Just as the "non-mainstream panda trio" (a.k.a. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro) approached, tension rose in the air.
Among the six people present, four of them felt an immediate sense of danger—
Tsukigami, Sakuragi, Sasuke, and Ino all exchanged glances, their thoughts perfectly in sync.
Sakiya took a closer look at the trio.
Then, suddenly—
Her expression twisted in horror.
She trembled, her eyes wide with shock.
This reaction made Gaara instinctively narrow his eyes, his suspicion rising.
Next to him, Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances, subtly preparing to defend themselves at a moment's notice.
(Did she just sense the Tailed Beast inside Gaara?!)
Naruto, noticing Sakiya's reaction, immediately became cautious, his body tensing as he prepared for the worst.
But then—
Sakiya suddenly clutched her left eye, her entire body shaking as a creepy smile spread across her face.
"Heh… Heh heh… I can't hold it back… My power of DEATH is taking over… Ughhhh…!"
Before she could say another word—
Ino sprang into action, slamming her hand over Sakiya's mouth in perfect sync with the others.
Without missing a beat, Sasuke, Tsuchiya, and Sakuragi grabbed hold of Sakiya, hoisting her up as if this were routine.
She kicked and flailed, thrashing like a wild animal, but the four of them worked seamlessly—swift, efficient, merciless.
In a blink, they disappeared down the street, dragging Sakiya away.
All that remained was the distant, muffled sounds of her struggling, growing fainter and fainter…
...Until silence.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro stood frozen, their expressions blank.
Naruto, still standing there, finally snapped out of it.
"H-Hey! WAIT! What just happened?! What was that?! HOLD ON—WAIT FOR ME!"
Without thinking, Naruto scrambled after them, arms flailing, looking more like an escaped zoo animal than a ninja.
Kankuro turned to Temari, still stunned.
"Uh… That kinda looked like a kidnapping…?"
Temari blinked. "Should we… report this to someone?"
Truth be told, the Sand Trio had only come out to clear their heads after the news of Baki's death.
They originally just wanted to mess with Konoha's ninja a little.
But now?
Now they weren't even sure if they wanted to be here anymore.
Gaara narrowed his eyes, watching the scene unfold in front of him.
After a brief silence, he spoke in his usual cold tone.
"What a bunch of weirdos. Let's go."
Temari and Kankuro nodded, about to turn around—
But then, they stopped.
In the distance, a small figure was running towards them at full speed.
The trio instinctively tensed, their muscles tightening in caution.
The figure came closer—
It was Sakiya.
Panting heavily, she skidded to a stop right in front of them, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
But despite looking completely exhausted, her face lit up with excitement the moment she looked up at them.
"Are you really enemies sent here to destroy my Supreme Council?!" she demanded.
Immediately, Kankuro and Temari's hands went to their weapons.
Gaara's sand stirred, preparing for combat.
But before anything could happen—
Sakiya suddenly raised a hand to her forehead, striking a dramatic pose.
"Heh…"
Her voice was low, mocking.
"Darkness deeper than darkness itself… this aura… it makes my Death Eyes burn with power!"
Then—
With a sudden jerky movement, she wiggled her fingers wildly right in front of Gaara's face.
"Abyssal Claws! Dark Breath!"
Gaara's expression did not change.
But his eye twitched—just slightly.
Temari and Kankuro, meanwhile, were completely speechless.
Their faces were frozen in an expression that could only be described as:
"What… the actual… hell?"
And then—
Like clockwork, four hands suddenly appeared behind Sakiya.
WHAM!
Before she could react, a hand clamped over her mouth, while several more grabbed her arms and legs.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!!"
Ino, Sasuke, Tsukigami, and Sakuragi appeared—expressionless.
Without hesitation—
They hoisted Sakiya up and walked away in complete silence, carrying her like a package.
Despite her mouth being covered, Sakiya struggled wildly, arms flailing toward Gaara like he was her only hope of salvation.
Her eyes burned with determination, as if screaming—
"GAARA! HELP ME!"
But—
It was no use.
Her captors were professionals.
Fast. Efficient. Merciless.
Within seconds, they had vanished into the night.
And then—
Silence.
A deep, unsettling silence.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro simply stood there, staring at the empty space where Sakiya had been.
None of them spoke.
None of them moved.
Because, honestly—
They had no idea how to process what just happened.
Kankuro and Temari exchanged uneasy glances before rubbing their stiff faces, trying to shake off the weirdness of what had just happened.
"Uh… yeah, let's just go."
"Agreed."
For once, Gaara actually followed his brother's suggestion without a word.
-++-
A Few Days Later…
The Fourth Kazekage arrived in Konoha, accompanied by several envoys.
Waiting to receive him was the Third Hokage, along with a group of high-ranking Konoha shinobi.
Naturally, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were also present.
As the Fourth Kazekage surveyed his surroundings, his expression darkened.
Finally, his gaze locked onto the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage…" he said, his tone measured yet heavy.
"I don't see Baki anywhere. Where is my Jonin?"
The air went cold.
The weight of unspoken tension pressed on everyone present.
Konoha's shinobi instinctively tightened their grips on their kunai.
The feeling of killing intent was subtle, but unmistakable.
And then—
The Fourth Kazekage suddenly broke into a bright, almost carefree laugh.
"Hahaha! My apologies, Lord Hokage. I'm sure Baki must be caught up with some important business. Of course, I wouldn't blame him for that."
The Third Hokage's rigid expression finally relaxed, his lips curving into a small smile.
"Ah, yes. Perhaps Baki simply wanted to play a little joke on you."
The Fourth Kazekage chuckled lightly.
"A joke, huh? Well… that's quite the bold joke."
His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Still, both leaders exchanged knowing glances, understanding the delicate dance of diplomacy they were playing.
The Third Hokage gestured toward the village.
"Come, let's discuss things inside."
And just like that—
Both Kage walked into Konoha, chatting and laughing as if they were the best of friends.
Meanwhile, Gaara, watching his father act so casually, felt a wave of disgust rise within him.
He clenched his fists.
Temari and Kankuro, on the other hand, were struggling with conflicted emotions.
Baki was their teacher.
Even if they didn't say it out loud, they felt something was deeply wrong.
Gaara turned on his heel, his voice sharp.
"Forget about him. Let's go."
Without waiting for a response, he strode off.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged another glance, then silently followed after their brother.
--++--
Time passed in the blink of an eye—just like Choji's snacks disappearing without a trace.
And now, at last, the final stage of the Chunin Exams was about to begin!
The arena was massive, built for intense one-on-one duels, and the stands were packed with spectators. Sitting in the VIP section were the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage, overseeing the event.
To the side of the battlefield, a tall tower stood, and on top of it was the proctor, Hayate, still recovering yet dedicated to his duty. He stood on the platform next to a massive digital screen, which would randomly select the matchups.
Down below, Naruto was already making noise.
"Sasuke, you bastard! If I run into you, I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!"
Sasuke scoffed. "Hah! You, beat me? Don't make me laugh, dead last."
A vein popped on Naruto's forehead. "Huh?! You wanna fight right now, teme?!"
As if on cue, the big screen began rolling through names.
Sasuke stood up, cracking his knuckles. "I've had enough of your barking, loser."
Ding!
The screen flashed.
Sakura and Kakashi, who had been watching from the sidelines, blinked in surprise.
The two rivals were already glaring at each other when Sakura hesitantly spoke. "Uh… Naruto? Sasuke?"
The moment she said their names—
SWOOSH!
Both of them snapped their heads toward her with deadly glares, making her shiver.
Sweat beaded on her forehead as she slowly raised a trembling finger toward the screen.
Naruto and Sasuke turned their attention to the board.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha
Their gazes locked.
"It's you!" they shouted in unison.
The proctor's voice rang out across the stadium.
"Would Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha please step forward!"
The two exchanged one last look before silently turning and walking toward the battlefield.
A hush fell over the arena as they took their positions.
Sasuke.
Naruto.
A rivalry bound by fate.
The moment that everyone had been waiting for—
Their first true battle—
Was about to begin!
____________
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