The atmosphere inside the Hokage Tower's top-floor reception room was heavy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head seat, glancing at the Kazekage and his entourage on either side. He skipped the usual pleasantries and spoke directly,
"Kazekage-dono, you've traveled far in the name of peace. Admirable."
He raised his teacup as he spoke.
Lately, he'd been little more than a Hokage in title—stripped of real authority. That made this alliance especially important to him.
If he could secure a formal pact with Sunagakure, perhaps he could rebuild some of his lost prestige.
And if that happened… it might not be impossible to reclaim his standing.
Kai was powerful, yes.
But strength alone didn't equal reputation.
Of course, Hiruzen had long since given up any thought of competing with Kai. All he wanted now was to hold onto the Hokage's seat and grow old in it.
Rasa nodded and drained his tea in one go.
"Hokage-dono, you're too kind. Sunagakure and Konoha are neighbors—it's only natural we support each other. I hope this visit will allow us to mend old ties."
As he spoke, his gaze briefly swept over the ANBU standing behind Hiruzen, silently calculating the chances of striking right now.
The conclusion wasn't encouraging.
He suppressed the thought and waited for a better moment.
At the lower seat, Orochimaru—masked beneath his hat—curved his lips into a faint smile. His long fingers tapped lightly against his knee.
It had been a long time since he'd returned.
And yet Konoha was still just as prosperous as ever.
His eyes occasionally drifted toward the outskirts of the village—the direction of the Forest of Death.
From there came faint rumbles and noisy commotion.
He was deeply curious what exactly was happening out there.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from below.
Everyone's expression shifted, and they rose at once.
Looking down, they saw two children facing each other in the street.
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Seeing that, the Fourth Kazekage felt a surge of delight—and also remained silent.
He silently hoped Gaara would make an even bigger scene.
Big enough that the village's top fighters would be forced to intervene.
Big enough that the Hokage's immediate defenses would thin out.
That—
Would be their moment to strike.
Outside, Gaara had finally reached the limit of his restraint. After enduring the whispers all the way into the village, he abruptly turned toward the noisy crowd.
"Whoa! The gourd kid's glaring at us!"
"Man, that guy looks dangerous…"
"Dangerous? Feels like he's about to snap—"
"Maybe… we should step back?"
"Step back my foot. If he dares attack me, Lord Kai will have every excuse to crush Sunagakure. My family might even get a special page in the clan records!"
The chatter didn't stop.
They simply stared back at him.
"Blond brat… come out here!"
Gaara's voice was hoarse, strained.
The killing intent in that single sentence instantly strangled every whisper nearby.
Drip.
The air fell so silent you could almost hear water falling.
Rustle!
The crowd scattered immediately.
They liked talking big—but not dying.
In the blink of an eye, only a few figures remained.
A blond boy with a confused expression.
A black-haired boy looking thoroughly unimpressed.
And a green-clad, hot-blooded youth.
The three of them, veterans of being chased by dogs since childhood, didn't retreat.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
Naruto's brain lagged for a second before he realized the guy meant him. His blue eyes widened, and his temper flared instantly.
"Who you calling a blond brat, you dark-circle gourd freak?! Wanna fight? Come on then!"
He rolled up his sleeves and shook out his arms—completely missing the thin layer of sand quietly spreading across the ground toward him like flowing water.
"Oi, Naruto."
Just as Naruto was about to charge, Sasuke—wearing his usual smug expression—pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked.
Sasuke tilted his chin proudly toward Gaara.
"A show-off brat like that… I'll handle him."
"I won't allow anyone in Konoha to be more arrogant than me."
With that, he stepped forward.
Crunch.
His foot landed squarely in the sand.
"Arrogant?" Gaara's voice dropped to a low murmur. "Then I'll start… by killing you."
"Gaara! Calm down!"
"This is Konoha, not the Sand Village!"
Temari and Kankuro's faces turned pale as they rushed forward, grabbing for Gaara's arms from both sides. Temari's voice sounded mature, but the tremor of fear in it was unmistakable.
Kankuro was so nervous his face paint was practically melting.
They'd thought this trip was mostly to observe the strongest village in the ninja world. Even if there was a mission, they hadn't expected actual killing.
If Gaara murdered someone here—
They might never make it back home.
But the moment their hands were about to touch him—
Something changed.
Whoosh.
WHOOSH.
The cork on the massive gourd behind Gaara blasted free.
A thick, blood-like torrent of sand erupted outward, instantly forming a massive earthen hand that shoved Temari and Kankuro aside.
Sand Hand.
The speed was terrifying.
Even Sasuke, upon seeing that hand, had to lower his head slightly and admit,
"You… are worthy of being a proud Uchiha's oppon—"
He didn't get to finish.
The sand beneath his feet exploded upward.
WHUMP!
In an instant, it wrapped around him completely—
Tighter and tighter.
Even his newly opened mouth was stuffed full of sand.
All he could do was make muffled "mmph—mmph!" noises.
Naruto: …
Lee: …
Kai, watching from a distant corner: …
The villagers watching from the outer ring slapped their foreheads.
Yes.
That was extremely on-brand for Sasuke.
As a kid, he got chased by dogs.
A little older, he chased the dogs back.
Later, he went looking for lightning to strike him…
And now?
He'd stopped chasing dogs and lightning—
and started chasing beatings instead.
No one had expected the mighty Uchiha Sasuke to get wrapped up like a sand dumpling in seconds.
Naruto snapped.
Someone dared to wrap up his teammate?!
He stomped forward and pointed at Gaara.
"Let him go!"
"So what if you're good at wrapping people up?!"
"What's that worth?!"
"When you fight, it's all about real strength!"
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