

"Well, Gaara! Go and call Temari and Kankuro!" Naruto's tone was urgent, as if something important was about to happen, "Sasuke! Go and call Shikamaru! By the way, call Sakura and the others.

Come! Please ask them if you have something to do! Let them gather here first! I’ll go find Kakashi-sensei first! Wait for me for 5 minutes!”

After saying that, Naruto turned around and walked to the contestants' bench, leaving Gaara and Sasuke looking at each other. Sasuke's eyes became sharp in an instant. He stared at Gaara and said firmly: "You like Naruto.

"This is not a question, but an affirmative sentence. He paused and continued to say arrogantly: "I will not give you a chance!"

Gaara's eyes suddenly darkened, and a devilish smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He looked at Sasuke's retreating figure and whispered: "Really! He will only be mine!" His voice was full of emotion.

Confident, as if he had determined that Naruto belonged to him. Then, he turned and walked to the other side.

Naruto was looking for Kakashi eagerly, with a look of anxiety on his face. This was the first time he had shown such an expression on his face, which made people feel a little surprised and a little curious. Finally, he found him in the crowd.

Kakashi's figure.

"Kakashi-sensei, I finally found you!" Naruto's voice was trembling. Kakashi looked at him and asked with a smile: "What's wrong Naruto!" His voice was gentle, as if he could comfort Naruto.

Inner anxiety.

"Kakashi-sensei! Can you come here? There are a lot of people here!" Naruto's voice was a little soft, with a hint of request. Kakashi smiled habitually again, and then followed Naruto.

A corner.

"Kakashi-sensei! Do you still remember the bugs I showed you during the last exam, and the scent I talked about before?" Naruto's voice was urgent, and there was a hint of expectation in his eyes. Kakashi's heart moved.

, he remembered that Naruto did show him a strange bug last time, and also mentioned a special fragrance. However, he remained calm on his face and nodded to show that he remembered.

"Of course I remember, Naruto. Did you find anything?" Kakashi's voice was low and steady. He knew that Naruto would not mention this for no reason.
Chapter completed!