In the cold words...
there was a hint of human warmth.
Uchiha Sasuke thought he had considered everything thoroughly enough. At least he made Momochi Zabuza think about retirement. If Zabuza still wanted to court death, he couldn't be blamed...
Of course...
Theoretically, Zabuza couldn't escape the fate arranged for him.
Because Zabuza killed his employer, Caddo. Once this news got out, Zabuza, the kind of traitorous ninja who violated ninja ethics, would surely be rejected by the Hidden Mist Village and might not even find refuge in any other Ninja Village. He would ultimately have to choose to retire and live with Haku...
In the real world, the Root has plenty of intelligence, and Uchiha Sasuke had heard some tales about Zabuza. He knew this guy was also the type to do anything for his village, and in the future, even chose to participate in the Ninja World War against Akihara Kagura...
"Next..."
"Should we wait for the bridge to be completed?"
Uchiha Sasuke stopped mid-sentence and changed the topic on his own accord. He wanted to wait a bit longer in the Land of Waves for Orochimaru's appearance.
Fortunately.
Team Seven's mission was to ensure the bridge construction's safety. Judging by the timeline, they could stay in the Land of Waves for a while longer and didn't need to hurry.
In the end...
Things didn't go as planned.
Uchiha Sasuke's purpose for staying here was to wait eagerly for the appearance of the serpent, but Orochimaru never showed up. Even after the bridge connecting the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire was completed, there was no sign of him, causing Sasuke to question the world's reality again.
This...
Still seemed a little out of touch with the real world?
After waiting for the bridge to be completed in the Land of Waves, Team Seven returned to Konoha led by Kakashi Hatake, where they encountered a group of ninja from other villages.
"Chunin Exams?"
Uchiha Sasuke was immediately reminded of his past regrets.
In the real world, Akihara Kagura's autocratic decisions led to the cancellation of many people's qualifications to participate in the Chunin Exams, including his own...
By the time he returned to Konoha, he was already a high-ranking member of the Root, and the Ninja World War soon broke out. After the war ended, he directly became the third leader of the Root, leaving him with no opportunity to participate in any exams...
This time...
He finally had the chance to participate wholeheartedly!
This thought appeared in Uchiha Sasuke's mind but was immediately suppressed by himself. He was, after all, the third leader of the Root — how could he have the mindset of a twelve-year-old Genin and care about a small Chunin Exam?
"Let go of Konohamaru!"
Naruto Uzumaki's voice brought Uchiha Sasuke back to his senses.
Uchiha Sasuke looked up to see Naruto Uzumaki leading his little followers, including Sarutobi Konohamaru and a few other kids, who were in a tussle with ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village.
The leader of the Hidden Sand ninjas...
was none other than Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village.
Coincidentally, Gaara was also known in the real world as a luck king in the Chunin Exam, continuously advancing due to various occurrences: in the preliminaries, his future taijutsu powerhouse, Rock Lee, angered Akihara Kagura and had his exam qualification canceled on the spot, allowing Gaara to advance by default; in the main exams, Uchiha Sasuke was disqualified for being late, granting Gaara another advance by default.
Then came the Ninja World War...
Rock Lee's teacher, Might Guy, showcased the power of the Eight Gates Formation, making everyone realize that taijutsu experts could stand toe-to-toe with Six Paths Level ninjas. Uchiha Sasuke himself, with the Chakra bestowed by the Six Paths Sage, became a Six Paths Level powerhouse...
This highlighted how truly lucky Gaara was during the Chunin Exams, as he eventually became the Fifth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village.
"Hmph..."
"This time your luck won't be so good..."
Uchiha Sasuke clenched his wrist, determined to participate fully in the Chunin Exam, and set his gaze firmly on Gaara.
"Kankuro!"
Gaara's hair stood on end!
Fear suddenly appeared in the heart of the red-haired boy!
Gaara stared intently at Uchiha Sasuke, feeling as if he had encountered a natural enemy, his heart instantly uncomfortable: "Kankuro, we should leave... and that black-haired one over there, what's your name?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
After Uchiha Sasuke announced his name, he caught a glimpse of a group of Hidden Grass Village ninjas passing by the end of the street. Among them was a glasses-wearing, red-haired girl, causing a tremor in Sasuke's heart.
That was... Karin?