"Heh… heh…"
"Prey… what wonderful prey."
Gaara's hoarse, icy voice suddenly echoed across the Konoha street.
His lips stretched into a twisted grin, as if the boy standing before him—two heads taller—would be dead in his hands any second.
Murderous intent churned in his green eyes, madness barely restrained.
After Shukaku's rampage, the tiny shred of humanity he had left was gone.
Only killing intent remained.
"That ugly thing… after all these years, it finally did something I like."
"But… just you alone doesn't seem enough to satisfy me."
"So how about—"
"You all come at once?"
He raised a finger, pointing lazily forward, including Kai, Naruto, and the others in one sweep.
Arrogant.
Cold.
Cruel.
Gaara didn't even notice the scattered sand fragments still lying near his feet—
the remains from when Shukaku's head had been blasted apart.
To him, it didn't matter.
Since childhood, he and Shukaku had always been rivals.
Shukaku fought to seize control of his body.
He fought to suppress Shukaku and prove himself.
Even if it meant becoming heartless—
he would prove that the One-Tail was nothing more than a restless toy inside him.
If he crushed the boy who had scared Shukaku back—
that would prove he, Gaara, surpassed the beast.
Behind him, Temari and Kankuro exchanged a look.
Their eyes were completely out of control now.
What had they just seen?
The tailed beast that terrorized Sunagakure…
retreated so easily?
And it almost looked like—
"Gulp… that monster didn't seriously get scared off by this kid, did it?"
Temari swallowed hard. Her normally cool expression now looked downright absurd.
When had Shukaku ever been frightened off by a human?
And by a kid barely older than them?
Then what did all the countless sacrifices Sunagakure made to suppress it mean?
Were they just… incompetent?
"N-no way… maybe Shukaku reached some kind of agreement with Gaara?"
Kankuro wiped at his smeared face paint, sounding more convinced the more he spoke.
"Yeah! That must be it! Otherwise why would Gaara come out saying he's going to slaughter this guy?"
The more he talked, the more confident he sounded.
Temari nodded along—
but her eyes stayed fixed on Kai.
…Is that really it?
Lost in doubt, the two of them even forgot to intervene.
They also didn't notice that Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee—who had been ready to rush forward—now wore strange expressions.
"That gourd freak… is he seriously this brave? He's actually provoking my brother?"
Sasuke's Sharingan had faded.
Only clear disbelief… sarcasm… and even a trace of admiration remained.
Anyone who dared mock his brother to his face—
deserved a thumbs-up.
A true warrior.
"I don't know… but anyone who mocks big brother is doomed."
Naruto scratched his head, staring at Gaara.
For a brief moment, he actually felt an urge to warn him.
He sensed something similar in Gaara.
A kind of loneliness.
But the second he remembered Gaara was provoking Kai—
that thought vanished instantly.
"Anyone who mocks big brother is a bad guy!"
At the center of the street—
Crunch… crunch…
Gaara walked forward step by step.
"Heh… little Konoha insects."
He licked his cracked lips, the tongue still stained with blood.
"Ready… to become sand sculptures?"
Before he could finish—
The air ahead suddenly exploded.
WHOOSH—BANG!
A figure—
A lightning-fast figure—
appeared instantly.
Three consecutive afterimages flickered like bolts of thunder.
Then—
A dark fist slammed straight into Gaara's still-open mouth.
PUH—CRACK!
A sharp breaking sound rang out.
Four teeth shot into the air along with a spray of blood.
Only then did Kai's figure become clear.
He smiled faintly, looking down at the smashed-to-the-ground Gaara and shaking his head.
"Kids shouldn't talk like that."
"Y-you—"
Gaara felt the metallic taste and burning pain in his mouth.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"How is that possible?!"
He didn't want to believe it.
Didn't need to.
With a roar, he forced his gourd into motion.
Shhhhhh!
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FILTHY BUG! SAND STO—"
SMACK!
Another slap.
The words died in his throat.
Kai tilted his head slightly.
Because at that moment—
a new notification appeared.
[Target: One-Tail Jinchūriki Gaara]
[Copyable traits analyzing…]
Insomniac (Black)
Lone Warrior (Black)
Blond Preference (Black)
One-Tail Jinchūriki (Gold)
Absolute Defense (Gold)
Sand Burial (Purple)
Shukaku Spear (Purple)
Shukaku Shield (Purple)
…
Kai was honestly a little surprised.
Putting everything else aside—
Gaara's trait set was easily the most luxurious he'd seen for someone this age.
Maybe even better than everyone else combined.
No wonder he was an early-stage boss.
Though…
why did he end up sidelined later?
In Boruto-era stories he even turned into pure support…
Kai shook his head, not bothering to think further.
After all—
the earlier you debut, the harder you get nerfed.
History had proven that countless times.
And that Blond Preference trait…
wasn't that a bit too specific?
Might as well call it Blond Whisker-Face Preference and be done with it.
Kai looked at the now-quieted Gaara and spoke lazily:
"So… can we talk properly now?"
"Talk? Heh…"
Gaara snapped back to his senses.
His face turned green.
He—
had been hit?
Knocked teeth out?!
They hadn't even all grown in yet!
Fury surged.
Humiliation.
Rage.
His short red hair practically stood on end.
SMACK!
Kai slapped him again without even looking.
The rage stopped instantly.
Feeling the swelling pain on his face, Gaara finally sensed something was wrong.
"You human, how dare—"
SMACK!
"You think I would—"
SMACK!
"You—"
SMACK SMACK!
"I—"
SMACK SMACK!
"…S-s-sorry."
The dark madness in Gaara's eyes finally cleared a little.
They even looked… almost lucid.
He forced a stiff, swollen smile at Kai.
"Talk! Let's talk! We'll talk right now!"
[Ding. Conversing with Gaara for 10 minutes. Attempting to copy traits…]
[Copy failed.]
Kai: …
As expected.
He sighed, then flashed Gaara a grin.
"Talk?"
"Never mind."
Gaara let out a long breath of relief.
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