Gaara

The Gaara team standing nearby watched as Sasuke was captured with such ease.

Every one of their faces was filled with astonishment; among these people, and even among the new recruits of Konoha, Sasuke's strength was ranked at least in the top three.

To think he was captured by the opponent in a single exchange.

Gaara's gaze was fixed on Feng Yao as he spoke slowly.

"I am interested in you. What is your name? I am Gaara of the Sand."

Seeing Gaara cast his gaze toward him, Feng Yao felt a sense of contemplation; he could not fully trust Orochimaru.

Moreover, since the Fourth Kazekage was still alive, he might need some allies, so he responded with a gentle tone.

"My name is Dosu, a ninja from the Sound Village. I am also quite interested in you."

With that, he released Sasuke.

Sasuke still felt a bit disoriented; while near Feng Yao, he had felt the same sense of happy warmth he possessed in his childhood.

"He shouldn't be the person we encountered in the Land of Waves back then. The aura he carries is vastly different from that person's."

After saying this, he slowly walked back to Naruto's side.

Temari looked at Sasuke with a slight blush; this guy was actually quite handsome.

"Alright, since the misunderstanding is cleared up, we have some business to attend to and should be leaving. Zaku, Kin, let's go."

Seeing Sasuke clear the way for him, Feng Yao could not have asked for more, so he found an excuse.

He said this while leading Zaku and Kin toward the location of the Konoha exams, though he intentionally shook them off halfway there.

"I have some matters to attend to. You two go ahead to the exam site and wait for me."

Zaku and Kin were both stunned when they heard this, but they dared not defy Feng Yao's orders.

"Understood, Lord Dosu."

Feng Yao turned and ran back in the direction he came from.

The three-man Gaara squad was currently walking along the streets of Konoha, discussing what had just happened.

"That ninja wrapped in bandages seems far from simple. I never expected there to be such a formidable guy among the Sound Ninja. I really want to cross blades with him."

"Suit yourself. There will be plenty of opportunities during the Chunin Exams, but don't forget why we are here."

The ones conversing were Kankuro and Temari; they vaguely knew some of the inside story of the plan and understood that, from a certain perspective, the Sound Ninja were barely considered their own people.

At this moment, Gaara suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on a tree not far away.

"What is it, Gaara?" Temari asked in confusion.

But Gaara did not respond to her; instead, he spoke to that tree.

"Stop hiding and come out. I have already discovered you. Are you unable to resist the urge to fight me now?"

Hearing this, Feng Yao descended directly from the tree. Gaara's emotions during this period were still extremely unstable, his heart filled with loneliness and hatred.

"Gaara, I want to talk to you."

After saying this, he used Geppo to arrive in front of Gaara in the blink of an eye. Gaara instinctively manipulated his sand to counterattack, but...

"So warm. What... what is this feeling?"

Gaara lowered his hands. Gaara had been extremely empty and lonely since childhood, but now his heart felt an incomparable sense of peace.

After all, strictly speaking, Gaara was still just a child; the things he had endured were truly too painful for him.

His heart had always been covered in scars, right up until he met Naruto and was persuaded by his "Talk no Jutsu."

However, he now possessed the Xiaoyao Wise Heart Body, which was an existence even more powerful than Naruto's talk-no-jutsu.

Feng Yao placed his hand gently on Gaara and then activated the Flying Thunder God technique.

"Whoosh."

Only then did Temari and Kankuro react.

"Hey! He took Gaara away! You just stood there watching..."

"I don't know what happened either. Just now, I felt like that guy was a good person, so I didn't have any defenses up. You were the same, weren't you?"

"I... I... how could Gaara just be taken away so obediently? Hurry and report this to Team Leader Baki!"

The two complained to each other before hurrying away.

At this moment, Gaara had been brought by Feng Yao to an open space several kilometers outside of Konoha.

Gaara was not alarmed; on one hand, he was fearless, and on the other, he felt that the man before him held no malice toward him.

"What is it that you want to do?" Gaara asked.

Feng Yao did not speak, instead unwrapping the bandages on his face to reveal his own stunningly beautiful features.

Gaara's eyes widened significantly upon seeing this, and he seemed to understand why the other party had been wearing bandages.

"Actually, my name is Feng Yao. I was using a fake name before."

Feng Yao did not hide his face from Gaara, choosing instead to reveal his true appearance and tell him his real name.

He knew that only by showing sincerity could he move Gaara and win him over to his side.

Hearing Feng Yao be so candid, the look in Gaara's eyes softened once again.

"I've heard of you. I didn't expect you to dare hide your identity and sneak into Konoha. Tell me, why did you reveal yourself and bring me here?"

If it had been anyone else acting this way toward him, Gaara would have already torn them into dozens of pieces.

Yet, facing Feng Yao, he found it difficult to summon any killing intent; he even wanted to hear what Feng Yao was planning to do.

"I want your help. My entry into Konoha this time is bound to be fraught with danger, and many people want me dead. That is why I need to find a friend—a friend I can trust."

Feng Yao's tone was earnest. Although Gaara's pupils constricted slightly upon hearing this, he still frowned.

"I cannot promise you that. I am a ninja belonging to Sunagakure; without orders from the village, I cannot help anyone at will."

Hearing Gaara say this, Feng Yao was not discouraged; instead, he thought to himself that there was a chance.

"I understand. I am not trying to force you. If you are unwilling to help me when the time comes, you are free to act according to your own will. I will never stop you."

As he spoke, he gently placed his hand on Gaara's head. He wanted to give Gaara a gift.

Gaara habitually wanted to dodge, but seeing Feng Yao's gentle gaze, he remained still.

Pure spiritual energy entered Gaara's body, locating the Sealing Technique used to suppress Shukaku. At a glance, Feng Yao frowned.

It was an incredibly crude seal; in this regard, Sunagakure was far inferior to Konoha.

He guessed that the Fourth Kazekage had relied on his Gold Dust to suppress the One-Tail and hadn't bothered to properly refine the seal, forcing Gaara to rely on his own mental strength to keep Shukaku in check.

This was what had led to Gaara's chronic insomnia.

Feng Yao injected a portion of his own spiritual energy and chakra into the sealing formation. His spiritual energy could be considered the purest in the world of the Hokage, and it held a certain allure even for a Tailed Beast.

"This... what kind of spiritual energy is this? It's so pure."

Shukaku, residing within Gaara, had always harbored deep hatred for humans, but this spiritual energy made him feel a sense of warmth. Shukaku was no longer so restless.

In this way, Gaara would no longer have to fear that Shukaku would seize his consciousness whenever he tried to sleep.

Releasing his hand, Feng Yao saw tear tracks on Gaara's face.

Since childhood, he had known only loneliness and pain, and he suffered from an extreme lack of security. Shukaku wanted to steal his consciousness, and his father wanted to kill him.

But now, it seemed someone like Yashamaru had appeared—the Yashamaru he had once trusted and loved so deeply.

"Remember, Gaara, you are not alone. No matter what choice you make later, I will always consider you my best friend."

After saying this, he stroked Gaara's hair again, his eyes even softer than before.

Gaara wiped away his tears.

"Mr. Feng... Yao, may I call you that?"

Gaara, who had originally wanted to call him by his name, suddenly felt that doing so would be disrespectful to the person before him, so he added the title "Mr."

"Of course you can. It's just a form of address."

"Mr. Feng Yao, although I cannot promise to help you with anything, if you ever encounter danger, I will stand by your side."

Hearing this, Feng Yao pulled Gaara into an embrace. Gaara's body stiffened for a moment, but then his expression relaxed, and he reached out to hug Feng Yao back.

"That is enough. Gaara, I have another gift for you."

He then took Gaara's hand and placed a ring engraved with the character "Moon" onto his finger. Gaara was stunned.

Feng Yao coughed lightly.

"We are friends now, so naturally, I have to give you a gift. This symbolizes our bond."

Gaara lowered his head to stroke the ring Feng Yao had given him.

"Host, you are becoming truly shameless. You've gained such a powerful combat asset for nothing."

"Ahem, what kind of talk is that? I'm doing this for Gaara's sake, too. He might be targeted by the Akatsuki in the future, and by then, he'll have me, the 'Immortal,' covering him."

After finishing with the system, Feng Yao put his disguise back on and used the Flying Thunder God technique to bring Gaara back to Konoha.