The moment Sasuke entered the preparation area, he felt a gaze brimming with fighting spirit lock onto him.
Looking toward its source, Sasuke saw a red-haired kid with heavy dark circles under his eyes and a gourd on his back.
Sasuke recognized the red-haired kid, too. He had appeared in the intelligence Kabuto Yakushi provided.
Gaara, from Sunagakure.
He was extremely powerful, capable of controlling sand in battle, and utterly ruthless when he attacked.
When Sasuke looked his way, Gaara did not avert his gaze. He continued staring at Sasuke.
"You're Sasuke Uchiha, the first one to pass the test?"
Sasuke snorted.
"What, didn't your mother teach you to introduce yourself before asking someone who they are? You've got no manners."
"You!"
Temari and Kankuro, standing beside Gaara, were dumbfounded.
Seriously, was this Sasuke Uchiha the king of hitting nerves?
How could someone open his mouth and hit his opponent's sore spot with such precision?
"I'll kill you!"
In an instant, the gourd on Gaara's back opened, and yellow sand swirled out, hurtling straight toward Sasuke.
Sasuke showed no fear whatsoever and was already poised to unleash his ninjutsu.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
But before Gaara's sand could hurt Sasuke, an earthen wall shot up from the ground, separating the two. A lifelike dog's head was even carved into its surface.
"You two candidates, fighting is forbidden before the exam begins. Otherwise, you'll both be disqualified. Is that clear?"
Kakashi emerged from the corridor and regarded the two he had separated with his dead-fish eyes.
Sunagakure's team leader hurried forward to calm Gaara down.
"Gaara, calm down. Once you're in the arena, you'll have plenty of chances to deal with him. Don't be rash. Put the bigger picture first."
"I understand, Baki. I'll wait until we're in the arena to