Kankuro and Temari looked in the direction of the sound and discovered the black-haired boy who had appeared behind Gaara earlier.
The man had a cold expression, wore a black jumpsuit, and silently formed solid arcs of azure electricity in his hand, giving the two a strong sense of threat.
' Gaara's absolute defense was penetrated by something like this?'
With keen Kankuro glanced discreetly at Gaara's back, where the bits of Sand Armor peeling away proved the terrifying penetrating power of that peculiar ninjutsu.
'She's quite cute, and her strength isn't bad either. I didn't expect there to be so many monsters in Konoha.'
Observing the situation, Temari's expression changed slightly, and she dared not underestimate the battle in the slightest.
With three against two, our side currently has a numerical advantage, but no one can be sure how much strength the two guys in front of us are capable of.
Gaara raised his head, and the coldness and killing intent in his eyes made Naruto and Sasuke frown slightly. They sensed a sense of loneliness from Gaara.
"Another worthy opponent has arrived. You, state your name!"
" Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke, how can a Sunagakure ninja appear openly in Konoha? Could it be the Jonin Exams?"
Sakura, standing behind the two, exclaimed in surprise, "The Jonin Exam? These guys in front of us don't look much older than us?"
It's no wonder Sasuke made that judgment; Gaara's strength alone certainly qualified him to participate in the Jonin Exams.
Although Temari and Kankuro never made a move, they were able to team up with Gaara, so their strength must not be too bad.
"No, it's the Chunin Exams."
Since she had been exposed, Temari simply didn't hide it anymore, and instead lamented the lack of transparency within Konoha.
"Judging by your ages, you're probably Genin who haven't participated in the Chunin Exams. Let's call it a day. See you on the day of the Chunin Ninja Exams, okay, Gaara...?"
At this point, their eyes met briefly. When Temari saw Gaara's suppressed excitement and murderous intent in his gaze, she inwardly cursed.
broken!
If the monster inside Gaara is provoked now, things could become unpredictable.
On the other hand, Naruto had been frowning and staring at Gaara, felt very strange. This strange feeling seemed familiar.
"Shut up!"
As expected, Gaara's sharp shout immediately made Kankuro feel extremely exhausted.
That's why I hate this emotionally unstable brat. When will this guy ever learn what it means to listen to his older brother?!
Despite the uncontrollable roar within, Gaara forced a smile on the surface, attempting to calm his emotions.
"I... Gaara, think about it, isn't Baki looking for us? Let's go first and not keep our teacher waiting. Anyway, these guys will definitely participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams, right?"
His eyes were cold and indifferent, showing no interest in anything except killing.
Just as Gaara turned to leave, Naruto's call made Temari and Kankuro break out in a cold sweat.
"Wait, Gaara, let's see if I'm worthy to be your opponent. It doesn't have to be complicated, just a fist bump will do."
These words immediately startled the two of them, causing them to break out in a cold sweat. Sakura, standing behind them, even tried to stop them.
"What are you doing, Naruto! We should just let them leave. If they start fighting in the village, it will cause trouble for Kakashi-sensei."
"Shut up, Sakura. Naruto has his reasons, or do you think the two of us are no match for the three of them?"
Sasuke didn't turn around, but shouted angrily to stop him. Although his deep eyes were somewhat puzzled, he still chose to believe him.
Gaara was about to leave, stopped in his tracks, turned around, and stared into those azure eyes.
After a brief eye contact, as if sensing something different, Gaara raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and slammed it down.
Bang!
A sudden gust of wind arose, and blood streamed from the fingertips of the two men whose fists were locked together. Their azure eyes flickered with an inscrutable light, Tailed Beast Chakra within them pulled them into Inner world that ordinary people could not access.
The azure lake reflected the two of them, and Naruto's eyes flashed with understanding, his tone humorous.
"It seems I'm not the only one being treated as a monster. You also harbor a monster within you. Isn't that a good thing? A fellow human."
Gaara's pupils trembled slightly as he looked around, then turned to look behind him.
"Mom? What's going on? Why am I here?"
"Mom? Um... never mind, let's start with this place. This is the Inner world that only Jinchūriki can enter, and it's also an independent spiritual world where one can communicate with the Tailed Beast."
"Who is the Tailed Beast inside you? Don't tell me you don't even know its name. My partner is Kurama. Still sleeping? Get up and meet your companion."
Suddenly, a pair of crimson vertical pupils, as large as a carriage, opened on the azure water behind it, and its mountain-like tail splashed up waves.
"Ugh, brat... wait a minute. This chakra is... that stinky raccoon!"
"Who are you calling a stinking raccoon, you damned fox, you bastard!"
Covered in Curse Mark markings and resembling the Tailed Beast of the sand, Shukaku was clearly visible behind Gaara, glaring angrily at Kurama.
"You wicked fox, after being locked up in a brat's body for so many years, you still haven't changed your temper at all!"
"No matter what you say, it's useless. The strength of Tailed Beast is determined by the number of its tails. A mere One-Tail, pfft!"
"You bastard, I'm going to kill you, I absolutely will, and make fur coats from your fox pelt..."
The roars of the two Tailed Beast echoed in Naruto's Inner world, and he smiled, looking as if he had known it all along.
"From the One-Tail- Tailed Beast to the Nine-Tails, each one is unique. I am truly delighted to have met the only nine companions in this world."
Goodbye, my kindred spirit, my natural friend.
With communication severed, the long period of Inner world is but a fleeting moment in reality. Gaara's expression shifted from murderous intent to bewilderment, and finally to incomprehension.
Naruto smiled without saying a word, then turned and left with Sasuke and the others.
"I... Gaara, please don't fight anymore, okay? Please, as your older sister and brother, we're begging you..."
Gaara turned and left without a word. Cracks began to spread in the lonely world he had built for himself.
He had always thought he was unique, enduring loneliness, but from this moment on, Gaara clearly knew that there were others in this world struggling alone.
Only you know yourself best. Your childhood experiences are just like those of that guy, Uzumaki Naruto.
'No, no! That guy, that guy has his own companions. I'm the one who's truly experiencing loneliness. I absolutely cannot allow myself to be alone...'
"Let's go. Chunin Ninja Exams, we must kill him, Uchiha Sasuke."