The Bandaged Weirdo

"You shameless scoundrel who has disgraced the village. What do you think we've come all the way to Konoha for?"

Gaara crossed his arms and swept his cold, icy gaze over the people below.

He wasn't leaning on anything; his feet were firmly planted on the tree branches, and he hung upside down in mid-air as if nailed to the ground.

"Let me explain, Gaara." Kankuro held out his hand, his voice thick with the smell of cold sweat, "These guys started it..."

Gaara lowered his eyelids, his eyes devoid of any human warmth, staring so intently that Kankuro couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Shut up."

"I'll kill you."

The murderous intent that lingered in his throat seemed not to have completely dissipated, drifting and lingering in his voice.

This is terrible, absolutely terrible.

Staring into those eye sockets that looked completely unrecognizable as those of a living person, Kankuro's tongue stammered out, "I understand, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

The blond-haired girl next to him also tensed up, her gaze fixed intently on Gaara.

Let's hope nothing goes wrong.

She muttered a sentence to herself, feeling depressed.

Gaara tilted his head, his beast-like eyes turning towards Sasuke, but they remained completely unmoved.

"I'm sorry to you all," he said coldly.

Separated by a tree trunk, Sasuke lowered his eyelids, his pores standing on end, watching every movement of the person behind him.

Those eyes sent chills down your spine.

When exactly did he get there?

He hadn't even noticed a single detail of his clothes.

Damn it.

It's still too weak.

How could they be so weak?

The resentment in his chest almost seeped into his bones, pulling him back into the previous conversation.

His expression grew increasingly grim.

Gaara, hanging upside down in the tree, also caught sight of the gaze beside him.

They could easily knock off Kankuro's silk threads with a pebble.

This guy isn't bad.

Konoha has finally produced a character who can be considered presentable.

However, it's still a long way off.

Gaara silently contemplated the thought.

The canopy of trees overhead suddenly fell silent.

The wind swallowed back, and the birdsong was abruptly cut off.

The air felt like it was mixed with glue, so sticky it was hard to breathe.

Everyone's backs tensed up.

"Yo!"

What are you all standing here for?

A laughing voice broke the silence.

Wu Chiwu also poked half his body out of the tree, his hands still warm from waving, a smile still lingering on his lips.

The sleeves of his black robe slid down, revealing arms wrapped in bandages, and stubble of white hair gleamed in the sunlight.

???

Seeing this bandaged guy suddenly appear out of nowhere, everyone present felt a jolt of surprise, their faces filled with undisguised shock.

Kankuro's eyes widened in disbelief, and the silk thread wrapped around his fingers had somehow fallen to the ground.

When did he arrive?

How could this be...?

How could he have appeared behind Gaara without making a sound?

What really baffled Kankuro wasn't that Wu Chiwu had arrived, but that he could stick to Gaara's back like a ghost without being detected.

This is absolutely outrageous.

Gaara would never allow anyone to get that close.

The only explanation is that he didn't notice at all.

Can...

Is it possible?

That's One-Tail Jinchuriki, the strongest one among them...

How is that possible?

On the tree branch, Gaara heard Wu Chiwu's abrupt greeting, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

A moment of shock flickered in his lifeless eyes, and the sand seemed to scatter with his emotions, swirling around him.

When did this happen?

How come I didn't notice anything at all?

besides...

So close?

Gaara's aura completely shifted 180 degrees, his entire focus locked on the person behind him.

At this moment, Wu Chiwu was hanging upside down on the branch above Gaara, his head drooping downwards, his body swaying gently.

The two were ridiculously close to each other.

It's just a slightly awkward position.

He swung casually, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"It's that Bandage Freak!" Naruto suddenly shouted.

Wow, this guy is a really good fighter.

This was the first time he'd seen Sasuke not pretending.

Hahahaha.

Separated by a tree, Sasuke's mind was certainly not as muddled as Naruto's.

His lips twitched, and his expression relaxed for a fleeting moment.

When did this person get up here?

I didn't even realize it myself.

Just like that red-haired ninja, they're both as light as cats.

That's fucking frustrating.

Are they all this strong?

They're only two years apart, but the difference is...

With such limited skills, what makes you think you can settle scores with that man?

Thinking of this, Sasuke's face immediately darkened again.

"Hey, when did you get here?" Gaara asked coldly.

His red hair made him appear both dark and cold.

"Ask me?" Wu Chiwu rested his chin on his hand, striking a pose as if he were seriously doing some calculations.

Let me sort this out.

"I've been here for a while now."

"Yeah, I've been squatting here ever since Sasuke started showing off."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.

As if he had run into a long-lost brother, he excitedly replied, "Really?"

You think so too?

I told you, Sasuke is always showing off...

"That's outrageous." Wu Chiwu solemnly, his cooperation flawless.

"That's right, that's right." Naruto's blue eyes were practically overflowing with light.

In just a short while, the two of them seemed to have recognized each other as relatives, gazing at each other across the distance, as if they wanted to hold hands and look at each other with tears in their eyes.

An aura of tacit understanding rose from between them and filled the forest.

Sasuke's lips twitched, and he rested his hand on his forehead.

Honestly.

He really didn't want to admit that this guy, who shared the same style as Naruto, was his second brother.

Is he Naruto clone of the second brother?

That's terrifying.

He tried hard to shake the images that kept popping into his head.

Sakura, standing to the side, watched the scene with a mixture of emotions, her lips twitching slightly.

Haha, we're really in sync!

In matters like this...

That's really something else.

Gaara frowned, the sand around him shifting wildly, and looked at Goku, who was completely Wu Chiwu him, and said coldly, "Are you treating me like I'm invisible?"

"Like air?" Wu Chiwu pondered these words for a moment, then turned his head to look at Gaara seriously.

"No, I just feel..."

Gaara remained silent, a look of confusion on his face, waiting for him to continue.

What do you think?

Wu Chiwu his hands and nonchalantly circled around the tree branch at his feet.

"I just think it's not good to have so many people crammed into one tree," he said, resting his chin on his hand with a serious expression.

???

What does that mean?

Not only was Gaara completely confused, but the faces of the people around him were also full of question marks.

Why are you suddenly bringing this up?

What's wrong?

Everyone present was completely bewildered.

Only two people understood what he wanted to do.