Can Men Be This Beautiful?

"No, no, no! We'll talk!" the other ninja hurriedly blurted out.

"It... it was Baki-sama who sent us. He said... to test the strength of this year's Konoha newcomers."

Baki? The jonin leader of Sunagakure? The teacher of Gaara and his team in the original story?

Qingyu's heart sank.

The probing has already started? The joint event hasn't even begun yet!

And what else is there to see? It's not like they haven't been to the Chunin Exams before; they're clearly just trying to act tough!

Kakashi released his grip: "Go back and tell Baki that testing is fine, but don't go too far. If there's a next time..."

His killing intent flashed for a split second, "I won't be so polite."

The four Sunagakure ninja scrambled away, tripping over themselves as they fled.

The crisis was resolved, but the atmosphere grew even heavier.

"Teacher, were they really sent by Baki?" Neji asked.

"In all likelihood, yes." Kakashi put away his book.

"Sunagakure hasn't been very settled lately. You all need to prepare yourselves mentally; this joint event... will not be peaceful."

Naruto clenched his fists: "Then we'll show them the might of Konoha's ninja!"

Sasuke didn't speak, but his gaze turned even colder.

Qingyu sighed.

It's only the first day, and we're already running into this.

The days ahead...

"Alright, back to resting." Kakashi clapped his hands, "I'll take the second half of the night for watch duty. Everyone, get some sleep."

Back in his sleeping bag, Qingyu still couldn't fall asleep.

The probing from Sunagakure, Baki's instructions, and the intelligence from Elder Setsuna regarding "Sunagakure's contact with Otogakure"...

Everything pointed to one fact: the Konoha Crush Plan might truly be coming.

Is Orochimaru really this daring? You'd better hope you have a million Mitsuki here to protect you!

"Afraid?" Izuna asked in his mind.

"A little," Qingyu admitted honestly.

"Fear is appropriate," Tobirama said, "but fear cannot solve problems. What you must do is survive, and then grow stronger."

Qingyu tightened his grip.

That's right, what use is fear?

Since I'm here, I can only move forward.

The desert night was bright with stars.

Yet the road ahead remained shrouded in mist.

On the noon of the fifth day, when Qingyu saw the towering sandstone fortress on the horizon, he had only one thought:

This is Sunagakure? This scale... you call this a "village"? This is clearly a kingdom!

Compared to this, Konoha looks like a rural suburb!

Qingyu: Reached the highest level of Sunagakure!

"Wow!" Naruto's eyes went wide, "It's huge! Even bigger than the Hokage Rock!"

Although Sasuke didn't say anything, his tightly pressed lips betrayed his shock.

Neji's Byakugan flickered slightly, seemingly evaluating the defensive structure of the fortress.

Kakashi closed his Icha Icha Paradise and said lazily: "Sunagakure City, the ninja village of the Land of Wind, built upon a desert oasis. The outer walls are made of specially hardened sandstone, capable of withstanding sandstorms and invasions... Alright, tour guide session over. Time to go in."

As the group approached, they realized someone was already waiting at the gate.

A squad of Sunagakure ninja, led by a middle-aged man with short blonde hair and a stern expression: Baki.

Standing beside him were...

Kankuro, Temari, and... Gaara?

Gaara still carried that iconic gourd on his back, his dark circles heavy, his eyes as hollow as an AI customer service bot.

He stared at the approaching Konoha group—or more accurately, he was staring at Sasuke.

Sasuke stared back at him.

The air between the two seemed to freeze into shards of ice.

Qingyu silently took half a step back.

What kind of grudge or grievance is this, you two! The way you're staring at each other could fill fifty episodes of a tragic romance spin-off!

Besides, isn't it Naruto who's supposed to be entangled with you?

"Welcome to Sunagakure." Baki stepped forward, his tone as official as a press conference.

"I am Baki, the Sunagakure lead for this joint event. Was your journey smooth?"

Kakashi's eyes crinkled into smiles: "Thanks to you, it was quite smooth. Though, a few 'enthusiastic Sunagakure friends' came to greet us last night, so I sent them back early."

Baki's expression didn't change: "There are always some... people in the desert who don't know the rules. I will handle it."

The two locked eyes, the air crackling with invisible friction.

Qingyu: Is this what adult workplace jargon sounds like? Learned it, learned it. Next time, I'll learn to say "I will handle it" too.

Even though I can't handle anything at all.

If I can't solve the problem, I can at least solve you!

"Let's get you settled in first." Baki turned to the side, "Kankuro, take them to the guesthouse."

Kankuro nodded, the face paint on his features particularly striking under the sunlight: "Follow me."

The group walked through the city gates.

The scene inside the city opened Qingyu's eyes once more: the streets were lined with typical desert-style architecture—earth-yellow walls, domed designs, and small, dense windows.

There were many pedestrians on the street, but they all moved in a hurry. When they saw these outsiders, their eyes were filled with vigilance and... curiosity?

"Feels like we've entered a zoo," Qingyu muttered quietly. "Are we the monkeys?"

"Sunagakure is relatively... isolated," Neji explained in a low voice. "They have little contact with the outside world year-round, so being wary of outsiders is normal."

Naruto, however, didn't care at all, looking left and right: "Hey! They're selling food over there! Is that meat skewers?"

Kankuro looked back: "That's grilled scorpion, a Sunagakure specialty. Want to try some?"

Naruto's expression stiffened instantly: "Scor-scorpion?!"

Temari scoffed: "Konoha brats are so delicate."

Sasuke retorted coldly: "Better than someone using a fan as a weapon. Is it because the desert is too hot, so you carry it around for air?"

"What did you say?!"

Seeing another argument brewing, Kakashi intervened at the right moment: "Alright, alright, let's get to the lodging first."

The guesthouse was located on the west side of the castle, a three-story building.

The room allocation was simple: Kakashi in a single room, and the four youths paired up.

"I'm rooming with Sasuke!" Naruto raised his hand.

"No," Sasuke rejected him instantly. "I'm with Qingyu."

Qingyu: ??? Sasuke-kun, are we that close? Don't make decisions on your own! And I'm not your fated bestie!

Neji: "Then I'll take Naruto."

Naruto: "Eh!"

Final grouping: Sasuke + Qingyu, Neji + Naruto.

After entering the room, Qingyu surveyed the environment: two beds, one table, and a small window.

Simple but clean, except... it was hot.

The afternoon temperature in the desert was ridiculously high; the room felt like a steamer.

Qingyu felt like he was about to be roasted.

"Sunagakure's lodging conditions are just like this," Sasuke said calmly, taking off his jacket to reveal the black tight-fitting shirt underneath. "You'll get used to it."

Qingyu wiped his sweat in silence.

Can men actually be this beautiful?

And Sasuke-kun, isn't your adaptability a bit too strong?

Or is it just the Uchiha pride kicking in? Either way, he's dying of heat but won't say a word, just standing there striking a pose!

Where is my apprentice!

Sasuke: I don't know!

He opened the window to let in some air, but a wave of heat poured in, making it even hotter.

One side is a steamer, the other is a dehydrator, and I'm just submitting to it...

What kind of hellish environment is this? I'm really going to turn into a piece of dried salted fish!

Forget it, muting myself.