Konoha Village
These days were the busiest Konoha had been in years.
The reason was simple—the Chūnin Exams were being held.
This time, it wasn't just Konoha alone. Alongside them were shinobi from Sunagakure, the Sand Village of the Wind Country, as well as a small allied village invited from outside the Five Great Nations.
On the surface, the joint exam was meant to promote cooperation.
In reality, it was far more complicated.
Konoha and Sand had experienced frequent friction in the past, and both sides intended to use the Chūnin Exams as a chance to observe one another—openly "communicating," while quietly probing for truth and strength.
As for the third village, the reason was much simpler.
The daimyō of that small nation had a close relationship with the Fire Country's daimyō. Wanting to parade his village on a larger stage, he seized this opportunity to send his shinobi to Konoha.
The Fire Country's daimyō, whose vanity had been thoroughly stroked, agreed without hesitation and ordered Sarutobi Hiruzen to host them properly.
With two foreign villages sending their Kage-level representatives as guests, Konoha had no choice but to treat the event with utmost care.
Security patrols were reinforced throughout the village—after all, being laughed at for lax defenses during such an occasion was something Konoha could not afford.
Every available shinobi was recalled, and with visitors flooding in from multiple nations, the village quickly became crowded.
Nowhere reflected this more than Konoha's commercial district.
The streets were packed, the shops overflowing with customers, and merchants were making more money in a few days than they usually earned in months.
Not far from the main street, a commotion broke out.
Several teenagers had gathered together, their voices loud and sharp against the usual bustle.
One of them—a boy with face paint and a sinister grin—was holding a small child aloft with one hand.
"Before that annoying guy comes back," he sneered,
"let me play with you a bit."
"Ugh—l-let go!"
The little boy groaned, his face twisted in pain.
"Doesn't it feel exciting, brat?"
The painted-face boy laughed cruelly, completely ignoring the child's struggling.
Nearby, a blond boy with blue eyes watched the scene with clenched fists, anger boiling in his gaze.
This was Uzumaki Naruto.
He had been playing with Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson, when they ran into this group—genin from Sunagakure, led by one of the Sand's infamous siblings.
At Naruto's side stood Haruno Sakura, her pink hair swaying as she looked on anxiously.
Opposite them was a tall girl with an open outfit and commanding presence—Temari of the Sand Village. Though still young, her sharp eyes and confident posture already carried the aura of a seasoned warrior.
"Bastard!"
Naruto shouted, charging forward.
The painted-face boy—Kankurō—calmly twitched his fingers.
Naruto suddenly felt his footing falter.
The next moment, he crashed onto his back.
"What was that just now?!"
"Hah?"
Kankurō sneered.
"Konoha's genin are this weak?"
Sakura stared, eyes wide, fists clenched.
"Why are people from another village allowed to act like this here…?"
"I hate bratty kids," Kankurō growled, his face twisted with hostility.
"So noisy, yet so weak."
"I want to crush him completely."
The nearby civilians stiffened in fear.
"Hey…"
Temari sighed quietly from the side.
"I don't care," Kankurō said coldly.
He raised his fist and brought it down toward Konohamaru—
—but suddenly—
A black blur flashed past.
A stone shot through the air.
Crack!
Kankurō's arm jerked violently as the blow deflected his strike, and Konohamaru tumbled safely to the ground.
Silence followed.
Two figures had entered the stage.
Perched casually atop a tree branch, a boy sat idly tossing pebbles between his fingers.
His expression was cool, detached.
"What do you think you're doing,"
he asked calmly,
"causing trouble in someone else's village?"
"Sa-Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura's eyes lit up instantly.
Naruto stared, speechless.
…There he goes again, he thought bitterly. Showing off.
Kankurō's face darkened as pain shot through his arm. He hadn't even seen the attack clearly.
Temari, meanwhile, studied Uchiha Sasuke with interest.
…He's good-looking, she admitted silently.
"Another arrogant brat!"
Kankurō snarled.
"Get down here!"
Sasuke crushed the stone in his palm, grinding it into powder.
Though his clan hadn't yet been wiped out, he was still an Uchiha—raised under strict guidance, carrying the pressure of a prodigy's name.
He was no weaker than his canon counterpart.
"Hey, kid,"
Kankurō said, unwrapping the puppet strapped to his back,
"I hate smug brats like you the most."
Temari stiffened.
Using a puppet here—inside Konoha—would only make things worse.
"Hey!" she snapped.
"You're really going to use Karasu?!"
Before Kankurō could respond—
A calm voice echoed.
"Kankurō. Stop."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
The voice had come from behind him.
Very close.
He hadn't sensed it at all.
Hanging upside down from a tree branch was a boy with red hair, dark circles beneath his eyes, and a massive gourd strapped to his back.
The kanji for "love" was carved into his forehead.
Sunagakure's Jinchūriki—
Gaara of the Sand.
"You're embarrassing the village,"
Gaara said flatly.
Cold sweat instantly covered Kankurō's face.
With Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, still alive—and with the lingering trauma left by Minato Namikaze's past suppression—Gaara's treatment had only grown harsher over the years.
The darkness within him ran deeper than ever.
"I… Gaara,"
Kankurō muttered.
Though he and Temari were Gaara's siblings, neither dared raise their voice in front of him.
The standoff thickened—
Then suddenly—
"Hey! Suigetsu, you bastard! Are you trying to die?!"
"Relax! It's just one bite! Karin's stingy as hell!"
"Lord Kimimaro, please say something! He's completely shameless!"
Three figures strode into view.
All of them wore black attire, their foreheads marked with the distinctive protectors of the Sound Village.
At the front walked a gray-haired boy with a cold, composed expression.
Behind him followed a sharp-toothed, blue-haired youth—Suigetsu—and a red-haired girl with glasses, unmistakably an Uzumaki—Karin.
Kimimaro, leading the team, had been sent to represent the Gensokyo in the Chūnin Exams.
Jūgo remained at the base, tied up in Orochimaru's latest experiments.
The moment Kimimaro appeared, Gaara's pupils contracted.
That smell—
Blood.
Not ordinary blood.
A thick, oppressive scent soaked into the air.
How many people…
How many have you killed…?
Gaara's interest sparked instantly.
This boy was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Karin glanced lazily at Sasuke, unimpressed.
After all, she was used to standing beside monsters.
"What is this?"
Suigetsu grinned.
"A bunch of Sand and Leaf brats playing house?"
"Karin," he added,
"you're not exactly old yourself."
"What did you say?!"
Karin exploded, veins bulging on her forehead.
"I'm old enough! I could even be the leader's bride! What the hell do you know?!"
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